Handmade Christmas - an update...

It's been awhile since i've posted...been working furiously on Christmas projects.
Here's where I stand:

• Lap Quilt for my mom using this pattern - top is nearly finished (using pretty, metallic brown, orange, pink, green), need to buy flannel for backing.
• Fabric take-a-long fairy house for 3 year old - nearly done, have to hand sew it together and decorate the outside. Have 3 small tinkerbell fairies to put in it.
• Flower Fairy carpet - have the felt, need to buy the flowers and sew them on!
• Crayon rolls - completed for both girls, new crayons bought on Black Friday (FREE at Walgreens). Need to print out some coloring pages to go with them.
• Groovy Jingle Owls - started....need to do more!! These are so cute! I want to give them to everyone I know....
• Baby Tag Blanket for my nephew's baby - complete!
• Blue Jeans bed warmers - 3 are complete, just need to fill and add essential oil (going to try bath and body work's stuff). Have slipcovers made for 2 of them.
• Fabric rollers - forgot about these - HAVE to make them for my 13 year old....

I have a few other projects in the wings too....can't post about them though because that daughter reads this blog!

Christmas Crafts.....searching around the web

I am rapidly losing time so today i did some much-needed research for additional Christmas craft ideas. Here are some that i like:

1. A wreath for our door - this uses foam board, fabric, textured snow paint with styrofoam balls....but i'm thinking I could use card board, modpodge, fabric or paper, and white pom poms....actually looks like a good kid craft!

2. My nephew recently had a baby - look at this SWEET baby's first Christmas album! Again, the instructions are pretty detailed and would involve purchasing some items, but i'm thinking mod-podge, scrapbook paper, stickers, etc. LOVE the little plug - will do ours in blue!

3. Groovy Jingle Owls - these are so cute! i'm thinking i could give them in packages of 6....or 12.....made with Christmas fabric - ADORABLE! Could also throw in some patchwork stars!

4. Check out these cute fabric baskets - great tutorial! would be a sweet gift with Bath & Body works goodies for a teen (or an overworked mom!).....Use this printable Bath & Body works coupon for $10 off $30 - expires 11/22/09.

5. Little ones love crayons! I'm looking at this crayon roll to craft for my littles!

6. Maybe a purse organizer for my mother-in-law? pre-filled with some goodies.....

7. This simple lap-desk might be great for our 9 year old....i would probably spruce it up a bit, but LOVE the idea! Linked via Taffy Talk.

8. Here is a cute simple gift for any Root Beer lovers in your life! Root Deer...... CUTE!

9. This pocket advent calendar is oh-so-clever and cute, but i don't think i'd ever finish because i'd want to make 50 of them!

10. This roll-up kitchen playmat is calling my name! a space-saver and simple toy!

11. A memory game would be great for our 2 and 3 year old.....i'm thinking i could use some leftover counter top samples from Home Depot.

12. Headbands! we go through so many headbands, pony holders, etc

13. For anyone - a tissue holder - mom-in-law, teachers, would go great with the purse organizer above!

14. Love the idea of game quilts - HERE is an example..... i'd love to create a candyland game quilt using little knomes as the play pieces....again, another time-consuming idea!

15. These snap wallets would add a loving, handmade touch to a gift card - and could be re-used as a credit card or ID wallet.

For more of the above, see this post at Freda's Hive - great inspiration!

16. Another new baby gift - we all know how babies often love to play with the tag on a toy more than the toy itself. HERE is a simple, baby tag blanket!

17. A blue jeans bedwarmer would be perfect for my 2 teenagers and nieces!

18. Maybe a new dog bed for the our Dashund, Angel....

19. Lazy Days skirts - simple, comfy, and cute!

20. Basketball season is starting, followed by softball season - lots of bleacher-sitting in our future! Do you know any sports fans? A great gift would be this tutorial for perfectly portable cushions.

21. LOVE this bean bag chair, though i just got rid of a bean bag because we don't have the space.....but these are super cute!

22. Homemade snow globes - who doesn't love a snowglobe? great project for kids to make for friends!

23. Another wreath idea - but i think this could get pretty costly using ribbon, what about using scraps of Christmas- colored fabric? and some ribbon....?

24. Encourage family and friends to "go green" with this fabric tote - could use as a shopping bag

25. Fabric cupcakes - these look simple to make....i'm thinking they would be cute as part of a cupcake-themed gift for a cupcake-loving girl. Combine with a cupcake print Lazy Days skirt (see above), a shirt with cupcake iron-on (just saw these at Joanns), a cake mix with some cute cupcake liners, sprinkles, frosting, and a decorated apron?

