Handmade Holidays Blog Hop 2013 Logo

Welcome to the Third Annual Handmade Holidays blog hop!!

The best crafters, designers, and makers have come together to create and share  a series of thoughtful, handmade gifts for the holidays during this 3 day blog hop. Our goal is to inspire you to create something from the heart this holiday season as well as share how to use our products in fun, innovative ways. We intend this hop to serve as a resource to you for this holiday season and for years to come.

November 3:

Clearsnap http://blog.clearsnap.com

Craft Attitude  http://www.jonathanfongstyle.com/blog/

Smoothfoam http://www.smoothfoam.com/blog/

Donna Salazar Designs  http://donnasalazardesigns.blogspot.com/

Walnut Hollow http://walnuthollowcrafts.wordpress.com/

100 Proof Press http://www.100proofpress.com/_blog/Blog

Graphic45 http://g45papers.typepad.com/

ICE Resin http://iceresin.com/icequeen/

Stampendous http://stampendousblog.wordpress.com/

Sizzix – Eileen Hull Designs http://eileenhull.blogspot.com/

Jamie Dougherty http://jamiedoughertydesigns.blogspot.com

Nathalie Kalbach www.nathaliesstudio.com

Jen Goode http://www.100directions.com/

Kathy Cano-Murillo http://www.craftychica.com/site/

Tanner Bell   http://www.craftteen.com

Jennifer Priest https://hydrangeahippo.com

Jen Cushman http://jencushman.wordpress.com/

Adrienne Ford http://bry-and-i.blogspot.com/

Joanne Fink http://www.zenspirations.com/home/

Vicki O'Dell http://vickiodell.com/

Liz Hicks http://blogerisms.blogspot.com/

Denise Hahn http://inmyblueroom.blogspot.com/

Courtney Chambers http://www.alittlecraftinyourday.com

Tami Mayberry http://tamimayberry.blogspot.com/

Norma Rapko http://normarapko.blogspot.com/

Cheryl Waters http://blog.artsyfindings.com/

Hop along to each blog in the list. Each day, from November 1 through November 3, 2013, we’ll be posting a brand new list of blogs to hop to. Comment on each blog, share your favorite posts over social media. We’re ready to inspire, share, and create – are you ready to hop?

Joy-Peace-Tea-Towel-Cookie-Basket-Hydrangea-Hippo-Handmade-Holidays

 

Do you have those people in your life who have everything? Or they have a wishlist filled with ridiculously expensive items? (Hey Dad, no, I am not buying you another iPad for Christmas….sheesh!)

Well, sometimes a little bit of handmade goodness is much more special than all those things money can buy, communicating love, care, and thoughtfulness! Every year for the holidays I bake cookies and make candies for my family and friends. My grandmother started the tradition, then my mom took it over, and when I had a family of my own, my mom passed the torch to me. I have been making my grandmother's cookie recipes for years as well as added a few of my own, like Cranberry-Orange Shortbread and Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies.*

Friends and family have come to expect their cookies each year and with our busy lives and sometimes long distances between our homes, sometimes cookie delivery time is the only time I see some of these friends all year. We make an entire two day affair out of it, driving from house to house to visit, share, and chat. Every year I have some interesting way to wrap and present the cookies … I mean a metal tin from the dollar store just wasn't gonna cut it for me! One year I decorated hat boxes, another year I did gift bags.

This year I thought it would be nice to create a handmade tea towel to line the baskets of cookies. This tea towel is cut from a large piece of linen I found in my grandmother's sewing stash when she passed. I sewed the edges and then added embellishments. Here's a vid of the entire process:

Instead of the words “peace” and “joy”, I can add the family's name or a new baby's name. I love the idea that these can be customized for anyone. Here are the supplies you; need to create these for your family and friends this holiday season.

Supplies:

* All of the cookies pictured in the making of this item have been eaten ;)

 

Handmade Holidays Blog Hop 2013 Logo - Sponsors

Thank you again for hopping!

I hope you enjoyed today's post!

