Welcome to another edition of Make it Merry, where talented crafters share their holiday how-to's. This week we've got some friendly characters and festive Thanksgiving crafts to create. Create a Pumpkin Candle What better to put in the middle of the feast. David Fisher will show you how to make this easy and impressive pumpkin tealight holder.

Make a Sesame Street Wreath For 40 years, Sesame Street has been part of our lives and has encouraged us to accept all holiday traditions. Barbara Crews will show you how to create this wreath dedicated to some of our favorite Muppets.

Draw a Penguin Pilgrim For Thanksgiving crafts like place mats and name cards, you'll need some festive art. How about a lesson from Helen South on drawing this cutie penguin.

Embroider a Gift Bag Save cash for presents when you reuse gift bags or buy those inexpensive plain bags. Phyllis Dobbs will show you how to dress them up for the re-gifting process with a touch of delightful embroidery.

Stitch a Swedish Ornament If you've got an ornament exchange to attend this year, a traditional Swedish ornament will really stand out in the crowd. Cheryl Fall will show you how to hand stitch this original piece.

Wax Resist Holiday Cards Add a contemporary look to your holiday while saving some cash on Christmas Cards. This wax resist technique from Marion Boddy-Evans is just what you need.

Pumpkin Foam Sticker Earrings For a quick Fall look in a pinch, try these pumpkin sticker earrings from Tammy Powley. She'll show you how to make them in five easy steps.

Paper Globe Ornament This dimensional ornament has an intricate look, but is actually simple in design. Kate Pullen will show you how to cut and stamp this delightful addition to your decor.

Knit a Stocking Ornament A mini stocking is a creative way to give a gift card, or hide a little treat on the tree. Sarah E. White shows us how to knit this cute little sock.

Christmas Tree Bunting Decking the Halls has never been so fun, and this one is perfect for helpful kids to take part in. Use up those scraps of fabric with this decorative craft from the Sadie and Lance blog.

Make a Mini Hippo Stuffed animals add a bit of fun and tenderness to any slew of presents. Stuff a stocking with a smile when you sew this little hippo from Lesley Shepherd.

Snowman Candy Jar Top off your candy jar with a snowman face as sweet as the treats inside. Sherri Osborn will show you how to paint and assemble this wintry decoration that is appropriate to show off all season long.

Joy Ornament Crosstitch Stitch a little bit of joy for someone this Christmas. Connie G. Barwick has the free pattern for this jolly cross stitch project.

Want to Join Make it Merry to show off your holiday crafts? We will showcase your crafts and recipes of all holiday traditions. Learn more.

Susan Miller Cavitch, in The Soapmaker's Companion, calls it the "million dollar question." Most soapmakers, at one time or another, will find that a white, powdery film has covered their bars of soap. It's most usually on the tops or sides - those sides exposed to the air. In the soap making world, it's called "ash." Some people believe it's sodium carbonate formed by the free sodium from the sodium hydroxide (lye) and carbon dioxide in the air. Cavitch once had a chemist test some ash on her soaps...and theorizes that it's actually microcystalline powdered soap. It generally forms during the first 12-24 hours after you pour the soap, and different people have different solutions for it. I knew a soap maker that added 1-2% soy or beeswax to her soap batches and greatly reduced her ash. Cocoa butter seems to have a similar preventative effect. Covering the soap with plastic wrap after you pour it, so that no air gets to it seems to minimize it as well. The good news is...that whatever "ash" really is...is that it's harmless and washes right off of the soap.

When I first started making soap some years ago, I had a couple of friends in Austin, TX who asked, "Is your soap like Dr. Bronner's?" Well...while I did like putting text and stories on my soap labels...and while I did make peppermint soap...and liquid soap...I never made liquid peppermint soap like Dr. Bronner. He's been making interesting natural soaps for 60 years...and they are good. His story is a delightful read. Perhaps one of you readers will be as iconic a soap maker as Dr. Bronner.

I recently moved - and all of my usual molds and such are packed in various boxes. I wanted to make a small test batch of soap, and luckily I was able to find my home-made mitre-box log mold. It was a great low-cost soap mold solution from a fellow soap maker friend, Pat Tyson of Pitterpat Skin Care. She designed a really wonderful, easy-to-make, small log mold that's made with strips of wood and a mitre box - and passed on the design to us. All of the materials are available at any local hardware store for just a few dollars.

Photo: Pat Tyson