26. HERE is a great gift for a science teacher! so clever!

27. A fabric playmat - creative and open-ended toy, could use any theme - beach, playground, mountain, swimming pool, etc.

28. What little girl would not love a twirly skirt?!

29. Organizers!! we love to organize....

30. Fabric rollers -another great teen gift!

More to come later!! time for me to sleep.....

A Dollar Store Craft!+

I've been wanting to make a sock monkey...but not wanting to pay the price for the "correct" socks.....as per the instructions HERE. So....I grabbed a nice pair of socks at my local Dollar Store. They are Christmas socks, with penguins all over them, but they had the required different colored heel, so I picked them up. I think it turned out rather well, though i'm not the best hand sewer in the world..... I did embroider the eyes so it would be safe for my 2 year old. I'm thinking there are lots of ways to dress this up - could make a little skirt, add buttons at the joints....glitter glue, etc.

I may make some more of these to decorate gifts for my nieces and nephews for Christmas (instead of a bow).

While you are browsing the web and having a bloggy time, check out the great crafts at
Dollar Store Crafts.

Update: Fabric Fairy House

I had some time last night to work on our Handmade (at least partially) Christmas. This is not finished but I wanted to post an update on my work toward Natasha's fabric fairy house (talked about in my Target post HERE). Again, the instructions - thanks to UK Lass in US - are HERE.
I did not modify the pattern, but did modify the process a bit to reflect my sewing ability (which is in development..........chronically..... ha ha).

More later.......

Quick trip to Target

Made a quick trip to Target this afternoon with 3 of the kids. Our 9 year old really needed some underclothes, and I wanted to look at the clothes clearance as I have yet to purchase her any long pants/jeans. The weather is holding here at around 80 degrees daily so she is OK in shorts for awhile yet.....however, it is almost November. Time to start looking. Last year they were able to wear shorts to school through November. Sarah is hard to fit - at age 9 she is 5'2" tall and 120 pounds. She cannot fit into girls sizes anymore, but the "junior" styles are too mature. It is a real challenge at times. The girls plus sizes will sometimes work, but can only find those online around here. Anyway, we really weren't successful....but did find 2 pairs of bermuda shorts (come down to her knees) for $9 each and 2 pairs of sweatsuit-type fabric for $6 each. I also picked up a cute clearance shirt for our eldest for $5.

Other deals:

Game - Connect 4. On sale for $9, used the $4 off coupon posted about HERE at Chicks Dig Deals. I planned on adding this to my gift stash but hubby saw it when he came home and said "Connect 4! I love that game, I wanted it sooo bad when i was young but my mom wouldn't buy it!" so....maybe.....it'll be in HIS Christmas stash........

Chicks Dig Deals also has an awesome post on the Toys R Us Big Book deals HERE.

Speaking of Toys R Us, I asked hubby to make a run to there last night and pick up the 3 1/2" Disney Fairies they have on sale for $5.99, B1G1 free. He came home with 4 fairies for $12. I did briefly browse for a coupon beforehand, but couldn't find one. I plan on gifting these with the carry-along fabric fairy house I am making as Natasha's (age 4 by Christmas) main Christmas gift. I will also make a flower fairy carpet to go with it. Love the free patterns at Wee Folk Art!

OK...back to the deals.....

Keebler cookies - buy 2, get 1 free.
Used a $1 of 2 manufacturer coupon + $1 off 2 Target coupon. For coupon links and to see the deal, go HERE.
I wanted to do this transaction twice, but the little ones were not up for it.

A Homemade Christmas

Well...i'm a little nervous about this, but i've wanted to have a homemade Christmas for some time. I'm not sure my DH is on board, but he is at least keeping quiet. I'd like to get the kids one nice gift, then have everything else be hand crafted - by me, or not. Our Christmas' the last few years have been too material, too big, and haven't left me with a good feeling about any values we are instilling in our children. I'm including the nieces and nephews in this endeavor and already have plans to make stuff for my nieces bedroom. They currently have a "Cars" sheet for one curtain and an old Tinkerbell curtain on the other window. I have found out their favorite colors, now i need to visit the fabric store. The oldest girl is 12 and the younger is 10.

I've been doing lots of web searches on home made gifts and have found some good ideas for my mother-in-law. Still working on the father-in-law. Also, wondering about the nephews - any ideas? They are 5 and 7.

If anyone has ideas for teen gifts - I'd love to hear them!

A current project i'm working on is for 2 year old Arihana is a Waldorf style baby doll. I purchased a kit from Dancing Rain Dolls. The materials are lovely - real wool stuffing, etc. I'm nearly done with my first little doll - i'll soon post pictures.