Christmas Craft Challenge 2011 - Day 12

Gift Tags


I finally got these started and finished over the weekend which meant I could then get all the presents wrapped for the family which in turn means I can now stretch out my legs under my crafting desk... FINALLY!!
Can I just say I am about over all the production line scrapping stuff for the time being. Just the last thing to do to finish off my Christmas cards, which I need to post this week if people are to get them in time and then I don't want to have to do anything production line style for several months!!!
Still it was all worth it when you see the gift tags I made. Now these are the ones for the family presents that I hinted at in my earlier blog on the Christmas Tags I made for the swap at Crafting Passionz.
Our theme for Christmas Day is Santa if you recall from my earlier blog on the invites I made for Christmas Day lunch at our house. So what could be cuter than little Santa Hat shaped Gift Tags.

Here is a close up of one of them. They were simple to make (once I had thought through my methodology) and used Bazzill Red Cardstock and Bazzill White Cardstock. The white is double thickness with the red hat sandwiched between two white pom poms and bands.

• Cut red cardstock into 3" x 12" strips - I used three full sheets to make 60+ hats.
• The base width is 2 1/2" so I marked these increments along the bottom edge then repeated along the top with an offset of 1 1/4" so my peak would be in the centre. (I didn't rule the lines just marked the end of each cut and eye-balled.)
• Using my trusty trimmer I then cut my triangles out. You can cut 8 triangles out of each 3" x 12" strip.
• Cut 1 1/4" x 12" strips of white cardstock.
• Punch 1" circles from the white strip - you can safely cut 11 from each strip. Be sure to double the number of circles that you cut so you can sandwich the peak of the triangle between two circles.
• I then cut strips of white 3/4" x 12" which I further cut down to 3/4" x 3" - again double the number of these as well.
• Using your trusty corner rounder punch, shape the corners of the white hat band. I started using my corner rounder... one corner at a time. Then I remembered I have a Zutter Corner Rounder which can cut through heavy card and chipboard. Using this I could cut four at once, though I did try to stick to only three. This was MUCH QUICKER!!!
• Run all the white circles and strips through your Xyron... this is so much easier than having to glue or tape each piece individually. When doing anything production line style... quicker and more efficient is always better!!!! (And helps to keep you SANE)
• Stick it all together. I started by adding the bands to the hats first - both sides of all hats. Then repeated with circles... both sides all hats. This was also my check that I had cut enough to pair/match everything up.
• You can leave them like them and just tape them onto the gifts or continue on with the next step.
• Using trusty Crop-O-Dile hole punch cut holes through the centre of each pom pom. Be sure to make sure the hole you punch is the right size for the eyelet you will be adding... obvious I know (well it's supposed to be, but some of us have blonde moments when its a little late at night and your are starting to see red triangles and white circle blurring before your eyes!!)
• Using the other bit of the trusty Crop-O-Dile squish the eyelet in place. You might like to make sure you have enough eyelets of the size and style that you need at hand otherwise just use creative license like I did and use whatever you have that fits. I did stick to white, red, silver and black - yes I was getting desperate by this stage)
• Cut tie to length (I did mine 15cm or there abouts - sorry mixing my metrics and imperials... its how I work)
• Tie both ends in a knot, thread through eyelet and loop ends through the loop so you have something to hang the gift card from.
• Write your To and From on the front and/or back of the card and attach to the present.
• Optional extra - send the present to me, especially if its scrapbooking related

A selection of the various eyelets...

There were a few others... but they didn't fit into the pretty pattern LOL

Finally attach to your present.

Christmas Craft Challenge 2011 - Day 11

Tinsel Tree

Quick post as I'm running late. This is a small foam cone which I have decorated with tinsel. I held the tinsel in place using bead pins, so the tinsel can be removed and reused on something else and the cone can be decorated differently next year. I also have it for you plain as well as several different decorated versions... all done by changing the accents. Ideal for utilising the same decoration and changing your accent colour to suit your colour scheme for each year.

Plain - a collection of these tinsel trees in various colours and sizes without any accents would look lovely grouped together on a mantle or side table.

