Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Other Christmas Gifts

Unlike probably everybody, I do not seem to find the time or head space to make Christmas gifts even though I love to make things.  December basically overwhelms me and I have to retreat to my inner sanctum to stay sane. However, this was a good year, as you will see (this was also the year of my mother's raspberry quilt - still slightly astonishing to me).

We made Jennifer's hot chocolate mix for Sunday school teachers and school teachers.  The children helped to measure and mix, then I packaged the mix in bags with a little slip of instructions.  I wrapped the bags in scrap fabric with construction paper holly leaves and curly gold ribbon.  The  children wrote the notes and delivered the bags.  I am grateful for the time teachers invest in their students. . . would be nice to give gifts to all the lovely people who offer their talents and time, come to think of it.


Then I made a bag from a failed little girl dress cut from a woman's dress; into the pocket, I slipped a postcard of Christmas greetings (the horse is a joke for the family) and into the bag I slipped a loaf of Grandma's Christmas bread.   




I got a lovely, unexpected package in the mail, an absolute treat from one of my blog readers!  It was a pretty pile of fabric and notions, plus four wee stones covered in crochet.  They look so charming sitting in the plant nursery that passes as our living room windowsills.  I've started three baby jade plants from the mother plant, and started three spider plants in water.





Finally, my children outdid themselves with homemade gifts.  Ben took a pair of soda tabs that he found to my husband and begged to make a pair of earrings for me.  With Daddy's help, he checked with his aunts for a pair of old earrings to scavenge for parts. Then they spray-painted the tabs metallic blue.  When the earrings were assembled, he put them in a tiny box and we were all so proud and pleased on Christmas morning.  Genevieve gave me a beautiful beaded ring in green and blue, so I dressed in my children's jewelry on Christmas - you can see the earrings and ring in this photo. 

4 comments:

Hazel said...

Ben's earrings are inspired! Love Genevieve's ring too.
I always try to make some presents, but the amount varies. This year I knitted a few small things (like the star dishcloth) and made some Christmas playdough for the little boys next door and that was about it. Every year I think I'll make things through the year, but that never quite happens.

Laura said...

Your crafty gifts are certainly nothing to sneeze at! I like the cocoa mix project you did with your children. I was hoping to do something like that with my little ones. We did make some cinnamon ornaments, but I didn't get so far as sewing little gift bags for each one. I'm sure we'll do more when they have a little more independence, and everything is not contingent on mommy finding the time to supervise...

I am convinced that homemade Christmas gifts must be made at any other time of the year, but NOT December. I did make one thing (a bunting for my son's room), barely. Finished it Christmas Eve around 10pm. My husband unwrapped a half-knitted scarf and I am still working on finishing that! :)

Love the quilt you made for your mom, and the surprise and joy on her face. The jewelry that your children made for you sounds so sweet!

jenny_o said...

I fail at making gifts. My creativity and ability seem to desert me. My cookies burn, my sewing machine starts acting up. Too much pressure!

I love the gifts your children gave you. They must have been so happy that you wore them on such a special occasion.

Dusa said...

Sounds like your kids have budding careers as jewelry designers! They come by that creativity honestly (just finished the post about your mom's quilt.)

Now if we could just get Auntie Leila to see how stinkin' cute your nursery sill is...
:)