Hello all, Mary Ellen back again.

I’m starting to get anxious about holiday preparations. How about you? All done yet? I hope I’m not the only one scurrying around like crazy!

I like to dress up the gift cards I give so they look like I put a little more effort into the gift than just a spin of the rack at Tops! This snowman wrap of a candy bar will camouflage the gift card a bit, and who doesn’t like a candy bar? This makes a fun little gift for kids and neighbors even without the addition of a gift card. This author suggests buying one of the cheap fleece blankets that are everywhere this time of year to use for the hat and scarf. They would work great, but so would flannel scraps cut from an old flannel shirt or sheet. I also have used bright fluffy gloves from the dollar store to cut up for this kind of thing. There is a printable file for the paper wrap to add around the candy bar, but even that could just be drawn on paper with markers. Kids could make these fairly easily if they need presents for their teachers or classmates.  Click here for link.

I also found this pattern for a holiday feathered star hanging. It may not be so quick unless you have a stash of half-square triangles already made up. Trim them to the size required by this pattern and you’re good to go. In the center square I would use a fussy cut image from a panel or large scale fabric to speed up the piecing. I just love feathered stars but am often put off by the multitude of HSTs I would need to piece. If you give yourself permission to take some shortcuts, this would go together much more quickly. Click here for the pattern.

Today I’ll be getting things together for our guild’s holiday party. See you there?