handmade holiday tips

We'll I've been spending a year making gifts.  It's been wonderful and fun and overwhelming all at the same time!  Along the way, I've learned a thing or two about handmade gift making and giving. 

And it's not too late to make even just one gift . . . it's not too late to give one gift that has been labored over and loved on. 

Check out the tutorials and gifts idea page or go visit One Pretty Thing for a few ideas, and keep in mind these tips:

1) Be realistic about your skill set. It’s not necessarily the time to learn a new skill two weeks before the holidays. If you do not know how to crochet, do not start now in an attempt to make scarves for all your friends. Think about something simpler like painting and distressing a picture frame that will hold a special picture of you and your friend.

2) Keep in mind the recipient of the gift. What does she or he like to do? Is she an avid cook? Make a unique apron and oven mitt. Is he a golfer? Make him a few monogrammed ball towels and tees. Lavender-infused drawer sachets may not be a good gift for someone who is sensitive to scents. A homemade messenger bag may not be the best gift for a friend who prefers high-end bags and purses.

3) You don’t have to spend a lot of money to make a special gift. Handmade gifts don’t have to cost a lot. For example, if you don’t know how to sew but you have an avid cook in the family, collect a wide range of recipes, print them neatly on recipe cards and tie them with a ribbon.  Do an internet search for free printable recipe card templates for added flair.

4) Personalize it. Take an old standby and personalize it with a monogram, name or an appliqué. For example, make a monogram taggie blanket for a baby or buy an inexpensive plain t-shirt and add an appliqué of a dinosaur for a budding adventurer.

5) Step it up a notch. Do you always give a book to your husband? Well, go ahead buy him one more this holiday season, but make it part of a set that includes a coffee mug cozy (because every bookworm loves to drink coffee or tea), a pen-holder/bookmark and a coupon for two hours of uninterrupted reading time.

6) Don’t forget food gifts. Almost anyone can buy ingredients and assemble “in-a-jar” gifts. Do an internet search for “in-a-jar” recipes, place the necessary ingredients in a mason jar and place a recipe tag around the top of the jar.

7) Children don’t need that must-have gift. Avoid the long lines and waiting lists for the must-have toy of the season. Handmade toys can increase imagination and encourage creativity. For example, my children love to pretend that they work in a post office. They spend hours stamping and delivering mail all around our house. So this year I made them both a pretend and play post office set complete with a fabric mailbox, stationery set, and mail carrier bag. I predict hours of fun in our future.

8) Include children in your gift-making. If you have kids or grandkids, pick out some simple, gift-making ideas and include them in the process. However, put away your need for perfection and get ready to make a mess!

There you have it . . . eight tips to get you started and finished by Christmas!

Craft on!

**Have you checked out the DIY Life eZine yet?  Do it!  I had these tips printed in this season's issue, and it is chocked full of other holiday ideas.

tuesday's true confess: taking deep breaths

It's official . . .

I did everything within my power to prevent it.

I've been working diligently all year to keep it at bay.

I've planned and cut and poked myself and glued and so much more all in an effort to rise above it.

But it's happened . . .

Yep, I confess that the pre-Christmas panic has set in!

Last night as I sat in a pile of wrapping paper, tissue, bows, ribbon and scrapbook paper, I realized that I was in the same place that I was in last year at this time . . . in Panicland . . . and not just as a tourist visiting Panicland but more like the mayor of Panicland. 

Apparently, working on Christmas gifts all year long doesn't actually help suppress the panic.  So that's good to know.   

It won't all get done.
The finishing touches on the felt food won't get completed.
The pillow buddy eyes won't get finished.
The jammie shirts won't get appliques on them.
The Velcro won't get ironed on.
The present won't get wrapped.

Except it will . . . all of it will get done . . . just as it does every year . . . after I remember to breathe . . . deep breaths . . . and not make such a big deal out of it all. 

It will all get done, and if it doesn't my kids won't every know.

Feeling better already!  How about you?

Craft on and carry on!

a quick gift set for the bookworm in your life

Need a quick, easy-sew gift for a book lover or student in your life?  Make this coffee cup sleeve.  Add it to the pen holder/bookmark, a coffee shop gift card and a good book to make The Bookworm Set!

Here's a super quick tutorial for the coffee cup sleeve part of this gift set.

Here's what you need:
• 1 disposable coffee cup sleeve from your local coffee shop
• 2 – 11 x 4 inch rectangles of fabric
• 1 – 11 x 4 rectangle of insulated fleece
• 1 button
• 1 hair elastic

Here's what you do:
1) Open up disposable coffee cup sleeve and flatten on to wrong side of fabric. Pin. Trace sleeve adding about ¼ of an inch around the traced sleeve. Cut fabric and insulated fleece using this shape.

2) Sew button about one inch from the side edge of the fabric that will be the outside of the sleeve.

