12 Days of Christmas 2014 - Day Ten

 How many of you out there have a set of Christmas cookie tree cutters from Wilton that are shaped like stars and have 10 sizes, ranging from 2 to 10 inches? I've had them for a long time and love to make cookie trees, but this year I used them for something different. 

I'm sure you won't be surprised to find that day 10 is another Christmas tree! And this one I'm NOT giving away! This one's for me!  I call it the Tall Tree and I really love the way it looks like a tall tree in the forest. Except, of course, for the fact that it's made from Christmas fabric!  lol

I used the cookie tree cutters for my patterns. I didn't use the two smallest ones, but started with the 3rd one. I traced them and them cut them out with an extra half inch all the way around. I included the photo above so you can see the shape of the stars and the size increments. I made the tree originally using these patterns and didn't like it. It wasn't tall enough for the look I wanted.

So I added 4 more larger sizes! Now I have twelve layers, and the tree looks just like I had it pictured in my head. Now it's time to get started!

First, you need to choose 3 different Christmas fabrics. I chose a green with candy canes, a red one with big green polka dots and a black one with ornaments on it. I bought a half a yard of each and had some of the red and green left over. I used the black for the largest layer and there wasn't much left after I cut it and the other three black layers. 

Cut four sizes from each fabric. It will make it easier if you number your patterns 1 - 12. Cut numbers 1, 4, 7 and 10 from fabric 1. Cut sizes 2, 5, 8 and 11 from fabric 2. And cut sizes 3, 6, 9 and 12 from fabric 3. Stitch around all sizes 1/2 inch from the edge. Sew all the way around without leaving an opening. Using a sharp pair of scissors, snip fringes almost up to the stitching and about 1/2" apart. After you have snipped all 12 layers, throw them in the washer and dryer to make the fringes fray and curl.

Now, snip a little hole in one side of the star. Eventually, you will snip a hole in the other side, too, but if you do it now, it makes it really, really hard to stuff it, because the stuffing wants to go out the other side! Stuff all your layers, but not too firmly, because they don't stack as well if they're too firm.

After you have stuffed them all, snip a hole in the other side of each one and using a needle and thread, stitch around the holes, stitching both layers together like a buttonhole. 

Using the pattern for the smallest star, cut two from yellow felt. Stitch around them with a buttonhole stitch, like I did, or stitch them on the sewing machine. When you get to the last section, stuff the star and then finish stitching it. Glue a tiny dowel or a bamboo skewer in the star.

Now it's time to make the trunk of the tree. I was out in my son's backyard one day and noticed he still had his Christmas tree from last year laying in a pile of scrap wood. My brain just clicked and I knew I wanted to use that! In fact, the idea for this tree started with that trunk! Anyway, I got my husband to cut it off at about 2 feet long and straighten the bottom so it would stand upright. He cut off all the branches except for one little outcropping that I thought would be a good spot for a bird's nest. I fastened it to a board that I had painted a light blue and drilled a hole in it for a dowel. The dowel is 1/2" or 5/8" and I drilled a hole in the top of that for the star.

 Now you stack your stars up on the dowel and put your star on the top and you have a nice little woodland-type tree. I will be using some batting to cover the board and make it look like the tree is standing in snow.

Here is a close-up of the bird's nest. The bird's eggs are red jingle bells!

I almost forgot.....I tied some raffia on the dowel right under the star. I like the look of it and it helps cover the space between the dowel and the star. I had the thought that the pinecone elves and the little log reindeer would look cute under the tree. Make a whole little scene!

Well, that's day 10 done! It took me two days to make this one, what with all the time spent cutting and sewing and washing and stuffing, but I love it and it was worth it! I hope you like it! And when you look at all the gifts under YOUR Christmas tree, remember this little quote by Burton Hillis: "The best gift under the tree is the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other!"

Love to all and see you tomorrow!

12 Days of Christmas 2014 - Day Nine

It's day 9 already!! Only 3 more to go! Christmas is getting closer and closer and I'm not ready yet. Arrrrg! I swore I was going to be ahead of the game this year, but so far, not happenin'. But I am closer than I usually am, so thank heaven for small favors!

