Grandma Stories» Gifts

Christmas For Grandparents – Personalized Christmas Gifts For Grandparents

Grandma — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 23:37:52 +0000

Choosing Christmas gifts for grandparents can at times be difficult, especially since many if not most grandparents have a home full of just about everything they need. Having seen several lists of what are deemed to be the “worst Christmas gifts for grandparents”, it is easy to see why gifting grandparents with things like cookbooks or knickknacks that must be cleaned or dusted aren’t the best ideas for gifting purposes.

Many grandparents have already or are in process of downsizing their homes to smaller abodes, so the last thing grandparents or elderly people need or want is more “stuff” to fill shelves and spend time on cleaning. Finding the perfect Christmas gift for a grandparent doesn’t have to be expensive, can certainly be homemade and dearly loved, and the more personalized the gift is the happier the grandparents will be.

While many grandparents love to receive new photos of their grandchildren for Christmas or other occasions, a new twist on the photo gift is to make a homemade iron on transfer and put the grandchildren’s picture on a sweatshirt or t-shirt for grandma and/or grandpa to wear proudly. Using fabric paint for the grandchildren to put their little hand prints on the front or back of the shirt is also a nice idea, and some parents even have their children use a fabric marker to write a special personalized message on the sweatshirt for an inexpensive gift.

Both grandma’s and grandpa’s love to bake cookies with their grandchildren, so one homemade gift idea might be to make “jar gifts” from your kitchen with dry ingredients for making cookies, brownies, muffins, cakes etc and place the ingredients in wide mouth jars or Mason jars in layers, decorated by the grandchildren with pretty ribbons and recipe instructions.

Another nice Christmas gift idea for grandparents requires a little help from the parents for making a homemade calendar with computer software with photos of the grandchildren for each of the twelve months. The grandchild(ren) can help select some of the best pictures to be used on the homemade calendar for a personalized touch, and may even want to use some decorative stickers for special dates like birthdays, holidays and anniversaries. Kids can make some kitchen magnets with self-photos using magnetic sheets, or plain kitchen magnets in various shapes with small photos applied, poems, special phrases or quotes.

For grandparents who have gardens, making some personalized stepping stones with clay kits is another cheap gift idea that grandparents will love, or handprint clay kits for young children to give their grandparents with hanging ribbon to display on the walls of their home. Personalized Christmas ornaments are lovely gifts for grandparents to trim their Christmas tree each year, and many other do-it-yourself craft kits for making grandma a necklace or bracelet and many other homemade craft gifts.

For Christmas, grandparents of all ages and abilities love nostalgia. Giving thoughtful gifts that bring back memories of long ago and perhaps forgotten over the years can brighten the smile on a grandparent’s face, being reminded of fun family times and family gatherings with a digital photo frame to cycle through important happy events. Grandchildren making a homemade scrapbook with help from mom and dad is another inexpensive but well thought out gift for grandparents to cherish.

Many grandparents love to read books but may have difficulty reading books with poor eyesight, which makes audio books a great gift option. Noise-cancelling earphones or headphones with volume controls allows grandparents with hearing impairment to enjoy listening to their favorite music or TV shows without difficulty. Senior grandparents who have difficulty getting around on their own, but enjoy activities to keep their mind sharp, find gifts like crossword puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, board games, dominoes and crafting supplies wonderful gifts for grandparents to keep active.

Deciding on the best Christmas gifts for grandparents of any age is just a matter of knowing what their interests and hobbies are. Gift Grandma and/or Grandpa with a luxurious shower gift set or bath set for enjoying a soothing, warming and body-ache-reducing luxury bath or shower, perhaps with a bottle of their favorite women’s perfume or men’s cologne for a nice xmas present. As always, it truly is the Thought behind the gifts given that counts not the price tag, no matter how cheap the gifts may be, your thoughtful gift will be appreciated and cherished for many years.

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Christmas Preparation – Preparing Christmas Activities, Gift Lists, Cards and Xmas Dinner

Grandma — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 00:40:35 +0000

Christmas will be here before you know it. Year after year, we strive to begin preparing for Christmas very early into the holiday season, usually months ahead of time. Planning and preparing the various holiday season activities and parties to attend, as well as compiling a list of those we plan to buy gifts for, buying or making Christmas cards, preparing the Christmas dinner menu and guest list, and yes, all of the shopping for budget-friendly gifts.

As Dave Ramsey says, Christmas is not an emergency – it falls on December 25 every year, so you know it’s coming.

Preparing for Christmas well ahead of time, several months in advance even, helps a lot when on a tight budget. Watching for great sales and discounts on potential gift ideas throughout the year, and saving the gifts until Christmastime arrives, is a great help with sticking to a budget and not going overboard on expenses.

Creating a gift list with everyone’s names and any initial gift ideas, along with the total cost of each gift, can sometimes create sticker shock. By the time all of the names are added up, and what you initially think will be an appropriate amount to spend on each person, can sometimes come as a shock to the budget, where trimming names off of the list might be necessary in order to avoid going over budget.

Rather than actually removing names from the gift list, reducing the total amount to be spent on each gift recipient is a good alternative solution. Christmas doesn’t have to expensive, and paying for Christmas gifts with credit cards isn’t a wise choice either, which is why planning and preparing for Christmas by saving up money for purchases many months ahead of time is our preferred option.

