Fifteen Felt Christmas Ornaments Finally Finished!

Oh, hello, what's this? Another blog post about getting things finished?? HURRAH.

If you're a regular reader of my blog you'll know that I was working hard to finish lots of my personal creative projects last year, including a patchwork blanket, a couple of quilts, and a set of felt Christmas ornaments I was making from Alicia Paulson's lovely patterns.

I bought several of Alicia's kits way back in 2012 and 2013 and had really made very little effort to devote any focused time to them... so, unsurprisingly, most of the designs were still sitting in pieces, unstitched, in a drawer in my flat many years later.

Well now, happily, I can say that all fifteen ornaments are finally finished! Woohoo!

Don't they all look fabulous together?

That photo ended up being my most popular Instagram photo from last year - and, indeed, my whole time on Instagram. Watching all the "likes" roll in for this project was a weird and fun way to finish the year!

Fancy a closer look at the ornaments? The first batch was the slowest to finish as they technically took me 5-6 years to complete...

... then it took me just a month to get another four finished this autumn...

... and the final four were ready just in time for Christmas.

I completed the sweet Gingerbread Girl in early December - I probably could have managed it slightly earlier but I wanted to make sure I was super focused and in the zone when I stitched her face to get it juuuuust right. She is so charmingly folksy, I love her.

The next two got finished in the middle of the month, while watching made-for-TV Christmas movies (I love made-for-TV Christmas movies). There's the cute (double-sided) Notevena Mouse (as in "Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse")...

... and the lovely (single-sided) Lighted Window.

The very last design I stitched was the Whistling Tea Kettle which is the one I took most liberties with when it came to not following the instructions.

There was a lot of satin stitch in Alicia's original design and I a) do not enjoy and b) am terrible at satin stitch, sooo my version looks slightly different to hers while still keeping to the same overall pattern. Could I (should I) have used this project as an opportunity to improve my satin stitching? Probably, but never mind!

I deliberately missed out a row of blanket stitching on the kettle, too, because I was finding it frustrating and honestly just wanted this thing finished. I'm pretty pleased with the end result, though, even with the changes.

Just like the other big projects I finished last year after years of them being just works in progress, it is hugely satisfying getting these ornaments completed! I've been meaning to finish them "in time for Christmas" for so many years (and so many different Christmases) that it felt wonderful finally having them ready in time for one.

Having said that, though, I have a confession to make: although I basked in the glorious feeling of getting these ornaments finally finished (which was an excellent Christmas gift to myself), I didn't actually hang any of them up at Christmas!

My holiday decorating style is, these days, best described as very minimal. I put up a few decorations around my flat along with all the cards I'd received from friends, but I don't put up a Christmas tree... and even if I did, it would have to be a VERY big tree to fit these ornaments on it as they're quite large (though you might not guess it from the photos). The Gingerbread Girl, for example, is about 17cm (almost 7 inches) high.

Also (and it's embarrassing to admit this) there's a bit of me that's a teeny bit worried that I'll have them on display and someone will come round to my house and think I made and designed them and say something nice which ends up feeling not so great. I've had this happen several times before with handmade-but-not-by-me things and honestly hearing "oh wow this is the best thing you've ever made, I love these so much!" about something that isn't your work is super awkward and slightly devastating! (Even if you yourself think they're nicer than your own work, too!) (Ugh, maker feelings are so complicated).

So, I think I'm going to end up giving some of these as gifts to friends and family in the run up to next Christmas and possibly just keeping a few of my favourites to hang on doorknobs and other suitable places in my flat. (If you're a friend of mine please do feel free to drop hints about which ones are your faves!)

I'm going to give myself the year to think about it though - who know, by the time next Christmas rolls round I might have decided that I can't bear to part with any of them and I'll have found the perfect places to display them all! We shall see...

Want to make some of these ornaments for yourself? Click here to find all the patterns (and much more loveliness) over in Alicia's shop.

For lots more Christmas crafting ideas, visit my archive of free tutorials.

Autumn Crafting: Mason Jar Scene Tutorial

My autumn tree obsession continues today with a tutorial for making a cute little autumnal scene in a Mason jar!

This tutorial is sponsored by Bostik - you get two tutorials thanks to them this week, yay! Like the 3D card tutorial I shared on Wednesday, today's post is part of a series of crafty projects I'm sharing using Bostik's range of adhesives (I've also made a giant floral hula hoop wreath and some autumn leaf cards).

Mason jar crafts have become really popular in recent years and I see a lot of Christmassy "winter scene" tutorials on Pinterest, where people stick some felt snow and a couple of Christmas ornaments in a Mason jar and make a sweet little festive scene.

I've never seen any for different seasons of the year, though, so I thought it would be fun to make a little autumn scene in a jar: a tiny house and a tree shedding lots of lovely autumn leaves.

 

If you wanted, you could make a spring version of this project by making the tree a lovely bright green and skipping the fallen leaves... or you could adapt the tree and make a fir tree instead, then add some fake snow (maybe cotton wool or shredded paper?) for a DIY winter scene.