Our project for today is a snowman swag. You know how much I love snowmen, and these are so cute! And we're back to making medallions again. Oh, yes, those lovely medallions! I told you they were good for so many things, and here's another example. You will need some scrapbook paper, or rather, cardstock, in your color of choice. I chose icy blues/silver because, after all, snowmen are kind of icy! I chose a stripe and a plaid, but it's not necessary to have two different prints. I just like to mix it up!

Start by cutting a star pattern, 5" across from tip to tip of any two points. Use this pattern to cut stars from your cardstock.  If you are using two different papers like I did, cut 4 stars from one and 5 stars from the other.

Now cut a 2" x 12" strip to go with each star. I cut striped strips for the plaid stars and plaid strips for the striped stars. Fold the strips into accordions like we did for the paper trees and glue the ends together. You will have to cut one fold off one end of each strip before you glue them to get them to match up right. Flatten them out into medallions and glue them to the stars.

Now draw some cute little snowmen and glue them to the medallions. Use permanent markers to draw eyes, nose and mouth. Use a paint brush to give them a light coat of glue and sprinkle them with super fine glitter. Use glitter glue or sparkly fabric paint to give them scarves and let them dry. Because I used paper with silver in it, I used a really thin silver cord and some little tiny blue clothespins to hang the stars. You can make the garland longer by spreading out the stars or shorter by taking out a star or two. That way you can easily use it in different places.

I know this isn't a very good picture, but you can see how cute the swag would be if you could see it!  lol  Now go make one for yourself and two or three for friends!

I love Christmas! It's my favorite time of year! I love the cold weather, the snow (when I live where it snows), the Christmas tree with it's lights and ornaments, the children's faces when they see the pile of gifts under the tree, and most especially, the spirit of giving and loving that comes with knowing the true meaning of Christmas.

See you tomorrow!

12 Days of Christmas 2014 - Day Eight

It's day 8 and I have the cutest little log reindeer for you! I have wanted a set of these deer for years.......the big ones that stand in the yard! But I have never been able to talk my husband into making them for me, so I made my own in miniature! From the bottom of his feet to the top of his antlers, he stands about 6" tall and I love his cute little personality. I haven't decided yet what to name him, but I'm sure the grandkids will be more than glad to help me with that.

You need a little "log" to start with. It's a branch about 1" around and 4" long for the body and 1" x 1 1/2" for the head. You can see in the side view further down the page that I found a log with a bump where a branch was cut off, and I cut the log right there, so that little branch bump becomes his tail. It was just perfect!

You will also need some Sculpey clay in red or green, a silver pipe cleaner and a tan or brown pipe cleaner, 2 googly eyes, a little black pom-pom, a pair of needle-nose pliars for cutting and bending your wire, and some good, strong glue. I used Beacon 527 glue, which along with E6000, is my glue of choice for gluing metal, (like the jar rings from day 3). 

I used nice, heavy baling wire to put him together because I knew that if I used little sticks or tiny dowels, they would get broken and I would have to fix him every year! You need to cut 5 pieces of wire.  1will be 1" long for his neck, and the other 4 will be 4" long for his legs.

Okay, take the 4 leg wires and using the needle-nose pliars, bend a 1/2" crook in one end of each wire. Take the Sculpey clay out of the package and squeeze and pull it, kind of like pulling taffy. This will warm ot up and make it easier to work with. Make 4 small balls approximately the size of a large grape and shape them into boots. Take one of the wires and push it up through the bottom of one of the boots and push the crook into the clay until it's even with the boot bottom. Do the other 3 legs and then stand them up on a cookie sheet and bake them according to the directions on the package. When they are baked, take the cookie sheet out of the oven and let them cool thoroughly before you touch them. The wires will be HOT!

While your boots are baking and cooling, you can drill holes for them, and for the neck, ears and antlers. You will need a little tiny drill bit for this. Try to find one that is the same size as your wire so it will fit nice and snug. Drill one hole at the back end of the head and one at the front end of the body. Drill holes for your legs, 2 at the front and 2 at the back, angled out slightly from the center, and on the opposite side of the log from the neck hole. Drill 3 more holes in the head, 1 in the middle at the back of the head for the antlers and 2 for the ears, angling them outward. These holes may need to be a little larger. Check the photo near the bottom to see where to drill the holes. Now you're ready to put him all together.