We put a lot of thought into what to buy for someone as a xmas gift, and oftentimes we find buying something as a gift that we know is a true “need” vs just things on a “want” list brings us the greatest pleasure during the holiday season. Fortunately for us, it hasn’t been difficult to choose a gift for anyone we buy gifts for. Many times we gather ideas of what to give friends and family simply by paying close attention to any mention of something they’re needing and hoping to buy for themselves at some point in the future, making special note of what they’re needing, and we’re able to buy the item for them as a Christmas gift before they’ve had an opportunity to get it for themselves.

Homemade gifts for Christmas, or for any other holiday or birthday celebration, are among the most unique and thoughtful gifts one can give to another. The time it takes to make handmade gifts varies of course depending on how difficult the project is, which is just one reason why making fleece throw blankets and giving them as gifts is so enjoyable, because homemade throw blankets are quick and easy gifts to make and don’t cost much money to buy the fabric, and choosing fleece fabric that matches home décor is quite easy to do.

I’m not quite sure how many throw blankets I’ll be making and giving as gifts for Christmas this year, since I had already made around 25 throws and given most of them as birthday or anniversary gifts, or my personal favorite “just because” gifts. As much as we enjoy Christmastime with all the family gatherings, parties, dinner feasts and celebrating by giving gifts at Christmas, giving gifts to those we love and adore “just because” we love them dearly is our all-time favorite.

Every year, we create a spreadsheet containing all the names of people we’ll be buying Christmas gifts for, with added columns for jotting down gift ideas, estimated costs, and for making note of when Christmas cards were mailed out and to whom. We also include a column on the spreadsheet for the date gifts were shipped to family or friends living far away, and we keep the shipping tracking information close by to ensure the gifts arrive on time and aren’t lost in the mail.

For the most part, with few exceptions, we tend to spend an equal amount of money on gifts for each person. Sometimes that might mean one person may receive one wrapped present, while another person may receive two or even three gift wrapped presents, which only means we’re keeping as close to equal spending as possible. The only real exception to that is when we’re giving gifts to very young children and grandchildren, since at their tender ages, they can only see that another child has a greater number of gifts than he/she received and hurt feelings can ensue. We prefer to avoid that misunderstanding altogether.

Grandpa and I also find it helpful to split the gift list up, where he chooses gifts for some and I pick gifts for the others, so the responsibility is shared between us and reduces the potential of stress during the holidays. We don’t necessarily split the list equally, right down the middle, but that plan works well for us. Our family is continually growing, and we have another grandchild on the way, so somewhere along the line we’ll probably have to decide on making some adjustments on who we buy for and who may have to be dropped off the gift list.

Many families find that just buying gifts for the young children works well for them and their budget, and the adults receive no gifts at all, but still enjoy the love, fellowship and family gatherings even without gifts being exchanged. There really aren’t any “rules” to gift-giving at Christmastime, nor should there be, but it sure does help to begin saving up for the next year’s Christmas shopping spree in January.

Starting to save money for Christmas very early into the new year allows us the spur-of-the-moment gift buying for those we buy for that love their gadgets and electronics, and we’ve found many discount deals on what will ultimately become a Christmas gift by buying gifts well before the so-called “Christmas shopping season”.

By then, we’re finished shopping for gifts and they’re already wrapped and hidden away months and months before the masses hit the malls and struggle to find parking, while we’re comfy and cozy relaxing at home by the fireplace and listening to Christmas music. No Christmas shopping rush for us. That’s why Christmas planning works so well for us.

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Top 5 Gadgets for Grandma

Grandma — Tue, 17 May 2011 23:40:24 +0000

As you may already know, some grandmas are pretty much set in their ways. It’s hard for them to embrace “new school” applications, especially when it comes to technology—some find all those fancy tech gadgets and accessing the World Wide Web a tad bid too complicated.

But there are in fact special gadgets that are designed with Grandma in mind. To learn the top 5 grandma-user friendly tech gadgets that she might want to try, continue reading below.

5. The TKO Door Knob Turner. This low tech but highly effective gadget is designed to make turning doorknobs, faucets and valves a simpler task–a perfect gadget for grandmas who suffer with arthritis or for frail grandmas who have minimal manual strength. Price: $22.95

4. Kodak Pulse digital picture frame. It’s no mystery that grandmas love to receive photos of their grandchildren, but due to social networking sites like Facebook, more than half of all photos get posted online and never see the sight of a decent photo frame. Instead of having to go through the hassle of showing Grandma how to maneuver Facebook so she can view photos of her growing grandchildren, this new digital photo frame from Kodak allows family members to send digital photos from Facebook or via email directly to Grandma’s photo frame. All she needs is Wi-Fi internet access.

