Last-minute handmade Christmas cards

I'm so late with all my Christmas preparations this year. Well, actually, when I think about it I'm always late with my Christmas preparations. This year, I decided last minute to send out some Christmas cards, plus I always love to add a handmade card to any gifts I give out, so I sat down yesterday evening, gathered all my card supplies (which I fortunately left here in Estonia), and got to work.

For the first set of cards, I used some Christmas-themed patterned paper I had, glued a piece of that to the blank card. Then, I sewed a piece of plastic over that paper, leaving the top open, and poured some star confetti into the pocket, then sewed the top shut. Last, just trimmed the edges of the plastic around the seams. I love this card, because it's like playing with a snowball - you can make a snowstorm or some shooting stars by tilting it.

For the second set of cards, I used some patterned paper as the background again, but this time I added a holiday wish using wire. First, I wrote the word on paper without lifting the pencil in the size I wanted the wire word to be, and then used that as a template to write the words with a crafting wire. It's actually way easier than I had thought. I think it's all about using a soft wire, which can be easily manipulated. I sewed them onto the card by hand, just a stitch in 4 places to secure it.

And, then I made some gift tags from the left-overs. I'm sort of obsessed with using every little scrap I have left, whether it's paper or fabric. I keep everything that I think can be used in a future project. It's a curse and a blessing - on the one hand, I always have something I can make last minute cards/gifts from, but on the other hand, I simply have too much stuff I'm not sure I'll ever use.

I hope you got some ideas for your own last minute card making. Now I'm off to make my room a livable place before hubby gets here.

xo. Hanna

5 Thoughtful Gift Ideas

Giving meaningful gifts is not always easy, and the stress of finding just the right one for your loved one can sometimes bring down your holiday spirit. But, what we forget sometimes, is that giving is more about the emotion than about the monetary value of the gift itself. The thought you put into the gift is what really matters. So, here are 10 ideas for a meaningful, thought-filled gift.

1. Make something. That's obvious, right. I mean, Pearls & Scissors is a craft blog, so of course my first suggestion is to make a handmade gift. And, it doesn't have to be something big that takes you hours and hours to make. Who has time for that, right? Nevertheless, you could still create something unique and personal with only a couple of hours. I'll post loads of ideas tomorrow, so stay tuned.

2. Give something you already have. I remember when one of my friends got a used book for Christmas one year. The book was given to her by a friend who had already read that book. So, he gave away the very book that he enjoyed reading, and thought she would enjoy, too. I know we are taught that you shouldn't give someone your old stuff as a gift, but I say that's just stupid. If it's something I'm not using, and I know it would be something they would love, why not give it to them as a gift. Also, do we really need to generate more stuff into this world? This way the gift is both meaningful and sustainable. Plus, Christmas can be financially draining, and that's more stress we don't need, especially during the holidays. So, it's a win-win-win.
You could give away a CD you enjoyed listening to, a book you read that you'd love to share, or that set of coffee mugs that's been sitting unused (to a college graduate with a new apartment). You could even personalize the mugs and combine #1 with #2.

3. Give your time. Ah, time is the real gold these days, isn't it? It feels that we have less and less of it, so it's become one of our most valued possessions. I think we don't spend enough time with our loved ones, so why not give them tickets to a concert you could see together, a date-package full of dates to go on together over the course of the year, or your expertise (for example, I could give crafting time, or blog design time). Or, when you live far away, a ticket to see you could be the perfect gift.

4. Donate on their behalf. Some people are especially hard to give presents to. They seem to have everything already. Why not donate to charity on their behalf, or go and plant some trees in their name. That's the real holiday spirit, now isn't it?

5. Give knowledge and experiences. I don't know about you, but I'm a total nerd when it comes to learning. I love to learn new stuff, and experience something I haven't before. Knowledge is so much more valuable than having a lot of stuff. You could give (e-)courses, (e-)books, classes, or private lessons. And, who knows, you might help them find their passion, take their business on a new level, or help them on their path to a more fulfilling life. It's the gift that keeps on giving!

BONUS:
6. If none of the above are applicable, you can always find something pretty, unique, eco-friendly and handmade on Etsy. Stuff is nice sometimes, and it's even nicer when you get to support a small business in the process :).

These are my ideas for giving something truly valuable this holiday season. I'll share a lot of quick handmade gift ideas tomorrow, and If you have more ideas, please share them in the comments!

xo. Hanna

Holiday decor

I hope you're all enjoying the holiday season. Santa's workshop has been in full working mode all throughout the week to get all the handmade presents ready. Since I can't share any of that just yet I thought I'd pop by and show a small bit of our Christmas decor this year.

I decided right away that I wouldn't buy ay new decorations this year. I have huge amounts of crafting supplies that are cluttering my bedroom, so I decided to try and use as much of what I already had in hand.

I've been using thrifted glasses as candle holders, and to add a little holiday spirit I painted the edge golden with permanent marker. A quick and simple fix, but I think it adds a lot. I also made some golden cardboard christmas trees. Then I gathered a bunch of random materials like yarn, foam balls and cardboard to make this easy hanging garland. I made pom-poms from yarn, covered the foam craft balls with yarn and rope leftovers, and cut golden circles from cardboard (which was actually a pizza box spray painted gold).

I love handmade decorations! They're so much more meaningful, and making them got me into the holiday spirit. I hope you had time to add handmade touches to your own holiday decor.

I wish you and yours a truly wonderful Christmas time!

