Peppermint Candle

"My first copies of Treasure Island and Huckleberry Finn still have some blue-spruce needles scattered in the pages.  They smell of Christmas still." -Charlton Heston

This is the first of my smells of Christmas posts.  There is nothing like peppermint: in candy canes, hot cocoa, or cookies.  It screams Christmas to me!  This candle looks the part of Christmas, but hopefully, when lit it smells like it too!

Materials:

• Small Pillar Candle
• Peppermint Candies (unwrapped)
• Hot Glue

Directions:

1. Hot glue peppermint candies onto candle.

It really is as simple as that.  Enjoy the candle and the leftover peppermints!

Kirby Ornament

"Maybe Christmas, the Grinch thought, doesn't come from a store." -Dr Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas

I love the splash of color this Kirby ornament adds to the tree.  It definitely grabs my attention when I wander by.  I always played as Kirby when playing Super Smash Bros., so he needed to be a part of my tree.

Materials:

• Bulb ornament
• Pink, blue, white, and red paint
• Black puff paint
• Blush
• Paint brushes

Directions:

1. Paint the whole bulb pink.  Let dry.
2. Paint two blue ovals for eyes and a red half a circle for the mouth. Let dry.
3. Add a small drop of red paint to some pink paint.  Mix together and use this color to paint Kirby's tongue.
4. Outline the blue ovals with black puff paint and draw in a black circle at the top of the eye. Let dry.
5. Using the back of the paint brush Dot two white dots onto the black circle.
6. Using the blush, lightly brush on some colors for his cheeks.

Enjoy another geeky ornament to add to your tree!

Zelda Health Ornament

"Unless we make Christmas an occasion to share our blessings, all the snow in Alaska won't make it 'white'" - Bing Crosby


Christmas is a time of heart and soul.  It is a time to count our blessings.  Also, to use that time off to play some video games.  This ornament is based on the Legend of Zelda heart shaped health.  I love this ornament, not sure why.  

Materials:

• White felt
• Red felt
• Polyfill
• Needle 
• Thread
• Scissors

Directions:

1. Cut out two red hearts and a half a heart.  
2. Lay the hearts out over the white felt and cut out an outline around them.
3. Cut out another piece of white felt in the same shape.
4. On one of the white felt pieces, sew on the red hearts.
5. Sew the two white pieces together, leaving some room for stuffing.
6. Stuff with polyfill, and sew the pieces together.
7. Attach a loop of thread in order to hang it on the tree.

Now you will always have health for the holidays.  

Book Purse

"The main reason Santa is so jolly is because he knows where all the bad girls live." -George Carlin

Looking for the perfect gift to make for that book loving fashion-ista in your life?  I would recommend this book purse.  All over the internet you can find people making these purse and even giving instructions.  That was great, except for the fact that they actually took the book apart.  That hurt my heart a little bit.  It is alright when I do that to craft books from the 70's.  (Yes, I know macrame was popular once upon a time).  However tearing apart a book just because you like the design on it or (gasp) like the book kills me a little.  I decided that I was going to take the ideas from the hard covers, and use the book jacket to make my purse.  Simple, cute, and functional.  

Materials:

• Book Jacket
• Purse Handles
• Fabric that goes well with the book jacket
• Cardboard
• Velcro
• Liquid Stitch
• E6000
• Scissors

Directions:

1. Cut cardboard to match the size of your book jacket (minus the inside flaps).  Glue cardboard to the jacket and inside flaps to the cardboard. 
2. Cut four strips of fabric and using the liquid stitch, glue them in thirds length wise in order to hide the cut ends.  (If available I would suggest using a sewing machine).
3. Put these through the purse handle attachments and attach the ends together with liquid stitch.  Glue these to the book using E6000.
4. Cut out a piece of fabric the same size as the book jacket.  Glue this to the inside of the book jacket using E6000.  (I didn't, but I would suggest hemming the fabric first for a cleaner look). 
5. Cut four rectangle fabric pieces that will fit the sides of the book and have room for overlapping.  
6. Hem these pieces and glue them together so you have two rectangles with the patterned side of the material on all sides. (Again, if you have access to a sewing machine I would suggest using that).
7. Using E6000 glue these into place on the sides.  I had to let the sides dry over night before I could glue the bottom of these fabric piece into place.  (If you want a less sticky method, try the method I found later at Instructables).
8. Hem another rectangular piece of fabric.  Glue this on the back, middle-top side of the purse for a pocket.
9. Finally, glue two pieces of Velcro on the purse.  This will make sure that it can seal.

This months book club book was The Marriage Bargain by Jennifer Probst.  It was an easy read, at a time of year when that should probably be appreciated.  The female protagonist in this story owns a book store, which holds a dear place in her heart.  Alexa would be proud to tote around such a cute purse, and still have the actual book to read later.

Have yourself a Geeky little Christmas

"'One can never have enough socks,' said Dumbledore.  'Another Christmas has come and gone and I didn't get a single pair. People will insist on giving me books.'"  -J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

I don't lament with Dumbledore's statement, bring on the books for my Christmas presents!

It is time to trim the tree again, which means it is time to share my Christmas tree.  I made or painted the majority the ornaments on the tree, and added the "Angel" to the top.  Everyday the tree makes me smile and allows me to add something new when I get the urge.

