Crafty Christmas

Okay, so we have been busy elves and we are having so much fun! I love it when you plan a craft and it just snowballs into craftiness beyond your imagination. With kids this is so much fun to see happen. This last week, I found a craft on my favorite art blog HERE and I prepared by cutting out 3 shapes (took about 30 seconds) and then after school one morning we got everything out and I showed the kids what we were supposed to be doing. This was not intended to be one of those "freedom of expression" exercies, it was a "follow the directions craft" - and they did a great job. That was fun, they each made a card and it looked really good. So then the day after they found the shapes on their own, and made more, and the next, well they did the same thing. So wow! What a fun craft to stumble on. I may use this idea and figure out how to do one of these each month for the holiday that month! We also made the candle cards with directions from the same blog but HERE

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So another fun thing we made this year. I have always loved those manilla colored tags that come from office supply stores (with the hole punched and a little string) - I think they are shipping tags of some sort. About 7 years ago I made some gift tags from these and loved them. This year I saw something similar on a tree in Cottage Living - and the owner used some sort of tags to put names of family on her tree. Well I took the two and merged them and this is what I ended up with...

I then laminated them at Mardels today - for 2 sets of tags and 4 large bookmarks I made for my older boys all cost 25 cents to laminate - gotta love Mardels!! I love these tags!!

Next, I bought a bag of Christmas fabric in Michigan this summer at a garage sale for 10 cents I think. Inside were these pre-cut christmas trees - they were cut with pinking shears and I had no idea what the person had cut them for. Then fast forward to Thanksgiving at my sister-in-laws house and she had these adorable placemats that were shaped like big leaves and I instantly knew what I would use those trees for. Check them out....

So I just sewed the trees onto another piece of Christmas fabric - then I cut them with pinking shears again. So there are 2 Christmas patterns - one more formal and one more fun. And they were all used with free fabric (okay 10cents I think) and about an hour total. I love them!

So here is what my place settings will look like.

Did you notice my little silverware holder? That idea came from Family Fun - I used red velvet (that I have had for years) and again sewed wrong sides together and then cut with pinking shears (do you think I love those scissors?) and waalaa - not sure how you spell that. But I love how cute they turned out! And again SUPER easy!!

So, yes we have been busy, well not so much we, as much as I have been. But it has been so much fun making all these cute things - my favorite part is that I have not bought any Christmas fabric, I either had it from years past, my mother-in-law gave it to me this summer, or I got it for cents at a garage sale this summer! So fun!

So, normally I am pulling my hair out this time of year, but we have settled in at our home, we are enjoying school by the fire most mornings and we spend the afternoons creating! So the stress is so much less than any year I can remember. It is fun! So please share if you have any fun & easy craft ideas!!

And, finally, Jennifer I hope there are enough pics this time and enough close-ups!! Seriously , hope you enjoy my work my friend!!