Christmas 2014

Christmas feels like a distant memory now doesn't it! It sometimes feels so silly to put in so much hype and effort into a day that is forgotten so quickly but once you introduce children into the equation then suddenly you want to make it extra special for them by starting traditions.

This year we decided to do another handmade Christmas. We have a relatively small extended family which means we can put extra effort into the presents we do make. As long as we are organised enough or have inspiration which can be so hard to get!

This year I came up with the ideas and Dave was the one who executed them. Thanks Dave! I did do a few crafty type gifts though!

I'd like to say that I came up with this idea but I can't. We blatantly stole this idea from a toy that our friends have for their little boy. By we I mean Dave.

This cute little bunny has been loving made by Dave out of an offcut from our Dining Table. Every single part on the bunny is handmade except the washers between the wheels. So the wheels, the little wooden axles, the knob at the end of the rope and the little wedges that hold the string in place were all turned or carved by Dave. I am so impressed by how quickly his woodworking skills have improved and the care he takes to get things perfect.

If you couldn't guess, this bunny has offset wheels so that when it gets pulled along it hops like a rabbit. I made the rope - braided cotton yarn.
I added Dave's instagram username on these photos in case you wanted to go check out some of his latest projects.

Addison loves her little rabbit, she knows she can pull the string to get it to come to her and she likes to play with the bit on the end with all of the different angles.

A while ago Dave made us a new letterbox out of pallet wood. It has been admired by many since then and I had the idea for Dave to make another one for his parents. What better way to brag about your child than a letterbox out for all to see that you can say was made by your son?

So Dave set about putting this together and didn't it turn out amazing?! I love the touches of brass on the letters and also on the hinges on the back. 

This idea was inspired by good old Pinterst. After doing our Fox Wall Art last year, I have wanted to make some more large canvases out of these ceiling boards. I have been seeing fancy monograms around a fair bit and I thought that I could pull one off to create some art for Dave's sister and bro-in-law.

Turns out I couldn't. I cut all the boards to size and nailed them up but did a terrible job that Dave ended up having to redo. See those perfectly lined up nails? Dave.

Then I spent a whole day doodling trying to come up with a monogram that incorporated a G, C and P in a circle. Trickier than I thought. Dave to the rescue once again and with his mathematical precision he came up with an awesome monogram that is in proportion and you can actually tell what the letters are. (Bro and Sis, you can thank Dave that you didn't end up with something horribly different this year!)

Look at these tiny baby handprints! I got Addison to co-operate for a few seconds and managed to smoosh her hands into some salt dough. WAY more difficult than you think. Baby hands are in fists almost all the time they aren't trying to grab things they shouldn't. Plus 7 month old Addison learnt how to wiggle and pull away. But eventually we got handprints that resemble hands. I let them air dry for a few days then painted the outside of the prints with a metallic pink paint. The imprints were left au naturale. I then painted the backboard of a photo frame black, glued the handprints on and fancied it up with some calligraphy. I took the glass out of this frame but it has a nice boxy border to give it a bit of a 3D effect.

You may remember this blanket from a previous post. 'Twas the night before the night before Christmas and I should have been in bed but I was sewing in the last of the ends of this blanket for my nearly-born baby nephew and I had it finished in time for Christmas so why not wrap it up and give it as a present to the mama-to-be! This one is cot sized and she also has a bassinet/pram sized one on its way too.

So there you have it. Another Christmas down and not too much of a dent in our wallets. Phew! Next year we are hoping to host Christmas at our place so hopefully we can be even more organized and have more handmade gifts and decorations to show.

Merry belated Christmas everyone!