Rose Pen Gift

This handmade rose pen is a cherished gift I found on my office desk many years ago.

Rose Pen Gift

If you are a fan of one of those pin your favorite "I can make this" ideas on an online board, it is easy to be seduced into thinking handmade flower gifts have to be complicated, intricate and expensive.

I submit exhibit A, a handmade rose pen gift. I found it a good 6, maybe 7 years ago lying on papers on my work desk.

I used to bring fresh flowers from my garden in for the office coffee room. It was during the craze to decorate pens with silk flowers. I had admired a number of them but not had the time to make one for myself. My first thought was that one of my colleagues may have made this one for me.

As I asked around about who had made it, a colleague friend said several days later that her young daughter had suggested she should make one for me. Her daughter at the time was not very old but she liked to pop into my office when she came by the office after school.

My friend said they had meant to make it at home but time had caught up with the looming holiday so they brought the leftover supplies from another project to the office when she had to work late. She had forgot to check for floral tape. Doesn't this have "not going to come together" written all over it?

I said who was it that said improvisation is the mother of invention, or was it masking tape will do when duct tape is nowhere to be found. Either way, it was not a problem.

This gift was quickly made by wrapping tape around a silk flower and writing pen.

Green floral tape would have finished it nicely but frankly when I look at this tape now, I have fond memories of the little girl who used to visit me on her way to her mother's office. I can also still imagine her carefully wrapping the masking tape around the flower and pen for me.

And look, no need for duct tape, it's still holding up after all of these years!

No floral tape? No problem, any tape will work. No one will see it once it's in a floral vase.

This very simple, inexpensive but thoughtful gift has literally lasted years, keeping me company in two offices and now decorating my little office corner in my kitchen.

So looking for a simple, quick, last minute Valentine's Day gift idea the kids can make and not sure this will work?

Trust me, it will be just fine.

Charlotte

Handmade Snowman Holiday Card

Doesn't the card snowman look happy to be hanging out with other snowmen on my mantle?

Handmade Snowman Holiday Card

Someone has been very busy, I thought as I slid the card out of the envelope. The smiling snowman dressed in blue was charming, the glitter snow covering the whole front of the card.

I checked the envelope and sure enough, it was a handmade card from a friend who has moved north but always liked getting Christmas cards. What a better prompt to get a card than to send one?

I can remember the days when the mailbox was packed full of cards. Over the years, I have saved some of my favorites to hang on one of my fireplace mantels. Now I am extra glad I did because cards are few and far between now.

One of the factors is cost. I was standing in the checkout line at the post office and almost gasped out loud at a $4 price tag on one card. The lady behind me chuckled. "Been awhile since you've bought a card," she said, more as a statement than a question.

At those prices, a card becomes a little personalized gift all by itself, I thought, passing up one of a dog holding a big stick with Christmas lights all over it. I know a dog that would bring me such a stick if he had not moved out west.

So thank you, Deb, for this charming handmade snowman card, it's going on my mantle with my other little snowman-related scene. It will be a part of my little mantle village for Christmases to come.

Let it snow!

Charlotte

Handmade Snowman Christmas Tree Ornament

So cute and so easy to make, another easy project for kids to tackle during the holidays.

This snowman was on a Christmas tree at the Henry Shaw country home at Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis. Shaw was the founder of the Gardens and only used this home in the summer.

The snowman Christmas tree ornament was made out of round paper circles with holes punched at either end connected with red yarn. Little hands could safely help with hole-punching.

Handmade Snowman Christmas Tree Ornament at Henry Shaw's Country Home, St. Louis.

With a box of crayons or markers, these paper snowmen could get a very colorful and fun wardrobe!

Charlotte

Handmade Paper Christmas Tree Ornaments

Who said Christmas tree ornaments have to be expensive or complicated?

At a December 13, 2015 visit to Henry Shaw's country home in St. Louis, one of the Christmas trees reminded me that ornaments can be as simple as hand-decorated papers on a string.

Shaw was the founder of the Missouri Botanical Garden. His country home is on the Garden grounds and is open for tours during the annual Garden Glow event where lights form a magical wonderland.

These handmade ornaments reminded me of some of the children's artwork we have printed on fabric to make custom kid's artwork quilts.

Handmade Christmas tree cat ornament at Henry Shaw's home at Missouri Botanical Garden.

Although I like the idea of the round paper ornaments, not all of them have to be round.

The square handmade Christmas tree ornaments were just as charming.

All together, the collection of handmade Christmas tree ornaments had a charming effect.

One of the Christmas trees with handmade ornaments at Missouri Botanical Garden.

Wouldn't this make a great project for kids out of school over the holidays?

Don't forget to sign and date them, these unique ornaments are little works of art!

Charlotte