12 Days of Christmas

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12 Days of Christmas, Christmas, Christmas cheer, Christmas countdown, countdown, gift giving, tradition, twelve days of Christmas

I knew I missed my 12 Days of Christmas Countdown in 2012… but what I hadn’t realized is that I missed 2011 also! 

In the past, I’ve avoided a Christmas cookie countdown, since so many other bloggers have already used that idea. This year, I decided that I would use that idea, but with a twist. I’ll be using Nanny Florida’s cookie recipes! I may not be posting recipes daily, but I plan to have 12 of her cookie recipes posted before Christmas Eve! Check in tomorrow for the First Day of Christmas…

Nanny Florida’s Christmas Cookie Countdown

2010’s Christmas Countdown – On the twelfth day of Christmas Young Wifey shared with me her Espresso Jar Candle, Gingerbread Man Ornaments, Fleece Blankets,Bottle Cap Magnets, Fleece Sphere Ornament, Button Wreath Ornament,Christmas Mouse Cat Toy, Melted Frosty Ornament, Crocheted Fan Bookmarks, Crocheted Snowflake Ornaments, Wine Glass Charms, and Glass Globe Ornaments…

Melted Frosty Ornament

2009′s Christmas Countdown – On the twelfth day of Christmas Young Wifey shared with me her chocolate Christmas fudge, chocolate bonbons, coconut clusters, cranberry almond bark, chocolate amaretto cherries, pecan turtles, raspberry chocolate truffles, gingerbread fudge, peppermint bark, dark chocolate peanut butter balls, cracked glass candy, and her peanut butter fudge recipe…

Cranberry Almond Bark

What type of Christmas Countdown would you like to see next year?

XOXO,
Young Wifey

Meet Me Under the Mistletoe

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Christmas, Christmas cheer, Christmas decor, Christmas Ornament, Christmas party, Christmas tradition, classic Christmas, craft, happy holidays, holiday craft, holiday ornament, holiday tradition, mistletoe, Ornament, Xmas craft, Xmas ornaments, XMas party

Mistletoe Craft or Ornament
I love to hang mistletoe in my home… any excuse to kiss Hubster is good. 😉 Okay, so I don’t need an excuse, but I think it’s a cute festive decoration.

Meet Me Under the Mistletoe

 

I started with three fuzzy green pipe cleaners and bent them in half to create the “stems”. Then, tied a long piece of burgundy ribbon around the middle of the pipe cleaners to create the hanging piece. I took a smaller piece of burgundy ribbon and tied it lower of the stems, to create a “bunch”. I cut heart-shaped leaves out of green fleece, cutting down the middle of the heart, but not through the base of the heart. Next, I staggered and glued two hearts upside-down on each pipe cleaner. Then I glued 5 white pearls at the bottoms of each stem to create “berries”. I carefully arranged each stem into place, spreading out each branch.

Mistletoe Bunch

 

Then it was time to hang it over my head and see it Hubster got the hint… which was a pretty big deal since it was during yesterday’s football game. Then I hung it in the doorway leading into the living room.

What classic Christmas tradition do you love?

Merry Christmas To Me – New Chandelier Earrings

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chandelier earrings, Christmas cheer, Christmas gift, Christmas present, Christmas tradition, craft, crafting, earrings, frugal, gift giving, handmade earrings, homemade earrings, jewelry, jewelry crafts, jewelry making, present, shabby chic, stock stuffers., Xmas gift, Xmas present

10 more days until Christmas, that means only 9 more shopping days! Admit it, most people spend money on themselves while the are holiday shopping, whether it’s an item on sale that you need or a promotional discounted second item you keep for yourself. If most of us cannot resist the temptation, it must be human nature for a little bit of immediate gratification to be wrapped up with our generosity. Making gifts for others is no exception, I still have to make something for myself now and then…

Earrings are my weakness; chunky chandeliers hanging from my ears. I have a plethora of earring findings and beads on hand at all times, but I had found the base for these on clearance a few months back. With all the layers of bulky sweaters and thick scarves it is a little hard to feel glamorous, but it’s time for my ears to sing. I used the same beads for the wine glass charms I made recently; the assortment of colors blended together, challenging me to incorporate colors not normally in my clothing palette. These earrings surprisingly coordinate with purples, browns, creams, grays, yellows, browns and pinks, since the beads shimmer and reflect different colors.

