DIY Friday

It seems that I get the crafting itch even more than usual near the holidays - of course, I am also so busy with the normal activities of being mommy and running Junie None that I seldom get beyond the gathering ideas phase. So I thought I'd share some of my I-wish-I had-time to-do-it crafting plans - maybe you are better organized than me! (and if you make any of these things you must send me pictures...)

This succulent wreath was in the Better Homes & Gardens magazine that my friend Jess passed on to me - isn't it beautiful? I love succulents; very hard to kill, and believe me I've tried. Plus this could be used indoors or out.

Then there are these darling dinosaurs I'm thinking of making for a certain dino-obsessed two-year-old I know. You can order the instructions from Bit of Whimsy Prims on etsy, as well as tons of other darling patterns. A definite must-see for you crafty gift-givers.

I've promised myself that I will make these velvet flowers for my house some day - the instructions are in the November issue of Martha Stewart Living (thanks again Jess!) Aren't they so cool?! And they look really easy to make, too.

Then there is this adorable notebook pattern I found on Sew Mama Sew. The tutorial is put together by Jennifer from J Casa, another of my favorite etsy shops. This would make such a great gift, and she shows a bunch of cute ways to personalize it with embroidery.

OK, that's it for now. I'm sure I'll come across lots more things I want to do but wish you would do instead. I'm crossing my fingers to get at least one of these projects done by Christmas (though I also have 2 quilts in mind to make as gifts...). Happy crafting!

Make your own stickers

Did you know that you can buy "sticker paper"? It is sold at any office supply store, somewhere near the printer paper, and is exactly what it sounds like: 8x11 sheets of white sticker paper. We spent a long time making our own stickers the other day and both Moses and I had SO much fun! Now we have a huge supply of home made stickers, many of which have been stuck to either Titus or the toilet while I wasn't looking.

Handmade Ornaments

My mom was obsessed with Christmas ornaments. Every year when we were little we would go on a special family shopping trip dedicated to each choosing our own special ornament. We would also receive an ornament as a gift each Christmas Eve. My mom put lots of time and energy into choosing ornaments that reflected each child's unique personalities and enjoyments. You can imagine what our Christmas tree looked like - every year it held 12 more ornaments than the year before, a mish-mash of ballerinas, birds, cars, balls, rabbits, dogs, musical instruments, comic book characters...

She also had us make ornaments every year, and was herself constantly working on some little ornament which she usually gave away. Happily, she kept a few of them and I was able to steal one for myself when I got married and moved, along with my huge box of ornaments, to our own place. Here it is - a little bit dirty unfortunately, but the perfect reflection of her love of needlepoint and lace:

So cute, and I love that it isn't the typical Christmas colors.

My Grandma also loved making ornaments and would make huge batches of them for all us grand children. I have such fond memories of driving to her house in Napa during the holidays, walking inside and seeing the entire kitchen table set with undecorated sugar cookies in all shapes and sizes, along with dish after dish of fancy candy and sprinkles to decorate them with. Off to the side would be our ornaments, adding even more cheer to the already festive table.

This heart that she made me has the letter "H" hand-stitched on the back. I love that - to know that she made this one specifically for me makes it even more special.

I think this angel is my favorite ornament that my Grandma made. I love her simple little face and calico dress. Perfect.


This year I tried my hand at making a few ornaments, and have put them up last-minute in the shop. I'm really happy with how the little trees came out. I know I'm trying to sell them a bit late, but I don't mind if some are left over for me. :)