Obstacles and Objections to a Homemade Christmas

Lets face it...we live in America, a society of get it done, keep up with the Jones' and mega-consumption. It is hard enough to limit our kids sugar intake, monitor their television exposure and teach them how to be kind, productive, tolerant members of society. Even with the best of intentions, we find ourselves detoured into the Taco Bell drive-through instead of preparing a home cooked meal. We can't get away from the temptation to turn on Cartoon Network for just a few minutes of quiet time. A parent would have to make it a full time job to prevent their children from getting exposed to all kinds of unproductive behavior whether it be through the media, at school or on the playground. So, to try to impose yet another "healthier choice" can be a difficult undertaking. Especially when the media is showing all the cool STUFF you HAVE to get for Christmas. I imagine many a parent has been tempted to combat the commercialism but decided that it was too big of a fight to win. I get it. I'm right there with you. (Between you and me -sometimes I don't even bother serving vegetables because I know it will end up a battle of wills and I don't have the energy for it.

"And now you propose a Handmade Christmas?? Are you mad?" Oh please...let me clarify. What I suggest is that we do our part to counterbalance the insanity we call the holidays. Instead of giving into this emphasis of "buying", lets look at this season as a time to be kind to one another and to ourselves. To be generous without filling our closets and cupboards and landfill with unnecessary stuff. To be thoughtful in our shopping, to repurpose when possible and to keep our kids out of the chasm of want. That dark abyss that distracts us from being good people and that is destroying our planet. It can be a lot of work, but if you think strategically, you can make an impact.

The trick is to recognize that if our attitudes toward consumption don't change, they will be changed for us in the not-to-distant-future.

Now our family does not subscribe to an exclusively hand made Christmas. We do a hybrid. For example, I never buy new gift bags, but I do recycle the ones I have from last year. My kids like toys and I am not a toy maker so those items are store bought. Sometimes they are brand spankin new-straight from China and other times they are items I bought on Etsy, ebay or at the thrift store. If it is from Etsy it is usually something handmade but I always confirm that it has been tested for lead. If it is from ebay, I am careful that the seller has a good reputation and do my due diligence to make sure the item is in tact and clean (i.e. wooden train tracks and trains) and if its from the thrift store, it is usually something like kid videos or a cool chess set. I feel good about looking to ebay and the thrift store because it is recycling but I also have little kids who don't notice if something isn't brand new.

For those of you with teenagers, you face a much more difficult situation when you try to push handmade or recycled items onto your teen. Their entire culture is built upon their stuff... brand names...expensive...cool. In this case, the best you may be able to do is wrap your gifts in recycled newspaper, magazines and grocery bags, skip sending store bought Christmas cards, do away with envelopes and give gift certificates. Maybe, if your lucky, you'll even make your own wreath? You are doing something and that is so much better than not doing something.

So here is a list of 20 ways you can change your Christmas/ Holiday practices without making your kids mad or adding more stress to your life:

1. Give gift cards
2. give experiences instead of stuff - dinner for two, tickets to the theater, tuition for an online class...
3. Shop on Etsy - support artists and avoid wasting gas, time and releasing harmful ommissions by driving to the mall and hunting for a parking spot.
4. Give a health package with vitamins, a colon cleanser, green food, medicinal teas and/ or immune system boosters
5. wrap your gifts in paper bags turned inside out. Use rubber stamps and paint to decorate with holiday cheer.
6. stop using ribbon and bows to decorate your packages. Instead, top your packages with useful items like mints, a spatula or socks
7. ask for and give gifts that are practical - scratch the candy cane boxers and knick knacks - give them their favorite face mousterizer, hair conditioner or a new tool.
8. buy American
9. don't send store bought Christmas cards. Americans buy about 7 billion greeting cards each holiday season and most of these cards are made from paper from virgin forests and end up in landfills shortly after arriving at their destination. Instead send ecards or make your own from last years cards and supplies you have in your home.
10. ask people if they have a big ticket item that you can contribute to and get one lined up for yourself. I have a sewing machine on lay away and when asked what I want for Christmas I suggust putting a little money down on it. I give them the store name and tel # so they can take care of it without actually handing over cash.
11. give an herb garden or fruit tree. Its the gift that keeps on giving!
12. give your time. What are you good at? computers, photography, organizing?? create a gift certificate on your computer and put it under the tree.
13. replace your current Christmas lights with the new energy efficient ones.
14. one word - itunes
15. give a subscription to a vegetable co-op.
16. don't stock up on extra gifts just in case you need one last minute. Buy a few starbucks cards if you must, but it is OK to downsize on your gift giving.
17. give re-usable grocery bags instead of gift bags to wrap up presents. I do this every year and I feel really good that my friends and family may save a few trees because of it.
18. give a photograph in a frame. That is an awesome gift!
19. don't buy your stocking stuffers at the dollar store. We are all tempted to take advantage of those inexpensive, colorful goodies but most of it ends up in the land fill. Instead fill their stockings with fruit, nuts, lip balm, hand lotion, an eco-friendly water bottle, hand sanatizer and of course candy!
20. give privledges -this is bound to be a hit with your teens! an afternoon off of school, a 1-hour extension on bedtime, pass on a chore for a week or movies on a school night.
    

