All the Christmas makes

I love all the crafting opportunities that Christmas brings, and this year, for a change, I was organised and started my projects early.

I’ve been making Christmas cards to send to my family and friends for ages, but each year I find it harder to come up with new ideas. In November I treated myself to a new crafting toy – a Sizzix Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine – and now I have ideas aplenty. I bought a few Christmassy dies and settled on this design…

The snowy sky was created by flicking watered down paint on to the front of each card. I bought a white gel pen to write my message inside, but unfortunately, it disappeared into the card almost as soon as it was written! I bought a thicker pen, which worked, but it did look as if the cards had been written by a child. Oh well, better than the invisible ink message. These were the first things that I completed in early November. Needless to say, I ended up writing and sending them far too late!

Then in early December (note, early December), I went on a wreath-making course. I’ve made quite a few wreaths this year, so I was hoping to pick up some hints and tips for making them even better. The wreaths at the course were made by pushing different types of pine, and other plant material, into an oasis holder.

Stripping the needles off the pine stems was quite messy, but it made for a very festive aroma in the room. I really enjoyed learning this new process, and it was a lovely way to spend a Sunday morning. I liked my wreath, but when I got it home, I felt that it needed something more to give it a bit of oomph. I considered what else I could add to it, and temporarily put it on the back burner.

In the meantime I made a wreath for one of my colleagues, using the same method that I did last Christmas, that being to use as much as possible from my garden. The base was made from fuchsia stems, wound around each other to form a circle. The pinecones and the London Plane seed balls were the only things that didn’t come from my garden, but I found them nearby. If I’m honest, I preferred this wreath to my one.

Then I made another wreath, this time for my sister, which had even more bits added to it – more is definitely more when it comes to Christmas. This looks so pretty against the black door.

So four days before Christmas, I finally finished my own wreath by adding some eryngium heads and sprayed poppy heads, and I’m finally happy with it, even if I do prefer the other ones!

I would have liked to have made more wreaths this Christmas, but I ran out of time.

The next completed project was embroidered decorations for my display tree. I stitched different snowflake patterns on to felt circles, which were cut out on my die cutting machine – no more wonky scissor cutting for me!

Next was this cross stitch picture, which was a gift for my great aunt. I worked on this over a few evenings, and even though I have quite bright lighting in my living room, I really struggled to see the stitches on the Aida! I think I need to invest in a craft light.

I crocheted these baubles: one for me and one for each of my sisters.

With a few days to go until Christmas, I decided to make a new cardholder, having been inspired by one I saw on a Facebook page. It’s made out of small branches from a shrub in my garden, strung together with raffia.

It was quite tricky to make, and I nearly gave up on it several times. While I didn’t need it to be perfect, I wanted the branches to be strung reasonably straight, and that took quite a bit of trial and error to achieve. It looks ok with the fairy lights on it, but I think this will go outside next year, with pinecones and seed balls strung on it instead (I’d also planned to do that this year, but ran out of time, as well as somewhere to put it!).

Then on Christmas Eve, I completed my last project, this tiny cross stitch pendant. I managed to break the wood where the screw goes through the top as it wasn’t aligned properly and was very fragile. I stuck it back together and, because it is so light, I think it will be ok. I’ll be making more of these, it’s so cute.

I also made some frankincense-scented soap, but I don’t have a photo of that, but it smells lovely!

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas. Here’s to a new decade of crafty creations.

 

 

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