In sticking with the fact that this blog is dedicated to books, the first ornament I am going to share is my Twilight/vampire inspired ornament. 

Materials:

• Red felt
• White embroidery floss
• Sewing Needle
• Red Thread
• Polyfill 
• Scissors (for fabric)

Directions:

1. Cut out a pair of lips from red felt.
2. On one lip with the embroidery floss and needle, embroider a set of fangs and teeth.
3. With the fang side facing in, stitch the lips together.  Leave just a little bit of room open at the end.
4. Flip the lips so that the stitching is on the inside and stuff with polyfill.  
5. Stitch off opening.
6. Attach a loop with embroidery floss or the red thread.  
7. Hang on your tree for your first geeky ornament.

If you aren't into Twilight, might I suggest Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice. This is the first book in The Vampire Chronicles.  Good thing it's scarf season, less likely to get bit.

Countdown to Christmas

"I once bought my kids a set of batteries for Christmas with a note on it saying, toys not included."
 -Bernard Manning

December is here again, which means it is time to start counting down to Christmas.  Every day this month I am planning on posting a project.  Some are going to be decorations, some ornaments, and some present ideas. 

This craft project I created for a Christmas in July project at a camp.  These projects are kid tested and easy to prep for.  Plus, craft sticks make for a classic homemade ornament look.

Materials:

• Red paint
• Brown paint
• White paint
• Peach paint
• Black paint
• Black sharpie
• Small heart shaped foam piece
• Small square shaped foam piece
• Two very small triangle foam pieces
• Small pink, red, and orange circle beads
• Two black buttons
• Yellow bead
• Small white pom pom
• Brown pipe cleaner
• Small strip of felt
• Small strip of plaid fabric
• Ribbon
• Scissors 
• Paint brush
• Markers (of choice colors)
• Tacky Glue

Directions:

1. Prep for craft by painting the craft sticks.  Paint brown sticks for the reindeer, white sticks for the snowman, and mostly red sticks (except for the bottom part black and a little bit from the top a strip of peach paint).  Paint hearts white, triangles brown, and squares black. Let dry.

Santa:

   1. Glue heart onto the craft stick to form a beard.  Point the point of the heart towards the black.  

   2. Draw a face on the Santa using the sharpie.  Also, draw belt and buttons on his suit.  

   3. With white paint, draw stripes on the boots and the white strip on the bottom of the hat.  

   4. Carefully glue the the pom pom on the top of the hat and the pink bead onto the heart.

   5. Attach ribbon to form a way to hang it onto the tree.

Reindeer:

   1. Paint two white ovals a third of the way down on the brown craft stick.  Let dry.

   2. With the sharpie, draw a mouth on the reindeer and two black dots on the eyes.  

   3. Glue the red bead on the reindeer. 

   4. String the yellow bead onto the plaid fabric.

   5. Tie around the bottom of the reindeer.

   6. Glue the triangles onto the side of the heads of the craft sticks for the ears.

   7. Create antlers out of the pipe cleaner, and glue onto the craft stick.

   8. Attach ribbon to form a way to hang it onto the tree.

Snowman:

   1. Draw a face onto the snowman.

   2. Glue orange bead onto the snowman for the carrot nose.

   3. Draw stripes or a pattern onto the felt. Cut small cuts in the sides of the scarf. Glue the scarf onto the snowman.

   4. Cut the square into the shape of a top hat and glue onto the snowman.

   5. Glue buttons on the snowman.

   6. Attach ribbon to form a way to hang it onto the tree.

There are so many books about Christmas, so many of these posts wont include book ideas with them.  May your holidays be filled with joy and crafting.

Thanksgiving Earrings

"My cooking is so bad my kids thought Thanksgiving was to commemorate Pearl Harbor." -Phyllis Diller


I like the thought of Thanksgiving: getting together with friends, family, and neighbors to celebrate the harvest and give thanks for what they all have.  (If only the mass murder and stealing of land didn't occur after the fact).  I do love all the foods though.  Turkey, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and pumpkin pie (baked without the cinnamon).  In order to show my love of Thanksgiving foods, I made some earrings of my favorites.

Materials:

• Brown Polymer Clay
• Orange Polymer Clay
• White Polymer Clay
• Head Pin
• Fish Hook Earrings
• Toothpick

Directions:

1. Form a oval ball out of brown clay.
2. Create two drumsticks out of brown clay.
3. Attach white clay to the bottom of both of the drumsticks.  
4. Attach drumsticks to the main part of the turkey.
5. Create a circle out of brown clay.  
6. Add an orange circle of orange clay onto of the circle of brown clay.
7. Create a snake of brown clay. Wrap it around the outside of the pie.  Create the pressed crust look but pressing a toothpick around the outside. 
8. Create a snake of white clay.  Spiral on the center of the pie to create a whipped topping look.  
9. Insert headpins through the and of the fishhook earrings and attach to the earrings.
10. Bake at 225 for ten minutes.

The classic Thanksgiving book, A Turkey for Thanksgiving by Eve Bunting, tells the story of Mr. and Mrs. Moose and their hunt for Turkey.  This is a cute story about friendship and how Thanksgiving is about togetherness, not necessarily what is on the table.