Cookie Cutter Christmas Ornaments

I make Christmas ornaments every year for my kids and a few family members. It all started as making ornaments only for my kids, but then I started making two or three extra to give as gifts, and that has now grown into a yearly family Christmas Ornament Exchange!

It usually takes me lots of thought and planning to settle on just the right ornament to make. 

A few I've made in the past are Vintage Paper Ornaments,   Beach Ornaments with sand and shells from St. Augustine, Florida, a Flag of Ohio ornament, and Felt Snowman ornaments.

Child's Batman Quilt

My recently finished quilt was a request for a one-year little boy's Batman quilt. 

I'm not really into Batman or any superhero fandom so after finding a batman print fabric, I used Google to come up with coordinating colors. 

The original request was just no blue colors.

There are actually a few Batman costumes, with the newest one clad in all black. I'm old school and I grew up with the vintage batman.

                  

Farm Quilt - My Newest Project

So here is what I have been working on for a few weeks.

Recently I discovered a blog called Bee in my Bonnet.  

I found the blog and blogger, Lori Holt while pinning away quilt ideas (and recipes, and DIY's, and fall decorations, and.....the list is endless) on My Pinterest and happened to see Lori's Hen Quilt Block.  I just looove it!  

And then, early this spring I stopped at a quilt shop in Indiana, and there in the shop was a completed Lori Holt Hen Quilt! 

Making a Patchwork Quilt

I've been sewing various crafts, curtains, pillows, kid's clothes, and Halloween Costumes through the years, but never a full-size quilt.  

Recently I did a Camper Remodel and wanted to use the leftover fabrics from reupholstering the cushions and sewing new curtains in the camper to make a camper quilt to match.

One of the easiest quilts to make and one of my favorites is a patchwork-style quilt.

Easy Homemade Rice Heat or Cold Packs

This is probably one of the easiest sewing projects I have done, right up there with pillowcases. 

These packs can be heated in the microwave for a heat pack or placed in the freezer for a cold pack.

And they can be made in any size you want. 
I made them large enough for placing on a shoulder, knee, or another similar area with aches and pains. You can sew long thin ones to place around your neck or wrap around an ankle. 

Easy Baby Burp Cloths

We had a new little granddaughter born in December!

She is so precious and her name is Lilly.  She's the daughter of my youngest child, Daniel. 

Late last summer we came up with our own design for their Pregnancy Announcements which we think turned out great and quite unique.  

 

With the new baby, I'm getting my sewing machine back to work!

Felt Snowman Ornament

This is a cute little felt Christmas ornament I made for our ornament exchange one year.

We have a really large family so instead of having a gift exchange, we started an ornament exchange. It's not mandatory so not everyone participates. 

It's so wonderful to receive the little gift boxes in the mail containing each homemade ornament. And many of us add other small gifts like specialty coffee or tea, candy, fudge, cookies, jams, bookmarks, or other goodies.

Many family members live out of state but for the ones close to me and who want to make crafts for Christmas we started a Crafting Group. It's a great way to stay in contact with friends and family while enjoying time set aside just for a hobby we love.

Start a Crafting Group

I usually make Christmas ornaments every year and give them out as gifts to a select few friends and family. 

And now some of my sisters and I and other family and friends also have an ornament exchange.

To me, it's wonderful to see all the talent and hard work put into each home-crafted ornament and I cherish them as keepsakes throughout the years.

My daughter Alexis and I, my son's girlfriend Jennica and a couple of our friends decided to start a Crafting Group meet-up.

Valentine's Day Craft Blocks

Easy Valentine Blocks

While looking around Pinterest (I love that site) I came across this idea for Valentine's Day Blocks.  The one pictured seem to be made from blocks cut from 4 x 4's.  I decided to try to make them myself, but I used scrap pieces of 2 x 4's. Click for more Valentine's Day Ideas

Here are the directions for making Valentine's Day blocks:

Needed Supplies: 
1 piece of  2 x 4 wood, (12 to 14 inches long should do it)
saw
sander
straight edge
measuring tape
pencil
Paint colors of pink, red, white, grey  and black