This is Isia's 3rd Christmas. As I was discussing with a friend the other day, this feels like a pivotal year. I feel like we're setting the stage, and nourishing her expectations, for holidays to come. Which has led me to a final selection- for now- of traditions, winter books, and decorations. It's a daunting task, this setting the stage for another's childhood. But it's an honor too.

So I'm aspiring to approach this season with joy, grace, and a desire for simplicity. Especially the last one, which has had me looking into cabinets and digging through our art supplies for gift ideas. Ideally I didn't want to buy anything new for the ideas this week. Well, that didn't quite work (more on that later), but I was able to find some new homes for our treasures. I hope you're able to as well!

Disclaimer: If you're friend or family, reading further might reveal your future gift!


For this first gift we used Ball jars, but you can use any glass vessel you have on hand. You'll also need contact paper, acrylic paint, and whatever you wish to put inside (I'll share some ideas at the end of the post). 




When the paint is dry, remove the contact paper and enjoy the snowflakes left behind. A great way to enjoy them is with tea-lights, ours are electric, that really make them glow. But these are also great jars for sharing and gifting! You might consider filling them with some...

...Cookie Mix in a Jar from Bakerella, here. (Wouldn't holiday M&M's be a sweet addition here?)
...Playdough Snowman from the Artful Parent, here. (With Glitter!)
...Granola, I wrote about our favorite recipe, here.

And don't toss out those paint-covered stars! We found out they're lovely as window or greeting card decorations.