Senior Citizen Crafts

EAK! Just the though of Senior Citizen Crafts when I was a newlywed was enough to send me anywhere than close to the senior who had drawn me near to gush over their latest craft made at, of course, their Senior Citizen's Center.

Aunt Dorothy was just such a senior, her home filled with handmade items on every surface able to hold, hang, or attach her latest proud creation. Crocheted butterfly magnets, soap dispenser dresses, pot holders with smiling plastic doll faces. There were Bingo card carriers and juice box pocketbooks, laminated place mats and coffee cup cozies. With each compliment I gave, I secretly vowed never ever to make Senior Citizen Crafts.

 And then I discovered blogging.

Where once I scrambled to discover where I had hidden away Aunt Dorothy's latest popcorn afghan as she knocked outside my door, I now find myself drooling over Ripples and Grannies on a daily basis.

Where once I bemoaned the plethora of Christmas Card Senior Citizen Crafts that came my way, I now find myself making them myself. Oh how Dorothy loved to crochet her received cards into baskets to hold hard candies.

Crisp white tags catching my eye at JoAnn's brought the memories of Aunt Dorothy's Christmas card crafts to mind, and I could not help but think what cute house ornaments the tags could become. Three tags are needed to make each house. Six houses can be made from one purchased package.

I have also made a template for you if tags are not available.

Aunt Dorothy would make coasters and place mats from her Christmas cards as well as ornaments made by cutting circles out and gluing their bent edges together. Here I have traced my templates onto my chosen card with a mind towards color more than the subject of the card. I want a red house with a white roof.

Glue stick cut out shapes to templates. I have added a ridge of scallops to the roof line.

A beading of hot glue along the edges, your house is nearly complete!

And so I find long before I am a Senior Citizen, a passion for the most simplest of crafts that express the holidays to me.

Aunt Dorothy was a woman who lived each day of her life to serve the Lord. Sitting in her parish church it's pews filled with the witnesses of her faith, I wept to see each one of her 18 grandchildren form a procession line to pay their final respect, each one carrying a handmade item made especially for them. Each one a Senior Citizen's Craft.


CRAFT ROOM NOTE:
I have been asked many times where I purchased the cute paper organizer that can be seen in the above photo. It is available once again at Michaels for $39.95. Be sure and use your half off coupon!

Invitation to Friendship

There simply has not been anything I have enjoyed more about this special Place to Be than the sharing of creativity and the opportunity to be inspired by others.

I have always been very shy about visiting others blogs and am always so happy when comments are left because to me they are invitations. It has been through these invitations that I have made unexpected friendships that have added so much joy to my life. Cindy of Prarie's Edge Farm left just such an invitation for me.

Cindy's happy ripples have inspired a What's on Hand craft cute as can be. A Gingerbread Tree Lot with candy colored trees for sale. Too too sweet and oh so easy to make.

Found in Michael's Christmas craft section for $1.00 apiece, unpainted wooden finger puppets that I snipped apart from their bases, hot glued back together, and painted with craft paint using white to highlight glitter after two coats of craft varnish have been applied. The very last of my October Afternoon Christmas paper pieced and glue sticked to the box, clear buttons equal SNOW! You do know that I love SNOW!

I do believe I will have to make Cindy's ripple afghan for my Make Over Room. It says "happy, happy, happy" to me with each colorful wave. Something new in the MOR? I know! Who could not come home with a red roofed dollhouse as wonderfully constructed as this one.

Some invitations don't lead to blogs at all but friendships through the mail. Tammy sent me a wonderful red and white round pot holder that needed it's own Place to Be. A vintage trellis brought to the ground by the Big White Puppy in Joe's yard had this MIL pleading for it to come home with me.

Perfectly perfect for displaying my vintage photograph greeting cards and favorite tags made by friends.

Perhaps you are shy as well and have come to this community to make a friend or two. I know my life has been blessed here, and I hope yours will be as well.