Two of our kids are attending a new Catholic school in the area and I thought it was such a great idea that they are asking for a Christmas ornament from each family to decorate the tree year after year. I had a quick look at ornaments at Walmart and the dollar store, but couldn’t find even one remotely religious Christmas ornament, beyond maybe a star or an angel. I decided to take matters into my own hands…and pull out the supplies I use for my Wooden Painted Saints.
Custom 3D felt Car Mat
April 26, 2012 by 2 Comments
Sometimes I just have to make something…with my hands …and Adam’s 2nd birthday this last week offered the perfect opportunity. With left over felt from the Felt Castle Fort I made last year for Bridget, I just started cutting felt, beginning with an 8 track. I knew I wanted houses, garages (pockets) to hold the little cars and a few things to make it different from anything I have seen.
I found a link for Homemade Car Mats and I liked some of the ideas I found. I still plan to put a drawstring in the seam so that it can close and carry the cars. A circular mat would lend itself better to the drawstring closure, but I think that this will work too.
Family Culture in Ordinary Time
January 11, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Build your own Family Culture and Traditions…and start during Ordinary Time!
Collect family artifacts and treasures: keep a collection of family documents, classic photos, newspaper articles, certificates, letters from the toothfairy or letters to Santa, programs from funeral Masses, graduations, wedding invitations, birthday invitations, letters of acceptance, report cards…even if they are photocopies of the real thing! This is what we created our Family Treasure Chest for!These and other family-centric activities, crafts and traditions can be found in A Treasure Chest of Traditions for Catholic Families. Altered Collage Books Years ago, I was fascinated by the books Griffin and Sabine: An Extraordinary Correspondence. “Thus begins the strange and intriguing correspondence of Griffin and Sabine. It is a story that is partly a romance, partly a mystery, and completely a work of art. Each page contains a new card or letter…the complete correspondence tells an extraordinary story in an extraordinary way.” The whole book is packed with stamped letters and postcards, with striking images and artwork. As I began collecting special cards and letters for each of my kids, I decided I would also write my own letters to them: my goal is to write one for each child, at least once a year. While I have probably missed a few opportunities…my collections of letters and cards are pretty neat, for each of the children. I was intrigued by the Griffin and Sabine book and began my own altered collage books: one for each child, in a story book that reminded me of them! These books were filled with fascinating postcards documenting a correspondance in a cool book with postcards and letters in envelopes.
Altered Book Tips
Handmade Ipod Nano Holder
December 29, 2011 by 4 Comments
Kelly loves the ipod nano that she received for her 13th birthday. It’s just that it’s so cute and SMALL! That’s our Canadian quarter beside it…see how small it is? It’s a little too easy to lose! I thought I’d make her something to keep it a little more safe and visible!
I made a little ipod holder out of felt.
I chose orange felt to match Kelly’s tangerine colored ipod nano.
Sorry…I don’t have a pattern…I just made it up as I went along. It was also night-time and I didn’t take any pictures. I put the whole thing together while we watched The Mentalist. Not bad for one hour’s work!
For the open window of the ipod holder, I wanted to reinforce it, to make it extra strong to keep the shape. Using the sewing machine, I sewed the white square of felt onto one of the orange pieces, before I sewed all the pieces together. I used a tight zigzag stitch to make it really strong. After it was secured in place, I carefully cut the inside square out of the white felt, and then the orange felt to reveal the window of the ipod nano.
I used the machine to sew the two pieces inside out, together with a third (white) piece to make a pocket for the earphones.
I sewed the white flap into the side seam with the machine…and just had to double check it before I sewed the other side seam. I was just a little surprised that this worked! When I turned the felt right side out…it was just want I wanted!
I like the chunky handmade look of the felt with hand stitches, so I reinforced all the edges (and the bottom of the earphones pocket) with hand stitches.
I used the machine to reinforce the button hole…not so neatly.
I didn’t mind reinforcing the earphones cable hole by hand. I wanted to get the right location for the earphones cable hole, so I did this after the rest of the ipod holder was sewn together.
I was pleased at how secure it feels.
