Versatile Glass Charms

These wine glass cat charms make great additions to punch cups.

Versatile Glass Charms

It was time to give my little collection of glass charms a good workout!

The first time I rolled out my glass charm collection, it was a holiday neighborhood drop-in, kept simple and informal so we could spend time with each other and celebrate the Christmas season. As part of the event, I made a Christmas punch and dusted off my little glass punch glasses.

Glass charms are an easy way to keep track of one’s glass. Having run out of glasses during drop ins in the past, I thought the charms might keep me from breaking out the paper ones.

For those who might enjoy a glass of wine, I also had a few wine glasses ready, all dressed in their little cat glass charms so people wouldn't loose their glasses.

The glass cat charms ended up on the punch bowl glass handles, all 20 of the little glass cats busily keeping glasses and drinkers connected through the four-hour party.

Now that we are all spending more time at home and sharing meals together, glass charms are a fun way to keep track of glasses and cut down on washing extra ones.

You can find glass charms at hobby stores and sometimes home decor sections of big box stores. I found my first set at a thrift store and kept an eye out for more. One of the sets I picked up at a hobby shop.

A friend of mine made herself a set of glass charms with key rings and favorite cartoon characters. These would make a great homemade holiday gift!

Charlotte

Food Jar Pincushion

One way to decorate a food jar, use counted cross stitch top with makers initials for pincushion.

Food Jar Pincushion

Every year, I am blessed with friends who share their homegrown produce in jars. It's a wonderful treat in the middle of a cold winter, and I have a tendency to save them for a special day.

One such jar was pickles. I finally had a friend over for lunch and decided to share the pickles made from a secret family recipe. To my surprise, there was a surprise under the fabric tied over the top of the pickle jar. Here is what I found:

Instructions to tuck under the fabric top of a food jar on how to make the jar into a pincushion.

Talk about recycling, the instructions are how to turn the food jar into a 10-minute pincushion!

Now I recycle jars for a variety of things: to store buttons, seeds, pins, dried coffee grounds for my roses, fresh dried catnip and cat toys getting refreshed - what a great idea for another practical use after enjoying the special treats the jar originally carried.

It doesn't take much fabric, just a 6-inch circle:

A 6-inch fabric round is perfect to transform a pickle jar into a pincushion.

I haven't turned the jar into a pincushion yet, will do that later after the holidays but wanted to share the idea with you now.

Great little gift idea, don't you think?

Charlotte

A Thanksgiving Toast!

"May your stuffing be tasty

   May your turkey plump,

   May your potatoes and gravy

   Have nary a lump.

   May your yams be delicious

   And your pies take the prize,

   And may your Thanksgiving dinner

   Stay off your thighs!"

~Grandpa Jones

Valentine Good Luck Wish

We grew up having dinners where we would all want the chicken breast bone to make a wish.

Not sure where the tradition started, and not sure it continues today but in these charming, sunny vintage Valentine post cards, the wish bone is tied to two hearts as part of the Valentine greeting.

Doesn't it look like the little boy stepped out of the Valentine on the left to toss the arrow at the hearts with the wish bone tied to it on the right?

So, will you be mine?

Charlotte