Chic Chandeliers

Since the bases were on clearance and the beads and other findings were left over from other projects, these cost me about $3 a pair, not too shabby for a chic new accessory.

 

Whether making these for yourself or someone else, these chandelier earrings make a great stocking stuffer… even if you don’t wait to wear them.

Did you purchase anything for yourself while holiday shopping? If so, what did you get and are you going to wait to use it?..

Twelfth Day of Christmas – Espresso Jar Candle

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12 Days of Christmas, 12th day of Christmas, beverage, candle, candle making, Christmas cheer, Christmas decor, Christmas gift, Christmas party, Christmas present, Christmas tradition, coffee, door prizes, espresso, gift, gift giving, gift in a jar, handmade, holiday craft, holiday party, home decor, homemade, hostess gift, hot beverages, house warming, house warming gift, jar candle, jar craft, party favors, present, scented candle, twelfth day of Christmas, twelve days of Christmas

On the twelfth day of Christmas Young Wifey shared with me her Espresso Jar Candle, Gingerbread Man Ornaments, Fleece Blankets, Bottle Cap Magnets, Fleece Sphere Ornament, Button Wreath Ornament, Christmas Mouse Cat Toy, Melted Frosty Ornament, Crocheted Fan Bookmarks, Crocheted Snowflake Ornaments, Wine Glass Charms and Glass Globe Ornaments…

Today’s post is very late, due to an earlier science experiment that went wrong and resulted in a few small burns on my hand… Ouch!.. The first brand of wax dye I tried was not very good and caused the wax to bubble and splatter out of the pot, which caused me to spill the candle fragrance on the counter. I’ve made dozens of candles before and I felt like a clueless newbie. I’ll be contacting the wax dye company tomorrow.

It took a while for me to start the second batch, this time I only added fragrance. I also had gloves on this time. Also, I didn’t wait for the wax to set before photographing… once the jar cools, I’ll clean up the outside where I spilled some wax. I’ll update with a better photo once the candle is cleaned up and I have some natural light to photograph.

Espresso Jar Candle

 

These Espresso Jar Candles are so cute and easy to make. These candles make a great Christmas present, housewarming present, hostess gift, party favors of door prizes! Coffee lovers beware! Do not attempt to drink this!

How To:
Use clear drying craft glue to attach coffee beans to the inside of the jar, in a pattern you like. I covered the bottom of the sides with coffee beans and glued a few randomly up the sides. Center candle wick in middle of jar, and glue base down. Allow all glue to dry completely (it took three hours for all traces of my glue to disappear). Cut wax into small pieces and heat over medium heat until all melted. Keep still until candle is set. Tie a piece of holiday ribbon around the neck of the jar and attach a gift tag.

Approx. Cost
Airtight glass jar = $1, large block of wax = $7.50, small bag of whole coffee beans = $1, package of candle wicks = $1, craft glue = $1 a bottle, bottle of candle fragrance = $1, bottle of wax dye = $1    Such a cute gift for about $3.25 a candle

This post wraps up 2010’s 12 Days of Christmas countdown, I hope you saw a few ideas that you can use, or inspired you to create something else! Happy Holiday season everyone!!!

2009′s Christmas Countdown – On the twelfth day of Christmas Young Wifey shared with me, her chocolate Christmas fudge, chocolate bonbons, coconut clusters, cranberry almond bark, chocolate amaretto cherries, pecan turtles, raspberry chocolate truffles, gingerbread fudge, peppermint bark, dark chocolate peanut butter balls, cracked glass candy, and her peanut butter fudge recipe…

Eleventh Day of Christmas – Gingerbread Man Ornament

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11th day of Christmas, 12 Days of Christmas, Christmas, Christmas cheer, Christmas craft, Christmas Ornament, Christmas present, Christmas tree, craft, easy craft, eleventh day of Christmas, embroidery, funny ornament, gingerbread man, handmade, handmade gift, handmade ornament, happy holidays, holiday craft, holiday ornament, holiday season, holiday spirit, holiday tradition, homemade, homemade gift, homemade ornament, kid craft, party favor, present, simple craft, twelve days of Christmas, whimsical ornament, Xmas present