3. The Amazon Kindle. For Grandmas who love to read but suffer with poor eye sight, this e-reader may be the perfect solution. This is because it is made with a special “ink” that prevents sun glare and reads just like real paper, unlike computer screens that put strain on the eyes if looked at for too long due to the back light. In addition, the e-reader is light weight and grandmas can download books without having to stress about computer technical difficulties. Price: Starts at $114

2. JitterBug. There is no denying that Grandma needs a cell phone, at the very least for emergency purposes. But if the new smart phones are just too advanced for her, get her a simple JitterBug phone. This phone, which is especially designed for the elderly, has giant buttons and a clear, crisp phone screen— perfect for those who struggle with poor eyesight. If Grandma’s hands are too achy or shaky to scroll down her digital phone book, the phone also has a voice- activation system that will call contacts for her. It also includes an emergency button incase Grandma ever finds herself in an unfortunate predicament. Price: Starts at $99

1. iPad 2. The iPad 2 may seem like a gadget that is too advanced for Grandma, but in actuality it’s the perfect grandma-user friendly device. The large and simple icon buttons are easy enough for her to see and press; in addition the ultra-light weight design allows her to take her iPad wherever she goes. A great alternative to a heavy lap top or desktop computer, grandmas can do a variety of activities on a iPad, including some light reading, download brain exercises to keep their mind fresh to help fight dementia, video chat with children and grand children located in other parts of the country, and watch YouTube videos of their favorite cooking shows in the kitchen, for example. Starts at $499.00

Mariana Ashley is a freelance writer who particularly enjoys writing about online colleges. She loves receiving reader feedback, which can be directed to mariana.ashley031@gmail.com.

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Easy Beginner Sewing Patterns – Easiest Sewing Patterns for Beginners to Learn How to Sew

Grandma — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 21:13:32 +0000

As a sewing beginner, it makes sense to learn how to sew different things from easy sewing patterns, whether the patterns are free pattern downloads found online or quick and easy patterns made and bought from Simplicity and others. I’ve been making a long list of easy sewing and craft projects I want to make myself with my sewing machine, but I’m also planning on taking advantage of as many no-sew crafts and kits as possible too, for home use or to give as gifts for various occasions that come up.

I recently came across a complete list of sewing pattern companies, with many company names I’ve never heard of. The most well-known, popular pattern companies tend to be Kwik Sew, McCall’s, Simplicity, Stretch & Sew, Butterick, Burda, Amy Butler, Vogue, etc. Since my order for fleece and cotton fabric has arrived from my favorite online fabric stores and so quickly, I’m ready to really jump-start my sewing hobby by making several easy scrub tops, since Grandpa’s no-sew throw blanket is nearly finished.

At this point, I definitely fall into the category of beginner/novice vs. intermediate, advanced or expert, so it‘s important for me to choose from the easiest sewing patterns as a sewing beginner for quick results to stay motivated and not become bored or overwhelmed. It was somewhat surprising to find Vogue patterns in the “easy” category, since much of the fashion patterns and crafts I’ve seen made by Vogue don’t look easy at all, and definitely not quick.

Easiest Sewing Patterns For Beginners

As much as I like finding and using copyright free, downloaded patterns for sewing projects and crafts, I actually prefer to buy easy sewing patterns that are not only cheap but by reputable, well known pattern companies known for making patterns with easy-to-follow how-to instructions, pictures and diagrams, as well as detailed information on the amount of fabric needed and what types of fabric to use for what I’m trying to make.

For that reason, I really like Kwik-Sew and Simplicity’s sewing patterns for dummies because of how easy it is make sewing a hobby rather than a boring chore to be avoided, and there are so many great beginner sewing ideas to choose from. Some of the easiest sewing projects anyone can make with even a beginners sewing machine are pillows, door draft stoppers, pot holders, throw blankets, flannel baby blankets, simple tote bags, homemade grocery bag holder, sachets, hats and hood scarves, basic aprons, hair scrunches, pillow cases and shams, fabric eye glass case, wraps, pajamas and nightgowns, cloth napkins and placemats, baby shoes and slippers/booties, soft toys and more.

We’ve gotten more involved with recycling than ever before, and an easy sewing project on my list is to make some cheap cloth, reusable grocery bags out of unused, leftover, recycled fabric rather than asking for paper or plastic at the grocery store or paying for the cloth grocery tote bags at the store. I found a couple quick and easy stretch and sew patterns for tote bags that would make great grocery store reusable totes, and I’ve even been asked to make a few extras for friends and family who have begun recycling coffee grounds and want some fabric grocery bags in an effort to become more eco-friendly.

Clothkits

Years ago I remember hearing about the British Clothkits company mail order business, which specialized in selling silk-screened patterns pre-printed onto fabric – clothing kits for children and adults, containing all the materials needed to cut out and assemble clothes without the need of pinning paper patterns to fabric.

I looked up Clothkits online to see if the company had resurfaced, and if by chance there might be any USA Clothkit stores online or any stores at all that might sell cloth kits, as a quick and easy sewing project for beginners, older kids, moms and Grandma’s like me. An artist named Kay Mawer bought the Clothkits brand in 2007 and relaunched the UK company in 2008, which is great for people who live there but not so great for American’s who don’t want to pay the international shipping costs to have cloth kits delivered to the US.

While browsing Facebook pages “liked” by friends, I happened upon information about a store in Columbus Ohio called Lottie Da, owned and run by Amy Routh. Amy’s online Lottie Da Baby website says she’ll soon be selling Clothkits, but there’s no information yet on exactly when that will begin or how much cloth kits will cost consumers. Considering how popular cloth kits clothes are in other countries, it sounds like a great kids sewing project and a good one for sewing beginners to check out. If the price is right.

