Tag Archives: Easy Christmas Crafts

Quick & Easy Holiday Gifts… It’s Never Too Late!

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We all need them, don’t we??? Well, I know you think those “holiday gift-giving times” are over now that Christmas is past… however, you may find that you have a few “forgotten friends” that you had meant to give a gift to and you don’t want to wait ’til next year!!! I thought I would share with one of my “go to, quick & easy” gift ideas:

A Double Chocolate Mint Cocoa Gift Kit

Not only is it festive, but it’s “Winter-themed” vs “Christmas-themed”!!!  As you can see, the ingredients are simple and relatively inexpensive. Two packages of cocoa, a baggie filled with chocolate chips, and four starlight mints… if there are still candy canes available, they make a great addition in place of the mints… but you can get the mints year ’round… so no worries if your local shops are out of candy canes already!

So to begin, you slip all of your kit ingredients into your clear bag. See how cute my mints look all lined up?? ***TIP: Use a bit of adhesive or a glue dot and STICK THEM TO THE COCOA PACKET!!!! :) Keeps ‘em looking all cute and in a line!!!

Once you have placed all your kit ingredients into your bag, seal it up and make a paper topper. To do that, simply cut a piece of cute paper 3″x the width plus 1/4″ of your clear bag. My bag was 6-1/4″ wide, so I cut my paper 3″x6-1/2″. Fold it in half and staple it over the top of the clear bag. Next, the fun part – EMBELLISHING!!!

As you can see, I have used two different types of ribbon here. I first wrapped a length of Ivory Grosgrain around the bottom edge of the paper topper and glued it in place. I then layered on a cute red-printed ribbon from October’s Monthly Ribbon Club Pack and then glued it in place. And then I tied my bow using the Ivory Grosgain again with the help of the handy dandy Bow Easy Tool.

 And you know me and my fetish for embellishments… it was cute with the dual ribbons and the bow but oh why not throw a totally cute Snowman Button from Buttons Galore & More onto the center of the bow for that perfect finishing touch? :) I hope you like this little guy, cause you may be seeing a few more projects with him or his friends over the next few weeks! I mean, Christmas may be past, but we have a WHOLE LOT OF WINTER left for crafting!!!

Happy Holidays to all, and a very Happy New Year, too!

by Keri Lee Sereika (www.pinklemonade.typepad.com)

Polar Bear Snowflake Ornament

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Crafts ’n things Craft of the Day

 

Kids love Christmas but awaiting Santa’s arrival can be really difficult. Make the final hours until Santa arrives go by quickly with this fun family activity.

Materials

  • Polymer clay: white, black, assorted colors
  • Paper clip

Tools

  • Pink powdered blush
  • Toothpick
  • Clay-dedicated rolling pin or acrylic brayer
  • Craft knife
  • Oven and parchment-lined baking sheet

Basic Supplies

scissors, black marker, ruler, cotton swab

Directions

Size

4″ tall

Ornament

Adults, help kids when baking clay in oven.

1. On clean work surface, remove clay from packages. To condition, roll clay separately in hands until soft, bending and rolling until pliable. If clay cracks, keep conditioning.

2. Print and cut out pattern.

3. Roll 2” white clay ball. Flatten ball to 1/4” thickness. Use craft knife to cut snowflake from white clay.

4. For head, roll 1/2” white clay ball. For arms, roll two 1/2” clay balls. Press and shape head and arms on one point of snowflake.

5. For ears, roll two small white clay balls. Press ears on head. For nose, roll tiny black clay ball. Press nose on face. For eyes, roll two tiny black balls. Press eyes above nose.

6. For hat, roll 1/2” ball from colored clay of choice. Form ball into triangle shape. Press hat onto head. Roll skinny log and tiny ball from same-color clay. Press log along bottom edge and ball on top of hat.

7. Use toothpick to add paw lines and muzzle line. Add lines on hat. Use cotton swab to apply pink blush on cheeks.

8. For hanger, use scissors to cut paper clip in half. Insert cut ends into back of hat.

9. Position ornament on parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake ornament in oven at 225º F for 25 minutes. Let cool.

10. Use black marker to write name, year, or other message on center of snowflake.

by Lori Allberry

Christmas Friend Coasters

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Crafts ’n things Craft of the Day

 

These adorable Christmas Friend Coasters are sure to spark some holiday spirit. Or, create them as a great last-minute gift idea.

