Have Myself a Crafty Little Christmas

I have great illusions of being a crafty person, and as I consider myself to be quite creative in other parts of my life, it bothers me that my crafting abilities have not really lived up to my own expectations. By crafty, I mean that I can look at a desirable item in an expensive catalog and then create one myself out of inexpensive objects that are around my home or that are on sale at Hobby Lobby. These projects start out sounding very simple, and seem to be foolproof as I optimistically shop for my supplies. Buy object A, use hot glue to affix it to object B, and voila! Instant frugal beauty.

Unfortunately, my results have been inconsistent. Occasionally a craft will work out to my satisfaction, but usually I end up with junk that is neither decorative nor useful, and which is rendered useless for any future projects because it is covered with hot glue.

I am happy to announce that I may have turned a corner, though. I have attempted THREE projects in the past month, and I am quite happy with all of them. I'm going to share my success with you: friends, family, and blog lurkers.

PROJECT 1: CHRISTMAS WREATH

I needed something outside of the house to make up for the fact that we do not have any Christmas lights (not to worry, our neighbors have enough for the whole street). You can't tell from the picture, but some of the pinks are sparkly and some are shiny.

PROJECT 2: DOGGY STOCKINGS

I realize that this is a controversial topic, but I wanted to have stockings for my dogs. My mother is a talented homemaker who set the stocking bar high by hand-sewing stockings for my entire family. We're talking three-dimensional, sequiny, save-it-for-posterity, stocking fun. I felt guilty for the store-bought stockings that I was hanging for Stephen and I as well as for our little substitute children, so I decided to personalize the dogs' stockings with my own loving touch.

PROJECT 3: Ottoman Tray (non-Christmasy)

When I bought my couches, I believed that the only thing I used my coffee table for was to put my feet on. So instead of buying a coffee table, I bought an ottoman instead. Once it was installed in the living room, I realized that I had also used my coffee table for holding drinks and snacks, and that my ottoman was not the right tool for the job. So I took inspiration from my Better Homes and Gardens, and started looking for a decorative tray to set upon the ottoman as a hard surface. Alas, the only tray that was even close to right was one I found at Marshalls, which had an attractive frame but an ugly design on the tray itself. So I bought the tray and mod-podged sections of the New York Times over the tray. I love the results. If you come over, I will make you admire my handiwork.

I'm stopping now to rest on my laurels. I don't want to push my luck.