If I had to pick one thing that I couldn’t live without, it would be books. It runs in my family. One grandmother was a librarian, the other a literature fan. One grandfather was a church scholar, preacher, and history buff, and my dad is a huge science fiction fan. My husband is a voracious [...]
Today, let’s take some time to check our progress. How are you doing with the first 50 days of preparation for Christmas? Do you know where you’re spending Christmas this year, or are you playing host/ess? Menu? Guests? Have you scheduled a family portrait sitting and selected/ordered Christmas cards? Are you handmaking gifts this year? [...]
I love fabric gift bags! Simple ones are very easy to make, even for a beginning crafter. Check out this simple pattern and instructions here. Anytime is a good time to start collecting fabric remnants and scraps, as well as sale fabric. You also want to stockpile sewing notions, trim, and other decorations (like beads, [...]
November is a great time to take the family out to a weekend Fall Festival or Arts and Crafts Fair. You can find all sorts of homemade gifts and decorative items. If you’re at a really fancy festival, there might be kids’ activities, music performances, storytellers, fine art shows, and food stands. Photo courtesy of [...]
Every kid loves to see their name on various items: books, mugs, placemats, signs, or just about anything else! What could be better than a Christmas Story featuring your child? Our daughter received one of these as a gift a few years ago, and it is still one of her favorite books! Personalized gifts are [...]
I’ve been trying to find the perfect hat to knit to convince other people to knit for fun, and I think I’ve found it! Who can resist this baby hat? For the experienced knitter, this could be an afternoon project. In fact, most knitted hat projects can be made in a day or two. They [...]
Inexpensive projects to do with kids can also make great gifts! Here are some ideas: An unfinished wood item (initial, birdhouse, stepstool, etc.) with set of acrylic paints and brushes Knitting needles or crochet hook with yarn and a free scarf pattern or knitting instructions Bracelet Beading supplies Stamping set Scrapbooking materials or creativity book [...]
Christmas has traditionally been a great time for movie watching with the family. There are already a couple of movies out for the whole family, but Christmas will have some new releases for your viewing enjoyment. I took the kids to see High School Musical 3 on Friday, and I thought it was a really [...]
This is a novel but necessary concept for many people in this economic climate. Forced by circumstance (lay-off, bankruptcy, foreclosure, health problems, other catastrophes,) many Americans will be having a “Buy Nothing” Christmas, or at least a “Buy a WHOLE LOT LESS” Christmas this year. Even if you aren’t under tremendous economic pressure, there are [...]
These little boxes are incredible for gift cards and other small-sized gifts. If you are a scrapbooker, you’ve probably already got all the supplies you need on hand. You only need 4 double-sided sheets of 12″x12″ cardstock or heavy scrapbooking paper, various adhesives, embellishments, etc. You will need ribbon for the finishing touch and some [...]