Christmas Crafts: Snowman Ornament with Tutorial

This post may contain affiliate links, please check out my disclosures page for more info.  Thanks!

The next craft project on my Christmas list is ornaments, snowman ornaments. :)

I made cute little snowman ornaments using the sparkly yarn I bought from Joann (see A Late Black Friday Craft Haul).  And not just this one…

…But several of them, fifteen in total.

Many of you already know that every year for Christmas I make ornaments to give to others.  I’ve been doing it for several years now.

For these ornaments, I was inspired by some snowball ornaments I made years ago.  I thought “why not snowmen?”

The best part about them is how much fun it is to decorate them.  You can make them in so many different ways.  Some I made earmuffs for…

…And some have cute little hats.

Since they were so easy and fun, I made a video tutorial for all to enjoy.  Think of it as a Christmas present.

Snowman Ornament Christmas Tutorial

All you need to make them are:

• White yarn (like this sparkly kind on Amazon)
• Felt
• Ribbon (Like this solid ribbon or this cute Christmas ribbon)
• Scissors
• Glue (like Aleene’s Tacky glue)

Enjoy the video.

Here’s the updated list:

• Snowmen
• Elf
• pouches
• Coats

Two down, two more to go, and 6 days until Christmas. :o

Give it a try:

• 9" x 12" Basic Felt by Creatology™
• Aleene's Original Tacky Glue
• Caron Simply Soft Party Snow Sparkle Yarn - 3 Pack
• 3/8" x 15yd. Satin Double Face Ribbon by Celebrate It® Classic
  
• 6 Roll 60 Yards 3/8" Christmas Ribbon for Crafts
  
• Assorted Bent Scissors By Craft Smart®
  

Read More »

Yo-Yos and Buttons

Last year for Christmas I made a bunch of ornaments out of fleece including a bunch of yo-yo ornaments (see Fleecy Ornaments).  Well, people seemed to liked them so much that I decided to make some more this year only with cotton fabric instead of fleece.

Behold!  Twenty nearly perfect ornaments.  Most of them were made from some green or pink and green paisley fabric.  A few were made from scraps of a delightful black Edwardian print fabric.  It’s the same pattern as the fabric used for my wreath but in black instead of red.  You will be seeing more of the this fabric very soon.
Just some fancy buttons and ribbon to make them tree-ready.  Can’t wait to give them out.
Here’s the updated list:

• Pouches
• Zip, zip, zip
• Red skirt
• Black skirt
• Bird skirt
• Hair accessories
• Ribbon fun
• Top
• Wreath
• Ornaments galore
• Bun-bun

Three down, eight more to go.  Some of you may have noticed something a little different with this list.  I am linking the completed items on the list to their posts to make it easier for everyone to look back or check projects they missed.  Just trying to be helpful.

Read More »

Red and Green

At work we’re having a little wreath decorating contest.  Sounds fun right?  Hence why it’s my first project for the holiday season.  Plain wreaths were provided free for anyone willing to decorate them, that of course includes me.  And everyone gets to vote on them and there are cash prizes for the best wreaths.
Here’s my entry, think I have a shot?  It includes fabric yo-yos made from and Edwardian print fabric and trimmed with buttons and eyelet lace, dark red velvety bows trimmed with rose buds of the same color, and one big bow with a button in the center.  I’m not sure the big bow came out quite how I wanted, but besides that I think it came out perfectly.
Here’s the updated list:

• Pouches
• Zip, zip, zip
• Red skirt
• Black skirt
• Bird skirt
• Hair accessories
• Ribbon fun
• Top
• Wreath
• Ornaments galore
• Bun-bun

One down,  ten more to go.  The next project will be up tomorrow, so look forward to it.

