I always want to make things at Christmas-time. Maybe it’s the connection to tradition; a century or two ago, people crafted humble gifts for one another:  they knitted, embroidered, baked fruitcake and made preserves; they sewed, cobbled, quilted, whittled and wove. I’ve long since realized I’m a throwback from some previous generation, and so there is something about the spirit of the season that inspires me – no, requires me – to fashion things by hand. The best holiday decorating owes a lot to natural textures and accessories that appeal to all our senses: evergreen branches and pinecones, cinnamon and gingerbread, a healthy dose of tartan, and the clean, crisp scent of snow.…