Here is my post from the tenth day of Christmas last year. Funny enough my model was wearing the same jammies this morning although they are getting a little small.
On the tenth day of Christmas Elf shoes
I should really make myself a pair because I don’t know about you but just about this time each year I feel a bit like Santa’s little helper.
My kids love coasters. Yes the ones that you put drinks on. They throw them as frisbees, use them as plates, roll them and who knows what else. I find them everywhere, in beds, outside, in the bathroom, under rugs you name it I have probably found a coaster there. I have no idea why they have a fascination with them but I can tell you that they disappear and get broken at an alarming rate.
So I decided to make some that wouldn’t get broken (or at least not into sharp pieces), can’t chip, and would be kind to the inside of my washing machine and were made from scraps of felt. I also made 5 because for sure one (or more) will go missing. There isn’t much point in buying something nice at least not for a while.
If you find yourself in a coaster predicament as well or you just think that these are cute and would like some for yourself the instructions are as follows:
Step 1. Cut felt into 1cm strips (using standard felt sheets). I used 8 colours but you can use as few or as many as you like. I used 17 strips per coaster, 2 strips per colour plus one extra in the outside colour.
Step 2. You can use white glue but mine needed to be super durable, so I opted for hot glue. Starting with any colour wrap and glue the end of one of the felt strips to make a small cylinder.
Step 3. Glue and wrap additional strips of felt. If you are using white glue use straight pins and pin as you wrap and glue. With hot glue you don’t need pins.
Step 4. Once you get to the end of the felt add in the second strip. Glue and wrap the strips in sections.
Step 5. Once you have used all 16 strips of felt glue the last strip around the outside butting it up against the same colour.
On the eighth day of Christmas we were baking again, if you can call making rice crispy treats baking. I am that mom that sends treats to school with her kids for holidays, birthdays or once because I was taking a cake decorating class and I needed someone to eat my homework. Before school broke for the holidays I sent rice crispy tree treats to school with each of my kids. My husband brought the ones to my sons preschool party because I was writing an exam, and you will never guess where the Tupperware container is. If you guessed still at the school you are correct. So much for being green.
I made the rice crispy treats as per the box instructions in a parchment lined baking pan, sprinkled them with coloured sprinkles and put them in the fridge. After they were formed I removed them from the tray using the parchment, and cut them into rectangles and then triangles. To be totally honest I had the frosting in the fridge already mixed in piping bags so it looks like more of an effort than it really was. I piped on some details, and popped on some edible ornaments and a few dozen trees were born.
It’s well past the seventh day of Christmas and it has been a busy few days. On the seventh day of Christmas I did some baking, about seven dozen treats in under four hours. In an ideal world I would have a day to bake and a clean kitchen to do it in, but in reality Christmas baking was crammed in after an exam and before my helpers had to go to bed. I do like to get the kids involved in the kitchen which often proves to be a challenge. This time I put them to work smashing candy canes.
We made three different treats:
On the fifth day of Christmas I was decking the halls with a felt banner. Santa, snowmen, reindeer are mixed with snowflakes and candy swirls to create this holiday banner. The banner is made from felt and ribbon.
It’s no secret that I love a good craft project. I dream up crafting projects, I copy things I see on Pinterest and I make crafts from kits. There are many great crafts that come from kits, they are cut and ready for assembly. Crafts from kits are particularly great to do with kids. Typically everything that you need comes in the right size and quantity and all you need to do is put it together. If you are short on time or crafting skills it’s still possible to impress your friends with a little homemade project. In my mind making crafts from kits is like baking cakes from box mixes (which is the only way I bake). I won’t tell if you won’t, it will be our little secret.
This is the perfect time to buy holiday crafting kits because they are most likely on sale, just in case you are inspired.
On the fourth day of Christmas four little monkeys came to play. I made a batch of these last year to give as gifts, and these little guys stayed to live with us. There are four of us and four monkeys so they kids play family with them. Because I made them all a little different they fight over who has stripes and who has dots.
Here is the full post with instructions to make your own.
This is one of my favourite things that I have made for the kids. I made these 3 years ago when my oldest was 3. Surprisingly they are still all intact. On the third day of Christmas we went fishing. Link to felt fish.
I started this blog years ago under the title Crafting Through the Holidays and each day during the 12 days of Christmas I would post a new craft. The last few years I have continued the tradition and this is the 4th anniversary of the 12 days of Christmas crafting. It also happens to be smack in the middle of my graduate school exams. So I am going to share some of my past favourites and a few new crafts over the next 12 days. Enjoy!
On the first day of Christmas…it’s not a partridge in a pear tree but a veggie tree.
On the first day of Christmas…my true love made me a Veggie Tree
A couple of weeks ago before I had decorated the house for Christmas the kids found our stockings lying around and proceeded to wear them as shoes. They were giggling away as they showed me their elf shoes. This inspired me to make them some felt elf shoes. Sasha helped to pick out the colours and worked with me on the design. Here is the Elf Shoe Pattern that fits toddler shoe sizes 8-12.
Instructions (Can be hand sewn or machine sewn)
Wat
ch out Rudolf Logan’s in town. Logan is 2 and rarely stands still, most of my recent pictures of him are blurry. This one is no exception. I love that this reindeer hat is so simple, and I also love that the pattern was free, thanks to Ashleemarie.com. Even though he is sporting the hat backwards he’s the cutest reindeer in town and I am only a little biased.
Making A Life 