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My 2020 Handmade Christmas

January 6, 2021 by Jessica 4 Comments

Last year has come and gone and as slow as it felt at times, I’m still surprised it’s over. Christmas flew by for me and I was looking back at all the handmade things I created for gifts/decor and wanted to compile them all in one place. I have lots to share and hopefully it can give you some inspiration for next year. It’s never too early to start creating when you plan to give handmade. I always find myself making things last minute even when I started far in advance. Above is a sweet little lovie I sewed up for my niece. It had been a while since I made something like this and I enjoyed spending the time to make her.

I started off with a really simple shape and then had my daughters help me decide on the finishing details. We ended up giving her a pink nose, naming her Ruby the Pink Nose Reindeer. I experimented with using this sheet of glitter I had found at Hobby Lobby forever ago (near the felt) for the antlers. It’s stiff and holds up pretty well, but I ended up gluing a pipe cleaner behind it and then a piece of felt over that so it was covered. I’m thinking this will be a cute pattern to share next Christmas so y’all can sew one up if you want to as well.

The next few handmade Christmas pics are of these ornaments I made. I found the acrylic ornaments at Michaels and went to town. I played around with this process a bit and still want to try a few other things next year. Little touches like gold around the edges takes them to another level and finishes them off nicely.

The horse ornaments were actually unicorns. I did some research and found that I could use a dremel rotary tool (like these) and cut the horn off. It worked really well and then I lightly sanded where I had cut it off to make sure it was smooth. My oldest loves horses so I wanted to make her one and then made some for her to hand out to others she knows at the barn where she takes lessons.

These little guys were a handmade gift I crocheted. They are so cute and small! They fit in your hand. I started by using this bubble seal amigurumi crochet pattern from i crochet things. Then I used this amigurumi whale crochet pattern from Yarnhild. I used the basic shape from that pattern to form the jellyfish and the octopus bodies so they would be the same size roughly. I was able to look at other crocheted creatures and determine how to add the little extra “ruffles” on the octopus and used the tentacle pattern from this crochet jellyfish pattern (also from Yarnhild) to get the right sizing I wanted for my jellyfish.

This handmade gift is great because I think it is fun to gift “life” when it’s winter. I grabbed these tall vases and the rocks from the dollar store and the paperwhite bulbs I found at a local nursery and Home Depot. You simply place the rocks in the bottom and add a bulb on top. Then fill with water so only the roots are wet. The tall vase helps support the plant as it gets pretty tall and it has an elegant look to it. It adds some greenery to a time of year when there isn’t as much.

I snuck in a project for the kids welcome center at our church last month as well. I made these floating shelves and decorated them with party supplies I had that had a Christmas party vibe to them.

I tried to make one more ornament to gift, but only got around to making one of them. I used an old deck board to cut out a Christmas star shape. Honestly, it just took too long to do with my jigsaw so I kind of put it away for another year. I think I might need to add a band saw to my tools for projects like this.

One of the biggest diy undertakings was making 40 foam snowflakes. I learned a lot from this! It took over my garage for a while, but they looked so pretty when they were up. I used my projector to trace snowflake silhouettes as big as I could (I would do half of the shape on one sheet and half on another so I could tape them together). Then I used a utility knife for all the straight edges and an exacto knife for the curved spots.

To add glitter, I sprayed a spray adhesives and then dumped glitter on it. It was a mess, but it was the best way I could think of. I tried a glitter spray, but it just wasn’t glittery enough. Also, to make this job easier for myself, I only used three different snowflake patterns. Once I had made one from each, I used it as a pattern to trace the rest.

The last item is a gift for a friend that loves Christmas. She had commented on the ones I had made before so I knew I needed to make her one too. I can’t wait to get it to her. Well, that’s everything for my 2020 handmade Christmas. I’m already scheming for what I might do for next year lol. Anyone else with me? Happy new year to you all! May it be full of creativity and love.

Nutcracker Party Shirt

January 10, 2019 by Jessica 2 Comments


This Christmas was such a fun one! My girls had a blast really being able to enjoy time with so much family. I wanted to do some special things and one thing I did was create this nutcracker party shirt for all the littles on my husband’s side. We are starting to do a Christmas movie theme each year and went with The Nutcracker since the new movie had just come out. Time didn’t allow us to actually go see the movie, but it’s on our list. I created this design using the design feature for my Cricut Explore. It was really easy to create and now they have a one of a kind shirt just for them.


It had been a while since I had created a shirt using iron on vinyl. I didn’t realize some of the new products that are now more easily available. I gave the Siser Easywood HTV in green a try (I found it at Michael’s). It was my best experience with heat transfer vinyl yet! It went on so easy and smooth. I was impressed. I guess I’m a little behind on the new and amazing things as usual hahaha. If you want to make your own and have a Cricut cutting machine, you can find the graphic I made here. You will need to log into your account to see it. Just resize according to your needs.


My two girls are already talking about what next year’s theme might be… I’m thinking maybe a Rudolph one…. Although I might have to persuade miss J into doing this again as she’s hitting an age where she’s not necessarily into wearing matching shirts with her cousins ๐Ÿ™‚ lol

Paper Ball Ornament DIY

December 17, 2018 by Jessica Leave a Comment


Last Christmas I made a whole bunch of these paper ball ornaments to add some cheerful color to the trees in our church foyer. We didn’t have much to decorate the trees with, so I wanted to make something and this is what I came up with. It cost hardly anything since I had most of the cardstock already and they really make such a fun impact. I also saved time by using my Cricut cutting machine, but it’s totally doable without one.


