Christmas DIY: Traditions | 25-Books-in-December

Happy Holidays! Today I want to share a special project that our family started in 2012. Originally inspired by Pinterest, I added touches better suited to my style and our family. We loved it so much that it's definitely a tradition that we'll continue for years to come! It's such a simple project that any parent can put together... you and your child can share your love of reading together all month long! The best part... it's a great way to start a wonderful collection of books that your child can enjoy all year!

When it came to gathering books together for this project, and being the frugal mommy that I am, I tried to find the most inexpensive route. I rotate my daughter's book collection every six months, so I like to include some of those books for this project. They're almost like new to her, since it's been a while since she's seen that particular book.

I also frequent the local Goodwill often and make it a habit to scour the children's book section. You do have to thumb through each book to make sure the pages are all there, and that they aren't covered with crayon marks. But it's definitely worth the time and effort, because the prices of kids books are incredible! And on that rare occasion you may find something you weren't expecting!

Here is the stack of books that I'm using for this year's 25-Books-in-December...

When I mentioned earlier that sometimes you find something unexpected, this is what I was talking about! 90% of these books came from our local Goodwill. You can imagine how excited I was to find numerous Hawaiian books for $.50 a piece! It was a great way to build my daughter's Hawaiian book collection :) The other 10% of them are from family members and cousins that passed down their favorite books. They were put away until she was old enough to read them.

So don't think that you need to go out and buy ALL brand new books for this project! "Be Green" and buy secondhand, like I did :) If you're a book lover yourself, you'll find much joy in searching the thrift store's shelves for books to be treasured by your little ones. I absolutely love it!

Next comes another fun part...I don't know about you, but I love wrapping presents! It's one of my favorite things to do during Christmas time, so I treated this batch of books just like a stack of Christmas presents! I alternated between pretty printed wrapping paper and brown Kraft paper, and adorned each book with a handmade tag and white & gold twine.

My Silhouette Cameo named "Candy" [a gift from the hubs last Valentine's Day ;)] helped with the tags. Super simple... no cutting for me! I decorated each one with various washi tape and hand wrote the numbers with some of my favorite pens. Some gold and white twine wrapped around each book finishes my 25-Books-in-December.

Christmas DIY: Traditions | 25-Books-in-December

PROJECT IN ACTION: Here is a look at a favorite book from last week. This is such a fun tradition! We get to read together as a family or one-on-one, and discover new adventures each and every night. We look forward to putting on our favorite jammies and snuggling up together with a new book. At the end of the night, it goes into a basket under the Christmas tree with the rest of the books we opened, to be enjoyed any time.

That's all I have for you today. I hope you enjoyed my Christmas post! If you're looking for more DIY Holiday inspiration, check out my handmade Activity Advent Calendar. I have even more fun projects, ideas, and inspiration on my "Holidays" pinboard on pinterest! Are you documenting December? I'm doing a December Daily this year! I'll also be sharing more of my Christmas projects this month, so stay tuned!

You can stay updated on all of my recent posts, projects, and photos by following me on instagram or by "liking" my fan page on Facebook.

Do you share this family tradition? Have I inspired you to try it? Any thoughts, questions, or comments about this post? I'd love to hear it! Your feedback is always welcome and much appreciated.

Mahalo for stopping by!

Christmas DIY: Activity Advent Calendar

This time of the year is definitely my favorite... and the year long wait it takes to get here is so worth it! Starting in November I plan and gather ideas for December. From daily bible verses and 25-Books-in-December [stay tuned!], to a handmade Activity Advent Calendar like this one.

I chose daily "Activities" rather than a candy or gift calendar. It's much more suited for our fun and active family. Brainstorm ideas that your family likes to do during the season. But don't ever set anything in stone, so it's easy to make changes to scheduling when need be. See how I incorporated my ideas into my Filofax 2013 Holiday Planner. This is the second year doing our Activity Advent Calendar, and it's so much fun! I included a lot of stuff from last year.. and added some new things too!

>> MAKE YOUR CALENDAR <<

I cannot give you a step-by-step of this project, since I made it last year before I started blogging. I do have a few photos that I captured on IG which I'll share with you. They aren't the best quality but they give you a good idea of how this project came together. I'm also including lots of updated images from this year's calendar.

GATHER SUPPLIES

This calendar was made using scraps and leftover bits and pieces from my 2012 Studio Calico December Daily Kit. Along with pretty holiday paper, I also used designs from my year-round collections. I repurposed two sheets of thick 12" x 12" chipboard, pieces of packaging that I saved from paper stacks I bought at Tuesday Morning. They're extremely sturdy and make the perfect "backing" for my calendar. I spritzed them with some of my pink glimmer mist to give it a subtle pop of color.

Using a homemade template with some pretty patterned paper, I created pockets that will hold tags and cards with our daily activities and scriptures. For each pocket, I added a pink number printable [download the set here] which I cut up and modified for this project.

PUT IT TOGETHER

I used some wide pink ribbon to connect the two boards together, punched holes at the top and bottom to attach a ribbon for hanging and a 6" x 4" pocket for Day 25. Each 12" x 12" board holds twelve 3" x 4" pockets perfectly.

HANG IT!

It looks beautiful hanging on the wall with a set of handmade t-shirt pompoms and a big pink bow using the same ribbon from the project.

FILL IT UP

I wrote 25 different activities onto a set of Outnumbered Journaling Cards. They're the perfect size for my pockets. Here is a list of some of the things we're doing this year:

...Read a book, write a letter to grandma, dance to Christmas music, take a photo with Santa, play a game, go on a nature walk, photograph the outdoors, drink hot cocoa together, create something: arts & crafts, buy a present for a loved one, watch holiday movies, build a gingerbread house, do something with Daddy [his choice], make pretty things, write to Santa, bake cookies with Mommy, look at Christmas lights, do something nice [a random act of kindness]....