First of all, glue his leg wires in thier holes. He's much easier to work with when he's standing instead of rolling around. Glue his neck wire in his body and glue his head onto the neck wire. Set him aside while you make his antlers and ears. Cut your silver pipe cleaner in half and then fold each half in half. Bend each half into the shape shown below. It will look a little like the vein of a leaf. Now twist the two pieces together at the bottom. Do the same with the other  piece. Cut two pieces of the tan pipe cleaner 1 1/2" long. Fold them in half and twist the two ends together. This is his ears. Glue the antlers and ears into the holes you drilled for them.

You can see the placement of the antlers and ears in the close-up below. Sorry it's blurry, but my phone doesn't take very good pictures close up and it's the only camera I have right now.

Glue on his eyes and nose and you have the cutest little reindeer ever! I know I said yesterday that the next time you saw him he'd have a bell, but I totally forgot! So you will have close your eyes and imagine him with a little bell tied around his neck.  lol  

Isn't he cute? And he looks great with the pinecones elves. He's just the right size for one of them to ride, if reindeer liked to be ridden.

Okay, that's day 8 all wrapped up. I think I need to make 8 more of these and then figure out how to make a little sleigh to go with them! I hope you are all in the Christmas spirit and getting ready for the most wonderful time of the year!.I am really close to having everything finished and ready to be wrapped and some of it shipped. Just a few more things to make.

See you tomorrow!

12 Days of Christmas 2014 - Day Seven

Day 7 is something I did with the grandchildren a couple weeks ago. It's another idea I've been seeing all over the internet, but these litlle guys have been around forever, it seems! I remember making these when I was a kid, and that was a loooooooong time ago! (I will be 60 next Friday, so that really is a long time.)

First of all, you need pinecones. Duh, right? You will some that aren't too big and aren't broken or smashed. Nice, pretty-shaped cones. Turn them upside down on a cookie sheet and bake them on the lowest setting for 20-30 minutes to get rid of any critters that may have taken up lodging in them. Let them cool while you gather your supplies. You will need pipe cleaners, felt scraps, glue, small wooden head beads, pom-poms and some Sculpey clay if you like the shoes we put on ours, or you can use felt to make their shoes. I thought if I used Sculpey for their feet, they might have enough weight to stand up, but it didn't work very well. Anyway, if you are using clay, you need 2 small balls approximately the same size. Shape them like shoes and poke the end of a pipe cleaner into them to make a hole. Pull the pipe cleaner back out and bake them according to the instructions on the package. When they are done and cool, you will glue the pipe cleaner legs into the holes.

Now, cut your pipe cleaners in half. One half will be the arms and the other half the legs. We used tan, but you could use green or red, too. Find the middle of each piece and wrap it into the pinecone at the bottom for the legs and up higher for the arms. Use some good glue or hot glue to glue them in place. Now is when you glue the legs into the shoes, and make some hands or mittens to glue onto the arms. Glue your head bead to the top (which is really the bottom of the pinecone) and make a little hat to go on it. You just have to measure around the bead and cut a triangle that's about 1/2" bigger at the big end, to allow for overlap when you glue it. Make a little cone out of the triangle and glue it together, then glue it on the head. All the kids wanted pom-poms on theirs hats, too! Cut a long rectangle for the scarf and fringe the edges if you want. Wrap it around his neck and glue it to keep it in place.

Draw 2 little eyes and a nose with a permanent maker, and a mouth if you want one. They look cute with or without mouths, and if you put your scarf up under his nose, you don't even need a mouth!  You can also use a teeny, tiny pom-pom for the nose, like the one above. This one was made, with a little help, by my 4-year-old grandson, SJ. He wanted his elf to have a snowball in his hands, so we used a white pon-pom for the snowball.

Mine has a (plastic) Christmas light so he can help decprate the tree. And I glued the point of his hat down, too, but nost of the kids liked theirs sticking straight up. It's kind of hard to tell, but I pointed the ends of my elf's shoes and curled them up just a bit to make them look more like elf shoes.

