The Great Aussie Christmas!

It's getting close now and the fat bloke is going to be creeping into our houses and leaving gifts for all the kids! Last year I got a lot of comments on how odd it was to have Christmas in Summer, well not for us on the southern side of the hemisphere. Anyway I thought I would share how we spend Christmas.

A great Aussie tradition is the Carols by Candlelight, local places hold these events in the lead up to Christmas and each state has a huge one in the city on Christmas Eve. We only go to the local ones as having kids up till 1 am isn't going to make my Christmas Day special.

The kids get up and sing their hearts out here is Elizabeth a few years ago. She's the one on the end, sorry REALLY bad phone photos (wasn't blogging back then)

The kids love it, the entire event is free, put on by local companies and charities, as well as the singing other free entertainment includes, face painting, lollies (candy), icypoles, (because it s usually hot) and BBQ plus drinks.

Elizabeth was so upset when we had to wash this off!

Christmas Eve we like to walk around the local streets seeing the light displays, then back home to get the kids off to bed but not before they prepare a fresh fruit platter for Santa (the guy eats way too much sugar) and a beer, because it's way too hot to be leaving milk out! Also remember that Santa comes here first so if he brings the wrong gift let the kids know that's because we ply him with booze before he goes back to the cold and snow of the Northern Hemisphere.

Then it's time for the gifts to be put out and Jule's and I enjoy a few drinks with Santa before he goes on his way.

Christmas Morning is all about running around outside in your PJ's sharing with all the kids in the neighbourhood what Father Christmas brought. Sunnies are a must! Actually from about 6 am you can hear kids shouting out to each other while ringing bells on new bikes and remote controlled toys zooming along the streets.

Many of us eat outdoors if it's not too hot, lunch is always the main meal on Christmas day. While we generally stick to the traditional English Christmas lunch many ofus add an Aussie spin by cooking it on the BBQ, it saves the house from heating up.

After lunch, it's time for some backyard cricket or if you're lucky enough to have a pool or live near the beach it's off for a swim. The little piece of paradise is on my Mother in Law's front door step. Julian thinks it's why I married him. (It wasn't, but it sure didn't hurt his luck!)

Then with the sun beaming through the window, we chill out with the A/C on full then it's an early dinner of left overs, if anyone can eat after lunch. Then an early bed time for the kids (not going to lie, I am rarely up after 9pm on Christmas Day).

As you can tell there's no snow or sledding so here's our own version of Jingle Bells.




 Merry Christmas, I hope you enjoyed a look into a true blue Aussie Christmas! I'm going to be off the blog over the Christmas Period, after that I will be posting sporadically over January while the kids are on Summer holidays. I hope you all have a safe and happy holiday!

Mel xo

Snow Man Candy Jar

Hi Guys,

Thanks to the lovely Emily at Nap-Time Creations, I'm joining up with a bunch of lovely and talented ladies to bring you a A Crafty Christmas.

I love a good "trash chic" project and Christmas seems to bring it out of me, so I thought why not try and do another trash chic week but make it completely Christmas themed. Let's be honest no matter how many hand made gifts you make Christmas is the one time our hands seem to be forever in our pockets!

This Snow Man candy jar cost me $0 the perfect price (if you don't include the actual candy)

The Ghosts Of Christmas Past

Hi Guys,


It can be hard finding spare crafting time around the holidays, so I thought I would share some really quick crafts. Just click the pictures to go to the tutorial.

I love to  wear crazy accessories at Christmas. I made this very simple hair clip for my girls using small size baubles.

Mini Knitted Christmas Stockings

When I was a kid, I went to my grandparents house every Sunday, after church we would go to my Grandparents house for dinner. All my cousins and Aunts and Uncles would be there and it was great fun. My favourite thing, other than Nana's desserts, was to go through her collection of magazines. These magazines were older than me and I used to gather up the Christmas ones and just drink in the beautiful crafts and decorations.

A Christmas Dress

Every year I have bought the kids an outfit for Christmas, the last two years I have gone with hand made, but from other people. 

Entry Update

Well haven't I had a heck of a lot of fun trying to do this entry! just a reminder of the before as seen here

Paper Straw Stars

Oh first star I see tonight I wish I may, I wish I might.....

