Showing posts with label handmade. Show all posts
Showing posts with label handmade. Show all posts

Tuesday, 23 December 2014

Twas the Night Before Christmas...

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the mill
Not a creature was stirring, there were no squeaks or shrills.
The backcloths were tucked on the shelving with care
And the stone walls protected them from the cold, frosty air.

The scenery was nestled, all neat in their rows
And the only sound came from the crowing of crows.
Every once in a while you’d hear the drip of a tap
Or the soulful old meow from an adventuring cat.




When unexpectedly outside, their rose such a clatter,
The mice all woke up to see what was the matter
Away to the windows they flew like a flash,
But the shutters blew open with an almighty crash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to the mice’s wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
The mice knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

“Now Dasher! Now Dancer! Now, Prancer and Vixen!
On Comet, On, Cupid! On, on Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! To the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!”

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to the mill—top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of props, and St Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, the mice heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
The mice squeaked in excitement, and as they turned round,
Through the window St Nicholas came in with a bound. 



He was dressed up in overalls and shone like a Saint
As his clothes were all tarnished with glitter and paint,
A bundle of props he had on his back
And he looked like a pedlar just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! His dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!




He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And the mice squeaked when they saw him, and some hid on the shelf!
But a wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon let them know they had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word but went straight to work,
He unloaded the props, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, through the window he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But the mice heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!”

“And please do remember” he said with a smile,
“there’s only one place with scenery who’ll go an extra mile.
For magic, enchantment and shows hard to forget
The Border Studio is where you’ll find all of that met”

“The Border Studio works hard to always do their duty,
And provide their customers with things of great beauty.
When we sing and dance up North in the snow,
The Border Studio always provides the scenery for our show

We wouldn’t have any other, it wouldn’t be right,

But anyway, Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!”

Our very own adaptation of 'A Visit from St. Nicholas', originally written by Clement Clarke Moore.
Our version was written by Tamsin






 




We would like to remind our customers that it is definitely not too early to start booking your cloths and pantomimes for next year! Get in touch today so that you don't miss out!

Contact us through our website or by calling us on 01750 20237.


The Border Studio - Design to Inspire
We are a theatrical hire company based in Scotland, and remain one of the UK's most popular scenic suppliers.
With a catalogue of over 100 different shows, the UK's largest collection of hand-painted backcloths and a vast prop store
get in touch today to see how we can help enhance your show.




Tuesday, 16 December 2014

Add some Magic and Sparkle to your Christmas!

As I'm sure you are all aware Christmas is just around the corner, and Christmas really isn't Christmas without the decorations!

Some of you may already have your trees up and baubles polished, whilst the rest of us are groaning at the thought of having to wrestle your tree out the attic and untangle yards of fairy lights. 

Over here at The Border Studio we like to think we're quite a creative bunch, and we do like to sink our teeth into a good DIY project (as shown by our enthusiasm for knitting blankets and bears for our #bearinablanket project!)
A Christmas Wreath - handmade by our very own Tamsin
This year I decided to put together a list of some of my favourite DIY and 'How To' projects to help you decorate your house in a more creative, and even cost efficient way. Some of these would also be really fun activities you could do with your own children and grandchildren or with youth groups in the lead up to Christmas - and you'll end up with handmade decorations that are a bit more special then a multipack of coloured baubles from the local garden centre.

Of course crafts aren't for everyone - but if you do feel up for a challenge with decorating your house this year then this guide is perfect for those who want to be a bit more creative and hands-on. We certainly think our customers are very creative and hands-on and definitely willing to take on any challenge!
We have tried to find detailed 'how to' guides for each project so just click on the links to find out how to do them yourself. We hope you enjoy!



  1. Ballerina Snowflakes 
  2. Glitter Snowballs  
  3. Wooden Diamonds 
  4. Willow Stars - I learned to construct these on holiday at Centerparcs this year. They can seem a bit fiddly but once you get the hang of them you can do them in your sleep - and they look so pretty hung around the house!




  1. Paper Snowflakes - Best Pattern Collections 1 & 2
  2. Tissue Paper Pom Poms - We used paper pom-poms to decorate our office last year, alongside miles & miles of traditional paper garlands
  3. Swan Place Settings - We couldn't find a 'how to', but I'm sure you can follow these to put together your own design. Perfect for Panto Parties!
  4. Painted Tree Stump Side Tables - A unique way to dress your house, we love these rustic side tables. All you need is a tree, sanding paper, some elbow grease and some pretty paint colours. 
  5. 3D Stars & Snowflakes - we made a few of these last year to hang in the window. Much easier to make then they look! We recommend using a stapler to put together and we made a card 'stencil' to cut around to ensure all the sizes matched.

  1. Glittery Pinecones 
  2. Glittery Leaves Garland 
  3. Leaf Table Setting - Send your children outside to gather some leaves then simply spray paint them! A cheap yet very creative way to sort out place settings.
  4. Glittery Twigs - Again you just need to gather some twigs together and spray glitter over them. Just pop them into a vase and display them in the corner of the room, you can even thread fairy lights through them. They would make an interesting, yet lovely table centrepiece.



Something a little different


Although these aren't strictly Christmassy, we couldn't resist popping them in to show you! The party boxes would be perfect alongside the swan place settings for a Panto themed party, and the paper hats are ideal for New Years. Lots of these decorations could be used to put together a fantastic 'Princess' themed party - with different coloured wooden gems, homemade crowns and Fairy Tale themed decorations the party would be fit for a Queen - you could even reuse all your snowflakes and declare it a 'Frozen' party!
  1. Party Hats
  2. Cinderella's Coach Party Boxes  - we found plenty of similar ones available to buy on eBay
  3. Castle Lanterns
We would love to see how you get on! Make sure you post pictures of your handmade decorations to our Facebook page, tweet us or tag us in your pictures so we can see! 

Written by Tamsin
















We would like to remind our customers that it is definitely not too early to start booking your cloths and pantomimes for next year! Get in touch today so that you don't miss out!

Contact us through our website or by calling us on 01750 20237.


The Border Studio - Design to Inspire
We are a theatrical hire company based in Scotland, and remain one of the UK's most popular scenic suppliers.
With a catalogue of over 100 different shows, the UK's largest collection of hand-painted backcloths and a vast prop store
get in touch today to see how we can help enhance your show.