On the eleventh day of Christmas Young Wifey shared with me her Gingerbread Man Ornaments, Fleece Blankets, Bottle Cap Magnets, Fleece Sphere Ornament, Button Wreath Ornament, Christmas Mouse Cat Toy, Melted Frosty Ornament, Crocheted Fan Bookmarks, Crocheted Snowflake Ornaments, Wine Glass Charms and Glass Globe Ornaments…

This morning’s post is a little late… 12 hours too late. I thought this would be a cute whimsical ornament to add to our Christmas tree, a half eaten gingerbread man. Pumpkin designed one and started to put it together then gave up, I designed and assembled the other before helping him finish his. Most of the materials we have left over from other crafts. I didn’t have red button, so we painted them. I only spent 50¢ additional for the two squares of felt.

Gingerbread Man Ornaments

 

How To:
Using a large gingerbread cookie cutter, trace the shape twice on tan or brown felt. Decide where you want him “bitten” and draw teeth marks. Cut out gingerbread men. Cut out eyes from felt or fleece and arrange on face, place red button where you want the mouth. If you’re happy with the layout, glue eyes and mouth on face. Using black embroidery thread, stitch eyebrows above the eyes. Use white shimmery embroidery thread to stitch buttons to chest, making “peppermints”. Glue ribbon to inside of back piece. Place two sides together and stitch around the gingerbread man to create “frosting”, skipping where there are bite marks. Stuff the gingerbread man with fiber fill. Use hot glue gun to close gingerbread man at the bite marks. Sit back and admire your gingerbread man… and try not to eat.

Whimsical Gingerbread Ornament

 

Approx. Cost:
Felt square = 25¢ , spool of ribbon = $1, fiber fill = $, bag of glue sticks = $2, package of buttons = $1, small package of embroidery thread = 25¢    Each ornament costs about 40¢

Gingerbread Man Ornament

 

Can you guess who made which gingerbread man?

2009′s Christmas Countdown – On the twelfth day of Christmas Young Wifey shared with me, her chocolate Christmas fudge, chocolate bonbons, coconut clusters, cranberry almond bark, chocolate amaretto cherries, pecan turtles, raspberry chocolate truffles, gingerbread fudge, peppermint bark, dark chocolate peanut butter balls, cracked glass candy, and her peanut butter fudge recipe…

 

Tenth Day of Christmas – Fleece Blankets

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10th day of Christmas, 12 Days of Christmas, bedding, blanket, Christmas, Christmas cheer, Christmas craft, Christmas gift, Christmas present, days of Christmas, fleece, fleece blanket, fringe blanket, gift, gift giving, holiday craft, Holidays, kids craft, no sew, no sew blanket, present, tenth day of Christmas, twelve days of Christmas, XMas, Xmas present

On the tenth day of Christmas Young Wifey shared with me her Fleece Blankets, Bottle Cap Magnets, Fleece Sphere Ornament, Button Wreath Ornament, Christmas Mouse Cat Toy, Melted Frosty Ornament, Crocheted Fan Bookmarks, Crocheted Snowflake Ornaments, Wine Glass Charms and Glass Globe Ornaments…

Almost everyone in the crafting world (even those who only lightly dabble) has made a fleece blanket at one time. About 5 years ago, the no-sew fleece blankets with the tied fringe became popular; it’s easy to understand why… Only cut and tie and you’re finished. It’s an easy child’s craft! Of course with babies, most people like to add stain blanket binding or crochet a fancy border. A few years back, my MIL made one for Hubster & I, one for Pumpkin and one for every other member of the family. My nephews have outgrown their baby blankets and are ready for blankets of their own. For all the projects below you will need two pieces of fleece, 2 yards each. I like using a print fleece on one side and a solid print on the other. You could also make yours with two different prints, two different solid colors, the same print or the same solid color.

No Fringe How To:
I use this method if the blanket is to be part of the bedding. Place wrong sides of fabric together. Stitch around the edges leaving 1/4″ inseam, leave a 10″ on the last side. trim excess from corners. Turn blanket right side out. Blind stitch the opening closed. To create edging, stitch around the outside of the blanket about 2″ in from the edge. 

