Christmas Crafts

Everyone knows I love to make crafts. For the last 5+ years I've channeled most of my crafty enthusiasm into paper crafting. It is just so much fun! I held a Handmade Holidays class last month and had a fabulous time. Here are a few of the gift projects, plus a few home décor items that I did for myself.

I'm making one like this as a gift for Cooper's teacher. The magnet/dry erase board is store bought, but I made all the magnets. They were so much fun! I like the green because it looks so Christmas-y with the ribbon but the ribbon can easily be changed out for any season. I thought the stand looked nice, but you can see it left dents in the board, so I wouldn't recommend it.

Now that I've become a vinyl addict I am always looking for surfaces to put it on. Rub ons and vinyls adhere best to matte surfaces like this plate (Dollar Tree). I love the contrast of the blue and brown.

I've been wanting a hand-made advent calendar. My mom had one made of felt when I was growing up and it is such a strong Christmas memory for me. I made this from a set of tin wedding favors. I used my circle cutter for the paper and the magnets on the back. Then I did the numbers in painted chipboard. It all fits neatly on the fridge and we love it! Even better, this project took me less than an hour from start to finish. Next year I'll get more creative with what's inside each tin, including treats, toys, holiday traditions and service ideas (right now there are just kisses).


This card is actually made with a Stampin' Up! set called Pumpkin Patch. I will NOT take credit for the idea -- it is totally cased and then Cori-fied. :-) Who would have thought those little pumpkins would make such perfect ornaments?


Another great case. These little "treat tents" are made from two die-cut tags. They are simple enough that our primary kids (some as young as 3) made them without any trouble. They are the perfect size for a snack bag of M&Ms!


This fun Christmas decoration can be made with any collage frame. I happened to find this two-toned version at the dollar tree. A combination of metallic ink, rub ons, and punches gives this some dimension, texture, and bling. Don't you love the new ornament stamp set with a perfectly coordinating punch?? So fun!

When I saw the Build-A-Bear die cut sets for the Big Shot it was love at first sight! I ordered some magnetic paper, cut out my bears and their little clothes and have felt like a little girl again playing dress up! I am polite enough to share with my boys, and they love them too. I had a few of these CD-sized tins that make a perfect home for my bears. I also found some decorative metal serving trays at Dollar Tree that make a good surface for the magnets and Walmart has some Gingerbread Men that come in their own tin -- a perfect little place for the bears after the Gingerbread Man is gobbled up. I made 20 of these for Cooper's classmates because they were so easy and so cute!

This was a Super Saturday craft. I had no part in the designing, but I did put it all together! I especially love that the blocks are reversible so you can display any three-letter word or phrase you choose for the rest of the year. The tops are cabinet hardware. So clever.

Luckily for me someone else cut the blocks, sanded, painted, and then sanded again. When I showed up for Super Saturday all I had to do was modge-podge the papers on and then rub on the vinyl words and numbers. The kids LOVE this!

This is my favorite creation this season. It was super simple and looks fabulous. I'm addicted and have at least two more of these planned. I especially love decorations that help us remember Christ's birth that we are celebrating.

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Winter in Indiana

Winter finally arrived in Indiana this week. The temperatures plunged, snow fell, and we stayed inside sipping hot cocoa from our new Cocoa Latte machine (thanks Christy!).

What do two boys do inside all afternoon? Build a fort, of course! For anyone who missed this important part of childhood, here's a how-to:

*Gather up every possible pillow, sheet, and blanket in the house.

*Bring said pillows, sheets, and blankets to pre-determined location, preferably where it will be least convenient for parents trying to get other things done.

*Create a fort with only one entrance, preferably too small for any adults.

*Get mad when your brother knocks down your fort.

*Start over.

Chris got in on this action one Saturday (which probably explains why it's in their bedroom instead of the living room or my bedroom). A daddy-assisted fort is a happy, happy thing!

Ready for Christmas!

It's not Christmas yet.... However, we think it's fun to celebrate St Nicholas Day (Dec 6th) European style by letting the kids put out their shoes. "St Nicholas" stops by and fills them up with toys and candy.

Just a typical moment at our house. You never know which action figure might be guarding the toilet. Don't worry -- Spidey's got your back!

First Snowfall.

Luckily I happened to be out during the short window between when the snow fell and when it melted.

Once Jasper saw the snow he couldn't get outside fast enough. Snow, snow, snow!

I took a day to go shopping for my sister Stacie's wedding. It didn't take long to figure out that bridesmaids are expected to look like hookers. But I finally found a dress that can at least be altered into something I will feel comfortable in. And luckily shopping for the boys was much more simple. Two black suits, two white shirts, and two ties matched to the bridesmaids color swatch. Whew. And no, my ringbearer is not for hire!