Handmade with love

We have been working on several different kinds of presents this year.

One kind is a felt embroidery ornament.  I took a cup traced a circle and let the kids design simple drawings on them.  Then the three older kids did a simple stitch around it.

They put a lot of thought into what designs they wanted for certain people.  Like Little Man made a book for his Sunday School teacher, she is always surprised at his reading, and lets him read the lesson to the class.  Princess did a xylophone for their music teacher, and Dude planned a cross and a star for his two teachers.

They have three done, and three more started; which they should finish tomorrow.  I have to figure out how to stuff and finish them with hanging ribbons by Sunday.  My original plan was following some directions I saw in a library book which is to simply stitch two circles together...but that involves either them doing a lot more sewing, or me doing it.  Then I thought about iron on fusable stuff.  Can you do that to felt?  If so I could sandwich some ribbon between the top and bottom and be done in one quick ironing session.

We also did some simple beaded necklaces.  Princess is getting good at making designs that look well put together and fancy.  Baby Girl is rather good at getting the beads on the chains, though she is lousy at patterns!

I did have her put only certain beads on for one small 'charm'.  The kids have made several for folks.  We are using some yarn I happen to have around the house.  I let the kids use some of my 'large eyed' needles. so they can easily thread them.  Then I had the idea of trying some of the 'keychain' designs I have seen in craft kits with plastic thread and pony beads.  If I had keychain 'rings' we would turn them into that, but since I don't I looked around and found a whole pile of safety pins.  So I thought charms for purses or backpacks or laptop bags would be cool.  (or folk can hang them somewhere at home something I have seen grandparents do often with the random bracelets and necklaces kids come up with)

Some are shaped like tree's, tootsie rolls, and a 'sea star'.  It was supposed to be a star, but without the stiffness of plastic it flops and looks like something in water.  Others are just straight chains of a Christmas pattern.  (I am planning on grabbing some pipecleaners so we can make a few 'stiff' ornaments as well)

The boys were pretty impressed that beads could make something other than a necklace, Princess prefers the necklace work, and Baby Girl hasn't enough skill to even attempt a shape.

All in all I think folk will be impressed with the ornaments this year.  We usually use them as toppers for a gift of fudge or one year I skipped the fudge.

I did underestimate the number of gifts we will need, so I am kinda freaking out about that.  But hopefully it will all work out.