Christmas Fudge

Hi Guys,

I'm not sure if I have mentioned it or not but I have no oven at present. It's totally annoying and means that there will not be any baking this holiday period. We're in the middle of a kitchen makeover and while we await new bench tops. ONE of us decided we could do without the oven until the bench tops are installed....one of us thinks that is a ridiculous idea!

So at present I'm scouring the net for as many non bake ideas that I can make "Christmassy".

Magnetic Paper Dolls

When I was a kid I remember being babysat by a friend of my parents and she was kind of old fashioned, in preparation of us coming she had got some paper dolls for me and my sister to play with. I LOVED them it was the only time I had ever seen them and the only time I ever played with them.

Fast forward 30 odd years and I saw these pretty Christmas paper dolls on Pinterest, you can check out my board here and I wanted to make some for Madeleine

Wooden Christmas Signs

I LOVE Christmas! I love making stuff for Christmas, I love shopping for it, I love all the activities leading up to Christmas. I love the smell of Summer in the air.

The other day when I posted the before shots of my entry a few of you asked what was hiding behind those frames, well here this is it.

Wooden Advent Calendar

This post first appeared on Our Pinteresting Family

Hi Guys,

I'm Mel from Mellywood's Mansion and I'm so excited to be here baby sitting at Our Pinteresting Family today, while Megan and Rob are busy welcoming the twins. As a mother of 5 I think I'm busy, however, I think a 2 for 1 baby arrival would have me beat!

Anyway given that they love all things Pinterest I thought I would make one of my pins a reality. I have seen these wooden advents all over the place and every year I swear I will make one. By the first of December, it goes on the "to do" list for the following year, actually that list should be renamed "the things I pretend I am going to do" list since it seems to grow longer all the time.

Mini Christmas Wreaths

I love wreaths, but my first and only attempt, until now was a huge disaster, sadly for you guys it was pre blogging and I don't have any pictures but here is what Jule's said upon seeing it, "that's great, ummm is it a steering wheel cover?" which was a lot nicer than the bellows of laughter from my boys. Seriously lucky they didn't get coal that year. But I decided to try a mini version.

DIY Plaster Ornaments

If you have every crafted with kids this post is going to make you think that I have gone crazy. Kids crafts should be sturdy and strong because they're rough but instead I went for very breakable plaster ornaments.

Guest Post at Our Pinteresting Family

Hi Guys,

I'm babysitting over at Our Pinteresting Family, while Megan and Rob are cuddling up to those gorgeous little boys that have recently arrived.

The Candy Cane Bracelet

Last year I went a little crazy with my "Silly Season" accessories. Like this one, but this year I wanted to keep it a little more subtle. Also if you aren't from here the Silly Season is what we call the lead up to the holidays, Summer starts, School ends and it is party town all over the country.

Christmas Boot Centerpiece

Hey All,

This project is a guest post I did last year for the Inspiration Cafe before I joined and it ties in with a lot of the Christmas in July posts floating around at the moment.

Welcome to Trash Chic Week, where all week, garbage or old stuff will be transformed into the awesome!

Today I'm sharing my Christmas Boot Centerpiece, one of my Trash Chic items if you want to know what Trash Chic is you can read about it here

Supplies

A pair of kids outgrown Gumboots

• Mod Podge
• Painters tape
• Black Paint
• Red Glitter
• Faux Fur
• Hot Glue/Gun

Firstly and the most important step, if you plan on putting these on your table or using them to serve food, bleach and disinfect the shoes. There is nothing quite as classy as having your guests smell rotten kid feet at the table. Dry and give them a coat of Mod Podge.

Once they're dry tape off the bottom of the boots and paint them black

Then tape off the black paint and coat with Mod podge and glitter the rest of the boot

Once that is dry cut your faux fur to size and hot glue around the top of the boot

Be warned if you think glitter gets everywhere, faux fur is an absolute nightmare! However it does look fantastic.

One the glue was dry I grabbed a small glass, and put it inside the boot and fill as desired. I think artificial flowers or flatware could also look amazing. However my 2 year old was fascinated with these, so I went for the more kid friendly, candy canes.