This is with a necklace of red faceted beads strung around it. I picked the beads up cheap in a mall and intend to remove the beads and re-use in other projects though for now they are adorning this cute little tree.

Beads threaded onto corsage pins with coordinating pin heads and then just stuck into the foam core. I left them extended enough so that they could be seen just out of the tinsel. Not only can you then alter the tinsel but also the colour of the pins and beads each year - fantastic budget decoration idea.

Christmas Craft Challenge 2011 - Day 10

Glass Bauble - Tinsel


My lovely friend Gypsy has been writing a blog since forever. And I have religiously followed her blog posts each day for some time now. Over the months (years) I have viewed her creations with envy, amazement and a frequent desire to copy the hell out of what she creates. One of my favourite creations (well there are lots of these really) are all the personalised Christmas baubles she makes.
So I have started this tradition with my family... well my granddaughter only really, though I am sure once the rest of the family see Sonia's bauble I will soon be asked where is everyone else's bauble????

1. Remove the cap of the bauble.
2. Fill with tinsel. I threaded the tinsel in until I felt the bauble looked full enough then trimmed the tinsel to fit.
3. Replace the cap of the bauble.
4. Adhere glitter alphabet stickers to spell out the name or sentiment you wish to have on the bauble.

This took all of 10 minutes, if that. I love the way the tinsel catches the light. This is a nice easy craft and would be easy enough for any children to try as long as there was adult supervision given you need to use scissors and because the baubles are made of glass.

Christmas Craft Challenge 2011 - Day 9

Glass Bauble - Music


I have always wanted to use these, but have been a little scared to try them out as I've never found them at a reasonable price... and given my talent for uncontrollable clumsiness from time to time, playing with fragile glass objects didn't sound like a good idea.


At last I decided to fight the fear and do it anyway. Here is the first bauble...

Music has always been an important part of life and no doubt will always continue to be so as soon as I saw this idea I just knew I had to try it.

1. Download printable sheet music - this can be found all over the internet. I found a vintage copy of "Jingle Bells" which I used for this project.
2. Print out the sheet music. I printed this onto ordinary photocopy paper.
3. Cut the sheet music horizontally into strips about 3/4" wide.
4. Curl the patterned paper strips. I used my Petal Roller tools which I totally love for any curling, quilling and shaping paper flowers. You can get these from my shop. There are two sizes... thin for paper only and a thick version for paper or fabric. I have used both and think both are fantastic.
5. Remove the top of the bauble. Push the curled paper into the glass bauble until it looks to be full but not over-full. Replace the top & loop.
6. Adhere black glitter music themed stickers to the outside of the bauble.
7. Hang on your Christmas Tree or display in a bowl with like items.

I've seen the baubles with sentiments but I loved the idea of the music icons (staff and notes) in keeping with the theme of the decorations inside the bauble. This also means I can use them at times other than Christmas... definitely a bonus as far as I'm concerned.

Christmas Craft Challenge 2011 - Day 8

Beaded Wreath


Ok I admit that I have been trolling the internet and Pinterest for cool Christmas Craft ideas... A LOT!!!
Along the way I have seen some cute things, some totally gorgeous things, some beautiful hand-crafted things and a whole lot of "I so need to try that" things.
Being so close to Halloween and Thanksgiving I found a lot of similar crafts but in different colour-ways depending upon the season / holiday. One thing I loved the look of was a Halloween Wreath that had been decorated in beads collected at Mardi Gras celebrations. I didn't have a supply of beaded necklaces like in the sample I saw, but I did have long strings of beaded Christmas decorations... so I saw some potential to do my own version.

1. Start with a foam wreath.
2. Wrap it completely in a ribbon of your choice. I choose a red sheer ribbon which had silky strips along each edge. I picked the ribbon up in a local $2 shop and I used up most of the three rolls I had.
3. I pinned the ends of the ribbon in place with short bead pins and tried to keep the wrapping even across the entire wreath - easier said than done... this took two attempts.
4. Then wrap the wreath in the strings of beads. I initially used 2 10m lengths of beads but this wasn't enough to cover the entire wreath, so I added a third string of beads. I had to chop about 1m off each string of beads. I also used the bead pins to hold the various ends of the bead strings in place.
5. Decorate your wreath with tinsel, flowers, extra ribbon etc if desired.

