kadra & i have talked quite a bit (through the years) about how to handle Christmas. in our talkings & in seeing what other friends of our have done, here’s some ideas for new ways to “do” Christmas. one, which i am trying this year (maybe not going 100% though) is a handmade Christmas. this idea is pretty big around the crafting blogosphere; the idea’s certainly not new. another way is to give Christmas experiences that you do together as a family/with friends. like: everyone pitches in & you go to the symphony together. i went tubing with my friend emily & her siblings up in park city. this was a more expensive tubing endeavor than i would have undertaken on my own, (why pay $15 for tubing when you can find the nearest hill & go for free!?? here’s why: tow lines! that, & manicured runs. SO fun!) but since it was a Christmas Experience, everyone chipped in what they could & the rest was a gift. and the memories that result are so dear. my last idea of a different way to do Christmas is like a sub-for-santa… but there must be a better way to do it. i just like the idea of having a year where you truly give your Christmas to people who need “things” a lot more than you do. not reluctantly do it in addition to, getting the least expensive things as quickly as possible, but really having it be giving your Christmas.
so, that said, back to the original post… (:P)
i’m working on crocheting & knitting a bunch of hats for my sister’s family. i’m currently crocheting my sister’s hat, which will be a felted cloche. it’s so funny because it’s HUGE! i’m almost done with the crocheting part, & i’m toying with the idea of altering the pattern so the little “brim” part is only in the front. i have a fairly good idea of how i’d do this… but dare i? and i am so excited to felt it!!! i’ve never felted before, but loooooove the idea of it. crossing my fingers…
i am also totally intrigued by needle felting. that’s a someday dream. but just look at this!! (i really want to get the kit to make this for my niece… but she’ll be getting a darling handmade hat instead!)
i’m a fan of the “handmade Christmas” idea. i’ve done it a few times and have always loved it. bryce and i have been talking (or rather i’ve been talking to bryce:) about maybe making an advent calendar out of felt together to have as a “family heirloom”- maybe we’ll do it on a monday night or something. growing up we had an activity that we did together as a family on a slip of paper that we pulled out of our advent calendar every day in november. now i appreciate all my mom did so that we had fun Christmas traditions growing up. Will you share yours?? :)… Dieter F. Uchtdorf (i love him!) talked about “creating memories” being one way we can be creative beings…
kaarina, you have to share photos of your projects once it’s “safe”! when i clicked the link it was a photostream- which one were you talking about? love, me
I always try to do a homemade Christmas, as much as it is possible (at least to the people who would appreciate it). To me that is an intrinsic part of Christmas. It is truly a gift from YOU when you put a piece of yourself in the making of it.