| Author |
Message |
Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Friday, October 22, 2010 - 9:33 pm 
For me, this is the time of year I start to work on whatever crafty gifts I'm giving for Christmas and any decorations I might be making.
Thought it'd be fun if we shared what we are doing this year.
The first craft I started this year was some beading. Sis is building aunt a dollhouse and she asked me to make curtains, chandeliers, mini Christmas tree decs, and rugs (which I probably won't be making cuz I can't figure out any way to bead rugs that doesn't require a bead loom thingie.) Anyways, I have pics of the curtains and one of the chandelier in the bead thread. I'll be finishing the other two chandeliers sometimes this weekend and will post pics when I'm done with those.
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Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Friday, October 22, 2010 - 9:42 pm
My second project is for the girls (Dakota and my nieces.) Fuzzy posters! I'm a big kid and love coloring and this was a fun project. I bought cheapie frames for them and I think they look really good.
For Kota:
For oldest niece:
For middle niece:
I need to do one more for the baby, but I haven't found anything I like for her yet.
I will also be doing them no sew fleece blankets. Walmart has the kits (which is just two pieces of fleece material and instructions on how to tie them together.) I'll post pics of those as I get them done. I picked up the first one but haven't started it yet.
With the posters and blankets, I will be done with my nieces (er, except for any jewelry I make them and there's always something for Christmas, lol.)
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Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Friday, October 22, 2010 - 9:49 pm
And finally, for now, my sister. She loves to cook and she loves the different food magazines. The other day I picked up one magazine that I saw and I really liked the recipe cards they had. On one side was a picture of the recipe, the other side the actual recipe itself. So I cut them all out, laminated them, and placed them in a photo album to make a cookbook. We'll also be getting her a year subscription to the magazine.
There's a 120 recipe cards in that book! I was kinda hating this project around the 80th card I cut out and laminated, lol, but she's going to love it. She spends hours searching through recipes when she has free time looking for something new to cook.
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Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Friday, October 22, 2010 - 11:57 pm
Well that was fun, lol. I pulled out the fleece and started the first blanket.
I got one of these kits for my birthday, I love it, it stays in my car and is perfect for fall ball when it's cool, but not quite cold. But, the dang thing took me forever to do because I followed the directions to a T, even using a ruler to measure how wide I was cutting the strips of material. When I was done with mine, I thought, gee that was stupid...it's a no sew blanket, how perfect does it have to be?
So, on this one, I did measure the corners (only to make sure I had the right legnth) but then put the ruler away and got to work. It took about an hour and a half to finish and I'm very happy with it, I think I'll pick the second one up tomorrow.
The girls have been fighting over my blanket every chance they get and everytime we walk by them in Walmart they point out their favorite patterns.
This one is for my oldest niece, she's into skull & crossbones:
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Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Friday, October 22, 2010 - 11:58 pm
Ugh, the colors aren't that dark in person, the blue is much lighter and the white is white enough to worry me about dirt showing!
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Landileigh
Member
07-28-2002
| Saturday, October 23, 2010 - 8:10 am
i love the no-sew blanket idea, in what area of Wally world did you see them? I have been freezing all of our strawberries we grew this year, and have the huge bin filled in my freezer. i'll be making a big pot of jam soon and will make pretty jars with homemade labels for gifts soon. last year i made apple butter from our apple tree, wasn't up to apples on top of tomatoes and the strawberries this year.
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Lumbele
Moderator
07-11-2002
| Saturday, October 23, 2010 - 8:31 am
War, for the rugs, how about some plastic canvas for the girls and scrap yarn and an embroidery needle? They could make their own designs.
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Dipo
Member
04-23-2002
| Saturday, October 23, 2010 - 11:52 am
So funny I was just thinking that I needed to make a list and get one from my sister.
Wow, those are cool WArgod. For the dollhouse rugs could you just glue beads in an appropriate pattern on a piece of muslin or something. They would still be cool and the beads would look pretty but no loom, LOL.
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Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Saturday, October 23, 2010 - 10:20 pm
Landi, in the craft section of Walmart, in the same area as the sewing stuff. They have the cutesy ones like the skull and crossbones and I picked up a couple more today, one for baby niece that is pink and purple with cutesy flowers and ladybugs and one for middle niece that is dark pink and blue plaid with a little more grown up flowers. For something I know the girls like (they love mine) and for $12, can't beat it. However, in the same area I found the cutesy no sew blankets, I also found some that were more grown up...I took a quick look and saw one with wolves and another with deer, those kits were $16. I should have looked closer cuz now I'm wondering if they were a little bigger than the cutesy ones.
