Gifting:: Etched Glass Cookie Jar

Special post from Nikki at NikkiInStitches.

You can thank me now … or later … whatever’s easiest for you.

I know … I just gave you the perfect gift for that person that you were thinking “I really should get them something, but I don’t know what…I wish I could make them something…I don’t have a lot of time, so something simple…something cute, that I know they’d like.” (I know you’ve had this conversation in your head at least once this past week!)

Enter … this cookie jar.

And it takes like 10 minutes … now you really need to thank me!

Hint … If you love the star that totally puts this little project over the edge, I would also become a subscriber. You’ll have it just in time to put on your cookie jar…and everyone will think you are the craftiest!

Materials:

• Glass Cookie Jar (I picked mine up at my local chain craft store for just a few dollars.)
• Stencils (I made my own…see directions below.)
• Craft Knife
• Cutting Mat
• Temporary Spray Adhesive
• Glass Etching Cream (Again, I picked up a small bottle of Armour Etch…that will be more than enough.)
• Paint Brush
• Cookies!!

Directions:
1. Make Stencils
If you look closely at the picture, you can see I have two stencils that I used on my jar. The first is the “M,” which I just printed out from my computer (in Brush Script font, size 350), and then carefully cut out with a craft knife on my cutting mat. The second, which is harder to see, is a snowflake. This is simply just a punch that I had in my arsenal of craft supplies.

2. Adhere Stencil and Etch
Using the temporary spray adhesive, adhere your stencils to your jar, being sure to really get them down securely so that no etching cream spreads underneath them. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for the actual etching process. For me, it pretty much went: glop it on, then wait for it to dry. (The directions actually said to put on a thick coat, brushing in all directions, then allow to dry for 5 minutes.) When the etching cream was ready, I just took it over to the sink, and with water and a soft cloth, wiped off the stencils (since they are made from just printer weight paper, they almost dissolve in the water), and the dried etching cream, and project complete!
Here’s one more pic to remind you of how cute it is!
Enjoy…(and you’re welcome!),
Nikki, In Stitches
PS…What will you fill these with??
Here are two yummy suggestions:
A recipe for my great-grandmother’s butter cookies … they are the best!
Martha Stewart’s Peppermint Bark … I’ve made this in the past, it’s really easy, and it is one of my faves!
Want the directions to the origami star??
Take a look in this post: Origami Stars!


Nikki, In Stitches is offering 15% off everything in her shop for her EtsyKids Christmas in July Sale, just use coupon code JULY15 at checkout! Her headbands and hair accessories would add a lovely touch to your family picture for the Christmas card photo or complement a special holiday outfit.


Nikki recently launched a beautiful new website. Her blog is a delightful and fun read. A seamstress at heart, Nikki enjoys putting fresh twists on traditional crafts. Her modern methods mashed with old school techniques is a great source for creative ideas in crafting. It's instantly evident when you visit her blog and her shop. Thanks again Nikki for sharing this great holiday project.

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Freebie from Blush Printables:: Little Letter to Santa

Special post courtesy of Jen at Blush Printables.

When I was little, my brother and I used to leave a note out for Santa to read. We always set it out next to his plate and cookies, and we always left a little treat for his reindeer, too!

So here's a set of your very own free 5x7 printable letters to Santa. They come in three sets: Each with a coordinating color scheme, both with and without text.

Each Letter is a finished size of 5x7 and can be printed at home.

To use:
1. Download the Free Santa's Letters. The zip contains 6 files!
2. Print on cardstock (I use 110lb white matte)
3. Trim to size.
4. Have your child sign his or her name OR write their own personalized message to Santa!


A special thanks to Blush Printables for sharing this free printable. You can see more of Jen's beautiful designs in her etsy shop, Blush Printables, where she offers DIY Invitations and accessories for weddings, showers, birthdays and events. Blush is participating in our EtsyKids Christmas in July sale and is offering 15% off photo cards.

Jen has a beautiful blog that you won't want to pass up. She shares lovely pieces of inspiration and designs for brides and more recently babies! as she patiently awaits the arrival of her own little bundle. Jen is also extremely generous to her readers and offers amazing freebies throughout the year. So don't miss out and become a regular reader of Blush Printables.

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EtsyKids Design Challenge: It's time to Vote!

It's time to vote for your favorite item! Voting will be open through midnight EST, July 27th. This month, EtsyKids members were challenged to create an exciting new item based on a theme "All about the Boys!". We received a bunch of fantastic entries from some talented people. Each participant was assigned a unique random number. Please note your favorite from the list below and place your vote. You can also view each entry in detail by clicking on links provided at the bottom of this post or HERE.





