Super Last Minute Christmas Stocking


So… are you still holding out hope that you will finish that last Christmas stocking? The stocking for the now 20-month-old who will remain nameless (sorry Quinn,) going on their second Christmas without one? Jaime gave you one great last minute stocking solution. Here’s another. I whipped this one up on Christmas Eve a few years back, before I had sewn a lick, so I know it can be done. Just cut your stocking shape out of a double layer of felt, stitch around the edge and embellish with felt shapes and trim. Mine are just glued right on there and have stayed through multiple holiday seasons and household moves! Sew on a ribbon for hanging. Super easy!

Keep your design basic. It will make the project quick and look stylish and modern… triangle pine trees… Christmas lights or mittens connected with a string of sequins… a snowman… or even just some stars! Trace a cookie cutter and blow up the shape, or use clip-art for reference!

Go super momma! GO GO GO!

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Felt Gift Bows


Last year Jacinda whipped up some beautiful DIY Magazine Gift Bows from a tute she found at How About Orange.  I loved them so much, this year I thought I’d try to make a few out of felt.

Fun last minute wrapping trick, and it only took ten minutes to make three of them.

Find out How to Make A Felt Gift Bow after the jump…

What are you doing to wrap your gifts this year?  Share in the comments and you could win some pretty snowflakes!
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Last Minute Christmas Stockings


I promised my friend Anna I would making stockings for her kids.  Umm, Christmas is in three days, oops!  So I used our Christmas Stocking Pattern & Tute, but I skipped the layering, batting, and quilting and just went straight from cutting out the pattern to sewing it into a stocking, then added the bias tape on top and called it a day!

15 minutes. Sorry Anna… but they still turned out aight, right? The trick is using a stiffer fabric, in this case Anna Maria Horner’s ridik gorg Innocent Crush Velveteen in Maybe Memory from Fabricworm.  BUT if you don’t have any luxurious velveteen lying around, recycling an old curtain or some tea towels would work well.  If your fabric isn’t stiff enough just iron on some fusible interfacing. Then hang by the chimney with care…

Voila! Get the full free Christmas Stocking Pattern and Tute here.

Is it insane to think you might make a stocking at this point? Probably. Let me know how you feel about it in the comments, you might win some pretty vinyl snowflakes!

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Last Minute Handmade Gifts

Got an hour? Here are a bunch of Prudent Baby projects that you still have time to finish, wrap and sneak under the tree!

Fiber
Crochet Hot Water Bottle Cozy
Crochet Neck Cuff/Scarflette
Crochet Chunky Scarf
Crochet Vase
Crochet Bonnet

Quick Sew
Playtime placemats
Bow Ties/ Big Bow Headband
Onesie Dress
Checkbook Cover
Business Card Holder
Toiletry Bag
Bib and Burpcloth
Headband
Ribbon Necklace
Easiest. Pillow. Ever.
Monogrammed Hair Clip

No Sew
Mod Podge Vase
Desk Blotter
Mod Podge Bath Accessories
Mod Podge Stool
 Recipe Binder
Apothecary Jar of Candy

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ORNAMENT THROW DOWN Part 2


My skills at things like cake decorating, paper crafts, applying glitter, baking, etc. are maybe at a second grade level (evidence). I envy Jacinda her precision and attention to detail in these matters. But the salt dough ornaments looked so easy and fun to do with the kiddo that Scarlet and I gave it a whirl.

While they in no way reach Jacinda’s level of beauty or detail, we really had a great time making and decorating them! After making a bunch with spray paint, markers, even crayons, we settled on simple dots of glitter glue right on the plain dough to create this garland of tiny butterflies.

I think it has a cute homemade touch (maybe?)…

We might hang it in her room after the holiday. After all, she loves to tell me: “Momma, I don’t yike snakes: I only yike butterflies.” Who can argue with that?

Too bad I can’t enter to win a $50 Gift Card to Bake it Pretty – the land of magical baking and packaging and party supplies of joy.  BUT YOU CAN!  Get the full Salt Dough Ornament tute and details on our ORNAMENT THROW DOWN contest here!  You’ve got until January 3rd to finish up your ornaments and enter, so make some with the family this week!  We’ve seen entries using stamps, cookie cutters, handprints, the works – they are ADORABLE.  Can’t wait to see yours!

Remember to leave your usual awesome comments for your chance to win those purty snowflakes!

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A little handmade + a little store bought = Perfect Gift

It’s the Monday before Christmas and I find myself quickly abandoning handmade gift plans and hitting the 2-day shipping button on Amazon (failure) but there is still time to incorporate a little personal touch in your gift-giving by pairing up a quick-n-easy hand-crafted gift with the ease of a store-bought item. In our December newsletter we featured a collection of these handmade/store-bought gift combos and you liked them so much that we decided to come up with a few more.

Buy a fancy cakelette pan & make an apron:

Fat Quarter Apron Tute

Buy a book & make a book cover:

Oil Cloth Book Cover Tute

Buy a doll & make it a blanket

Rag Edge Blanket Tute

Buy some paints & make an art smock:

Oilcloth Art Smock Tute

Buy a kettle & make an oven mitt:

Oven Mitt Pattern & Tute

Buy some jammies and make an Eye Mask

Minkee Eye Mask Tute

Buy some wine & make a wine bag:

Wine Bag Tute

Buy some glasses & make some coasters:

Mod Podge Coaster Tute

Buy some lux lotion & make a makeup bag:

Makeup bag tute

Buy a camera strap & make a strap cover:

Strap Cover Tute

Buy some crayons & make a crayon apron:

Crayon Apron Tute

Buy a t-shirt & make some pants:

How to Sew Pants Tute

Or go all out and buy a laptop & make a laptop sleeve:

Laptop Sleeve Tute

So brew some coffee (Dunkin Donuts, holla!) and get to work! You can relax by the fire next month! HA!

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Soft Pretzel "Candy Canes"


I’m a supernerd – I’m so excited about these silly soft pretzels shaped like candy canes!  The challenge was that Scarlet’s preschool was having a holiday party, but I waited too long to sign up for what I would bring and everything was already taken.  So her teacher asked me to just bring some sort of non-sweet munchie.  Hmm.  Then it hit me!  Soft pretzel candy canes!

I found the recipe from my fave kiddie cooking site written by my friend Rebecca: Cooking With My Kid (Scarlet and her son Gus have already been found in bed together, sigh).  She has so many fun kid-friendly holiday recipes right now, like her Easy Gingerbread House, Holiday Granola, Sparkly Pomegranate Cranberries, and Cinnamon Sugar Popcorn.

My kid was already in bed, but I did do some Cooking With My Husband which was really fun, he helped roll out the candy canes. I think these would make an awesome hostess gift or appetizer for a holiday party! A sweet version with cinnamon sugar could be dipped in a little glaze to look like snow maybe?  These were not difficult to make at all, and they were insanely delicious!

Get the Pretzel Candy Cane recipe after the jump…

Tell us what kind of fun holiday treats you are planning on concocting this week in the comments, you could win some of those pretty Jacinda-made snowflakes pictured on the left!
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