"A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember."
(words and inspiration via Soulemama.com)
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I've been re-instituting vegetable soup days as the temperature drops. Those days when I clean out our veggie drawers and use up everything I can find, served hot with a block of buttered cornbread on top. I love those catchall soups: no two are every alike, and it's always a treat to be able to make something simple from what's at hand. So I am creating a catchall of simple and easy gift ideas for you today. New ideas that use what you might already have on hand. Enjoy!
This is one I just made for Billy, tutorial here.
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| Picture courtesy of www.TheBoringDad.com |
Gift this tongue-depressor catapult with some mini marshmallows for instant fun.
(It really works!) You can find the tutorial, here.
Gift a project for creative friends to enjoy! I love these little
(It really works!) You can find the tutorial, here.
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| Picture Courtesy of www.TinkerLab.com |
make-your-own ornament and snowflake packets from Rachelle, here.
Create a doll from clothing you already have on hand.
I made my niece's doll from a much-loved cardigan using directions from this book, but this tutorial works too.
I made my niece's doll from a much-loved cardigan using directions from this book, but this tutorial works too.
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| Picture courtesy of www.Saltwater-kids.com |
These simple bird seed ornaments are on the top of my still-to-make list!
They use birdseed and a few pantry ingredients, tutorial here.
Lastly, as a reminder that giving can be very simple, one of our favorite gifts to give to our little friends these days is "Moppy mail". This idea came from my Mom who sends them weekly to Isia (more, here). Usually we decorate an envelope containing a few coloring book pages and a couple sheets of stickers. Sometimes we add a letter or a simple puzzle (a magazine picture glued onto card-stock then cut up), and other times we get really fancy and include a few temporary tattoos. They are always opened up and enjoyed right away. And that's the best kind of present, right?
What gifts are you finishing up this week?
Confession. I've had create an earring hanger on my list for, well, over a year now. I saw some beautiful ideas on Pinterest, but they all involved leaving my house for this or that. And the only thing that's motivated me to leave my house lately is fabric shopping. I want to be at home crafting and listening to holiday music in my cozy wool socks with a pot of tea at hand. Has this image of perfection actually happened lately? Not really- more like little bits of hurried elving here or there while a little one is happily playing or sleeping- but maybe someday.
Anyways, when I created that sewing hoop out of potato bags (shared yesterday, here) for Isia I realized I had also come up with the perfect idea for my earring hanger. So one more bag of potatoes and embroidery hoop later...
a few of my earrings were finally organized and not just in a pile. (And I'll find time soon to untangle the rest of my earrings from my jewelry pile to join them.) I created it just like the sewing hoop, making sure to align the loops of the bag vertically for when I hung it. After tightening the hoop I made the bag's surface more taunt by lightly pulling on the overhang. Then I trimmed the overhang to neaten it up in the back. At this point you could run a bead of glue in the back seam to help keep the fabric secure, but I haven't had any issues with it so far. I did decide, however, that it needed some decoration.
It needed to match my button frame, here, that also hangs in my closet. The buttons all came to me via my Grandma, tin button box and all. I adhered them with hot glue, then threaded a string through the hoop's spring a few times to create a hanging loop. I think it looks pretty outstanding for a potato sack. And not having to untangle earrings first thing in the morning? That's definitely worth it's weight in potatoes (wink). Maybe someone in your life could also use the gift of organization?
*****
Please join us this week as we share the simple, handmade gifts we're making
this season- perfect for the giving (and keeping!).
You will not believe what I used to make today's gifting- potato bags and embroidery hoops! I've had the embroidery hoops on hand since I was a little girl. (One of them even still had the price tag on it, a whooping 15 cents!) The potato bags from our local grocery and held sweet potatoes in a former life. I've had them on hand for awhile just sitting on top of my counter, awaiting inspiration.
Then one day I was thinking about little ones and sewing. And I was trying to come up with something I had on hand that could be easily used for sewing practice... like potato bags. I wasn't sure if they would work in the hoop, but they did. Of course, I had to hand them over to Isia Louise just to make sure.
The large size of the hole made it easy for her to poke her needle through. And when she had used up all her yarn, they helped me undo her sewing (quickly!) for her to sew her next masterpiece. The netting did get loose after a few enthusiastic sewing sessions, but I left a generous allowance around the edges for the taking apart and putting back together again. Wouldn't this be a great prize for the aspiring little sewer in your life?
*****
Please join us this week as we share the simple, handmade gifts we're making
this season- perfect for the giving (and keeping!).
This is Isia's 3rd Christmas. As I was discussing with a friend the other day, this feels like a pivotal year. I feel like we're setting the stage, and nourishing her expectations, for holidays to come. Which has led me to a final selection- for now- of traditions, winter books, and decorations. It's a daunting task, this setting the stage for another's childhood. But it's an honor too.
So I'm aspiring to approach this season with joy, grace, and a desire for simplicity. Especially the last one, which has had me looking into cabinets and digging through our art supplies for gift ideas. Ideally I didn't want to buy anything new for the ideas this week. Well, that didn't quite work (more on that later), but I was able to find some new homes for our treasures. I hope you're able to as well!
Disclaimer: If you're friend or family, reading further might reveal your future gift!
Disclaimer: If you're friend or family, reading further might reveal your future gift!
