Crafty Christmas Bauble Tutorial: Make a Sewing-Themed Ornament for Your Tree!

If you're reading this post (and you're not reading it because you're my mother, who sweetly reads all my blog posts just because I wrote them) then there's a pretty strong chance you love crafting.

Sooo... why not lean into your love of all things crafty and make some crafting-themed baubles to hang on your Christmas tree?

This tutorial is sponsored by Bostik, and is part of a series of crafty projects I'm sharing using their range of adhesives.

So far I've also made a giant floral hula hoop wreath, some autumn leaf cards, some fun 3D cards, a cute autumn scene in a mason jar, and a reindeer Christmas card.

Today's project is super easy and fun: turning bits and bobs from your craft stash into cute sewing-themed ornaments to add to your holiday decor.

I decorated my baubles with some old sewing pattern pieces, a cheap and colourful tape measure I got in a sewing kit, and some sequins. You could also make these with knitting patterns, embroidery patterns,  or cross stitch charts, and they'd look just as fab!

These crafty baubles would be a great addition to your Christmas tree... but you could also use them to make a garland for your sewing room, as card toppers, or as gift tags (maybe with some crafty gift wrapping?).

I decorated my baubles on one side only, but if you want your baubles to be double-sided just repeat steps 2-4 as you work through them.

You will need:

- a Bostik Blu Stick (or other glue suitable for sticking paper and card)
- some Bostik White Glu (or other craft glue)
- white card
- craft scissors
- a pencil
- an old sewing pattern (or a knitting pattern or cross stitch chart, e.g. from a craft magazine or a second hand book).
- a measuring tape
- some sequins
- a darning needle (to poke holes in the tops of the baubles)
- some thread, yarn or bakers twine for hanging the baubles
- the bauble template provided at the bottom of this post

How to make a craft-themed Christmas bauble:

1. Use the bauble template and a sharp pencil to draw a bauble shape on white card, then cut it out.

White card is crucial as a neutral base if you're using a semi-transparent sewing pattern to decorate your baubles, but if you're using book or magazine pages, you could use scrap card from cereal boxes or other packaging as your bauble base because the card will be hidden by the thicker paper.

2. Use a glue stick to cover the card bauble in glue, then stick it to the back of the sewing pattern (or whichever craft pattern you're using). I found it helpful to roughly cut out interesting sections of the sewing pattern ready to stick the bauble shapes to, rather than working with whole pattern pieces laid out on my desk.

I used a Bostik Blu Stick for sticking my bauble shapes. The glue starts out blue then dries totally clear, so it's perfect for making sure you've completely and evenly covered a card shape with glue. 

Before the glue dries, turn the bauble over and carefully smooth down the paper to make sure it's completely stuck down without any air bubbles or creases.

Once the glue has dried and the paper is firmly attached, cut away the excess paper leaving a decorated bauble shape.

3. Cut a length of measuring tape slightly wider than the bauble.

Don't have a measuring tape or just fancy a different look? If you're using a pattern from a craft book or magazine, you could cut a colourful strip from the photo of the finished project to run across the centre of the bauble.

Add some craft glue to the back of the tape and press it in place on the front of the bauble.

I used Bostik White Glu to attach the measuring tape (and the sequins in the next step). The glue is really easy to control via the nozzle and it dries clear so if you accidentally use too much it won't show on your finished bauble.

Turn the bauble over and leave it to dry, then trim away the excess tape.

4. Add two rows of sequins to give your bauble some sparkle!

Tip: lay out your sequins on the bauble to check how many will fit in each row, and to get a rough idea of the spacing before you get out the glue.

I used more of the Bostik White Glu to attach my sequins, adding two rows of small dabs of glue then carefully pressing the sequins in position.

Leave the bauble to dry - the glue will dry clear, so don't worry if you add a bit too much!

5. Use a darning needle to carefully poke a hole in the top of the bauble, then use the needle to thread a piece of sewing thread / yarn / bakers twine. I used some lovely sparkly sewing thread for my baubles, knotting the thread securely in a loop and trimming any excess loose ends.

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

Click here to open the template sheet in a new window, make sure you're viewing it full size then print it at 100%.

P.S. Fancy some more free crafty goodness? Subscribe to my newsletter for a monthly free pattern and visit my crafty tutorial archive for lots more free projects.

