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Stash Bash – Saint Nicholas handmade gifts

By on December 6, 2012 in Handmade Holidays and Celebrations, Inspiration, Stash Bash

I’ve never met a crafter without a stash of some kind. This year my goal is to use up all the craft supplies I have spent money on that are taking up mental and physical space in my life.  Join me here every Thursday for a Stash Bash.   

How lucky for a Stash Bash to fall on such a beautiful feast day!!  I hope you are enjoying your day if you do indeed celebrate this feast day.  I am sorry for getting this posted so late this morning.  I was up again until 2 AM finishing the last gift to put into the kids shoes.  I actually am not showing that particular gift because I did not put the last part on it though my son was super happy with it anyway but once it is done I will share the pattern…it’s a knitted Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle!!

This  year I had to really think hard to make the gifts from stuff we already have but I am very happy with everything.  I hope this does not sound like bragging but I heard some of the kids this morning saying “this really looks store bought, how did Momma do that” and one of my older children who was walking by saying “come on it’s Momma, she can do anything”.   That made the entire day of crafting yesterday worth it.  And it makes me feel like a super hero!! Except, that I’m sure super heroes don’t wait until the last minute to make projects they have had planned for weeks. 

If anyone wants a how to on any of these little gifts, just ask and I will post a tutorial.  They are all small gifts and make good stocking stuffers.

Burlap sack with a leather tie from my scrap collection of leather to put the wooden memory cards into

animal tracks memory game drawn by Momma

Tic tac toe game on a wool bag with a velcro closure to keep game pieces in.  The tic tac toe pieces are made from wood circles
Livie loved this clothespin doll.  I think some furniture might be in order for Christmas!

the girls got handmade knitting needles with their very own stitch markers.  These were so easy to make and were finished with a nice beeswax polish

and by the time I came downstairs Ronnie had already put them to use.  I need to do some knitting lessons with her but I guess she started figuring it out on her own.

and for my bacon afficionado…a bacon shirt

the only things I had to purchase for the Saint Nick gifts were this t-shirt and chocolate coins which they know will await them every year.  If you look closely, you will see that they are Hanukah coins because that is all I was able to find at the store…though they were 40% off and I don’t think they kids even noticed.  I’m surprised actually!


So what have you been up to? I love to see what you come up with. I have added the Mr Linky to the bottom of this post for you to link up your Stash Bash projects.

Here’s what to do. There are no rules. 
Just use what you have and try to not buy new supplies, unless you need it to complete a project that you are making from stuff you already have in your stash. 
Take a 

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Thankful preparations

By on November 20, 2012 in Handmade Holidays and Celebrations, Knits and Crochet

So much to do before Thursday.  I woke up too early this morning and could not get the list of things to accomplish out of my head.  I love, love, love holidays.  Something about special days with family that makes me happy.  I always end up with very long lists which stress me out but honestly its the kind of stress that makes me tick.

It seems that this house has not had a good once over in the cleaning department since the wedding.  I have been too busy being in love with baby Matthew and teaching my children to really give a darn and it is now showing. (I will be posting the wedding pics on Saturday this week, sorry for the long wait).

When Poppa told me that he had no undershirts I shrugged it off because I knew there was still a pile of shirts folded in the closet but yesterday when he proclaimed (in a nice manner) that he was going to have to buy socks, I decided to snap out of it and get this house back in order.

Today we have stripped all beds and washed all the sheets, towels and shower curtains.  All windows are being cleaned and every room is being given special attention.  The porch is being scrubbed of chicken poops and the mulch that gets thrown everywhere by our feathered girls, which the chickens have made into a sport, is getting replaced.

There is much to do before Thursday.  All the corn we bought at our fall trip to the cornfiled needs to be shucked and put up in the freezer..  Cranberry breads and cranberry merlot jam is waiting to be made.  On the sewing list are new napkins for our Thanksgiving table and perhaps some new fall themed skirts for the girls.

All the floors are being swept, scrubbed and mopped.  Oh Dear,  Is that my veggie scrubber they are using??

The piano needs a good polish.  I realized we are out of polish so time to make more.  I love homemade polish, it works so nicely.  It still needs to be buffed in but the piano is looking happy.

and as we all scuttle about, a baby is cozy in his handknits (er crocheted) technicolored longies.
See you tomorrow.  I hope your preparations go as you have planned.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or follow me by email at the top right hand of the screen to have future posts sent to you. Tricia (Crunchy Catholic Momma)

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