10 sure fire ways to ignite the spirit of giving...

Many people struggle with getting into the Christmas spirit. The days are shorter; it is cold outside; and if you watch the news, one could easily conclude that the world is going to hell in a handbasket. For many of us, the holidays remind us of people we have lost or represent a lot of "to-do's" in a very short period of time.

The best way to combat the holiday blues and whip up some holiday spirit is to be in service to others. Yes, even if your well is dry, you feel you have nothing to give or you just don't have the time. There is always a way to bring light to another person. Always. And by doing so, you get a little light too. So here is a short list of ten sure-fire ways to get into the holiday spirit!

1. make and send Christmas cards for our troops
2. make and drop off cookies to the local fire dept.
3. Buy extra food at the grocery store and drop it in the food donation can or better yet, start a can food drive at your work, school and/or association by contacting youror rescue organization.
4. find out how you can be in service for a local shelter - whether it is donating, time, money or services. Every little bit helps make this world a better place.
   
5. donate new toys to the Marine Corps Toys for Tots program. To find your local chapter, click here
6. Organize a group to sing Christmas Carols at a local retirement home
7. Buy the person behind you in line at Starbucks a coffee
8. Vow to change one behavior for the good of the planet
9. Make and give your neighbors, postal worker, hair stylist, and other support people a homemade card and/or gift like hot coco in a recycled jar with marshmellows on top or gingerbread cookies. You can always include a gift card if you have the money to give.
10. Resist the urge to buy useless gifts just to cross someone off of your shopping list. You end up supporting a disposable economy and contributing to global warming. This is especially hard when you have a tight budget because we never want to be caught empty handed. Instead have a tree planted in this person's name. It only costs $4 and they will receive an e-certificate and GPS coordinates so you can visit the tree.

To find more ideas visit:

Let me know if you try any of these ideas or if you have another to add.

Introduction to a Handmade Christmas

Christmas has not always been a time of delight and joy for me. When I was younger and less able to appreciate my blessings in life, I thought Christmas was just a big fat reminder of everything I DID NOT have. I wallowed in my prediction that there would not be enough love, gifts, generosity, money, invitations, etc. and recruited others to do the same.

I worked hard to make "Bah Humbug" fashionable. My ridiculous self-centeredness made every flippin' Christmas carol feel like a giant raspberry from the universe.

Before the season was over, I would end up flush with all kind of gifts and blessings but I would be unable to enjoy them. I was pretty certain that the only reason I got what I got was because I sustained a level of prepared disappointment and experiencing any sort of joy or gratitude might jeopardize the possibility of getting more...

In other words, I was a spoiled young woman and no matter how much I got, it would never be enough.

But being a mom has totally changed this pattern of behavior for me- thank God! I work very hard each year to shelter my children from the commercialism and the emphasis on "getting" by doing a Handmade Christmas.

Last year baking Christmas Cookies

Last year, I was blessed to discover a whole like-minded movement which has made this tradition even more exciting. I have found so much inspiration from bloggers like One Crafty Mumma and Me and My Thoughts where there are tons of great ideas and dozens of tutorials.