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Door Draft Blockers – How to Make Door Draft Stoppers with Door or Window Draft Dodger Patterns

Grandma — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 21:20:46 +0000

Door draft blockers are called by many different names. Door draft blocker, door draft stopper, door draft dodger, door draft stop and even a “bean snake”. Simply put, a door draft dodger, stopper or blocker is a long tube of fabric that is sewn and stuffed with various materials and used to keep the cold and windy outside air from coming into your house or apartment through drafty windows, doors and fireplaces.

Using door draft stoppers under doors, along drafty window sills, to cover any cracks where cold air leaks in or around fireplaces helps keep warm air in and cold air outside where it belongs, and helps consumers save money on heating bills and energy during cold and blustery winter months. During hot summer months, cool air conditioned air can leak out through the same cracks around doors, patios and windows, substantially increasing your electric air-conditioning bills.

Stop Door Drafts! Every home has at least one leaky door, window or window sills, patio sliding door, basement doors or windows, fireplace or attic doors that should be checked for air leaks. To check for any air leaks or cracks, feel around every door, door frames, windows and other areas of your home with your bare hand or cheek and see if you feel any amount of air leakage or draft.

You can buy snake-shaped door draft dodgers to guard and protect against air leaks that actually look like a snake with a whimsical designed red felt tongue and button snake eyes, or various animals like dogs and cats. Grandpa and I love the Hallmark Maxine door draft dodger we found on eBay, which could be used to block door drafts or as a decorative fireplace mantel shelf sitter.

How to Make Door Draft Stoppers

Making door draft stoppers is an ideal, inexpensive craft project for sewing beginners and a great kids craft project for older kids, sewn on a sewing machine (with help from mom or Grandma), crocheted or knitted. Beginner sewing books and simple door draft patterns with easy to follow instructions are cheap, with suggestions on fabrics to use and a list of things needed to make whatever style door or window draft stopper you might want to make.

Free, printable, downloadable sewing patterns can be found online to make fabric snake door draft stoppers, patchwork door draft blockers and very cute character themed drafty door blockers that look like a dog (dachshund, sheepdog, husky, lab, etc), cool cats, cow, leopard, dragon, hippo, camouflage, giraffe, bunny rabbit, Santa Claus, snowman, Wizard of Oz wicked witch of the west ruby slippers and legs draft stopper, dolls, a Star Wars space slug, brown wood fireplace log, a tree branch with green leaves, gnome and mushroom, and many other ingenious ideas for craft hobbyists.

If you want to make your own fabric stuffed draft snake with your sewing machine, you will need enough fabric to cover the area where your draft dodger will be placed. Fabric needed for making draft stoppers can be heavy duty fabrics like corduroy, denim (old jeans), upholstery or quilt fabric. You can also use 100% cotton, flannel, heavy stretch knits or polar fleece, polyester blends, super soft micro-suede fabric, dad’s old neckties, etc. If you have any leftover fabric pieces from previous sewing/craft projects, these would work nicely for making patchwork draft stoppers.

Besides your sewing machine (unless sewing seams by hand -ugh!), you will need measuring tape, matching or coordinating thread, good quality fabric cutting shears, your sewing pattern/template (if needed), straight/stick pins, funnel and stuffing materials. Optional materials needed for DIY draft stoppers, depending on what kind of draft stopper you plan to make, might include a variety of decorative accessories such as buttons for eyes, felt material for snake tongue, etc.

What to stuff your door draft dodger with? There are many ideas for stuffing materials that range from eco-friendly recycled products you may already have in your home like old socks, cloth scraps, old sheets, pillowcases, cut up sweatshirts or t-shirts, cotton gloves and towels etc will all make great stuffing for recycled door draft stoppers.

Stuffing ideas may also be sawdust, sandbox sand, dried beans, peas, shredded up newspaper, un-popped popcorn, aquarium gravel, cat litter or “yesterday’s news cat litter” made from recycled newspaper, pieces of quilt cotton batting, fiberfill pillow stuffing, polypropylene pellets used in beanie babies which are washable and nontoxic. Uncooked rice and feed corn is sometimes suggested for filling draft dodger snakes but is not recommended for homes with pet dogs or cats, and anyone experiencing trouble with mice should definitely not use corn or other grains as an organic filler for draft stoppers.

5 online resources where you can learn simple and easy ways of making adorable homemade drafter stoppers are:

Door Draft Blocker Snake Craft that Kids Can Make at CraftJr.com
Martha Stewart’s Draft Dodger Tutorial and Template at her website
20 Door Draft Snake Ideas for Do-It-Yourselfer’s at The Daily Green
15 Door Draft Stoppers, Dodgers, Snakes with FREE Patterns at TipNut (love this site!)
FREE Download, Printable DIY Door Draft Snake in PDF at VonFrau

Detailed, step-by-step “how to” instructions, pictures and printable tutorials to make your own door draft stoppers includes my personal favorite which is the “hot dog draft stop” snake I found on the craft stylish website, that I am in process of making into a Lab draft stopper for Grandpa.

Crafter’s and hobbyists can turn their homemade sewn, knitted or crocheted door draft stoppers into wonderful wintertime Christmas gifts, donate the draft stoppers to homeless shelters, senior citizens, low-income families in need, church groups, or even sell them online at Etsy.com or at craft sales or garage sales. Fun, easy to make, and best of all…appreciated.