3) Place the two 11 x 4 inch rectangles of fabric right sides together. Sandwich the elastic ban between these two pieces on the opposite end of the button. Then place insulated fleece on one of the wrongs sides of fabric. Pin. Sew around leaving a turning hole. Clip rounded edges. Turn. Iron.

4) Fold in the edges of the turning hole and top stitch around the sleeve.

Done!

Use your computer to make a coupon or hand stamp one for two hours of uninterrupted reading if this gift if for your husband or a friend with kids that you could watch for a few hours. And/or grab a free drink card from your local coffee shop to include with this gift set.

Craft on!

**Have you checked out the DIY Life eZine yet?  Do it!  This set was first printed in this season's issue, and it is chocked full of other holiday ideas.

Check out the great parties I may link to by clicking on the blog name below or visiting my "I like to party" page that shows off all the party buttons.  These gals go to a lot of work to host these parties.  If you participate in parties please take time to look through a variety of the projects linked up.  They are a great source of inspiration!


Weekend - Somewhat Simple Holiday Party, a little lovely, Craft Envy, Under the Table and Dreaming, Be Different Act Normal, A Vision to Remember, 504 Main - Tickled Pink, Funky Junk Interiors, Tatertots and Jello, I heart naptime


Monday - Keeping it Simple, Craft-O-Maniac, The Girl Creative, The Trendy Treehouse, CRAFT, Making the World Cuter, Mad in Crafts, Sumo's Sweet Stuff, Between Naps on the Porch, Tools Are For Women,  It's So Very Cheri, Skip to My Lou, Sew Can Do, Polly Want a Crafter


Tuesday - All Thingz Related, Sugar Bee, New Nostalgia, Creative Itch, Lucky Star Lane, Hope Studios, These Creative Juices, My Delicious Ambiguity, Today's Creative Blog-Get Your Craft On!,


Wednesday - It's So Very Cheri, Beyond the Picket Fence, Blue Cricket Design, Trendy Treehouse, Tea Rose Home, Someday Crafts, My Backyard Eden, Sew Much Ado, Night Owl Crafting


Thursday -  Fireflies and Jellybeans, Life As Lori, House of Hepworths, Somewhat Simple, Seven Thirty Three, The Train to Crazy, PonyTails and FishScales


Friday - The Sabby Nest, A Little Knick Knack, Fingerprints on the Fridge, It's Fun to Craft!, It's a Hodgepodge Life, Kojo Designs, Simply Sweet Home, Frou Frou Decor, Remodelaholic, Momma's Kinda Crafty

sunday kids' craft and classroom party audition: jingle bells

Welcome to classroom party craft audition THREE and Sunday Kids' Craft!  Two for one!  (Go here for audition ONE and here for audition TWO.)

By now you are seriously wonderful about my ability to make decisions.  I mean, who spends THIS MUCH TIME trying to pick a craft for a bunch of kindergartners? 

Me!  That's who!

Yesterday, we were stuck inside all day, and we spend about two hours of that at the table trying out crafts!  Most of the pics below are of me doing this particular craft because it's REALLY hard to get kids to pause in the middle of the steps for pictures.  But not only did my 5 year old make these bells, but my 2 year old did too.  So rest assured that these party crafts have been kid-tested and mother approved!  (I secretly LOVED every minute of our snowy day.  Snowed-in days are the best excuse to take a break from the world for a day!  And yes, we stayed in our pajamas ALL DAY LONG!  You can read a recap of our day here.) 
And here's number three:

Jingle Bells

Audition #3

Here’s what you need:

~an egg carton cut a part . . . each child will need two of those little egg cups

~one pipe cleaner per kid

~two bells per kid

~decorations - glitter glue, sequins, stickers, markers, etc.

Here’s what you do:

1) Poke small holes in the top of each egg cup.  I recommend that an adult does this part.  I used wooden skewers for this.  Someone gave us these as a wedding gift, and I'm pretty sure I've never actually used them for food.  I've used them for crayon ornaments, egg blowing and egg dying, and various other projects, but never as actual skewers.  You've got to get a set of these!

2)  Push the pipe cleaner down through one of the holes.

3)  Push the pipe cleaner through the opening at the top of the bell and pull it out about 1/4 of an inch or so.  Then twist this tail around the rest of the pipe cleaner to secure.   

4) Repeat with the other egg cup and bell.

5)  Decorate!

Done!

Hang these over a tree branch for a one-of-a-kind jingle bell ornament.  I made one of these in preschool 30ish years ago, and my mom still hangs it on their tree every year. 

I love these.  They aren't "perfect" or "polished" looking, but they are easy, allow for creativity and individuality.  (My girls picked mostly pink and blue decorations as much as I tried to influence them to pick the more traditional Christmas colors.  They like to put a their personality into every craft we do.)  And my 5 year old LOVED this one too.  She's been jingling her bells all day!

What do you think?  What's your first choice so far?  I have at least two more to audition before I make a final decision.  Weigh in!

Craft on!

This post is sponsored by Arise Shine Design!  Check this shop out for unique jewelry gifts.