Christmas 2011 Handcrafted Gift Wrap-Up 2

I got this idea from From Nature with Love: Homemade Lip Balm - made from coconut oil, beeswax, Vitamin E and strawberry flavor oil.  I used an old tube of lipstick to add color to some of them.

I gave these to all the women on my list, plus my son, who is constantly suffering with chapped lips... he got one of the uncolored ones.

I got this idea from Show, Tell, Share: Bleach Pen T-shirt - I used a stylized lotus design.  I found a design I liked on a tattoo website.  I wanted something in all black since the bleach design would be all one color.  I just free-handed the design onto the shirt using the bleach pen.  Let it sit for about 10 minutes then wash it.

I gave this to my mother-in-law, who is a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine.  The lotus is one of her favorite images.

I got this idea from one of my FAVORITE blogs, Frugal Family Fun Blog: DIY Travel Play Kitchen.  My daughter circled nearly every play kitchen in the toy catalog she marked up for her Christmas wish list.  We just don't have room in our too-small house for a whole play kitchen set.  This one fits over a fold-away tray table so it can be put away when not in use.  I got lots of kitchen utensils from friends and Risa's best friend gave her a set of toy food.  This cost me $4 for the felt top piece and the sticky felt to make the "burners".  The red fleece was a blanket that my mother-in-law gave me.  

Obviously, I gave this to my daughter.  

Christmas 2011 Handcrafted Gift Wrap-Up 1

This is the first of several posts showing off all the items I made for holiday gifts this year.  

Painted clothespins with a length of coordinating yarn to hold artwork, photos, etc.   On both sides of each, I painted the clothespins with acrylic paint, added a rubber stamp design and glittered the clip end.  I used hot glue to add some fake berries and a few tiny silk leaves on one side.  I clipped the clothespins to some plain cardboard, using the center two clothespins to hold the 2 yard length of yarn.

I gave these to my mother, my sister and my husband's step-mother.  Ama, Auntie Ree & Grandma Lena.

This would be another case of forgetting to take the final picture.  These are the flower pots the kids made for their teachers.  I got the idea from Giggles Galore: Thanks for Helping Me Grow (Teachers' Gifts).  I bought pansies to go in the pots, but potted them with the dirt in a plastic bread bag so the pots could be used as pencil containers or something else.  We used white crayon as chalk.  Jasper decorated his pot with more than just the words.  He even added an owl for his teacher who loves owls.  We included gift cards for lunch for all the teachers.  

I got the idea and instructions for these from Craft Whatever: Tutorial: Father's Day Grillin' Towel.  I mostly followed her instructions though I used double fold bias tape for the bottom trim and I used Velcro instead of grommets.  I also used fabric from thrift store shirts instead of buying new.  I wish I'd found the Hawaiian print first.  I would've used it for all three!  I made two of the plaid with BBQ spelled out on three different iron-on patches and one of the Hawaiian print with BBQ on one patch.  

I gave these to my husband, my father and my father-in-law.  Dad, Apa & Grandpa.  

Handprint Snowman AND Glitter Ornaments

Holy cow!  How has it already been a week since my last blog post?!  With my insane schedule, I'm going to have to set some definite blog post writing time.  Of course, this week is complicated by the fact that I haven't been doing much of the cooking and that most of my blog post-worthy projects involve things I'm giving as Christmas gifts.  I hate to wait until AFTER Christmas to share, but some of the recipients do read my blog.

Tonight, though we were finishing up Risa's ornament.  For the last several years, the kids have picked out a few ornament designs to make to give as gifts.  Last year, I prepped about 8 or 10, I don't know... too many... designs for them to choose from.  What a craft-tastic mess!  This year, they each picked ONE ornament to make a dozen of (each).  The ornaments are a bit more complicated though.  Tonight, I present Risa's choice.

Handprint Snowman and Glitter Ornaments


Risa was not content to just buy a colored ornament and put snowman handprints on it.  No no.  The girl wanted glitter!  So we used the glitter ornament how-to from I'm a Yarner found here: http://yarner.blogspot.com/2011/10/glitter-ornament-tutorial.html

Supplies Needed:
Clear glass ornaments
Future Floor Finish (it's what I had under the sink versus the Pledge called for in the original list)
Funnel (or envelope to use as a funnel)
Glitter - original called for extra fine. We used "regular" fine until we ran out then used bigger glitter.  You need extra fine or fine.  The bigger glitter, while pretty, didn't have the same WOW factor.
2 spare containers for extra floor finish and extra glitter

Pop out the metal tops on the ornament.  Pour a shot of Future into the ornament and swirl to coat the inside. Don't shake.  You want to keep bubbles to a minimum.  Pour glitter into the ornament. Cover the top with a finger and THEN shake to coat.  This takes more glitter than you realize.  Pour the excess out into another bowl.  Reuse that extra to make more ornaments.  I wouldn't plan to use that for anything else since it'll likely have some of the floor finish on it.  I then waited a day for the "glue" to dry before recapping the ornaments.

We found the handprint snowman idea from Full of Great Ideas here: http://fullofgreatideas.blogspot.com/2010/11/five-fingers-snowman-ornament.html

Supplies Needed:
Glitter ornaments
White craft paint
Permanent markers

Pour white paint on a plate.  Have your child press their hand into the paint.  Carefully place the ornament in their hand and have them wrap their hands up around the ornament.  Have them open their hand again and carefully remove the ornament.  Put it upside down in a cup or egg carton to dry. Once dry, use permanent markers to make the snowman.  I used mostly larger tip markers.  The medium tip Sharpies did not like to work on the paint finish and dried out easily.

The pale pink are the ones made with the bigger glitter.  Just not the bling factor that's present in the fine glitter.  Though, with the snowman, the pale pink looks a bit like snowflakes.  I wrote her name and the year on the bottom of each ornament.  The missing one has already made its way to Ama and Apa's house in Alabama.  And yes... I still have one to do.  I just didn't have it in me tonight.