Dear Julia

I had delusions of grandeur this year to create advents and Christmas trees that were child-friendly.

I succeeded in my plan, but it nearly killed me (largely because the procrastinator in me didn't start until the week of Thanksgiving).

I finished decorating for Christmas a week and a half ago.

You see, I had the great motivator -- social pressure -- to finish my Christmas crafting as I was hosting a bevy of activity in the week following Thanksgiving.

Due to the crafting and hosting, I have been in a comatose state when it comes to blogging.

But, my remaining reader asked for photos and I am nothing if not compliant.


Our Advent:


Hanging under the bar ... within reach of little hands (done with intent).

I saw this beauty last year (here) and desperately wanted to make it. But finding those Maya Road envelopes is harder than you'd think.

A close-up.

I finally found them while on my trip to Utah this November.

A close-up. With bling.

I followed the bloggers general description, painting the edges of the envelopes, then cutting scrapbook paper to fit. I embellished some of them, but not all, since less is more in my opinion.

I then strung them on fishing line and used the Styrofoam balls used in glass bowls to decorate the line.


More close-ups. With more bling.

Every day there is a different activity (inside the envelopes). And, while the original blogger did 25 days to Christmas, I didn't have that kind of strength, so I went with the classic 12 Days of Christmas. I figure, as the years go I can add more.

Our Family Room Tree:

Don't mind the one string of garland. The others in the repair shop (aka guest room doubling as craft room) and the whole thing is being accented.

With exception to the Hallmark ornaments, I made this ENTIRE tree. No, not the Evergreen itself, but you know what I mean.

I'm super proud of myself here, even if you don't think the tree is splendiferous (to borrow from Fancy Nancy). I saw a similar tree last year in the Pottery Barn catalog (the same tree that had my garland behind it) and then I had to SCOUR the Internet for tutorials.

 

Largely, there were no tutorials for exactly what I wanted.

 

The candy cane:

I found this pattern here and made it a little different. I didn't use felt and I wanted it stuffed. I intended to sew it right-sides facing and turn it inside out, but a candy cane this size DOES NOT want to be turned inside out. I ended up sewing the edges, but I was pleased with the result.

Mostly it took time because I had to sew the red stripes separately on both sides and then sew the two sides together. In the original tutorial (since it isn't stuffed) she tells you to line the red stripes up and sew them simultaneously.

Book page balls:

I borrowed this woman's tutorial and fancied it up Nancy-style (as in Fancy Nancy, a big celebrity in this house) by antiquing the edges of the pages. To do that, you just need to paint the edges brown, which I did once I had cut the circles. I had done the same thing for my book page wreath.

Twine balls:



Nothing. So I started covering it like you would with yarn.

I tied the end of the twine to a straight pin, pushed it into the Styrofoam ball and started wrapping. At the start, I could only go two or three times around in each direction because it was too slippery. Eventually, I could get more coverage. Toward the end, I pushed a loop under some of the twine, did a quick slip knot around it, kept wrapping and then tied the twine around another push pin and hid it.

I did find an Etsy shop where she sold balls like this (3 for $20 or something). She said she used Jute Twine for her balls, which was a helpful piece of information. Otherwise, I would have been using the more frayed regular twine.

The tree topper:

I really wanted a fabric star, but I was hard-pressed to even find a store that sold one.

Eventually, I came across the Land of Nod's star, but it was $50 and not worth it.

I used the linen I used on the rest of the tree, made a quick pattern, cut two stars and simply sewed them together right-sides facing so I could turn it out and lightly stuff the star.

Two things: (1) I did make the pattern fatter in the middle with the bottom points further apart than it appears now. Once I stuck the wire up the star and put it on the tree, it had a kind of pinching effect on the stuffing inside the star. (2) Since the star is linen and that easily tears, I outlined the stars in a tight, straight line 1/4 inch in before I sewed them together. This way, if the seam holding the two sides together ripped, there was a barrier.

As for the pearls, I used a broken necklace of mine. I started sewing the pearls on, but quickly lost interest and hot-glued the rest. Once it's off the tree, I'll sew the remaining pearls ... but in all reality that probably won't happen until I'm ready to use it in 2013.

The garland:

 

I had seen this in magazines as a decoration for the mantel. I used this woman's tutorial, but cut my strips 2 inches, since I wanted it as garland. Part of the garland needs fixing, but I am alternating this garland with the popcorn strand the kids are making.

The tree skirt:

This is floating around all over Pinterest. I saw it as linen. Then I saw it as burlap and red. I chose to do linen and red. I used this tutorial from HGTV because I liked their idea for the bottom of the skirt.

I also made mine less ruffly than the tutorials, since the others look like clouds to me.

And I couldn't post Christmas without my silver and blue tree, which is now in the piano room, hopefully away from tiny fingers (since it is mostly glass).

Our mantel has a new stocking (I traded Jane's to Owen and got Jane a girly one, I need to put names on ...).

And one with the kids. As of last night, Owen discovered the tree. I don't know why it took him so long, but it's probably my fault for posing him in front of it. The tree suddenly became an item of interest.



I love these monkeys.