Wednesday, December 10, 2008

I'm Making My Gifts

This Friday afternoon I am co-chairing Craft Day at my son's school. This Friday is also the opening of the MOMENTUM Chen Arts show downtown, so I have been kinda busy. Craft Day is a fun after school event where kids get to make some winter crafts to give as gifts. This year I have decided to use recycled materials and found objects to make more creative and meaningful crafts. And I wanted to lower the ticket price considering how many families are struggling right now. I have been spending hours upon hours cutting apart cardboard boxes to make picture frames. We are going to glue mini pine cones on the frames. They are very cute. And working on this project got me thinking that well, maybe I should just make most of my X-mas gifts this year.

I really have a hard time buying gifts for wealthy relatives. It just doesn't seem right. I don't think that family members who are in a much higher income bracket than we are should expect fancy gifts from us. Plus, so many birthdays fall in December. So, it's the thought that counts, and I am going to make some thoughtful handmade trinkets this year. Now, the hard part is finding the time to do it!

12 comments:

Mrs. Dottie said...

JT,

Thanks, you are way too kind, and a rare gem of a commenter!

Anonymous said...

Mrs. Dottie, are those Tamarack Miniature Pine Cones your using?

Darling Little Pine Cones

Mrs. Dottie said...

Why yes, anon 1:38, they are darling pine cones! But they came from a friend's yard, so they were free. The project costs nothing to make. Just find some little pine cones, cut an old box into a frame, punch a hole, loop some jute throught the hole and tie, glue on pine cones. Elmer's glue works,takes a few hours to set.
Of course, some skill is needed to cut the frames. I used to be a picture framer. I used a utility knife and cut all the cardboard by hand. Oh, the frames are meant to hang on X-mas tree.

Anonymous said...

Beautiful! Do you give the frame gifts in Hess's boxes, I see one in the background of the photograph....

Mrs. Dottie said...

I collect Hess's boxes, and use them as table decoration. Don't know if Martha Stewart would approve of that one, but stacked Hess's boxes make a festive holiday centerpiece. I have a really old box with the Hess's genie, but I keep that behind glass. That reminds me, I must go see the Hess's Holiday Exhibit at the LV Heritage Museum! My father in law worked at Hess's and gave us lots of memorabilia.

Bill Villa said...

Speaking of Hess's stuff, we always thought it would be neat for Angie to wear a (custom-tailored, natch) Hess's Patio waitress's uniform on stage for local Villas gigs.

Does anyone have one (size 4) they'd like to sell?

Mrs. Minerva What said...

Mrs. Dottie, all the members of my bridge club are going to try to make your darling cardboard and Tamarack miniature pine cone picture frames! I'll send you some pictures (of our frames) when we are successful! Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!

Mrs. Dottie said...

What is your name?

Mrs. Minerva What said...

What? Yes.

Anonymous said...

Those frames ARE darling!

Anonymous said...

Merry Christmas!

Anonymous said...

Mrs. Dottie, I missed this Xmas and so I am working on my "darling frames" right now for Xmas 2009, is this the right gauge cardboard?