Author: Jennifer Priest

It started with jewelry, beading, sewing, home decor, painting, basket weaving, pottery, and cross-stitch. Marry that to an entrepreneurial spirit & at 9 years old a girl is selling her wares at craft fairs as far as her parents and grandparents would drive her. These days, Jennifer enjoys crafts of all genres from sewing to scrapbooking to jewelry with a little dabbling in the mixed media world. Her style is approachable and she wants everyone who sees her work to feel that they too can embrace creativity and make their home and life beautiful.

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28 thoughts on “Handmade Holidays Blog Hop – Day 3!

  1. This really is lovely. I would really have to practice to make it as pretty as yours.

    Posted on November 3, 2013 at 12:47 am
    1. Thank you! Here’s a little secret – the first version didn’t come out this well! LOL I have to practice too ;)

      Posted on November 3, 2013 at 12:01 pm
  2. Lovely gift idea!

    Posted on November 3, 2013 at 6:08 am
  3. Thanks!

    Posted on November 3, 2013 at 7:29 am
  4. OK, you cannot just tease us about the cookies and not share the recipe! Not fair. They look scrumptious. I will wait for the details:-)

    Posted on November 3, 2013 at 9:37 am
    1. Haha no secret recipes will be given out for cookies! LOL

      Posted on November 3, 2013 at 12:00 pm
  5. Jennifer what a great idea. Thanks for the inspiration. Hope you have a wonderful day!!!

    Posted on November 3, 2013 at 10:25 am
  6. Really fun idea – love the tea towels!

    Posted on November 3, 2013 at 11:32 am
  7. Thanks for a chance to win this great giveaway! Pinned but can’t figure ou where to find the URL anyway thanks again! Fingers crossed! :)

    Posted on November 3, 2013 at 1:54 pm
  8. WOW! These tea towels are so pretty and I love that they are made from linen from your grandmother! So personal! I am a FB follower, I also follow on pinterest, twitter, google and Youtube! Thanks for the inspiration!

    Posted on November 3, 2013 at 1:57 pm
  9. Family traditions are the best christmas presents by far!

    Posted on November 3, 2013 at 4:07 pm
  10. What a lovely tradition!

    Posted on November 3, 2013 at 4:26 pm
  11. We don’t use pretty linens these days like when I grew up. It would be a nice gift or Bazaar sale item. You have so many great ideas, I am following you on Pintrest from now on.

    Posted on November 3, 2013 at 4:47 pm
  12. great little towel! t.igo

    Posted on November 3, 2013 at 5:26 pm
  13. Cute – TFS!

    Posted on November 3, 2013 at 7:36 pm
  14. Your handmade tea towel to wrap yout cookies is a lovely idea! It’s very generous of you to give away a label maker too!

    Posted on November 3, 2013 at 10:11 pm
  15. What a sweet gift idea! Thanks very much for the tutorial!

    Posted on November 3, 2013 at 10:14 pm
  16. OMG! I really NEED that printer! That is the coolest thing I have seen in a long time. Thanks for sharing your beautiful project with us.

    Posted on November 3, 2013 at 10:39 pm
    1. It is pretty rad! They usually have sales at epson.com too ;)

      Posted on November 8, 2013 at 2:20 pm
  17. Hi Jennifer! So lad i discovered your Blog! Where have you been my whole life? Lol. Can’t wait to look around. I just love this cute basket, the napkin, and that blue tree is adorable. Best Hop ever!

    Posted on November 4, 2013 at 1:24 am
    1. Haha!! Thank you! Glad you are here!

      Posted on November 4, 2013 at 9:15 pm
    2. Welcome and thank you, Laura!! Glad you are here :)

      Posted on November 8, 2013 at 2:19 pm
  18. Thanks for the fantastic tutorial!

    Posted on November 4, 2013 at 3:10 am
  19. Such a sweet gift idea that can be displayed even after the cookies have been eaten! LOL!

    Posted on November 4, 2013 at 2:18 pm
    1. Thank you so much!

      Posted on November 4, 2013 at 9:16 pm