Gifts to Beat the Winter Blahs!

Here are a few inspiring gift ideas I've seen on the web recently. Any of these would be gifts I'd love to receive (hint, hint!) because they are all about making the cold days of winter more comfy-cozy. I've also put links to a few of the coolest gift guides I've found at the end of this post. Enjoy!

The Woodland Draft Buster from Betz White is so cute! You can find the pattern in her book, Sewing Green. The book itself would make a lovely gift for someone crafty, but if you have the time, why not buy the book as a gift to yourself & whip some draft dodgers up for your loved ones? Helping them stay warm & cozy this winter would be a wonderful gift.

















This next project is totally tempting me, because my skin gets horribly dry during the winter. I'm sure you have someone on your list who also suffers this winter affliction, so how about making them an indulgent brown sugar scrub?

Find the incredibly simple instructions on Craftzine and get to it! This is one that children will love making, too. Mix it up, put it in a jar & use fabric scraps & ribbon to pretty it up - so easy!



Lastly, a fashionable & functional classic: a pretty scarf. This scarf has a twist though: it's made from an old sweater (yay, upcycling!) & gathered using a long ribbon (clever!), so that it has a very ruffly look. How pretty is this? and it looks like it would keep your neck nice and warm (very important for short-haired girls like me)! This project is another one from the amazing folks at Craftzine. Check out the Sew a Ruffled Scarf post for a detailed how-to. Don't be scared; it actually seems very simple to make as long as you have basic sewing skills.

Wouldn't any of these make a fantastic, thoughtful gift? Sure wish I had started on them earlier... maybe I'll be able to make some gifts for Christmas 2010, if I start now! Oh well, if you're in a time crunch like me, you can still find tons of fabulous gifts online by checking out the gift guides below. Or better yet, shop at your local craft shows & support handmade! If you're in Austin, come out & see us at Cherrywood Art Fair this weekend!

Great Holiday Gift Guide Roundup 09:
- under $50 gift guide from design*sponge {they have many gift guides to browse; see their full list}
- Slow Holiday gift guide from Treehugger
- and of course, there's a plethora of gift guides on Etsy!

Happy shopping &/or making! Please leave links to your fave gift guides or DIY gift ideas in the comments!

Craftin' Masks for the Mixx & Make!

We'll be doing make & take masks at the Mixx & Make Pre-Halloween Craftacular this Saturday! It's gonna be so fun! Last night we WonderCrafters got together with Candace from Electric Promotions and made some example masks. We've got quite a stash of creative supplies and Candace made some rad mask templates that you've gotta see! We had a blast & made these funky masks. Come out to the partay this Saturday & make a fabulous or freaky mask with us!




All of us here at The WonderCraft are excitedly working on our Halloween costumes for it, too. Omg, we've only got 2 more days! What are we going as???? It's a surprise! You'll have to come out to the Mixx & Make to find out, although you may find some hints on my blog, Crafty Mishmash, and Jen's blog, Crafty Redhead. Join in the fun & show off your own awesome costume Saturday night! I have a hunch there may be prizes involved...

There will also be Treaty Oak red rum, coffin cakes from Blue Note Bakery, a fun photo booth with Trevor Ray Thompson, an amazing guitar giveaway, local music plus lots more! RSVP online to get in for $6. $8 at the door.

Little Ones Can Get Crafty, Too!

Did you know that we have an ongoing Mommy or Daddy & Me class for kiddos ages 3-6? Yes, we do! It's called Storytime Crafts & it happens every Thursday morning from 10:30 - 11:30. It's great for parents looking for a fun, creative activity to do with their little ones. You get to hear a delightful children's story, then make a fun craft based on the theme, such as this handsome penguin. You can even enjoy a tasty breakfast or snack, because the class is held at Waterloo Ice House on 38th & Lamar.

And best of all, it's a great bargain! Storytime Crafts costs only $10 per session, or you can even buy a punch card and save: 3 sessions for $25 or 5 sessions for $40, per child.

The little ones will really enjoy being read to & then gettin' crafty. For example, at a session a couple of weeks ago, Kim read Cloud Boy, an adorable book by Rhode Montijo. After the story, everyone got to create cloud animals made of cotton balls on a felt sky, just like the cloud animals the main character makes. It was a great story & a great time!

So if you're the parent of a tiny tot, or know someone who is, gather 'em up & come on out for Storytime Crafts!

Fun with Altered Books

On Sunday I had the pleasure of sitting in on Beth A's Altered Books class where she showed a lot of cool ways to embellish and customize books that I never would have thought of. I had made some altered books before, but it was really interesting to see Beth A's take on things. That's what I love about taking classes - even if you've tried the technique before, there is always more to be learned!






Misti Webster shows off one of her beautifully altered page spreads

























Beth A demonstrated several techniques for prepping pages with watercolor. She taught us a slick method for adding pages to your book or repairing pages that have fallen out, too.

We also tried our hands at weaving pages together - fantastic!


All in all, this was a really fun class that would be a great springboard for anyone who'd like to create altered books. If that's you, check it out! We have another Altered Books class coming up on October 6. If you sign up for it (or any other class for that matter) before August 31, you'll receive one of our super-cool Stella necklaces. Be sure to take advantage of this special offer! Simply enter "augnecklace" in the coupon section at checkout when you enroll.

This Month's Special Offer!

Enroll this month in ANY class and get this necklace featuring our beautiful girl, stella for free!  This super cool necklace is made using a technique you can learn in our resin class!  Click here for details and to enroll.

Simply enter "augnecklace" in the coupon section at checkout when you enroll before August 31st and we'll send you one!  

Curious about what classes we offer?  Take a look at a full listing of our class offerings and search by topic, age group, difficulty, and even location here:

http://www.thewondercraft.com/classes/

Featured Class:  Scrap Fabric Pomanders - for Adults - 12/16/09

Turn those fabric scraps you've been saving into a pretty little hanging flower bunch. You'll have the option to make yours scented by including dried herbs or potpourri in the center, or leave it unscented. 

Schedule:

Wednesday, 12/16/2009, 5:30 - 8:30 PM

Location:

Austin Handmade
2009 South First St, Austin TX, 78704
512.383.9333
http://austinhandmade.com/

Click here to sign up for this class http://www.thewondercraft.com/classes/viewclass.aspx?Id=93