A Homemade Holiday: The Planning List

Welcome to A Homemade Holiday: The Planning List!  Exciting, I know.  If you’re thinking about joining us in our preparations for the holiday season, then I figured you’d appreciate a list of projects, dates we’ll be working on them, and the supplies you will need to make them.

If you haven’t already be sure subscribe to our blog to make sure you receive updates when our latest posts go live so you don’t miss any of the posts in the series.  You can also check back with us on our Facebook page: Spring Lake Homestead.  As we progress through this series, I’d love to see pictures of your projects!  Feel free to share them on our Facebook page!

(This post does contain affiliate links so that you can better prepare yourself if you plan to follow along!  Read our disclosure in the side bar or at the bottom of the page for more details.)
Edited:  I will be adding links to all posts in this series as they become available.  As I go, I may add the occasional extra project to the list. 

Here’s the deal.  I have a list of two projects per week that I’d like to publish along with a list of one activity per week that pertains to preparations, but for now, I’m only committing to one crafting post a week (for the most part).  I’m sure I’ll work on everything on my list before Christmas, but it’s more a matter of what I’ll have time to write about.  So for now, I’m just going to list the posts that I know for sure I’ll definitely publish.  We’ll be working on projects over the next 8 weeks, so below under each week is a list of posts I’m definitely publishing and the dates they will go live.  I’m also giving you a rough list of supplies you’ll need so that you can plan ahead, should you wish to join in the fun!

We do have a guest post scheduled for one of the weeks, and we might add in a few others, but this is the only confirmed guest post we have as of right now.

Week One:

Crocheted Scarf:

• 7 oz. of medium weight yarn
• Size I9 (5.5 mm) crochet hook
• scissors
• stitch markers (optional)
• tapestry needle (optional, for weaving in ends)

Pajama Pants:  Thursday, November 1st

Supplies:

• Pattern
• Fabric for pants (Flannel, cotton, satin, flannel backed satin, fleece…)
• Ribbon (optional)
• Elastic (Something along the lines of this.)
• Thread

Week Two:

Wall Mount Bookshelf:  Thursday, November 8th

Supplies: (Makes 1-2, depending on the size you make)

• 1-1″x8″x6′ Pine board
• 1-1″x4″x6′ Pine board
• Finishing Nails
• Wood Glue
• Sandpaper
• Hammer
• Drill
• Measuring Tape
• Ruler
• Pencil/Pen
• Handsaw or electric saw
• Clamps (optional, but helpful, unless you have extra hands around helping you out)
• 2- 2 1/2″ drywall screw + drywall anchors
• Paint and primer (optional), possibly shellac if you have knots in your wood
• Stain and varnish (optional)
• Stencil (optional)
• Paintbrushes

Week Three:

Crocheted Gingham Baby Blanket:  Thursday, November 15th

Supplies:

• 4- 5 oz. skeins of medium weight colored yarn
• 4- 5 oz. skeins of medium weight white yarn (or other contrasting colors)
• US I-9 or 5.5 mm crochet hook
• Scissors
• Stitch Markers (optional)
• Yarn needle (optional)

Here’s a link to a kit that takes care of hooks, needles, and stitch markers. (The amount of yarn is currently an estimate.  I’m working on the blanket right now, so I don’t have exact numbers just yet.  I’ll update when I do!)

Week Four:

Hand-or-Machine-Sewn Drawstring Bags (Bread Bags):  Saturday, November 24th (Sorry, there has been a delay!  Holidays and sickness have set me back a bit!) 

Supplies:

• 1 yard Linen or Cotton fabric, pre-washed
• Thread
• Ribbon (not shiny and smooth)
• Hand-sewing needles (If you plan to hand-sew)
• Scissors
• Rotary Mat, Ruler, and Cutter (optional)
• Safety Pin
• Stencil and Paint (optional)
• Embroidery Thread and Needle (optional)

Week Five:

Guest Post from Apron Strings & Other Things: 

Aunt Cindy’s Hot Spiced Tea Mix:  Last week of November

Supplies:

• 1 1/2 c. instant tea
• 1 c. tang mix
• 1 c. lemonade mix
• 1 c. sugar
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp. cinnamon

Bread for Neighbors:  Thursday, November 29th (Again, we’re behind from sickness!  Hoping to get these up fairly soon!)

Supplies:

• Flour
• Water
• Veg. Oil or Applesauce
• Sugar
• Salt
• Yeast
• Butter
• Bread Pans
• Measuring spoons and cups
• Mixing Bowl

Week Six:

Lip Balm: Tuesday, December 4th

Supplies:

• Lip Balm Tubes or “pots“
• Honey
• Beeswax
• Shea Butter
• Coconut Oil
• Essential Oils (safe for skin application) or scented oils sold for this type of thing
• Coloring (optional, if you want to turn it into a lip gloss)
• Small cooking pot (I have one that I use especially for these types of things)
• Rubber spatula or wooden stir stick
• Glass liquid measuring cup with lip
• Labels (optional)

Snowball Ornaments: Thursday, December 6th

Supplies:

• White or Silver Yarn
• School glue
• Water
• Water Balloons
• String for hanging
• Paint brush
• Clothes pin and string for hanging up to dry
• Pin for popping balloon, tweezers for removing pieces of balloon that don’t want to come out easily

Week Seven:

Caramels:  Thursday, December 13th

Supplies:

• Candy Thermometer (We’ve broken countless thermometers over the years, and this what we currently have.  I have yet to break it.  Just be sure to keep the digital readout part dry.  If it gets wet, put it in a bag with uncooked rice, and it should be working again in a few hours.)
• Waxed Paper cut into 3″x3″ squares
• Vegetable Oil
• Corn Syrup
• Sugar
• Vanilla
• Heavy Cream
• Unsalted butter
• Salt
• 9×13 pan
• Parchment Paper
• Chocolate (optional)
• Pretzels (optional)

Week Eight:

Gingerbread Cookies:  Thursday, December 20th

Supplies:

• Sugar
• Shortening
• Eggs
• Light Molasses
• Sour Cream or Buttermilk
• Baking Soda
• Nutmeg
• Cloves
• Cinnamon
• Flour
• Cookie Cutters

I’m hoping to be able to get a head start on most of this so that I have some extra time for more writing and more posts, but we’ll just have to see how it goes!  I’ve got a few things in the works right now.

I will try and include links to supplies every time I feel it might be helpful, either so you can verify what supplies I’m talking about, or so you can order what you need to get going.  (FYI, some links will be affiliate links.  I may or may not earn a small commission on things ordered through links in my posts.  I’ll never share a product I wouldn’t purchase myself or don’t already own!)

If you have questions about anything, let me know!  Please feel free to share this series with your friends and family, on Facebook, Pinterest, or otherwise… invite them to participate!  The more the merrier!

Love~Danielle