Merry Christmas everyone!
 
It is so fun to give a gift that makes everyone happy!and being totally blown away when gifted with the "most perfect gift ever!" 
Everyone wearing their best Christmas sweaters....

Pictures with Santa...

 Holiday parties one right after another....

 are just a dry run for what lies ahead for New Years Eve!

 There is always one at every party though isn't there? If you can't think of that "one".... you know what that means? Its you.

What am I getting for Christmas? It is the same gift I give myself every single year...

 Merry-Merry Christmas!
big hugs,

Candy Cane Elves

I whipped up some Candy cane elves for my two grand kids to take to school for their Christmas parties. I have made the candy cane mice and candy cane cats and some Poinsettia flower candy canes in the past. I was going to make some penguin candy canes until I spotted some candy cane elves..... I thought they were so cute! So I whipped up a pattern and got busy making them.

I ended up making sixty of the candy cane elves. SIXTY. eiy-eiy-eiy... but oh so cute *wink*

Here is how I made them if your wanting some elves for yourselves~

Here is a printable pattern that you'll need to have to get you going.

 For each elf you'll need to cut out two green boots, one tunic, one face, one hair piece, and two hat pieces. For the collar cut one piece using some glittered paper. You will also use the glittered paper for thin strips for the tunic (front and back) and hats (front and back) trim. Keep the glittered paper scraps so you can cut out some small punched circles using your hole punch for the buttons and the boots pom-poms. Lastly you will need a small pom-pom and a red bow for the finishing touches.

For each elf you'll need two candy canes. I used a spot of hot glue to adhere the two candy canes together, then I went over that with some painters tape.  Your going to be putting a lot of work into these elves, so make sure they don't fall apart by just taping them, use the hot glue too.

Next, I added green boots to the legs of the elf.  I used double sided sticky tape to hold them in place on the actual candy cane. I then used hot glue to seal the boots together. I punched out glittery small circles using a hole punch and hot glued them to both sides of the tip of each boot for a cute finishing touch. For the tunic I put a spot of hot glue on the painters tape and and a dot on each bottom edge of the top to keep it closed and in place.

Once the tunic and the boots were in place it was just a matter of  attaching the face. I used red chalk for the cheeks and a sharpie for the eyes and mouth. On the pattern sheet is a printable for the cheek and eye placement along with a pattern for the mouth too. This way every elf is uniform in appearance.
After the features are put on the face I attached the hair and the hat. I made a neck piece out of a piece of pipe cleaner about 1 1/2 inches long which I wrapped with red paper. This is made to basically attach the head to the body.
I then used some hot glue to close the two head pieces together sandwiching the pipe cleaner neck in between.

 With a dab of hot glue on the front and back of the pipe cleaner I simply inserted the neck piece into the top of the opening of the tunic.

I added a red bow at the neck and a small white pom-pom at the top of the hat. Looks just like an "Elf on the shelf" doesn't it? 

 I decided not to add any mittens to the little elves as they just looked to big.  Did I mention I made SIXTY.... sixty... six-0.... 60.... #bestNanaever

I think my two grand kids will be happy passing these out to their classmates~
big hugs,
 

Cold Weather Craftin'

With the onset of cold weather I am spending a lot more time inside.... so much so that I've just recently completed crocheting eight hats. That darn cold cuts right through me... and although its only in the 60's... I'm suffering! *wink*

 The first two hats I made I using my grand kids school colors of blue and yellow. I think the hats with the ear flaps are the cutest things ever--- so that is the style of hat I made.

 After whipping up the two hats for my grand kids, I decided to make some more. So, I whipped up six more ear flap hats in the colors of my old Alma mater. Purple and Gold baby... purple and gold~

My old school hosts a monthly vintage flea market that I take part in... and there is a lot of old and current students attending each month so I thought these would be a welcomed addition to the event.

I also crocheted a bottle cozy for my soda bottle. I am going to be attending a few Christmas parties and I prefer to drink diet Pepsi over Coke or punch... so I normally just bring my own. Might as well do it in sTyLe~

 I'll type up my pattern I used to create the hats and post it to my blog... hopefully in the next post. The ear flap hats crocheted together pretty fast and the pattern is very easy to follow.

Stay warm my friends~
big hugs,