(If you can't view the voting poll above, please follow HERE to vote.)

1. NEW Little Man in Overalls, 5x7 print by MossyRockDesigns
3. MATCH ME- Football- Memory Match Game has gone Green by applenamos
4. WYATT the friendly CRAB tee by twogreenolivetrees
5. Wee Woodland Gnomes (Set of 3) by MysticMoor
6. earflap hat scandi design by VillaPernilla
7. French Blue Jon-Jon Custom Handmade Fully Lined by RagsNRibbons
8. The Woodcutter's Ax (No 1) - Classic Wooden Tools for Children and Fairy Tales by prettydreamer
9. Baby Hat Skull and Crossbones by MFcrafts
10. Drive My Car: Children's Classic Neck Tie by PetalPetal
11. City Streets Play mat by ChildishThoughts
12. Boys & Baseballs Pillowcase by fireflyblankets
13. Boy's Security Blanket - Robert Kaufman's Space Walk Royal Designer Cotton Print with Blue Dot Minky by SnazzySnugglies
14. Custom Baby Boy Subway Art Font 1 by ChickadeeVinyl
15. Busy Little Backpack - Jeep by busylittlehands
16. Pinocchio Inspired Halloween Costume by lakiesplace
17. Boutique Chenille Burp Cloth Trio - Minds Eye Orange Circles by kdbuggie
18. The Original Bow Tie and Secret Mustache Tee for Boys by byohfiddlesticks
19. GUITAR CUTIE Onesie or T-Shirt - EKchallengejul11 by thenook
20. Child Backpack Teeny Tiny 2D Zoo in Pool by LittleSproutBaby on Etsy by LittleSproutBaby
21. Large Personalized Diaper Bag - Tan Denim - Fisherboy by TriedAndTrueDesigns
22. Christmas in July SALE 15% off - Kate Spade Inspired Nautical Navy Blue and Yellow or Navy and Kelly Green Custom Baby Shower Invitation by greenbeansie
23. Infant Bodysuit and Corduroy Pants: On the Go by NannyBoutique
24. newest....little man mustache tee or onesie by melondot
25. 30% off SALE Pirate ARRganic Cotton T Shirt by BoutiqueLuckyStars
26. Dinosaur Amigurumi Set of Three by HooksNLoops
27. Start Your Engines -- Color Creations Crayons -- Set of 5 Cars by DucksInARowBoutique
28. On-the-go Car Mat by BeepsPeeps
29. Red Orange Yellow Bandana Pants For Boys or Girls One Size Fits Most by TheVoodooKitten
30. Opihi hunting ankle biters from Happy Honu Maui BOYS barkcloth lavacloth SHORTS sizes 6 months to 5T by tikitales
31. Little Owl handprinted singlet by ali bird by smithandbird
32. You pick the fabric Boys Necktie by cuddlebuggifts
33. Boys and Their Toys - Cupcake Party Picks You Choose The Colors by designgirl16
34. Dirt Bike Stencil Onesie by MaxandMagnolia
35. Jon Jon Romper with Matching Hat by reetmomma
36. I am a Robot Wall Flag by MyNoisyBoys
37. Custom Romper Toddler Boy Cotton Twill Red White Stars, You Choose Size & Fabric by monkeyandfriends
38. Deluxe Car Roll With Playmat by thecrazyelephant
39. Robot Bison Booties Size 6 to 12 Months Ready to Ship by bisongirl
40. Letter Art 8x10 Custom Canvas Paintings with Name or Initials by paintingitpersonal
41. Magnetic Pirate Finger Puppets - Set of 5 with Magnetic Glove by sosimplesosweet
42. Tooth Fairy pillow - Sherman the tooth fairy pillow by Kooky Critters by kookycritters
43. Personalized Birthday Party Choo Choo Train TShirt or Onesie Great for Big Little Brothers by CutiesTieDyeBoutique
44. Donnie the Dragon by DinosInSpace
45. Fuzzy green Robot Pillow by BBsForBabies
46. Red Wagon Baby shower invitation - set of 20 by polkaprints
47. Aligator Applique Onesie- 6m 12m 18m by ChirpAndBloom
