Christmas Crafts

I was perusing the vast array of online bloggers this fine Christmas Eve when I came across a project inspired by Rockstar Divas: 12 Dates of Christmas. My husband and I have had those moments where we want to go out and do something, but are running low on ideas and this seemed like a great solution.

The Ingredients...
-12 envelopes.
-12 index cards, pieces of cardstock, or cards of your choice.
-Permanent markers in black or holiday colors.

The project took all of five minutes, the bulk of which was dedicated to coming up with date ideas. I did six dates in red marker, six dates in green, and then sealed them up and wrote numbers on the envelopes in a super simple (and amateurish) alternaing red-and-green motif:

I then added them in to one of his gift boxes, but they would also make a great stocking stuffer! Next year, I believe he'll contribute to 6 cards, but I truly love the idea however it is adapted and used. I am no stranger to a DIY Christmas. In fact, last year was almost entirely DIY...

I made our second year ornament, and a special ornament for our family...

The Ingredients...

-Glass ball ornament.

-Card stock.

-Word processor AND printer.

-Scissors.

-Ink pen.

-Your choice of ribbon.

-Charm.

-Ornament box.

I typed up our vows in a vintage font in a muted red, printed on card stock, and then cut them into thin strips. I used an ink pen to curl the strips, and release them inside the ornament. My curls improved since I made SEVERAL of these after this. I tied festive thin red and gold ribbons and added a silver-tone sand dollar charm since we eloped on an island.

I found red velvet ornament boxes at our local dollar store complete with cheap (mostly broken) hand-painted ball ornaments. I used them to store the ornaments I made (besides ours, I did the Lord's prayer for our parents and grandparents with varying charms, and a poem on daughters with a girl charm for his eldest brother) and three inch card stock strips to make label/sleeves for the boxes with the title and year.

Using a simply photo editor I made my husband this personalized print:

I chose a fun font, a saying special to us, and use two of the editor's 'stickers' to form the olive. For those not in the know, 'Olive Juice' is a way of saying 'I love you' that comes from the show Family Guy. When my husband and I were long-distance and did not want our first saying to be at a distance, we would say that as a way to cheat the system, haha.

Here's a little summary image of the finished products. 

What are YOUR favorite Christmas crafts?