I’ve established this really fun annual tradition of sewing new bags for my three nieces each Christmas. I think I’ve shared before that I’ve heard that one of the things they enjoy most about using them is being able to tell their friends that they’re bags are “one of a kind”. This year, I decided…
Christmas PJs 12 Days of Handmade Christmas Projects: Day 12
Yep. This post is a few days late. I finished up Christmas PJs for my two youngest early on Monday morning using the Lazy Days Lounge Set pattern. I had grand plans for adorable Christmas Eve PJ pictures, but this little guy came down with a fever and didn’t want to move from this comfy…
Lee Lee the Lion & Ronny the Robot 12 Days of Handmade Christmas Projects:Day 11
I was afraid that these two little guys were going to be the finishing-at-midnight-on-Christmas-Eve-when-I-should-be-sleeping project! I am so thankful that the raw-edge style finishing on these lends itself well to slightly (or not so slightly) messy stitching. With time running out quickly, I moved through as fast as humanly possible.Lee Lee and Ronny are Freddie’s…
Handmade by Samantha12 Days of Handmade Christmas Projects:Day 10
My kids are all pretty crafty. (I think they come by it naturally.) My 14-year-old, Samantha, is particularly talented at both knitting and drawing, and it’s really exciting for me to see that she’s learned the value in creating one-of-a-kind handmade gifts for her family and her friends. This year, she is knitting quite a…
Making Memories 12 Days of Handmade Christmas Projects: Day 9
This may be stretching the meaning of “handmade” just a little because you can’t really hand-make memories, but you can make plans for things that will help to make memories. For the last several years, we’ve made a point to do something to help make memories each day of Advent. A few Christmases ago, I…
Samantha’s “No Bully Zone” Messenger Bag 12 Days of Handmade Christmas Projects: Day 8
I brought these “No Bully Zone” fabrics back from Quilt Market just over a year ago, and Samantha has been asking what I had planned for them since! They’re from the Kanvas Cool School collection from Benartex. Samantha actually wrote on her Christmas Wish List this year that she’d like a bag made from the…
“Real” Easy Chocolate Chip Banana Bread12 Days of Handmade Christmas Projects: Day 7
It’s hard to resist yummy, rich baked goods when the Christmas season rolls around! This chocolate chip banana bread is one of our family favorites, and, except for the little bit of sugar in the chocolate chips, it’s made with all real ingredients. It makes a perfect gift for a friend or neighbor. And, since…
Katie’s Playdate Backpack 12 Days of Handmade Christmas Projects: Day 6
Our little granddaughter, Katie, is getting so big! It’s definitely time for her to have her own Playdate Backpack. Her Uncle Charlie (Yes, Charlie’s been an uncle since he was one!) uses his every time we go out. It’s perfect for carrying all of his little essential toddler/preschooler things. Katie’s mama requested owl fabric for…
Gingerbread Playdough 12 Days of Handmade Christmas Projects: Day 5
We were supposed to go see Santa today, but two little boys with two runny noses kept us home. It was okay, though, because we took advantage of being homebound by mixing up some homemade gingerbread playdough! We used the simple, no-cook recipe here: Atkinson Drive Oatmeal Playdough. Except for the food coloring, I had…
Felt Trees with Pompom Ornaments 12 Days of Handmade Christmas Projects: Day 4
Our second set of handmade ornaments for the tree this year are these very simple felt trees with pompom decorations. This is an easy afternoon or evening project! You can choose to do the cutting and stitching before having your kids decorate (I did that part during naptime and had the pompoms and glue ready…