I attached easy-access washi tape tabs and gold twine to the tags so my little one doesn't have trouble pulling them out. I figure this way, the pockets will last longer so we can enjoy our calendar for many years to come...

Any other ideas? Choose your family's traditions. Things you love to do during this special time of the year. Be creative and have fun with it!

We also read a bible verse together each day in December. I found a list here. When I came across these journaling spots, I knew they would be perfect for this part of the project. The "Story From December" being a bible verse is very fitting. It's nice to remember the true meaning for the season.

ENJOY!

That's all for today! I hope you enjoyed my crafty Christmas post and leave here feeling inspired to create something beautiful this holiday season! I have other fun projects to share with you this month like a customized Christmas Card Holder, and another daily tradition we call 25-Books-in-December. I'm also documenting the month with a December Daily album, so check back often to read about our holiday adventures!

You can find more free DD inspired printables and ideas on my "December Daily" pinboard on Pinterest. I have lots of freebies and inspiration on my "SMASH & PL" and "Printables/Templates" boards too! See how I stay organized through the "Holidaze" with my Filofax planners.

Stay updated on my recent posts, projects, and photos by following me on instagram, or by "liking" my fan page on Facebook. So why not head over there now and show some love...

Do we share this Christmas tradition? What's your favorite thing about advent calendars? Any thoughts, questions, or comments about this post? I'd love to hear it! Your feedback is always welcome and much appreciated!

Thanks for stopping by! 

DIY: Handmade Yarn Wig

Happy Wednesday! I apologize for the little hiatus I took earlier this week. I just needed some time away from my blog and other social media outlets to recharge. Now I'm back and ready to play catch up with my usual blog posts. But today, I have a super fun DIY project for ya!

Last week was the start of the Holiday season with Halloween. I really love that my daughter adores all of the characters that I loved when I was her age. So you can imagine how excited she was when I found a Strawberry Shortcake costume for her. It's such an adorable outfit and I know she'll get more than one day's use of it since she loves to play dress-up, so I didn't mind paying $25- for it. But the one thing I couldn't see myself paying for was the $20 hot pink character wig!

I knew there had to be a better [and cheaper] solution to complete my daughter's Strawberry Shortcake costume. And being the crafty mama that I am, I find pleasure in making things myself. So I wracked my brain for ideas and thought that a ragdoll-like wig would be a great alternative. But how do I start? While scouring the internet for inspiration, I came across this post from A Beautiful Mess. How perfect!

So here is my DIY for a custom, handmade yarn wig....

SUPPLIES

Yarn: In your choice of color. [30" to 40" strands]

Embroidery Thread: In a complementing color.

Embroidery Needle

Felt Strip: In a complementing color. [8" - 10"x 2"]

Hair Comb [Optional]

Ruler

Scissors

Ribbon

*TIPS: The length of yarn I started at was around 40". A great length for an adult, not so much for a 4-year-old. 30" is perfect for a child's wig. For the felt, I used an 8" x 2" strip, which fits my daughter's head perfectly. 10" is a good size for adults.

NOTE: I decided to share my DIY in two-parts: How to Wrap Yarn & Sewing Your Wig. I'll be providing you with easy directions and helpful tips to make the whole process super simple.

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HOW TO WRAP YARN

• 30" lengths of yarn produces a 15" wig when sewn in half. Find something around 15" or so to wrap the yarn around. Maybe a 15" length of sturdy cardboard, legs or arms of a chair [my choice], or even a metal baking sheet.
• Make sure the yarn is nice and taut (but not too tight) when you're wrapping.
• I found it easier to work in groups.
• Once you have a decent sized amount of yarn wrapped, grab a set of "loops" on one end, and cut the loops at the opposite end. 
• Slowly add the batches of yarn to your bundle. This is where the piece of ribbon comes in handy. Tied at the center of the lengths of yarn, it holds the bundle neatly together while you work.

SEWING YOUR WIG

• Lay your strip of felt vertically on a flat surface.
• Place your bundle of yarn (still secured with ribbon) horizontally across the strip of felt. Smooth out the strands by finger-combing. Make sure it is nice and centered before untying the ribbon.
• Arrange the yarn along the strip of felt, creating an even layer of "hair."

• Starting at the end closest to you, sew a backstitch right down the middle of the felt backing. The stitching acts as the center "part" of the wig. Be sure to make your stitching nice and tight! When you reach the other end, knot it off.

• This step is where you'll hand sew the hair comb near the front of the wig. It will help secure it to the hair. [I opted out of it since my daughter's costume has a hat. It holds the wig perfectly!]
• After your wig is done, place it on your [child's] head, and trim or cut to desired style. I cut my daughter's wig into layers, varying the length of sections by 1-2".

NOTE: I was originally going to style this wig with large bouncy curls to mimic Strawberry Shortcake's hairdo, but was unable to do that. I searched the net for ways to easily stiffen yarn but the hairspray option I chose didn't work. I think I'll try the diluted glue tip on the next wig I make. If it worked for you, please let me know!

What I love most about this project is how it was such a simple and inexpensive solution to a costume wig. And being able to customize it for any costume is fabulous! My munchkin is already asking for a red Jessie [from Toy Story] wig for next Halloween ;)

I hope you enjoyed today's post! If you're looking for more crafty fun, be sure to check out my other DIYs! You can stay updated on my recent posts, projects, and photos by following me on instagram, or by "liking" my new fan page on Facebook.

Thanks for stopping by!