Read More »

Stockings Hung

Here’s the last Christmas project for the summer as well as the last project on my list.  Three simple yet sweet stockings.  I have always loved the shape of Christmas stockings, especially around the heel.  It is always so much fun to sew around the curve.  Anyway, I used some fabric scraps to make them.  I didn’t use holiday prints because I didn’t have any on hand plus they can easily be over done.  Kind of like holiday sweaters.  When one person wears one they can look nice and holly jolly, but when a whole room is stuff full of them it can be overwhelming.  And when one person wears a holiday sweater complete with matching holiday theme earrings, bracelet, vest, socks, headwear, etc. it looks even worse.  I guess I’m not really one to talk considering which dress I wore Christmas day last year (see Holly Jolly Christmas) and the matching hair accessories that went with it (see Catching Up Again).  Oh well. 
Here’s the updated list:

• Notebooks
• Little skirt
• Red dress
• Red purse
• wallets
• Tiny wreaths
• Stockings
• Ornaments
• Trees
• Doll makeover

Ten down and out.  I actually almost have the next list ready to post.  There are a few projects I have been dying to try.

Read More »

Trimmings and An Angel

This post may contain affiliate links, please check out my disclosures page for more info.  Thanks!

Another thing that comes to mind when I think of Christmas is the tree.  So what better way to decorate the tree or the area around it than with itty bitty trees? 

I made these little ones with scraps of some craft foam I got at a thrift store.  I made them into little cones before gluing and stacking them on each other. 

The glue of choice for this one was hot glue from my trusty glue gun.  And I only burnt myself twice this time.  After that, I just decorated them with squeeze tube fabric paint and added gold braid for loops and decoration. 

Something similar could possibly be done by children as a fun project.  I say similar because I wouldn’t want them messing with a glue gun, plus the project wouldn’t be any fun for them if an adult had to do all the gluing.

I got this old Bratz doll from a baggie of dolls from Goodwill.  It was the same baggie that my other Monster High doll came in (see Dressed Duo and Red Shoes), so she was sort of a bonus in the mix. 

As you can see, her hair was a horrible mess.  She also had no clothes which is normal for a thrift shop doll and had no shoes/feet which is normal for a used Bratz doll.  And to top it off, the poor thing had a broken wrist.  I thought of something very special to do with her. 

So here’s the the before…

…And after. 

She is now a Christmas angel, perfect for the tree or as a centerpiece.

First I cleaned her up and detangled all that hair.  I trimmed her hair and curled it too.  How do you curl doll hair?  You use either small strips of fabric or doll size curlers to roll the hair up.

Then the tricky part, boiling water.  You pour boiling water over the hair and set the doll down to cool and dry off.  It’s a technique I read in a doll book years ago, but I can’t remember which one.  I wouldn’t try it on a particularly valuable doll or brittle looking hair hair, but it’s fine dolls like this one with nothing left to lose.

The front sections of the hair are twisted to the sides and glued in place.  I used my trusty Aleene’s Jewel-It for this part.  The dress is just something I quickly whipped up with white fabric scraps.  I sewed it both on the machine and by hand and tied a ribbon around it.

To make the base, I cut up a PowerAde bottle.  I cut off the top half of the bottle and covered it with a pretty fabric scrap using a glue gun to secure it.  The doll’s legs and hips fit perfectly through the mouth of the bottle.

For the wings, I used a 2 litter soda bottle.  I cut off the top part of the bottle and removed the spout part.  I cut the piece in half and trimmed the two pieces to just the right shape.

These “wings” wouldn’t stop curling in too much at first, so I very carefully ironed them at a low heat.  I didn’t want them to melt all over my nice clean iron.  I glued the wings to a piece of fabric and glued them to the back of my angel.

All it took to finish is the halo, made from braided ribbon.  A bit of work, but she is one beautiful piece of recycling magic.

Here’s the updated list:

• Notebooks
• Little skirt
• Red dress
• Red purse
• wallets
• Tiny wreaths
• Stockings
• Ornaments
• Trees
• Doll makeover

Nine down, just one more to go.  Yippee!

 

Give it a try:

• Aleene's Original Tacky Glue
• Aleene's Jewel-It Embellishing Glue
• 12" x 18" Foam Sheet by Creatology™
• Primary Foam Sheets Value Pack by Creatology™
• Mini High Temperature Glue Gun by Ashland®
• Tulip® Glitter Puff Paint Set
• 3mm x 7yd. Metallic Cording by Celebrate It™
  

Read More »

Snowballs

This post may contain affiliate links, please checkout my disclosures page for more info.  Thanks!

