Handmade Christmas gifts from my New York pen pal!

Do you all like to receive handmade gifts for Christmas? I certainly do. I know from experience how much time and love goes into a handmade gift for someone, so for that reason, I was thrilled when my tea-loving pen pal in New York, Sandy, surprised me with a huge package of handmade goodies for Christmas, including this beautiful new Christmas apron!

And in matching fabric, there's a mini-potholder, something I have actually wanted for quite a while now. I once had a mini-potholder, just the right size for grabbing a hot handle on a teapot or teakettle, but I accidentally burned mine on the stove, ruining it. I am so happy to have this pretty new one, and I will be using it year-round!

Sandy also included this adorable yo-yo wreath. Now I can make yo-yos, so why have I not thought of making a yo-yo wreath? This is so charming!

Another gift that will be quite useful this winter is a neck warmer. It's pretty, yes (and the yarn Sandy chose is amazingly soft!), and even more important, it is just the perfect size for tucking into the big winter coat I will be wearing on my afternoon walks once the weather turns cold.

Finally, here you can see some pretty crocheted flowers she included as well as some festive Christmas napkins. Some of our family were here Monday for lunch, and I was looking around for some Christmasy napkins to use when I realized I had these pretty paper ones. Perfect! It was incredibly helpful to have these handy right there at the last minute, so I think I may follow her lead and give friends some pretty napkins next Christmas. As you can see, my pen pal was quite generous with her gifts *and* her time to me! Have you received any handmade Christmas gifts this year? Will you be giving any?