Christmas Bao

On Christmas day, my grandma has made it a tradition to make these bread things called "bao" in Chinese. As the oldest of her grandkids, I was always forced to help. This year I took a break from kitchen work and became the photographer for the day. Please enjoy this picture of grandma scolding the second oldest as he kneads the dough. Merry Christmas friends! 

Love, 
Vanessa

DIY : Penguin Felt Ornaments

 I've made these penguins before and they are my go-to christmas gifts because who doesn't like penguins? These penguins were adapted from a bird tutorial i came across years ago. Check out the original blog here! Petite Purls. 

You will need : 

- bird template 

- felt 

- embroidery floss

- fabric scissors

- pins

- a needle

- glue

- twine

- a jingle bell

- stuffing

* the size and color of your penguin is up to you!

1. prep your templates onto felt and pin together

2. cut! you should have a body, a face, two wings, a beak, and a bow tie, but that's optional

3. sew on eyes and glue on a beak

4. this next step was meant to be sewn on, but because the sun was going down i had to glue on the pieces. the wings should go on the bottom two section of the body.

5. sew the body together 

6. stuff your penguin and finish sewing to close

7. add a bell to twine, sew through the top, and knot the top

Now you have a penguin to add to your christmas tree or give to your friends and family! I recently made a set of four as a christmas gift to a super cute family. Thanks for reading! 

Tis the Season

Happy holidays from Coffeestrokes! We hope that wherever you may be, you are enjoying a season full of laughs, love, and great memories. 

Every Christmas, my mom brings out this centerpiece in front of our sparkling tree. It's just another small reminder of the countless memories my sister and I have of loud holiday parties, a house constantly filled with the aroma of freshly baked cookies, and the excitement of running down in the morning to open gifts on Christmas day. 

Whatever your Christmas traditions may be, tis the season to pause to enjoy the precious moments that make Christmas, Christmas.

Love,

Eileen

DIY : Whale Felt Ornaments

Wondering what to give to your friends and family this holiday season? This cute  DIY Whale felt ornament is both easy to make and will be a cute addition to any Christmas tree! 

 Supplies needed : 
- a whale template
- some felt
- embroidery floss
- twine
- stuffing
- a jingle bell (optional)
- a chopstick
- pins
- a needle
- fabric scissors 

*the size and color of your whale is all up to you! 

Instructions

1. stack your whale template on top of two layers of felt and pin together

2. cut around your whale template with fabric scissors

3. sew on eyes using black embroidery floss

4. pin together and start sewing together using whatever sewing method you prefer

5. sew around the whale and leave space for you to fill with stuffing

6. now it's time to stuff! the chopstick will help you get the stuffing in hard to reach parts of your whale such as the tail

7. sew the whale close

8. add a jingle bell to twine, sew through the top of your whale and knot the top!

And now you have finished your felt whale ornament! Super cute right? Hope you enjoyed reading and learning how to whale.