Crafting for Christmas 2010, lets begin again......

qwiksave

Speaking of step by step crafts, I've just spotted some beginners guides to trying crafts on the 'All About You' website.

www.allaboutyou.com/craft/craft-ideas-kids-crafts-beginners-guides/special

There is even a 'How to Knit' section with free patterns.

I've just been looking at the 'Cardmaking' section and learned that if you use an envelope bigger than 16.5 x 24cms you have to pay extra postage. Little tip for us home card makers!

EDIT: It's not just kid's crafts, despite the link title!

loopychriss

princesspoppypop wrote: »

Back from the google search... love the look of the stencils... do you just !!!!! the pattern or do you sew in threads once pattern is on card???

Poppy x

No, I just p rick the cards with the needle. I've never tried sewing in thread, would take too long, and I think the holes are too close together. There are other techniques for doing the sewn ones, my mum has done those in previous years.

(Wonder why we can put the word 'pricked' but not 'p rick'....?!!!

loopychriss

qwiksave wrote: »

I've just been looking at the 'Cardmaking' section and learned that if you use an envelope bigger than 16.5 x 24cms you have to pay extra postage. Little tip for us home card makers!

Yes, you have to be careful of sizes now. I always use the C6 cards and envelopes to make sure. It's the square ones that are most deceiving - some of those don't go through the post office slot for 'normal' rate cards. I once had a birthday card from my sister in law that was about 1mm over the correct size and she had put a normal 1st class stamp on. I had to pay £1.17 extra to pick it up from the PO which I was quite annoyed about, until I opened it and found 30 euros for my holiday inside!

she_grinch

princesspoppypop wrote: »

93!!!!!!!!!!!! Well done! Did you make different designs?

Poppy x

I made all mine too all different designs and they went down really well

sethsgran

Wish you were here??
Scroll down to "My Craft Room". I would love a room like this, and yes it's a American home.
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://crafts.peteandkerry.com/cards/012909_07.JPG&imgrefurl=http://crafts.peteandkerry.com/%3Fm%3D200901&usg=__5jANNLEulVJ1k9rBeu7Tk9YHG5M=&h=691&w=922&sz=137&hl=en&start=126&um=1&tbnid=z8I3i_Sq9zX61M:&tbnh=110&tbnw=147&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dvalentine%2Bcricut%2Bcraft%26ndsp%3D21%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26start%3D105%26um%3D1

Savvybunny2009

princesspoppypop wrote: »

Do I dare mention I own this... ok I will on Anthea Turners Perfect Housewife Christmas Special DVD she creates her own gift wrap using potato prints.... I was thinking stamps would look really good or even stickers.
Every year I plan to really fancy my gifts up with wrap but buy the usual gift wrap set from BHS and just use that.
Hopefully this year I will rock the brown paper/frosted berries and gold wired ribbon look! Mind you it may be a different story with a little one pulling at the paper!

Making your own bows is fun and so addictive like Liesa says.

Here are some I made from magazine strips...

The bow in the second picture is made from pink ribbon and rather than using a paper fastener I sewed each layer together.
The gift wrap pack was from Tesco and I made a large sour cream container using the paper in the pack and crimped the edges using my paper roller. Then decorated with my bow and the tag!

Poppy x

I love the bow idea, do you have any links for how to make them, they look really tricky?

carmim

Savvybunny2009 wrote: »

I love the bow idea, do you have any links for how to make them, they look really tricky?

I found this on youtube hope it helps http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2_vnXX7Zrg

sethsgran

http://homemadebyjill.blogspot.com/2009/10/felt-playhouse.html
I hope to have a go at making something similar to this for my grandaughters second birthday. I have just asked on freecycle for an old Wendy House Frame. I have posted a link here in case anyone likes the idea for a little one for next christmas, it's not as hard as it looks I'm sure.

lellypants

li'l_p wrote: »

I think it gives an overall different finish to the piece. The book states that the 'extreme temperature and soap flakes will matt the woollenfibres, shrinking them together to make a tight, soft fabric that. when dry can be cut without fraying'. It's like the gingerbread man posted above, he's got a really nice texture about him that doesn't look knitted, if you see what I mean.

It kind of makes it feel like cloth instead of a wool. it hides all of the stiches too.
plus if you use the needle felting method you can sculpt it - like the link below (no idea how to post images yet)
http://www.feltalive.com/

shabbychicfan

I saw a fab thread on here somewhere with an idea for a themed hamper with a book, fleecy blanket, cosy socks, candle and hot chocolate that had a poem to put on/in the gift - have got my hampers ready (not for Christmas - I'm not that organised!) for some birthdays, but can't find the poem anywhere - can anyone help?

Many thanks

Shabby