This practice of a Homemade Christmas focuses on the joy of giving and encourages creativity. I can not tell you how much my kids thrive on making gifts for others. Maybe this story will... Aidan came home from school a week ago with a huge list of toys he wanted from Santa. There were well over $1,000 worth of gifts written in his cute 1st grade handwriting and he seemed pretty sure that if he sent the list to Santa, he would get each and every one of them. I explained that Santa might bring one item on his list but not all of it.

He said, "but lots of the kids at school get everything on their list and I get in less trouble than a lot of them."

Every year we make a homemade Chicken Pot Pie together

I told him that Santa brings gifts to match the traditions in each house and at our house we focus on the giving, not the receiving. He was not thrilled with that answer, but I went on to explain how in our family we may only get one or two big presents from Santa but we spend the whole month of December doing things to celebrate Christmas like decorating, making gifts, ornaments, cookies and most of all, spending time together. Other families may get lots of "stuff" but their Christmas is just a morning. They wait, wait, wait, until Christmas arrives; rip through the presents and then it is all over for another 365 days.

"Hmmmmmm" he replied. He was clearly analyzing the data.

The next day we started getting our Christmas groove on by drinking gingerbread tea, listening to Christmas carols and doing Christmas crafts. The kids made all kinds of ornaments and paper chains and not once did I hear someone say "I'm bored!"- (a Christmas miracle!) While we were cleaning up, Aidan said "I like the way we do Christmas mommy. I LOVE doing crafts with you. When can we do it again?"

"Next weekend, and every weekend after until Christmas" I replied. He smiled huge and yelled "Yeah!" while he jumped up and down. "I don't need all those toys mommy... just the Lego's"

So here are a few of the goodies I have started on for gifts this year (just to wet your whistle). Tutorials and more pictures will follow. Subscribe to my feed so you know when new articles are posted because I have a lot of fun and easy crafts that are earth friendly, easy to do and inexpensive too. Welcome to Homemade Christmas everyone!

The handles on this bag are made from an old scarf


Burlap and cotton reversible shopping bag

This is a ring

This is a pendant with a tiny spool of thread, pin and button

Scrapbook kit-of-the-month memberships

I recently signed up for several kit of the month clubs and I have been like a little kid on Christmas Eve waiting for the packages to arrive! My first kit came from Sweet Pea Scraps which cost $28.00 with a membership. I really liked the combination of papers and elements - they are gorgeous and I know I'll use each and every item. Next months kit looks amazing too. What I like about their kits is that you get a ton of paper!

The next kit to arrive came from Simply Obsessed which is only $20 / month with membership. I have to say that this kit was my favorite based on quantity of items for the price. I just loved the variety of papers, plus they included sugar coated chipboard letters, KI lace cardstock, a large metal flower, Making Memories Hillary Pebble Clips, an American Crafts silver marker and more. What an amazing value and I'm really impressed with the coordination of items. There is a perfect balance of paper and embellishments.

In addition to the December kit, I purchased their Halloween add-on kit and the November kit. The owner, Shauna, gave me the member rate so I only paid $20 for the November kit and $10 for the Halloween plus no extra shipping. I could not believe how much product I received! I expect to remain a member at Simply Obsessed for years to come. Their customer service is top notch and their kits are incredible.

The last kit to arrive came from Studio Calico which is the Ann Taylor of scrapbooking kits. From the website to their online community to the packaging of their product, they are top notch. Every detail has been carefully considered and their kits are to die for. With a membership, their kits are $29.50 / month. The include an amazing variety of products from the hottest scrapbooking lines.

There are several add-on kits each month but you have to tune in at the midnight release EST on the 27th of each month to order one because the sell out before the sun comes up. I purchased 2 add-ons this month sight unseen because I had heard so many great things about them. I was not disappointed! The add-ons run from $3.00 for additional Bazzill to $28.00 for a whole other coordinated kit. I had Christmas money this month to purchase 2 add-ons but I don't think I will be able to indulge regularly since it was an additional $55 for the 2 add-ons I purchased.

I also want to mention that April and Scarlett (the owners) provide amazing customer service and are present on the message board all the time. Speaking of the message board, everyone there is so welcoming and there is a real fellowship amongst the members.

Studio Calico is a "must have" membership for the serious scrapbooker.

