Toddler Hobo Sacks and Christmas Candy-breakers

For Howe Family Christmas this year, I went totally DIY. It just kind of happened that way and I really only gave gifts to the great-grandkids and to Inie and Bull.

I had this vision a few weeks ago of giving each great-grandkid their own hobo sack with their initial on it. I made one hobo sack for Ella one year and Allison tells me she still likes to carry it around so I felt good about it.

I got excited to use my yellow and white stripe IKEA fabric that I have had for months. There are 8 great-grandkids this year (and one on the way for Natalie and Jeff) compared to four when we got together 2 years ago for Flying H Trailer Park Christmas. It is so fun to just watch the family grow and grow.

I had 2 yards of the IKEA fabric and that made 7 hobo sacks...so, Ty did not get one. No big deal...I can make him one later on.

I ended up folding the fabric in half to cut out my pattern and I am so glad I did because the stripes lined up perfectly on both sides for all the bags!

Even the bottoms turned out great either totally white or totally yellow.

I used freezer paper to screen print a first initial on each of the bags. I decided on grey initials and straps for the five boys...black looked a little too bumble-bee and hot pink for the two girls.

Aubrey, Winlon, Luke, Speight, Grady, Austin (Kinley's bag not pictured..but, it looks like Aubrey's)

I really love the way they turned out. I hope they can use them for years to come to carry toys, pajamas for an sleepover, books for a car ride, or anything else they might want to play with. Because I was not sure the kids would love opening a sack to get a sack, I included books and candy inside each of them for a little bit of fun.

I decided to transition the heart-breaker valentines that I did for Kinley for valentines day last year into Christmas treats.

I basically just drew Christmas shapes in sharpie on paper sacks and Kinley and I colored all over them.

Then I cut them out, stuffed them with green and red M&M's and stapled them together.

I had a great helper!

More to come on an easy DIY project I did for Inie & Bull!