Scrapghan Lapghan Makes a Great Last Minute Holiday Gift!

If you do a lot of crocheting like me then I'm sure you have tons of bits and leftover pieces of yarn. I knew I could make a bunch of granny square potholders or coasters with those bits and pieces, but I wanted to do something a little different. Could I take all of those little mismatched balls of yarn and turn them into one big something that would pack a crochet punch of color? The answer is YES. I could and I did. 

After searching around online I found several "scrapghan" how-tos as motivation. Using two strands of yarn and a half double crochet stitch throughout, I set to work. When I ran out of yarn I simply tied my working yarn to a new piece using a square knot. Then I made sure I tucked the tails into my work as I crocheted in order to hide them. Simple!

The result was a generous sized lapghan that's colorful and toasty warm. I originally wanted to make this scrapghan just to see how easy it was. It was so awesomely simple to do, and the results were so gorgeous, now I want to make more. It only took me a few hours (working intermittently over two days), so these would make excellent gifts for the holidays or anytime!

I just might have to make a trip to my local thrift store to grab up some of those bags of yarn odds and ends to make a few more scrpaghans for gift giving ;-)

Just in Time for the Holidays - God's Gift by Lee Ann Mancini is a Gorgeous and Wonderful Book for Children

“God’s Gift” centers around four sea children. Two of the children, Christian and Mary, celebrate Christmas, and the other two, Jacob and Jeremiah, celebrate Hanukkah. Christian and Mary believe they receive more presents during Christmas. Jacob and Jeremiah are convinced Hanukkah is a time for more gifts. Will the children come to an agreement? And will they begin to realize that it’s not about the amount of gifts received?

Wow! This is an absolutely gorgeous book. There are brilliantly beautiful illustrations on every single page. The book is generously sized at 10.9 x 8.6, with each illustration filling each page. That’s a ton of eye-catching artwork for children (and adults) to enjoy. The book is sturdy and the pages are glossy, high quality.

The story of God’s Gift is wonderfully written, in kid-friendly terms that never talks down to its audience. Children will easily understand the concept of God’s Gift – that it’s not all about how many gifts you receive, no matter which holiday you celebrate. It’s about God’s love for us all.

The author does an excellent job of explaining the true meanings of Christmas and Hanukkah, in a way in which children can relate. I enjoyed hearing the retelling of the origins of both holidays.  As a mother, grandmother and caregiver, I have no doubt boys and girls of any age will enjoy this charming book too. Highly recommended! Thanks to Book Crash, GLM Publishing and the author for gifting this book to me. This book would make an excellent holiday gift.

5 of 5 Stars, Review by Susan Barton

Holiday Recipes Cookbook by Bonnie Scott - This Yummy Holiday Cookbook is Currently FREE on Amazon

Many of us stress over what to give for the holidays. Making your own gifts can be an excellent alternative to purchasing expensive store-bought products that often get little to no use. Why not give something you’ve made yourself, and something the recipient can eat? Holiday entertaining can be a hassle. Coming up with party platter recipes can be a chore. This book is chockfull of ideas for holiday gift-giving and party-planning.

Whether you’re searching for gift ideas for acquaintances (mail carriers, teachers, neighbors, etc.) or even for close friends and family members, this book has plenty of options to choose from. Opening with a wonderful selection of breads and closing with pies, there’s something for everyone within the pages of this book. The candy selection is fantastic. The sweet and savory recipes (dips, cheese balls, appetizers and more)…are yummy! Reuben Dip? Genius! There are also plenty of recipes for everyone’s favorite – cookies. What’s really great about this book is that the recipes are easy, quick and simple to follow. Who doesn’t appreciate that at holiday time?

The author gives plenty of packaging ideas to dress these delicious gifts up for the holidays. Whether you’re looking for a rustic, homespun look or a more fancy, elegant look, readers will find inspiration here. The author has also kindly included several links to sites where readers can go to print labels and gift tags.

I would highly recommend Holiday Recipes: 150 Easy Recipes and Gifts From Your Kitchen to anyone who loves giving gifts created by hand!

5 of 5 Stars, Review by Susan Barton

GUESS WHAT? THIS BOOK IS CURRENTLY FREE ON AMAZON, SO GRAB IT WHILE YOU CAN!