12 Days of Christmas: Gifts That Are Cozy and Warm

It's Day 2 of our 12 Days of Christmas series, and today I'm spotlighting gifts that are cozy and warm.

On Sale Today Only at Shiny Happy World

One of my very favorite patterns ever - Blockheads! These little guys are so much more than mere beanbags. Fill them with rice so you can microwave them and use them as little handwarmers. Slip a couple in your pockets on a cold and blustery day.

I like to mix some herbs and spices into the rice in each bag - so you can use them to play a blindfolded "guess the scent" game. My daughter LOVED that Montessori lesson so this was a special favorite way to play with hers. I used a wide variety of herbs and spices in her set so it was a good introduction to the art of cooking too. "You're right - that's thyme. That's what I put in corn chowder." and "Mmmmmm. Rosemary! That tastes so good mixed with lemon." It's also fun to match the scents to the different facial expressions - try peppercorns or mustard seeds in the Angry Guy. :-)

The beanie filling makes them stand up well (so they work well as dolls) and the variety of expressions are great for encouraging kids to come up with little stories for them. This pattern includes happy, very happy, chagrined, surprised, angry, and nerdy. I know nerdy isn't an emotion so much as a state of being - but I had to include him because he's been a favorite in every set I've ever made - and I've given a lot of these as gifts.

This may be one of the best toys I ever made for my daughter - hours and hours of ever-changing creative play, easily portable, and made with scraps. That's my kind of toy! :-) Today only - the pattern is on sale for just $4. Get it here. These would make  really fun stocking stuffers!

Looking for a larger rice bag - one that would be appropriate for grown-ups? :-) I've got you covered there too.

My rice bag pattern is free - always. If you can sew a straight(ish) line, you can make this. Pair it with some bath salts or scented candles and some hot cocoa mix and you've got a nice little gift for someone who needs to pamper themselves a little. Get the pattern here.

Handmade Gifts from Other Awesome Shops

Soft-boiled eggs give me the heebie jeebies - but I'm tempted to give them another try just so I have an excuse to buy these adorable egg cozies.

Yokoo makes amazing hats and scarves - I especially love her big, chunky pieces - and this hat is one of the biggest and chunkiest. Love that crazy huge pompom!

Sometimes you want to get warmed up from the inside - and this "South of the Border" cocoa kit would definitely do the trick. The cocoa mix has a touch of cayenne pepper in it and the giant homemade marshmallows that come with the kit have swirls of dulce de leche running through them. Yum. . . .

So - a collection of some of my favorite toasty warm gifts. :-) Remember - the sale in my shop is just today. At 8 am EST tomorrow the Blockheads pattern goes back to $5. A new crop of sale items will take its place tomorrow morning!

Happy Monday!

Best,
Wendi