I get on a sewing/crafting kick each year to gear up for Christmas. With such creative ideas, I usually make something for friends and family as part of the gifts I give away. To give you an idea of how in depth and awesome the projects are, here are a few of my favorites:
1. grill set. Actually my dad gets the credit for first making one of these, but I recreated it with a friend last Christmas. Who wouldn't want all your grill implements put into a canvas organizer?
2. family memories book. A few years ago I got extremely ambitious and spent nearly 100+ hours putting together family memories collected from all of the siblings. I then formatted it into a book, complete with chapters, pictures, and titles for everything. Add 20 hours of making them into hand-bound books and you have one of the best projects I've ever done.
3. vintage aprons. I started making aprons last year, kind of on a whim. Since then I've changed the pattern a bit and gotten more creative. This year's crafting has also included aprons, but specifically made for crafting, not cooking. Tonight I will actually be working on sewing a few more, and hopefully I will also have pictures to post as well.
4. favorite recipes. Since most of my friends know I love to cook, I thought I would pass along some of my favorite recipes last Christmas. I spent a few weeks collecting my favorite family recipes, typing up the ones I've created in my head, and then printing them out for my friends in DC. I also gave copies to my siblings and Mom. I may or may not have also included mini bread pans and a potholder.
5. witty t-shirts. I started making t-shirts years ago. In fact, one of my first Christmas crafts was to make t-shirts for all of my family members. (I then made them all wear the said t-shirt on the same day and we took pictures.)
Now I have high aspirations to sew the most adorable craft aprons the world has ever seen. Not that I need any more aprons because I already have four that I have made myself and one with Garrett's face on it that says "favorite brother." Most of the aprons will be as gifts, but I might just have to keep one. Eventually I might run out of craft ideas for Christmas, but until then I think I'll be doomed to be creative each year.
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5 comments:
Great ideas.
My family tends to give hand-made present a lot. Last year was a family theme. I gave handmade, framed family trees to all nine families on mine and my husband's sides, complete with hours of research and hand cutting and inking each family tree and leaf. It turned out amazingly well.
One of my sisters made childrens' books for church out of small photo albums, and put in pictures of each family member along with names (since we don't all live around each other, and the young ones don't know their cousins), and pictures of Christ and the prophet and such. Very cool.
The other sister made photo boards. She painted boards black, added vinyl letters to spell out "Cherish every moment," and then glued on squares of metal that are perfect for attaching pictures to with magnets. It makes for a neat revolving picture collage.
I have absolutely no ideas for this year, though, and Christmas is just around the corner. Maybe I'll have to look through yours. :)
Kelley,
I love those ideas, especially the children's book for church with pictures of family included. My family tends to do homemade since we are smaller gift givers anyways and we are all so creative.
I've actually been thinking of making craft aprons and then putting things in the pockets for a gift. You could make those for siblings or even their kids. Include crayons, small notebooks, markers for the kids, or scissors, some sewing notions, or other crafting tools for the moms.
You could also make gardening aprons and include a few small gardening tools, gloves, and maybe some seeds in the pockets.
You could also put together some family recipes and give them to all your siblings. I love this idea since often the family has certain recipes that they love, but never really collects them all.
If I think of any others, I will let you know.
You kill me chica and absolutely amaze me. I wish I had some creative ideas to add to your list, but I am afraid that even if I have done any in the past I have forgotten them. I seem to have lost half my mind with this last pregnancy. I just love that you are so crafty and creative. Every time I wear the skirt from Maria's wedding I get compliments on it and I have to brag about my cousin Brit who created the skirt on her own.
Tiana,
Just so your aren't so jeaous, I may or may not spend hours a day thinking up creative gift ideas. I really do. It does take time to come up with good ones, and some I have taken or adapted from friends.
Raising kids and staying on top of life just amazes me! The pictures of Ellie are adorable!
Thanks. I love the ideas for the aprons filled with goodies. I can't wait to figure out what would work for our family, and get going.
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