A Handcrafted Christmas

I've been working on making Christmas gifts and decorations this year instead of buying everything. I myself prefer handmade gifts, knowing very well the time and love that are put into them.

I started a few months ago with this outdoor grapevine wreath.

The grapevine was pulled from the trees in my parents' woods and soaked in our rain barrels for a couple weeks to make it pliable enough to form. Different trimmings will be added for each season.

My next project was making dryer balls. They help shorten drying time by fluffing the laundry as they bounce around in the dryer. They also effectively replace dryer sheets (which we haven't used in years). Putting 4-5 drops of an essential oil of your choice on a ball and adding it to the dryer for the last 5 minutes of dry time leaves clothes smelling heavenly without the chemical worries of dryer sheets.

I'm here to tell you that in our area it is a scavenger hunt of epic proportions trying to find 100% wool yarn! I started with these gorgeous skeins of wool roving yarn, discovered at JoAnn Fabrics after a very long search. (We don't live particularly close to a JoAnn's.)

I wound the yarn until each was tennis ball sized, and then pulled the "tail" of the yarn through the ball with a crochet hook. To felt the balls so they won't unravel, I tied each in old nylons and put them through the washer and dryer with our regular laundry for about a month. I cut the nylons off and had a another display-worthy yet useful gift ready for Christmas.

This ribbon tree is one of the items I made for my Etsy shop. Instead of residing there, it has taken up a spot on my hutch for the time being. It is for sale if any of you are in need of a last minute Christmas gift! $15

Also for sale is this navy blue chevron burlap wreath that measures 21 inches in diameter. The embellishments can be removed after the holiday season and I'll personally redecorate it for you for the warm months. $40

I made woodsy ornaments as well, something that was as much therapy to me as anything else. I love wood-burning; the smell reminds me of home! These too were marked for Etsy. By the time I actually get around to opening my shop something catastrophic will happen; Etsy will get hacked, millions will have their accounts drained, and I'll be reduced to peddling my wares on the Facebook "For Sale" groups or out of my garage again. Isn't life a jolly bag of surprises? :)

These red berry candle luminaries were quickly put together with very little work. Small vase goes in bigger vase, red berries get stuffed between the two, and pillar candle goes in small vase.

And then I had the great idea to wash up and de-label about nine tiny wine bottles...the kind that come in little four-packs. And write on them with puff paint. And then spray paint them. It was smooth sailing until the spray paint part. I'm a horrible spray painter. Try as I might, I cannot spray paint without it running. And then when I did thin enough coats it didn't run, the second coat of paint crackled the first so it didn't turn out smooth and white as I had hoped. It is what it is. They got scratched off the "give as gifts" list.

I decided to decorate the front porch this year for Christmas for the first time ever. Every winter I stare out the living room window into a world of grays, browns, and muted whites and think how greenery and a pop of red would dramatically improve the view--and possibly my spirits. I could see these pine cone danglers hanging outside a log cabin in the woods.

I bought chalkboards in bulk from a craft supply company back when I ordered the wooden pegs for peg dolls. When they came the blackboard part was strangely gray, not black, so giving them a fresh coat of (black) chalkboard paint was essential before anything else. The plan was to add sayings, verses, or quotes with permanent chalk, stain the frame, and add them to my Etsy shop. I used my wood-burner to burn holes in the frame and added hemp cord to hang it.

This is one I've completed, but it will be given as a gift and not sold.

Speaking of peg dolls, I recently finished another order of six dolls. From left to right they are: Venerable Demetrius Gallitzin, St. Tatiana of Rome, St. Philomena, St. Anastasia, Blessed Jacinta Marto, and St. Gemma Galgani.

I also had the idea to make hand painted (watercolor) greeting cards and sell them. I only painted one and ran out of time, but these are going on the to-do list for next year. This card was designed for a family who lost a child, as holidays without a loved one can be especially painful in reminding them of their loss.

Finally in the craft department is Eli's ugly Christmas sweater. He has wanted one for the longest time and talks about it every Christmas. Finding one that was his size (and not jacked up in price like the $9 Good Will sweaters--yes, nine dollars for a used, ugly sweater) was proving impossible, so I found a $4 green sweater instead and raided the ole Christmas totes for some embellishments. (Note: if you're family, please pretend it is the first amazed time you see this thing when he sports it Christmas day! Thank you!)

I've enjoyed decorating a lot more this year than in years past. I believe it's because it has involved a lot more simplicity, creativity, and a lot less ceramic snowmen. Taking the time to weed things from the Christmas totes is now on my to-do list.

Sometimes decorating happens accidentally. Like when I put the last three unbroken glass ornaments up in a little crate to preserve them and realized it looked pretty.

Or when little boys are playing and leave their toys among your decorations. Totally ok with that. Looks like some little people are getting a tree this year!

I haven't gotten around to making the pinecone garland I wanted to, or the simple peg doll nativities, the Merry Christmas bunting, or half a dozen other "great ideas" I've had, but now that Christmas week is here and we've started our break from school we'll be focusing on baking cookies, reading Christmas stories, and doing things that we all can do together.

Have a blessed last few days of Advent!