A Handmade Christmas: Ballerina Doll

These last few months I have really been working on living a simpler life as a family. Putting our energy into what we find important and not what other people tell us is important. One area that I am working on with my kiddos is that "Momma doesn't need to buy you everything you see." In the past my husband and I have agreed to disagree in this department. I admit it..I was a spoiler and my husband well not so much.  In these last few months I have really done a 180 in attitude change on this topic and completely agree with my hubby. Our kids currently have more toys than a lot of kids I know, not just due to me but they also have a grandma and an auntie that love to spoil too ;) Having sooo many toys, I feel takes away that something special each toy holds.

My attitude change brought up a question to myself; "Whatever happened to simple, imaginative fun?" When I was a kid my brother, sister, and I used to pretend that our swingset was an obstacle course that we had to get across, it was so much fun. I got a couple of stitches from it but it was a blast! I used to wheel around this old little shopping cart and pretend nature was my grocery store. Leaves were steak, sticks were fruits and vegetables, and hands down this grocery store had the most beautiful flower arrangements. My sis and I would sit in mom's hosta garden by the driveway and create little homes in the hostas for our My Little Ponies and Glo-Worms.  [Daydreaming down memory lane] :) 

I want that for my kids. I want their creativity and imagination to take the spot/need of wanting "things". Seeing them run around the backyard, letting their imaginations take them away just brings me so much happiness. Last night Abby was a cowgirl and she was warning the town folk to watch out because Old Man Luke was back in town. She would warn them by "yodeling" <3

With this want for simpler came the goal to make this Christmas for my kids a complete no store bought Handmade Christmas. I am not making other family members give them a handmade Christmas, but as far as my husband and I, our gifts to everyone are going to be handmade this year. They are both still young enough that whatever momma or daddy makes is special. I hope by having a Christmas like this it will begin to instill in them that toys and presents don't need to come from a store for them to be awesome, fun, and special.

I just completed my first handmade present. Yay! This one is for my little dancing cowgirl Abby. I found this wonderful softie and doll pattern shop called Dolls and Daydreams. The owner Sarah is the biggest sweetheart around and her patterns are absolutely adorable. She has so many to choose from that it was hard to decide, but I absolutely fell in love with her Ballerina Pattern and knew it would be the perfect doll to make Abby for Christmas. Her instructions were easy to follow and the doll itself was surprisingly really easy to make. If you have some sewing experience you are good to go! 

Meet Amelia the Ballerina. I gave her red hair of course :) and prettied her up with different shades of pink since Abby tells me her favorite color is no longer purple but now pink. 

Let me just warn you...doll making is addicting! I am contemplating on selling some in my recently reopened handmade shop Abby's Attic  because her patterns are just so much fun and easy to create. I have been checking out her other patterns to see what I should make next. I am thinking a pirate doll for Luke. 

Have any of you guys had a Handmade Christmas? What was your favorite handmade item you ever received?  Mine was a beautiful topsy turvy doll my mom made me one year. I remember playing with her all the time.

<3 Kris

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