Christmas Present Challenge 2011

Christmas Present Challenge 2011.

Here is the letter I sent out with our completed Christmas presents for Christmas 2011

Imagine a place far far away. High up in her attic a 37 year old woman is sitting and enjoying the waiting atmosphere of advent. The time is December 2010. Her presents are wrapped her cards are sent. The house is completely snow bound and she needs a challenge.

During 2010 I was inspired and influenced by several internet phenomenons. The first being www.craftster.org Which has given me so many ideas and the confidence to try new crafts. The second being www.newdressaday.com which was my daily fix of sewing ideas + i now have a lot more dresses. Because of new dress a day, i decided that i wanted to do something challenging for 2011. So sat in my attic in December 2010 i thought i know i’ll make you my Christmas Presents in January – hmmm too easy i managed that last year. Ok harder i’m going to make everyone the same thing, too easy. I wanted it to be something i had not tried to make before, to challenge my crafting and to be interesting and i had to be able to post it if everyone was having the same thing.

Also i wanted it to be useful and to be made and given with love.

So my idea was a calendar with an envelope to open each month ( i tested this on a few choice people ) it was too easy. It had to be something i had made i thought i can do this a bookmark, a decoration, a page marker, a bag charm, a book mark, something that can be re gifted to someone else, a sew on patch, a hair clip, a magnet, a paper clip, a gift tag, a thank you card. That’s 12 presents 12 months sorted. NO it is too easy. Hmmmm i thought as i sat gazing up at the snow covered window.

Then it came to me i needed to make 22 copies of each for 12 months, something that was small so it fitted in an envelope, something flat so that it could be posted, something light so that the postage wasn’t horrendous, and something that could be a bookmark, a decoration, a page marker, a bag charm, a book mark, something that can be re gifted to someone else , a sew on patch, a hair clip, a magnet, a paper clip, a gift tag or a thank you card. Plus i wanted to make things i had never made before in 12 different styles using lots of different techniques. Normally i only make 8 of something so 22 was a big jump.

So i had finally found me challenge. The presents are for you to keep and hang up, re-use, look at or give away to someone who would like them. They can be easily posted individually or can be slipped inside a birthday card. With a bit of glue or sewing they can be made into any of my 12 suggestions. Please re use the paper to write notes on Next years Christmas Presents will definitely not be so complicated.

Happy Christmas and Have a Happy 2012.

Bek

A couple of pictures of the envelopes i made to put the presents in and then taped to the calendar month. I alternated top and bottom so that the calendar was as flat as possible.