Just before Christmas, I created a set of matching stained glass gifts for my sister-in-law and her family. When I completed the set, I was eager to post a picture but I didn’t want to spoil the surprise so I decided to wait to share the project with the world. Now that were a few weeks after the fact I feel like I can share.
Holiday Stained Glass Gifts, Make It Relevant
I always like getting something relevant for a great gift. Something that I can relate to, or reflects my personality. When making gifts for others I try to take that same in mind. A good example are the gifts I made for my Sister-in-Law and her family.
Since moving to the east coast my Sister-in-Law and her husband have taken up sailing. He grew up around the water. While she is a midwest girl, she seems to put up with a rocking boat much better than I can. Thinking of how much they both enjoy the water it seemed like a natural choice to create a set of stained glass sailboats that could be used as either Christmas tree ornaments or light catchers. These little mementos would perfectly reflect something that they enjoy doing together.
Adding a Personal Touch
To really make handmade gifts special I like to take it one step further and personalize them. When I made these sailboats I included Mommy and Daddy’s initials on their boats. I also create a slightly smaller version of a sailboat for junior. That way the entire family gets to share in the fun and they’ll have something to talk about every Christmas.
To add initials or letters to a stained glass piece I like to use fine gauge pre-tinned wired. It takes a little practice to make letters but if you’ve got a good set of needle nose pliers you’ll be able to do it. I usually stick to upper case letters as they are a little easier to make.
Mad Dash To Make a Gift For The New Baby
In this case, as I was making the ornaments I had a sneaking suspicion that my Sister-in-Law might also be expecting. The fact that her Thanksgiving wine went untouched a month earlier was the tip off. As I was making the ornaments I thought about making a fourth, but I didn’t want to jinx it so I didn’t.
Of course, 2 days before Christmas at the first family gathering of the Christmas holiday they announced that they’d be adding to their family in the upcoming summer months.
Luckily I didn’t throw away my patterns for the small sailboat and I was able to make one more boat that night. I guess the mystery baby is just going to have to live with a little question mark on her boat until the time comes.
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