How To: Reindeer Christmas Card Tutorial

Today I'm sharing another paper crafting tutorial: how to make a Christmas card featuring a cute reindeer!

This tutorial is sponsored by Bostik, and is part of a series of crafty projects I'm sharing using their range of adhesives.

So far I've also made a giant floral hula hoop wreath, some autumn leaf cards, some fun 3D cards, and a cute autumn scene in a mason jar.

Whether you send cards to all your friends each year or just have a couple of special people you want to send a note to this holiday season, handmade Christmas cards are such a joy to make and receive.

I'm really pleased with how these reindeer cards turned out, and I hope you'll have fun making one (or lots!) to send to people! You could also use the reindeer design for other festive paper crafting projects, like a scrapbook of your family Christmas.

You will need:

- a Bostik Blu Stick (or other glue suitable for sticking paper and card)
- blank cards (I used light blue cards, approximately 15cm / 6 inches square)
- the templates provided at the bottom of this post, sized to fit your cards
- brown paper (I used some old envelopes for this)
- white paper
- gold paper (I used a small bit of shiny gift wrap)
- scraps of Christmas wrapping paper, or other colourful or decorative paper
- a pencil
- a fine black pen
- craft scissors
- a white colouring pencil (optional)
- a red pen (optional)

How to make a reindeer card:

1. Cut out the templates provided: the two antlers, the blanket and the reindeer. Don't cut along any of the internal lines marked on the reindeer template!

2. Use the templates to cut out one of each piece, turning the template over and carefully drawing around it with a sharp pencil then cutting out the shape.

I used old brown paper envelopes for the reindeer, some shiny gold wrapping paper for the antlers, and some nice Christmas wrapping paper for the blanket.  

Remember: if the paper you're using has a right and wrong side, make sure you draw the shape on the wrong side of the paper so the side you want will be on top when you turn the finished shape over. 

Cutting out the antlers is a little fiddly, so take your time!

Tip: If you wanted to make a lot of these cards, you could glue the paper templates to some sturdy card and cut them out again to make templates which would be easier to draw around.

3. Roughly arrange the pieces on your chosen card, so you can make sure all the pieces fit together neatly and plan their final position on the card.

I chose light blue cards for my deer, so I could add a bit of white paper snow and the blue would become the sky. If you're using another colour of card, you can skip the snow if you want!

Then cut a piece of white paper to form the snow, cutting a wobbly line for the top of the snow. Make sure the paper is large enough to fill the space you want and to overhang the edges of the card. 

4. Cover the piece of paper with craft glue and carefully press it in place on the bottom of the card so the edges of the paper overlap the card, as shown.

I used a Bostik Blu Stick for glueing all the pieces of my Christmas card together - it's perfect for sticking paper and card, and it starts out blue then goes clear which is really helpful when you want to make sure you've evenly covered a shape in glue!

 

Place the card face down then leave it to dry. When the glue has dried completely, carefully cut away the excess white paper (cutting flush with the edge of the card) so you're left with a neat section of snow on the front of the card.

5. Add glue to the back of the deer shape and stick it in position.

I like to use scrap paper when sticking shapes like this: placing the shape face down on the scrap paper, covering the shape completely in glue (the scrap paper means you can quickly cover the shape without worrying about going over the edges and making a mess), then lifting it off the scrap paper and sticking it in place.

 
6. Then use more glue to stick the antlers and blanket in place, as shown. Take extra care when sticking the antlers as the shapes can be a little delicate!

7. Use the lines on the template as a guide to add the details to the deer: the eyes and nose, the lines of the ears and legs, and the strap holding on the blanket. I drew these with pencil first then a fine black pen, colouring in the eyes and nose with the same pen. For a red-nosed reindeer, simply use a red pen!

8. To add a final detail: colour in the insides of the ears with a white colouring pencil.

You could also give your card some extra sparkle by adding silver or white glitter to the snow!

Your finished card will look something like this:

DISCLOSURE: this post is sponsored by Bostik, who also provided the Blu Stick I used to make the Christmas cards.

Click here to open the template sheet in a new window, make sure you're viewing it full size then print them at 100% (or shrink/enlarge as needed for your cards).

P.S. For lots more free Christmas craft projects, visit my tutorial archive!

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.