I mentioned before that I was inspired by a certain craft book to make Christmas-y stuff.  One of things I got from it was the idea to make ornaments out of pom-poms, though mine are a little different from the book.

So using some leftover white-ish yarn, glittery paint and a comb, I made these “snowball” ornaments.  Finished with gold cord and they are ready to hang.

And one of the things that first come to my mind when decorating for the holidays is a simple wreath.  Of course, who says they have to go on the door.  I made these by crocheting green ribbon and then threading in red or pink ribbon.

I then glued on metal findings.  The top two are hair clips and the bottom one is a pin.  I had a lot fun making them even though it wasn’t exactly the easiest thing I have ever done. 

For some reason all my crochet hooks have disappeared on me.  I improvised by bending a paper clip into a hook shape, something I sort of learned in high school.  It works okay, but it is definitely not as smooth to work with as an actual hook.  At least it got the job done.

Here’s the updated list:

• Notebooks
• Little skirt
• Red dress
• Red purse
• wallets
• Tiny wreaths
• Stockings
• Ornaments
• Trees
• Doll makeover

Seven down, just three more to go.  Not bad, I should have the rest done before the end of next week.

 

Recommended Supplies

• 8.5mm Alligator Clip Blanks, 15ct. by Bead Landing™
• 1" Bar Pin by Bead Landing™
  
• Classic Cotton™ Yarn by Loops & Threads®
  
• 3.96oz. Glitter Glue by Creatology™
• 3/8" x 15yd. Satin Double Face Ribbon by Celebrate It® Classic
  
• 3mm x 7yd. Metallic Cording by Celebrate It™
  

Read More »

Bedroom: Check

I finished the curtains, and the whole doll house bedroom to boot.  Take a look, they came out great.

You can see that I made the curtains the same way as the the ones in the bathroom (see Bathroom: Check).  I think the view from the outside of the house looks better when all the curtains match.  I will show you what I mean when I finish the other rooms, or at least a couple more.

I used this bluish gray scrapbook paper for the walls, I thought it would look good with the blanket and rug.  I cut a small, long strip and flipped it over for the border at the ceiling, it’s actually there to hide some mistakes I made with the paper.  You can see I decided to used the small free standing art pieces instead of some of the larger pieces I made, it keeps the look simple yet pleasant.

On this side you can see I hung another piece on the wall next to the wardrobe.  I thought it was too bare without something, plus the running children are adorable.  I should also mention that the floor is painted instead of covered like the bathroom was, I used brown painted mixed with white to hopefully give it the look of hard wood flooring.  I love wooden floors, I just wish we had some here.

Here’s the complete room in all it’s splendor,  it does look lovely and very tidy.  Just wait until it gets used, it probably won’t stay so clean. :)
Here’s the updated list:

• hangers
• bed
• mirror
• dresser
• skirt
• pocket
• lamp
• night stand
• wardrobe
• rug
• framed art
• curtains

Twelve down and we’re finished.  I will probably have the next list up by Thursday, although it maybe a little shorter or at least simpler.  I start my externship in less than 2 weeks, plus I might be a little scare sooner than that for another reason.  I’ll keep you posted.

Read More »

Cardboard Decor

A while back I notice how bare some of my walls looked and thought I could use something to cover them.  The idea of making picture frames out of cardboard then popped into my head.

Fast forward, here’s my first attempt at it. 

I carefully cut and glued together multiple layers of corrugated cardboard to form the frame, then painted it with blue acrylic paint and applied a sealant to make it look finished.  I carved a little slot in the back to use to hang it on the wall. 

Of course a frame isn’t complete with out something to frame, right?  I got the idea for a silhouette with glitter from this tutorial on Naughty Secretary Club.  I made it on this cute piece of scrapbook paper and outlined the butterfly with fabric paint.  Simply done and it really makes a statement.  Does it send the right message though?

