My Homemade Christmas

I mentioned in my previous post that I decided to make most of my Christmas gift this year. I spent quite a bit of time putting all of these things together so I'd like to show them off, in all of their gloriousness.


For some friends I made a variety of picture frames:

I never new that Popsicle sticks and tongue depressors could be so useful. Lacee and I worked as a team to put these frames together. The directions we found online were for really small pictures so we decided to take those directions and adapt them. It was a little difficult at first but eventually we were successful!

This one was our first. We didn't intend to write "Buddies"
but things didn't go as planned so we had to adapt.

These ones were for our little friends (Justin's-from the Mow Crew-kids)

I made this one for Carly, a fellow teacher at LRA.




Lacee and I decided to get really crazy and make a photo collage for Andrew and Russell.
Then we used tongue depressors to frame it. Pretty darn awesome!

For my nephews I decided to make snow globes:

These creations took loads of Epoxy. I had never met Epoxy before this project but we became very well acquainted. The most frustrating thing is that my practice snow globe turned out better than any of the ones I gave away.

These are the bases of the snow globes.
I gave the Epoxy plenty of time to dry; but when Quinn and Elliott
opened their snow globes their letters we're floating around.
Bummer...

The finished snow globes before they were unwrapped.
I had issues with Taylor's and Braxton's snow globes so they didn't get to be a part of this picture.
Theirs turned out pretty good but only after lots of soaking in rubbing alcohol
to help dissolve all of the dried Epoxy.

My nieces got pull toys:

I was very nervous about attempting this pull toy project. I found the idea on Martha Stewart's (ick) website. They looked incredible and I just wasn't sure I had the talent or ability for that. But then I remembered that I firmly believe in "Go big or go home" so I went big. It started rather simply with a paper pattern that you trace onto cardboard, cut out, and glue together.

My traced, cutted, and glued cardboard.

Step 2-1,000 (or however many steps it takes to reach your desired level of thickness) is applying paper mache to the cardboard.

My first layer. I was feeling a little overwhelmed at this point.




The completed paper mache squirrel.
(for some reason I didn't take a picture of the elephant)

While the paper mache was drying I painted my bases, wheels, and wheel caps.

Post paper macheing, I coated the animals with Creative Paper Clay.
(another item I met and became acquainted with)


This clay stuff takes a long time to dry. So I worked on my bases. Luckily Justin (mow crew) was willing to help me saw to the desired dimensions and drill the necessary holes.




My completed bases, all ready for completed animals.




I painted my elephant gray and my squirrel brown.




I decided to add some spots, eyes, and eye lashes.


After some assistance with drilling more holes (thanks, Dad!) I was able to attach my hardened animals to their respective bases. I also attached strings so that they could officially be pull toys and not just animals on boards.




The finished product.

Cassie received a storage suitcase:

A few years ago I received a free subscription to Good Housekeeping. I remember seeing this idea. You take an old suitcase and put legs on it. It becomes a convenient looking storage case! I had to spend quite a bit of time on Good Housekeeping's website in order to find the directions; but I found them and-VOILA!

The legs I attached (well, really my dad attached them-I stood around and helped a little bit),
painted, and sanded.




The closed case. The opened case.




And the finished product on display!

Lucky for me, all this work wasn't in vain. I was super-duper excited to give my gifts and my gifts were well received. Three weeks before Christmas just isn't quite enough time to do all of these things. So I think I'll start researching projects a little earlier in the year for I do believe that a homemade Christmas is the way to go.

Finding Christ in Christmas

Over the past few years I've noticed something when it comes to myself and the Christmas season. About this time of year I become impatient with all things Christmas and I can't help but think, "There's seriously ONE more week until Christmas?! This stuff just can't end soon enough!" I begin to feel a little bah-hum-buggy and by Christmas morning opening gifts and saying "Merry Christmas" are merely formalities. The Christmas songs have lost their jingle, the lighted trees and houses have lost their luster, the snow is no longer welcome, and I'm ready to move on.

However, this doesn't seem to be the case this year. Here are my theories as to why I feel differently:

1. I put up my Christmas decorations in December, not the day after Thanksgiving. I was able to put them up at my leisure and not feel rushed into bringing Christmas into my home. I guess you could say that I was inviting Christmas at my will instead of forcing it into my home based on tradition.

2. I'm going homemade this year. Instead of going from store to store, looking at ideas of what to get people, and fretting about making the right decision, I scoped the Internet for ideas (don't get me wrong, I spent HOURS searching the web, but I didn't have to deal with people and that makes all the difference). I'm more excited about giving gifts this year than I've been in a long time. I haven't had to deal with traffic, long lines, or cranky people. I make a list, I map my route, and off I go. I've been quite successful and quite efficient, if I do say so myself. The less time I've spent with the crowds, the more I've enjoyed preparing for Christmas.


3. I didn't allow myself to listen to Christmas music until December began. There are only so many Christmas songs out there. Of those songs there are only so few that are decent enough to listen to. If I start listening to Christmas music too early then I get sick of it. Not this year!

By the way, the only Christmas music worth listening to is...
1. The Carpenters
2. Nat King Cole
3. Burl Ives
4. Andy Williams
5. Johnny Mathis
6. Frank Sinatra
7. Dean Martin
8. Josh Groban (but even this one has its limits)

4. I tried to focus on the Atonement. Over the past week I've been wondering what people mean when they refer to the "Christmas Spirit". What is this spirit people speak of and how does it differ from the Holy Ghost, which I have the privilege of feeling every day? Our final lesson in Institute this semester (Doctrines of the Gospel, Part 1) was on the Atonement. As I've spent the last two weeks thinking about the Atonement and studying the effects of the Atonement, I have noticed a difference in the way I look at Christmas. I think I've always looked at Christmas simply as the birth of the Savior, for those are the stories we always read; but I needed to take it further-for me. The Atonement lesson caused me to think and reminded me of something my dad said a few years ago: "Christmas is the birth of a life of sacrifice."

Jesus Christ was born with a purpose. He was born with a cause. He was born with a mission. He was born to teach me how to live. He was born to save me. He is my Savior. Without His birth there would be no way to return to live with my Heavenly Father. There would be no way to find comfort and peace as I struggle through the loneliness trials have to offer. There would be no way to keep pressing forward without the enabling powers through His grace. Christmas is a time not only to celebrate the birth of Christ, but the life of Christ.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas Wreath

Yesterday I started decorating my apartment for Christmas. I decided that I needed a little more greenery so I headed off to Hobby Lobby. I also decided to look for a wreath. Lucky me, Hobby Lobby was having a nice sale on all of their Christmas decor. I found the greenery I wanted plus some berries. Looking at the wreaths though I decided they were too expensive. The cheapest one was $39.99 (original price) but actually 50% off. I couldn't decide if twenty bucks was worth it. I found the naked wreaths and thought "Hmmm, I could probably make my own and with everything on sale I could do it for cheaper." And what a success! My own creation for under fifteen dollars. Now that's a deal. And quite the accomplishment (for me, at least).

Merry Christmas Wreath