A Gift a Month

Do you remember how much you loved Christmas when you were a kid? It was a magical time, filled with excitement. There were no worries and no stress. How I long for those days again! Now holidays are a time of stress; filled with countless hours trying to shop, bake, handcraft gifts and somehow make the holiday still feel special. Every year I plan to hand-make many of my gifts but each year as the holidays roll around the stress mounts and I start to whittle down my list of intended handmade projects until only a few remain. It leaves me feeling tired and disappointed with myself, so each new year I vow to be more organized and start early. Of course that has yet to happen, but this year I vow it will be different. This year I would like the holidays to be a time of magic again, or at least not a source of more stress and dread. My friend Val and I have accepted a challenge, make just one Christmas gift each month. One gift a month is certainly something I can do, right? Right!

Here is my first homemade gift. My mom recently came across a box of wine corks at a sale. She picked them up and brought some to me. I created this little memo board for her desk. I think she'll like it. It's about 7 or 8 inches tall and wide. I had thought it might make a good trivet but changed my mind and like more it as a memo board for pictures, notes, etc.

See that was easy. . . my first homemade gift is done with no stress, just pure crafting enjoyment! You can see Val's first Make It Monthly gift here. Feel free to join us and complete the challenge. You can grab the badge on the sidebar here or over at Yarnigras. Who knows, maybe next Christmas will be magical.