crafty...

[thoreau]

I know it's early to bring it up - but - if you are going to do holiday crafts RIGHT - you have to get work early.


Every year - I make my friends a handmade christmas gift - and I produce a CD of Christmas/Solstice Music. I try to have these delivered by Thanksgiving - as many people put out their Christmas the day after.

Gifts are always customized for the folks they go to - like the Canadian Santa (see below) I made for Dwayne and Jud in Vancouver one year.

So this year - I have a couple of ideas....

Nutcrackers:



This project could really ramp up my customization skills. Adding pipes or cigars for my brother (bootedintexas), giving the Nutcracker a 'Phantom of the Opera' mask for Neil (mrdreamjeans), Pints of Creamstone Creamery IceCream for Mike, Kent and Brian for their first holiday together, etc.


or - I could do something more custom. I've thought of doing Marbelized Christmas Ornaments held in Manican Hands on a platform. Customizing the colours and the "sleeve" of the arm holding out the ornament. It would test my sewing skills - creating a custom "sleeve" for each project.

I usually do 10-12 of these each year.

Question: Does anyone of you crafty queers out there have a favorite project you'd like to suggest?

---

Here are some Santas I made when I lived in Boise:

Comments

[tbone1961.livejournal.com]

makes me kind of wish my cross stitching was not so time-consuming. then again, if I downsized the actual projects, something might actually get done.

honestly, I only have 1 hr or so to finish one up for Randy's parents for Christmas. I have no idea why, but I haven't been able to pick it up since Dad died in June.

I don't think there's any sort of correleation between his passing and having started this for Randy's parents. Then again, subliminally, could be!

[low-fat-muffin.livejournal.com]

My cross stitch projects usually take YEARS - I made septimuswarren a pillow for his wedding (eons ago?) and it took a year to complete. Cross stitch is definitely something that you don't rush at. and the quiet and thought time that it creates - does allow your mind to stop.

[jhitchin.livejournal.com]

I've hand-made Christmas cards before. I also have a papercrafting pattern that makes a sliding card. You pull from the left and another panel slides out to the right. You can affix gift cards there if you wish, for example.

I was just thinking you could make a card that the CD goes in. That might work.

[macduff131.livejournal.com]

sadly, i didn't get the crafty gay gene. but i did get the musical theatre gay gene.

[apparentparadox]

Just be sure to avoid lead-based paint! It's a bitch when your christmas gifts get recalled.

[low-fat-muffin.livejournal.com]

LOL! exactly!

[kent4str.livejournal.com]

Especially since mrdreamjeans might think it's scenery and chew on it for a while...

[kent4str.livejournal.com]

Aw - what a sweet idea (no pun intended).

I've got a Christmas project book from the 1950's that was my grandmother's, and I've made a few ornaments from it for our tree. I'd love to find the time to make something for this year, especially, but doubt I'll be able to.

Then again, I've got oodles of supplies lying around - maybe I'll take something to the trailer this weekend...

[low-fat-muffin.livejournal.com]

thats when the best crafttime happens - when you pack it for a trip and just set aside an hour or so.

[bootedintexas.livejournal.com]

One thing i did one year is making Biscotti batter. without the wet ingredients. Then put the recipe in a fabulous little card, and basically it was "add two eggs, stick of butter and mold into loaf, bake at 350 for 30 minutes"

You can get cute mason jars in pride colors.

[bootedintexas.livejournal.com]

focus mcduff. focus. (grin)

[macduff131.livejournal.com]

oooh! something shiny!

[cuboz.livejournal.com]

It's been SOOOO long since I tried any craft related exercises or skills.....

So bloody gorgeous - and you are SOOOOO gay! LOL

:-)

[truthfeather.livejournal.com]

Voodoo dolls, er plushie likenesses of your friends or characters from books?

Quote books or framed quotes done in calligraphy are also quite fun, and meditative.

Knitted restraints? Colorful and practical.

[bearfuz.livejournal.com]

You're such a ho-ho ho!

[prisoncitybear.livejournal.com]

When I was in my last year of school, student teaching and dirt poor, I made all my friends baklava for Christmas. I plated it up on some festive plates, wrapped it in red cellophane and you would have thought I gave them each a solid bar of gold as a gift.
Food is art!

[low-fat-muffin.livejournal.com]

thanks, sweet tart!

[bearfuz.livejournal.com]

That's me!

"Burton"?

[low-fat-muffin.livejournal.com]

My name is a family enigma. Burton McDiarmid was the man who adopted my father. So Burton. and Robert - well - was what my father chose to go by rather than his real name, Francis. So my Mom named me Robert thinking it would make my Dad happy (he was at sea in the NAvy when I was born, and they didn't realize they were having twins) - and apparently it did not. But then my Pop was disagreeable on just about every subject. He put the "c" in curmudgeon.

[cuyahogarvr.livejournal.com]

I like the dry ingredient recipe idea in neat little jars too. I have a couple of friends that do that and I think it cool. I've had all kinds of soup, different kinds of bread and pastries from these little gifts.
I used to do ceramics and porcelein but just haven't had the time, money or location. I love your Santa's.