The little house would also make a cute Christmas ornament on its own: just add a thread for hanging the house or make a whole set of little houses (maybe with different colour roofs and a variety of door and window styles?) to sit along a bookshelf.


You will need:

- a Mason, Kilner or other glass jar (I used a 0.5L Kilner preserve jar, approx 12cm high).

- the templates provided at the bottom of this post
- Bostik Glu Dots (or some strong craft glue)
- a Bostik Blu Stick (or other glue suitable for sticking paper and card) - green felt
- white card
- brown, orange and red card (or white card coloured in brown, orange and red)
- a pencil
- a fine black pen
- a ruler
- craft scissors
- sewing scissors

You may also need:

- a compass (for drawing a circle template)
- an air-erasable fabric marker

To make an autumn scene:

1. Cut a green felt circle slightly smaller than the base of your jar. I used the lid of my jar as a template (drawing around it directly onto the felt with an air-erasable marker pen) but you may need to measure your jar and create a paper template to suit your jar's proportions.

Check the felt shape fits neatly at the bottom of the jar, and trim it to fit if necessary. Cut a second matching felt circle and set this aside until later.

2. Secure the felt circle inside the jar. To do this I used Bostik Glu Dots, adding five dots spaced out across the felt circle then pressing it down firmly onto the inside of the jar. Quick and easy, and mess-free!

3. Use the templates provided to cut out two tree trunk shapes and one tree leaves shape from card. Draw around the templates with a sharp pencil, turning over the tree trunk template to draw the second shape.

Erase any remaining pencil lines, then draw on the fold lines as marked on the tree trunk template.

4. Fold along the lines, so each tree trunk piece has a little tab of card at the bottom.

Glue the first tree trunk piece to the leaves, as shown. I used a Bostik Blu Stick for this - the glue starts out blue then dries clear, so you can easily make sure you've covered all the tree's branches before sticking it in place.

5. Once the first side of the tree has dried completely, turn it over and add the second tree trunk so it lines up with the first.

Once the glue has dried, you'll have a little card tree which should stand up on the two tabs at the bottom.

6. Print the house template onto a piece of white card, or use the measurements as a guide to draw the template neatly on white card using a ruler and a pencil. Carefully cut out the house shape.

If you're drawing out the template but have resized it to better fit your jar, use a ruler to carefully measure the lines before reproducing them on the white card.

7. Fold along all the internal lines. For neat folds, carefully score along the lines using a ruler and the blade of a pair of scissors (or a biro that's run out of ink) then fold so all the printed or pencil lines are on the inside.

8. Draw a door and windows onto one side of the house using a black pen. For extra neatness, you may want to draw the details with a pencil first then erase the pencil lines once the ink has fully dried. You could also add some colour by colouring in the door with a coloured pencil or felt tip pen.

9. Use the roof template to cut out a roof from red card. Fold it in half so any pencil marks are on the inside.

10. Assemble the house, carefully applying glue to the little card tabs and holding the shape together while the glue dries enough to hold.

I used the Bostik Blu Stick for this, gluing the tabs at the side of the walls then the tabs for the pointed roof.

11. Once the house has fully dried, use more glue to add the red roof. Again, hold the card in place while the glue takes effect then leave it to dry fully.

12. Carefully place the tree and house in the jar, plan the best position for each of them then remove them both from the jar again.

Add some adhesive underneath the base of the tree then place it back in the jar, pressing it into its final position (I used one Bostik Glu Dot under each of the tabs at the base of the tree).

Then take the second green felt circle you cut out earlier, and cut a line so it will fit around the tree. If your little house wasn't sitting flat in the base of the jar (because the base itself isn't flat) cut one or two felt pieces to help make the house level.

Place these felt pieces and the little house in the jar to check you're happy with 

how everything looks, then take them out again. 

Add some adhesive (I used another couple of the Glu Dots) to the bottom of the "extra" felt piece(s) and carefully press it/them in position.

Then place the second felt circle in the bottom of the jar, around the base of the tree, adjusting it until you're happy with it. (Don't use adhesive for this!)

13. Add the little house. You can use adhesive to secure the house in position, but I decided to leave mine unattached to make it easier to perfectly position it within the jar.

14. Finally, cut out lots of small leaf shapes from orange card (to match your tree) and sprinkle them into the jar as if they've fallen from the tree. This will add to the autumnal feel of the scene and help cover up the line you've cut in the felt circle.

Now just put the lid back on the jar, place it carefully on a shelf or your mantelpiece and enjoy!

DISCLOSURE: this post is sponsored by Bostik, who also provided the Glu Dots and Blu Stick I used to make the autumn scene.

Follow the links to open the template sheets in a new window, make sure you're viewing them full size then print them at 100%.

House Templates.

Tree & Roof Templates. 

Book Review: Mini Eco

Today I'm reviewing Mini Eco by Kate Lilley. I'd never heard of Kate's blog before I was sent this book to review but it is rather awesome, do make sure you go visit after reading this post :)

Her book contains 31 crafty projects, often with a geometric theme and always with a fresh, modern, minimalist feel to them... but also lots of pops of bright colour. It's great to see designs that are simple but still colourful!

