More Christmas DIYs

I just can't help myself, whenever I come across Christmas DIY projects I feel the need to share them on my blog, so here is another round of festive projects from around the web. Enjoy!

1. Christmas Pyramid Cake // 2. Tinsel Garland Wreath // 3. Hot Air Balloon Ornament // 4. Falling Stars Advent Calendar

5. Felt Snow Ball Ornaments // 6. Finnish Star

Do any of you have any wonderful DIYs to share? I would love to see them, just link them up in the comments. In other news, today is little baby's official due date, we'll see if he comes today!

Christmas DIY Roundup

The blogosphere really is an inspiring place, here are a few things that have been striking my fancy lately.

* Glitter Nails by...love Maegan

I love the sparkle, I believe I am going to try this out today.

* Activites Advent Calendar by Jordan Ferney

I've always wanted one of these little wooden hutches, and what a cute idea to fill it with advent presents and activities to do.

* Advent Calendar Iron On by Oh Happy Day

I'm a little late to make this for 2011, but I am definitely keeping it in mind for next year!

*Hand Made Gift Giving Guide by Design*Sponge

I especially like the sound of the Home Spa gift, I've been on an essential oils kick lately, there's just so much you can do with them!

* Paper Bows by Creature Comforts

Happy Autumn

I am quite sad to see summer go, but I will wish everyone a happy autumn today and think about next summer when I will spending those warm months with D. and our little baby. To think that next summer there will be a baby!

I made these perfect circles with this...

A circle cutter. I could have spent a lot of time yesterday making perfect circles. There really are craft tools for just about everything.

In honor of the beginning of autumn, I've been crafting a harvest looking wreath. The change of seasons does inspire me to craft, I have a whole long list of projects to make.

(source)

Here is the wreath I am crafting, click here for the DIY from A Beautiful Mess.

Christmas in...August?

That's right, I've been Christmas crafting away these past few days in the middle of summer! Normally this is something I would never do, but I foresee a very busy few months fast approaching and I decided it would be a good idea to get a jump start on making Christmas presents. For my sister and her family I am making vintage-inspired Christmas stockings, influenced by the one my grandma made for my mom when she was a little girl (and she still uses every year!) Now I don't have pictures of the mentioned stocking, but trust me it's really cute, with her name spelled out with shimmering star sequins and adorned with felt appliques. 

First step in stocking making: gather inspiration for handmade appliques. I went perusing through etsy and found this cute pattern (notice that the top left corner of the pattern says "Not suitable for chubby girls"). If I had a little girl, I would buy this pattern, learn how to sew and make her this romper. But as I do not have a girl, I made the snowman applique instead.

I added some silver cording to his hat and glove, I affixed it with Fabri-Tac and kept the edges from fraying with Fray Check. I highly recommend both products, Fabri-Tac is the only glue I have found that  will actually work with felt and Fray Check really does keep frays in check.

Next up this pattern featuring Santie Claus and Christmas bells.

I love the Colonel Sanders-esque mustache.

I thought the original appliques from the pattern were a little too stream-lined 1960's, and we're going for sparkling goodness here, so I added some beads, sequins, metallic pom poms and gold trim to the mix.

And finally there are the wreath and the candle appliques. I want to add a halo of gold sequins around the candle, just for some extra oomph! Now that the appliques are done, I just need to find some plain red flannel or felt stockings and some sequin stars. I am quite excited by this little project, but boy is it time consuming!

Latest Project

A year ago my mom sent me tons and tons of vintage Meyercord decals, housewives used to adorn everything from their kitchen cabinets to cotton ball jars with these once inexpensive decals. I've been busy myself with them...

(See what I had for lunch? It was a Veggie Delight sub with extra, extra jalapenos.)

The final product, and here it is in my shop if you would like to take a look.

Valentine's Tags

The other day I had a Valentine tag making party, I was the only member at the party, but it was a party nonetheless. (Well, if you look hard you can see a groundhog eye through the second heart) :)

I punched out sixty hearts and thought for sure I'd have a giant bruise in the middle of my palm from pushing down on my punch so hard. I'm happy to say my hand is bruise free, let the punching continue!

I piled up all the little hearts into my rabbit dish which holds my sweater clips. I saw the little mushroom container and just couldn't pass it up at Anthropologie. Maybe it is a bad thing that I live within walking distance of there...

