Wired Name Ornaments

Well, I did it! I made set of wired names for each of my grandmas, each set containing all the names of all of their grandchildren!

That was quite a list! Good thing they're easy to do, since I didn't decide on that until the last minute.

I used the same method as the Wired Word Ornament Hooks, except I put a diamond bauble at the end. I could have left them as ornament hooks, but some of the names got rather long.

What else to you give two 80-year-old grandmas that both lived through the depression and won't do anything extravagant?

I wish they didn't have to pack them up right away. They turned out quite pretty.

I suppose I could get them some suction cup hooks for the window and they could hang them up like sun-catchers.

In any case, it's a great personal gift that you could do for almost anyone, for a very inexpensive price. Give it a try!

Be sure to check out the endless list of inspirational ideas at my home page childmade.com.

Wire Word Ornament Hooks

Sometimes ideas are like recipes ... if you combine two things, you get something totally new and wonderful! Recently, I've stumbled across two inspiring posts. The first one some time back was a tutorial on how to make wired words. The second was a more recent tutorial on how to make fancy ornament hooks. I combined the two and came up with these fancy wired word ornament hooks!

Aren't they great??! And they're especially so because they are S-I-M-P-L-E! If you can write, you can make these. You just "write" with wire instead of with a pencil.

The only things you will need is wire and a pair of pliers with a wire cutter. I like to use the wire sold at the hardware stores used for drop ceiling. It comes in a roll of 100' for about $3.

The length you will need for each word will depend upon the word you choose and how big or small you "write" the words. I suggest you just work from the roll and cut when you're finished, leaving about 3-4" at the end.

Begin writing out your letters. I started with something short and sweet -- JOY.

If your wire is very flexible, you'll be able to make your letters correctly. If you use thicker wire like mine, you'll want to improvise a few of the turns, just to make your job easier. It looks the same in the end.

If you do need to make a sharp turn, use the pliers to "crimp" the wire a bit.

Finish your word, then cut the wire, leaving about 3-4" at the other end. You can always cut more if it's too long.

Turn the end of the wire to form a tight hook. This end will attach to the ornament.

At the other end, form a tight loop. Then curve the excess wire into a gentle hook.

Make any final adjustment to your word. I didn't like my original "J" so I reshaped it.

And it's ready to hang ornaments on your tree!

This really adds a wonderful, special touch to the tree, without being overstated.

Give it a try! It's so easy, I'm sure you'll be pleased with your results. I've decided I'm going to give my grandmas each a set made with each of the grandkid's names on them. They're both 90, and I'm thinking this might be the one thing they don't already have!

I'd love to see your finished projects!

And be sure to check out the endless list of inspirational ideas at my home page childmade.com.


Party hopping? Save time and check out Party Central.


I'll be linking to some of the fabulous link parties listed on the right sidebar ... but really, that's a LOT of parties! I probably won't get to them all, but you should stop in and visit a few yourself.
While you're at it, stop by my home page and add a few links of your own!

Party Central

Having a hard time keeping up with all the great parties? Me too!

I love to craft, and I love to scan the parties for ideas and inspiration, but I find I end up pulling my hair out! This week the left side of my brain won out, and I spent my time "crafting" a solution. I'm thrilled to share it with you! Check out what I've done on my home page!

From my home page, click on the "View Neighborhood Party Links" button in the right column:

This will display a listing of all parties that I'm currently tracking, by day. I'm sure you'll recognize a bunch of them as parties you're familiar with. (If I'm missing YOUR party, just drop me a note and I'll be happy to add it!)

Click on any party logo to view the selected party:

This will display all the links currently participating in the party. Click on any party link and it will take you out to the feature link.

If you want to see the party live, click on the party name below the party icon:

Missed a party last week? I've also included a listing of recent archives. Just click on the link-out at the bottom of the party.

And here's another cool feature! Like the theme of the party and want to see what else is going on at the hosting blog? Click on the "BLOG SUMMARY" link-out at the bottom of the party.

I'll display a listing of the most recent postings, complete with a short summary and preview gallery! See something you like? Just click on the link to be taken to the blog posting.

But here's the really GREAT part! Can't find a link that you saw last week? Don't even remember where you saw it? Or maybe you just don't have time to look through all of the parties for something in particular. Well you can search ALL of the blog parties I link to simply by keying a search word into the search box, select "neighborhood" for your search location, and select "Go."

I'll display for you ALL links from ALL parties that contain the search words you entered, including parties from previous weeks! Isn't that awesome??!

My update isn't immediate, so you won't find a link that was just added, but I update usually at least once a day. And I can't do anything about misspelled words, or descriptions that aren't actually "descriptive" for the link-up. But it's a 5-second effort that might save you much time otherwise.

I hope you'll give this a try and maybe let me know what you think! I'll be doing a little more tweaking (like I would like to have a larger archive list) but didn't want to wait up for that before making these changes available. I'm not quite convinced that websites are ever really "finished" anyway.

I hope you like these new enhancements! And be sure to check out the endless list of inspirational ideas at my home page childmade.com.

I'll be linking to some of the fabulous link parties listed on the right sidebar ... but really, that's a LOT of parties! I probably won't get to them all, but you should stop in and visit a few yourself. hile you're at it, stop by my home page and add a few links there too!

Chocolate Fruit Baskets

As if the food around the holidays isn't yummy enough, we have to enhance it by making it all utterly visually irresistible, too, right? And it doesn't help matters when the process is really quite easy.

