Crafting Bug

Winter has brought a fierce crafting bug to my house.  Along with a determination to make more gifts instead of just buying something that will only be forgotten 48 hrs. later.  I thought I'd share as I'm pretty proud of my little projects.  The real test will be if I can come up with handmade gifts for the teen nephews in a few weeks:/  Crafting for guys is always so hard so if anyone has a suggestion, let me hear it.

This is a little pen set and holder I made for a boy in Willa's class. 

 I used wire to 'write' his name and embroidered stars onto the denim.  I used a cardboard core covered in denim(old jeans, not even fit for Salvation Army).  Then I stitched a rocket ship and 2 aliens and hot glued them to a pen.  Boys are always hard to craft for but I like this little gift and I hope he will too!

By the same line, this was a little gift for one of Denver's friends.  Again, a cardboard core covered in denim.  I stitched the little girl's name and decorated with some silk-ribbon embroidery.  The we covered pens with green florist tape and hot glued a silk flower into the top after removing the plug.  

These flowers I fell in love with!  Taking a strip of fabric and stitching one side tight and then hot glueing a button in the middle.  Then hot glue a lollypop stick to the back with maybe a circle of felt to cover the messies.  For my niece, I took florists styrofoam and glued it into the tin pot and sliced a bunch of holes in a piece of brown felt.  Glued the felt on top of the styrofoam and she can 'plant' them.  I would use wooden dowels if I did it as a gift again, the lollypop sticks broke too easily:/.  But I think she enjoyed it all the same.  I did have a misguided thought to make these flowers for Valentines for the kids to take to school.  However, clocking at around 10 minutes per, it was slightly unrealistic to make 50 of them.  Maybe just for the teachers.

 And this is a cute little monster I made for Adalyn.  I think much of my inspiration came from just thinking about ways in which I could play with my Mom's box of buttons which I'm hoping she doesn't actually want back:)

 And finally, for a dear little friend's birthday, the girl's wanted to throw a little birthday tea party.  Just the 3 of them.  So I decorated this little cake, and made cucumber sandwiches and fruit kabobs.

This is what Winter does to me since I can't be outside.