Here’s the updated list:

• Pillow
• card bracelet
• charm necklace
• netbook sleeve
• doll swimsuit
• bum bag
• sleep mask
• picture frames
• dress

Eight down, just one more to go.  And it looks like I’m going to finish earlier than I planned, that’s always a plus.

Read More »

Almost Done

Despite several distractions (i.e. school, work stuff, life), I managed to take on a good chunk of my list.

First is this simple belt for one of my nieces.  It is made from cut-up cargos and stamped with little blue flowers.  I added glitter because she is really girly, but she still has to wear uniforms to school.  Hopefully this will past inspection.

I used the fuzzy sweatpants again (see Checking Off One by One)to make this “horsie” toy for one of my nephews.  He loves ponies.  It is similar to some moose toys I made last year.  I may post a picture of them if I can find any of them.

I made another t-shirt scarf (see A is For…) for someone whom really liked the first one.  I had a accident with some red paint.  Long story short, it’s now tie-dyed pink.  Pretty cute, but I wonder if the recipient will think so as well.

This is a key chain I made from a tutorial from Creative Little Daisy.  I think the ones from the tutorial are cuter, but this one works.  I didn’t have any d-rings so I used another split ring instead.  It works either way.

I made these hair clips and pins for two of my nieces.  I wrapped them with wired ornament hooks and pretty beads.   I know they will love them, and I’m thinking of making some for myself.

I’ve been trying to find something to do with these old floppy disks for so long.  Then I thought “why not boxes?”  They are perfect for little odds and ends, and they would make great gift boxes.

I made these ornaments from a project in an eBook from Fave Crafts.  There are suppose to look like bells, I don’t really see the resemblance.  I went the quick and easy route using pinking shears and sparkly squeeze tube fabric paints.  I outlined the flowers in the fabric print with the paint.  I think it adds a nice touch, maybe I should do it to more things.  Maybe touch up my wardrobe.

I made these pincushions with fabric scraps and bottle caps based on a tutorial from How about Orange.  Mine look a little more like mushrooms than they should.  They’re still cute, I thought it would be cool maybe to attach them to old rings or something like that.  I do recall seeing pincushions rings somewhere.

I couldn’t resist making these adorable crayon roll thingies.  I used a tutorial from Skip to my Lou.  I actually made them out of three different shirts. They were pretty quick to make, except for the stitching for the little pockets.  That was time consuming.  I found it was quicker if I didn’t clip the threads and just went on to the next row.  Then I just clipped them all afterward.

I made this CD holder from a tutorial from Mushroom Villagers.  I’m not sure if you can tell it is meant for CDs.  Maybe it can be used for other things.  Anyway, I’m glad I still had some of this wanted poster fabric.  I think it is so adorable, plus it is male friendly which is great since this is for a guy.  Sort of.

For my felt tree ornaments, I used scraps of fuzzy purple felt.  It reminds me of those pink and purple plastic Christmas trees.  I actually saw a pink Disney Princess one today at Bookman’s.  I decorated them with plenty of glitter paint to make them sparkle and shine.

Here’s my updated list:

• tiny scarves
• tiny boxes
• sock monkey
• pom-poms
• wire ornaments
• kitty
• belt
• mitten ornaments
• scarf
• CD holder
• horsie
• pin cushions
• wrapped accessories
• apron
• felt ornaments
• disk boxes
• tote
• house
• pet house
• bell ornaments
• Key chains
• roll

Seventeen down, only five more to go!

Read More »

Checking Off One by One

Here’s what I finished over the weekend.  These ornament were made with ornament hooks, so ironic.  I twisted one into a ring, and attached the other hooks in petal shapes.  I strung faux pearls onto the wires as I attached them.  Then I finished with a hook left as a hook to hang them up.  They were easy, but they made my hands cramp up.  I’m not really use to working with so much wire.

I wanted to make some pom-pom toys for my cat and realized I was out of yarn, so I improvised.  I cut fabric scraps into strips with my pinking shears, then made them into crinkly pom-poms.  I used some fabric to secure them and tied them to kite string.  Now I can dangle them for her.


