With the 4th of July holiday I got a bit behind on posting these, but here is the third installment of Christmas in July. Today I wanted to share with you a cute DIY Christmas gift that pretty much anyone would love to receive.
I saw this one on Pinterest and then changed it up just a bit to better match my style. They would make great holiday hostess gifts, or you could make a bunch in advance and keep them in a basket in your house for drop-in guests. Continue reading »
When I was growing up we always left cookies and milk for Santa. We also left carrots for the reindeer; I mean, they have to do a lot of work, too, flying all night. I was always worried they’d get really hungry! My parents assured me that they loved carrots and that they were good for their eyesight.
One group that I didn’t really think of as a child were the elves. I’m not sure how they didn’t cross my mind, but they didn’t. But they really shouldn’t go hungry, either. So with Bubbles I’ll be starting the tradition of leaving out tiny little snacks for them, something like these cute elf donuts. I also made a special little box to serve them in, that’s shaped like a gift. Both are easy to make.
Christmas cards are one of my favorite parts of the holiday. It’s great to hear from friends and family that I don’t get to see frequently. I love when everyone sends photo cards, especially, as I truly get to see those folks. I like to display them, but sometimes it can get a little tricky to figure out how to do it without looking like you’ve opened a card shop.
In the past I’ve tried running wide ribbon down the center of a door or along door casings and attaching the cards to them. It looked okay, but last year Bubbles was very interested in the ribbons and many of the cards ended up being pulled off repeatedly. I thought about setting them on top of the entertainment center but we usually do family Christmas photos and a few decorations up there – no room for cards.
Most of you know how much I love Christmas. And Pinterest. I sit and pin things – crafts, recipes, DIY, gift ideas, etc. – all year long. Tear ideas out from magazines and toss them in my Christmas file folder. By the time I’m done I have dozens, if not hundreds, of awesome projects laid out for myself.
And then Christmas comes.
The season is my favorite time of year but it’s so busy. There are parties and services, shopping and envelope-addressing, cooking and baking (and eating!). And of course we want to carve out time for special activities and events to make memories for our children and family. Who has time to make those cute snowmen or make a ribbon tree?
I found that I didn’t, and that I was a little disappointed that all these great ideas were just sitting there gathering dust. So I decided that it would be fun to make some of these things ahead so they’re ready to go during the holidays. For the recipes, at least I’ll know what ones turned out well and which ones didn’t so I don’t waste any of my baking time later.
Whether you choose to work on any of these projects now or just pin them for the holidays, I hope you enjoy my 31 Days of Christmas Crafts, DIY, Recipes & More.
DIY Hanging Christmas Card Holder
Bottle Cap Snowman Ornament Craft
DIY Frosted Elf Donuts & Matching Elf Gift Box
DIY Christmas Gift: “We Whisk You A Merry KISSmas” plus a free printable
Free “Build Your Own Snowman” Printable
Mini Clay Pot Snowmen Craft
Christmas Candy Munch Mix Recipe
DIY Santa Belly Ornament
Gourmet Christmas Marshmallows Recipe
Printable December Bucket List
125+ Stocking Stuffer Ideas for All Ages
DIY Wedding Invitation “Our 1st Christmas” Ornament
Easy Salt Dough Ornaments
Even before having a family of my own Family Fun magazine has always been one of my favorites. I subscribe to a number of magazines but Family Fun is one that I save each issue to refer to later. It always has lots of fun activities, recipes, and crafts to do and make with the kiddos. In their recent December/January edition they had some cute DIY gifts that kids could make and one suggestion was for baseball and football knotted fleece pillows. As soon as I saw them I knew I’d love to do a heart-shaped one for Valentine’s Day.
One of the best parts of this craft project is how quick and easy it is to complete. Bubbles generally naps for about 45 minutes and I had time to do a couple of chores before sitting down to make the pillow. I think they’re really cute and will be a nice homemade addition to Bubbles’ Valentine’s gift. Continue reading »