Handmade Christmas Gifts

Last year I read on Design Mom's blog her tradition of having her children make Christmas gifts for each other.  And I looooooved the idea.  I'm always thinking of ways to scale back at Christmas time and not make it about more toys and more toys and more toys.  My children are two and four so they needed help but they made their gifts for each other this year.  Not only were they so excited to keep their secret, they each have really enjoying using their gift.
My daughter is two so I let her pick out some fabric to make a pillow case for my son.  He's often asking for character sheets and bedding and I'm just not interested in that.  At. All.  But, I can deal with a pillowcase.  We used flannel and made a tube pillow case.  Just google it.  Quick, easy and all the seams are enclosed and don't need to be finished.  I sewed the sides and back up with french seams and called it good.  So, okay, I made this one but she's pretty young.

My son is four and when I told him we were starting a new tradition he knew exactly what he wanted to make her.  A bag.  A "Tinkerbell" bag to put things in.  I took him shopping to pick out fabric and he came home and helped me cut and sew the bag together.  He loves to sew.  I let him work the foot pedal while I sewed the bag then gave him scraps to sew on while I ironed.

The most exciting part was seeing both faces as they opened their gifts.  They were just as excited to give their gift as they were to receive their gift.  And that's what it's all about.  (You thought it was the Hokey-Pokey, didn't you?)  We just found a new Christmas tradition.  Thank you, Design Mom.

In that spirit, they also made some hand made ornaments and bracelets for their cousins out of puzzle pieces and I crocheted little doll blankets for them.