101 Days of Christmas eBook
101+ Recipes & Crafts for a DIY Holiday
Mandi Ehman | LifeYourWay.net
Copyright © 2013 by Purple Martin Press, LLC
All rights reserved. No portion of this ebook may be reproduced or redistributed in any form or by any means (electronic, photocopying, or otherwise)
without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents 3
Introduction 7
COOKIES & BAKED GOODS 8
{1} Candy Cane Biscotti 9
{2} Candy Cane Brownies 11
{3} Candy Cane Cookies 12
{4} Chocolate Candy Cane Blossoms 13
{5} Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti 14
{6} Chocolate Walnut Logs 16
{7} Cinnamon-Sugar Cookies 17
{8} Cranberry-Walnut Pumpkin Loaves 18
{9} Peanut Butter Blossoms 19
{10} Peppermint Meringues 20
{11} Pinwheel Cookies 21
{12} Sugar Cookies 23
{13} Walnut Snowballs 24
{14} Bonus: Homemade Dog Biscuits 25
BEVERAGES 26
{15} Eggnog 27
{16} Hot Chocolate Mix 28
{17} Hot Vanilla 29
{18} Wassail 30
BRUNCH RECIPES 31
{19} Apple Pie Coffee Cake 32
{20} Bread Pudding 34
{21} Cranberry-Apple French Toast Casserole 35
{22} Egg & Bacon Casserole 36
{23} Bonus: Savory Cheese Ball 37
HOMEMADE CANDY 38
{24} Candied Orange Peel 39
{25} Candied Walnuts 40
{26} Chocolate-Covered Espresso Beans 41
{27} Chocolate-Covered Marshmallows 42
{28} Chocolate Peanut Butter Bark 44
{29} Cranberry Crunch Bark 45
{30} Double-Layer Peppermint Fudge 46
{31} Oreo Bark 47
{32} Oreo Truffles 48
{33} Peppermint Taffy 49
{34} Sugar Mints 50
{35} Truffles Mix-and-Match Recipe 51
OTHER SWEET TREATS 52
{36} Apple Butter 53
{37} Chex Mix, Original 54
{38} Chex Mix, Apple Pie 55
{39} Chex Mix, Caramel Corn 56
{40} Chex Mix, Cranberry Orange 57
{41} Chocolate Spoons 58
{42} Muddy Buddies 59
{43} Peanut Butter Cheese Ball 60
{44} Peppermint Chocolate Pretzel Treats 61
{45} Snowman Cake Pops 62
{46} White Ting-a-Lings 63
PROJECTS FOR KIDS 64
{47} Candy Cane Reindeer 65
{48} Clothespin Reindeer 66
{49} Felt Tree Ornament 67
{50} Handprint Calendar 68
{51} Jelly Bean Bracelets 69
{52} Jolly Elf Ornaments 70
{53} Popsicle Stick Christmas Trees 72
{54} Snowman Ornament 73
{55} Yarn Dolls 74
DIY DECOR 76
{56} Cupcake Liner Tree 77
{57} Fabric Flowers 78
{58} Fabric Scrap Wreath 79
{59} Feather Tree 80
{60} Glitter Trees 81
{61} Glittery Pears 82
{62} Glittery Pinecones 83
{63} Grapevine Wreath 84
{64} Gum Drop Tree 85
{65} Hanging Pinecones 86
{66} Popcorn Garland 87
{67} Snowy Windows 88
HANDMADE GIFTS 89
{68} Cozy Candles 90
{69} DIY Dry Erase Board 91
{70} Etched Glass 92
{71} Felt Coffee Cozy 94
{72} Felt-Covered Journals 95
{73} Fingerprint Heart Canvas 96
{74} Fleece Fringe Blanket 97
{75} Fleece Fringe Scarf 98
{76} Handprint Canvas 99
{77} Marshmallow Shooters 100
{78} Miniature Fresco 102
{79} Photo Coasters 103
{80} Winter Potpourri 105
GIFT WRAP 106
{81} Covered Jar Lids 107
{82} Fabric Gift Bags 108
{83} Fancy Paper Cookie Plates 109
{84} Felt Bows 110
{85} Magazine Bows 112
HANDMADE ORNAMENTS 113
{86} Button Ornaments 114
{87} Cinnamon Applesauce Ornaments 115
{88} Embroidery Hoop Ornaments 116
{89} Monogram Ornaments 117
{90} Painted Glass Ornaments 118
{91} Photo Block Ornaments 119
{92} Salt Dough Ornaments 120
{93} Scrabble Ornaments 121
{94} String Ball Ornaments 122
PAPER CRAFTS 124
{95} Button Cards 125
