So before I reveal the winner, let me say I've LOVED seeing all of the imaginative creations you wonderful people have come up with! Here are just some highlights of the submissions:

Character aprons...

A bedtime bag complete with books, PJs, stuffed animal, and bath toy...

and homemade marshmallows with cocoa packaged tightly with a bit of peppermint by Christine.

Baby doll diapers...

a rainbow ribbon wand...

an adorable fishing set...

and crayon roll by Kate.

Lynn's alphabet blocks and ABC tote.

Cute nativity...

Fashionable flower headband...

Colorful tote...

Little girl's purse...

and character pillows by Zeelightful.

Repurposed jeans for a sewing notions roll...

and quiet book by Cindy.


Seeing everyone's projects was inspiring! I want to try some of your ideas... be prepared. But the homemade Christmas gift that was most inspiring, unique, and interesting was:

A child's kitchen made from a worn desk. Awesome! Kate is the winner! The crayons will be on their way Kate, just drop me a line with your address at nicole.shiffler@gmail.com.


Thanks everyone!

We made a quick decision in a matter of hours to move one day earlier to avoid this white, flaky stuff.

After throwing loose socks, books, and peanut butter-randomness into boxes and lots of lifting and moving, Saturday came and so did the snow. But we were safe, somewhat settled, and kept warm with cocoa--sadly one of the few food items we did bring from the old place in the rush.

Alas, stockings were hung, a Christmas Eve birthday celebrated,


and Christmas came with simple gifts and longings for familiarity . During all of the festivities, we've tried with all of our might to make these new walls home. We're getting there. We're beginning to feel peace from all of the commotion.

All I want is my sewing machine to find a home, to find matching socks, and to take a walk in my new neighborhood at night and feel like its mine. Then I will have arrived.

1) I'm going to show you how to make this cool "On the Go" case with customized music as a gift.

2) I'm extending the giveaway until December 29th, since some of you have voiced your concern of revealing gifts on your blog to the recipients of your gifts before Christmas. Good thinking. Once again, post your creative concoctions of gifts no later than noon EST the 29th.

Now, on for last minute gift making.

The Concept:

Customized CD(s) of music for the car stored in a slender, tidy carry case to be taken on trips, thrown in a bag, and the likes, with slots for additional favorite music to be added to.

My Particular Customized CDs:

1) My older girls and I singing our favorite songs, nursery rhymes, Caroline making up songs as she goes, and made up stories about the people we're making the CD for.

2) Some of my favorite children's books read aloud.

3) One classic story, like Little Red Riding Hood, read aloud with the prominent character's name changed to one of the recipients. (ie. "Little Red Riding Johanna")

Make the CD:
Choose your material-- books, songs, hand written stories to read aloud.

If you have a Mac, use Garage Band to record. If you have a PC, check out what recording software works best.

I played around and found "Gospel Choir" in the Vocals section of Garage Band to sound the most like a professional recording.

You can see I wanted a slight echo and even more reverb. (I mean, Bobby found the perfect set up and I went with it!)

Then record. Edit mistakes and crying children in the background if necessary and then cut the CD.

Now when it comes to the carrying case, or the "On the Go" case, I'm going to give the quickest directions ever because of the mountain of boxes glaring at me in the corner, waiting to be packed.

Take a rectangle piece of felt and line up two smaller rectangles of felt, as seen above, and pin. Those will hold the CDs. Take a CD and position to get an accurate placement. Stitch the three sides. Done.

Now layer the felt to the fabric to the vinyl, which are all the same size, might I mention. You will pin your coordinating seam binding to the three layer. Stitch carefully, as the vinyl will sometimes stick to the machine. The less contact the vinyl has with the plastic machine as it passes through, the better.

Machine stitch the two sides of Velcro for the flap.

And there you have it: a pleasing, very personalized present for children, family and friends. If you can't sew a case, use cardstock and make a card with a pocket on the inside to slide the CD in and out. Then you can print your playlist and paste it to the opposite flap.

We're thinking easy here; do what time permits. And with that, I'll meet up with you again in a slightly distant place where there is, thankfully, no more shag carpet.

I know many of you are scrambling with 9 days left until Christmas! Remember, you have until this Friday, the 18th at noon EST to post here with a link to your blog of your homemade creations to win this.

Get creating!

Caroline's handwriting, especially the mixing of upper and lower case letters, puts a smile on my face.

So many good things are transpiring. My burdens are being lightened as the babies learn to put themselves to sleep. Huge. I'm feeling renewed confidence in myself and loving real time with my other children, like wrapping presents and reading lots of books.

And to top it off, Christmas will be spent in our new home. Good things, indeed.

This week's Giving Guide project is one of those gifts you could make a million ways, based on your style, decorative paper and embellishments. It is a personalized notebook. It is small enough to slide into a woman's handbag, be toted around by a child, and versatile enough for grocery lists, journaling, sketching, practicing the ABCs, and to-do lists. This a great project to let your children help along side you for their favorite teacher or friend for Christmas.

Materials:

12 x 12 decorative paper/cardstock
8.5 x 5ish scrap coordinating paper
13 pieces of copy paper
stapler
ribbon, trim or rickrack
Velcro
hot glue gun
craft glue
button or embellishment

Cut copy paper in half, width wise.

Cut 12 x 12 paper to fit flush to the copy paper to become the cover. You'll need to work a nice crease around the card stock on the front and back of the binding to fit the cover perfectly slug. Cut excess cardstock off the lip of the notebook.

With the paper inside the cardstock cover aligned well, staple in a row through all of the paper. If the staple doesn't come through all the way, remove some paper to fit your stapler's capacity.

Now fit your scrap piece of paper to the binding to cover the staples. Again, work the paper to fit the binding snug by creating a nice crease around the binding.

Use your good adhesive to adhere the front and back of the scrap paper to the cardstock cover.

Glue down your rickrack or ribbon, securing slightly to the inside of the cardstock cover.

Cut out two small pieces of Velcro.

Glue one side to the front.

Take some sturdy ribbon, about 3.5 inches long, and cut with pinking sheers to avoid raveling.

Glue ribbon to the inside of the back cover with a good adhesive, lined up with the Velcro from the front cover.

Adhere the other Velcro piece to match. Hot glue will adhere the best to the ribbon since it is essential fabric. Use hot glue to adhere the decorative button on the ribbon as well.


Two Hours Later...

Somebody thinks it's theirs. We'll see.