Monday, December 2nd

Hello friends,
Today we woke to a few inches of freshly fallen snow and all looks beautiful.

I thought I would share a little bit about our handmade and simple advent season during the days of December leading up to Christmas.

Today, it was Abe's turn to open our little advent calendar filled with milk chocolate pieces.  I bought it at our coop food store for $3.00.  This was an example of a compromise.  Not being able to buy a more expensive fair trade chocolate calendar, I did buy it at our local food coop store so that we can continue this tradition.

Each morning, Emily finds a Christmas story book wrapped under our Christmas tree for us to read and add to our Christmas book basket.  This makes it nice for me because I don't have to wrap 24 books at one time and I can also re-use the wrapping paper and yarn tie each night.

After they came in from helping to shovel and playing, I made them some hot cocoa.  For each cup of milk, add 2 Tablespoons of cocoa and 1 - 2 Tablespoons of sugar.  Whisk all ingredients in a saucepan over low heat until hot.

I baked a loaf of bread and Emily made some sugar cookies.  I finished the turkey soup that was made from our Thanksgiving turkey and that is what we are having for dinner tonight.

I have added little bits of Christmas decorations throughout our home and will add more throughout the month.

Our homeschooling lessons were cut short today when a friend called to see if Emily and Abraham wanted to play as he had a snow day.  He came over to our house and then they went over to his.

The turkey soup was delicious and now I am at my secretary wood burning more ornaments.

Would love to hear about what you are making and doing during this beautiful season.

Warm wishes,
Tonya

Handmade Holiday - 2011

Gathered greenery and added some birch bark hearts to the ends of some twine which is holding the         swag together - all can be returned to the earth

Knitting another pair of mittens for oldest daughter in purple

Knitted cotton washcloths to go with these beautiful soaps from Old Gates Farm

Printing these gorgeous free calenders from A Number of Things

How are your holiday projects coming along?

Please feel free to share links and ideas in your comment.

Warm wishes,

Tonya

Handmade Holiday - 2011

Inspired here, I am in the process of knitting apples for Abraham - it is so much fun to have a lot I think - to count, play in the play kitchen, sort and more.  I have still have to knit some green ones.

Sarah is working on note cards - I purchased the blank note cards from dickblick.com  - about $3.00 for 10 and she is giving them in sets of 4.

Do you have an ideas to share this week?

Handmade Holiday - 2011 - Supporting Small Businesses

Busy with our little one and our own business, this year I am sure I won't be able to make something for everyone, so I will be buying some carefully chosen gifts from small businesses making goods by hand.   Etsy is a wonderful place to find handmade gifts make by individuals working mostly from their homes.

Heidi of Under the Humble Moon has started a directory of small mama made shops.

Some of the handmade goodness that can be found include

Art smocks from Humble Luna

Sweet little gnome people from Mama West Wind

Adorable tshirts from Mama Gone Green

There are so many more wonderful shops out there.  

If you offer hand made goods this holiday season through an online shop, mail order, through your blog, or some other means, please share your business by leaving a description and link in your comment.  

Christmas Countdown with Wool Hearts - Handmade Holiday - 2011

I love the idea of making the whole Christmas season special, not just the one day and I like the idea of an advent calender but didn't want something that involved treats or small gifts for everyone each of the 25 days as that could get really expensive or time consuming to make, so I came up with this idea to countdown the days before Christmas.

This is so simple - I don't think that I have ever crafted anything that could be classified as complex - anybody can make these and it is a great project for children as well.

I used wool felt but you could also use upcycled felted wool (think old sweaters) and cut out 24 hearts and one star for number 25.  I used pinking shears so that I could just use a simple running stitch around the heart instead of the blanket stitch to save a bit of time but the blanket stitch would certainly look nice as well.  Leave a hole to stuff with wool and then finish sewing closed.  Don't forget to add a loop for hanging.  I am thankful to have Sarah helping me with these.

Next, we are needle felting the numbers on each heart.   You could instead embroider the numbers.

We will be putting all of our hearts and star in a basket and then take out the appropriate number each day beginning December 1st to hang on our Christmas tree.  But other options would be to have a smaller  branch "tree" to hang them or some other creative idea.

I look forward to your sharing.  Please leave a link in the comment if you have posted about your project, recipe, plans, etc...
Warm wishes, Tonya

Handmade Holiday - Wool Needle Felted Upcycled Hot Pot Pad

This came out fairly well, but it has given me ideas for improvement.
Let me first share what I did ~

I started with an old wool sweater that was felted (washed in hot water) and traced around a large plate to cut out a circle.

Next using a piece of wool yarn, I blanket stitched around the edge.  Then using bits of wool roving, I began needle felting a design onto the piece.