The paper ball ornaments also hold up well for being made of cardstock. I saved a handful of these to take pictures of and they have been in a moving box inside a storage unit that was not air conditioned for six months. They were still fantastic! So if you store them loosely in a box I bet they can last a few years. Also, a tip for anyone looking for some large scale decor… I noticed all of these present boxes and those large snowflakes at a local clothing store (Gap). I asked the store managers if they saved these or threw them away and that if they just got rid of them I would happily take them and reuse them. They called me at the end of the season and said I could come get it all. How awesome is that? They were so excited it would be used again and we used them for quite a few years.

To make your own paper ball ornament you will need:

  • Cardstock (I used an 8.5″ x 11″ piece per ball and made extra smaller circles with the extra for garland)
  • Ornament Hangers or String
  • Scissors or Cutting Machine (you can find the 8.5″ x 11″ template I made for my Cricut here)
  • Hot Glue Gun & Glue Sticks


Start by cutting out four circles that are 4″ in size. You can increase or decrease the size depending on your preference. If you don’t have a cutting machine, you can use a round cup for a template to trace on the paper.


Then you will need to fold each one in half.


Run a bead of hot glue done the center of one of the folded pieces.


Place another folded circle on the glue and hold in place until it is cooled down.


Then put glue on one of the other folded circles and place on the seam of the two already glued together. Hold in place until cooled.


Turn the three glued ones over and add glue to the last folded circle to go on the other side (See picture above on how it should look all glued together).


You can then add your choice of hanging option and then fluff out the circles so it looks full. Above is a picture of using an ornament hanger.ย You can straighten out one end of an ornament hook and glue it down one of the seams.


Or you can use string, fishing line, or yarn to hang it. For those options I suggest glueing one end on one seam and then the other end in the opposite seam so it hangs evenly.



If you happen to have 12″ x 12″ pieces of cardstock, you can get quite a lot of circles out of it. I used the extra space on the paper to make smaller circles which I sewed together to make a garland.


It was a great addition to this backdrop I made and allowed it to fit in perfectly with the trees.


Make sure to share if you create any. I would love to see ๐Ÿ™‚

Jess

Craft, Snack, and Be Merry Workshop

December 16, 2017 by Jessica Leave a Comment

Craft, Snack, and Be Merry Workshop | happy together
Last weekend I hosted my Craft, Snack, and Be Merry Workshop. It was so much fun and to add to the fun it actually snowed the morning of this workshop! It never snows here in Southwest Louisiana so it was quite a surprise. The locals told me the last time it actually snowed like this was twenty something years ago. It was also the first time my two daughters were able to experience snow and that was a whole magical thing to watch in and of itself. So with snow on the ground (but not the roads thankfully), I prepared for my guests and we even made them gumbo and hot chocolate (from scratch!) to enjoy during the craft night.

Craft, Snack, and Be Merry Workshop | happy together
I kept the decor simple since our home was already decorated for Christmas. I made a simple sign with some card stock using my Cricut machine and used paper decorations that I have picked up over the years when I see them on sale. I highly recommend doing that if you host lots of parties. Then you have a stash you can always grab from. I laid out each space with the sign they would be painting, their supplies, and fabric covered plastic candy canes with their names on it.

Craft, Snack, and Be Merry Workshop | happy together Craft, Snack, and Be Merry Workshop | happy together Craft, Snack, and Be Merry Workshop | happy together
Once everyone arrived, we snacked some and then got to work. There were three projects: a Christmas countdown sign, oyster shell ornaments, and water color gift tags with pom poms. While the sign and ornaments were a “do it just like me” kind of project, the water color tags allowed them to be creative and make them however they wanted. I loved seeing everyone’s creativity and I enjoyed sharing with them skills they hadn’t learned before.

Craft, Snack, and Be Merry Workshop | happy together Craft, Snack, and Be Merry Workshop | happy together Craft, Snack, and Be Merry Workshop | happy together Craft, Snack, and Be Merry Workshop | happy together Craft, Snack, and Be Merry Workshop | happy together Craft, Snack, and Be Merry Workshop | happy together
I’m so thankful for these ladies that support and encourage me in my crafting endeavors. They make these type of events so worth it! -jess

Craft, Snack, and Be Merry Craft Workshop

November 10, 2017 by Jessica Leave a Comment

Craft, Snack, and Be Merry Craft Workshop | happy together
Christmas is just around the corner! If you live in the Southwest Louisiana area, I am hosting a ladies night out Christmas craft workshop “Craft, Snack, and Be Merry” that you are invited to attend. It will be held on Friday, December 8, 2017, at 6:30 pm in Sulphur, LA. The address of where it will take place will be sent once your ticket is purchased. Each participant will create three projects: a hand painted Christmas countdown sign, a gilded oyster shell ornament, and water color gift tags with mini pom-poms. All supplies are provided and there will be snacks too. The cost is $35 + processing fees and you can register here. There are limited tickets available, so make sure to get yours today if you plan on attending. I look forward to doing some Christmas crafting with y’all. -jess

Craft, Snack, and Be Merry Craft Workshop | happy together Gilded Oyster Shell Ornament | Craft, Snack, and Be Merry Craft Workshop | happy together Water Color Gift Tags with Mini Pom-poms |Craft, Snack, and Be Merry Craft Workshop | happy together

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photo(125) Welcome to my blog Happy Together. My name is Jessica Fediw and this is where I share my adventures in life, crafting, and more. Thanks for stopping by!

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Anytime I can add some old reclaimed item in a pro Anytime I can add some old reclaimed item in a project I do it ๐Ÿ™Œ This mini bee painting I did sits perfectly on this old corner block. Now go and enjoy your weekend ๐Ÿ˜Š May it bee amazing ๐Ÿ
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