Bandito

And here's the final ornament in the special request collection: "a raccoon in a trash can." Yes, I am related to this boy and no, I don't have any explanation for his weirdness. But weird or not, the ornament did turn out pretty cute. I used Carolyn DeAngelis' raccoon pattern and just cut him off at the waist and stuck him in a trash can. The big green can was looking a little bare, so I threw on a recycling symbol which helped break it up.

I'm guessing my nephews thought they were being clever and thought they were picking difficult things I wouldn't be able to make. Clearly, they have no idea who they're dealing with.

King Cobra

Here is item #2 in the "Idiot Boys of 2011" collection. The specific request was "venomous snake," courtesy of my 11 year-old nephew, Zach. Because I can't draw at all, I have to rely on Google images that I think will convert well to an ornament. This is the one I landed on:



And here he is in his felted glory:


I named him "King Cobra." His coiled tail was not so fun. It's primarily stuffed with pipe cleaners. Ouida & her mother are pros at using actual stuffing on those skinny ornament parts. I go the cheater's route and use pipe cleaners instead.

Maybe next year, I'll do the rattlesnake as a companion piece. Or maybe Zach will request something else spectacular . . . . like "rabid dog."

Hop-a-Bit

I've learned a very important lesson this year: don't ask pre-adolescent boys which ornament they'd like you to make them. This is the first in a 3-part series I'm calling "The Idiot Boys of 2011." And now, for your viewing pleasure, I present to you A SQUIRREL WEARING AVIATOR SUNGLASSES . . . . aka Carolyn DeAngelis' squirrel named Hop-a-Bit.



I did take a little poetic license with this one. I gave him a tan patch on his tail and on his belly because I thought he was a little monotone otherwise. I also gave him two nuts instead of one. There's an off-color explanation for this. The boy who requested this is our best friends' son and he attended the sex-ed class we taught in August for middle schoolers at our church. Where kids are concerned, I like the ornaments to reflect something that happened in their lives that year. Hence, the nuts. (Get it?) HE'LL get it, I can promise you that, and he'll laugh and laugh.

Missus Mouse

This one is for my mother. Our family has a long-standing love for handmade Christmas ornaments and I've made my mother a felt one each year since I've started making them. I added a few doodads to this one, which isn't something I normally do. I gave her a plaid bow in her hair and I thought her hands looked like they needed something, so I gave her a package.