This year I got bit by the Christmas decorating bug pretty early. Like the beginning of November. So rather than resisting and defying I decided to act on it.

I went on ahead and made ALL of my handmade Christmas presents. I even wrapped them up and everything and it isn’t even Thanksgiving yet.

This is truly genius because guess what? I’m totally sick of even looking at them right now. But once Thanksgiving is over and everyone is just beginning their Christmas presents… I will be done! So then I will be over some of my burnout and can deliver with a genuine smile on my face and warmth in my heart rather than wanting to throw them at people’s doors and piss in their mailboxes.

Normally I bake cookies or breads but this year I decided to make something useful for a change. So I made Flax seed hot-cold bags scented with lavender essential oils.

I think these will be a huge hit!

I normally make them with rice but the flax seed is finer and denser and sits on the crevices of your body a little more heavily. In a good, non-sexual way of course.

I had fun picking out the material. I chose brighter, whimsical patterns for the girls and the neat Old World globe print for a little more masculinity for the guys.

Then I used hot glue and washi tape to wrap it up prettily.

And then I wrote on the bag what it is and how to use it.

Added in some paper stars and dried flowers for decoration.

I think I went overboard and made too many though…

Oh and I also made some tea towels for gifts as well. I used all of the scrap/leftover material and made squares or rectangles in the bottom middle part of each tea towel and sewed and made some maple-painted tea towels as well, to hand out for gifts!

It’s good to be done.