winter map and child*made gifts

 

I'm so grateful that December has swept in with the beautiful traditions my children and I adore. This means that we have some serious guideposts for the month ahead. I love having a map with clear directions, don't you? It began on the first day- we aren't allowed to raid the attic for holiday treasure (decoration) boxes until then.  I think I enjoy the moment we lift off the lids of stored memories  almost as much as Christmas. Was it bittersweet this time- of course, but let's not dwell there. The kids were able to choose which count-down calendar we'd use, and the first evening was filled and celebrated with simplicity and ease. Peppermint cocoa stirrers got things off to just the right start.

The second day of December was welcomed in with a basket of winter books and some baking. In the afternoon my daughter and I began sewing our teacher (and grandma) gifts at our craft table Ithacamade. The wool trivets and coasters from Reinvention are the greatest canvas for child embroidery. Truly!  If you're looking for handmade projects for your children to make in multiples, this might be the answer. Small embroidery on their part... quick machine finishing on yours (or theirs if they are more experienced). A hand made mug and some tea or a coffee and your set. For the coasters we used only two layers of wool and she embroidered the top layer so that the knots and backside were hidden in the center. Gold embroidery thread makes a great sparkly star. This was a happy accident when the knotted end went on top. Instead of pulling it out, my daughter trimmed and fluffed the ends and voila!