Christmas

Make meaningful Christmas ornaments for departed loved ones using old shirts and a sample of their handwriting.

Usually posts are easy for me to write.  The words flow out of my mind and into the computer with no problem.  But this is not one of those posts.  

This is a hard post.  A sad post.  A missing my dad post.

Last year my dad passed away after a long battle with brain cancer.  I miss him every single day.  

When I had to help my mom and sister clean out his closet earlier this year, I couldn’t bear to give away all of his things.  So I packed up some of his favorite shirts and brought them home with me.  

I didn’t know exactly what I was going to do with them, but I knew I’d think of something.  And a few months later, in the middle of the night, I did.  

I decided to use some of my dad’s old shirts and his handwriting to make Christmas memorial ornaments for myself and my family.  

I didn’t think that I’d share this project on my blog, but when I saw how much these ornaments meant to my family members, I decided to post the project.  

I know there are others of you out there, just like me, who are missing loved ones every day and especially at the holidays.  So I wanted to share my idea of how you can honor them and remember them with special DIY Memorial Ornaments that you will cherish for the rest of your life.

Supplies Needed to Make DIY Memorial Ornaments

This post contains affiliate links.  Please read my disclosure policy for more information.

• Clear glass ornaments or clear plastic ornaments
• Fabric scissors (regular fabric shears or pinking shears)
• Card stock
• Scanner or copier
• Hole punch
• Metallic cord

How to Make Memorial Ornaments

First, gather your loved one’s shirts.  You’ll have a good cry at this point.  I guarantee it.  

Once you’ve calmed down and wiped away your tears, cut the shirts into strips.  I cut my dad’s shirts into strips about 1″ wide and about 4 or 5″ long.  

Next, put the strips of fabric into a clear glass ornament or plastic ornament.  Alternate the patterns or colors as you place them inside so that you get a good variety once the ornament is complete.  

Now, if you have a card or note from your loved one, this step will help make the ornament even more special.  

I had a note from my dad that he wrote right before he went into surgery.  (I cherish this note!)  

Scan the note or take a picture of it. Then, crop the photo in photo editing software (like the photo software pre-installed on your computer or phone, or the online service Canva), to be the person’s signature, and then save that signature as a new photo.  

Once you have that new photo, print it onto card stock.

Cut out your loved one’s note, punch a hole in it, and tie it onto the ornament with pretty ribbon or string.  

And with that, you’ll have a beautiful and personalized ornament to honor your loved one at Christmas and always.  

If you don’t have a note from your loved one to include their handwriting on the tag, you could make a tag of your own with their name or something else that is meaningful to them and you.  

I would give anything to have my dad back with me for another Christmas, but at least I have a little something of his with me this holiday.  

Christmas was always so special with my dad, because every year he was the one who turned on the Christmas music for present opening, handed out the gifts, and maintained the all-important gift wrap trash bag.  

He was the best.  (Here he is with my family on Christmas 1994 or so.). And OK – at least we can all have a good laugh at the clothes and decor now – ohmygosh.

So for those reasons, and countless others, I can tell you that this ornament hangs in a place of honor on my Christmas tree.  It is front and center, and that’s where it always will be.  

I hope that you’re not missing anyone special this Christmas, but if you are, I hope you know that you’re not alone.  You will get through it.  Peace and love to you at Christmas and always.

One of my favorite things is finding a way to make seasonal decor items multi-season or multi-purpose.  My house doesn’t have a lot of storage space, so I like to try and get as much use out of seasonal decor as I can.  That’s why this painted wood sign that I made, which reverses from Christmas to winter, is so great!  Display the “BELIEVE” side at Christmas . . . 

and then reverse to “LET IT SNOW” come January!  

You can make one for your own home with any scrap wood you have in your stash, or with a piece of precut plywood from the home improvement or craft store.  Easy!

Supplies Needed to Make a Reversible Painted Wood Sign

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means that I earn a small commission at no added cost to you if you purchase through them.  To read my full disclosure policy, please click here.  Thank you to DecoArt for giving me the paint I used in this project.

