Monday, November 26, 2007

Making stuff

There have been holidays in the past when we've made a lot of gifts and decorations--usually when I remembered to get started really early.
And there have been other years when I don't think the glue came out for most of December. Sometimes we make gifts of the food kind, not the crafty kind. Coffee mix, or homemade candy. (This is one food gift we're giving this year. This one also looks very yummy.)

But I do like to crochet, when I have the right kind of yarn around. On the weekend I was fishing through a bag of stuff I'd picked up at a rummage sale, and found a whole spool of something red and shiny called "Corneta Metallic Yarn for Handknitting." This stuff is very fine, like fine tinsel; too fine to crochet by itself unless maybe you're a mouse or a Borrower; but when I used it with another old ball of red Speed-Cro-Sheen, it worked great. I had enough of the Speed-Cro-Sheen to make four coasters and another decoration. (picture coming soon) Now I'm going to figure out what else I could put the metallic yarn with--maybe some white crochet cotton.

And of course I blew the "what's in my hand" by going to Michael's to buy some Stiffy. So if you get a very stiff and/or metallic Christmas present from me, you'll know why.
I am intrigued by this homemade gift at Like Merchant Ships, which I won't name in case someone close to me might be getting some (Apprentice, keep your mouse away from that link). Follow the links and enjoy Meredith's usual beautiful packaging as well. (There are more of Meredith's packaging ideas on Frugal Hacks today too.)

We spent most of today cleaning, not crafting...I have this Advent instinct that calls out for space, room. Clutter and dust bunnies cleaned out both literally and metaphorically; the last of the Halloween candy eaten; space made for holiday decorations to come. But once we get that taken care of, we will find time to get creative too. 

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have the exact same Advent instinct! My goal is to have everything ship-shape and ready to decorate by Saturday. That may be wishful thinking. Your Christmas gifts sound yummy.

Anonymous said...

This year I'm probably going to have to lower my expectations where cleaning and crafting are involved. Both are slightly more challenging with a baby in the house. Of course, that same baby is probably among the best gifts (Christmas or otherwise) that I've ever received from G-d, so who can complain? ;)

Beck's Bounty said...

Did you craft the little mouse people ?? I did not see a link in your post about them, but would love to know more (like, er, how to ?).

God Bless.
MomToCherubs aka
Mom WITH Cherubs who are making LOTS of decorations and gifts for the upcoming holidays.

Mama Squirrel said...

Yes, I made them (the Apprentice helped too). That was a few years ago, and the pattern was one I had saved from a needlework-and-crafts-type magazine from several years before that; I'm not sure if I saved it afterwards. They are mostly felt with some fabric clothes, stuffed with craft stuffing and there is a cardboard disk in the bottom to help keep them upright. If I find the pattern while I'm going through our Christmas things, I will let you know where it came from!