handmade holidays

As I was checking on my blog for my spicy bark recipe, I realized I should really do= my usual round-up of crafty ideas for the holidays. So let's revisit some projects and roundups from past winters to serve as visual reminders for you (and me!).  A good idea is a wonderful thing to recycle.  Incorporating handmade into your home and gifts always adds more meaning to the holidays, and the benefits are vast. It ensures that there's less rushing about out. And if you create with friends and family, traditions are formed and memories made. There's still time...

diy yule log candle tray here

herb gift toppers found here

wrapping suggestions here

recipe found here

tutorial found here

oat floats: how to found here

diy frilled pencils (great stocking stuffers!)

And here are a plethora of good ones from deeper in the archives!

Above are some well-loved decoration ideas. Links are from left to right.
Row 1: burlap forest, snow covered pine cones, cranberry wreath
Row 2: rag wreath, newspaper snowflake garland, batting scrap wreath ornament

The following are links for simple gifts that whip up quickly. Once again from left to right.
Row 1:  elf slippers, card holders, milk carton cookie houses
Row 2:  napkin rings and other security paper ideas, gift bag/boxes, leather leaf cuff
Row 3:  wrapping ideas, child's travel pillow, paper whites
Row 4:  love letter pillow, travel felt board, envelope purses
Row 5: quick personalized stationery, memory game, last minute treat bags

Happy Making!

Artful Christmas- a review and giveaway!!

I have a treat for us today! Artful Christmas (published by Lark Crafts) is the brand new book by Susan Wasinger. I've loved all of her books. She's a creative whirlwind of ideas that combine clever techniques with easy (and often eco) materials. All of which wouldn't impress me as much if I didn't also love her aesthetic- a compliment I don't hand out liberally. And she's prolific- check out her books here. My love for the winter holidays and resourceful decorating is no secret… so Susan has just published one of my new favorite books. I'm pretty certain that you'll love it too.

 Some of her projects are not new, but the easy instructions and little twists she uses makes each one fresh and more enticing than ever. I've always wanted to make a doily bowl… now I actually will.  Can you imagine a holiday table with a smattering of different sized "snowflake" bowls holding votives?! Lovely!

 Stocking Inspiration is always welcome. I might even make the three of us a new set this year. Time for fresh starts on old traditions. And what to do with those old decks missing a few cards? Love these ornaments.

 Needle-felted wool on linen with raw edges! Need I say more? 

 And then there's the advent calendar… Susan shares some brilliant ways to create different designs on the front with stencils and stamps. Stencils and stamps may be two of my favorite words!

With 30 craft projects for Christmas making, all are quite elegant even if the materials are very humble. I envision pulling this out each year- excited to try something new. I think it would make a perfect present waiting under the tree for all of the crafty folks out there… and worth checking out right now to add some making magic to this festive month.

And here comes the giveaway! Thank you to Susan and Lark Crafts, who would love to offer one of you (in the US or Canada) a copy. Please leave a comment below by Monday 12/9 at 9pm. Perhaps share one of your favorite things about this time of year: a smell, a craft, a treat, or an activity. I'll announce the randomly selected winner on Tuesday!  Good luck!

Now I'm off to paper punch some more playing cards for some weekend fun!

******************************

And the winner is…

Karen PeacockDecember 5, 2014 at 5:39 PM

Now I know what I can do with all those playing cards floating around here! Every year I look forward to getting out my grandmother's "Christmas is Coming" craft books from the 80's. I really need to update my collection!! 

counting the days!

I woke up to my daughter crowing "Happy December!".  It's her birthday in a few weeks, and no one is more excited for this favorite month to begin than she is. Candy canes, eggnog and carols have been everywhere for some time, but we wait patiently until the first of the month… and then we throw open the doors! I brought down decorations from the attic this morning and am setting up our advent calendar for when the kids return home this afternoon. I've saved all three of my TP Tube countdown calendars and am always so relieved to have one ready to go each year when I turn the calendar page.

Don't think it's too late to make one… in fact, I know a mom who made one a day starting on the first day. Adding each addition was part of the count down activity itself. Talk about working creatively with time constraints! If you don't have 24 tubes handy, folded over card stock works nicely too.

Links to calendars of years past:

2008

2009

2010

all that glimmers IS gold

In the search for holiday simplicity, I'm mining for my usual treasures and striking gold. Literally. I think that there will be some super easy sparkle and shimmer mixed in with my meadow finds this year.

Here are the basic and inexpensive tools I'm using to add a little metal to my nature:

-a foam brush

-masking tape

-Martha Stewart Metallic Acrylic Craft Paint (today I used YELLOW GOLD)

-Sharpie Metallic series (bronze)

I found this feather at my doorstep at dawn... like the last glimmer of a dream. So- a little gold was swept on for that perfect, soft gleam.

Christmasy B-days

 This weekend I hosted my daughter's 9th birthday sleepover.  It was a couple of weeks after her actual birthday, which has become the norm for parties with her girlfriends. I thought I'd offer what I've learned in how to celebrate a birthday child that shares her special day so close to a big gift giving holiday like Christmas.

