Pom pom maker

This is a tutorial for making pom-poms using your
fingers. This one is a small, two-finger pom-pom
(about 1" in diameter) but you can make bigger ones
by using more fingers. As far as yarn choice, thinner
and softer yarn will make a more pleasing pom-pom.

Hip Huggie Tutorial

Last week I was sitting at my computer freezing my butt off when inspiration hit: I need a Snuggie for my hips!

Hoops and fire rings

Hula hoops have been around since the days of ancient Greece, when they were used for exercise, to 3000 years ago in Egypt where hoops of grapevine were rolled. They were rediscovered in the 1950's and became an icon of that era. Modern children and adults still find hula hooping a great form of exercise and just plain fun. We have a hoop for each family member and a couple extras for guests. They're put to use constantly and bridge all ages... my daughter started hooping at 4, and her grandmother even gets into the action! Hula hoops are a fabulous activity for any outdoor party/gathering, whether you make them with a group or just have a bunch ready for action. Here's a link to make your own. Make several in various circumferences.

the tree's name is holly

and it's about half the size we usually get, but Holly is a stunner, and completely filled with handmade goodness...

dark and quiet

The first day of December arrived like an old friend wearing a white and fluffy winter coat. On went our own layers so that we could go out and explore the new icy world she had brought as a gift. The hush that comes when you first enter the land of just fallen snow invokes whispers and awe... and then of course the frolicking and squeals begin. Yet still, a blanket of peace remains the backdrop.

Simple gifts: Plants

This is the second in my series of Simple Gifts for the holidays. It's a quickie but goody! Paper whites are a beautiful flower bulb that you can force to bloom for the holidays. Force sounds so harsh... it just means that you give them a gentle nudge to open early... by giving them the light of a window sill and the warmth of inside. You can do this in any climate, but it's particularly nice where the winters are frosty and you're aching for fresh flowers. I always start mine the week of Thanksgiving. They take 4-6 weeks to bloom. I give them as gifts around the holidays, and by that time they are either just blossoming or about to. Find all of the supplies at your local garden store. Each gift will cost about a $ 1, but be worth so much more!

Simple gifts: oat floats... or oatmeal "sachets"

During my first winter on the east coast I discovered the damage that an extremely cold and dry climate can do to your skin. Yikes! I combat our chapped and itchy skin with all kinds of balms and salve, but my favorite remedy is an oat bath. It smells delicious, feels so soothing and is quite miraculous. We made bunches of oat sachets for giving this year. These oat floats make a great addition to a gift basket and a perfect stocking stuffer. I love that they're inexpensive, simple and fast to make... but most of all they make skin soft and happy! I took some pictures to show you how we do it, but it's a basic concept open for your own interpretation. Filling each sachet is a great job for a small helper. Be prepared for scattered oats, but a little mess makes everything a bit more fun, but you know that already. Not a sewer? I bet you could gather oats into the center of a circle of muslin and cinch with a string... make sure it's tied tightly!

Red Stripey Mooshy Belly Bunny

   

This little stripey bunny is made from recycled stripey t-shirts. He is soft and squooshy around the belly and perfect sized for a little one to cuddle. He has two floppy ears and a sweet little bob of a tail on his backside. He is made from a red and white striped jersey.

He is made of 100% cotton jersey and his features are hand-embroidered. His ears and tail are securely sewn into place to withstand the most ardent display of affections.

Louis the Dotty Hippo--Made from Recycled Blue Wool Sweaters

 

There really is no good way to put this……Louis isn’t very smart. He enjoys tic-tac-toe games and knock-knock jokes. He is preferential to the color blue and also thinks that hubcaps are really neat.