crafty christmas gifting

am i the only one in a crafting frenzy?? i don't think anyone has mentioned that we have been crafting weekly. due to the holidays and our never ending lists of ideas, anyone who can has been getting together every monday. we rarely do the same craft as we all have different gifts to make and decorations to create. some of us are night owls and we tend to get into a groove around 11 pm. let me just say that crafting until the wee hours definitely makes for crafting hangover the next day. 

i have been guiding some along in sewing (not that i know enough to do so), so you may see more sewing ideas in the next few months.

i just posted a few tutorials on my own blog, but since i haven't posted on here in a very long time, i thought i would share. unfortunately, i don't know how to get the posts to this blog, so i will share the finished project and the link and you can read more there.

this is my anthropologie inspired squiggle scarf:

and, this is my anthropologie inspired letter stand:

i whipped both of them up on the same day with a little kiddie patrol help from my parents, so they are definitely doable in the next few days if you need a quick, hand crafted gift. only 5 crafting days left til christmas!

Christmas Craftiness: Wooden Countdown

I've seen these countdown-type things all over the blog world. We have one where the numbers are on hooks, and it is a pain to change out the days. This one is something I can do when I walk by it, so it is much easier. I can rarely say that I had everything I needed to start and complete a craft project at my house (without having to buy anything), but this time I actually did.

I used a Martha pack of paper for all of the paper parts. The blocks are 4 x 4s left over from several other projects on here, and the base is a 2 x 6 left over from my JOY plaques. I used my cricut to cut everything out: squares and numbers - George and Basic Shapes, Christmas - Mini Monograms. I painted everything and then used mod podge to glue and seal. I haven't distressed these yet, but I want to. I'm always scared because there is no going back once you start distressing. Maybe I'll do it next year if I get tired of the way they look then.

Christmas Craftiness: Wooden Plaques

I have been kind of obsessed with this blog lately. The Shanty Sisters are crafty AND creative. I want to make so many of the things they create. I loved these JOY plaques that they made, so I copied them and tweaked mine a little. I have a friend that decorates with "grinch" green and red. I love those colors every year, so I decided to use that color scheme. The Shanty Sisters give a great tutorial, so follow theirs if you want to recreate.




Up close - I am still trying to figure out how they distress theirs. Maybe they have stronger arms than me, but I sanded and sanded until I thought my arm might fall off!


















On my buffet - I took these pictures while I was still in the process of decorating, so it's not quite finished in this picture.

Christmas Craftiness: Applique Shirts

ornament shirt

Christmas tree shirt

a little cutie wearing her Christmas tree shirt