Are you starting to feel the holiday crush yet? I totally understand the “respect the bird” movement to hold off on rushing right from Halloween to Christmas without time to really celebrate Thanksgiving. And holiday music has been on the radio for over a week now! We’ve had to establish some house rules for how it can be played - no more than 5 minutes a day in a “public” area of the house; in the car it’s the driver’s choice; and unlimited holiday music in private unless it’s loud enough that others can hear.
Then to officially mark the transition from Thanksgiving to Christmas, it’s our tradition to serve our Thanksgiving dessert on the Christmas china. Then it’s Fa La La La La and a partridge in a pear tree and all that jazz.
But if you give a lot of handmade gifts like I do, you’re probably already in the thick of feeling the Christmas spirit because all that making takes time. And if you’re still looking for ideas to make for gifts, here’s a peek at some of the projects on my to-do list. Some of them are done, some are in progress, and bunch I haven’t started yet, but what is the season without a little Christmas crazy?
'Tis the season for crochet. I’ve fallen in love with the V-stitch because it’s beginner friendly (a must for me because I’m totally a beginner), it’s easy to see the stitch pattern as you go along, it’s pretty, and it doesn’t take very long to make a scarf. Here’s a great tutorial on the V-stitch, along with a few variations.
These pillows! I‘ve been working on the hexies all year long and I’ve got a pile of pillow covers done already. Even if you don’t have a bunch of hexies sewn up already, you’ve probably got enough time to whip up a pillow or two. Here’s my step-by-step tutorial for appliquéd hexie pillows.
I’ve made a few of the Tiny Box Zippy bags this year and I’ve been really happy with the way they turned out, so I’ve got plans for a few more yet. The pattern is available from Craftsy and it’s a good one – it's clear and easy to follow if you have basic sewing knowledge.
Handmade soap and scrubs are fun to make and fun to give, and I’m going to use this recipe.
I send a lot of packages to families who have kids, and they’re going to be getting a box of these chocolate dipped pretzels this year. They’re quick to make, fairly easy to ship, and definitely delicious! You probably don’t even need a recipe, but here’s one just in case.
Happy Thanksgiving and happy holiday making!