Here’s what is going in the VDay goodie bags this year! I prefer non-candy goodie options, especially to this preschool age group. Items are all from the dollar bin and put together with help from my almost 3 year old. She had a blast picking out what should go in each bag.
Mini heart slinkies,
erasers,
and boxes of stickers!
I hope you all have a wonderful Valentine’s Day weekend!
Samantha is from England but has been in the U.S. for almost 8 years. She has been an amateur knitter most of her life after her grandmother taught her at an early age. She loves crafting but struggles to complete projects. She has recently started making what she calls “cheat-quilts” – sewing quilts without using any correct technique. Samantha loves making gifts for friends kids and any time she completes a project she is very happy. She says that the best part about crafting is the relaxation it provides so she never takes any project too seriously.
I really love Christmas, and I especially enjoy Christmas crafting. It’s a habit that only really started a few years ago when I found some winter wonderland felt templates on the Martha Stewart website. I had just found out my best friend was pregnant with her first child and in a show of solidarity I decided to not drink alcohol for her entire pregnancy so I spent New Year’s Eve making lots of Christmas tree ornaments for the following year instead of partying.
I came up with the Christmas jumper idea because I had an old jumper that was really comfortable but had a hole in it, so instead of throwing it away, I decided to alter it. I first knitted Christmas trees. I opted for untraditional tree colors (blue and white) because I happened to have that wool lying around and also because I thought they would look icy and snowy.
To knit the trees I cast on a few stiches (4 for the big tree and 2 for the small) and knit for a few rows to form the tree trunk and then at the end of each row, cast on more stiches (10 for big and 7 for small), knit across and then began reducing the stiches at either end to create a triangle type shape for the branches. Once I got back to my original trunk stiches I would knit one row and then begin casting on again at each end, doing less this time to create smaller branches as the tree got bigger. I sewed the trees onto the jumper covering the hole using a gold thread.
Once the trees were attached I used the gold thread again to sew on little tiny beads in a looping effect to create tinsel. This took a very long time and was a bit frustrating because not all the little beads had the same size center hole so my needle wouldn’t always fit through. If I made another jumper I would sew the tinsel onto the trees before sewing the trees to the jumper because it made a big mess with the thread on the inside of the jumper – but it’s ok, no one can see it.
The last detail was to sew on little charms which I found at Michaels. I used snowflake shapes, little gifts, stars for the top of the trees and I was most excited to find little multi-colored lights which I attached between the tinsel.
This was such a fun project that really didn’t take very long and I was so pleased with the result. I was really proud of myself because I am a total amateur when it comes to crafting. The one little catch that I didn’t think about when I was making it though…. I can’t wash it. Febreze!!!
My last post before Christmas is a super simple wreath. All you need is a premade wreath, I chose a silver tinsel one, 
some coordinating ornaments, and those cheap wire ornament hooks.
Once you figure out where you would like to place an ornament, pull the wire through and around the frame of the wreath. A couple twists should secure it.
To evenly spread out the colors, I started with the blues, then greens, then silvers as those blended into the wreath the most.
I love how it glistens in the sun and reflects our colorful Christmas lights.
Merry Christmas everyone!
Last year, I felt like our Christmas tree was missing something. It was filled with lights and ornaments but still did not feel full. It needed a garland and instead of making the tradition paper chains, I decided to make one out of felt so that we could reuse it year after year.
I cut colorful 1 inch by 6 inch strips…
and glued the ends together with hot glue in rainbow order.
I made three separate strands so that it would be easier to work around the tree. (Actually I only string it 3/4 around the front. Shhh!) Between holidays, I use an embroidery hoop to store it and keep it from getting tangled.
Now, our tree now feels complete!
Save
I have never been a big fan of Halloween. I don’t care to dress up and I really do detest haunted houses. Since having a home and a child though, it has become one of my favorites, mostly because of trick or treating!
We don’t get many trick or treaters coming to the house. I wish we had more, but on a positive note, it allows me to go all out on the treat bags without breaking the bank. Here is what the lucky neighborhood kids are getting this year with most of these items coming from the dollar bin!
The highlight of the bags (at least for me!) are the glow sticks (also from the dollar bin!) that are fun and keep the kids safe in the dark.
It is kind of amazing how much more excited the trick or treaters are when they see the goodie bags. It makes all the effort worth it! 