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How to Make a Fleece Blanket Throw – No Sew Fleece Blanket Kits, Instructions and Patterns

Grandma — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 20:22:31 +0000

Making a fleece blanket is a quick and easy craft project, so easy that kids and grandchildren can make a no sew, hand tie fleece blanket in less than an hour or so. I’ve been planning on making fleece blankets myself since the standard size throw blankets found in stores are just too small and thin for Grandpa and I to keep warm during cold winter months snuggled up on the couch watching football or movies.

Since Grandpa is very tall, I’m going to make an extra long, extra large polar fleece blanket for a nice thick, plush and reversible fleece throw blanket big enough for both of us to wrap ourselves up in. The single layer throw blankets we have are not warm enough, so we end up grabbing a couple different throws and putting them together for thickness and warmth, so it just makes sense to do a make-it-yourself set of blanket throws for us.

No Sew Fleece Blanket Kits

As nice as some of the polar fleece throw blanket kits are that I’ve seen online and in stores like Joann Fabrics and Hancocks, more often than not the particular theme of the throw blanket is either for young kids and quite small, or the fabric for the throw blankets are downright ugly and don’t match our décor at all.

There are several blankets and throws that will make wonderful blankets for the kids and grand kids, in colors and Disney fabric styles they would like, and the pretty hand tied fringe and easy-to-follow kit instructions means these fleece blankets are an excellent craft project for grandparents to do with their grandchildren.

Patterns for fleece throw blankets are really not needed, since it’s just a matter of deciding how big or small the throw blanket should be for whomever the blanket is for and cutting the fleece fabric to that size. For my so-called throw blanket pattern, I’m just going to use an old extra long twin blanket and cut the fabric to that size, and then cut the selvage edging to make the hand tied fringe to the 4-inch or 5-inch length I want.

I’ve heard of people using an old square or rectangle tablecloth they aren’t using anymore as a blanket pattern, or a folded out newspaper like I’ve used, and making very cheap baby blankets out of flannel or fleece. Once I finish making all the polar fleece blankets I plan to make, I’m going to try my hand at making some quilt blankets with medium to heavyweight fleece, or maybe even make a fleece knotted patchwork blanket out of the fabric scraps left over.

How to Make a Fleece Blanket Throw or Hand Tied Throw Blanket

As fun and easy as the no sew fleece blankets are to make, I still want to use my sewing machine to sew fleece or flannel blankets with fancy stitched edges and crisscross stitching and satin borders. There isn’t enough time in the day or in my schedule to complete all the craft projects I want and plan to do as quickly as I’d like, so I’m making a list of how much polyester fleece (polar fleece) and flannel fabric I need to buy and have on hand for making single layer and double layer blankets and pillows.

How much fleece is needed to make a throw blanket all depends on the size throw blanket you want to make. Some recommendations are to make a homemade throw blanket is to measure and cut a 54 x 54 or 56 x 56 inch square of two pieces of coordinating fabric. For infant babies, one yard each of matching or coordinating fabric makes a good size double layer blanket, or just one yard of fabric for a single layer blanket.

Toddlers and older kids, 1 ½ to 1 ¾ yards of coordinating or matching fleece fabric is considered by some to be plenty for making a good size blanket for bigger kids. Of course, if a double layered blanket is what you’re planning to make, you’ll need to double the amount of fabric purchased to make a warm, two layer blanket.

Most suggestions for an adult size throw blanket say two yards of fabric is plenty for grownups, two yards for pattern fabric and two yards for a solid, coordinating color, for a total of 4 yards of polar fleece fabric. Grandpa’s fleece throw blanket needs to be bigger and longer than the standard size adult throw blanket in order for him to keep his arms, feet and toes warm under the blanket.

For Grandpa’s afghan throw blanket, I’m going to buy wide fleece fabric, wider than the standard size fleece fabrics sold in some stores. I may be able to buy a few extra bolts of polar fleece in solid colors and pattern styles, make the throw blankets and give them away to friends, family and give some away to homeless shelters and charities. That would be fun to do.

Make Your Own Do It Yourself No Sew Fleece Blanket

To make your own homemade fleece throw blanket or afghan, assuming you’ve already bought your fabric and cut the fabric to the size you want, lay the two pieces of fabric together on top of each other with the right side of the fabric facing OUT. Since these throw blankets don’t require sewing, and there is no turning the fabric right side out after stitching seams together, there is no need to put the fabrics together right side to right side.

Using a 5 inch by 5 inch square piece of paper, lay the paper square on one of the corners of your fabric. Cut out the first corner of fleece, being sure to cut through both layers of fabric with good quality cutting shears, then proceed to cut the remaining corners in the same way as the first corner.

To create the fringe edges, take your cutting shears (scissors) and cut fabric strips 4 or 5 inches in length and 1-inch wide around all four sides of your blanket. The length of fringe is up to you. Some people like 3 inch fringe, others 4 or 5 inch fringe, and still others like extra long fringe and cut their sections 6 inches in length. To make sure your fringe lengths are equal, you may want to use a measuring tape or yard stick to make sure each length is even with the rest.

Starting on one side of your fleece throw blanket, begin to tie knots into the fringe-cut fabric pieces, either using a basic overhand knot or simply tie knots as if you’re tying your shoelaces together. What style or kind of knot to tie is a personal choice; there is no right or wrong way to hand tie knots in blankets. Since I want the throw blankets to be reversible once completed, I’ll be tying every other strip on one side, and then flipping the blanket over to the opposite side and finish tying the remaining fabric strips so the blanket is totally reversible.

