Handmade Holidays- Felt Ornaments

With less than two months until Solstice (or Christmas, if you prefer) I'm running down to the wire on the Handmade Holiday things I wanted to get accomplished. I've gotten pretty much zero done.


The socks I wanted to knit are not going to happen. Don't even ask about them.

In my effort to do more handmade, involve the kids in stuff that affects our lives, include "school" in everyday and use up the plethora of supplies I have on hand, I decided the kids and I would make holiday ornaments for the tree (yes, we have a Solstice tree.) I looked up some free directions online and found some cute handsewn felt ones.

Though a lot of the prep work -the cutting out the pattern, tracing it on the felt and then cutting it out of the felt- fell to me, the kids did a great job hand stitching their selected fabrics together. They're getting much better at weilding a needle.

Olivia's pattern is adapted from The Purlbee

Cordelia's baby Partridge is from RetroMama, there is a mama Partridge on it's way, too.



Alex's anxiety-ridden owl is a pattern by JuicyBits

My only downside to this endeavor -which is usually an upside- is that they don't use very much material at all. But these are going to look awesome on the tree, be treasured for decades to come and be passed down to my kid's kids. I think this needs to be a new holiday tradition.

Handmade Holidays - Lacing Cards

I'm taking full advantage of my new ink jet printer for our holiday gifts this year. My newest project is making lacing cards for Emmy, my three year old (who will be three and a half by the holidays).

This is an under ten dollar project granted you have access to a color printer.

Materials-

chip board (I got mine free from the scrapbook store, they said they get it with the paper and usually just throw it out)
regular printing/copying paper
color printer
mod podge and brush
scissors
hole punch
shoe laces or lacing cords (I got a package of 12 lacing cords from Michaels for $2.00 with a 50% off coupon)
Images (Mine came from www.the-lilypad.com by Kate Hadfield but you can use free ones)

Instructions-

I used Publisher to make four images on one sheet, they measure approx 3x4" but you can make them as large as you'd like.

Print them on standard white copy/printer paper.

Cut out the images. I left a small white border around mine but you don't have to.

Spread mod podge along the back and then glue it down on the chip board.

Paint more mod podge on the front extending over the image onto the chip board.

Let it dry completely before cuting out the images. I left a border of chip board around the image to keep the seal on the image to the chip board.

Using the hole punch, make holes around the entire image approximately 1/4"-1/3" apart.

Tie a knot on one end of your lace and start lacing!

Handmade Holidays - Vanilla Extract

Tahitian Vanilla Beans

I wanted to label this "things to do with a Ball jar" but I didn't use just Ball. I've been doing a lot of things with canning jars lately besides just canning. Don't worry, I'll share later.

This is the first of the Handmade Holiday gifts I've created for end of the year celebrations. It's so simple but such a great gift for people that like to cook. Even if you have zero cooking ability, this is a easy gift to make for those in your life that do. Pure vanilla extract is expensive. I bought a 2 ounce bottle for a mere $6.99. It's not even organic. I use a lot of vanilla. I add it to just about every baked good I create. I used it in homemade ice cream and that one time I made yogurt. I've even read recipes for pork and other savory dishes that call for it, though those I haven't tried.

Making your own vanilla extract is not expensive...overall. I made just over seventeen cups of it.

One cup of my vanilla vs. 2 oz. store bought.

I purchased my vanilla through Beanilla after reading a wonderful article on Vanilla Garlic which has now turned me into a Vanilla Elitist. I got the half pound of Tahitian beans and a 5 pack of Mexican beans (but those are for me so I don't count that cost.) I used Smirnoff vodka and Castillo rum.

Beanilla beans $35
Smirnoff 1.75l  $18 (on sale)
Castillo 1.75l $16 (on sale)
2 Cases of Ball 1/2 pint jars $7.99*

Project total : $85

*I also found some jars at the thrift store for about .40 each, got two 17 ounce jars from Ikea for $2.99 each, these are for me. You could recycle jam or pasta sauce jars. Anything glass, really, that seals liquid and air tight.

$85 sounds like a lot, and it is initially, but lets do the math to see the ounce break down. I made 136 ounces of vanilla extract. $85/136 ounces= $0.625 per ounce. Store bought was $3.50 an ounce. If I kept this all for myself I'd have a life time supply of extract. I actually have a few beans left over for other projects like vanilla sugar, salt or paste. You can also top off the extract bottle when you get about half way down, further reducing the overall cost. I have enough to gift out to at least a dozen people and keep a huge supply for myself.

Easy steps to making your own Vanilla Extract.

Pour alcohol (rum, bourbon or vodka) into glass jar leaving a 1/4" headroom. Slice a bean the long way careful not to slice it fully in half. Open it up and add to the alcohol. Each 1/2 pint jar fits 1 cup and three beans perfectly. You'll want at least three beans to every 1 cup. Seal it up and put it in a cool, dark place for at least 2 months.

I've heard some people use theirs within a few weeks but I don't want to take chances. Pull them out and shake them every now and again. I'm aging mine 6 months in the top cabinet in the kitchen where I won't see it and will forget about it until my iPod reminds me. r

I also created simple little 2" circle labels through publisher and printed them on full sheet sticker paper. I think it makes them more professional and tells me what I used in each.

I'm very pleased with the results. I'm also going to make a little pamphlet to hang from a rubber band on the side to tell people how to refill the bottle and suggestions for using the beans after it's all gone. I might pair these with a small jar of vanilla sugar and maybe a recipe book of some of my favorites which I'll print out myself.

The first of the gifts are done and I even have some waiting for me! Happy Homemade Holidays everyone.

Handmade Holidays

Today's post is the first in a series I'll be writing over the next six months. I know it's early to start thinking about the end of the year and all that it entails but I like preparing for things before hand. Enough gets shoved at me without notice, I try and control what I can.

This year, I want to do at least 90% of our gifts to give and get handmade. Either by me or another doesn't really matter. I want to choose gifts to give infused with love and hardwork. If I make the gifts I need time to plan it out and make it in semi-secret. The other ten percent will be things I just don't have the ability to make, like art and school supplies. And possibly underwear (though I actually do know how to make those).

So far, I have planned to make the kids each a pillowcase. I already have the fabric for Cordelia's. I found cute blue manatee fabric. Manatees are her favorite. For some bakers in my life, I'll be making some homemade vanilla extract that I'll gift in pretty bottles. I have to start it now because it takes a good six months to marinate before use.

Those are the only things solidly on the gift list. I'm debating making a felt board with lots of pieces which will be a group gift. Possibly drawing a coloring book. Amelia and Max may get new quilts. I might upcycle some clothes for new things in the dress-up boxes and possibly make our own version of pillow pals. I might try my hand at homemade jelly candies, too. The soap I've been wanting to make might get given as gifts if I get around to making it.

It's early, I know, but has anyone else started thinking of creating a Handmade Holiday this year?