Normally I don't start thinking about Christmas this soon, but I knew I wanted to do more crafty stuff this year and didn't want to wait too long.
Landi, I love the idea of homemade jams and pretty jars. How do you make apple butter?
I'll post about the rugs in the bead thread.
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Landileigh
Member
07-28-2002
| Sunday, October 24, 2010 - 1:16 pm
apple butter is apple sauce that has been cooked and cooked until it is like the butter in the tubs. it is rich and thick and delicious. i'm talking like 16 hours of cooking. it is light brown to medium brown in color and it is amazing on toast and english muffins.
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Jmm
Moderator
08-15-2002
| Sunday, October 24, 2010 - 7:55 pm
War, I have one of those no-sew blankets. My sister made it for my mom and when mom died sis wanted me to have it. Which makes it doubly special - belonged to mom and made by my sister.
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Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Sunday, October 24, 2010 - 10:10 pm
That was a wonderful gift your sister gave you, Jmm!
I love the no-sew blankets (have I said that yet, lol?) I did two today, middle nieces and baby nieces. Need to get pics of them, middle nieces is really, really cute. Probably my favorite so far, teal and dark pink plaid with flowers.
That's a lot of work for butter, Landi, but it sounds awesome!
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Landileigh
Member
07-28-2002
| Sunday, October 24, 2010 - 11:49 pm
well, it's really like rich thick jam just made with apples. there is no "butter" in it. it's just that smooth. it's also why you don't usually find it at your grocery store, cuz the time involved makes it more expensive. but if you have a good apple tree, i'm sure you'd make it if you could, cuz it is DELICIOUS!
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Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Monday, October 25, 2010 - 12:00 am
Hehe, well my cooking & kitchen skills are sadly lacking. I can cook a decent meal but that's as far as it goes. That's why I'm always in awe of anyone who can make something in their kitchen and give it as a gift (same goes for anyone who can sew, knit, or crochet!)
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Landileigh
Member
07-28-2002
| Monday, October 25, 2010 - 1:27 am
i was very lucky in that my Nonna and my mother worked on my skills of canning, sewing, knitting and crocheting. i hate cooking though, but i do love baking. wish i did it more. i canned 27 quarts of tomatoes this year. i told my husband that if he plants one damn tomato plant next year, he can marry someone else to do his canning.
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Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Tuesday, October 26, 2010 - 12:42 pm
LOL Landi. My sis said something similar to my bil after she had to figure out what to do with all the tomatoes he had last year (unfortunately, his garden did really badly this year.)
I don't know if anyone was interested in the no-sew blankets...but, I picked up one of the more expensive ($16) dollar ones that has the animal print on it. This one is wolves for Caleb. Personally, I like the fun, funky patterns and bright colors of the cheaper ($12) ones, but the animal print ones have the line cuts printed onto the top piece of fleece and it has made getting the cuts right so easy!
I'll post some pics in the next day or two, I'm very pleased with the blanket kits.
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Grooch
Member
06-16-2006
| Tuesday, October 26, 2010 - 1:15 pm
Landileigh, my mother chops up the tomatoes and puts them in ziplock bags and freezes them. Quick and easy. (I think she boils them first for a few seconds and takes the skin off first before freezing.) She also frezzes here peppers.
I think your husband should invest in an extra freezer for next year.
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Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Tuesday, October 26, 2010 - 1:36 pm
How long will tomatoes last in the freezer?
Sis called and asked me to take some pics of the chandeliers I did, so I went ahead and did the blankets too.
Caleb's blanket. It's not done, I need to finish off two sides and trim up the fringe.
Middle niece's (she's almost 7.) This one is my favorite, I love the colors and the pattern and it's not little girly or too big girly.
Baby niece's, she's 3, not much of a baby anymore, but I thought the pattern and colors would be good for her.
And finally, Dakota's. She's going through a purple phase these days and peace signs are totally cool.
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Cynny
Member
06-20-2001
| Tuesday, October 26, 2010 - 1:49 pm
I haven't seen those blankets before, and they are great! The ones with a solid and a print, are they two sided with the print on one side and the solid on the other? Sorry, but I can't tell for sure how that works. I would love to make those for the girls and their hubbies to cuddle and one for my granddaughter! Love them. How easy are they? LOL
My grandma taught me to can and freeze my fruits and vegetables and I'm the only one in the family who continued the tradition that was soooo important to her growing up. She left her freezer to me that she had since the year I was born and I filled it until it died. LOL When my girls were growing up, I froze and canned all my vegetables and fruits, pie fillings, tomato juice. Now, I'm in an apartment still grow my own herbs, and that's about it. But, I'm so glad I did it for as long as I did. Both of my girls like making jelly and Tara is starting to make baby food. So, at least part of the tradition goes forward.
