What are you making this holiday season?

This last Friday, I posted a question to my readers... "What are you making this holiday season? Or what would you make if you could?" While no one commented on the blog post, I did get five replies through emails and conversations around town.

Here are the results!

7 Quick Crochet Craft Ideas for Holiday Gifts

The holidays are getting closer and you still need a gift for people on your list. Why not crochet something for them? Here is my list of quick things to crochet for holiday gifts.

Quick Crochet Craft #1: Angel Ornament

This cute Angel ornament pattern would be a cute gift for someone. Add a loop at the top or just thread a wire or string to make it ready to hang on a tree.

Quick Crochet Craft #2: Can Cozy

If you have a friend that loves soda (or beer), you could crochet them a cozy to hold their can and keep their hands warm. You can find the pattern here.

Quick Crochet Craft #3: Chain Link Necklace

I love this look! This creative crochet chain link necklace can be made in a lot of colors and would look great to wear!

Quick crochet Craft #4: Sundance Slouch Hat

© Carrie Piper

These hats are pretty stylish right now. I know a lot of teens love the look. The pattern is available as a download through ravelry. 

Quick Crochet Craft #5: Hermione the Unicorn

© 2011 Dawn Toussaint

Look at this! Isn't this just the cutest thing you've ever seen! This pattern is a ravelry download also! Okay, this may not be as quick as the other projects, but how could I pass this up? It's freaking adorable!

Quick Crochet Craft #6: 90 Minute Scarf

from the blog "Craft Disasters and Other Atrocities"

Here is a scarf that only takes 90 minutes to make. Pick two coordinating colors and you'll have a scarf in no time... er, 90 minutes.

Quick Crochet Craft #7: 30 minute hat

from the blog "Craft Disasters and Other Atrocities"

Here is the hat that was designed to go along with the 90 minute scarf. In 2 hours, you can make a hat/ scarf set for a gift!

5 Frugal Homemade Gift Ideas for the Holidays

With Yule and Christmas coming up and having very little money to buy gifts for my family, this year I am opting to be frugal and make gifts instead. I have been searching around for ideas and found these creative frugal gifts to share with you.

Frugal Gift Idea #1: Rose made from plastic spoons

Photo Credit: Cut out + Keep

This is so beautiful  and looks like a lot of fun to make. It's a rose pendant made from plastic spoons. You'll need 17 plastic spoons, scissors, needle-nose pliers, a candle, and these directions to make this. 

Frugal Gift Idea #2: Gifts in a Jar

Photo Source: Bargain Blessings

These are adorable! You can see the idea behind these here along with many other wonderful gift in a jar ideas. 

The options for gifts in a jar aren't limited to food items either! You can make snow globes, oatmeal cookie bath soak and peppermint bath salts, child and adult journal in a jar (journal prompts) just to name a few. 

I am thinking of creating a first-aid kit in a jar and a sewing kit in a jar. I'll post pictures when I get the made.

Frugal Gift Idea #3: Paper Mache Pens

Photo Source: Paper Crafts for Children

Okay, these are meant for kids to make, but I am totally going to make some of these! They are so cute. The directions are here.

Frugal Gift Idea #4: A Heat Pack for the Neck

These can be easy to make with cute toe socks filled with rice and then sewn or tied shut. OR, you can go here and make this totally cool looking neck heat pack.

Photo Source: Ever Never Again

Frugal Gift Idea #5 Decorate A Cup

Photo Source Unknown. Email me if you know.

This is pretty cool. Take a sharpie and draw a picture on a cup (or plate), then bake the plate for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. There were so many cute pictures to choose from that I decided to just give you a link to a pinterest page to give you some ideas. 

Just an extra tip: This blogger says they are hand-wash only.

And if you love playing with sharpies, you can also make a dishtowel design with sharpies too.

