Category: crafts

Teeny, tiny ones. Draw string bags, actually. Reminiscent of the little sacks with Gold Mine Bubblegum Nuggets inside. Remember that? Ahhh…maybe you’re too young.

If you suffer from cute-sock-addiction, then it is likely that you also have a hard time just throwing them away when your toe starts to poke out the top–or your heel is bare. I mean, seriously–the cute part is still cute, right? Of course right. So here’s one really fun, EASY answer and a great gift idea at the same time!

Cut off the adorable tops…

Turn them inside out and sew a sturdy zig zag stitch across the bottom.

You can even assembly line the process and do a bunch at once.

Turn the sock right side out again and make a VERY small snip in the top casing. Make sure you are using a sock that actually HAS a folded over casing or this won’t work. Most of them do, but you may want to check first.

Now, using a small safety pin, guide a shoe lace or cord through the casing, around the whole top and back out the same hole.

Tie a knot in the cord and–DUDE–you are finished.

Well, except for the filling it with candy…

or gift cards…

or incredibly expensive jewelry part.

Dang.

I guess I need to “get me a husband” for that last part.

Rats.

Years ago, a good friend gave me a sweet little ornament. The kids were little then and seemed fascinated with the tiny manger baby.  I kept finding it under the tree, on the kitchen table and once, in my youngest’s bed. I decided that maybe I needed to make a few for them to hold and carry and love before my ornament was ruined.

It was kind of fun to make some palm sized babies so they could actually carry them around. I did have to take the one I had apart to figure it out–but it went back together well enough when I was finished.

All you need to make these sweet little manger babies is:

wooden beads–whatever size you want

wire–from floral wire to a heavier coat hanger type, to match your bead

a small piece of batting or cotton

a scrap of fabric

Draw or paint two dot eyes on the bead. Fold a piece of wire in half and slide the bead onto it. Bend the top of the wire down so the bead won’t slid off. I curled up the bottom end of the wire–into a wad–this will be the basic “body.”

If you want your baby to have hair–just glue some yarn or twine to the top of the head.

Now, wind a scrap of batting over your wire–so your baby has some fluff to the body.

Fold down one corner of a square of fabric–muslin, cotton, knit–whatever.

Run a line of hot glue on top of the head and at the ears and press the folded edge onto the head.

Fold up the bottom. Add a dot of hot glue–if you need to to hold it in place.

Now fold and secure the sides–first one and then the other–you know, like wrapping a baby doll in a blanket.

Once you’ve glued the “blanket” in place–you can decorate your baby or leave it simple.

Or you can glue your babies to the tops of pine cones and nestle them in your Christmas tree.

Either way, I hope you try these sweet little babies as a gentle reminder of whose birthday this really is.

If you’d like to make these cute little “Flap Lock” Origami Envelopes–all you’ll need is a piece of square paper…any size. I used Christmas scrapbook paper.

1. Fold the paper in half to form a triangle.

Make sure your edges are even.

2. Take the top corner of the first layer and fold it down to the bottom edge.

 

3. fold the right corner about 1/3  of the way to the left.

4. Take the left corner and fold it to the other end. Your envelope should be rather square shaped now.

 

5. Fold the point of the flap over the other flap back to the left edge of the model.

6. Fold the point of the flap up to the top corner of the flap.

6. Make a squash fold on this flap.

7. Make sure you flatten it well, as this will help secure the envelope closed.

8. Fold the very top point down to the bottom edge. Or, the bottom edge of the square you formed by “squashing.”

9. Put the top flap (the portion you just folded down) into the “pocket” that was formed by the squash fold.

And there you have it!

Now scurry off and make a million of these–or at least 24 if you’re using them for the Family Advent Countdown Calendar.