Twins, I remember when I was little we used to save the previous year's Christmas cards, and then cut them into gift tags using something called "pinking shears" which gave an attractive.zig zag edge (and helped hide any edges that weren't completely straight! ).
You then just wrote on the back of the gift tags, (you had the be careful ,.of course, to cut only the parts of the card that hadn't been previously written on!) and stuck it on the wrapped gift with sellotape,.or, if you were feeling. ambitious,.you used a hole punch to make a hole.in the card and then threaded thin string through.
I hadn't thought about this for years, but remember it was all part of the Christmas fun as a child - thank you for bringing back happy memories!
Nancy, I remember another good use for last year's Christmas cards, especially for children, is to make a collage. You just need scissors, glue, glitter and a large piece of paper for each child (we used to use something called sugar paper). Oh, and you need to cover the table and floor well,as glitter tends to go everywhere! The kids jist cut out their favourite pieces and arrange them on the paper, and add glitter where needed. Attaching a loop from a small piece of string to these masterpieces means they can then be hung on the wall for everyone to admire. It's a good cheap and creative way to occupy over excited kids in the run up to Christmas!
Decided on grands for recipients of the 6 ornaments, so those are on the packages under the tree now.
Sent one of the completed bookmarks along with ddolder to her friend.
I cut a piece of wrapping paper into a band 2 inches shorter than the width of a "number 10" envelope, with enough length to wrap around to the closure side, but not reach the flap's edge. Using an envelope that had a straight flap, not pointed, helped it look neat. Even though it was obviously just an envelope in there, it seemed more "gifty" because I'd "wrapped" it, lol.
Feeling creative with all the bow-making and tag-making today. Fun.
I did take one photo of WonderBoy's gift, on which I'd sort of had to outdo myself on wrapping. A little over-the-top, but I couldn't figure out how else to wrap except make a tower of three boxes. I used papers with verses on them and got the verses centered, so, yeah, way too perfectionistic. He will shake his head.
Harriet for fancy envelopes you can also line the inside of the envelope on the address side up to the adhesive, so it's pretty when when opened, or put the fancy paper on the flap of the envelope. For cards I make, I add a little stamp to the bottom left of the envelope so it matches the card. For this season, often evergreen trees or or a holly sprig or stack of presents.
I'm still making cards. Need to count up how many I have an how many I need. I keep adding people to my list. Wishing I could get a block of time for it, but it hasn't worked that way.
Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better [wo]man. Ben Franklin
Twins', I needed you here for some how-tos, lol. Even if you haven't had a block of time, you've gotten so much finished. I hope you snap a photo, every once in a while, to remind you of a batch.
We displayed the green prototype compass block I had made to get ready for the wedding quilt. Very festive. I have a larger (17"x17"?) simple wall hanging onto which I can pin an unfinished block, with just the border showing. Border is gray blue but works with greens, and in fact works with a lot of colors. I remember sort of complaining here that the lady whose booklet I was reading to learn to make compasses insisted you MUST make a prototype first to get the mistakes out of the way.
I remember saying here, mainly, what was I supposed to do with a piece on which I would spend so much time, "waste" fabric, but which would be an orphan with no purpose? Boy, was she RIGHT, in more ways than one. First, I needed that practice, and second, I have something nice to use now. Someday it will be in a sampler, but right now it's fun to see it with Christmas decor.
Ddolder brought two smallish boxes of items that never got from my old sewing room to here. I knew I was missing books, in particular, and asked about it. First box had my grandmother's sewing basket (Ack! was that almost lost?). Second was books. So now I have (redeemed) two of Judy Martin's books with many of her own great quilt block designs, also some old basic books I wouldn't want to lose, and my autographed copy of Jinny Beyer's masterpiece, The Quilter's Album of Patchwork Patterns.
Full disclosure - I was SO sad not to be able to find that book that I bought it again while living here. So, I have two of them, but I don't care. One can be for "good" with the autograph and the other for really poring over and enjoying. It's best of best for inspiration.
This week I've finished up a dish cloth set for early Jan. Bday.
I still have a few inches on a hot pad.
Resting my hand today.
Lessons learned this year:
burned out doing 12 sets of them for the church holiday gift baskets & a cancer foundation thing.
That was a regret. I ended up resenting the time effort and energy it too and my shoulder hurt
fro over use. Told them this was the last year I"d be going that.
Also for family another family member does them too so she can pick up that torch if she chooses to.
I am considering the socks project will start slow and not go over board with them.
Dsis worked too hard on crafting gift baskets for family then in Dec. family announced no
gifts just a gathering. So she felt like it was a waste of time doing up the throws and dish clothes.
The last two hot pads did not get finished ran out of yarn I'm okay with that did not want to run to the store for that.
Last edited by Nancy on Thu Jan 01, 2026 9:05 am, edited 2 times in total.
Thinking of your sister, Nancy - that is disappointing. They must have thought they were making decisions in time, but of course she would have started handmade things long before. For charity, of course you don't have to do the same every year. Take a break or do smaller things - make sure you feel good about it and feel like it's creative, not so hard. Maybe in the coming year you can think of birthdays more than a big push for so much at Christmas. I'm sorry you had aches and pains!
Kittykatt, I was thinking about your story of using old cards in new things, especially children. Once a teacher brought a bunch of canning jar rings and old cards and my ddolder's class cut images out of the cards and put them into the rings. Teacher somehow made a hole in the top/side and had the children string a bit of yarn for ornaments. Dd's has lasted for nearly 40 years!
I sent another of the fabric bookmarks to dsonil's mother. Dsonil is one of these guys who really, truly doesn't want a fuss made, doesn't want presents. But to do something for his mother makes him happy.
Was able to chat a little bit about the ornaments while all the family was here and told about the block name Cross and Crown being the old traditional one.
Most of the gifts I got this year were for sewing.
HRH got me a small-size iron for a present. Ds got me a small rotating cutting mat. I'm kinda excited thinking both those things will let me do patchwork in a smaller area near the machine without walking back and forth across the room so much. Ddolder got me a compass for drawing circles and arcs.
Other little bits and bobs from HRH are a beige spool of Aurifil thread, long "milliners" hand-sewing needles (nice but the eyes are so small... .. hmmm), replacement rotary cutter blades, and paper meant for cutting out template shapes. The paper sticks to fabric like freezer paper but says it is 3 times as thick. So, I guess it's thick enough to use multiple times but still easier to cut than plastic or cardboard shapes. I think it's sort of a luxury I probably don't need, but I will make a point to use it and show him.
DgdC got a standing-or-sitting desk for a present. What a good idea. She has crafts she likes to make and already has plans for sitting some and standing some. I think I'm jealous!!
Finishing up the year with embroidery for the last piece to put into the blue and white quilt top that I will likely quilt at home. I think buying one of the mini quilting "not so long" arms such as from Grace company for home machines to ride around on is a "no". Expensive, but even more of a problem is that I don't have space. Just need to trust that doing this in thirds, I can manage it, then join together. I looked back at last January's intentions on what I might do this year, almost all small projects. This was the one and only large project I even thought about, but had to make just this one hard decision. So at least the embroidering decision was made in 2025, and it wasn't stalled.
I decided (right or wrong) on 4 strands of embroidery floss. It may be a little thick, but my thought was that I really wanted it to be clear and easy to read, not wimpy looking. For some reason, I have not suffered from cramps in my hand at all. That's a relief. Perhaps the motion of crocheting was the problem. Or just the grip I had to have. This work is in an oval hoop, which I really like.
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