Dinosaur No Fringe Fleece Blanket

 

No Sew How To:
I prefer to use this method for throws. Place right sides of the blankets together. Cut a 4″ square off of each corner. Cut 1″ wide strips, 4″ deep into the fleece on all four sides. Tie opposite piece of fringe together. Tie all the corners first, then evenly tie all sides. 

Rock & Roll No-Sew Fleece Blanket

Hybrid Blanket How To:
If you like the fringe look, this is great, because you don’t have the fringe tickling your neck all night. There’s no fringe on top, only sides and bottom. Lay right sides together, cut 4″ square on bottom two corners only. Cut 1″ wide strips, 4″ deep into the fleece on only three sides, leave top uncut. Place wrong sides together and stitch top together, starting 4″ in from the sides. Turn blanket right side out and begin tying the sides together.

Approx. Cost:
Both projects coast the same, except the no fringe has the added cost of thread. Solid fleece = $3 yard, Print fleece = $7 a yard. Blankets could range from $12 – $28 depending on the colors and prints you select. I’m sure you can find fleece cheaper if you shop around or during the summer.

If you’re feeling extra crafty or extra generous, get another yard or two and make a few matching or contrasting throw pillows. Use the same directions for the blanket, just add filling!

2009′s Christmas Countdown – On the twelfth day of Christmas Young Wifey shared with me, her chocolate Christmas fudge, chocolate bonbons, coconut clusters, cranberry almond bark, chocolate amaretto cherries, pecan turtles, raspberry chocolate truffles, gingerbread fudge, peppermint bark, dark chocolate peanut butter balls, cracked glass candy, and her peanut butter fudge recipe…

Ninth Day of Christmas – Bottle Cap Magnets

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12 Days of Christmas, 9th day of Christmas, bottle cap magnets, bottle caps, Christmas, Christmas cheer, Christmas craft, Christmas gift, Christmas magnets, Christmas party, gift, gift giving, gift ideas, happy holidays, Holidays, ninth day of Christmas, personalized gifts, present, stocking stuffer, thank you gifts, twelve days of Christmas, XMas, Xmas craft, Xmas gift, Xmas present

On the ninth day of Christmas Young Wifey shared with me her Bottle Cap Magnets, Fleece Sphere Ornament, Button Wreath Ornament, Christmas Mouse Cat Toy, Melted Frosty Ornament, Crocheted Fan Bookmarks, Crocheted Snowflake Ornaments, Wine Glass Charms and Glass Globe Ornaments…

Whether given as a stocking stuffer, part of another gift or on their own, this is a super cute gift that you can customize infinite ways. Perfect craft for adults and kids. To create custom  high school student, paint front of caps in bright colors with funky patterns, favorite logos, and icons to reflect the recipients personality. Do the same for a college student to use on their message boards or mini-fridges. For the drinker, collect international caps as well as micro-brews. Use Coca-Cola caps for an avid Coke drinker. For the home-owners, paint caps in the same colors and theme as their kitchen. If home-owners have a beer on tap or wine cooler at their bar, paint icons of beer steins and wine glasses. Some people change their magnets seasonally, so customize the magnets to reflect the seasons and the holidays (Winter = Christmas ornaments and snowflakes, Spring = daisies and kites, Summer = starfish and beach balls, Autumn, leaves jack-o-lanterns and turkeys).

"Pub Style" Bottle Cap Magnets

How To:
Heat up glue stick in hot glue gun. Lay bottle caps face down on a cutting board of pot holder (metal will get warm when glue is added). Dot a bit of hot glue to inside of cap and center button magnet.

Approx. Cost:
bottle caps = free (if you don’t have them at home, most local bars will give away the caps), pack of 50 button magnets = $4, glue sticks = $2 a bag, small bottle of misc. paints = $2    A set of 5 magnets would cost about 80¢, and a set of 10 = $1.60

Teen Girl Bottle Cap Magnets for Locker

Don’t even start me on the decoupage possibilities…

Christmas Ornament Bottle cap Magnets

2009′s Christmas Countdown – On the twelfth day of Christmas Young Wifey shared with me, her chocolate Christmas fudge, chocolate bonbons, coconut clusters, cranberry almond bark, chocolate amaretto cherries, pecan turtles, raspberry chocolate truffles, gingerbread fudge, peppermint bark, dark chocolate peanut butter balls, cracked glass candy, and her peanut butter fudge recipe…