November 25th - one month till Christmas! Why can I never seem to be prepared. It happens at the same time every year and every year about this time, I start to panic. I made a list today of all the folks we need to get gifts together for. Some, I even have some ideas about. As usual, my goal is to make as many as possible. Which means I need to get myself in gear.
I had a long talk with a close friend today. They’ll probably be coming to visit for a few days a week or two before Christmas. I’d love to have the house and, specifically, the guest room all decked out for the holidays by then. Unfortunately, that only leaves a couple of weeks. Who am I fooling? They know I’ve never been ready ahead of time. (We’re such close friends because neither has she!)
I started out strong this morning but then I lost steam and, now, I’m way behind my goals for the day. It’s not looking promising for the week either. If I stay up till 3 or 4 in the morning tonight, I might catch up but then I’ll be too tired to keep up tomorrow.
Thought for the day -
** Don’t forget to say “I love you.” Be sure to kiss your man goodnight every night.**
I’m one of those women who usually sort of vaguely waves goodnight most of the time and I’m trying real hard to overcome that urge. I’m not sure he has really noticed!
-----
Okay, I promised a craft idea each day of the Christmas Countdown -
***Painted Placemats: PICTURED ABOVE
No matter how craft challenged you are, you can make a nice personalized set of placemats.
If you don’t sew, or just don’t have time to make your own, buy some inexpensive cotton placemats in your local discount store. I’ve often found appropriate ones in Big Lots, Kmart and Walmart for $1 - $1.50 each. At that price, it’s not worth making my own.
If you are going to sew your own, choose a sturdy washable solid color for one side and a matching or coordinating fabric for the back. Cut appropriate sized rectangles from both fabrics. (For a set of 4, you will need four rectangles of each.) You will then turn these face sides together, and stitch around the edges, leaving a gap for turning. Whipstitch that space closed and press flat. ***I suggest decorating before stitching the layers together.
My decorating method of choice is painting with fabric paints. There are several types of fabric paint available at your local craft store and all are easy to use. Some come in a tube with a writing point to them (one brand name is Scribbles), some come in jars to be brushed on with a paint brush. You can even buy paint pens designed for use on fabric.
You don’t need to be an artist to paint something of interest. You can copy a basic picture from a coloring book or a card you like. Trace it onto each placemat and simply paint as if coloring in the coloring book. Be sure to stay in the lines. Stencils and iron-on designs are also available at your local craft store. In fact, you can simply buy an iron-on design and iron it on. The less work required of you, the more money it will cost you.
Still too complicated? Simply use the Scribbles or paint pens and write holiday greetings on the placemat - “Merry Christmas”, “Joyeux Noel”, “Felix Navidad”, etc. Do a decorative squiggle here and there and call it done.
You can turn out several sets of these in just a few hours.
I had a long talk with a close friend today. They’ll probably be coming to visit for a few days a week or two before Christmas. I’d love to have the house and, specifically, the guest room all decked out for the holidays by then. Unfortunately, that only leaves a couple of weeks. Who am I fooling? They know I’ve never been ready ahead of time. (We’re such close friends because neither has she!)
I started out strong this morning but then I lost steam and, now, I’m way behind my goals for the day. It’s not looking promising for the week either. If I stay up till 3 or 4 in the morning tonight, I might catch up but then I’ll be too tired to keep up tomorrow.
Thought for the day -
** Don’t forget to say “I love you.” Be sure to kiss your man goodnight every night.**
I’m one of those women who usually sort of vaguely waves goodnight most of the time and I’m trying real hard to overcome that urge. I’m not sure he has really noticed!
-----
Okay, I promised a craft idea each day of the Christmas Countdown -
***Painted Placemats: PICTURED ABOVE
No matter how craft challenged you are, you can make a nice personalized set of placemats.
If you don’t sew, or just don’t have time to make your own, buy some inexpensive cotton placemats in your local discount store. I’ve often found appropriate ones in Big Lots, Kmart and Walmart for $1 - $1.50 each. At that price, it’s not worth making my own.
If you are going to sew your own, choose a sturdy washable solid color for one side and a matching or coordinating fabric for the back. Cut appropriate sized rectangles from both fabrics. (For a set of 4, you will need four rectangles of each.) You will then turn these face sides together, and stitch around the edges, leaving a gap for turning. Whipstitch that space closed and press flat. ***I suggest decorating before stitching the layers together.
My decorating method of choice is painting with fabric paints. There are several types of fabric paint available at your local craft store and all are easy to use. Some come in a tube with a writing point to them (one brand name is Scribbles), some come in jars to be brushed on with a paint brush. You can even buy paint pens designed for use on fabric.
You don’t need to be an artist to paint something of interest. You can copy a basic picture from a coloring book or a card you like. Trace it onto each placemat and simply paint as if coloring in the coloring book. Be sure to stay in the lines. Stencils and iron-on designs are also available at your local craft store. In fact, you can simply buy an iron-on design and iron it on. The less work required of you, the more money it will cost you.
Still too complicated? Simply use the Scribbles or paint pens and write holiday greetings on the placemat - “Merry Christmas”, “Joyeux Noel”, “Felix Navidad”, etc. Do a decorative squiggle here and there and call it done.
You can turn out several sets of these in just a few hours.
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