Be careful not to pull too hard on the fabric strips so the fabric doesn’t stretch too much, or you end up pulling so hard the square or rectangle blanket becomes a circle shape. Wash the finished throw blanket in cold water (not hot water) to prevent shrinking, and tumble dry on the dryer’s low setting or just hang the washed blanket to air dry.

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Kids Luggage Suitcase Sets – Melissa and Doug Trunki – Disney Suitcases For Kids and Babies

Grandma — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 22:45:48 +0000

Kids luggage, specially designed suitcases for kids, babies and toddlers are very popular for children of all ages for travel or when going to Grandpa and Grandma’s house for a visit. Children enjoy having their own luggage to call their own and put their clothes and toys in when traveling out of town, and since Grandpa and I have grandchildren that enjoy visiting, we thought it would be a great idea to look for kids suitcases for sale that are age appropriate and in colors or designs the kids would enjoy.

Kids luggage come in all shapes, sizes and colors. Children’s suitcase styles include backpacks, duffel bags, kids rolling luggage with wheels attached and are the right size as carry on bags when travel requires flying on an airplane. With a new grand baby on the way, we’ve of course looked for baby luggage as well. When our soon-to-be born granddaughter is coming to visit or spend the day/weekend with Grandma and Grandpa, the cute little baby girl will come supplied with everything she’ll want or need for a fun stay.

The toddler suitcases we found for sale are so cute, from popular luggage brands like Samsonite, and the Disney suitcases and polka dot luggage sets for kids or babies are not very expensive at all. To make it easy for young children to lug around their suitcases, luggage makers have fortunately made rolling luggage for kids, toddlers and even babies in the cutest styles.

Melissa and Doug Trunki Kids Suitcases

Since there is a new grand baby on the way, we were happy to find specially designed baby luggage by Child to Cherish in pink or blue colors that says Ready or Not, Here I Come Grandma on the outside of the suitcase. The very popular brand Melissa & Doug luggage called Trunki, part luggage and part riding toy, is prefect for little kids and toddlers who might otherwise grow tired pulling their suitcase or walking through the airport.

Older kids might be happy with solid color luggage or any number of character themes, patterns and styles of kids suitcases, but after seeing how cute the Melissa and Doug Trunki suitcase is for girls and boys, our grandchildren will have fun riding on their suitcase as a scoot toy and have the benefits of very own luggage all rolled into one.

While I’m sure there are many suitcase brands for kids of all ages available for sale to choose from, Melissa and Doug toys and wooden toys, puzzles, toy kitchen and play food, kids crafts, train sets, drawing easel, puppets and blocks for kids, and the extremely popular Melissa and Doug dollhouse for little girls are all high quality, trusted products. It only makes sense that Melissa & Doug’s luggage for kids on wheels, that little girls and boys can ride on and play with, would also be a high quality product parents and grandparents can fully trust.

Our toddler size granddaughter is almost two years old now and she has fun playing with all of the Melissa & Doug toys she has received so far and will continue to receive for Christmas, birthdays or as just because gifts, and the same goes for our yet-to-be born granddaughter when she makes her appearance into the world. Melissa and Doug’s Trunki comes in several colors for boys and girls, including Trixie pink, Sunny orange, Ruby red, Terrance blue, Jade green and Iris purple.

Disney Luggage Bags For Kids

Disney bags and Disney luggage sets and sleeping bags for kids are also very popular suitcases, with a variety of Disney character themes that toddlers and kids love. Some of the best known Disney characters like Mickey Mouse, Tinkerbell, Minnie Mouse, Little Mermaid, Disney Princess and the Frog, Winnie the Pooh and others are amongst the list of very popular kids rolling luggage, tags and backpacks.

With so many luggage options for little girls and boys, it’s sometimes hard to choose one over the other choices, especially when kids get a little older and become a tad picky. We’re nowhere near that kid stage with these little grandchildren being babies and toddlers, so until the children get old enough to voice their own preferences for a specific suitcase style or their parents choose their favorite, we’re going to go with Trunki by Melissa and Doug in pink and purple. Once the Trunki’s are received and tested out, maybe I’ll do a blog review about it.

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Best Last Minute Christmas Gift Ideas of Last Minute Gifts to Make or Buy

Grandma — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 08:00:42 +0000

No one can accuse me of being a procrastinator, waiting until the last minute to buy Christmas gifts for everyone on our list. Shopping for Christmas gifts at the last minute, within days, hours or minutes of Christmas gift-giving exchanges would make this Grandma stressed out and unable to enjoy the fun festivities of the holiday season. Christmas Eve gift shopping? Yikes!

Even though our Christmas shopping is often finished well ahead of time, gift-wrapped and ready for Christmas gatherings with family and friends, sometimes there is a need to buy or make a last minute Christmas gift for an unexpected guest. It isn’t much fun watching or participating in opening Christmas gifts when someone is invited at the last minute to a Christmas dinner party when there is not a single present for him or her to open. Awkward is putting it mildly.

I like to keep a list of a few last minute gift ideas for those “just in case” moments at Christmastime, gifts that are inexpensive but still thoughtful, and certainly something the child, teen or adult would actually like and enjoy receiving. If I were as crafty as I’d like to be, I’d have a few pre-made, homemade knitted or crocheted hats, scarves, mittens etc in a nicely decorated Christmas-themed box for those surprise moments when a last minute gift is needed.

