Reading Family: The Christmas Project

Each year, I try to come up with something homemade (read ~~cheap~~ inexpensive) present to give my siblings. I knew in January that I wanted to make a nativity advent calendar. It was Clint's idea, and it went like this:

J: I think I'd like to make a nativity for my family for Christmas.
C: My parents have a really cool one. It's Mary and Joseph and they travel along the path to Bethlehem, a bit every day for the month.
J: Ok, I'll talk to your mom.

I did call Clint's mom. She no longer had that nativity, and after scouring the internet, I couldn't find anything similar to what Clint had described. I'm sure it's out there somewhere, though.

I put the project off for a long time. Well, mostly put it off. I bought a lot of felt when it went on sale, and I had purchased some blue felt on a bolt, on clearance at Wal-Mart a long time ago. I knew that would make the perfect background, but I didn't do anything else. Then October arrived, and I decided that I'd better get serious. I finally broke down and purchased a pattern off of Etsy. It's a great pattern, and I'm sure that I got way more than the $10 I spent on it, but it sure was more labor intensive than I originally realized. I worked every minute between when the pattern arrived and December 5. Then Clint's dad passed away, and our life was knocked off kilter. When we returned from our week in Idaho, I did the bare minimum required to get by so that we'd be able to have some sort of Christmas. Unfortunately, the Christmas presents fell by the wayside. When February came, and we started talking about taking a trip to Idaho over spring break, I knew this was my chance to deliver them in person. I renewed my work like a mad woman, and I was able to have them nearly finished when we left for Idaho. I did a little last minute work at my mom's and was able to get them all done and delivered (except for Sally's and Kendra's, but they'll be delivered/picked up soon by my mom).

I didn't count the hours that this project took me, but I'm sure it was more than a hundred. The process went something like this: trace the pattern onto Wonder-Under. Iron Wonder-Under to felt. Cut each felt piece out. Repeat 500 times. Iron each bit of felt on top of each other to create each figure, times ten. Yes, I made ten of these. I am insane. Then I had to cut the background and pockets, iron the barn, grass, and sand to the background. Sew 24 pockets on each background, and then iron on the numbers. Finally, I cut all the figures out of the black felt and stuffed them into pockets. Emery helped with this part, and we only lost one camel in the process. Luckily it was found without any yelling or crying.

Sometimes when I make something, people will ask me what it would cost for me to make one that they can buy. I can tell you that it's not likely that I will ever make another one of these, but if I do, it would cost more than $100.

I do love how they turned out though. The little figures are so much fun, and I know it will be a treasure in our house each holiday season.