Holiday craft projects make gifts, decorations personal
By Elizabeth Harmon
It’s the time of year when we long to get reacquainted with our inner crafter.
Maybe it’s memories of making a special ornament at school or with Mom. Maybe it’s sumptuous magazine photos that make us long to deck our halls with homemade holiday splendor. Or maybe you need to play Super Santa on a Scrooge budget.
Whatever the reason, it’s a great time to let your creativity soar.
Jennifer Reeves of Harvard is a crafty mom year round, but agrees the holidays are special. Last year, Reeves and her children made an ornament that she can’t wait to pull out this year.
After de-constructing a small envelope and making their own from construction paper, they punched holes on either side and threaded it with a ribbon so it could hang on the tree. But the best part lies inside.
“We used a pretty piece of notepaper and decorated it and wrote a letter about our year together as a family. This year, we’ll get it out and read it and write a new letter to put in for next year. So it’s an ornament that’s also a collection of memories,” Reeves says.
Good ideas can be found everywhere, in magazines, online, in books and even in craft store aisles. Leanna Reinhold, a sales associate in charge of the crafts department at Crystal Lake’s Hobby Lobby store, said kits are good options for beginners or families who want to do a craft together.
“We have a lot of foam kits with Christmas designs that are easy to put together. A lot of people buy them to do with their kids,” Reinhold says.
The store also has free pull-off idea sheets for a variety of projects posted throughout. Many contain step by step instructions as well as a supply list of items that can be found right in the store.
Reeves, a former preschool teacher who now leads kids crafts at her church, agrees that simple is best when looking for family craft ideas.
“They want to do it on their own. I look for things that let them be creative, are age appropriate and when they’re done, will look how they’re supposed to look, so they don’t get frustrated,” Reeves says.
But Reeves also emphasizes that every child will do a project differently.
“I think for me, I love to see how they take a project and make it their own special masterpiece. They’re proud of it and want to display it or give it as a gift,” she says.
Connie Perez, owner of Aesthetics in Crystal Lake, said kids aren’t the only ones who need confidence when tackling a project. Many of her creations begin at a thrift store where she finds outdated clothes to transform into trendy wearables and accessories. She’s recycled 1980s cashmere into a classic cardigan embellished with rosettes she made from the pullover’s cuffs. An outdated Liz Claiborne sweater is reborn as a purse.
“People are afraid to take risks but at $3 a sweater, what do you have to lose?” Perez says.
Perez believes in using what’s on hand and often turns to her own closet or scrap fabric bag.
“It’s about looking at the fabric and finding the beauty in it. You can save money, recycle something, help the environment and get creative,” she says.
