GNOME for the Holidays (DIY felt Christmas Ornament)

 Gnomes are super trendy right now, and what could be cuter than a "GNOME for the holidays" Christmas ornament? I love a good pun, and I am really loving the adorable gnome ornaments I made for my friends and family this year. Today, I'm sharing the step by step instructions (and the templates you need) to make this super-cute felt Christmas ornament.

First, download and print the templates I created. Click on the photo below, right-click, and print it like a regular 8x10 photo. You can also insert it into a Word document and print it that way.

Cut a hat from red felt, a beard from white felt, a shirt from grey felt, and a nose from pink felt.

Then... (per the picture below) sew the beard to the to the shirt, and the hat to the beard. Finish the front of the gnome by sewing on the nose and button at the top.

To make the back of the gnome, trace the assembled pieces onto a piece of red felt, and cut out. Sew a hanger to the back piece, and then sew the front and back pieces together.

Isn't it adorable?

I can't wait to send out these darling gnomes with my Christmas cards this year. I hope you make a few for your friends and family too!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

You might also like the felt ornament ideas here.

DIY Christmas BOHO Yarn Wreath

I love inexpensive seasonal decor, don't you? Earlier this year, I made fun Spring and Fall "Boho" wreaths,  and I knew I had to make another one using Christmas colours. When you see how easy this wreath is to make, you're going to immediately hop in your car to get the supplies you need to make it. Check out the photos and step by step instructions for this gorgeous BOHO Christmas yarn wreath below.

Start by getting the supplies you need: yarn in Christmas colours, a wire wreath frame, and twine.

Then:


1) Use a plain gold wire wreath frame, or wrap a wire wreath frame with twine (securing periodically with hot glue).


2) Wrap yarn around a piece of cardboard (the length that you want your hanging to be). My cardboard was 20 inches, and I wrapped it around 15 times.

3) Cut one end of the wrapped yarn and loop the strands over the wreath frame and pull through... per the photos below. Repeat 5 times with whatever colours you want to use.

4) Trim the bottom of the yarn with sharp scissors.

5) Embellish the top of the frame with pom poms. (I tied mine on, and then secured with hot glue.)

Note: If you have never made pom pom befores, you can check out the video here.

That's it! I just love how it turned out. Don't you?

I love a good DIY piece of home decor, and I love that you can customize this Boho yarn wreath using whatever colour yarn you desire. What colours will you use to make your own unique piece of Christmas decor?

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

A Birthday Letter to my Oldest Son (on his 16th birthday)

Every year, on each of my boys' birthdays, I write them a letter. My hope is that I can capture a "snap chat" of their personalities each year. Today, my oldest son turns 16, and I can hardly believe it! Here's his birthday letter.

My sweet first born son,

It seems like only yesterday you were a baby in my arms, and now you are getting ready to drive and only one year away from graduating from high school. I honestly can not believe how quickly the years are flying by.

It's sad for me to see my little boy slipping away, but I couldn't be prouder of the young man that you are becoming. I am grateful every day that I get to be your mom.

• You LOVE sports... especially golf and hockey, but you have many other interests as well. You especially enjoy: playing outside with your brothers, hockey pools and video games with your buddies, playing guitar, reffing, movie nights, and spending time with family.

• You've faced the adversity of multiple broken bones over these past few years, but you focussed on your diet and fitness, and you are having a great hockey season. Your positive attitude and strong work ethic make me so proud of you!

• You are a master of time management. You make balancing sports, school, and social activities look effortless.

• Your brothers are your best buddies, you love your cousins, and you have tons of friends. 

• Peanut butter sandwiches, pasta, and steak are your favourite foods. You love the Toronto Maple Leafs, Auston Matthews is your favourite hockey player, and your hockey number is 34.

Happy birthday my darling boy. You may be turning into an adult and driving a car, but you'll always be my first baby. I love you to the moon and back!

Love, 

Mom

xo

Top TEN gifts for HOCKEY fans and players (2021 hockey gift guide)

 ***Disclosure -This gift guide contains some products I own, some items that I received for free and a few affiliate links. Please be assured that the opinions in this blog are 100% my own, and I've only included items I think would make fantastic gifts for hockey fans and players. Also, if you make a purchase using one of my affiliate links, you will not pay any extra, but I may get a small commission on your purchase. Thank you!***

If you regularly read my blog, you know that I am a hockey mom to three hockey-loving boys. Every year, there are several hockey-related items on my Christmas shopping list, so today, I am sharing my top 10 gift ideas for hockey fans and hockey players. There really is something on this list for all ages and budgets.

1) Gongshow Gear - My kids and I LOVE this high quality clothing line, so it's no surprise it made my top ten list. This year, my boys are getting a few Gongshow items, including these awesome winter hats. I love that they have styles to fit all their different personalities.

Gongshow also has a wide variety of games that make fantastic Christmas gifts. We have the sauce off game set and the saucer king game set. Both are a lot of fun!