48. Personalized Applique Soccer 3-piece Infant Set by SewSeaminglySassy
49. Baby Gift Set with Hat, Bib, Burp cloth, Pirate by 2sproutsstitchery
50. Donegal cap for babies in four sizes by IrishHooksAndYarn
51. Knight Helmet by ThisNThatBoutique
52. OHIO STATE BUCKEYES Scarlet and Grey Helmet Hat - All Sizes Available - Size 6-12 months by marykaren
53. ohn Deere Tractor Applique Baby Boys Overalls size 6 to 9 mo Ready to Ship Sale SewSoNancy Boutique by SewSoNancy
54. Blue Batik Anchor Onesie or T-Shirt by hounddogdesigns
55. Memory Game- "Boy, Oh Boy, We're Having Fun Now" by MamieCo
56. Little Stinker Skunk Hat - Baby to adult sizes available by Redrane
57. Personalized Boys Pirate Red Short Sleeve Shirt by tagd
58. Out of this World Crayon Roll Organizer Great gift or Party Favors SAVE 15% by BabyChicCreations
59. 3..2..1..Blast Off Custom Baby Memory Book by CustomMemoryBooks
60. Child's hand knit blue sweater with hood. by bebbyjumpers
61. newborn to 3 months blue sack hat knit- ready to ship by ohbabydotcom
62. Boutique Custom Circle Appliqued Monogram Jon Jon Size 6 Months to Size 5 by fabricfunetc
63. CIJ SALE - Little Man Football Hat/Beanie with Brim by crocheting4baby
64. Custom Toddlers neck tie with velcro closure pistachio and brown damask by AngelDivineCreations
65. Dinosaur Birthday Invitation Customized with Photo and Party Information - Light Blue & Brown Colors- One 5x7inch Digital JPG File by papertreehousestudio
66. Mod Geometric Baby/Toddler Hooded Towel and Washcloth Set by SweeterThanSweets
67. Yellow Car 2 sided Red T shirt by LeighandMichael
68. Personalized Surfer Monkey Burp Cloth by OriginaliteeToo
69. Handcut and Painted Wooden 3 foot Wood Surfboard Wall Art Made to Order by myartsybaby
70. Twinkle twinkle Little Star. Childrens Blue 2 piece set 3-5 years. by denisejacobsohn
71. Blue Monkey Baby's Bib by ScarlettDaisies
72. Baby Blue Seersucker Sailboat Pillow Cover with Ties by loloepps
73. Blue and Brown Script Nicknames Blankie with Ribbons by SlugBugNoHitBacks
74. Dress for Success Small Waterproof Bib/Pacifier Clip Gift Set by QuiltedHugsBibs
75. PHOTO Prop - FOX - Hat and Cape - Newborn - Baby - Boy - Girl - READY to Ship - Cocoon - Orange - Rust by pixieharmony
76. Gecko Lizard Baby/Toddler Blanket by TwoLovebugs
77. Wrangler the Wild West Pony by MichellesZoo
78. Custom Boutique Crochet Tiger Hat UNISEX ANY SIZE photoprop each hat unique by BellaSeraBoutique
79. Pirate Tooth Fairy Pocket Pillow by KnittyMomma
80. Quilted Baby Blanket - Little Man by littlepearlquilts
81. Turtle Art - Father and Son Time..10x8 by HamjArt
82. Knit Stripes Baby Tassle Hat by thebitsybeau
83. Baby boy denim diaper cover- For the Boys by allthingsforbaby
84. Monkey Baby Blanket in Aqua and Brown by SquishyBee
85. Multicolored Blue Green Aqua Wool Baby Socks, Newborn to 3 Month Size (Item 374) by ThatsTheCutestThing
86. Brother Owls by tzburps
87. Amigurumi Rocket Man and his Amigurumi Sky Rocket by TheIndigoToybox
88. Boys 2t lounge pants with matching shirt by lilcleo
89. Little Man Bike Suspenders - 18-36 months by stargrafdesign
90. Birthday Banner with Surfing Boards by stitchinnetka
91. Little Man (or Woman) Professional creeper or t shirt - Name your color(s) by roseprintsonline

