Our Holiday Creations

My kids and I had a really great time being crafty this holiday season.  Last year we started a new tradition when we made these snowflake ornaments.  They were meant to be gifted to their school teachers, but I fell in love with each one of them so much (and they each took so long to make) that I decided we should get to keep all of them.

These little snowflake guys, made of felt, are all fashioned after the one "Jack Frost" in the center, which I have had for about 20 years or so.  It's special to me, because my mom had taken me to a Christmas craft bazaar, and she told me that I could pick out one thing that she would buy for me.  The Jack Frost ornament is what she bought for me.  I love their little nylon faces stuffed with fluff. 

 This year (Christmas 2011, I mean), I decided we would not only have a great time making ornaments again, but that this time we'd make enough to be able to give some away.  We succeeded on both accounts, and had a wonderful time creating together.  We made clothespin ornaments this time.  Again, modeled after some special ornaments from my childhood. 

 You can see the two clown ornaments here which were our "heirlooms" to copy.  I remember painting these ornaments with my siblings and our mother when we were younger.  And I remember giving these ornaments away to the families we visited when we went Christmas caroling (a tradition I always thought I'd carry on with my own kids, but we haven't managed that one yet). 

Didi, Goldie, and I made snowmen, Santas, and soldiers.  And, Tootie made his own original designs (seen next to the clowns). 

We worked together in our basement, and tried to get most of the painting done before school, and before Tootie woke up for the day.  Because if you know Tootie at all, you know that it's best to keep him as far away from paint brushes and paint as possible. 




Tootie would have liked to help more, but it was challenging enough for me let him help at all.  (I found myself questioning often..."PAINT this year?  What was I thinking!?)  He did sneak down to our crafting station on occasion long enough to paint a few undesirable items.  Fortunately, nothing too valuable was completely covered in black paint (just a few small things that I was able to clean up with some scrubbing). 












Last but not least, I wanted to share with you the adorable "Sock Snowmen" that we made in January.  I got this idea off of a crafting blog as I was searching for ideas for my Activity Days calling in the church, where I lead 10-16 girls ages 8-11 a couple times a month in an evening activity.  We didn't make these with the girls at the church, but I thought they were just too adorable to pass up having in our home during our first big snowy Pennsylvania winter. 

They're made with rice and socks, and a few small notions, and were very fast and easy to make.  It was a blast.  As you can see, Tootie was allowed again to join the girls and me in our crafting time, and he is just as proud of his little snowman as the rest of us.  We did manage to make one to give away as well, to our favorite next-door neighbor that we love dearly. 

I wonder if we'll come up with anything to do for Valentine's Day besides the cards they'll take to school and send to our loved ones?  I'm getting an itching to be crafty again...and it's kind of exciting that I'm branching away from papercrafts just a little bit.  If you have any perfect Valentine craft ideas, send them my way!