his and hers wooden peg dolls

I assume you've all seen the adorable wooden doll projects at Lil Blue Boo?  (They are plastered all over pinterest.)

Back in November, Ashley posted her Box o' Princesses and Boyville projects, and they have been on my mind ever since.  Luckily my mom also wanted to make them, so we each painted a couple of sets while she visited.  I know I wouldn't have gotten around to making them without her motivation, so thanks, mom!

First up, the boys:

I expanded the boy's set a bit to include a few more characters.  If Ruby received eight dolls and Oscar only received four, he would not be pleased.   Even with equal sets, I am still anticipating a lot of stealing between them.

My favorite boy dolls are Obi Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader (although Buzz and Woody are a very close second).   Oscar is borderline obsessed with Star Wars.  He's only seen Episode One (which pains Jared to watch), but he thinks anything Star Wars is just the greatest.

I sanded down toothpicks and painted them as light sabers.  They are super-glued to the dolls for safety, so hopefully Oscar isn't disappointed that they aren't functional.

On to the girls:

This set is the same group of princesses that Ashley made, but I tried to add my own flare to each of them.  My kids are young, so to avoid a choking hazard, I purchased bigger wood people (they are all 3 1/2 inches tall).  The larger sized dolls made it easier to add a few extra details.

My favorite ladies are Ariel, Tiana and Cinderella.  I used Martha Stewart glitter paint in silver to add sparkly scales to Ariel's fin.   Cinderella's dress was painted with Martha Stewart pearl finish paint in "aquarium" - it turned out so perfectly shimmery (I just love the MS line of craft paints!).  I didn't use any special paints for Tiana, but she sure has a fun dress.

I'm not going to lie, these dolls took a bit of time to paint.  It's not an easy project to churn out in one night!  But I sure am excited for Oscar and Ruby to open them on Christmas day.  Hopefully they will enjoy playing with them.  If so, it will give me an excuse to make more.  I'd love to add a doctor, fireman, ballerina ... peg people are fun!

Have you made any homemade gifts for Christmas this year?  I know it is only a week away, but I still have four projects on my list.  Yikes.

wood source:  I ordered my 3 1/2 inch peg people from Casey's Wood, and have always had a good experience with their products.  However, Ashley linked to a different shop, Woodworks Ltd., and they have slightly lower prices - I can't speak for the quality.

no-mess glittered ornaments

One of my personal Christmas traditions is that I like to make a few new ornaments for my tree each year.   They almost always involve glitter.  I was talking to my sister earlier today and she remarked that if she could find a way to work extra glitter into every season, it would make her life a little happier.  I agree completely - glitter makes me happy.

This year I still got the glitter I love without the accompanying mess.  These kid-friendly (i.e. non-breakable) ornaments are made with wood discs and glittered cardstock.  They are totally low-fuss, low-mess, high-sparkle.  You should be able to find all of the supplies at your basic craft store.

First I used a small amount of hot glue to adhere a ribbon loop to each wooden disc.  Then I glued my cut paper to on each side of the disc using Mod Podge.  I used my Silhouette Cameo to cut the glittered circles and little shapes, but you could just as easily use a paper punch, or even cut them out by hand.

It wasn't long before I had a large set of glittery, festive new ornaments.

They really shine against the lights of the tree.

I also made a set of ornaments with my family's initials.  They found a home on our newly decorated mantel (which also features glittered trees, a holiday book wreath, and felt candy cane garland from crafts of Christmas past).

I hope you have had a very merry December so far!  We've been battling sickness at my house.  A week after Cora was born, my husband came down with shingles and then Oscar and Ruby both caught chicken pox (and yes, they were both vaccinated).  Talk about the worst transition period, ever.  I wouldn't have gotten through it without my mom being here, continually saving the day!   It looks like things are on the upswing now, though.  Keep your fingers crossed for me that this little sweetie remains chicken pox-free, would you?