I used to do jelly and breads for Christmas gifts, along with cookies, fudge, etc. During all those years when I had hardly any money, they were great gifts. I worried that people thought I was being cheap, but after I stopped doing it, it turns out they missed it. 
Love hearing about all the stuff everyone is making. I still knit, but have forgotten the basic crochet stitches I used to know. I'm hoping to pick up some great ideas from everyone this year. Keep them coming.
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Jmm
Moderator
08-15-2002
| Tuesday, October 26, 2010 - 1:52 pm
Those are great blankets, War. I know the kids will love them.
Cynny, There is the printed piece and the solid piece that you put together. They're really very warm and snuggly.
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Grooch
Member
06-16-2006
| Tuesday, October 26, 2010 - 2:00 pm
Wargod, I will have to get back to you on that. My mother isn't around right now, but maybe someone else will know.
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Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Tuesday, October 26, 2010 - 2:03 pm
Yep, they're two seperate pieces of fleece. You put them together, cut out the corners, and then fringe the edges and tie each set of strips in a knot. Walmart has the kits, which are just two pieces of fleece material and the instructions for $12. Or you can go to a fabric store and buy the 2 pieces of fleece you want, it's probably cheaper to do that but we don't have a fabric store in town anymore. If you buy the material at the fabric store, you could make them as large or small as you want.
They are super easy to do! The first one I did took a while to finish, but once I figured it out it's a snap. It's taking about an hour and a half to finish each one. The hardest part for me is that I have carpeltunnels and I have to stop and rest my hands/wrist ever so often cuz of all the cutting.
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Landileigh
Member
07-28-2002
| Tuesday, October 26, 2010 - 2:19 pm
i was grateful for the skill set when Holly was little, and I was a lot younger. She never ate store bought apple sauce, or sweet potatoes, or lots of things that could be canned. I think it is just the old age and arthritis that makes it so difficult now. War, I didn't even tell you how much I froze! lol! but freezing, you can't keep it as long as canning. Also the price of jars is ridiculous. Noone ever gives me my jars back if I give them anything. I'm not talking the gift ones (i don't expect those back). I was lucky and got a few back this year, cuz I told them if you want some next year, better send the jar back or you don't get any.
Last year was one of the few I didn't make a bunch of tasty treats for people for christmas. the humidity was totally screwy. I had made divinity for christmas for Merrysea for the 3 years before that (1 year I had to wait till almost February because of the humidity) and then this year it was almost April before we had a day which I could do it, and by then she's been on a diet/fitness thing, so doesn't really want 2 pounds of divinity. LOL!
I usually make about 10 pounds of fudge and penuche. Chuck makes fruit cake for his family (i HATE it!). Now with miss Holly, we might have to do something fancier!
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Jmm
Moderator
08-15-2002
| Thursday, October 15, 2015 - 4:57 pm
It's been a while since anyone has posted here but I thought maybe you all might have some suggestions. I'm looking for ideas for Christmas presents that Melodie can make for grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. Nothing too difficult or with a high frustration level. We've done the candle holders rolled in epsom salt, candy bowls decorated with puff paint, and Christmas ornaments. I'll help her with them, of course, but I'm not a craftsy kind of person.
I've been seeing a lot of things done with mason jars which are kind of neat but I thought I'd come to my friends here and see what you might suggest. Thanks
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Dipo
Member
04-23-2002
| Thursday, October 15, 2015 - 7:03 pm
Anyone need a pen holder made from a can, nicely decorated and possibly blinged out?
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Dipo
Member
04-23-2002
| Thursday, October 15, 2015 - 7:03 pm
Oh, another thing might be to decorate cell phone covers, I bet you can by plain ones and make them pretty for different people.
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Pamy
Member
01-01-2002
| Thursday, October 15, 2015 - 7:55 pm
decorate a mason jar and put a tag that says something like "Pam's blessings" put little slips of paper inside. Give it with a note for the recipient to write blessings that they receive throughout the year and at the end of the year they can get together and read them to her
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Jmm
Moderator
08-15-2002
| Friday, October 16, 2015 - 9:11 pm
Great ideas, thanks Dipo and Pamy. I'll run these by her and see what she thinks.
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