DIY Delight or Disaster? I LOVE this, even in July I love it I can not wait to get it out again at Christmas, from a smelly old pair of kids boots to a really fun decor items, Delight!

Thanks for reading,

Mel xo

See all the Trash Chic projects:

Be Delighted Every Day, Follow Mellywood's Mansion!

Merry Christmas

That's what Santa does while he is here visiting Australia, before he has to fly back to the freezing cold Northern Hemisphere.

Just a quick pop in for Christmas.

It's an all baking, cleaning, cooking, wrapping frenzy here, on Christmas Eve day, and hot....really hot! Kids are buzzing with excitement and even though its stress, I love my big noisy chaotic family getting excited for the holidays

May you all have a wonderful Christmas, eat, drink and be merry.

Merry Christmas Everyone,

Mel xo

No Sew Santa Sack

Morning All,

Here is the quickest Santa Sack you can make no sew no glue no prep - Awesome!

It's a tradition in many Australian families to have the presents placed in a Santa Sack, according to my grandmother it was because way back in the day people couldn't afford to buy wrapping paper so the kids would place a pillow case at the end of their bed and Santa would come and fill it with their presents.

I made sacks for the older three, years ago, which they have used for more than a decade but the two little ones didn't have one so I wanted something quick and easy. It doesn't get quicker than this!

Supplies:

• Pillow Case
• Tshirt transfer paper
• Printer 
• Printable - I used a free one from Pink Polka Dot Creations that can be found here
• Iron

1. Iron the pillow case
2. Print the graphic you wish to use
3. Iron it on and you're done

It's that simple folks! However I tried to do the dark fabric transfer for Max and the iron was too hot his ended up looking like this

So I'm going to get some white fabric and iron another transfer onto that then place it over the top of the existing one. After I created these, Amberly at Bingo Buttercup crafts made a really sweet vintage style printable which I'll be using - you can see that one here

Now I want to share a trick with you that my Auntie taught my cousin who shared it with me, when you make stockings or Santa sacks, make each child two. Why? One is empty for decoration but for the rest of the year the spare one goes into storage and as you find things you fill them up and low and behold, Christmas Eve all you have to do is swap them over - Brilliant time saver!

DIY Delight or Disaster? well clearly one of each but this is a really easy project and once again I want to thank Rita of Pink Polkadot Creations and Amberly of Bingo Buttercup Crafts for sharing their free printable.

Thanks for reading,

Mel xo

Linking to these awesome parties!

Guest Post At Inspiration Cafe

Morning All

I'm posting over at the Inspiration Cafe again, if you want to make one of these babies in time for Christmas Check it out!

Thanks for reading 

Mel xo

Not A Creature Was Stirring, Not Even A....

No sew mouse.

Morning All,

This project even surprised me. I hate mice, even seeing them on the TV make me feel sick.

Those people who keep them or worse rats as pets - gross! Anyways I have seen a few versions of the felt mice which are pretty cute and I wanted something to do with Elizabeth for our Friday night craft session. This seem to fit the requirements.

I decided I rather than use my felt, I'd try to make a dent in my massive fabric scraps. I also have a pile of cotton batting because mum makes quilts and for whatever reason, I must take her scraps as well.

Originally I was going to sew and overlock these and make them look stunning, but I broke a needle on the overlocker then the sewing machine and it was too hot so a "No Sew" project it became.

I got the pattern for the mouse over here at Thoughts from an Evil Overlord.

Supplies

Fabric Scraps
Batting scraps -or Felt
Scissors
Heat and Bond Ultra (best for no sew)
Pompoms
Hot glue and gun

First up I traced the pattern onto the heat and bond and cut them out

Ironed onto the fabric and once again  cut them out

Then I ironed them onto the batting and cut them out. Cut two slits for the ears to go into.

Hot glued the nose

Then cut a slit at the back for the Candy Cane tail.

To be honest, I like them better than felt because I can match them in to what I'm doing. The heat and bond makes them a little stiffer but I think it helps hold the shape.
I left the eyes off because I liked the idea of the 4 blind mice.

DIY Disaster or Delight? So much fun for kids to make and of course a candy cane to sweeten the deal! Delight!

Hopefully these will be the only mice I find in these parts over Christmas!

Thanks for reading,

Mel xo


Linking to these awesome parties!