Holiday kids’ gift craft-along August link-up

Written by Kara Fleck, Simple Kids editor and Rockin’ Granola mama.

I‘ll admit it:  I am a bit enthusiastic when it comes to Christmas.  You see, I like to give each of my children at least one handmade thing every year.  I also like to have all of my holiday crafting finished up before December 1st.

That means I have four months to select, create, and finish up my handmade gifts this year.  

I love that many of you are also starting to think about your holiday crafting and gift making and wanted encourage each other.

My plans:  a live blogging day

Inspired by the amazing Mandi, who live blogged all week during her Simplifying for Fall series , I thought it would be fun to take August 25th and dedicate the day to my holiday crafting.

I’ll be updating this post, facebook, twitter, google+ and instagram all day long with my crafting endeavors.  If you want to join in, I’m using the hashtag #SKcraftalong.  I plan to watch a holiday movie or two and knit, stitch, and glue the day away – my own little North Pole (in Indy, in August).

Watch this post for updates throughout the day.

My List (subject to change, of course):

• felt masks with dyed playsilk capes for the middle two kids (ages four and six)
• mini playsilks for the baby (DONE – see my post here for how I did it)
• flannel comfy pants for Max, who pretty much lives in pants like these during the colder months (contemplating just winging it, a la’ Amanda Soule in The Creative Family )
• a cardigan sweaterfor my oldest daughter, who has requested pink
• a couple of these spinny spellers for the middles’ stockings
• big gnomes for little hands for the baby (inspiration found at Wee Folk Art)

I’ve whittled my list down a bit from last month, to what I hope is a more realistic plan.  I’ve gotten started on a few projects, and finished one, but I really need a good push through today.   I won’t get to everything on my list, not by a long shot, but I would like to at least make a dent.

Everything I get done now means something I don’t have to worry about later in the season, when life is always a little busier.

Now, let’s get started creating!

8am – silks in egg dye

Good morning!  I had some kid free time this morning so I got up, started some coffee and also started some hot water for more egg dying.   This morning I’m dying up some 44 inch playsilks.  I used the same method as before, with a change in the recipe:  1/4C. vinegar + 2 egg dye tablets + 3 C. hot water per each 44″ playsilk.

Now I’m going to sip my coffee and contemplate a crafty game plan for the rest of the day.

1pm – a change of plans

So, my silks didn’t turn out the orange and dark purple I would have liked. Hmmmmmm.  Perhaps I’ll be picking up some orange koolaid?  I really want Max to have an orange silk cape since that is his favorite color.  Looks like my Lucy is going to get a pinky-purple silk cape and maybe the baby will have the yellow?  It is a lovely yellow.

And, due to some poor planning on my part, I’m out of printer ink so I can’t print any gnome clothing patterns today.  No big deal!  I’ll just change my plans for a day a little bit.

I was flipping through some back issues of Living Crafts magazine and found a doll that is made from felted sweaters.  I just so happen to have a pair of wool longies that I knit for Amelia when she was a new baby.  I wasn’t sure what to do with them, but now I’ve got them machine felting (they are in the washing machine on HOT as I type) and I’m going to use the felted fabric to make her this doll.

In the meantime, I think I’ll pop in a holiday movie and knit up a chicken or two while the baby sleeps.

8pm

It was a good day. I got quite a few projects at least started and I can cross one more off of my To Do list.  I’ve got the felted longies ready to sew, I’m starting on the knit chickens, the playsilks are done (though I need to dye another in a true orange color), and I’ve got a good start on the super hero masks.  I feel like I’m in really good shape, with months yet to go. I’m glad I took the day to do this.

This is probably all that I will get to before we head into bedtime around here. Thanks for following along! Maybe next month more of you will be joining in?

Best wishes!

Join in:  Link Up!

Have you been making a crafty list and checking it twice? Started on a holiday gift project or two? I’d love it if you’d join in with me and link up your holiday kids’ gift craft-along post or instagram photo. I’ll keep the link up open for a few days, so jump in whenever you’d like.

Need some inspiration?

I started a Pinterest board for Homemade Holiday Kids’ Gifts.

Looking to get organized?

It turns out that Jessica, of Life As Mom, is right there with us.  She recently released a new ebook – A Simpler Season: inspiration and planning pages for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s.

Will you be doing any holiday crafting today? Or is it still far, far off your radar?