Idea Number 6! Make a card! Isn’t it sweet to receive a card in the mail that was made especially for you? Hopefully I can finish making all of mine this year – the above image is from years ago, that’s how behind I am.
…and 6!
All posts by Tatterhood
Gift Idea 4 and 5
With Hanukkah just around the corner, and Christmas, Kwanzaa, and a boat-load of festivities on the way, why not make a gift this year? You still have time!
4. Ornament/Key Chain
All you need is a little Sculpey and some time. There are plenty of tutorials and projects to work from over at the Sculpey site, and many more scattered all over the web. The little guys up above I made last year with plain white Sculpey, and then painted with acrylics.
5. Screenprint/Paint Clothing
If you have the time, the gear, and a little bit of time to practice, you can screenprint a shirt, tie, you name it! I used EZ Screen Print, which is a great ‘no-chemical’ way to make screens, but I found that the shipping was so much for the special paper, and I wasn’t using the screens to their full potential. So another method of putting a desired image onto fabric is using the freezer paper method! Much cheaper, and works just as well I find! You do need a little more time to do it, and a little more practice, but you get *fantastic* results. Here’s a few good tutorials, but there are lots of other ones out there – investigate and decide what works best for you!
Winter Solstice Reading Season
Gift Giving Idea Number 3!
Books! Graphic Novels! Comics! Give the gift of reading – it’s the gift that keeps on giving!
‘Drawn Books’ that I recommend (based on what I have in my collection):
Louis Riel: A Comic Strip Biography
Never Learn Anything From History
The Baby-Sitters Club: Kristy’s Great Idea
and (while not graphic novels, these two are very near and dear to me) Dragonfeathers and Tatterhood.
You can find most of these at your local bookstore or comics store (and there’s always online).
Yoki for Yule
If you know someone who is into plushies (either making or receiving them) or you yourself enjoys making stuffed animals, there are many cute and cuddly patterns available online for you to give (or to buy, make and give). This winter solstice season, why not give Yoki to someone you care about, created by DIY Fluffies. I just love this little guy – I’ve made him three times already in a bounty of colours, and have changed bits of the pattern each and every time.
Yule Ideas
It is a very busy, stressful and downright depressing time of year. It’s cold, it’s wet, and it gets very dark very early. Luckily there are numerous celebrations that take place this month, reminding us that the days are going to get brighter. Whether you’re religious or not, you should go out and celebrate – celebrate family, friends and community. Be merry, be thoughtful, and help those who are not as fortunate as yourself. And maybe give a gift to someone you care about.
Gift-giving can be a source of stress (the pressure, the expectations, the advertisements) so I thought I’d compile a little list over the next 12 days (hey, why not?) of some gift ideas – some are unique, some are fun and some you can make yourself. But remember, at the end of the day, it’s not about what you brought home from the mall.
So, idea number one!
The folks at Green Man Leather are not only a pleasure to work with, they also make some fantastic products. Like Viking-inspired belts. A little time back I was on the hunt for a belt with a viking motif, but was unable to find anything I liked. So I designed my own, based on actual Viking artifacts, and presented the design to Green Man Leather. They were able to take my design and make a belt out of it – and I made a few more designs for them to use too! I also have a few bracers made by them, using the design seen above. It’s based on carvings found on the Gosforth cross in Cumbria, England. These items are of high quality, are truly unique, and are perfect for any Viking fan. (But they also do a bunch of other stuff too! Check ’em out!)
One for All
The Three Musketeers: The Game has now been released now for PC! Huzzah!