Christmas tree ornaments and doll clothes (Handmade Holiday)

I have not been so very good at posting lately, it seems the spirit of winter, going within, slowing down has very much come over me, and while this certainly is a very busy time, I find my inspiration and crafting comes in waves. Yesterday we had snow for the first time, where we are it did not really stay, though it was enough to send the children hurrying outside to experience the flurries of snow.

Once inside again we set out to make a few christmas tree ornaments. Our tree will usually have mostly homemade decorations saved from year to year, but of course this year we are using my sisters decorations and she has a different style, just the same we wanted to add a bit of homespun ornamentals to her tree

 Kaleena, and Keenan as well, got to work felting within the cookie cutters, we made stars, and Kaleena wanted to add buttons and glass beads to them, they came out so sweet.

 On the second day of the advent bags, the children found one each of these hearts, hung on a pine branch, and that day we went out to get our tree. I had convinced my sister to get a tree with the root ball, yet once we got there, the sweet man who has been planting and selling trees most of his life, told us that due to our elevation it was unlikely that the tree would survive, a couple of years ago I had that experience and the tree died by the following summer. So we ended up getting a cut one.

I always have mixed feelings in regards to this practice, on the one hand I absolutely adore this tradition of bringing a tree inside, adorn it with home made gifts, dance around it singing

 (as we do each christmas eve) , however I also feel a bit selfish that the tree should be planted, grow and then be cut just for me and my families pleasure (in the case of our tree). Despite my conflicting feelings we always have a tree and I love it, like the good christmas tree man said, if we did not buy these trees, they would never be set or get to grow for 6-7 years before being cut.....

 I also found this at my local ~by the pound~ thrift store, and made it into 

 this cape and..

 this shirt and skirt for Kaleena's doll Daisy

(loving that sewing machine:))

 I also knitted this sweater and leg warmers and made the skirt from wool felt for Daisy.

Next I am going to up-cycle some more baby clothes for the doll I just received for Keenan, I will post pictures of his doll when I have the clothes ready. I have long been wanting to make a doll for him, but have not found the time, so I ordered one from Figandme, he just arrived today and I LOVE him.

 

 I also made this block crayon holder for Kaleena. Since starting the home schooling lessons, she has really been enjoying drawing with the block crayons and I find that we are going through them so quickly, so from my parents I got her these and made this holder made from wool felt for them.

~Hoping you are enjoying this lovely time of year, nice and warm~

First sunday in Advent, Advent wreath and œbleskiver

 A tradition I remember from growing up in Denmark is that we always had œbleskiver on the first sunday in Advent, and to this tradition I have added the making of our wreath, I always had an advent wreath at home, but we rarely made it ourselves. I would traditionally also hang our advent bags today, yet being at my sisters house we have mixed our traditions up and will hang them on the first of December instead.

This morning bright and early the children and I set out to find some pine branches with which to make our wreath. Jack frost had come to visit in the night and everything looked as if it had been sprinkled with sugar.

It was a cold and lovely morning..

 In the afternoon we set out to make our wreath, the children always take part in the ceremony of creating the wreath, even if simply with their presence.

I make a very simple wreath, and make much the same kind every year.

I start with a grapevine base, and with green wire attach the pine branches and the little cups to hold the candles, I keep wrapping until the base is covered and the cups secured, then I add red silk ribbon around the candle holders and this year I added a few pinecones as well.  

This year the wreath will be our dining table center piece, although I really love to attach long red ribbons and hang it from the ceiling.

 As I mentioned, we light our first candle when we sit down to enjoy this Danish speciality called œbleskiver.

It is much like pancakes really, the batter is anyways, but it is cooked in one of these cast iron pans with 7 little holes in it, I actually got my pan in the states, perhaps it is traditionally used for something else here though, not sure?

Anyways, the batter is a mixture of butter milk 2 cups, flour 240 grams (I used half whole wheat pastry),

1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 2 Tbl sugar and one egg, the egg whites are beaten stiff and added last, then the batter rests for a half hour and is cooked in the hot pan with butter,
and turned with a knitting needle.

We then dip them in our homemade jam and in sugar, not very healthy, but very delicious!

 Then we light the first candle on our wreath, sit together around the fire

and the children can hardly believe that Christmas is almost here...

 ~may you have a wonderful Christmas season~

The yearly advent bags

Inspired by an amazing homeschooling Waldorf mama back in Miami, I have been using these simple advent bags to count down the days to Christmas since Kaleena was two years old.

I have actually been using the same bags every year until this years. As I have mentioned so many times already, most of our belongings are boxed and stored, and that is also true of our christmas treasures, so this year I made a new collection of bags.

I keep it really simple, I use plain paper gift bags and this time I used scrapbook paper, the first set I made I used an antique looking gift wrapping paper for the numbers.

Then on the first sunday in advent the children wake up to find these bags strung on the wall using clothespins. The first year I tied each bag with a red ribbon, and the effect was lovely, but very 

time consuming and hard for the children to get down on their own, so since then we have used clothespins.

For the most part the surprise in the bag is a project to be made together during that day, some things repeat on certain days each year. The first bag always contains candles for the advent wreath, and that day we make the wreath together, make aebleskiver ( a danish tradition of round pancake like balls), and drink hot chocolate. On the 1st of dec we they always find pine branches in the bag and that day we get our tree. One day we bake cookies, another make christmas card for family and friends, and so on. Usually each sunday will hold a little simple gift. The children love this tradition and each day wake up excited to check on the surprises of the bags.

 To make them I simple take the paper of choice cut out the numbers from one to usually thirty, each year will be a little different depending on what day christmas falls on

  glue them on

and hang them....

clearly they have not been hung yet, I would usually have them on more of a straight line as to me it looks prettier:)

~A beautiful day to you~