I used this silver plated copper wire (non-tarnish!) and some tiny round colorful beads in my favorite colors. You can also get a nice sterling silver chain at a good price, especially when using a 40% off coupon at Hobby Lobby.

Here is another project that was quick and fun to work on. These Yo Yo balls from Made by Joel made it into the kids’ stockings and they have had so much fun with them! They worked up really quickly and I enjoyed the minimal hand sewing that was involved.

I also learned about glass etching from a dear friend. And what a super simple way to personalize a great gift! (I plan on bringing this out a lot in the future, so watch out, you people in my gift-giving vicinity. You just might be getting some personlized glass-something-or-other in the future.) I had some (okay, dozens) of canning jars hidden in the treasure trove that is beneath my house. After a couple good cleanings, they were sparkly and I etched designs on them (with husby’s help, due to the fumes) and then filled them with homemade granola for some neighbors and friends. Sorry, no pic. Trust me, they were cute.

A couple pairs of handwarmers and a scarf, all made from felted sweaters just about rounds off all the craftinessI was able to accomplish during the Christmas season. I look forward to getting back into “creative mode” once this sweet baby girl makes her appearance…we’re within the 3 week range!

Empty frames as decor.

Erasable to do list. (Another great use of frames!) This didn’t even take 5 minutes.

Ruffled curtains for laundry room

A friend, after seeing one of my pinned recipe ideas for a pretty cake a la Twirling Betty, asked me how many banners I have in my house and I had to tell her “none.”  How sad. But, that is no longer the case. Check out my girlie’s simple and fun window treatment. I am starting to really like pale blue and red together.

So that’s it for now, only there are so many projects I just can’t wait to get to.

Now…to try some of my pinning recipes.

Before: Robin’s Egg Blue.

After: Not so much blue. (Extra wide shower curtain made from 2 twin sheets)

Before: Saggy ceiling, no window personality and tile that was falling off the wall.

After: Pretty window and vinyl wainscot on the wall. Much better.

The throne, before:

The throne, after: No wall there…less cramped and feels much neater and cleaner.

Before: The bathroom

After: The bathroom. Big sigh of relief!

The curtains were fun to make. I like quick and easy projects. Made from burlap and a thin cotton backing, I just stitched them up like I would have done with a pillow, right sides together. Flipped them inside out and turned over enough of a casing to slip it onto a tension rod. Once they were done, I decided they needed a touch of color, so I went to my stash and found some trim that was just perfect. I zig-zagged it on there and burned the edges a little with a lighter so it wouldn’t unravel.

Blah

Much better

Yes, that was dust you saw on that lamp. Deal with it. Oh, wait…that’s my job. And I already have, rest assured.

By the way…living room tour coming soon!

I love Jennifer’s blog as well as her patterns/tutorials and eagerly await the release of her book! So many of her projects are just right for using scraps. The Mama Chic Wrist Cuff is also one of my favorites because it works up so quickly, turns out nicely every time and makes a great gift. (I should know, because I was gifted one a couple years ago for my birthday and could not have been more charmed)

Her List Takers have been featured in my shop, and I’m sure you’ll see more creations via JCasa Handmade from me in the future!

Carefully preserving as much as I could of those precious threads and the hodge podge of color, I cut into it. It  now serves as a table runner, and has become a lovely addition to our dining table as well as being such a beautiful piece of my heritage. I’m happy we can use it again, although in a much gentler capacity. It has served me well and will continue to do so, instead of being packed away in a musty old drawer.

I can even see patches from dresses and other things that had been made for me when I was a kid…a Christmas dress, a pair of jams. (wonder when those things will make a comeback?)

I am so pleased that we can use and enjoy that old quilt once again. And I couldn’t stop with a table runner. I just had to add some chair pads.

You can be sure that the rest of those precious scraps will find their way into some other project, not to be wasted or forgotten.

I recently needed to come up with a gift for 2 ten-year-old boys. After agonizing over it for a couple of weeks,  I eventually came up with something I was satisfied with. I loved the ideas here, but I knew these boys were both really out-doorsy. I wanted to give them something I was sure they would actually use and enjoy. I decided on a belt, accompanied by some of these. But while looking for a belt, I stumbled on a clearance rack filled with really cheap cargo pants…that came with belts! Hooray! Even better.

There was a little bit of grommet drama, but after some help from my husband, the pouches were done and we decided to stuff all those glorious cargo pockets and pouches with goodies so these boys would be equipped for their adventures.

We decided on:

a magnifying glass

little containers, vials for catching bugs, or collecting rocks

a pocket knife

a bird call

twine

Band-Aids

bubble gum

rubber bands, (along with instructions on turning your hand into a rubber band gun)

clothes pins

notebook and pen

This was really fun to put together and even more fun to watch them open up the gift by searching all the pockets. The little whispered, “This is awesome” from one to another during the process was all we needed to hear to be certain it was a hit. All that agonizing paid off, I guess.

File this one away, in case you are ever in need of a quick gift for an adventurous boy!

There was just something so delightful, during those first few weeks, about having people come to visit and handing them this pretty little bundle to hold. I would swaddle him up, put him in the sack and know that he was warm and happy and wouldn’t be kicking off his blankets or getting cold feet any time soon.(Then I would disappear into the bedroom for a nap or the shower, whichever felt more pressing at the time. Devious, wasn’t it?)

As precious as those new baby days are, very rarely do things feel “together.” When your surroundings are far from neat and pretty, it’s so satisfying to hand over such a charming little package (if you can bear to part with it, that is).

Anyway, I have a dear friend who is expecting a little girlie any day, and when the crochet bug hit me this winter, like it does every year, I whipped one up for her in purple.

But it was so fun that I just kept going. And the result of that little crochet party, in the coziest of greens and blues and hints of teal, waits in the shop for a baby to fill it. So if soft greens and blues are the colors you choose, look no further. But, hurry, hurry. Because there’s only one.

I wanted to make sure that I could take the cases off to wash them, because c’mon…how long do you think white pillows stay white in a house with 3 kiddos, two of which are boys, one of which almost always has some sort of unidentifiable sticky substance on his person? So I chose buttons. Wrong choice. The buttons look like eyeballs, making the “hers” pillow (with the cute Mary Tyler Moore hairdo) look more like a handlebar mustache next to the beard. Not the look I was going for. I’m going change to a Velcro closure and be done.

Also, I’m not going to show you the buttons (mean, I know) because I don’t want to have to come back and update this post, and because I’m just that prideful. This, you must deal with in whatever way you see fit.

While I don’t know that I can ever let go of  “brown paper packages tied up with string,” I do enjoy the idea of fabric gift bags like Amanda’s. (If you missed her posts about a “week of elving,” go there and be inspired. File away some ideas for next year!) Anyway, I got a jump on this last year and was able to add to our stash in the last week or so.

These are just great, not only because they’re pretty, but because they are kid friendly,

and husband friendly!

(Isn’t he cute? There is a “this is lame” warning on the tag. Just so you know, I love lame gifts.)

And check out this beauty! It’s for Sam, so I can’t show you what’s inside. But I’ll spill the beans next week.

I hope your last couple of days before Christmas are days that you enjoy and not dread. By the way, are you looking for an easy homemade breakfast to serve your loved ones? Shelly just posted a lovely recipe for a pastry braid and I can personally attest to the deliciousness of it.  Pay her a visit over at ModMamas and you won’t be sorry.

Happy wrapping!