A quick recycling idea: For Christmas, I bought two green candles with a metal decoration tied with black string on the packaging. Knowing I could reuse the decoration somehow, I stuck them in my bathroom drawer(?). My sweet husband bought me this yummy hand soap from Williams Sonoma as one of my Christmas presents, and I felt it deserved a little fancying up. So I slipped one of the candle decorations over it and had it adorned in a second!

Simple Quilted Placemat

This simple placemat idea comes from an old copy of "Quilts and More" (Winter 2007). I love it when I can justify a purchase by finally using it...even if it is four years later!! You really could make your own pattern by measuring a rectangular piece of tissue paper to the desired size and cutting it on the diagonals (be sure to include a seam allowance). The pattern didn't call for any quilting, but I made another set without it (which I mailed off to relatives in Washington) and wasn't completely satisfied. When I make the next set, I'm going to quilt straight lines on the horizontal. BTW...mug from Target @ $1.99.

Mug rug....plug

OK....this is more like it! A rectangular mug rug makes me much happier than a square one. Plus I don't risk my children using this one to take something out of the oven! As far as the pieced star goes, I am still trying to figure out how to make the points on triangles hit where they are supposed to....which probably means I need to take a quilting class. The mug pictured is one I bought at Marshall's and is like the pattern on my grandmother's dishes. Love you, Grandma 'Shell!

Mug rug...ugg!

My first mug rug....which definitely looks like a potholder. I immediately began sewing a new one in a rectangular shape that will make it look more mug rug-ish. I finally used my walking foot for this project and what a difference it made with the line quilting! I can't decide whether to give this to a friend as a birthday gift or to someone I'm trying to get to know as a belated Christmas present. Hmmmm......
P.S. Loving my new ironing board cover (what the mug rug is sitting on). The one it replaced was well used and seriously abused! Also, you might recognize some of the mug rug fabrics which were used for Natalie's wallet. RRR.

What a clever idea from Better Homes and Gardens. Just stitch two cotton Christmas towels together and attach ribbons on the side for tying to the chairs. Next year for sure!!
And one more great idea from BHG. This one I can definitely put together this year!