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Tradition:: St. Nicholas Day

The story of Santa Claus starts with St. Nicholas, a saint who was known for anonymous gift giving to the poor and needy. Although it is mainly a European holiday, many families inside the US celebrate aspects of St. Nicholas Day on December 6th as apart of Advent or as an activity in their Christmas countdown.

The tradition is that on the eve of December 6th, children place their shoes/boots outside their doors for St. Nicholas to fill with chocolates and candies, fruit and nuts and small gifts.

Harvest Moon by Hand, has observed this tradition with her children for a couple of years years now. "It is something that they look forward to each year. It's such a simple tradition, but one that I know they'll remember when they're older." She also uses the opportunity to teach them about who St. Nicholas was - his life, how he lived it and the impact he had on the world.

If you'd like to learn more about St. Nicholas and see what parts of the tradition you might like to enjoy with your family, the St. Nicholas Center website has many resources for individuals and families, religious and non-religious.

Many EtsyKids sellers have little gifts perfect for slipping into a child's shoe to help make the morning fun and exciting. And putting in a couple for sharing with friends and siblings helps to continue the legacy of St. Nicholas and warmth of the season. Here are just a few suggestions:

Set of 6 Saddle-stitched Pinwheel bows by thebitsybeau
Felt Play Black Cherries by pippiclippies
Dragon Fly Wooden Yo-yo by applenamos
Snowmen Pencil Toppers by MFCrafts
Red Rocket Moleskin Cahier Notebook by ClareBears

You can search shops participating in our EtsyKids Christmas in July sale by searching EK christmasinjuly or EK CIJ on Etsy. Each shop promotion is a bit different, so read each shops announcement or see this list of participants for the details.

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Tree Trimming with Auntie Robin

Today Auntie Robin shares one of her Christmas Traditions.
While I have only two daughters, my extended family is very big. I have been an aunt all my life and now have 76 nieces and nephews!! That’s counting my nieces and nephews, their children and even their grandchildren! Hence the name of my etsy shop, Auntie Robin.
With such a large family, buying that many Christmas gifts is out of the question. Many years, ago I started making Christmas ornaments every year for all the kids. I try to make something different each year with fabric, felt, and/or embroidery. My favorites so far have been little fabric stockings and wool felt ice skates. I’ve made personalized snowmen, gingerbread men, mittens, candy canes, you name it! Everyone thinks it’s fun to see what this year’s ornament will be. I usually sweeten the gift with a little cash or candy.
I love making the ornaments and other gifts. It’s heart-warming to hear that these are some of the kids’ favorite ornaments. One of my adult nieces has a separate tree in her home decorated only with ornaments I’ve given them. She has five children so over the years they’ve received a lot of them! A couple of years ago another niece gave away all their ornaments except for the ones I’ve made them. Now that she has little ones of her own, she appreciates that these ornaments can’t be broken!
It’s time for me to start making ornaments for this year’s gift-giving. I won’t mention what they are, but I’d better get busy!
During the Christmas in July sale, use Coupon Code CHRISTMAS15 to get 15% off all your in stock orders.

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Give Them the Sun and the Stars...

It won't cost an arm and a leg to take advantage of EtsyKids Christmas in July SALES! Christmas in July doesn't last much longer. Sweeten up your Sunday with special savings!

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Tutorial:: Beeswax Ornaments

This tutorial comes from Ann of Harvest Moon by Hand. It was one of their family advent activities. The results are beautiful and we are so pleased Ann is sharing how to make these charming ornaments.

These beeswax ornaments are made by pouring melted beeswax into ceramic ceramic cookie molds. The mold designs lend themselves well to the ornaments, and in the window, the sunlight reveals the pattern. It takes about a pound of wax to make eight ornaments.

The first step was to melt the wax. My daughter, emptied a huge can of black beans and washed out the container. I put the wax into the can and then into a heavy pot with a few inches of water.

The next step, once the wax was melted, was to pour it into molds. Initially, we poured the wax directly onto the mold. It ended up sticking. One of the ornaments came off easily, but the rest stuck. After getting the wax off, I put some vegetable oil onto the molds. We re-melted the wax and tried again.

This time, there was too much oil and the ornaments looked greasy. Removed all the beeswax and re-melted it. Wiped off some of the oil so there was barely any there.

Third time...re-poured the wax in the molds and put little holes where the ribbon would go through.

The beeswax hardens quite quickly. For the initial ornaments, we made holes with toothpicks through the wax so a ribbon would go through them. For the last batch, I put the ribbon in the back of the hardening wax.

If we had trouble taking any of the ornaments out of the molds, we put them in the freezer for a few minutes. Then they would come out easily.

After drying them for a couple of days at room temperature, I took a paring knife and cleaned up the edges as well as put a ribbon through the holes for hanging them.

My daughter and I enjoyed making these ornaments together, and look forward to making more of them.


Many thanks to Ann for sharing one of her projects for the holidays. Ann's shop, Harvest Moon by Hand is participant in our Christmas in July Sale. Save 10% on everything in her shop by using code EKCIJ10 (products only; not on shipping).

If you love these Beeswax Impressions but aren't up for making them yourself, you can purchase them in her shop here.



Follow Ann's articles and photos about homeschooling; arts and crafts; cooking; nature walks; natural living; needlework; and see what inspires the creation of products available through Harvest Moon by Hand by reading her blog.

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