Clearly, I am an amateur at sewing, but I think the imperfections are part of its charm!
(That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.)
I like the look of it and Kelly likes it too! She now has a cozy home for her ipod nano and earphones.
I was inspired by these “mixed tape” felt cases. These are infinitely more professionally made and available for purchase at this etsy shop.
Last Minute Gift: Catholic Family Calendar!
December 19, 2011 by 5 Comments
Last Minute Gift: all you need is a printer for a treasured family gift for
Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and Cousins!
The Build-Your-Own
Catholic Family Perpetual Calendar!
with Kelly Comics illustrations.
Kelly Comics Family Calendar: easy Family Keepsake Gift for all your relatives!
December 19, 2011 by 3 Comments
The Kelly Comics Family Calendar is a PERPETUAL CALENDAR that you can print once, record your special family dates (birthdays, anniversaries, milestones and dates loved ones passed away). You can make copies for family as gifts…and help everyone to celebrate and remember all the special family dates. The best part is…this calendar is not linked to a specific year, so it can be proudly displayed, year after year!
Last Minute Christmas Gift!
December 19, 2011 by Leave a Comment
The Build-Your-Own Catholic Family Perpetual Calendar!
with Kelly Comics illustrations.
Each month has a complete path of dates to record your family birth dates, Sacrament dates. anniversaries and dates of when loved ones passed away.
The sticky notes and notepaper on the side already have key feast dates and monthly devotions recorded, with ample space to add your own favorite feast days and “family firsts”.
Homemade Nativities
November 27, 2011 by 2 Comments
My clothes peg people are missing now…I’ll post a new (close-up) photo when I find them. They are made with traditional wooden clothes pegs, a painted face (with facial features added with sharpie) and material. The arms are pipe cleaners. These are sample crafts from A Treasure Chest of Traditions for Catholic Families.
What’s the theme here? Where’s Baby Jesus? These are all Nativity figures I have made over the years with toilet paper rolls, egg cartons and wooden pegs…but Baby Jesus is missing in each one!
I need to start re-making Him…
I remember the egg carton Baby Jesus, was just a small piece of the egg carton for a cradle, with construction paper “straw” sticking out behind a fabric bundle of baby.
I’ll post pictures when I either find my original or make a new one.
I find that Baby Jesus either gets misplaced by one of my kids parading him around the house during Advent (before Baby Jesus is supposed to be in the manger), or in transit from one of the Catholic conferences we attend. We have actually had the odd sample craft made from A Treasure Chest of Traditions for Catholic Families stolen from our booth display!
These Holy Family Felt Friends are made with felt over a pipe-cleaner body, felt clothes, embroidery floss hair and facial features. I know, I need to make a Baby Jesus version here as well.
I added a quick Baby Jesus for this post.
I made this Nativity before we were married and it’s our special one-of-a-kind family Nativity. I think I found a pattern for the little bodies and then I improvised for the clothing. (Can you tell ? =)
I engineered the manger myself with the little skylight for the star to poke through.
The brown manger material already had verticle lines in it, so I quilted it to make it a little more durable. The manger also has a couple wooden dowels in it, but it’s not too “stable”. I usually use a little pillow to prop it up. I didn’t make the tree, but it looks cute with the set. I like the lighting on the close-up picture…I think it looks like they’re sitting by the fire.
Linked up to the Nativity Activity Linky!
IKEA helped me with my felt fort!
June 6, 2011 by 3 Comments
I can’t believe that IKEA is selling these soft fruit, vegetables and carpenter tools…and that I discovered them just when I finished making my FELT FORT for Smidge’s birthday!
They are a whole $10 per kit, with anywhere from 9 to 15 pieces, but they are already made and come with little material baskets or a tool belt! They have more sets too! I think I saw cupcakes and a whole breakfast tray of food.
Felt Fort for Cool Kids!
May 31, 2011 by 14 Comments
all those years of architecture school finally paid off…This was definitely not a quick craft project, but it was a lot of fun and we can still add to it! We decided Smidge needed her own little castle fort, that fits over our kitchen table! I didn’t make it too girly…just so Adam will think it’s cool for years to come.
