Whew! I'm glad that's done. The tree needles are vacuumed off the floor, and I'm pretty sure that I collected everything around our home that is Christmas-y and sent it off to the attic for a long winter's (and summer's, and fall's) rest.
But, I couldn't expect the Christmas stuff to have an enjoyable winter's rest in a messy attic, so I had to set it to rights, making sure all was organized, neatly stacked, and settled in before I gave the last tug on the pull-chain light and backed down the pull-down ladder.
I love a tidy attic. Makes me want to drag out a sleeping bag, a flashlight, a good book and have a camp-out up there. Okay, maybe not, but it did feel good to glance around and savor the sigh of accomplishment that blew through.
Now, I think I better get on with what this post is really about. Because it's not really about tidy attics and sleeping Christmas trees, it's about our handmade holiday gifts.
(I had to wonder if sharing holiday gift details on January 6 was the thing to do, 'cause it is January 6 and all, but then I saw this post over here , and this one & that one over there, and I knew I was in good company, and on the right January 6th track.)
Although an entirely handmade holiday may not be realistic (how do you make a Nalgene water bottle?), it is important to me to pass on to the boys the understanding that a gift doesn't have to be purchased, and that many times the gift becomes even more special to give when you've made it yourself.
So, we got to work, and in the middle of it all, were delighted to have a very dear and patient Grandpa here to help along the way.
First up, rubber-band rifles for the oldest to make for his two brothers (using the wonderful tutorial over at Blue Yonder).
Let the battles begin! (Hmm, no wonder I found so many rubber bands in the Christmas tree!)
The second boy's 'brother gifts' required tin cans, spray paint, brush paint, rope, and...
...one mean spray painter!
A little detail here, a little detail there, following Grandpa's instruction.
And we've got can walkers!
Bigfoot feet
And elephant toes clip-clopping 'round 'n 'round.
Now, the littlest brother had an easy hand in making the gifts for his brothers.
Mama did the freezer-paper stencils (this one from the Bigfoot-loving oldest brother's own sketch of Harry from Harry and the Hendersons)
Then, the little brother daubed on the fabric paint. Two tees showing his two brothers' loves.
(Have you tried freezer-paper stencils yet? Fun, fun! I've read about it here and there and everywhere, it seems, but we followed the instructions in Amanda's book, here.)
Of course, we couldn't forget our wonderful Daddy. So, these three got busy on some cut-to-size (thanks, Grandpa!) pieces of one-inch board.
Special messages and drawings were written on the backs.
Decoupaged to the fronts, were junk-mail sailboat images (sample holiday cards) for their sail-boat lovin' and dreamin' Daddy.
Speaking of that Norwegian, sailboat-lovin' Daddy, Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas for him without lefse. So, this Norwegian potato flat-bread was my handmade gift for my guy.
He's very well worth the 2 1/2hours of rollin' and grillin'.
Our holiday handmade.
