Homemade Presents

Those words always provoke images of popsicle stick creations... or felt ornaments... or woven hot pads (remember making those!) or beaded something-or-others! "Homemade" or "handmade" ... these words have received such a bad rep over the years.

So what to do in a year when money is tight... and the list of gifts you need to give hasn't decreased. Get creative... look around the house... you just might be surprised.

The first was easy. The "lovely" green basket with the poinsettia on it was given to us last year by the neighbor on the south. Full of fresh fruit. It was a delightful change from all of the sweets we were eating. So, we recycled the basket... it will go to the neighbor on the north! The pineapple basket goes to the wonderful neighbor who plowed us out last week!

Ok, what else can we find. Hmmm... several years ago I found two delightful cross stitch patterns that were perfect for Christmas. And as usual, I did my overly obsessive compulsive thing... and made several of each. Why do one if you can do six at a time?

Anyway, we had three completed angels. Kali and I went shopping for frames... way too expensive. But we did find canvas stretchers! Rod put them together, Kali painted them, I helped her age them, and we mounted the pics. Looks pretty good, if I do say so myself! ☺

And here are the four completed baby Jesus cross stitch. They didn't have enough of any one size stretcher bars, so we had to punt and make do. I think they worked out just fine. Maybe next year we'll get one framed for us!

That's it. Gotta go quilt for a cousin! Time's a wasting!

Enjoy your weekend!