Since I don’t know how to sew very well yet, and I certainly have no experience with knitting or crocheting or making other handmade crafts to give as gifts, I have to stick with quick and easy cheap gifts from a retail store or homemade gift ideas of things that can be quickly made and given from my kitchen. Homemade Christmas sugar cookies with icing and sprinkles, brownies, fudge, Pecan Sandies tea cookies, soup mixes in a mason jar, my pecan pie muffins with a recipe card attached etc.

Homemade Christmas food gifts like: rum cake, coffee cake, pumpkin bread, popcorn or granola mixes, caramel corn clusters, chocolate bark with or without nuts, homemade biscotti cookie samplers, canned jams and jellies, chocolate-dipped peppermint sticks, homemade hot chocolate mixes presented in a holiday-themed coffee cup or mug, all make easy last minute Christmas gifts to make and enjoyed by the recipient.

Last minute gift ideas for wine drinkers isn’t hard either; just make a small homemade gift basket out of a good quality bottle of wine, add some cheese and cracker selections along with a new bottle opener, wrap it all up in a pretty basket or box with some colorful cellophane and ribbon and you’re all set to go.

A last minute trip to our local grocery store or pharmacy offers some quick and inexpensive gift ideas of fruit and nut gift basket selections, varieties of bubble bath or novelty soaps, great smelling candles, gift cards for restaurants or movie theaters or electronics stores etc, gourmet coffee and tea gift sets, women’s perfumes or men’s cologne’s, just to name a few of some of the best things that can be found last minute.

Shopping last minute for Secret Santa Christmas parties at work with co-workers can sometimes be a challenge, especially when the maximum price for a gift is no more than five, ten or twenty dollars. We found a cheap webcam within the required price range and it was one of the gifts everyone was fighting over. Inexpensive tools for men or women, small electronic gadgets, digital photo frames, barbeque/grill tool sets, books from a top-notch author, movies, CD’s, magazine subscriptions all make excellent, quick and easy to find last minute gifts.

Last minute Christmas gifts for kids or grandchildren might include a couple of the most popular board games for kids, building blocks, jigsaw puzzles, stuffed toys, high-bounce balls, toy cars or trucks, etc. The possibilities are endless if you really put your mind to it. Gift shopping at the last minute before Christmas still means putting some thought into what the gift recipient likes and enjoys, specifically needs or wants for Christmas.

Even though we’re finished with all of our Christmas shopping and ready for just about anything, there is always the possibility that an additional guest or two will be added last minute to our dinner guest list. We’re not worried at all though, as we’ve got lots of ideas for gifts we can make at home, in the kitchen, or quickly run to a local store and buy a small gift for our house guest just in case.

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Decorative Christmas Boxes as Christmas Decorations to Decorate Your Home for Christmas

Grandma — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 20:49:59 +0000

I get a real kick out of decorating our home for Christmas. I love everything about Christmas. The Christmas music, lights, holiday-themed movies, parties, gatherings of close friends and family for a meal and presents on Christmas Eve, and especially the joking and laughter that goes with spending time with people you love and who love you.

Buying Christmas decorations to decorate for Christmas can get very expensive, so I’m always looking for great ideas on how to decorate for Christmas inexpensively, on a budget. While I’m definitely going to be working hard to make my own Christmas decorations with my new sewing machine, homemade decorations that look good and presentable, I can’t help but smile and laugh at some of the ideas I’ve come across lately. When I say that I laugh, I mean that in a very good way. I’m often amazed at the craftiness some people have.

When I approached Grandpa a few weeks ago to ask him how he felt about possibly giving Christmas gifts to some of the people we stopped buying for a couple of years ago, I expressed my desire to give Christmas gifts not only to the very young grandchildren but also some of the adults as well, and I was happy to hear that Grandpa was in agreement with me. I knew then that I needed to come up with pretty unique ways to decorate, at least inside the house, otherwise it wasn’t going to look much like Christmas around here.

Since I really didn’t have the time or money needed to go and buy Christmas decorations this year, I began looking for some alternative decorating ideas online that are easy on the wallet. That’s when I heard about decorative Christmas boxes, and how you can make your home look beautifully decorated for Christmas just by using small, medium and large boxes that you might already have in your home to decorate with.

There are different kinds of decorative Christmas boxes, with completely different uses. Some people buy decorative Christmas boxes to put Christmas presents in rather than using wrapping paper, ribbons and bows, etc. That’s not the kind of Christmas boxes I’m referring to though. The type of Christmas boxes I’m talking about comes from the long list of holiday decorating ideas found right here and on other sites that might be referred to by some as “dollar store” Christmas decorations.

Decorating with boxes means gathering up empty boxes in various sizes, from very small, to medium, to large boxes and wrapping each box with Christmas wrapping paper, ribbons and bows, and maybe even slap a nametag on the top and place the empty wrapped boxes in groups around your Christmas tree, livingroom, or other rooms in your home as a cheap and inexpensive decorating idea. My favorite thing to do with empty boxes as Christmas decoration is to use oddly shaped boxes, cylinder/tube shaped boxes etc along with the regular square or rectangle-shaped boxes.