Materials

  • Round cork coasters, 3-3/4”
  • Craft foam: white, black, red
  • Wooden shapes, assorted sizes: circles, teardrops, hearts, triangles
  • White felt, scraps
  • Ribbon, 6” lengths
  • Wiggle eyes, two

Tools

  • DecoArt Americana Acrylic Paints: Lamp Black, Snow White, Flesh Tone, Baby Pink, Primary Yellow, Jack-O’-Lantern Orange
  • Aleene’s Original Tacky Glue

Basic Supplies

scissors, ruler, paintbrushes, black marker, newspaper (to cover work surface)

Directions

STEP 1

Print and cut out patterns. Cut coaster from craft foam as follows: snowman and polar bear white, Santa red, penguin black.

STEP 2

On covered work surface, paint wooden shapes as follows: polar bear: two circles (ears) white, one circle (muzzle) black, two circles (inner ears) pink; Santa: one circle (face) tan, two teardrops (mustache) white, one circle (nose) pink; penguin: one heart (eyes) white, one triangle (beak) yellow; snowman: teardrop (nose) orange. Let dry.

STEP 3

Adhere cork coaster onto center of craft foam coaster. Using photo as guide, adhere wooden items on coasters.

STEP 4

For Santa, cut beard and freehand cut hair from white felt scrap; adhere onto face. For snowman and Santa, cut mittens from white craft foam. For penguin and polar bear, cut mittens from black craft foam. Adhere mittens on sides of body.

STEP 5

Use black marker to add details and eyes on faces and draw three buttons down center of coasters. Measure and cut 6” ribbon length for each coaster (except Santa). Tie ribbon bow; adhere below head.

Tip

For ease in painting wooden shapes, tape onto newspaper.

by Melony Bradley

 

Vegetable-Stamped Reindeer Towel & Mitts

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Crafts ’n things Craft of the Day

 

Finally, it’s okay to play with your food! You don’t just have to eat your vegetables — use them to stamp cool designs! This set makes the perfect gift for the cook in the family!  

Materials

  • Kitchen towel set: dish towel, oven mitt, pot holder
  • Vegetables, one each: celery stalk; large potato; baby carrots, three
  • DecoArt Americana Acrylic Paints: Milk Chocolate, Mistletoe, True Red, Cool White, Lamp Black
  • Red/white checked ribbon, 3⁄4” wide, 13” lengths, three
  • Gold jingle bells, 5⁄8”, three

Tools

  • Sewing needle and white sewing thread
  • Sponge or paintbrush

Basic Supplies

scissors, toothpick, paper towels, knife, paper plate (palette), newspaper (to cover work surface)

Directions

How to Stamp with Vegetables

1. Use knife to cut vegetables as desired. Dab cut ends on paper towels to remove excess moisture.

2. Use sponge or paintbrush to dab cut vegetable ends with paint.

3. Press painted side of vegetable onto fabric, applying even pressure. Lift vegetable straight up.

4. Reapply paint as needed. Let dry.

Reindeer Design

1. Cut: potato in half (head); celery stalk into 1-1⁄4” and 3” pieces (antlers); one carrot in half widthwise (nose); one carrot in half lengthwise (ears). Adults, help kids when using knife.

2. Stamp head and ears Milk Chocolate.

3. Stamp antlers above head Mistletoe.

4. Stamp nose below head True Red.

5. Use end of uncut carrot to stamp eyes Lamp Black. Let dry.

6. Use toothpick to dot highlights in eyes and nose Cool White; let dry.

7. Tie ribbon length into bow. Use needle and thread to sew jingle bell to center of bow; secure with knot. Sew bow below reindeer; knot thread ends.

Tips

  • Wipe vegetables clean with a paper towel instead of washing with water. The less moisture in the stamp, the easier it is to absorb the paint.
  • Check out a dollar or discount store for inexpensive kitchen towel sets.
  • For younger kids, use heavy-duty tacky or fabric glue instead of needle and thread to secure bell to bow.

by Mary Ayres

Die-Cut Ticking Fabric Ornaments

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Simple supplies such as red and green ticking fabric purchased at most fabric supply shops lend a charming, rustic feel to handmade ornaments such as these charming stuffed bird ornaments that were cut from a Sizzix BigShot die-cut machine and this beautiful bird die from Brenda Pinnick from Sizzix.

Simply die cut two layers of ticking fabric using the BigShot machine and ticking fabric for each bird ornament.

Fuse red wool felt to webbing and free hand heart shapes with scissors.  Iron in place on front shape.

Use two strands of embroidery floss and cross-stitch edges in place.

For the wing shape, cut a 3” teardrop shape and use it to trace two shapes from natural burlap. Cut the shapes out with scissors.