Handmade gifts for Christmas Round-up (part2)

Happy Monday, my friends! I can hardly believe it, but it's only two weeks until Christmas. So, it's high time to get started on those Christmas presents. Here are more ideas for handmade gifts:

1. Pillows aren't perhaps the first thing that come to mind as a Christmas gift, but it could be perfect for someone who's just moved into a new home.

2. Button hairpins are easy to make and a great gift for girls.

3. The braided bracelet is a great way to recycle and make something eco-friendly.

4. Memory wire bracelets are so easy to make, but can make a big statement. I've worn mine a million times.

5. The skirt tote bag is another great way to up-cycle and also cultivate green habits. It's a gift that reminds the receiver to think greener.

6. Collar necklaces are so much fun to wear, and easy to make.

7. A leather wrap watch is such a cool accessory, and surprisingly easy to make. And, it would also fit a man.

8. Last, but not least, you could make a friends something really memorable - a necklace containing bits and pieces from your mutual past.

Happy creating!

Hello December!

It seems that once again a year is coming to an end. It's December, the time for snowy walks, hot spiced wine, clementines and gingerbread. And, every day something to look forward to! This year we decided to make each other an Advent calendar. It was so much fun to put together and craft, and now we each have something to look forward to every morning.

For the calendars I sewed together different sized paper bags to fill with goodies, love, and hugs. We each decorated the bags and hung them on a long string. The finished advent calendars are now decorating our living room.

I must admit I'm a sucker for December. It's always the busiest time of year, but also the most fun time. It's when you appreciate what you have and enjoy time with your loved ones.

I'm going to try and make as many handmade gifts as possible. I love thinking up meaningful presents that my friends and family will appreciate for years to come. It's not always possible to make everyone something handmade, but I try my best every year. I'm really looking forward to Christmas this year!

Handmade gifts for Christmas Round-up (part 1)

Can you believe it's almost December! I don't know about you, but we are already in full holiday mode over at my place - making each other fun Advent calendars, drinking glögg, eating clementines and gingerbread. The whole shebang!

Even if you're not in the holiday spirit just yet, it is high time to start thinking about what you want to give to your loved ones this year. I know that in the States tomorrow is all about shopping for Christmas presents, but I wanted to remind you that the most prized gifts are those that you make yourself. I don't know about you, but I cherish every gift that someone has made for me with their own two hands. It just so much more special! So, I thought I'd round up some handmade gift ideas from the archives to help you get started.

1. The popular sweater socks is a gift to both your loved one and the planet. Warm, cute, and eco-friendly!

2. Here's another eco-friendly gift idea -  the braided infinity scarf. A great gift for men as well.

3. How about these cute leather heart earrings for a friend to say I love you? Adorable!

4. I think men are always the hardest to make gifts for. But, this simple knitted infinity scarf is men-approved.

5. Every woman needs more storage for their ever-growing jewelry collection.

6. A simple way to say "I heart you!" - the heart pin brooch.

7. While we're at brooches, this knitted bow is so easy to make, and über cute!

8. And, to keep your girlfriends jewelry collection growing, you could make her some one of a kind crochet rose studs.

9. This is one of the most unique jewelry pieces I've made. Another great way to recycle, up-cycle and give someone something unique.

10. To round up this round-up, one more piece of beautiful jewelry.

I hope you got some ideas for the weekend. There will be at least one more round-up to get your creativity flowing.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and a creative weekend, my friends!

Sunday Spirit: Holiday week

I think you can already guess that this week has been all about the holidays and being around family and friends. As much as I love being home in the countryside, relaxing, eating and socializing, I'm beginning to feel the need to do something productive. So, last night I mended two bags that were ripped. Got to start somewhere, right?

I can't believe we've had permanent snow for a month now. I mean, the coldest months are still ahead, and I don't know how many snowy pictures you can stand every Sunday (lol). But it was the perfect weather on Chirstmas Eve. Snow has always been super important for me during Christmas. We've had  green holidays in the past, and the spirit is not the same without snow.

We spent half the night at my parents' on the 24th and half the night at Tamar's parents'. It's been like that for 10 years already. We thought about choosing one or the other, or bringing the families together, but some traditions are hard to change. Each family wants to stay home for Christmas, and since the distance is only 7km, we can't skip neither. Oh well, I guess time will settle everything.

I hope you're having a wonderful last weekend of 2012!

Sunday Spirit: Merry Christmas!

I hope you're all having a magical Christmas! I'm back at my parents' to be with mine and Tamar's family on Christmas. I loved waking up today and realizing there's nothing I have to do, only things I want to do. I hope this time is filled with good people, good emotions and good food wherever you're spending your holidays.

I'll be back after the holidays with new diy ideas, inspiration and creative fun. Merry Christmas!

Sunday Spirit: Deck the halls

Although we're spending the Holidays at our parents' I still wanted to decorate our apartment to make it more Christmassy. I didn't have much holiday decor at hand and I didn't want to spend a ton on decorations, so I just worked with what I had.

The tiny Christmas tree is a few years old. I made tiny ornaments to hang on it. It's really small and fake, but I love it.

I made this center piece from a branch wreath I got on sale and painted golden. I added a red bow and two roses from my last concert.

These candles were the easiest thing ever. I just bought a few glasses at a local thrift store, put a candle inside, and tied a green bow to them.

It's not much, but it makes all the difference in the world. I really feel it's the holiday season at our little humble abode. The weather couldn't be more wintery. It's snowing and it's cold. Just like it should be on Christmas.

I hope you're all getting into the holiday spirit! I'm so busy making presents - I'm obviously behind on my gift list this year. It's going to be a very busy week before Christmas.