I've simply reconciled myself to a New Year's resolution of having to lose the 10 pounds I'm going to gain in December. Nothing new, happens every year...

Doesn't this just make you drool? I'm not a big cook/baker, but if you can disguise the process in the form of a "craft," then I enjoy it a lot more. Follow along and I'll show you how to make these adorable and yummy Chocolate Baskets.

For ingredients, you'll need a package of the chocolate of your choice. I use regular chocolate chips for mine. I've used the almond bark but wasn't as pleased with the result. You can experiment with different chocolates yourself, and you'll just have to eat your mistakes. Not a bad consequence, if you ask me.

For supplies, you'll need a plastic baggie or an icing bag, a basket form such as a cupcake pan, and some plastic wrap.

Begin by lining the form with the plastic wrap. I used cupcake pans for my form. I moistened the pan slightly before I applied the plastic so that it would stick nicely. I accomplished a very nice application simply by pressing a second cupcake pan onto the first to mold the plastic in place. I've also lined with aluminum foil before, but it doesn't remove as easily and ends up breaking a number of baskets.

Next, place your chocolate in the baggie and heat to melting. Don't overheat.

Cut a tiny hole in the tip of the baggie. Begin drizzling the chocolate over the mold in a random fashion. Check for large gaps.

The finished form should have a basket look -- not solid, and with fairly consistently-sized holes.

When finished with a tray, place the tray in a place to cool. I put mine in the freezer to speed the process. Or today, I could have just put them outside for 5 minutes. Brrr!

When the chocolate has hardened, remove the baskets from the mold by gently tugging on the plastic wrap. NOTE: Since I lightly moistened the pan to get the plastic wrap to set, I had to wait a few minutes for the metal pan to warm slightly, as the plastic wrap was frozen to the pan.

The plastic wrap should come off fairly easily, with the chocolate baskets intact.

Next, pull the plastic wrap from the chocolate. Be especially careful at the edges of the basket, so you don't chip away any chocolate. If you do mess up a basket, you can simply remelt and try again, or eat it to hide the evidence.

Your completed baskets should be somewhat firm and able to be gently handled. After the first few tries, you should have an idea of whether you need to adjust your weave.

And now they're ready for piling with some festive treats!

I love to use fresh fruits and berries! It's so colorful, with the added bonus of being especially yummy and at least remotely healthy.

Give it a try! They'll be the hit of your next party! And I'm sure your family and friends won't mind being your guinea pigs while you practice.


And be sure to check out the endless list of inspirational ideas at my home page childmade.com.



I'll be linking to some of the fabulous link parties listed on the right sidebar ... but really, that's a LOT of parties! I probably won't get to them all, but you should stop in and visit a few yourself. While you're at it, stop by my home page and add a few links of your own!

Earmuff Snowman

Already feeling the chill this year? We sure are!! Of course, for me, anything below 65 is too cold, so the temps we've been having in the teens is way below my comfort level. I'm not a fan of winter here in the Midwest.

So to get around the cold, I spend my time indoors trying to make it at least LOOK fun! Like this little earmuff snowman ornament -- it's simple and fun to do, and warms my heart. You should give it a try!

For supplies, you will need the following:
1 - 3" white ball ornament (any size can be used)
1 - 5" x 8-1/2" piece of fleece for the hat (size will vary depending upon the size of the ornament)
1 - 1" x 6" piece of coordinating fabric for the scarf
1 - small piece of orange felt for the nose
1 - 8" piece of flexible wire
4 - 1" circles of faux fur, sherpa, or fuzzy fleece
1 - 6" piece of gold string or ribbon for the hanger
1 - small rubber band
2 - snowflake embellishments (optional)
For tools, you will need glue, scissors, a pencil, black paint or marker, blush, and (optionally) pinking shears.

Begin by folding the large piece of fleece in half and stitch the edge, making a large "tube" of fabric.

Gather one end of the "tube" of fabric and secure the gather with a rubber band.

Snip the fabric beyond the rubber band into narrow strips, forming a tassel for the top of the hat.

Trim the other side of the tube of fabric with the pinking shears, to make a decorative edge.

Fold back the end of the fabric to form a cuff.

Tuck the hanger of the ball ornament into the opening of the hat.

Glue lightly in place, leaving the bottom edge unsecured.

Wrap the wire around the pencil, forming a loose spiral.

Slip the wire off the pencil and straighten the ends.

Glue each end of the wire between two faux fur circles.

Position the earmuffs onto the hat and glue in place.

Fold the thin piece of fleece and half, then tuck the fold into the bottom of the hat. Glue in place.

Snip fringe into the ends of the scarf.


Trim the piece of orange felt into the shape of a nose. The pinking shears add a nice edge. Glue the nose to the face of the snowman.

Use the paint or marker to add eyes and a mouth. If you're using paint, an easy way to get a nice shape is to dip the back end of a paint brush in the paint, then "dot" the paint on.

Add a spot of blush to the cheeks.

Add the snowflake embellishments to the scarf and hat. Tie the string to the wire for a hanger and you're done.

Isn't he cute??

Just in time to adorn your Christmas tree!

I bet you won't want to pack him away after Christmas...

And be sure to check out the endless list of inspirational ideas at my home page childmade.com.



I'll be linking to some of the fabulous link parties listed on the right sidebar ... but really, that's a LOT of parties! I probably won't get to them all, but you should stop in and visit a few yourself. While you're at it, stop by my home page and add a few links there too!