Christmas Gifts- Coasters

 This year, instead of aprons (which were  BIG hit), I thought I would make a basket of creative items- all handmade (and incredibly inexpensive!). Part of what would go in the basket along with two different drink mixes, mugs (from the dollar store and personalized by me), and marble magnets (which I will showcase in the next blog post),  were coasters which cost me all of $1.00 for 4!
If you are interested in doing these, I've attached my instructions below. Just be aware you need about 2 days to make them.

Here is what you will need:
Polyurethane (whatever gloss you like- I used satin, but now wished I would have used a higher gloss) 
Tile squares (I got mine at Lowe's for 10 cents each)
Any pretty tissue paper, scrapbook paper or napkin you have. (I personally did not like the texture of napkins when I tried it)
Felt pieces or Foam pieces cut into squares the size of the tile
Strong craft glue (I uses E-6000)
Mod Podge

1.First cut a piece of your paper  larger than the tile piece.

2. Add a layer of Mod podge all over the tile piece and sides and then spread your paper over the tile carefully making sure to flatten the bubbles.

3. Carefully tear off the excess tissue. Don't worry too much if bits of side tissue come off, they will be relatively hidden.



4. This part takes some time. You will have to give the tiles 3-4 coats of polyurethane allowing each coat to dry in between. That takes anywhere from 3-6 hours per coat.

5. Lastly, using your strong craft glue, add either a foam piece or felt to the bottom of the tile for cushion.

That's it! Easy as pie and cost practically nothing.

Read a Book With Me

This year may be too late to find this book, but an idea for next year is a lovely picture book called Mary's First Christmas. If you love tender books; books to draw your children's hearts toward the Savior as well as books that draw their hearts to yours, you will love this Christmas story. From the perspective of Mary telling her young son (Jesus) about how he was born, it is a sweet reminder of the day that changed the world from the perspective of a Mother. It is well written (always a big hit with me) and well worth the read.

A Little House Christmas- On Plum Creek

On the Banks of Plum Creek was a lean, but happy Christmas for Laura Ingalls. Having left their happy home on the prairie, Laura and Mary sacrificed their desire for Christmas gifts for a pair of strong work horses for Pa. But Christmas morning was a cheerful surprise when Laura and Mary awoke to six pieces of candy apiece in their stockings.

"... they (Laura and Mary) knelt down together and said, 'Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take' and please bless Pa and Me and Carrie and everybody and make me a good girl forever'n'ever. Amen." Quickly Laura added, in her own head, "And please make me only glad about the Christmas horses for ever'n'ever amen, again."

A Little House Christmas- On the Prairie

Yesterday, I said we were going to have a Little House Christmas- if we can.


You can read about the Little House in the Big Woods gifts Laura got HERE . I love how happy she was when she got her 3 gifts, but how about these gifts?

Little house on the Prairie Christmas:

"Laura and Mary never would have looked in their stockings again. The cups and the cakes and the candy were almost too much. They were too happy to speak. But Ma asked if they were sure the stockings were empty.
Then they put their arms down inside them, to make sure.
And in the very toe of each stocking was a shining bright, new penny!

They had never even thought of such a thing as having a penny. Think of having a whole penny for your very own. Think of having a cup and a cake and a stick of candy and a penny.
There had never been such a Christmas."

A Little House Christmas- in the Big Woods

Out of any book ever written for Children, Little House on the Prairie Books are my favorites. Just last week, I was reading the Christmas chapter of Little House on the Prairie to my middle daughter Audrey and as we were getting to the part where Laura and Mary opened their stockings and pulled out their gifts, Audrey cried, " Momma, I want a Christmas like that!" I laughed to myself because I couldn't imagine a child, even a child who only gets three modest gifts like mine, being content with a tin cup and a penny.

But then I thought, " That would be an interesting experiment."

So we are going to have a Little House Christmas this year, if I can find everything for it.

Little House in the Big Woods Christmas:

"In each stocking there was a pair of bright red mittens, and there was a long flat stick of red-and-white- striped peppermint candy, all beautifully notched along each side. They were all so happy they could hardly speak at first. They just looked with shining eyes at those lovely Christmas presents.

But Laura was happiest of all. Laura had a rag doll. She was a beautiful doll. She had a face of white cloth with black button eyes. A black pencil had made her eyebrows, and her cheeks and her mouth were red with the ink made from poke berries. Her hair was black yarn that had been knit and raveled, so that it was curly. She had little red flannel stockings and little black cloth gaiters for shoes, and her dress was pretty pink and blue calico.

She was so beautiful that Laura could not say a word. She just held her tight and forgot everything else. She did not know everyone was looking at her until aunt Eliza said:

'Did you ever see such big eyes!'"