I actually quite like the wreath plain but I have also attached a photo of the wreath with some decoration (tinsel and the leftover ribbon) in place. Which do you prefer?

Christmas Craft Challenge 2011 - Day 7

This year the budget is tight, but then who's isn't? The recession is hitting everyone hard despite reassurances from government and economic agencies alike that things are on the improve. With this in mind here is one of the cheaper crafts I'm really pleased to share with you this year.
Here in New Zealand, we have a chain of stores called "The Warehouse" also known as the Red Sheds - where everyone gets a bargain. For anyone reading my blog from overseas, I presume (because I've never been to the US though if anyone wants to pay for me to go over I'm ready, willing and able) these are the equivalent of K-Mart or Walmart.
I picked up a felt Christmas Stocking for less than NZ$2.00. I know that if I was to make it myself from scratch, even the material would have cost considerably more than that, let alone my time to make it. The stocking had a printed holly berry & leaf decoration on the fold down top which to be honest just looked a bit "naff" (cheap and tacky).
To give it a hand-made look (and make it look a lot more expensive than it really was) I appliqued on some holly berries and leaves using some felt remnants left over from last year as well as hand stitching the stems and branches to finish it all off.

1. Photocopy stocking top @ 100%, then cut out the accents to be appliqued. I did the holly berries and leaves. Photocopying at 100% gives you exactly the size template you need for the applique pieces.
2. Cut out the felt applique pieces. I cut these all about 1mm wider along all sides so that I could be sure the printed berries and leaves would be hidden.
3. Turn the stocking inside out - this gives easier access for the hand sewing.
4. Sew the stems and pine branch using a running stitch. For a how-to on how to sew a running stitch be sure to check out my previous blog post here.
5. Cross stitch on each holly berry. On the two largest berries I used a modified cross stitch rather than "proper" cross stitches. I felt the stitches would have to be too long so instead I joined each stitch like the spokes on a wheel all meeting through a single centre point. For a tutorial on basic cross stitching... follow this link to my earlier post.
6. Pin on the holly leaf halves. I did them in two colours and hung some off the bottom edge to give some added dimension. Sew these in place using a running stitch like you used for the branch & stem. Throughout the project, try to use coordinated embroidery threads or cottons for a really smart look.
7. Turn the stocking back in the right way and straighten out the turn over cuff to show off all your hard work. Then hang your completed stocking on the mantle piece, door handle or where-ever you think Santa is most likely to find your Christmas Stocking on Christmas Eve.

The whole process took about 2 1/2 hours but I was multi-tasking (reading and sewing) so you could easily get it all completed in an hour or so with less distractions.

Christmas Craft Challenge 2011 - Day 6

Secret Santa Gift Swap


So here is where the definition of "craft related" starts to get a bit broad but I don't mind.
The guidelines were that the gift had to include the follow items:

• Total cost not more than $20.00
• Included a hand-made project
• Trim or ribbon - at least 12 inches
• Embellishments - such as buttons or bling etc
• Flowers - handmade or store bought
• Anything else you like

This is the contents of the parcel that I sent to Fiona.

The hand sewn felt star you saw yesterday and the beaded ornaments are from  here and here. I also sent Fiona one of Christmas bauble cards you can see here.

These are the tickets in front that don't show up so well. These are some Christmas Printable tickets that I downloaded from Miss Cutiepie Inspiration. I printed them out in colour onto Kraft cardstock them trimmed them down using my cutter and scissors. I also like the look of them on her blog, with the distressed edge.


This is what I received from Fiona in return:

 Cute self-adhesive printed canvas tags and labels.

 Die-cut Card Making Pad

 Gorgeous Vintage Button Bling

 Beautiful Lace

Cute Embossed Christmas card.