• Wood scrap or unfinished wood sign
• Americana Decor Chalky Finish Paint in Carbon, Everlasting, Inheritance, Legacy, and Rouge
• Americana Decor Creme Waxes in Clear and Dark Brown
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Foam Roller
• Small artist paintbrushes
• Electronic cutting machine* (If you don’t have a cutting machine, you could use stencils or large letter stickers to achieve this look)
• Adhesive vinyl* (If you are using the cutting machine you need this)
• Plastic snowflakes (I got them at Dollar Tree)
• Hot glue and glue gun

How to Make a Reversible Painted Wood Sign

Using a foam roller, paint a large rectangle in white paint in the middle of the wooden board.  

Next, use the electronic cutting machine to cut the word “BELIEVE” in a font of your choice. Affix the vinyl stencil to the portion of the painted wooden board and press down firmly along the edges.  If you don’t have a cutting machine, you could use large letter stickers from the craft store for this step, or you could use a stencil.  

Paint over the entire surface with two coats of red paint and let the sign dry.  Once it is totally dry, remove the vinyl letters (or stickers) to reveal the word BELIEVE.

Using a pencil, lightly freehand a belt buckle in the middle of the letter “I” and a Santa hat on top of the same letter.  

Fill in the belt buckle and hat with black, white, and yellow paint.  

Once dry, flip the wooden board over and paint the entire surface with two coats of blue paint.  

Using the electronic cutting machine, cut out the phrase “Let it Snow.”  Affix to the wooden board and press down firmly along the edges.  Alternatively, place large letter stickers on the sign to write the phrase.  

Cover the entire surface in white paint, allowing some of the blue paint underneath to show through. Let dry. Once dry, remove the vinyl to reveal the phrase.  

Seal both sides of the sign with Creme Wax.  

Create a faux distressed finish with Creme Wax in Dark brown, if desired.  You can also use the sandpaper to further distress the finish, if desired.

Once dry, hot glue the snowflakes to the “Let it Snow” side of the sign.  

This project is really easy but takes a little longer than my typical projects, simply because of the drying time involved!  If you’re short on time, you could always use a hairdryer to speed up the process.  

It’s worth it to spend a little extra time to get some longevity out of this project though!

If you agree and like this sign, I’d love for you to PIN IT!  Thanks!

Happy holiday decorating!

-Bre

You May Also Like This DIY Reindeer Specimen Art  

Looking for DIY holiday gift ideas or DIY Christmas gifts? Here are homemade gifts you can make for under $10!

Even though it might be too early to start decorating for Christmas (according to some, at least), it’s not too early to start thinking about holiday gift giving!  Especially when you’re planning to include some DIY Christmas gifts or diy gifts in Santa’s sleigh!

There’s always a bit more lead time involved with handmade gifts, but with a little preparation you can make some awesome presents and save a lot of cash – even during the busy holiday season!  

And to help get your DIY gift giving wheels turning, I rounded up some of my favorite DIY Holiday Gift Ideas that I’ve shared over the years, and all of these homemade gifts can be made for $10 or less!  

(PS: you might also like my blog post on Thrifted Gift Ideas! It’s got tips and ideas for turning thrifted treasures into beautiful gifts.)

You can click through to any of the posts for complete project tutorials and supply lists!

Wearable Handmade Christmas Gifts

If you’re looking for a homemade Christmas gift idea that the recipient can wear, look no further! Here are some easy-to-make wearable Christmas gifts anyone would love.

Fabric Tape Bangle Bracelets

Make a cute set of bangle bracelets for any fashion obsessed lady on your list. Craft paint and fabric tape are all you need for this lovely homemade gift.

Upcycled Shirt Tote Bag

No sewing skills or sewing machine needed to make a cute fabric tote bag that works for trips to the library, to carry groceries, and more!  Customize with any shape or design to create a personalized gift any lady would be happy to have.