{96} Covered Oatmeal Cans 126
{97} Napkin Cards 127
{98} Paper Ornaments 128
{99} Paper Snowflakes 129
{100} Paper Stars 130
{101} Stocking Letters 132
PRINTABLE CHRISTMAS PLANNER 133
ADVENT IDEAS 134
Baby Sock Advent Calendar 135
Jesse Tree Ornaments 136
Traditional Advent Kit 137
More Advent Ideas 138
Christmas Book-a-Day 138
Dry Erase Christmas Countdown 139
Printable Advent Calendars 139
Truth in the Tinsel Ornaments 140
MEANINGFUL TRADITIONS 141
Annual Ornaments 141
Deliver Cookies to Community Helpers 141
Host a Cookie Swap 142
New Pajamas on Christmas Eve 142
Operation Christmas Child 142
Ring the Salvation Army Bell 144
Sibling Gift Exchange 145
Sleep by the Christmas Tree 146
Visit a Nursing Home 146
PRINTABLES 147
ABOUT 148
Introduction My husband and I love Christmas. Not just love it…we love it.
The first year we were married, we stocked up on Halloween candy and sat in the middle of our condo on October 31st waiting for kids come to the
door…but none came. Somehow we got the crazy idea to decorate for Christmas while we waited, and we began setting up our tree right then and
there, followed by a late night run to Wal-Mart for way too many ornaments and a ton of pieces for a Christmas village.
That crazy decision morphed into a beloved tradition, and eleven years later we are those crazy people who decorate for Christmas weeks before
Thanksgiving. (Although Halloween is our limit. To decorate earlier would just be crazy, right?!)
But it's not just the décor we love; it's the traditions and celebrations and magic of the season. We like to decorate early so we can enjoy all of that for
longer, but we look for ways to make our holiday celebrations simple yet meaningful for our girls throughout the season, and we're big on annual
traditions – like drinking hot chocolate while we decorate, delivering cookies to our doctor's office each year and celebrating the advent season with an
advent wreath – that we can look forward to and enjoy year after year.
What we're not so keen on is the amount of money a family of our size can drop on Christmas gifts, décor and "stuff" during the holiday season. Instead,
we try to limit the number of gifts we're actually buying for each other, focusing on charity, handmade gifts from the heart and simple celebrations.
Two years ago, I got the crazy idea to share a new DIY Christmas idea on Life Your Way every day before Christmas…for 101 days straight. My mom
helped me and together we tested recipes, made handmade gifts and tried our hands at DIY decor. Last year we repeated the series with all new ideas,
and another tradition was born.
As we head into our third annual 101 Days of Christmas series, I've handpicked the best posts from the previous two years and compiled them into this
ebook, with additional updates and notes based on our experiences and reader feedback.
Whether you're looking for a craft to do with your children, a new cookie recipe to share with your friends and neighbors, or a simple handmade gift,
you'll find all of my favorite ideas and tutorials in this ebook. And because 101 simply wasn't enough to cover them all, I've included a few bonus sections
with even more ideas as well!
Here's to a simple but meaningful Christmas!