I was thinking this would be nice for a soup pot.  I am thinking, though, that when I make more, maybe I will add a design around the edges so that when a pot is on top, the design is still visible.

I look forward to all of the sharing!
Please leave a note in your comment with ideas and links.

I have made this little button if you want to add it to your blog and please link it here.

Blessings and warm wishes,
Tonya

Handmade Holiday - 2011

I am using the same journal book as last season as there is still plenty of blank pages, but am adding a hand crocheted wool cover.



Each Monday I will be sharing in this space what I am working on for this year's holiday season.  For sure, everything we give won't be handmade this year as I simply don't have the time to make everything, but my goals include:

• at least one handmade item for each child and dear husband
• what I do not get around to making, I plan to buy from other family businesses and local small businesses which will be very modest and thoughtful little somethings
• handmade goodies for friends and family including food mixes, jellies, and baked goods
• make some simple decorations for our home and table
• keep things simple! - focus on the meaning of the season

You can read through last year's posts by typing "handmade holiday" in the "search this blog" box -  scroll down and look on the left side of the blog.

I would love it if you would consider sharing your ideas and projects on Mondays with all of us by leaving a comment with a link to your post. (It can be an older post, it doesn't have to be a Monday post.) 

Warm wishes,
Tonya

Handmade Holiday - Last Post

It  has been a joy to do this each week since July.  I have been introduced to  many new people through their blogs and have enjoyed all of the creative ideas.  Thank you so much for sharing and I apologize to so many of you that I probably did not include .  We have dial up internet, so the going is slow and I don't alwyas get the chance to visit everyone each week.

Hopefully, this Christmas will be filled with some handmade goodness for you to share with others and also that the process of creating has been a positive one for both yourself and for your children that may have wanted to join you, and just maybe one of your children has learned a new skill or two as well.  Also, maybe by giving a handmade gift to friend or relative for the first time, just maybe, this will light a little spark within the receiver that it is possible to make and give handmade useful, beautiful, and/or thoughtful gifts instead of having to drive down to the mall or big box store and buying something that may have been produced in less than ideal circumstances by people earning very little and have to work in a very unhealthy environment.   

Small things truly do matter and by living a life true to my beliefs is all I can do.   My hope is that the ripples may someday turn into waves.  Anything is possible, right?


Ok - here are some more wonderful ideas from some of you ~

Homemade Laundry Detergent from Earth Mama

Beeswax Lantern from Moment to Moment

A Wet Felted Playscape from The Little Gnomes Home

A Simple Knit Hat from McGreen Experience

Peg People from Peas and Carrots

 

Warm wishes,

Tonya

Handmade Holiday - 2010

Knit dishcloths from Honor Crowned Crafts - a wonderful last minute gift 

Cranberry white chocolate chip oatmeal cookies - a great idea from cardigans and kids - would be wonderful for neighbors

Adorable potato printed mushroom shirts from Twig and Toadstool

a wonderful gift for baby from Groovy Moments

knit hat and mittens with a link to the free pattern at While the Water Boils

jacob's ladder tutorial from Duo fiberworks

The winner of the neighbor giveaway - is #75 - tracyp - please email me at naturalearthfarm@netzero.net as I don't have a way to contact you.
Thanks everyone for entering.  I am going to be passing on another neighbor giveaway tomorrow.

Warm wishes,

Tonya

Handmade Holiday - 2010

a so sweet felt camera from Aux Demilunes

primitive table runners from The Blessed Hearth

wool blanket from Moment to Moment

(also some other great repurposing ideas)

Trees from Heartfelt Homemaking

Hand embroidered cards from the Knitty Gritty Homestead

a quick knit headband from Blue Skies Dragonflies

Warm wishes for a week filled with peace and lots of handwork,
Tonya

Handmade Holiday - 2010

a purse made of scraps from Laura of Getting There

Needle Felted Gifts from Belle + Bee

pear chutney from The Blessed Hearth

wool ornament from The Knitty Gritty Homestead

Visit Our Somewhat-Urban Homestead to see this hand knit Gandalf the Grey from the Lord of the Rings and ideas for making truffles.

crocheted pony reins from Earthboys

Visit the growing list of participants here.

Warm wishes,
Tonya

Handmade Holiday - 2010

Handmade Advent bags from Moment to Moment

from Not the Office Type

Handmade Ornaments from Groovy Moments

Lots of Handmade Holiday making going on at Blue Skies Dragonflies

Apron tutorial from Spiraling

A Wool Felted Spiral Advent Mat from Heirloom Seasons

Warm wishes,

Tonya

(If you requested to be added to the list of Handmade Holiday participants and don't see your blog there, please email me.  I am in between my lap top and a very old desktop as my laptop isn't working on our dial up connection right now.  I apologize if I lost someone's request.)