Painted Leather Bracelets

Personalize plain leather bracelets with words or patterns and create a pretty and unique gift! You can purchase unfinished leather bracelets at any craft store. Multi-surface paint lets you dress them up however you like!

Air Dry Clay Keychains

Air dry clay is so much fun and can be used to make these adorable keychains! Stamping and embossing tools give air dry clay a decorative touch.

Handmade Holiday Gifts for the Home

If you’re giving a gift to a homebody or decor-lover, handmade home decor is always a great idea!

DIY Photo Cube

A dollar store wood block becomes the perfect photo cube in minutes! Add a cute photo of you and the recipient, and you have a lovely (and inexpensive) DIY Christmas gift!

Charming and Rustic “Hello” Sign

A sweet little sign is a perfect gift for a homebody or new homeowner.  Learn how to make a sign like this right in this post!

10 Minute DIY Slate Coasters

Wrap these DIY Slate Coasters with pretty ribbon and you have a fantastic holiday hostess gift!

Marbled Nail Polish Ornaments

Ornaments are always a great standalone gift, or a pretty wrapping paper accent.  Use dollar store nail polish and plain ceramic ornaments to make these!

Wood Plaque Picture Frames

Pretty paint, scrapbook paper, and wood plaques are turned into adorable picture frames in this project! Customize with paper and paint that the recipient will love!

Newspaper Flower Pots

Decoupage a flower pot with newspaper, pop in a succulent, and you have an adorable little gift! Or, for a Christmas twist, plant a mini Christmas tree!

Etched Glass Votive Holders

Etched glass gifts are SO easy to make!  Follow this tutorial to learn how to etch just about any glass surface!

Peg Doll Family Art

Paint wooden peg dolls to resemble the recipient’s family, and you’ll have an adorable and meaningful gift!

Boutique-Style Picture Frame

Frames are always a good gift – especially when they’re pretty!  Upcycle thrift store frames with this fun gift idea!

Functional DIY Christmas Gift Ideas

Not a fashionista or decor lover? That’s ok! Here are some practical handmade gift ideas!

DIY Christmas Stovetop Potpourri Kit

Make a holiday simmer pot kit with dried or fresh ingredients! These lovely kits help a neighbor or friend make their home smell lovely during the holidays.

Personalized Hostess Gift Basket

If you have a Cricut or Silhouette cutting machine, personalize some dollar store items and put together an adorable gift basket! This is a great hostess gift at Christmastime (or anytime)!

No-Sew Coffee Sleeves

You don’t have to use any sewing skills to make these cute coffee sleeves! Craft felt and glue are the primary supplies!

So, which of these DIY Christmas gift ideas will you be making this year? Let me know in the comments below. Happy holiday gift crafting!

Whew – it’s the second Wednesday of the month AGAIN!  That’s means it’s time for the Monthly DIY Challenge, when some of my favorite blogger friends and I team up to create projects that are based around common items or themes.  In the past we’ve done things like Sharpies and ModPodge, and this month we’re all creating items out of reclaimed wood (and I cannot wait to show you my faux pallet wood advent calendar!).  You’ll find links to all of the projects at the bottom of this post, but first, here’s a little teaser.  

So guys, I’m not gonna lie to you.  I had a little problem with this challenge.  You see, we had to use reclaimed wood and I just do not have any reclaimed wood lying around, nor do I have easy access to any.  I live two blocks from Chicago, people!  We have a significant shortage of barns and rustic things in general.  Anyway, I had planned to hit up a salvage shop to buy some for this project, but the proverbial sh** hit the fan in my life, and that did not happen.

Not being one to give up on a challenge, however, I decided to try and make NEW wood look like reclaimed wood, so that’s what I’m using – fake reclaimed wood that I’ve turned into a Faux Pallet Wood Advent Calendar!

If you have reclaimed wood lying around, you can definitely use that for this project!  Or, you can use my method of turning new wood into wood that looks old, and make this rustic advent calendar.

