Merry Christmas Garland
Here is a no-sew craft that I made a couple years ago that gets pulled out year after year at our house:
It's made of paper, but with careful storage it's been up for Christmas four years in a row now. I made this garland with some origami paper (that's where all the fun prints come from), an exacto knife and mat, and a couple yards of green grosgrain ribbon. Here's a step-by-step if you'd like to make one.
1. Download the letters from Martha (that MARTHA! so. amazing.) by clicking on the "ABC Letters Template" in this article.
2. Trace the letters you want onto colored paper, wrapping paper, origami paper, whatever. I like using origami paper because it's thinner and therefore easier to see the template through the paper. I'm pretty sure I bought my paper at Kinokuniya in San Francisco but their website is in Japanese and scares me so you're on your own there, friends.
3. Using an exacto knife or small sharp scissors, cut out each letter. This is the Soul-Sucking Step where you might want to give up and die. Watch some Arrested Development to cushion the blow.
4. Cut two slits in each letter the width of the ribbon or slightly wider and thread the ribbon through behind each letter.
5. If using two ribbons, tie ends together in knot and hang. Enjoy!
Here's a few more shots so you can see it in the kitchen (with new pendant light from company which will remain nameless for their ability to completely bungle my custom order not once but twice before getting it right. THANKS BUNCHES for that $25 off coupon though! *rolls eyes*).
OOP! Forgot the Halloween candy basket is still out. What can I say, we're working our way through the treats as s l o w l y as possible. And now they're so old even I'm not stealing them anymore. Try to focus on my amazingly tacky white Christmas tree instead.
Let's zoom in a little and take a better look. Notice anything strange about the ornament distribution?
Yes, that's right, there's definitely an excess about 3 feet from the ground. My little E is now old enough to exuberantly participate in tree decoration. And I mean exuberant: "This looks SO GREAT!" he yells. "Let's put THIS one on the tree!" "I can do it!" I think this is quite possibly the first year that every single Christmas ornament I own has made it onto the tree. Makes. me. so. happy. !!!
And yesterday he gave the "Baby Cheezus" ornament a kiss. This may elicit gagging noises from the peanut gallery but I tell you when it is your own child it's completely adorbs to see your child being affectionate to any baby, especially the Baby Jesus, even if it is a two-dimensional baby made out of popsicle sticks (I told some of the Crafters at last Thursday's meetup -- totally awesome again, by the way, pics to come -- about this hilarious pronunciation and Lisa told me I need to watch the Modern Family episode with the "Baby Cheeses" pun throughout. Can't wait!).
Is your tree up yet? Is your child saying adorable things that others just laugh politely at when you tell them about it? I promise not to make gagging noises. Even though I actually do have the stomach flu.
