Holiday

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 build up 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.

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Most of those traditions start as soon as Thanksgiving has passed.  We decorate the tree together, read our ever-growing collection of holiday books (almost always with a cup of coffee or cocoa nearby), and drive around looking at the beautiful lights and decorations that brighten up the dark Chicago winter.

All season long we find ways to be together and to enjoy our family and home.  

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 making up 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 – all of which are available at any craft store.

• Coffee sleeve template (which you can download by clicking that link)
• Stiffened felt sheets in colors of your choice
• Craft (acrylic) felt sheets in colors of your choice
• Optional: felt stickers or patches (these are often available in holiday themes)
• Velcro dots
• Optional: pinking shears
• Fabric scissors (the sharper the better)
• Hot glue gun and hot glue
• Pins
• 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 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 Starbucks beverages, like their 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 with Starbucks this season?  

If you are sick of Christmas posts around here, I am sorry.  I cannot help myself.  This time of year is just SO fun and I have too many projects to share – like this DIY Christmas Wall Art that graces my Christmas mantel this year.  

You’ll love how easy this is to make. Let me show you.

DIY Christmas Wall Art Supplies

These are the supplies I used to make this reindeer art as shown in this post. Feel free to substitute anything to make the project your own! Also, this post contains affiliate links and you can read more about those in my disclosure policy.

• Stretched linen canvas
• Christmas-themed scrapbook paper
• Electronic cutting machine (like a Cricut Joy), or make a reindeer stencil by tracing a reindeer shape onto cardstock
• Mod Podge
• Foam brush
• Paint marker or permanent marker
• Small red pom pom

How to Make DIY Christmas Reindeer Art

First, I used my cutting machine to cut nine reindeer head silhouettes on different pieces of Christmas pattern scrapbook paper.  

If you don’t have a Cricut or cutting machine, Google “reindeer silhouette,” print an image you like, and trace it onto your cardstock to cut.

Next, I put a thin layer of Mod Podge onto the backs of each of the reindeer.

I pressed them onto the canvas and tried to keep them equidistant from one another. It wasn’t perfect but it was close enough!

Once they were all in place and had dried, I added a thin layer of Mod Podge to the top of each reindeer to seal them into place.

After that, I glued a red pom pom onto the last reindeer’s face, because obviously Rudolph needs a red nose!  

Then I used a green Sharpie to write each of the reindeers’ names, just in case anyone was confused about who was who.  (And yes, I had to Google the song lyrics so I would be sure to spell their names correctly.  Who knew it was “Donner” and not “Donder?”)

And I love my reindeer art!  It looks great next to my DIY Reversible Wood Sign, too!

This DIY Christmas wall art adds such a fun look to my mantel that’s filled with other DIY art and thrift shop finds.

I’m happy every time I look at it.  (My husband – not so much.  He says it’s too cluttered.  But what does he know?)