The Lehigh Gap Nature Center in Slatington was as busy as Santa's workshop last Saturday.

The largest crowd ever hosted for such an event gathered to make fresh Christmas decorations, guided by Bill and Lorraine Mineo."We use all kinds of greens," said Bill Mineo as he and his wife prepared to help people make swags and wreaths built on grapevine bases.A new evergreen that Mineo particularly likes is the Hanoki Cypress, a Japanese tree that is a form of redwood. The needles are short and blue.Mineo grows a wide variety of evergreens and grapevines on his farm, and collects the prunings to make wreaths and swags. It is a retirement career for the couple, who quit the farm market circuit."Let your imagination go wild," Mineo said as people wandered among the piles of branches, clipping pieces they wanted to use.If the finished product is to be placed between a door and screen or storm door it has to be flat, but for indoors or on a free-standing door, they can be fuller.Swags begin with long branches as a base. Differences in color and texture of branches that are shorter are added to the front to add interest. A branch that will not stay where it should be can be tied in place.Ribbons and bows along with pinecones complete the swag, but here is where the imagination comes in again because anything Christmassy can be added to make it more colorful and appealing.While evergreens are being made into Christmas decorations outdoors on this cold and rainy day, indoors people are folding origami passenger pigeons.The center is hoping to have 100 birds on its tree in the lobby honoring the 100th anniversary of the death of the last passenger pigeon among the billions that once filled the skies. It is a countrywide project and it is hoped a million will be created.At another station, bird cookies are being created. Hands and cookie cutters are sprayed with cooking spray because the dough is sticky until it has time to set.The dough is then pressed into deep cookie cutters or molds. When they are half-filled, a string is added to tie it out for the birds. Then it is filled and carefully removed from the cookie cutter.A raffle for a quilt and other prizes was also held Saturday.Kathie Romano and Donna Gasser made the quilt, which was called a "Coneflower Garden."Bird Cookiescup flour1/2 cup boiling water1 package Knox gelatin (2 1/2 teaspoons)3 tablespoons corn syrup4 cups bird seed (safflower, sunflower, millet, red millet, and chopped peanuts, raisins, dried papaya or dried pineappleAdd gelatin to boiling water and mix until dissolved. Add corn syrup and remove from heat. Pour into a bowl with the flour and mix lightly. Mix in birdseed and/or fruit and nuts. Shape by pressing into lightly oiled or sprayed deep cookie cutters. Fill mold halfway, then add a loop of string tied into a loop with loose ends outside to fasten onto a tree. Fill cookie cutter to the top. Remove and let set to harden.