Crafting Central

Having a large island in the kitchen makes it a perfect place for crafts, school, and even meals; you're right in the middle (literally) of all that is going on around so projects take on a festive, communal flair (unless you're working on math!). This week, I wanted to have time and space for the kids to delve into some Christmas crafting, so I set out this tray this morning:



And here is my inspiration:



My mother's mother was a crafter and seamstress and she used whatever was at hand. Here she cannibalized a box of Cheerios to make a pattern for a folded 8-sided ornament. You've seen a million of them. I'm sure some 20-something Oregonian just discovered a stack of these at a thrift store and has already started a Flickr pool somewhere using "vintage" 1980's Christmas card. Well this one is definitely an original. Check out the free stickers - for the Bionic Man. Very groovy. I think in my nana's time they made them from old greeting cards (another pattern has a card from the 60's with "Keep Christ in Christmas", a movement I had no idea was so old), but we're using cardstock and decorating it with glue, tape, glitter, beads, and sequins. Fun!


Of course, now my island looks like this:



but what would Christmas be without glitter stuck to the soles of your feet!