If you put your elf's arm around a reindeer, he will actually stand up! Plus he looks really cute! The reindeer is the next project, so you can have one, too, if you like! Or 6 or 10! (I just realized that I forgot to put his bell on him! When next you see him, he will be complete, I promise!)

This project is a lot of fun and the kids had a ball! Even my 20-year-old granddaughter and her boyfriend had fun! This is a whole-family craft and it doesn't even cost much at all, so gather a few pinecones and gather your family and spend some time having some good, clean fun!

Here's a little joke for you. Q - What does the gingerbread boy have on his bed?  A- Cookie sheets!  Hahaha! This time of year should be full of fun, family-oriented good times, making memories that they will never forget. And if you don't have family near, there are always children who need someone to care about them, especially at Christmas. Go ahead, build some memories, and you won't regret it!

See you tomorrow!

12 Days of Dhristmas 2014 - Day Six

Day 6 is a timely project. I haven't even made my Christmas cards yet, but I know that many of you have and are receiving some of your own, so today's project is a card holder swag. It's very, very simple and takes very little time, but looks really cute. I bought a roll of this burlap ribbon with red sparkly snowflakes on it. I had no idea what I was going to use it for, but I knew I would. It was $1.98 at Wal*Mart for 15 feet, which was exactly what I needed!. I happened to have a part of a package of clothespins left from last year, and the paper came from my stash! I used 22 clothespins because I put 1 in between the Merry and the Christmas and 4 extras at each end. You might want more than that, or maybe less, that's up to you. It turned out to be about 7 feet long, but that's okay because I have this big, long wall to put it on! It can be shortened just by moving the clothespins closer.

You start by covering one side of the clothespins with a small print or solid color paper. I used an off-white background with little red polka dots. (I love polka dots!) I used two punches to make my circles....a 2" flower punch, which you've seen me use before, and a circle punch that is 1 1/2". Glue the smaller circle to the larger one and then get out your alphabets.

Choose your letters to spell Merry Christmas. You can see that I used both upper and lower case letters, mixing them up. That was partly because I like it that way and partly because I didn't have enough of either one to do the whole thing!  lol   Glue your letters to your circles and then glue the circles to the clothespins.

I tied 2 bows and fastened them to the ends of the swag so that it looked more finished. Clip your clothespins to your ribbon and that's it! You have a fantastic looking card holder swag!!

I've never really had much of a system for displaying my cards. I usually just taped them to a wall or around a door frame, but now they have a place of honor!

I leave you today with this thought: Christmas isn't toys or presents or even a tree with decorations. It's a celebration of life. The life of Christ in particular. If the world would remember that more and worry about the other stuff less, we wouldn't have so many wars and so much crime.  It would definitely be a better place to raise the future generations!

Here's a quote that I really like. "They err who think that Sants Claus comes down through the chimney; he really enters through the heart."                                              Mrs. Paul M. Ell

Have a nice Saturday and I'll see you tomorrow.

12 Days of Christmas 2014 - Day Five

Okay, it's day five and it's time for a Christmas tree. I love Christmas trees and I know I have too many of them, but I still make aonther one just about every year! Sometimes I give them away, but not always.  lol  Anyway, this tree is made from paper medallions, which I have discovered you can use for lots of pretty things!

First you need to choose your papers. You need 9 or 10 different papers that compliment each other. For the bottom 3 layers, you need 2 sheets of each paper. You can get the next three layers from one sheet apiece, and scraps will do for the top 3 layers.  Starting from the top, you will cut the following strips:

           #1 - 1 strip 1" x 12"

           #2 - 2 strips 1 1/2" x 12"

           #3 - 2 strips 2" x 12"

           #4 - 3 strips 2 1/2" x 12"

           #5 - 3 strips 3" x 12"

           #6 - 3 strips 3 1/2" x 12"

           #7 - 4 strips 4" x 12"

           #8 - 4 strips 4 1/2" x 12"

           #9 - 4 strips 5" x 12"

If you put a 10th layer, it will be 6" x 12" and you will need 4 strips for it, which is 2 sheets of paper. My tree had that 10th layer, but one of them got messed up, so I wound up with only 9 layers. (You'll notice in the photo below that my 7th layer is made of two different papers. That's because of the mess up, NOT because I chose to make it that way. I didn't have any more of the papers I was using to make it over, so I adlibbed!) I also used an edge punch to give the edges a lacy look, but this isn't necessary if you don't have an edge punch.

