Decorate with Homemade Christmas Stockings

Kids will love to count down the days to Christmas

with this sweet treat-a-day calendar made from 

baby socks.

This is the best Advent Calendar idea I have come across!

Simple to make - hang festive holiday baby socks from a ribbon with clothes pins

tuck a small toy, notebook, colored pencils, stick of gum - My kids will LOVE this!

I also love that if I buy 12 pair of socks, I can make 2 advent calendars, 

hum, I wonder who I will be gifting it too?

Materials list and Instructions are here : 

http://www.marthastewart.com/article/baby-sock-advent-calendar?backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/easy-holiday-crafts#slide_15

Stockings made from sweaters

give the illusion of being knit by hand.

Print the basic stocking template here: 

http://images.marthastewart.com/images/content/web/pdfs/pdf3/sweater_stockink.pdf

Complete Instructions are here:

http://www.marthastewart.com/good-things/sweater-stocking?backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/easy-holiday-crafts#slide_27

Stockings made from 9 inch or wider fringed scarves

Download the template and instructions here:

http://images.marthastewart.com/images/content/web/pdfs/pdf1/1203_fringed_stocking.pdf

Paper Snowflakes

I love making paper snowflakes with children, 

Seeing all the different shapes we can create. 

Visit Marcels Kid Crafts for the free templates

http://www.marcels-kid-crafts.com/snowflake-pattern.html

these are the finished snowflakes - beautiful!

Visit MMM Crafts for additional templates and how to's

http://mmmcrafts.blogspot.com/2009/12/snowflakery.html

These are some templates you can download.

Just click on each template and then print.

Place the finished snowflake on an ironing board
cover with a thin cotton cloth and gently iron.
This will eliminate the paper creases and leave a crisp snowflake.

They come out intricate and very nice. 

Enjoy!

Thankful Jar

My oldest daughter, married now with children of her own, 

told me the other day she wants to start a family tradition this year. 

A Thankful or Gratitude Jar.   

I ran across this idea the other day.   

Heartland Paper has a great idea here: 

http://heartlandpaper.typepad.com/heartland_paper/2009/11/express-your-thanks-on-studio-5.html 

My daughter is going to do something a bit different.  

Each night at dinner, starting November 1st.

together as a family each person will write something

they are grateful for and put it in the jar (not telling anyone). 

Then on Thanksgiving they will read each slip of paper together

Make it into a paper chain and use it for a Christmas decoration on the 

Christmas tree or fireplace Mantel.  

Great way to remember to be GrateFul!

Christmas Ornament Wreath

Want to make a festive holiday wreath?

Little Nanny Goat shows us how to do so with 

inexpensive ornaments from the dollar store.  Check it out here:

http://littlenannygoat.blogspot.com/2009/10/ornament-wreath.html

Pine Cone Garland

Follow this link to Acorn Pies.

She provides a step by step tutorial

to make this lovely pine cone garland.

http://acornpies.blogspot.com/2009/12/how-to-make-pine-cone-swag.html