Here, you’ll find a collection of projects designed to help you embrace the beauty of handmade living, from creating heartfelt gifts to tackling easy DIY projects for your home.
Discover step-by-step tutorials and tips to craft meaningful items that bring joy to both the maker and the recipient. Whether you’re a seasoned crafter or just getting started, these articles are filled with approachable projects that celebrate sustainability, creativity, and the personal touch of handmade treasures.
Ready to get crafty? Explore our resources and discover how simple living and creativity go hand in hand!
There is a way to be be frugal but not cheap this holiday season. Want to know the difference between being frugal and being cheap? Attitude. Frugal says, “I want this Christmas to be handmade in order to give of myself to those around me.; Handmade is beautiful and a good use of my resources. … Read more
For the past few weeks there have been a lot whisperings and shutting doors in our home. It happens every year as we realize that if we’re going to make the handmade gifts we’ve been “thinking” about all year, we’d better get on it. Every year we say we’re going to start our gift making during … Read more
We had a wonderful holiday but goodness did we stretch it out! We seem to do that every year as the best time for all of my family to get together is New Year’s Day so that is what we do. Like previous years there was a mix of handmade and store bought gifts and … Read more
Inexpensive gifts CAN be meaningful, in fact, they are often more meaningful since they are often made by the giver. I’ve rounded up some of my favorite inexpensive Christmas gifts that cost a dollar or less to make. For many years our family lived at or below the poverty level. Carl, my husband, was in … Read more
Welcome to week four of our nine weeks of getting ready to have a handmade Christmas. Several people have asked me about why I’m doing this series in October instead of close to Christmas. I’m normally a “one holiday at a time” person. When one holiday is over, then I can think about the next … Read more
Note: Once a week I share a popular post from the archives. This post was originally published in June 2014. When my big kids were little we used to get matching flag shirts every year. I loved matching shirts. In fact, my children would match anytime we left the house. People thought it was cute. It was … Read more
Twice a year (at Christmas and at the end of the year) parents everywhere are wondering what to give their child’s teacher as a thank you gift. Sometimes it can be hard, especially if money is tight or we have a quite a few teachers you want to give gifts to. Also, we want our … Read more
There are so many uses for beeswax that go beyond beeswax candles and salves – those are fun but so are lotions, growing mushrooms and wood polish. Let’s explore what beeswax is, where to get beeswax, and how to use it in your home and for your body. We have beeswax…and a lot of it. … Read more
Note: Once a week I share a popular post from the archives. This post was originally published in March 2012. One of the fun things about teaching an early elementary class at our homeschool co-op is getting to do some great art projects for kids. Our class is learning about Ancient Egypt in preparation to … Read more
While I love to make Christmas gifts for friends and family I usually have too many ideas for the time I have. So, instead of getting all stressed out about not making everything I wanted to, I just purchase handmade items. This way I can feel good about giving handmade but not have to be stressed … Read more
For several years I’ve wanted to have new Christmas stockings for our family. The stockings we have are totally fine, but they are a mix and match and are more mix than match, plus I’ve never really LOVED them. But y’all, stockings are expensive, multiplied by 8 (and now 10) and we just cannot do it. So, I think … Read more
We were first introduced to pipe cleaners and borax crystal ornaments when my older children were in elementary school. We made borax snowflakes for a science experiment and had so much fun. In fact, they made so many snowflakes and other crystal ornaments that they sold them for .25 each at a craft fair … Read more
A few years ago I started making fabric gift bags to use for Christmas. I love making these bags, they are so simple and just take a few minutes to whip up. We mainly use these within our family so we can use them year after year, but I also make some each year to … Read more
I know it’s a little early to be sharing pumpkin crafts but it was 105 degrees here today and thinking of fall is one of my survival techniques. Plus this thumb print pumpkin patch t-shirt is such a fun and easy craft I just couldn’t wait for a more “appropiate” time to share it. Esther … Read more
If you’ve been a reader of SchneiderPeeps for very long you probably know that we like to make things and we also like to play games. Josiah combined both of those likes into one gift for Christmas last year. He made each family a game of Finger Twister. Never heard of Finger Twister? I hadn’t … Read more
We had to get new tires for our 12 passenger van. Normally, I’m not real excited about that but I’ve been hoping we’d need to soon so we could make a tire swing. We had one of these in another house and it was much loved – by kids of all ages. Wanna see how … Read more
One of the fun things about having older children and a younger child is that I’m getting to revisit all those fun preschool crafts that I did with my older ones. For Christmas my children make their gifts to give to extended family and this year Esther made bug magnets. To make the bug magnets you … Read more
We celebrate Valentine’s Day at our homeschool co-op each year. It’s really fun since the teenagers participate, too. The younger children look up to them and love including them in the celebration. The teens usually don’t do cards, they just start dropping candy in everyone’s bag – you know because that is the important part. … Read more
Every year for Christmas we encourage our children to make gifts for their gift giving needs. It’s really fun to see what each one comes up with. This year Gabriel made cribbage boards for each family in our extended family – and us, of course. I’m going to share how he made the boards in … Read more
This is our second to last week of Handmade Christmas, it’s hard to believe, isn’t it? We’ve had some great ideas posted, so make sure and look over the last few weeks. We are a game loving family. We love hanging out and playing cards or board games, especially during the longer winter nights. … Read more