Christmas Crafts

I don't know what it is about this time of year but it makes me want to craft more than any other season. Perhaps it's my love of Christmas and all things Christmassy. I am a sucker for snowmen and Santa dishes, candles etc. Perhaps it's because craft fairs abound at this time of year and inspires me with tons of creative ideas.

For some reason though this craft bug doesn't hit me until mid November. If I were to even attempt to make a profit with my cards or crafts, I'd need to be working up an inventory way back in August so come November 1st, I'd be all prepared to offer up my wares.

Combine this with the fact that finding time to craft what with three small kids, ferrying them back and forth to school and pre-school, working four evenings a week is almost impossible.

This year I am determined, however, to make at least one project. I did a digital photo album and calendar up this year for the parents via Shutterfly so I do have that under my belt. My other more ambitious plan is this:

Isn't that adorable? I don't have those exact colors but you get the idea. (For Pattern go to Bernat.Com) I thought this was so sweet I had all these grand ideas of how many small rugs I'd make for families and friends. Till my husband asked... "how much did the wool cost?"

Ummmm... "well it was $23.00"

him... "$23.00 for a rug?"

Okay, dearest. I get the picture. What you think of as "a it almost costs nothing" gift cause I made it myself turns into a $23.00 price tag per each. Add that to the fact that I never factor the costs of home made gifts in to the budget amount I've got fixed for a specific person cause after all... it was homemade. Yeah, I'm not a great business woman.

Add to that the fact that it turned out to be somewhat more complicated than I had figured. What I dreamed of whipping off two squares in an evening turned into a multiple evening project as I crocheted and subsequently tore out my stitches as I either had too many or too few stitches. Which is why I like the good old traditional granny square which practically crochets itself, not counting required.

So while I have it figured out now and actually completed my best square yet yesterday, I had to sit the children down with play doh at the table in order to even do a 1/4 it. Worked great and was even worth having to clean up the mess. I hate play doh mess. It always sticks to your clothes and feet cause they never like sit still. So we are on for day two of this only they are getting almost play dohed out have reduced their play doh creations to smearing it across the table.

In the meantime, I have grand projects of making little blankets and beds etc for the hamsters (electronic) we've bought the girls for Christmas. Yeah. We'll see how that goes. But not one Christmas craft project is on my list. Sigh. But then just how many wall hangings and home made angels can you make?

Has your husband put his foot down and told you to not bring one more Christmas craft into the house? Mine hasn't yet.. but he's getting there. ;)

Hand him Lowes Promotional Codes and maybe he'll be inspired to create something of his own.