Christmas Presents

This year I made most of the presents I gifted to family. For many of my siblings I made decorative picture blocks. I snagged the idea from Stories by Me that featured the blocks as ornaments. I thought they'd work better as decoration on a bookshelf or table personally. They turned out to be quite a lot of work but hey - that's what makes home made gifts so special right? That's what I kept telling myself during the process anyway...

The finished product for the former West Virginia Mattingleys. They've since been renamed the Maryland Mattingleys. =)

Each sibling and couple had their own block. I covered 3 of the sides in pictures, one in scrapbook paper with their initial and the top in a different paper. I then sanded the edges and distressed with black and bronze ink.

I cut the letters with my Cricut and decoupaged them onto cute random text scrapbook paper. This was baby Luke's.

Topped them all with an eye hook (probably to hang as an ornament, but I just liked the look of the raise ribbon) and tied a simple ribbon.

Adam thought I looked pretty cute working on all of the blocks for my family. I was using my Dremel to sand the sides and edges. Dust went everywhere. I really should have showered AFTER I started working on my gifts.

Don't you love my makeshift mask? I was already recovering from a bad chest cold and probably should have gotten a real mask, but hey. I am resourceful nonetheless.