Use alphabet stamps for a short and sweet sentiment like “joy, “peace” or “noel” and stamp on fused burlap. Cut out sentiment and fuse to one of the burlap wing shapes using an iron and pressing surface. I used tiny alphabet stamps for my sentiments but you can use whatever holiday-themed words you might have on hand.

Sew the muslin in place with black thread and a straight stitch. Place the wrong sides of the wings together and sew 1/4” from ends, leaving a tiny opening for stuffing. Stuff wings with Polyfil Fiberfill Stuffing by Fairfield and sew opening closed.

Repeat this process for the bird. Be careful not to overstuff the bird or it will be difficult to machine sew closed.

Finally adhere the wing to the bird using a fabric glue such as Fabri-Tac by Beacon Adhesives. Embellish bird as desired. I adhered a tiny pebble bead for the eye and added some felt die-cut flowers.

 

The possibilities are endless. These birds look sweet hanging from a mantle or even as a special package tag.

Melony Bradley (www.mel-designs.typepad.com)

Snowman Cocoa Hugger

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Crafts ’n things Craft of the Day

 

This whimsical snowman can’t wait to wish someone a Merry Christmas with a scrumptious chocolate hug! After all, who doesn’t like a nice warm cup of hot cocoa on a cold winter’s night.

Materials

  • Glass pint jar with lid
  • Craft foam: white, one sheet; brown, green, orange, scraps
  • Fabric of choice, 2”x18”
  • Cocoa mix

Tools

  • EK Success Zig Memory System Millennium Markers: Pink, Blue, Green, Brown
  • Black fine-tip permanent marker
  • Small stencil brushes, four
  • Beacon Adhesives Kid’s Choice! Glue

Basic Supplies

scissors, pencil, ruler

Directions

Size

6-1⁄2” tall

Snowman

1. Cut out patterns. Cut craft foam as indicated. (Note: Use long, smooth strokes when cutting foam and turn foam instead of scissors as you cut.) Remove jar lid and trace onto white foam; cut out.

2. Use bullet tip of pens to shade edges of foam. While ink is still wet, use stencil brush to blend and shade toward center. Shade snowman with Blue, nose and trunk with Brown, and tree with Green. Drybrush cheeks with stencil brush and Pink pen.

3. Transfer details to face and lettering to foam circle. Use black marker to draw details. Fill in eyes, draw eyebrows, and outline foam pieces with wiggly lines. Trace over lettering as shown.

4. Adhere foam circle to lid. Adhere nose to snowman and trunk to back of tree. Place rubber band around jar. Position snowman’s arms under rubber band. Slide tree in between snowman’s hands. Spot glue hands to tree using rubber band to secure until glue dries.

5. Tie fabric around neck, knot, and cut fringe at ends. Remove rubber band and fill jar with cocoa mix

Other Options

Use brown craft foam to make a gingerbread jar hugger. Fill with gingerbread mix and a cookie cutter or mulling spices.

by Barbara Matthiessen

Iralamija’s Etsy Shop Christmas Images Winner

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With Christmas just around the corner, it is time to select one lucky winner of two sets of printable Christmas images from Iralamija’s Etsy shop as offered in my 12 Tags for 12-12-12 blog post.

The winner, as selected by Random.org, is: Viktoriya. 

Viktoriya, I will be contacting you by email for your mailing address. I appreciate all your wonderful comments and wish you a wonderful holiday season.

Alice Golden from Golden Moments (www.alicegolden.com)

Ho, Ho, Homemade Santa

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Creating handmade holiday home décor doesn’t have to be a complicated process.

It’s Jill Cornell here today with a quick and easy idea to make a whimsical Santa to add to your holiday décor. All you need to get started is a foam cone shape, pipe cleaner, hot glue gun, cotton balls, cardstock, paint, pom-pom trim, and your favorite patterned paper collection and embellishments. (I’m using the Welcome Christmas Collection by Pebbles Inc. for my Santa.)

Cut the cardstock to a half-circle and wrap around the cone. Hot glue is a great adhesive for this type of project. Do the same with a piece of patterned paper for Santa’s hat. Santa’s face was easily added by painting a flesh-colored spot on the cone, adding punched black circles for eyes, a brad for the nose, and a border sticker for the mouth. Santa’s beard of cotton balls was simply hot glued to the cone. Add some alphabet stickers to make your Santa extra “merry. “

Adhere a border sticker for the hat and pom-pom trim. A pre-made felt embellishment and flag help dress up Santa. Finally, add some cotton balls to the top of Santa’s hat.