Supplies Needed to Make a Faux Pallet Wood Advent Calendar

Some of these links are affiliate links, which means that I earn a small commission at no added cost to you, if you purchase through them.  To read my full disclosure policy, please click here.

• Craft pallet wood sign
• Amy Howard Vintage Wood “Better With Age” Salvaged Timber
• Sandpaper
• Chip brushes
• Acrylic paints in gray, white, dark green, light green, brown, yellow, and gold
• Christmas Countdown set (I got mine at Michaels but couldn’t find this set online)
• Small eye hooks

How to Make a Faux Pallet Wood Advent Calendar

To make this project fit with the theme of this month’s Monthly DIY Challenge, I had to make my NEW wood look OLD!  Thankfully, the generous folks at Amy Howard at Home had given me a container of Vintage Wood “Better With Age” in my swag bag from the Haven Conference, so I decided to get it out and give it a try.  

I followed the instructions and brushed it on, leaving enough time to dry.    

By the time I’d returned from my son’s gymnastics class, my new wood pallet definitely looked aged and old!  There were gorgeously weathered gray highlights all over!

I took my pallet downstairs and beat it up a little bit with a hammer.  Then I mixed up some gray and white acrylic paint with some water, and brushed it on to give the wood an even more weathered look.  

Once all was said and done, my faux pallet wood looked like this.  

So as you can see, I did my best to get the reclaimed wood look when all I had to work with was new wood!  Next up, I painted a Christmas tree onto the wood with a mixture of green acrylic paint.  I added a little stump and a star on top for good measure.  

After the paint dried, I sanded it down a bit to give it a more rustic look.  Next, I screwed some eye hooks onto the edges of the tree.  

Then I opened up my Christmas Countdown set and tied the red and white twine through the hooks to make it look like the tree had garland.  

And then my Faux Pallet Wood Advent Calendar was ready to be displayed.  

Now don’t worry.  I know it’s early November.  I put my advent calendar away after I took these photos.  

And my mother-in-law already said she wants it, so I won’t even be putting it back out again in my own home.  

But that’s OK.  My husband says we have enough “Christmas Clutter” as it is.  (And I hate to admit it, but he’s probably right.)  

But making this project did make me excited for the upcoming season, so I will be looking forward to decorating soon and counting down the days until Santa arrives!

If you liked this post, I’d love for you to “pin” it so share the love!  

And don’t forget to visit my friends to see what amazing things they created with ACTUAL reclaimed wood!  I know they’d love to have you check out their projects!

Last month, my mom found an old letter that Santa had left me when I was very young.  (Check out this picture of it that I posted on Instagram.)  

It was beautifully written in red calligraphy and was made to look as though it were on aged paper.  I had no memory of receiving it when I was little, but it made me SO happy to see it now as an adult.

And of course, it made me want to have Santa leave my children a special note.  Problem is I don’t know calligraphy, and there’s no way I’m going to successfully dye paper to look like it’s old (trust me on that one).  

So I hopped onto the computer one night and created my own version of Santa’s Stationery – some letterhead and a thank you note from the big man in red.  (Hey – when you’re important, you definitely have custom stationery.)

You can download the free Santa Stationery Printables near the end of this post!  They’re super cute and will lend some authenticity to any note Santa might leave your little one(s) – even if you don’t know calligraphy!

After I printed out my letterhead and thank you notes, I tried to write all fancy like Santa would.  It looked ridiculous.  I’m not even going to show you the full note.  Womp womp.  

I was much better at checking the boxes on the thank-you note. (But even my x’s look a little sloppy.). I might have to re-print and try again later.

Click if you’d like to download a free set of Santa’s thank you notes.

And if you’d like to download Santa’s letterhead, do it right here.

No matter what you end up writing in your letter, or what boxes you end up checking, I hope you and your loved ones have a wonderful and magical Christmas together.

