Saturday, December 27, 2008

A Homemade Christmas

As I told you in an earlier post, my family decided to draw names and make homemade gifts this Christmas. It was our first time attempting something like this, and it went over so well that I think it will become a yearly tradition. I am happy to show you what each of us made...

This first gift is what my son, Morgan, made for me. It is a mosaic, and if you look closely, you can see the image of the dolphin in the blue tiles. Didn't he do a fabulous job?

This next one is what my oldest son, Mason, made for Morgan. He decorated Morgan's initials using this abstract way of coloring that he learned in his school art class, then he put it in a nice frame. Mason spent a long, long time on this, and Morgan was thrilled with the result!



This next one is what I made for Mason. I remember having a huge string art ship that my grandfather made hanging above our couch when I was a little girl. I thought it might be neat to introduce my kids to this old art by doing Mason's name the same way. As I had hoped, Mason loved it and can't wait to hang it above his bed.


I was tickled that Michael was as excited about this idea as I was, and he knew immediately what he wanted to make. When we were getting ready to draw names, he announced that he wanted to make Maddox's gift. We told him that he can't just CHOOSE who he wants, that he has to draw like everyone else! To this, he said, "Well, whoever I draw is going to get a wooden tractor!" ...so we let him have Maddox. :) Michael's becoming quite handy with wood and tools! (some of you may even remember the ink pad cabinet he made me?)


And finally, because I was going to have to assist Maddox in this project, we let him "choose" Daddy. Together, Maddox and I made this little keepsake box that Michael can keep in his briefcase so he can always have a piece of his little boy with him... it's an Altoid tin with Maddox's handprint wrapped around it. When you press on the "Love You Dad" circle, you will hear Maddox saying in his cute little voice, "Hi Daddy! I yuv you Daddy!".

On the inside is a picture of Maddox, along with the sound recording box that I got from Build-a-Bear workshop... little 2-year old voices are so precious, and I wanted Michael to be able to take Maddox's message with him on business trips. In the empty space above the recording box, I will be placing a piece of Maddox's favorite blanket - but I'll need to get some scrap fabric from my step-mother-in-law (who made the blanket) so I don't have to ruin the actual blanket.

So there you have it... our own little homemade Christmas! Thank you for allowing me to share it with you. It was a pure joy to watch each of our kids take this idea and make it special. I look forward to many more years of beautiful, *priceless*, homemade gifts.

16 comments:

Marilyn Goodrich said...

Wow, what a wonderful new family tradition! You can tell how much love everyone put into their gifts. Thanks for sharing! :-)

Anonymous said...

Simply wonderful. How very special for all of you. savor every moment they grow so fast.

Jenn said...

Those are awesome! What a wonderful idea and each person can truly appreciate the time and effort that went into every gift. These gifts will forever be precious to each of you.

Unknown said...

What awesome gifts everyone made for each other!! This is such a great idea and each of these gifts will sure be treasured for years to come!! Thanks for sharing these special items with all of us!! I am glad to see/hear you had a great Christmas and here is to a great New Year!!

Anonymous said...

What wonderful gifts! What a wonderful family. Blessings to you

Liam said...

Just Fab little gifts you all did such a great job. All those items were definite keepsakes. Your children are so talented. What a wonderful way to share Christmas. It looks like everyone put a lot of effort. Thank you for sharing your special gifts.

Liam

Carpenter's said...

Oh my goodness, what a Christmas you had! All the gifts are so amazing. What a great new tradition. Happy New Year!

Darla said...

All of these gifts are amazing, you are all so crafty! How on earth did you make the "string" name for Mason? That is very very cool looking for a boy, especially, to hang in his room. Looks hard too, I wouldn't know where to begin!

Amanda said...

I LOVE LOVE LOVE all the homemade gifts!!! Can I come be part of your family--my homemade gifts don't seem to go over very well.. I think commercial mass produced products have become too much a part of everyday life for lots of people. I can't wait to see next year's creations!!

Angela said...

Wow - what great gifts!!! I love seeing homemade gifts, especially when the kids and dads get involved!

The altered altoid tin is a fabulous idea - the handprint wrapped around the front...too precious! TFS!

Mamawheelie said...

Those are really awesome gifts! Terrific work by all of you. (I especially love the Altoid tin idea. Wish I'd known about it when my husband was still in the Navy; I had to settle for the actual Build-A-Bear bear.)

Anonymous said...

That is so wonderful! What a special Christmas you all made!

LuAnn said...

what a very special tradition to start! sounds like it was very well received by everyone in your family! the love in the gifts just radiates for everyone to see!!

Arcticstamper said...

This is a wonderful way to celebrate Christmas as a family!
These turned out so nice.
Hugs from Alaska
-Darleia

Cheryl Hirzel said...

Wow! Your gifts to each other are amazing for a "first year" of a tradition! Our family has downsized similarly - focusing on "more of Christ" and less "mess". I made felted wool slippers this year - a huge hit with my family.

Tru said...

What a wonderful idea, and so precious! We'll definitely be rethinking how we do Christmas this year.