My Santa is currently sitting on my fireplace mantel among a collection of Santas – all handmade by me over the years. I even have papier-mâché and wooden versions that I made in elementary school. And this would make a great project for older children supervised with the hot glue.

Jill Cornell from Blessed Scrapper (www.jillcornell.blogspot.com)

Christmas Tree Pillow

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Crafts ’n things Craft of the Day

 

Add some holiday spirit to your décor with this warm and fun Christmas Tree Pillow. There’s no complicated fabric piecing to tackle. You can make this pillow by simply fusing, then stitching!  

Materials

  • Cotton fabrics: burgundy check, 3⁄8 yard; ivory, 6”x9”; light brown, scrap
  • Green wool felt scrap
  • Pillow form, 12” square
  • Fringed trim, burgundy, 1-1⁄2 yards
  • Flat buttons: off-white, 1⁄2”, four; assorted colors, 3⁄8” to 3⁄4”, four
  • Burgundy embroidery floss

Tools

  • Embroidery needle
  • Iron and pressing surface
  • Therm O Web HeatnBond Ultrahold Iron-On Adhesive

Basic Supplies

scissors, ruler, straight pins

Directions

Size

12″ square

Pillow

1. Print and cut out pattern. Cut pieces from adhesive slightly larger than tree and trunk. Follow manufacturer’s instructions to fuse adhesive to back of green felt and brown fabric. Cut out tree and trunk, adding 1⁄4” to top of trunk as shown on pattern.

2. Remove backing; fuse shapes to center of ivory rectangle, with tree overlapping trunk. Transfer dotted lines to tree. Use three strands floss to blanket stitch around tree as shown.

3. Cut 6”x9” rectangle from adhesive; fuse rectangle to back of ivory rectangle. Cut 5”x8” rectangle from center of ivory rectangle; remove backing.

4. Cut two 12-1⁄2” squares from burgundy-check fabric. Fuse 5”x8” ivory rectangle to center of one burgundy-check square. Use three strands floss to feather stitch along outside edge of rectangle. (Note: If desired, use blanket stitch instead.)

5. Use floss to sew off-white buttons to corners of ivory rectangle and remaining buttons to tree dots.

6. Beginning and ending in a corner, sew trim (with fringe facing toward center) around pillow front, 1⁄4” from edges. With right sides facing, sew pillow front to back along trim stitching, leaving 10” opening along bottom edge. Trim corners; turn pillow right side out. Insert pillow form into opening; hand sew opening closed.

by Mary Ayres

Christmas Star Ornament

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Crafts ’n things Craft of the Day

 

Give paper scraps star quality when you bring them together in this charming ornament.

Materials

  • Bazzill Basics Paper Papaya Puree Medium Cardstock
  • Karen Foster Design Christmas Collection Papers: Ornaments, Christmas Bells, Home for the Holidays Collage, Poinsettias
  • Metallic gold floss

Tools

  • Computer and printer
  • Scoring tool
  • Small star punch
  • Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Pine Needles Ink Pad
  • Ranger Stickles Gold Glitter Glue
  • Therm O Web Adhesives: Zots Singles Small, 3D Foam Squares, SuperStik Glue Stick

Basic Supplies

paper trimmer, scissors, ruler, pencil, white printer paper

Directions

Size

7-3/4”

Ornament

1. Print pattern front and pattern back onto orange cardstock. Print second front pattern onto printer paper. Cut out patterns; set aside back pattern.

2. Using straight edge, scoring tool, and pattern as guide, score orange cardstock front piece along dashed lines. Gently fold “mountain” peaks on star points to center; folds will come toward you. Gently fold “valley” peaks from center to opposite edge; folds will point away from you.

3. Do not score printer paper star. Align it with orange cardstock star, rotating shape for best fit. Once stars are aligned, number corresponding sections on both stars from one to 10.

4. Cut numbered sections from printer paper star; use sections as templates to cut pieces from assorted patterned papers. Ink edges of each piece with Pine Needles ink; adhere to corresponding section on orange star using glue stick.

5. Stack and apply four foam squares to center of back star; apply foam square in middle of each point. Apply small adhesive dot at tip of each point.

6. Cut gold floss length for hanging loop; knot ends and press to adhesive at top point. Adhere front and back orange stars together.

7. Punch small star from orange cardstock and adhere to ornament center; coat star with glitter glue and let dry.

Tip

Using a glue stick to adhere individual pieces of paper gives you a bit more drying time to get them in position, compared with using other types of adhesive.

by Alice Golden (www.alicegolden.typepad.com)