Christmas crafts with the kids

Doing crafts with my kids has been an amazing way to get in the Christmas spirit. One of my most treasured memories from my childhood was making an ornament with my mother. I couldn't have been older than 5 or 6 because we had to wait until my sister went down for her nap to work on it. Mom had purchased a kit at the grocery store. It included a ball most likely made of Styrofoam that was covered with white silk threads (we called it angel hair) plus velvet and silky ribbon, decorative stick pins with crystal heads and an assortment of loose beads. We quietly constructed this ornament together sitting at our kitchen table- I'll never forget how I felt so close to my mom.

I wanted to have the same kind of experience with my kids this year, so I hunted to find a similar kit but it seems they don't make them anymore. Since Aidan (4) and Eva (2) are so little, I decided to improvise with age appropriate materials.

We started out with the glass ball ornament - Aidan punched snow flakes out of white bazzill bling and put it in his orb along with a little clear glitter. Eva helped by placing a few snowflake stickers on the outside.

The next ornament swe did together was an impromptu creation that we will treasure for years to come. First, I had the kids color pictures. Then I punched out sections of the pictures with a large circle punch. I also punched out circles of thick clear plastic (part of a product package that I saved just in case I needed it) and placed the plastic over his drawings. I used the small hole punch on my crop-o-dile around the edge of the circle and hand stitched the plastic coverings over the drawings with embroidery thread. I attached a ribbon. at the top and viola- Aidan is so proud of his ornament- I often catch him taking it off the tree, staring at it and then placing it in a more visible location.

Our ;last Christmas ornament adventure was last Sunday. I put out an assortment of materials so the kids could invent their own project. There were jingle bells, pom poms, craft sticks, shiny covered wire and a bin full of craft foam shapes I've collected over the years. The kids saw the foam people cut outs and immediately decided to make our family. I had a bag full of foam hair style, clothing and even shoes which they explored thoroughly. When they finally decided on outfits, we glued it all down and punched holes through the head for the ribbon so they could be hung on the tree. Aidan decided that girls should be on one side of the tree and boys on the other and he loves the idea that he is as tall as his dad. :-) These are the memories that make Christmas so special.

New Altered Cookie Sheet "Countdown to Christmas" Advent Calendar

I've finally completed another altered cookie sheet advent calendar. It was such a challenging project because I wanted to use totally different embellishments than those I had used on the first. I had so much fun dressing up die cuts and clip art into 3-D Christmas decorations. I have listed both calendars and a few other mini albums I created on Esty.
I have also been working on a Desk Calendar which has been very time consuming because I'm "cooking" without a recipe. I've had to reconstruct, rethink, recreate a number of elements but it is finally coming together. I'll post the final product once it is completed.
I've also been creating lots of Christmas gifts which is so much fun. I placed gigantic orders at Costco photo center and Snapfish so I have plenty of great photos to work with. Now I have to commit to the placements. I bought a canvas for large wall layout for my mom and the GIGANTIC scrapbooking coordinated set at Costco to create albums for Tim's family in Texas. I can't post the projects until Dec 26th because I don't want friends and family to see their treats before Christmas. i love the holidays!

Cookie Sheet Countdown to Christmas / Advent Calendar

I have seen many different interpretations of the cookie sheet calendar. There are so many creative ways to approach this project! I decided to use supplies from the 8000+ piece Holiday Scrapbook Kit I purchased on QVC through their autoship program they offer last spring. The kit includes about a zillion card stock and chipboard diecuts to use for the countdown. I dressed some of the pieces up by punching small holes and inserting sequin garnished jumprings. I used a glitter pen, bling and sequins to embellish and add sparkle. The title is a combination of chipboard letters. The "Countdown to" portion is Downey Downing nude chipboard letters from another awesome kit I purchased on QVC. I paint the unfinished letters with Ranger's Lettuce and Watermelon paint dabbers. "Christmas" is spelled out in K.I. Memories Holiday Chipboard Alphas. It was a super fun project- I starting a new one today using Sandylion embellishments. They have an enormous Christmas selection this year. I'll post it when it is done and make the kit and finished project available for purchase.
Art club starts in a few minutes so I've got to get ready. We are using Heidi Swapp's "Love your Handwriting" book today for our challenge.