A few of the tags which you can still find in my shop, happy weekend to you!

Holly Pins

While visiting my parents in Korea a couple of years ago, I bought a bunch of felt from a mega craft warehouse, it is the best quality I have ever stumbled upon and it has been serving me well. And here's what I've been doing with it of late...

These vintage inspired holly/poinsettia pins are pretty quick to make and only require a few supplies. It's so much fun to mix little berries with different types of ribbons and pom-poms; the possiblities are endless! All of these can be found in my shop.

This particular one is good for either a girl or a boy, since it isn't too feminine. I made one for D. too, he is such a good sport when it comes to wearing my creations.

I can't help but think of the old Grinch cartoon when I look at this one. Which reminds me, I have yet to watch that this year.

While making these I had to also make a few for myself, I made a copy of this one for me. My mom has a Christmas table cloth from the 1950's covered in poinsettias, this pin reminds me of that vintage tablecloth.

Icy cool

Even though these are pins, sometimes I put them in my hair as well. I make them serve double duty. Hop on over here, and pretty soon you too can be gazing at your Christmas tree with a little holly pin in your hair or on your sweater.

Ginger boys and ginger girls

I decided to make a felt gingerbread ornament, kind of like this one from a few years ago.

It was my intention to make a ginger boy ornament, but I only had pink rickrack. I made a ginger girl instead and she turned out really cute.

I scribbled out a little pattern on a piece of paper and cut her out of two pieces of brown felt.

I glued her rickrack icing and pom-pom buttons on with fabri-tac, which is by far the best glue for felt. It is the only glue that I have found that actually will stick to felt.

I love the way she turned out, so much better than those ginger boys from a few years ago.

Wrapping Packages with Baker's Twine

Did I mention how much I like baker's twine? Here are some packages tied up in string, these are a few of my favorite things...

I saw this wrapping technique in the latest issue of Martha Stewart Living. Oh my gosh, I mention Martha Stewart wayyyyyyyyyy to much. I can't help it, I like her crafts! I know that she has a team who creates these crafts and it really isn't Martha herself. So I like the "craft team".

To make the mini package garland just sandwich the bakers twine between two white circular labels.

The snowman is really a chocolate bar that I wrapped up in a recycled white paper bag.

Another idea from the "craft team".

I bought this tag craft punch a few days ago and I am having such fun making Christmas tags. I don't think I'll ever buy labels again! I've also been wrapping some Christmas presents with newspaper, I'm liking the way it looks.

Craft Kits and Christmas Table

A couple of weeks ago my mom sent me an early Christmas package and lo and behold there were Martha Stewart craft kits in there! I've been having such fun scouring TJ Maxx and Marshalls for Martha craft products, which for some reason have been quite abundant in those two retailers. My mom has been on the lookout for me too and this is the one she sent.

This kit makes 20 circular Christmas ornnaments in various sizes, it includes such cute patterened papers.

The contents: pre-cut paper disks, a little glue bottle, and gold metallic thread. Of course I am going to replace the thread with my baker's twine. The best thing about finding these kits at TJ Maxx and Marshalls is how inexpensive they are, I've seen kits at Michael's for three times the price!

Assembling the ornaments.

I decided to put some of the ornaments on top of my milk glass vases on the table, but D. and I keep knocking them off when we hit the table legs.

I caved and finally bought this milk maid butter dish from Anthropologie. It's a good thing that I waited so long to buy it, I went into the store and was pleasantly surprised to find that it was half off! Good things do come to those who wait...

The current Christmas table display.

Christmas Carol Garlands

The baker's twine sure is coming in handy for all of my crafty endeavors. Last year I saw this photo and wanted to make some garlands of my own.

(source)

I put together a little DIY for all of you who would like to make some festive Christmas carol garlands.

Supplies needed: red cardstock, scissors, tape, baker's twine (or any thin string), and a paper cutter.

Cut cardstock in half, each piece can make one letter.

Cut letters out of cardstock, I free handed all of mine; and it really is easier than you think.

Tape the letters to the string.

The finished product, I love how it turned out, it makes the apartment so festive! Tape garland to the ceiling, it is pretty light weight so the scotch tape is strong enough to keep the garland from falling.

In the bedroom, this is such a quick project and adds so much to the overall look of a room.