Paper medallions are all over the internet and Pinterest, so you may already know how to make them but if you need instructions, here is the link to a post from last year's 12 Days of Christmas:

http://www.bygeorgeyouvegotit.blogspot.com/search/label/paper%20medallion%20Noel%20swag

Now that you have your paper strips folded and glued, you're going to make them into medallions, with one difference. You need 2 - 2" circles for each layer and you need to punch a hole in the middle of each circle. Then when you glue the accordions to the circles, make sure the hole is in the middle of the medallion. This is where your dowel will go.

Now you need your stand and dowel. I used a piece of a small log that we had after taking a dead tree out, but a piece of 2x4 or 4x4 would be good, too. Your dowel needs to be about 3/8" and you need to drill a hole in the base at least an inch deep to make sure the tree in stable. Don't cut the dowel off yet, but glue the dowel in the hole. Next, you need to take a pencil and put it in the hole of the biggest medallion and move it around in a circle to make the circle bigger. Just be careful not to make it too big. You want it to be a little snug on the dowel. Push it down on the dowel and do the same for all the other medallions, except the very top one. You still make the hole bigger, but leave it off the dowel. Mark your dowel 3/4"" above the 2nd layer and then remove all the medallions from the dowel and cut it off at the mark.

The reason you do this is so that when you put the top layer on, the dowel will not show.

Now you need 2 more 2" circles and a bamboo skewer. I cut my circles with a 2" flower punch, but you can cut them any way you like.  Measure from the pointed end of the skewer down 2" and mark it. You can cut this with a pair of wire cutters or kitchen scissors. Glue this in between the 2 circles, with 1" sticking out. (My skewer is shorter than an inch and my topper won't stay in, so I having you make yours longer.) I also cut 2 smaller flower shapes and glued in the middle of the larger ones, and then a tiny, little snowflake in the middle of that. I just used what I had on hand and you can, too. A larger snowflake without the smaller flower, a pretty poinsettia, a star, etc. Just use what you have or what you like.

Drill a hole the size of the skewer in the top of the dowel. Making it a little snug will help the topper to stay in. Now, stack all you medallions back on the dowel, put your topper on and there you have it!

A beautiful paper medallion tree!

I hope you like it, and I hope you will try one. They take a little time, what with all that folding, but they aren't hard and they are worth it! I donated one last year to the the Festival of Trees and it was a big hit! It was in turquoises and pinks and there were quite a few people who wanted it. It went for a nice price, which was good, because the money raised at this event goes toward the funding of an historical building.

That's another day done, and I'm on my way to bed.See you tomorrow!

.

12 Days of Christmas 2014 - Day Four

It's day 4 of our 12 days, and it's time for a snowman! I've been seeing jeans pockets with snowmen painted on them all over Pinterest, and I love them! They are so cute, but I wondered what to do with them. Make a little purse? A hanging pocket? Sew the pocket onto something else? Then I thought back to what I've done with pockets in the past. I LOVE denim and have ever since I got my first pair of Levi's when I was a senior in high school! When I was a very young, newly married, now mom, I earned a little extra cash by making Levi purses and other things and selling them in a little gift shop. When my boys got a little older and I was a Cub Scout leader, we used Levi pockets to make gifts for Father's Day. We mounted them on wood plaques and painted above them "Dad's Pocket". So why couldn't I do the same thing with a snowman pocket?  And I did!

Choose a board with a nice shape and paint it light blue. Decoupage some snowflake scrapbook paper on it and dry brush a little white paint on the edges to give a bit of a primitive look.