I made this sock monkey for one of the men on my list.  Guys are so hard to craft for, hopefully he will at least find this amusing. The bow, stripes, heart eyes and hair on painted on.  I felt inspired some how.  I decided not to add a tail,  Curious George doesn’t have a tail and nobody complains about him, right?



This little kitty is for a certain little guy.  I made it out of a pair of old sweat pants.  I turn them inside-out to make it look fuzzier.  I hope he likes it.  Little boys can be just as hard to craft for as bigger boys.

Here’s my updated list:

• tiny scarves
• tiny boxes
• sock monkey
• pom-poms
• wire ornaments
• kitty
• belt
• mitten ornaments
• scarf
• CD holder
• horsie
• pin cushions
• wrapped accessories
• apron
• felt ornaments
• disk boxes
• tote
• house
• pet house
• bell ornaments
• Key chains
• roll

Six down, Sixteen to go.  In order so far.

Read More »

Crafty All-nighter

I got on a roll the other night and finished up my list.  Nothing like staying up late crafting, especially when you’re suppose to be studying.

For the snowflake angels, I made paper snowflakes and cut them in half.  One half was made into a cone for the dress, and the other for the wings.  The head is a scrap of fabric with some fiberfill, it’s made the same way as those tissue ghost things you make in elementary school.  The halos are sparkly plastic tubes I had left over from some bracelets.  I was inspired to make these from some doilies in a cake box.  Another reason to eat cake.

 

I made the bottle cozy out of leftover fuzzy felt.  I made it to look like a furry collared jacket.  I thought about adding sleeves, but it seemed too odd.  It is a very simple design and goes on with Velcro.  Now my water bottle is well insulated, I wish I could say the same for myself.  It’s been unusually cold here lately.

 

 

For the handkerchiefs, I decided to try out my new used pinking shears.  I used some more of this pretty cotton, and added some stitching so they wouldn’t end up looking like napkins instead of handkerchiefs.

 

The wings were really fun to do.  I used scraps from an old dress and hangers for most of it.  The hangers were kind of hard to shape, but hopefully they look like wings at least.  The best part was decorating them, I used tons of glitter.  My niece is modeling them here.  She just loves them, so does her little brother.  I guess it’s not that odd for a 2 year old boy to want to wear sparkly fairy wings.  They do look cute on him.

Here’s the headband I made, again modeled by my niece.  I used faceted beads and wire from a spiral notebook.  Now you know what to do with those old school notebooks.  Make accessories!  I’m not very experienced with working with wire so my hands starting to cramp up.  I manage to finish it, but I won’t exactly be working with wire anytime soon.  At least not this week.

My last project is the pouch. Fairly simple, I used an envelope as a pattern, hence the resemblance.  This is the first time I have ever used snaps that aren’t sewn on.  It was easier than I thought it would be.  You learn something new everyday.

 

 

Here’s the best part.  Since it looks like an envelope, it should have a stamp, right?  I wonder if I could mail it for real, with a real stamp I mean.  I’ve heard of fabric postcards being mailed, why not envelopes?  I guess it would depend on what’s being mailed and the type of fabric.

So here’s the finished list:

• bottle cozy
• half apron
• hankies
• snowflake angels
• bias tape accessories
• mini baskets
• pouches
• bead headbands
• Wings
• scarf
• id tag holder

All done!  Yay!  Of course now I have to start working on the rest of the
Christmas stuff.  Maybe another list is in order.

Read More »

A Home of Their Own

Here’s episode two of Kailey and Boris, I’d meant to have it up about a week ago, but things happen sometimes.

In this one, Kailey and Boris get a house, so naturally this lead to them needing furniture.  I had a little trouble at first, but with some old ribbon and thread spools and cardboard scraps along with the usual supplies, it came along nicely.

I love the fabric covered frames on the walls, I’m thinking of making some for myself.  The little bowls on the tables are made from curled strips of paper and glue, I’d like to make some of them too.

When you do watch (please do), some of you may notice the sunny face above the table.  It’s part of a broken pencil sharpener I saved.  You may also notice it moves a little, it kept falling down during filming, oops. 

Now here’s episode 2!

The photos in the film were provided by FreeDigitalPhotos.net.  Yay!

Read More »