KMPH FOX 26 | Central San Joaquin Valley News SourceMommy Monday: Homemade Christmas Gifts

By Alissa Forester

-Felt Coasters- buy cork coasters from the craft store, and adhesive-backed felt. Stack three colors together, and cut them to be just larger than your coasters. Secure them with binder clips from at least two sides, and cut the felt into wave patterns. Once you're finished cutting, stick different color pieces together onto the coaster. Then trim around the edges.

-Snuggly fleece scarf- buy two yards of fleece fabric, and cut a 7 inch strip. With fleece scraps, cut out shapes of flowers, moons and stars, or whatever you'd like. Secure each shape with embroidery thread, stitched from the front then back through to the front again. Simply tie the two pieces of thread together to secure.

-Kids art shopping bag- This will be so much fun for grandma to receive! You can also decorate other things, like an apron or t-shirt. Have your kid draw or paint a colorful picture. Then scan and print it onto transfer paper, and iron it onto a tote bag that you already have. Make sure to set the iron to the fabric of the tote bag or you'll have problems.

-Lazy lion pillow- you know those no-sew fleece blankets where you tie knots around the edges? This is the pillow version, with some felt and chord for the lion face. I just took an old throw pillow I didn't use anymore, and shoved it in my lion pillow for filling. Use orange and yellow fleece for the pillow, and measure 26x22 inches when cutting. Then cut 4x1 inch strips around the edges, and cut off the corner edges. After the pillow is stuffed, then use tacky glue to secure brown and black felt for the nose, eyes, and mouth, and chord for the whiskers.

-Family alphabet book- this is a cute personalized book that any close relative that lives out of town will appreciate. Just fill a scrapbook with each page being a letter of the alphabet, corresponding to family members names, places you've visited, or anything you can think of- and of course a picture to go along with each. This is also fun for young kids to receive as they are learning their ABCs.

-Cook book with sample recipe- gift your favorite cookbook and include something that you made from the book. Don't forget to write a personal note inside the front cover.

For more fun ideas, go to familyfun.go.com and search for gifts kids can make.

---

You can read Alissa's blog at: www.happyhourmom.com