6 Tips for Christmasy B-days:

1. Planning and shopping in advance ensures that you aren't running out for cake ingredients and last minute gifts with the rest of the holiday crowds. Menu planning is up to the birthday child. She chooses early on so that everything can go on the grocery list in a timely way.
2. Keep the gifts separate. Not merging the holiday presents makes her birthday feel unique, and not an after thought.
3. Decorations: I use the same ones for all of our family's birthday celebrations for each year- a banner*, balloons, etc. They are very accessible and always in the same spot. I never want to repeat the manic panic for them in the midst of Christmas chaos that I once had a few years back. I have opted for bright and bold unisex colors so that we can all use them and as a bonus- it is an obvious detour from the red and green of the holidays.
4. Family celebrations vs. parties- we always celebrate with just family (and maybe an honorary family member or two) on the actual day and wait to have a friend party several weeks after everyone returns to a regular post holiday routine.
5. Gift schedule... slow and steady. All presents and cards are waiting at the breakfast table on the birthday morning. My kids know the routine by now. One or two small presents are opened at each meal until dinner. After dinner we have cake and the final presents, including whatever is the main gift. This routine helps to prolong the celebration and gives her some breathing room from what could easily turn into days of frenzied gift opening. 
6. I spend one evening sorting through gifts and determining what presents will be fun for Christmas and which ones feel like an honoring of my child to save for her birthday. I also sort which ones will logically work first. For an example, I will often get a book series and give the first one on Christmas. The next one or two will follow on her birthday. The same could be done for a birthday that comes before the holiday... just in reverse.

I'm so grateful that these steps were in place long before I became a single parent, because without such a steady manageable system a state of overwhelm could easily take over. Instead we had another calm and loving celebration. The slumber party on Saturday night? Not so calm, but a little wild sleeping bag frolicking is what a bunch of 9 year old girls need now and then!

*Although I consider myself the queen of handmade banners, the year we couldn't find our b-day one I gave myself permission to go to the store. It's now the one of choice. Ha! So if you are in the midst pre-birthday madness and are presented with the choice of hand-made or store bought, do yourself a favor... opt for simple-whatever that looks like for you. 

xox Maya

tomato cage tree

Whoever said that you need a real tree to hang your decorations from hasn't talked to my mother. She is the queen of alternative trees. Knowing this, I set aside one of my old tomato cages for her. She "did it up" just right with all kinds of vintage ornaments and little unexpected surprises.

Like tin kazoos and doll teacups...

Mini locks with their keys and tape measures

Turn an old tomato cage upside down and pull the three prongs together at the top. That's it!

Many folks on instagram have been asking about the white wooly goodness my daughter is sitting on. It's a flokati rug from IKEA. Perfect winter addition to any couch, but don't sit on it wearing black or you'll look like you've been lounging with a polar bear. 

pretty packaging #1

I've been having so much fun embellishing inexpensive shipping tags (available at office supply stores) with scraps of fabric and little stamped prints. They make great gift tags and would even be a fun way to decorate an entire tree. Sewing on paper is very satisfying and using up tiny bits always feels so useful. Pretty sweet end result, too!

 Fold them in half to make little pockets with ribbon and lace...

 Or add an extra punched hole and tie the string into a bow...

Of course, I couldn't just stop at fabric and notions! I ended up combining branches, sticks and feathers with string and fabric too!

 This ethereal feather and lace tag won first place for me.

 Have a beautiful and creative start to your week!

 And stay warm!

handmade holidays

Carols are playing as I type. Snow is falling outside and every window looks like a postcard. We have a white blanket that might keep until Christmas! Grandma is packing her bags to join us, and all seems a bit sweeter and magical these days as I look around my peaceful and cozy home. It's happy here, in this little farmhouse. Easy to feel transported in time and place... to another century or even other country. And I love that.

Handmade holidays make sense in this space. Our wool garland, reinvented from a woman's skirt, finds the perfect frame in our hand-hewn beams. By leaving machine and store bought behind, the imperfections of a human touch blend so beautifully with nature's one of a kind gifts... and I think this works ANYWHERE!

So whether you are inspired to make your own or gather treasures outside... click her for some oldies but goodies to remember from years gone by: my handmade holiday round up!

Have a cozy and creative weekend, friends!

green handmade holiday round-up

Incorporating handmade into your home and gifts always adds more meaning to the holidays, and the benefits are vast. It ensures that there's less rushing about. And if you create with friends and family, traditions are formed and memories made. There's still time...

So let's revisit some projects and roundups from past winters to serve as visual reminders for you (and me!). A good idea is a wonderful thing to recycle. Below are some of my favorites from the last two years... all are simple and don't take much time! 

diy yule log candle tray here

herb gift toppers found here

wrapping suggestions here

recipe found here

tutorial found here

oat floats: how to found here

diy frilled pencils (great stocking stuffers!)

And here are a plethora of good ones from deeper in the archives!

Above are some well-loved decoration ideas. Links are from left to right.
Row 1: burlap forest, snow covered pine cones, cranberry wreath
Row 2: rag wreath, newspaper snowflake garland, batting scrap wreath ornament

The following are links for simple gifts that whip up quickly. Once again from left to right.
Row 1:  elf slippers, card holders, milk carton cookie houses
Row 2:  napkin rings and other security paper ideas, gift bag/boxes, leather leaf cuff
Row 3:  wrapping ideas, child's travel pillow, paper whites
Row 4:  love letter pillow, travel felt board, envelope purses
Row 5: quick personalized stationery, memory game, last minute treat bags

Happy Making!