2) Ollie Bots - These cute little wooden robots are made with love and tied together with hockey skate laces. The Ollie Bots project was started by my son's buddy and teammate (Oliver Smith) who sadly passed away at the age of 12 to a rare form of bone cancer. For a $20 donation, you can help raise funds and awareness for Ewing Sarcoma. Find out more here. 

3) NHL22 - If your hockey fan loves video games, you probably already have the latest version of this game on your Christmas shopping list. If you have it on your list, you can order it here.

4) Hockey books - Books always make fantastic gifts, and hockey books are perfect for hockey fans. Crossroads, No One Wins Alone, and Hockey Superstars 2021-22 (below) will be under my tree this year.

5) Personalized Hockey Ornaments - I love a personalized, handmade gift, don't you? I make these high quality tree ornaments in my online shop, and you can order them here for only $10.

6) Microfibre Sports Towel - Great for sticking in a hockey bag for an after-game shower. I ordered these towels for both of my sons that shower at the rink. Click here for the link to the one I purchased.

7) Bauer Mystery Mini Sticks - My youngest loves these, and they make a fun and inexpensive Christmas gift for kids. 

8) Wall decals from Oliver's Labels - Personalized wall decals make wonderful gifts for kids. And, and how cute is this large jersey wall decal? Use my link, and save 10% with code: EastCoastMommy.

9) Street Hockey Balls - These hockey balls are perfect for street hockey. Low bounce... and not too hard. They are my boys' favourites, and always find a way into their stockings. Check them out here.

10) Stinky Locker Celly Stickers - Custom stickers that look cool and allow kids to keep track of their stuff make perfect stocking stuffers. I love that there are options for players and goalies... and you can choose your own team colours, names and jersey numbers. Here are the stickers I ordered for my boys.

Cute, right? The stickers are waterproof and perfect for water bottles, cell phones and laptops.

AND... I have a special offer for you here. You can get a six pack for only $17... with FREE shipping. Just in time for Christmas!

And if stickers aren't your thing, Stinky Lockers has other stocking stuffers ideas for hockey fans too: hockey stick decals, helmet decals, custom ornaments, and magnetic dressing room signs. 

Any one of the these TEN products would make a wonderful gift for the hockey fan or hockey player on your Christmas list. My boys and I love all these products, and we've tried them all. If you have any questions, just let me know!

Happy shopping!

💗 

Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

DIY Boho Christmas Ornament

Recently, I've seen a lot of macrame and boho home decor, and I am loving the simplicity of the style. I made cute boho wreaths for Spring and Fall, and I thought it would be fun to incorporate the style into a Christmas tree ornament. This diy boho Christmas ornament would be a great craft for adults, but it would be fun for kids too.

To make this ornament, you'll need: wooden rings (from the dollar store), red yarn, white yarn, and scissors. 

1) Start by cutting a bunch of strips of yarn -- approx 30cm / 12 inches long. (I did 15 strands of red and 11 strands of white... but it will depend on the thickness of your yarn.)

2) Fold a yarn strand in half, and place the loop part inside the wooden circle.

3) Pull the ends of the yarn through the loop (and around the wood ring).

4) Pull the ends tight, and repeat until the entire ring is covered.

5) Tie the red strings together to form a hat. (Use the string you are tying with to make a hanger.)

6) Trim the pom pom and beard. 

Isn't it cute?

In the past, I have made yarn hat ornaments with my kids' classes and friends, and they were a big hit. I think next time, I might make these ones.

What do you think? Are you a fan of this style or not?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS (You can find MORE ideas for easy and inexpensive Christmas family fun here.)

5 Easy and Inexpensive Gifts to Make Using a Cricut

Homemade gifts are fantastic because they are unique, customizable, and budget-friendly. And, if you have a Cricut, you can easily make wonderful gifts that the recipient will love. Today, I'm sharing FIVE easy and inexpensive gifts you can make using a Cricut.

1) Christmas Ornaments - Personalized tree ornaments make great Christmas gifts. For my boys, I purchased hockey SVGs from Etsy, printed them out on permanent black vinyl, and added them to wood slices. I also added their hockey numbers with white vinyl.

Inserting a baby hat into a plastic bulb, and adding personal details with vinyl, is fantastic idea too!

2) Personalized Drinkware - Bottles and glasses are practical and useful, and they are really fun if they are personalized. I made water bottles for my son to give with his friends, and their names and the logo for his YouTube channel. It's also easy to customize wine glasses, beer mugs and coffee cups.

3) Home Decor - A Cricut allows you to create simple and inexpensive signs, wreaths, and other home decor items. Search Pinterest for ideas, gather some supplies from the dollar store, and get to work!

4) Gift Baskets - Personalized reusable containers filled with goodies make THE BEST gifts. I like to personalize popcorn bowls and s'more buckets. Cute, right?!?

5) Personalized Jars - Upgrading dollar store jars with a Cricut is a wonderful way to create a personalized and thoughtful gift. It's a lot of fun to make personalized cookie jars for the baker in your life. Memory jars are fantastic too!

Aren't homemade gifts the best? I love a unique gift, and the Cricut machine makes it extra easy. Which of these Cricut gifts are your favourite? I love them all!

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)