When you cut the pocket off the jeans, leave the back piece attached. That's what you will glue to the board so the pocket will open and be able to hold goodies. You need to make a kind of little pleat in the back piece when you glue it down. If you don't, the pocket will be so tight to the board that you will get nothing into it! This is the voice of experience talking. I forgot to do this and had to rip the pocket off the board and re-glue it!

Paint the snowman shape on the pocket but don't do what I did! I painted it with gesso first, thinking that it would cover the blue better, and it did. BUT..... Big mistake! Gesso dries hard, and when you move the fabric, it cracks! So a few coats of white paint will be better than gesso and then paint. Paint his orange nose. and use the wood end of a paintbrush to make the dots for eyes and mouth... Spray the paint with clear acrylic spray and and shake a little super fine glitter on him while it's still wet. Glue some snowflakes around his head and one on his nose. I used my QuikCutz to cut the letters for the words "Let It Snow"  but you could paint them or cut them by hand, whatever you like.. I put the candy canes in the pocket so I would be sure not to glue them too low, and then glued the words to the board.

I think he turned out pretty cute, and he's useful, too, and I think I need to  make a few more for gifts!I hope you like him and will make one for yourself. Maybe a few for friends.

See you tomorrow for some more fun!

12 Days of Christma 2014 - Day Three

Well, it's day 3 and we're well on our way to Christmas! Have you got all your shopping done? All  your handmade gifts made? Check your list once and twice, and if you find someone you forgot, here's a quick little project you can make for that someone, or for yourself!

I call it a potpourri candle jar. First, you will need a pint canning jar, I used one of the green ones you can get at Michaels, but you can use any color you like. You will also need an extra ring for the jar, some potpourri, a battery-operated candle, some hardware cloth, wire cutters, some strong adhesive, and some decorations to go around the candle. I'll explain all these things as we go along. You also need 1/2 yard of ribbon, whatever width you like. I used ribbon that was 1 1/2" wide because I wanted a nice, big, pretty bow.

The first thing you need to do is cut a piece of hardware cloth, That's the wire mesh that animal cages are made of, and you can buy it in a roll for about $8 or at some places you can buy it by the foot. I had to go to a Cal-Ranch store to get it because our Home Depot was out. Measure across the inside of one of the rings and cut a square of the hardware cloth that size. Trim off the corners to make it round-ish.

Now glue the two jar rings togehter, top edges toward each other. Use a strong adhesive like 527 Glue or E6000. Set your rings aside to dry.

Open the potpourri and fill the jar. Don't pack it too tight or it will look like a stuffed turkey! Once your rings are dry and set, put them on the jar, with the one that has the hardware cloth on the top, and tie a pretty bow around the lids.

Place your battery-operated candle on the mesh.

I found these at Wal*Mart for $6 for two.

I got a stem of pretty, glittery balls at JoAnn's but you could use holly or poinsettias or anything Christmas-y that you like. If you are makinbg this to be used all year  'round, you will want to use something non-Chrstmas-y. (Do you like the way I make up my own words??  I cut the balls with stems about 1" long. Use hot glue to glue them around the candle, gluing them to the lid, NOT the candle, because you will have to take the candle out to turn it on and off.

This is what it looks like all lit up. Isn't it pretty? I think I'm going to make one with cinnamon sticks around the candle. I don't know if the light will show very much, but we'll see.

Cheap, pretty and easy to make. What could be better?  I hope I'll see you all back tomorrow!

12 Days of Christmas 2014 - Day Two

Day Two of this year's list is an easy one! I've been seeing button garlands all over the internet and decided I needed to try one. But those I've seen were all white, and I wanted mine to have lots of color!

I started with some red crochet thread that I had on hand ( you could use button and carpet thread, too), and then I went through all my buttons and pulled out all the red and green ones. I didn't have enough to make a very long garland, so I made a trip to Wal*Mart and found a bag of red and green buttons! Both colors in one bag!  It was about $5 and had plenty of buttons for the garland and all my other Christmas projects, too.