Enjoy the time spent in each other’s company and make memories that you will cherish for a lifetime. I know I will be doing that. (And then I will be practicing my calligraphy.)

Check Out My Other Christmas Crafts and Christmas DIYs!

A DIY Coffee Sleeve makes a fantastic gift – especially when paired with a travel mug and coffee! Learn how to make no-sew coffee sleeves with felt in this post.

“Oh!  Oh, kids!  Santa definitely came to our house last night.  Wait until you see what’s under this tree!”

I remember those words like they were spoken yesterday.  Sitting at the top of the stairs, my brother, sister and I would wait anxiously to run down and see all of the beautifully-wrapped packages that were just waiting to be torn open.

But first we had to wait there on those stairs – gifts out of sight and our anticipation building as my dad gathered trash bags (poor guy always had trash duty – but I think it was a job he relished), and turned on the holiday cassettes (or cd’s as we got older), and my mom made the coffee.  

Once the aroma started to waft up the staircase, we knew it was almost time for the best morning of the year to begin.

When we got the go-ahead, we bounded down the stairs with enthusiasm unlike any other.

Yes, that’s me (and my Pound Puppy).  I’m probably seven years old in that photo.  Of course, I can’t remember what I got for Christmas that year, but I can remember the buildup to it clearly.  The sights, the sounds, and the smells – all of them forming the basis of family traditions I carry forward with my own family today.

And on Christmas morning, my husband and I now do many of the same things that my mom and dad did back when I was so young.  (Although now we’re streaming our Christmas carols wirelessly – something they never would have imagined possible!)  

Once the coffee maker signals it’s finished making the energy we’ll need to keep up with our kids that day, we fill our Christmas mugs and bring them down for the fun to begin.

I imagine that once my children are grown and raising families of their own, they will cherish the Christmas traditions of our family the way I cherish those that my mom and dad established when I was a child.

One way that I like to share the family traditions that are so important to me is by giving coffee-related presents to special people in my family’s life.  People like teachers, crossing guards, hairstylists, postal workers, dog walkers, etc.  

I love lots of no-sew coffee sleeves and incorporating them into wonderfully adorable (and delicious) gifts that are always appreciated.

No-Sew Coffee Sleeve Supplies

This post contains affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy for more information.

To make these no-sew coffee sleeves, you only need a few basic supplies.

• Stiffened felt sheets in colors of your choice
• Craft (acrylic) felt sheets in colors of your choice
• Felt stickers or chenille patches
• Velcro dots
• Optional: pinking shears
• Fabric scissors (the sharper the better)
• Hot glue gun and hot glue
• Pins
• Coffee sleeve template (which you can download by clicking that link)
• Optional: embellishments like rhinestones, ribbon, buttons, etc.

How to Make a Felt Coffee Sleeve (Without Sewing)

First, print the coffee sleeve template.  Cut it out and pin it to a piece of stiffened felt.  

Next, using the pinking shears (if you want a zig zag edge), cut the felt around the coffee sleeve template.

Now for the fun part – plan out your coffee sleeve embellishments!

Since mine are holiday gifts, I made them holiday themed with candy canes, presents, Christmas trees, and more! I used a mix of premade felt stickers and hand-cut craft felt for my designs.  

Here’s a tip: the sharper your scissors, the better. Dull scissors do not cut felt well at all!

Hot glue the designs and any embellishments to the middle front of the coffee sleeve.

Next, hot glue one Velcro dot to the right front edge of the coffee sleeve.
Attach the other Velcro dot to the one that is already glued down.

Put some hot glue on the smooth side of that Velcro dot, and fold the coffee sleeve around to attach it to the inner left edge of the coffee sleeve.

And then you’re finished!  

These coffee sleeves make a perfect gift with a reusable to-go mug and some delicious beverage mixes like coffees or cocoas. 

You may even want to keep one for yourself (hey – you wouldn’t want to spill while opening presents, right?)

I love that I am able to share some of my family’s holiday traditions with a simple gift.  How will you do the same this season?