Handmade gifts 4: family and ornaments

 It has been awhile since I sewed a book. I was so excited about this project. I actually had the idea for it at the beginning of the summer. It is actually one reason our summer was so fun. I kept thinking about the book, so we did super fun things and took lots of pictures all summer, because I knew it would end up in the book.
After binding the book, I put pictures in. One event/outing/vacation per page, then labled it.
The kids weren't very excited about it, but at least I can get it out and prove to them what a fun summer we had if they ever doubt :)

Also, I put all of the Christmas stuff up in the attic today, WITHOUT GETTING PICTURES OF THEIR ORNAMENTS! I also didn't get pictures of the ornaments the kids made for us.
I make them an ornament each year and now it will have to wait until next year to document it. I made Zoe and orange Converse shoe. She loves orange and Converse shoes. I made Liam a dove to signify his baptism this year. I made Lydia an apple to signify her starting Kindergarten. Felix got the alphabet embroidered on some felt because he is OBSESSED with the alphabet. He carried it around for days naming all the letters on it.

Photo tags

I am sure I saw this idea somewhere years ago and never thought I would use it. But this year it surfaced and I did it. I made gift tags with the kids pictures on them. It is so fun for them to find their gifts with their faces smiling at them.
I used old photos that I had laying around. So some of them are of the kids years ago. I think I will use them over again. I just put them on the gifts that are from us, so they know who they are from.

Hand made

I hope Melissa doesn't mind me posting, but I wanted to show what we made for Christmas as well. After all, Melissa did help me sew it together, and I am so grateful for her help. When it comes to sewing I am totally lost. (I'm just the concept person, I can't always execute these crazy ideas I come up with by myself.)

We made a cloth book for Ian's kids (--and since we went to all the trouble, for our own kids as well.) We bought these toys and took pictures of them in various places, doing various activities and wrote a story to go along with the pictures. The story is that the toys run away from the store to explore the outside and have adventures, but when it begins to get cold, they decide they need a home. So they get in special boxes and send themselves to two boys they know of who will take care of them and love them, and that way the toys can always be together.

This is the photo that goes on the last page, which personalized it a little for the boys. I think they enjoyed seeing themselves in a book.

We printed it on printable fabric, that works with any inkjet printer, and then sewed it all together. It's even machine washable! (You can find this stuff at Joanne's or even Walmart)