Holiday Helper: Embellished Tote Bag
by Amy Brayfield
If there’s one upside to the abysmal state of the American economy, it’s this: The holidays are going to have to be a lot simpler this year.
In my book, that’s a good thing. I have been trying for years to break the cycle of crazy holiday spending followed by the credit hangover that hits like a wall of bricks mid-January, but it’s hard not to get caught up in the holiday momentum. (Seriously, I went to the supermarket yesterday and had to check my calendar for the date — they were already packed with Christmas supplies, and we haven’t even finished the Halloween candy.) So the force of necessity can be a good thing, both for teaching my kids that the presents don’t come in a crinkly Barnes & Noble bag and that the holidays are about more than shouting “I want that!” every time a toy commercial comes on.
Enter the homemade gift: An idea whose time has (once again) come. This year, we’re encouraging our daughter to make, not buy, all of her presents, and I thought I’d share some of our favorites here with you. These are easy to do — you can knock them out in a weekend — and not lame. Most people will really like receiving them, and your child (and you) can be proud of giving something she made herself.
My daughter’s favorite baby-sitter always has a stack of stuff to tote and loves my cute Amy Butler bag, so my daughter had the brilliant idea of making her a handy tote bag. We decided together that I’d whip up the bag and she’s be the Chief Creative Officer In Charge of Bag Décor. (I love this super easy free pattern from Dandelion Mama, but you could just as easily use another pattern or even buy a cheap tote bag at the dollar store.)
What You Need:
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