What had not occurred to me until a friend mentioned it, is that wrapping empty boxes (or a few lightly packed boxes with non-perishable junk inside) with old, unused Christmas wrap and faulty bows (where the sticky tab doesn’t stick anymore) works very well to thwart off pesky thieves. Place empty, Christmas wrapped boxes under and around your Christmas tree and wherever else you want to use boxes as decoration pieces, until just before the Christmas Eve or Christmas Day gift-unwrapping foray begins.

My friend even suggested putting old, to-be-thrown-away shoes, boots, shirts, broken electronics etc inside the boxes that will be wrapped and saved for next year’s Christmas decorating, to give the added illusion of there being real Christmas presents inside the boxes (in case your home is ever broken to). That was when I started laughing. Some people are so crafty it makes me smile.

Another friend of mine knows how to make glass block Christmas decorations out of real glass blocks that are drilled into from one side and decorated all sorts of unique and special ways. She made a 3-piece handmade set of decorated glass blocks with cut-out nativity scenes and fancy lettering designs and twinkling lights for Grandpa and I, wrapped them all in beautiful red and golden ribbon and gave it to us recently as one of the most thoughtful gifts we could have ever received.

Even if my own craft projects of making homemade decorations, gifts and crafts don’t turn out as nicely as some of those I’ve seen lately, I won’t mind at all because I know I’m in the company of many good friends who will teach me how to make homemade crafts like the professionals they are. The cheap decoration of wrapped empty boxes…, now that’s a decorative idea I can do on my own.

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Handmade Christmas Decorations – Indoor Christmas Decorations to Make

Grandma — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 19:21:01 +0000

Making handmade Christmas decorations, Christmas tree ornaments, diningroom table and fireplace mantel xmas home decor is just one of the many reasons why I’m anxious to receive my new sewing machine for Christmas this year. Christmas is my all-time favorite holiday, not because of all the festive Christmas gift-giving or receiving gifts that goes with the holiday season, but because of what Christmas means to me personally.

To me, Christmas means spending time with those you love and who love you, remembering that Christmas is all about Jesus and all He did for us, not about Christmas presents. Christmas is a time of sharing and being with family and close friends, helping those in need who are less fortunate than ourselves, like people living in shelters or homeless people living on the street or those who don’t have enough food to eat. You don’t have to be a Church-going attendee to understand the true meaning of Christmas.

Decorating for Christmas, indoor and outdoor, can get very expensive. I’m not really interested in decorating every room in the house for Christmas, but I’ve gotten quite a few great ideas on ways to decorate for Christmas from online pictures and sewing patterns of things I can make myself, at a much cheaper price than simply buying decorations at retail or online stores. As a self-proclaimed sewing beginner, finding simple, quick and easy craft projects that I can make with my sewing machine or by hand, gives me so many Christmas decorating ideas that I don’t know where to begin.

I’ve made my own Christmas wreaths before and the wreaths turned out quite nicely, so much so that I’ve been asked a few times to make Christmas wreaths for others, and I was happy to oblige. A few years ago I was asked to make several wreaths of varying kinds and styles that would be sold at a church craft sale and the proceeds donated to charity, and I fully intend on making and selling other Christmas decorations and crafts where the profit proceeds are once again donated to charities.

I enjoy handmade and commercial Christmas decorations and ornaments of all kinds just like everyone else does. Angels, gingerbread houses, snowmen, reindeer, Santa’s and elves, they’re all beautiful and unique in different ways. Indoor and outdoor animated Christmas decorations make us laugh and smile, but I have no lofty plans of making animated decorations or wooden outdoor Christmas yard art whatsoever. I’ll leave the animated stuff and lawn décor to the skilled and experienced professionals.

To make Christmas decorations that are homemade, made by hand or with my sewing machine, will be a long-term project of making a variety of crafts to display throughout the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season at home, to give as inexpensive gifts or to adorn Christmas presents with homemade Christmas tree ornaments rather than using typical cheap ribbons and bows sold in stores.

I become a kid-at-heart during the Christmas holiday season, especially during our annual visit to a relatively expensive Christmas decoration store where I get some great ideas for decorating at Christmastime without actually buying much of anything at the very high-priced store. Virtually everything sold at the local Christmas décor store is handmade, including artificial Christmas trees, ornaments, stockings, tree skirts, countdown calendars, garland, home decorations, tablecloths, wreaths etc, but buying unique handmade Christmas decorations there comes at a very high cost that will drain your wallet dry rather quickly.

With my adoration for reindeer and snowman Christmas decorations being at the top of my list of craft projects to start making, besides the usual Santa’s and elves and sleighs of course, decorating the front door, fireplace mantel, kitchen, bathroom, living room and dining room areas for the Christmas season is going to be a lot of fun. It will also give me plenty of time and opportunity to greatly improve my sewing and crafting skills in order to feel competent and good enough to sell (or give as gifts) the homemade Christmas decorations I decide to make.

I’ll of course be watching closely for after-Christmas sales, discounts and clearances on exterior Christmas decorations to save for next year’s lawn displays. Finding unique and inexpensive blow up outdoor decorations shouldn’t be too hard, except at retail stores that have already been picked over and the only yard art left is stuff no one else wants either. I have no intention of turning the inside or outside of our house into a Santa’s village or “winter wonderland” at all, but it will be a lot of fun to at least have a few rooms decorated nicely for Christmas parties and family gatherings and not look so primitive and bare.

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