{3} Candy Cane Cookies
If I could only choose one cookie to bake each year, this would be it!
You see, for the longest time I had this vague memory of delicious
candy cane cookies that my mom used to make when I was little. I
could almost taste the cookies, but I couldn’t find the recipe.
A few years ago, I began testing different versions, combining them
and making adjustments until I found the perfect one. The key is the
almond extract, which gives them their unique flavor. Although
some people use peppermint extract instead (which probably makes
sense given that they’re shaped like candy canes), it’s the almond
flavor that I love!
My girls and I now make these together each year. They’re fun to
make and even more fun to eat!
Ingredients:
2 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1⁄2 teaspoon almond extract
1⁄2 teaspoon red liquid food coloring
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Whisk flour and salt together.
In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg, vanilla
extract and almond extract. Slowly add flour mixture, scraping the
sides of the bowl as necessary.
Divide the dough in half and add the food coloring to half, mixing
well. Pinch off a small ball of dough from each color and roll them
each out into a 4-5″ long rope. Set the ropes side by side and
carefully twist them together, bending one end to form the hook of
the candy cane.
Place on cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes until they are just
starting to brown. Let cool on cookie sheet and then store in an
airtight container.
{76} Handprint Canvas
This handprint canvas is really easy to make, but – like the handprint
calendar and fingerprint heart – it makes a great keepsake to
remember their little hands as they grow.
Since we have four little ones, the spacing was easy, but you could
do add words to one section if you have three little ones, use a
bigger canvas and make more sections if you have more than four or
get creative (multiple prints? footprints?) if you have just one or
two!
Note: You’ll need a couple days for this project, so don’t wait until
the last minute.
Supplies:
blank art canvas
tempera paint in at least 5 colors
ruler
pencil
paint brush
Directions:
Start by dividing your canvas into even sections with light pencil
lines.
Carefully paint each section a different color. I highly recommend
letting the sections dry before painting the adjacent ones (so, for
example, you could paint the upper left and lower right sections on
day 1 and the opposite corners on day 2), especially if you’re
painting the sides of the canvas as well. Depending on the thickness
and coverage of your paint, you may want to add a second coat to
each section as well.
Once all of the background paint is dry, add a generous amount of
contrasting paint to a plate. We used white for all of the handprints,
but you could also use a different color for each print as well!
Help each of your children carefully make a handprint on their
section and then let them dry completely before wrapping.
{93} Scrabble Ornaments
Every year we give our girls a special ornament to add to their
collection. These are packed away in individual tins after Christmas
so that they have their very own ornaments to put on the tree each
year, and one day when they grow up and leave our home to make
their own, they’ll have a nice starter set of ornaments to take with
them.
I’ve been searching for ornaments with their middle names since our
third daughter was born, and I will often find a set that includes 2 or
3 of them {Joy, Grace, Faith and Hope}, but I’ve never been able to
find a set of matching ornaments with all four. Not only are these
scrabble ornaments adorable, but I was finally able to make them a
matching set with their middle names!
Supplies:
wooden Scrabble trays and tiles*
ribbon, cut into 5-6″ lengths
pencil
miter or hand saw
drill with 3/32 bit
white glue
paintbrush
*Buy a replacement set of trays and tiles here or scout your local
thrift shop and yard sales for old sets
Directions:
To start, decide on the words/names you’ll be making. Lay these out
on your wooden trays, pairing the words to make the most of the
trays. Line the letters up to the outside edges and mark the tray on
the inside edge of each word with a pencil.
Remove the letters and cut the trays with a miter saw. Then, drill a
hole in the top of each tray (we used a 3/32 drill bit).
Use a paintbrush to smooth a thin layer of white glue on the inside
of the tray and then firmly press the letters onto the tray, squeezing
them together on the sides as well.
Once dry, add a tiny bit of glue to the hole on the back and use an
open paperclip to help you push the ends of your ribbon in.
Let dry completely before hanging.