I realize it is July and here in Texas it is 100 plus degrees, but this is also the perfect time of the year to stay indoors and start making your gifts for Christmas.

One of my favorites and least expensive to make, is the Yule Log. I mass produced these at one time when I had a manufacturing company, years ago, but it is one of those items that never goes out of style.

I was fortunate enough to have access to 12 acres of woods with fallen trees, but if you are not this lucky, it is okay. You just need a fire wood log that has not been split. You want it to be round but stable enough that it will "sit" without rolling over. It should be about 12-18 inches in length and no more then 24 inches long. The diameter of the log should be about 4-6 inches. If you choose a larger log, you would want larger holes drilled for larger candles or maybe ever one large hole off-center for a three inch candle.

Once you locate the perfect log, you will need to drill 3 holes, 7/8" diameter, spaced equally apart. These holes are for your tapered candles that will be part of your decoration.

Now for the finish. You will need a hot glue gun and a box of old Christmas decorations. Christmas balls, 1 1/2 inches -2 inches in diameter or small one inch balls, greenery, old ornaments such as a miniature Santa or reindeer, or elves work nicely. Pine cones, which most of us have somewhere in Texas and other states as well, are great as part of the decoration as well. As a final touch, you will want to purchase #9 Christmas ribbon from your local craft shop. You will need approximately 4 yards of ribbon.

Once you have assembled all of your materials, the fun will begin. You will start by using your hot glue gun to lay your base of greenery on the log. Once you have glued the greenery, you will then hot glue your Christmas balls in groups of three, resembling "berries" maybe. Then you can add your theme decorations such as the Santa or elf. Finish it off with a bow, made from your ribbon, leaving enough of a tail to ripple and hot glue the length of your log. The last addition is your three tapered candles.

For smaller projects, you could use a shorter log and smaller taper candles, like the half inch diameter.

Once all decorations are in place and glued, you will want to complete this project with some spray glitter. This really makes the Yule Log look professionally created. This is a great project for kids and adults alike.