The book's folded-over dustcover with its cut-out lettering looks great - I love when books are thoughtfully designed with individual touches like this so they are nice objects to own and enjoy (especially these days when they're competing against the sea of free content online).

However, the perfectionist in me (or possibly just the bit of me that is turning into my mother?) does worry that the letters might get a bit scruffy looking quite quickly.

The designs in the book include some sewing, stencilling, macrame, woodworking, dyeing, paper crafting and making stuff with Hama beads. 

The skill level needed to complete each project is marked with stars. Some are definitely crafty ideas more than full tutorials, e.g. using an old Spirograph set to make awesome, nostalgic wrapping paper...

 

... and others are much more complex and/or labour intensive, like this Space Invaders piñata...

 

... and this gorgeous origami lampshade.

 

Some of the projects just have text instructions and others have some step by step illustrations. There's also an illustrated guide to how to macrame and lots of useful hints and tips throughout the book, with extra advice for making the projects and suggestions for how to vary the designs. 

The book is quite small in size, so most of the templates need enlarging but there's a link included to where you can download them online.

There are a lot of projects that I want to make in this book. Triangular envelopes? So much fun! 

 

3D paper gems? Awesome!

 

Patchwork snake draught excluder? Yes please!

As you can probably tell, I really like this book! Definitely one to add to your wishlist if you like colourful, contemporary crafts.

Mini Eco is published by Cicada Books. RRP £14.95. It's available from Amazon UK, Amazon USA, The Book Depository and many other bookshops.

[Disclaimer: Cicada Books sent me a free review copy of this book and the Amazon & Book Depository links in this post are affiliate links]

Guest Post: DIY Playdough Tutorial

Today's guest post is a tutorial by Zoe from Scented Sweetpeas. Zoe says... "I am a Mum of 3 kiddies who made a New Year’s Resolution in 2010 to get back the creative side of me which I lost when having the kids (well apart from kiddies projects!). This has taken me down many routes from soap making, creating pretty felt things, calligraphy, crochet and sewing. I am also into eco-living and growing things down our allotment, collecting eggs from our chickens and hopefully harvesting our first honey from our bees very soon."

How to make your own playdough


A little while ago I made playdough for my children for the first time ever, why oh why didn’t I try years ago, it was so easy! I have since made it many times so thought I would share the recipe here at Bugs and Fishes by Lupin.


After much searching in books, on the web and chatting to other parents, here is the recipe I found had the best results.

All you need is:

A cup of warm water
A cup of flour
1 teaspoon of oil
2 teaspoons cream of tartar (found this is the cake making section of Tesco after looking for ages)
1/4 cup of salt
Food colouring

All you need to do is mix these ingredients into a pan and then start to warm it up. If you want to make a couple of different colours of playdough don’t add the colouring just yet but wait until the end.

Keep stirring and it gets really sticky and hard to stir, when nearly all the water has evaporated take it off the heat. Let it cool and then take it out of the pan.


I then added a little glitter to mine, you can never have too much sparkle in your life :-) (make sure you use edible cake glitter for this!).


You can then knead in the food colouring if you did not add this at the first stage. You can cut it into as many pieces as you like dependent on how many colours you want to make. I cut mine in to two so that my little girl could learn 2 new colours - I think 4 at once would just confuse her brain. I also used paste food colouring that I bought off e-bay to make cakes with, it is edible so is safe.

Here are the red and blue balls I made.


Just store them in an airtight container. My children (and I :-)), no matter how old, love playing with this. Be warned however, make sure your little ones don't eat it too much of it. My middle child loved to taste everything, once when she was at pre-school she came home and pooed bright green for 2 days - when I asked what had she eaten she replied 'playdough', when I asked why they hadn't stopped her she replied 'I hid under the table to eat it' :-). It is quite salty so I am surprised it didn't make her ill.

Really do give this a go if you have little ones, I wish I had tried it so much sooner!


Recently I posted about how I am really enjoying creating gifts rather than buying them and used this recipe to create a present for a friend’s child.

My friend has 4 kiddies so I know she doesn't want toys/gifts that fill the house :-) I had a little brain-wave (very rare in my brain and I was surprised it didn't hurt :-)) to use 1 of the many coffee jars I had been saving for something (not sure what but they are too nice the throw out) as a jar to keep some of this sparkly playdough in.

I made two balls of this sparkly playdough for my friends little boy and then decorated the jar with stars. I added a little label in the shape of a rocket with a note on the back saying 'Arthur's Cosmic Playdough'.


You could give this gift on its own or with some cookie or playdough cutters and a bit of oilcloth as a playdough mat. You could also adapt it for girly girls with pink playdough and a girly theme.

This was a real hit, he really loved it and his Mum was chuffed too as it doesn't take up much room and keeps him amused for ages :-)

---

Visit Zoe's blog, or check out her Facebook page where she sells lots of pretty felt things.

Subscribe to my newsletter for a monthly free pattern and visit my crafty tutorial archive for lots more free projects.