Quick and Easy Stocking Stuffer - Felt Finger Puppets

This entry was written on Oct 30, 2008 by our Holidays Guru Katelyn Thomas

I used to buy felt finger puppets for the kids' stockings each year. When I realized how easy they were to make, I started to make them myself instead. This craft is super simple and even beginning stitchers can whip up some cute puppets.

Simply cut out two 2 1/2" long rectangles from a piece of felt. Round the top edge of each of them. Then, use other felt scraps to create a face. We like monsters, bats and bugs, but I've also done a cute little lamb and a puppy. On puppets for older children, I use googley eyes, but I stick with felt for the younger crowd. Sew on the faces and other decorative features. (I use a simple whip stitch to do all my sewing on the finger puppets.) Then, sew the two rectangular pieces together, leaving the end on the opposite side of the rounded edges unsewn. You have a finger puppet.

As you become more experienced, you will be able to make more complicated designs, such as our little bat.

Keep Track of Christmas Gifts

Every year, you plan to do Christmas on a budget. Every year, you end up overbuying for a few people because you forgot you already picked up a gift. Then, you spend more money on the rest of your friends and family to even things out. The solution to keeping your Christmas budget on track is simple.

To avoid buying Christmas gifts for people who have already been taken care of, you need to keep track of all of the presents as you buy them.

• Begin by making a list of every person you'd like to give a gift to this year. Putting the list in alphabetical order is the best option, but you may prefer to group the people you are buying for by what their relationship is to you.


• Write a dollar amount beside each name. For example, you may want to budget $25 for Christmas gifts for a toddler and $5 for a gift for a coworker.


• Carry your list with you everywhere. As you find a gift, check the list to make sure that person still is in need of a gift and that it doesn't go over the budgeted amount. Once you are sure the gift is right, buy it and check that person's name off on the list.

Spruce Up Old Glass Ball Ornaments

This entry was written on Sep 17, 2008 by our Holidays Guru Katelyn Thomas

When they are shiny and new, glass ball ornaments look beautiful on a Christmas tree. However, as they are used, the balls tend to become scratched and faded. Some people choose to throw out their less than perfect ornaments every year and replace them with new ones. However, if the ornaments aren't broken, it seems like a shame to waste them. Why not try to give those glass balls a makeover instead?

Glue and glitter can turn even the blahest ornament into a new decoration with plenty of sparkle. Simply apply an even coat of glue to the entire ball, roll it in the glitter and you'll have a shiny new tree decoration.

Metallic spray paint can also give new life to old ornaments. To make the ornaments really special, adhere some snowflake stickers to them first and then spray over them to create a raised effect.