I Made My Own! What's Your Tradition?

 
Over the years, I have made several different ornaments for family and friends. I did my little tradition for about 14 years. I stopped about 3 years ago when I was going through the world’s ugliest divorce.   I didn’t just skip a year, I totally let the tradition go.

There were people in my life that actually looked forward to seeing what I will come up with to pass around each year. Some things are given out as sets, others are individual gifts.  If I passed out sets, I would have had to make hundreds of each item...lol. These are a few of the projects I have taken on.
 
The last year that I did an annual Christmas gift for everyone on my card list was the year that I made these.  It was a year I almost didn't make anything, until my then niece mentioned how much she was looking forward to adding this year's addition to her hope chest. So I got my butt in gear and thought of something easy, fast, pretty and shiny! They were used to spice up the place settings at Christmas dinner. Each person got one...and they got to keep them. They also look very pretty on a side table or where ever!

...this is about as close to a tablescape as I will probably ever come!
These are my bow tie pasta angels. Some have a lapel pin on the back for the ladies to put on their collar....and some (not pictured here) have a wire ornament hook glued on the back to put on a small tree. I made each person or  family a set of several of them so as to create a statement on the tree.

Here's her close-up!

These are my Snow Mites!

They were my 2007 Ornament, and a HUGE hit!

Each family got a set with enough little snow people to represent each of their family members.

These little mitten people are adorable...

A few that I have made...I was getting so good at them, that I made 100’s of them…and customized them to whoever wanted them.   I think I still have a few dozen in the storage box...lol

These light bulb men were my 2006 ornament.

They were the hardest challenge for me...I am NOT AN ARTIST! Those faces took me a long long time. I made each family member one...each friend one too...I tried to make them suit the person that got them.

This one has hair!

You should have seen the looks I got when I was outside spray painting light bulbs in July...one guy actually mentioned that it is possible to purchase light bulbs in colors...he thought I was going to plug them into lamps! lol

I don't recall which year these were...but they are slippers made out of a Christmas card. I stuffed them with little bunches of potpourri.

They took a long time to make. These ones are about 8 inches tall.

This is a larger version...they are about 11 inches tall.

The paper angels were the ornament for 2005. ( I think) lol

They are made out of coffee filters. I don't drink coffee...so they didn't go to waste. I had a really hard time finding the brown filters...most of them now are white...I had no idea!

They are a few years old...so they are not as fluffy as they once were...

I made these skates a few years back. Each person (or family got a set of 6 pairs each) They are made from Styrofoam...the eyelets are small grommets and the laces are craft rope. I painted them by hand with acrylic paints and they were a huge hit with the hockey families, and a few of the more athletic people in our family.


I have several others that I have made over the years, but I think I will wait to post them for another day...hey...a girl can only make a post so long ya know!

What do you make?

Do you have a tradition that you like to do?

Until Next Time…Happy Crafing!

*)*)*)… Expecting the world to treat you fairly cause you are a good person is like expecting the lion not to attack you because you are a vegetarian.

(¯`v´¯)
`*.¸.*´Glenda/Tootsie
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(¸.•´ (¸.•´ .•´ ¸¸.•¨¯`•.
www.tootsietime.com

linked in to Manic Mondays with the Mermaid

 12/14/09