The long-overdue what I made for Christmas post

I will confess to playing a bit since the youngest has been home for a long stretch. That will end Sunday, though, and we’re back to boring around here.

I dumped a bunch of photos out of my phone the other day and was reminded that I intended to share what I’d been up to in December. I’ve kept a habit of making the kids something as a gift each year. One year everyone received a booklet of family recipes. It gets a little more challenging the older they become, but I still manage to pull it off.

The oldest received a flannel scarf like this one. A click on the photo will take you to the tutorial.

It was in a great blue to match his eyes. He took one look, said he has a favorite scarf so he wouldn’t be wearing it, and plunked in the pile. I suggested I could keep it as I would wear it, and he gave me the eye and said no. He’d take it with him.

I have the other half of the fabric in the basement and will be making my own anyway.

(FYI. Kids have phases all the way to 25 it seems.)

The youngest received a leather wrap bracelet – three rounds – with a favorite phrase from J. K. Rowling: “It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.” I liked the way it turned out, but the snap I hammered onto the thing was a challenge. I used some dye stamps I’d bought at an estate sale years ago.

(I’ll pop up a photo when the kid comes home from running errands. Didn’t plan ahead very well…) Took one!

The newlyweds received a framed photo of their first dance with the lyrics as the photo mat. I found that one on Pinterest where the version is handwritten, but I used some of the Photoshop I know to do it on the computer instead. (My handwriting is miserable!)

I’m pleased with it. It looks a little wrinkled here but I think it flattened out ok. I don’t know if it’s found a place with them, though, as I haven’t dropped in on them in a while.

Finally, my favorite was a surprise for Son #2. He’s quite a fan of his fireplace, but lamented he was spoiled to a gas starter. I saw a couple of things, combined ideas, and came up with these fire starters.

That’s an egg crate stuffed with some wool lint from the dryer. There’s a cork in the center of each and it’s all held together with some leftover wax from our family candle making days. This photo shows before they were cut apart.

Word is they are fantastic and burn for about ten minutes each. I’m already saving lint for the next batch. (How’s that for mothering love. I save my lint for him.)

You are caught up on Christmas. Now I need to figure out what happened to the entire month of January.