I had a somewhat surprising realization yesterday.
There are two months left until Christmas.
That means that as of today, there are two months less a day until Christmas!
Eeek!
I’ve got so many plans, ideas and hopes for Christmas gifts and crafts swimming around in my head right now that it’s a little intimidating.
Before I get myself all worked up, I’ve got a few solutions that have helped me to manage my holiday crafting before.  And hopefully they’ll help you too

First of all, write down everything you’d like to do – don’t worry about the order or if it’s realistic, just …read more

I love having Christmas wreaths on my door during the holiday (don’t forget that it’s to make this wreath into a Christmas wreath by changing the colors to festive ones) .  Here are some great ideas for making your own Christmas or holiday wreath:
Got a big button stash?  How about a button wreath?

image: Really Bad Kitty 
Use festive fabrics to create this braided wreath:

image: Craftown
This would be the perfect project for the beginning quilter:

image: Sewing.About.com
If you change the ribbon color, this would make a gorgeous Christmas wreath:

image: The Long Thread

It’s become a tradition for the b5 bloggers to share our Christmas trees and other holiday traditions during December. I’ve shared more photos on my new dog blog, The Doggy Blog – you can see them here
Here’s what my house looks like at the moment:

Of course, it’s not Christmas without yo-yo garlands:

Yo-yo garlands seem to end up everywhere…

You’ve already seen this little guy on my tree:

I also have to have lots of hand-made Christmas ornaments – made by myself:

And by my family:

You can also be thrifty when you’re making Christmas crafts – I used leftover upholstery samples to …read more

We’re getting pretty close to Christmas, Hanukkah and lots of other winter festivities – do you need more gift ideas?  Got someone who needs a hand-made gift, but you’re not sure quite what?
Did you know that fabric superstar Amy Butler has a great line of free patterns for quilts, accessories, fabric crafts and more?
You’ll find patterns for gorgeous scarves (for your hip cousin) business card holders (for your self-employed friend) and even quilts (for someone who’s really special!).
Want to check it out?   Click here to see all the goodies.

 
Jennifer from Tree Hugging Family has put together an amazing list of Christmas crafts, holiday recipes, seasonal tips – all with a “green” or eco-friendly twist.
Sit back, browse, read, and linger in the holiday bliss!

Remember, no matter the treat or recipe, you can always green it up by exchanging organic and natural ingredients for conventional.
50 Cute and Tasty Christmas Cookie Ideas
Cherry Dot Cookies
Organic Holiday Cookies!
Hey It’s Sugar Cookie Day – worth it for the pretty snowy cookie image alone.
Bacon Nut Stuffing – don’t forget, pork is a high pesticide food item, so buy organic if you make this dish.
Top 10 …read more

 I’m proud to introduce the “Tangled Thread Christmas Gifts Guide for Fabric-aholics“!
Need a Christmas gift for your friend who sews?  How about for your niece who loves embroidery?  Got a quilting-mad Mom?  Check it out!

I’ve put together some of my favorite picks for gifts – there’s everything from stocking stuffers to high-end dream studio goodies.  Got a fiber-mad friend?  You’ll find a gift that’s sure to please!
image: C Findlay-Harder

“Thrifty” is the hot topic in the crafting world – actually, I think it’s a hot topic anywhere these days!   I’m really putting an emphasis on thrifty Christmas crafting and sewing this year – it just makes sense to be a little more frugal.
One of the biggest things I’m doing to be a thrifty Christmas crafter is “shopping my stash”.   That means that I’m tailoring my gift projects to use up fabric I already have.
Four years of working in a fabric store and a lifetime of being a fabric-aholic has left me with a pretty extensive stash.  So …read more

I know a lot of people who put amazing amounts of time and energy into home-made Christmas presents.  In fact, my family tries to make as many of our presents as possible.
So how do you deal with people who don’t appreciate the time, energy, love and effort that went into making that present?
We’ve all heard the stories… the hand-embroidered wall hanging that ends up being used as a placemat…  the fabric jewelry used as bulletin board tacks… it makes a crafter shiver in their boots!
What do I do?
I only make home made presents for people who truly appreciate them – …read more

I’m getting into full-blown sewing and crafting mode for Christmas!
It can be overwhelming sometimes to think about everything that you want to get done before Christmas and the holidays – so many presents… so little time…
One thing that I use to help myself stay organized is a simple page on my computer that I have everyone’s names listed on, what I’m making them.  I sometimes also list the fabric and pattern I’m using.   I normally just use a basic word-processing program – but you can use whatever you’re comfortable with.
I find it really helps to keep everything written down, …read more