Countdown to Christmas

Oh my goodness. It's November.

I'm stalling. I admit it. The days keep ticking away and all I can do is look at patterns. I can't seem to come up with a real plan.

What do I give my mom? What would my husband's aunt like?

It all just gives me a headache. I hate just giving gift cards. It seems so impersonal. My kids, however, love the idea of shopping for what they want. It's a losing battle. I tend to make most of my gifts because I like to put thought and time into it. I also like the idea of buying from other crafters. Maybe I can find some fairs to go to before Christmas?

Where do you go for inspiration? Magazines? TV? Blogs? Pinterest? Etsy? It doesn't help that I don't like shopping. Maybe it's time for a trip to my local library. I found some really great books for crochet patterns when I was hunting for baby gift inspiration. There's nothing worse than buying a book and then not liking what's inside.

What's worse is that we live in another state from all of our family. I don't get to see any of them on a daily basis to see what would be of interest or need to them. And who the heck needs more crap to dust?

I'm literally still working on gifts from last year. Ok, the gift was an ongoing craft project, but still. It's a huge Barbie house that K2 and I have been putting together. We're doing all the decorating and making all the furnishings (mostly). I hope to post it here eventually.

Back to this year.

Last year when I had this dilemma, I created a board on Pinterest to start gathering ideas for gifts throughout the year. Not just for Christmas, but all gift giving holidays. Click on the link under the image to see what I have so far.

Gifts to Give Board

Not much, right? Do you Pinterest? Yes? How would you like to help add to my board? As group we could create a huge "database" of gift ideas! Sound exciting?

Here are the rules:

Post your Pinterest ID in the comments below (or you can message me privately). I'll send you an invitation to pin to the board.
As you run across something you think would make a great give - for any occasion - pin it! It can be something you buy in a store, on a website, or a craft to make yourself.
Include what age group/holiday you think it would be appropriate for in the comments section of the pin.
Is there something YOU want? Pin it! If you want it, chances are someone I know (maybe you?) would want it, too.
Have fun and share!

Ready? Set? Let's Pin!

Comments

Easy Baby Sweater and Hat

After searching and attempting to create the perfect - and quick/easy - baby sweater to give as a gift, I finally just combined a few to make the one I wanted. This particular one is more what I would envision for a girl (regardless of color) because of the lacy pattern created with the shells. My next step to find/create one for a boy. This one is simple enough to work up quickly. I only have a few hours of crochet time at night and I completed the set within 3 days. I imagine if you had half a day you could easily finish it in one setting, depending on your skill level. Sweater Materials: 3-4 ounces 3 ply baby yarn Hook - size F for newborn size G for 3 to 6 months size H (and 4 ply soft yarn) for 6 to 9 months 2-3 button for closure Pattern: (Shell = 2 dc, ch 1, 2 dc) Starting at neckline, loosely ch 38. Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook & in each ch to end. (37 stitches) Row 2: ch 2, turn (counts as 1st dc throughout) 1 dc in ...

Organize It - Shoe Rack Grips

Do we really need all these shoes? You can only wear one pair at a time. I guess it's a necessary evil. Shoes aren't my thing. I have more flip-flops and athletic shoes than anything else. I'm happy with that. My favorite shoes are actually my slippers. I could wear them all day and would wear them out if I thought I could get away with it. My hubby, on the other hand, can't have enough shoes. Our youngest K takes after him. We have a fairly large rack for our shoes in the closet to accommodate all those shoes. It's nothing fancy and fulfills my two requirements. It's functional and doesn't take up a lot of space. But there is one huge flaw. Our shoes don't stay put! It ok for shoes that have heels on them because they hang on the back bar. Shoes like this: But if they are flat, like tennis shoes or flip flops (like most my shoes) then they slip right off and I trip over them trying ...

Crocheted Adventure Time Fiona Hat

Well, my cosplaying kid asked for another crocheted creation, but I don't watch Adventure Time. I wasn't sure what I was getting myself into, but this was easy enough and I get to share a free pattern with you. It straps around the chin with a crocheted button and I had the yarn stashed away. I love projects that use up leftover yarn, don't you? I started out with Lilana Wofsey Dohnert's Finn hat pattern on Ravelry. She's brilliant. Then I made adjustments to make it Fiona and fit a bit more snugly. Materials : Crochet Hook (Size US G-6 (4.0mm)) Yarn Worsted Weight Size 4 Medium ('Soft' recommended) Yarn Sewing Needle Fiberfil Batting Abbreviations : st: stitch ch: chain sl st: slip stitch sc: single crochet hdc: half-double crochet dc: double crochet tr: triple crochet inc: increase (crochet 2 st in single st; preceeded by type of st to use, i.e. 'sc inc') dec: decrease (make 2 st become 1; preceeded by type of st to use, i.e. 's...

Favorite Little Princess

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