Salt Dough Handprint Decorations

It's Christmas Eve!!!  

I just wanted to get in one more post before Christmas.  And I saved my favourite christmassy make 'til last.  It was my favourite because it was a joint craft project with Bo - his very first craft project!

We made salt dough decorations, with Bo's teeny-weeny handprints on them, for family Christmas pressies. 

Here they are.....

I wanted to do something to preserve them, so that they'll last year after year.  So I gave them a couple of coats of acrylic varnish.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the varnish will make them last a long, long time! 

Of course, I made one for us too - and hung it on our tree.....

Now, all I have left to say is MERRY CHRISTMAS to you all!!!  

And see you in 2015.....

Hugs,

Carly

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Paper Stars

Hello again, dear friends!

Only 5 days to go!!!  

I've been making paper stars (Froebel stars) galore this month!  I learnt to make them a few years ago.  And, every December since then, I've made a stack.  They're so easy to make - and SO addictive!!!

Here are some of this year's batch.....

I'm going to attach strings to them, and hang them on our tree.

For these ones, I found a kit (from Rico Design - here). The paper strips come ready-cut, which cuts out the boring bit of the process.

I had good intentions to write a tutorial on making Froebel stars this year..... but it didn't happen, I'm afraid.  Sorry!  It's on my list of 'must-write posts' for 2015.....

I hope your Christmas preparations are going well (and that all your shopping - and crafting - is done and dusted)!

Until next time.....

Carly

x 

Crafty Gift-Giving

As promised in my last post, I’m going to do a show-and-tell of some of the Christmas presents I made for people this year.

Unfortunately, I didn’t manage to make quite as many gifts as I did last year (being in hospital for the last two weeks before going home for the holidays threw lots of spanners into the Christmas-planning-works).  It was a good job I’d started on most of my planned gift-making projects super-early!

Here are the ones I managed to finish on time.....

[a hot water bottle cover for my mom]

[a make-up case and brooch for my brother-in-law's girlfriend]

[a make-up case for my mother-in-law]

[a bag for my friend]

[a button necklace and matching bracelet for my sister]

I made a few more things that I didn't manage to photograph:

• I made another make-up bag (for my sister).....
• ..... and ANOTHER for my cousin's wife
• I made a phone case with a neck-strap for my nan (she likes to carry her phone around the house with her)
• I decorated a plain notebook for my mom (I cut up pretty spotty and stripy papers to make a little house and garden on the cover)
• I made a beaded Christmas tree bauble for my nan

Simon contributed to the Christmas crafting cause this year too!  He made all the men in our families jars of DELICIOUS apple chutney and tomato relish.

Do you remember my post from aaages ago about my sister's first sewing project?  Well, I decided to set her up for future projects by getting her these for Christmas:  

[a little bundle of fabrics and other essential bits and bobs]

[my all-time favourite sewing project book]

[the world's cutest, pinkest sewing machine]

She was SO excited on Christmas day, when she opened the sewing machine.  I can't WAIT for her to get started on some projects. And.....  I can't wait to have a go on her machine!!!  ;-)

Have a fantastic weekend!

Carly

x