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| Candy Santa Garland |
Today is moody with wild swings from brilliant sunlight to dark lavender overcast with gusts of wind and oddly still lulls. Very tornado like. The wind is blowing away the unusual warm weather and promising crisp mornings once again.
I was up early working on Christmas garlands. I am making sets of them, boxed and ready for my mom to give to her caregivers at the nursing home for Christmas. This is the best gift I could give to my mom; her tiny room is already overflowing with family photos and dishes of candy; books and magazines. I know that she will want to gift people but has no way to get out and select anything. On the outside of each package is a handmade card that says "Merry Christmas from *my mom*" and there is a tiny description of what kind of garland is inside so my mom can pick who gets which ones. And of course, I am making one for her room as well. Several, actually.
The garlands are a result of my former hatred of Christmas: the whole thing had turned into this hideous commercial stress fest that was no fun at all. And certainly not in the spirit intended. So I started making all my gifts and I began to like Christmas again. I like using inexpensive materials. I thought I would share with you one of my favorite easy easy easy garlands.
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| The SnoBall Garland |
You need: some kind of pretty and thin (but strong) cord. You could use metallic like I have here, or baking twine or even embroidery thread. You also need self adhesive labels - white in this case, but silver and gold are terrific modifications. A vodka Gimlet wouldn't hurt either.
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| dont get removable labels - you need the cheap kind that sticks for life |
Im sure this photograph explains everything. Just sandwich the thread between two labels stuck to each other. Takes some practice to get them lined up perfectly, but you'll get it. Crafty!
Did someone say crafts and a vodka gimlet??
ReplyDeleteI'm home for a freakish SNOW day in Seattle. I'm busting out of here soon, but it may be to the paper products store.
I'm sitting in my home office looking at my squirrel painting which I have framed with my Fall Garland you sent me home with last year. What a lovely gift for your Mother AND for those lucky enough to receive them.
(I'm making all gifts this year and looking more to the Solstice for my inspriation rather than the 42" LCD TV's for sale.) xoxoxo
boxer: crafts and gimlets are our idea of a perfect evening, is it not? grrrrrrherhahaha. making a gift for someone shows that you care enough to spend time on them.
ReplyDeletesnow day! SNOW day? wow. does the city shut down like in the ATL? cause when it snows there nobody has to go to work. im not kidding.
have a great day! xoxox
What a cute idea! Love you and miss you lots.
ReplyDeleteThese are lovely! Yes, I can see how Christmas without headaches is possible again. I'll definitely do this. I wish I'd photographed for you a hanging bells mobile from '07 that was made from leftover felt and varying lengths of blue thread attached to the long side cut from the egg crate, which is how the bells hung and rotated naturally in the air. The bells were the cardboard egg cups from the crate, with "Elmered-on" green or blue felt and (Elmer's again) tiny torn paper snowflakes.
ReplyDeleteChickory,
ReplyDeleteOMG what a fabulous and generous idea to make Christmas presents for your mother's caregivers! Brilliant and so truly Christmas in spirit.
I quit making Christmas presents when I started making money. I noticed when we purged my mothers last residence she still had many of her handmade-with-love-from-me gifts and not the store bought ones from more recent years.
You have a wise and beautiful spirit my friend.
Uh-oh. Now the round label thingies are stuck to my cats!
ReplyDeleteLovely idea! I'm making my prezzies, too. Which, at the rate I'm going, means everyone gets theirs in 2013.
ReplyDeletegimlets or vodka tonics or hot toddies or whatever else will probably be more my speed this holiday season.......
ReplyDeletebut i do have to say that i positively ADORE the garland you sent me. it hangs downstairs on a window and every time i walk by, which is daily, i think of You!!
<3
XL's comment made me spit my vodka out as I am now home and thinking I want to learn how to make the actual flowers in your garlands. Me thinks that requires a trip back to the ATL and that makes me happy. YES! to your question; Seattle freaked out, but we have record lows in the TEENS and no power on the Island. What? My new snow tires got me around just fine today. Happy Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours My Chickee. xoxox.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you found a way to bring joy back into the holiday, Chickory Style. I love making food gifts, it feels way more personal.
ReplyDeleteI guess I could rig up a still in the back yard to make Boxer's gift?
lovin ' the handmade/ personal gift Christmas--as it is meant to be.
ReplyDelete"I played my best for him, paaaaaa rum-paa-pa-pum"
What a thoughtful gift for your Mom's room and for her carers.
ReplyDeleteIt is such a nice way to make a garlnd, maybe glue some silver glitter to the labels also, the white will look so pretty with silver tinsel too.
xoxoxo ♡
Nevermind about the garland ... I'm in love with that PHOTO of hte garland! Divine! What are you shooting with these days? I may have to copy it somehow.
ReplyDeletefaerie: sending you the love. xoxo
ReplyDeletenina: i would have loved to see that! im sure that styrofoam moves beautifully in the wind. have a blessed thanksgiving.
fishy: thank you. well my mom was a crafty type herself. and this is a good way for me to thank her caregivers - i can insert a little note in the packages. i have some really cool new designs...now i have a recycled brown kraft garland with sea shell illustrations. very florida, but not bright candy colored florida. like, old florida. l
have a blessed thanksgiving
xl: grrrrrrrherhahahha!!! I can SO see that. happy thanksgiving!
moi: oh i know that feeling. you have to start in august! have a blessed thanksgiving - is it to be cajun in nature?
foamy: i believe that garland was connected to your mother ....i am so glad you continue enjoy it. have a hot toddy for me...i get too headachey to drink much anymore. happy thanksgiving with your clan!
boxer: i saw your snow pix! wow!! i will send you a step by step for the stars. i got it from the best -martha. i think its on her blog. have a blessed thanksgiving!
shamu: some people have asked me to make my grandmother's turkey sausage and shrimp gumbo
for xmas. or eggy mac n cheese. tell me about your food gifts. happy thanksgiving!
aunty: word to ya mother ba rump pa pa pum
dianne: i do use some glitter - on the bird garlands. i sugar up the tiny bird illustrations. very very labor intensive though. xoxox
pam: a cheap canon power shot. amazing. have a great thanksgiving