A Crafty Christmas

Well, if you’re anything like me, you are already full of Christmas cheer! And by “Christmas cheer,” I of course mean Southern Comfort Vanilla Spice Egg Nog.

You have also no doubt already started your Christmas shopping. (If you’re already done with your Christmas shopping then … well, I respect you, but please recognize we’ll never be the kind of friends who can read each other’s minds. We are from two different worlds, you and I. You live on planet Overachiever, and I live on planet Procrastinator. We’re friendly with each other, but a lot of times, behind each other’s backs, we’re doing that thing where you twirl your finger outside your ear and roll your eyes, indicating that the other person is crazy, and that you are in third grade.)

Where was I? (This egg nog, I tell you, it can make me loopy.) Oh, yes: Christmas presents.

So, here’s the thing. Perhaps you have children who want to give each other presents, but they have no budget for such things. Or perhaps you yourself are not so anxious to spend money on something that comes with a fajillion pieces that you are going to have to pick up every other day or that will be broken in record time, or that you will find at the bottom of the toilet for some inexplicable reason.

What do you do then? What kind of present could you possibly find? I’ll tell you. And I’m going to tell you for free!

Ladies and gentlemen, I point you in the direction of The Family Fun magazine.  You’ll find in the November issue a charming layout of two adorable children that have a most magical mother. A lovely woman who has hand-crafted for them a paper doll set, starring … themselves. (Yes, that's my very own Roxanna and Tanner in that there layout.)

Click here for a link to the online magazine issue!

It’s genius, right? You simply take photos of your children, print them on card-stock and cut them out, and then let them design and create their own clothing. Paper dolls…of themselves! What a perfect gift this holiday season! Inexpensive and exciting! Perfect for a cold, winter’s day, when the kids are home and snuggled indoors, eating tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches.

Three cheers for Katie Craig, the talented craftswoman behind this stroke of brilliance! A woman who’s mind is full of creativity! A woman who is now famous for being in a nationally published magazine! A woman with whom I gladly share my egg nog while we sing our planet’s national anthem, which hasn’t been written…yet.