Handmade Christmas: The Elves' Projects 2015 (and a few others)

December 28, 2015

Handmade Christmas: The Elves' Projects 2015 (and a few others)

We had a lovely Christmas with all the children and grandchildren here for several days of celebrations. Once again, homemade gifts were the highlight of our Christmas gift-exchange.

Before I show you the kids' (a.k.a. The Elves) gifts for one another, here are a couple of non-draw homemade items.

When I walked in the kitchen on Christmas morning, I actually screamed when I saw these gorgeous leaded glass doors Andrew had made for my kitchen cabinets!

Tim built this lamp table to match one we have in our living room built maybe half a century earlier by my grandfather. I love the simple, clean lines and beautiful walnut wood.

Annie and Laurel painted these clipboard for their daddy to use as he grades biology exams and papers. They should certainly bring some smiles to the arduous task of grading!

OK, now on to The Elves' Projects!

A year in the making!

Our kids have been making gifts for one sibling for at least fifteen years. Each year it is a joy to see them put their creative abilities to use in designing and producing something unique for their recipient. Every single year it is a struggle to finish projects. And yes, usually a few things don't quite make it to 100% completion on Christmas. But eventually, they get there! (Except for an infamous pair of socks from the earliest days of The Draw.) This year one sister handed another sister a painting from last year which was finally deemed "done." You can't hurry an artist!

From youngest giver to oldest:

Ben made this "shaving horse" for Paul to use in woodworking. None of the girls could really understand what it is used for, so I won't try to explain it. But all of the guys, and particularly Paul, an avid woodworker, think it is pretty cool.

Kristen is holding a spice rack which Paul created for her. Unfortunately, she has her hands over the beautiful wood design on the side, but it is really lovely. It is made to hold containers of spices such as I use in my test-tube spice rack.

For Amanda, Faith made this cutting board. She first laminated the different woods together, and then she got help from an expert woodworker friend to inlay the curved design.

Amanda used her graphic design skills to create a t-shirt for brother-in-law, Collin. Unfortunately, it hasn't arrived yet from the printers. I'll try to add a picture later.

For the bird lover Ben, Peter made a hummingbird feeder from an old bottle.

Kristen snarfed up a bunch of Peter's old running t-shirts and made them into this wonderful memory quilt.

Here Kara is demonstrating how the device in her lap, known as a Lazy Kate, will be used to help her as she spins fibers. I still don't get it. The contraption made by Andrew sure is pretty, though, isn't it, with it's dovetailed joins and all? The pieces on the top unscrew for storage inside the box when not in use.