I started by trying to string them on the crochet thread, but it didn't work very well, so I wrapped a pieced of scotch tape around the end and cut it at an angle so it was skinny at the end like a needle and would go through the button easier. Then I noticed that the buttons didn't stay put when I moved the string around, so I started putting the thread through both sets of holes on the 4-hole buttons and tying knots on some of the other buttons. Not all of them, but enough to keep them in place. I also noticed as I was stringing them, that they got tangled up really easily. This was a big problem! Not only did I have to keep untangling them, but how would I store the garland so that it wouldn't be a tangled-up mess next year?

After I got the garland the length I wanted it, which was about 9 or 10 feet long, I hung it over my coat rack to keep it straight until I could figure out how to store it. After seeing it hanging there for about 2 weeks, I had a mind meld........wrap it in wax paper!

I tore off a piece of wax paper about 12" lon and laid it out flat on the counter. Then I laid one end of the garland across it and rolled the wax paper over it. Then I folded the garland over the wax paper again and rolled it again. I kept this up until I had all the garland rolled in wax paper.

With a layer of wax paper in between each length of garland, it keeps it from getting tangled. Then, I folded the roll in thirds and tied it with a piece of the crochet thread and now it's all ready to pack away! After I use it this year, that is.

When we put up our tree and put the garland on it, I will post a photo of how cute it looks. This is an easy project for kids to do, after you put the tape on the crochet thread, that is!  lol   I probably have enough buttons to make another garland if I wasn't using them for other projects, so that's two garlands for the cost of a package of buttons and some crochet thread or button and carpet thread. That's not bad! So make a few of these with your family, or FOR your family, and have a great time while you're at it. (I would not make them as long if the kids are making them. It will be easier to keep them untangled if they're not so long.)

Now, here's a bit of Christmas trivia. The Christmas colors weren't just chosen because they look good together or because they're opposite on the color wheel. There are a lot of different stories about the Christmas colors and how they came to be known as such, but I like the one that dates back to the 1300's, when Christian churches would traditionally present a Paradise Play in the winter, which told the story of Adam and Eve, to people who could neither read nor write. Since apple trees are not loaded with apples in the winter, a pine tree was used and apples were tied to it to represent the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. The trees were so popular that people, especially in Germany,  started to bring them into their homes, and  Christmas trees and the colors red and green soon came to represent Christmas! Christians have since given special meanings to the colors. The red represents love and the blood shed by Christ on the cross. Green is the color of hope and eternal life, and those plants that are green even in winter, such as holly, ivy and mistletoe, are widely used during this season. White is the color of purity and peace, and is represented by the white lights on the tree.

No matter which story you believe, it is a fact that red, green and white DO look good together, and they make Christmas a really beautiful holiday, so get yourself lots of red and green and celebrate your holiday in style!

Love to you and yours.....

12 Days of Christmas 2014 - Day One

It's that time of year again! I have been taking a break, as you know, but I never miss my 12 Days of Christmas! I hope you will join me for the next 12 days of fun and projects. With that in mind, here is Day One.

We're starting this season with a Countdown Calendar. I used a small clipboard and some Christmas scrapbook paper and goodies.

I started by painting the back of the clipboard green.. I know it doesn't look green, but I promise it is! (The light in my craftroom makes everything look a different color.} I painted all the edges and underneath where the clip fastens to the board, too. Then I chose some paper I really liked and cut it the same size as the clipboard. I used Mod Podge to attach the paper to the front of the clipboard, trimming the paper as close as I could to the clip attachment.

Then I used a cute graphic from another sheet to decorate it. I forgot to take a picture before I cut it out, but I put it back together ther best I could. lol

I added a graphic from another sheet of scrapbook paper for the Merry Christmas. Then I added some chipboard letters and some small circle letters. I cut circles with my 3" circle punch and put chipboard numbers for the days, and cut a circle with the word Christmas on it for the 25th, and it was done!

I had a lot of fun choosing papers and goodies to go with it! Let the family help for even more fun! Kids have great ideas. The last thing I had to do was find a good way to store the circles so they don't get messed up, and you'll never guess what I found that was a perfect fit! A spam storage container! Now I have to find a new one.

I hope you like this fun project! If you make one, leave a comment and tell me about it.

And remember, what we're really counting down to isn't Santa and all those presents and candy. It's a countdown to the birth of Christ. All the other stuff is just icing on the cake.

Enjoy the season!