Crochet Rainbow Scarf

I had a lot of fun this weekend with my crocheting. Since I am trying to make ends meet by being crafty, I decided to go outside my comfort zone and try something a little different. I ended up making this scarf this weekend in about 4 hours.

I am not good with patterns or I would post it. I didn't follow a pattern either. I saw the design online and figured it out on my own from there. It took a few tries, but I finally got it.

Here is my attempt to explain how I made it. 

It's 204 chains long plus 3 more. Then I double crocheted 4 (starting at the 3rd chain from the hook), skipped 5 chains, double crocheted 5 more, skipped 5 chains, all the way to the end and tied it off.

The next color, I made the chain, then did the first 4 double crochet and then weaved it in and out of the first color. Then I continued on with 5 double crochet, skip 5 chains. I alternated between connecting the double crochets to the chain in front of the spaces and behind the spaces.

Then I made a bunch of tassels for the ends of the scarf.

What do you think? How did I do?

Terracotta Flower Pot Space Heater?

While goofing off on facebook the other day, I saw a video clip of a guy who heated his room with terracotta flower pots sat on top of a bread pan. Inside the bread pan was three or four tealight candles . 

I was very intrigued and hunted down two terracotta flower pots, one small and one larger... then promptly couldn't find the video again. Also, my pots wouldn't fit over the pan because the small one was too small.

Instead of giving up, I searched Google for ideas on how to make a Terracotta flower pot space heater. I found this helpful site that explains how it works! In the end, I created my own with what I have because I can't afford to run out and buy things.

UPDATE: A commenter called "Current Thoughts" posted a comment below on how to make this terra cotta flower pot space heater even more efficient! When you are done with reading the post, scroll down to read the comments. I'll update when I make a candle out of shortening. When I have the money to buy orchard terra cotta flower pots, I'll add a new post with the new design. Thank you for commenting with the brilliant design changes! 

Here is what I did...

Creating my own terracotta flower pot candle heater!

I placed a regular dinner plate on my centerpiece plate on the table. Then I arranged three shot glasses on that and placed a trivet on top of those, lit three tea light candles and put them underneath the trivet.

Then I placed a smaller terracotta flower pot upside down on the trivet, right over the candles and put a small piece of aluminum foil over the hole (since I don't have nuts and washers)

After that, I put the larger pot over the smaller pot and sat back and waited to see what happens. In this picture you can see the shot glasses better and see the candles underneath.

This is what my finished product looks like. Isn't it cute!? But... does the terracotta flower pot candle heater really work?

Does it work?

At first we were making jokes about how it would make a nice hand warmer, not an actual space heater. A few hours later, it was really putting off a bit of heat, enough that I ended up moving away from it and working elsewhere. 

After stepping outside and then coming back in, I can honestly say it warmed up the room some. The area in the dining room is down right TOASTY! 

If I had to use it in a power outage, I would probably have four or five of the things throughout the living room area. I would also start them before they say a storm is coming to give them time to warm up. 

But, yes! This really worked. I could see using this to warm up a smaller room. You'd probably need more than one if your room is bigger or if you live in the north.

And now for a disclaimer, AKA please don't sue me when you try this and it goes horribly wrong.

Please be careful when using the terracotta flower pot as it does get HOT! By the time I went to take pictures, the top pot was quite warm, while the small pot was entirely too hot to even touch! 

These should be used with caution around children, pets, drunk friends, rednecks, or friends who tend to set themselves on fire (you know who you are!)

Don't go to sleep with your terracotta flower pot candle heater running as it may lead to bad things, like your room getting too hot, or your house burning to the ground.

Please make sure to check your smoke alarm batteries to make sure they aren't dead.

Wash your hands before you eat, after you sneeze or cough, after using the bathroom, and after shaking hands with weird strangers. 

Crochet Slipper Socks!

I have been crocheting slipper socks out of complete boredom. This is my third pair of slippers. I am keeping these! I made them with two pieces of yarn crocheted together. They are really warm and will come in handy this winter.