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

Gina_of_course! · 22 January 2010 at 2:15PM

For anyone like me who missed out on the crocheting magazine edition 1 there is a good tutorial on you tube.

This link will take you to the first lesson of many by this lady..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVBnFHGbeK4

in-the-beach-hut · 22 January 2010 at 3:00PM

I've been over on the sewing thread (http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=2169321&page=34) - no pun intended :rotfl:so have missed a few days on the christmas crafting one so have lots to catch up on! Well done on all your creations :T- knitting and crocheting is out of my league but I've done a couple of sock monkeys

I know lots of people are well experienced at making these so apologies if this is like teaching egg-sucking

but if you've not tried making them before it's easy with any of the online tutorials. I used this one:
http://www.web-goddess.org/writing/tutorial/Image35.html

My next mission is to attempt to make them hats and clothes.... anyone got any ideas where I could find patterns or ideas for tiny clothes?
Lucy xx

whoopidoo · 22 January 2010 at 3:32PM

This blog is a regular one I follow as there is always something lovely to look at but just had to share her gorgeous creation for today. Look at these fantastic grunge paper bookmarks. How lovely as a gift? Or if you are buying someone a book to slip in with it?

mary-op · 22 January 2010 at 5:30PM

whoopi - thats brilliant :T Must make note of that -did some last year but nowhere near as nice.

jamtart6 · 22 January 2010 at 5:46PM

LOL - erm well I volunteered then I saw 48 pages to catch up on. Maybe I can just try my best to add some of the projects as and when? not ideal I know

whoopidoo · 22 January 2010 at 5:49PM

:rotfl:Thats what I thought when you offered! :rotfl: I think I will go through over the weekend picking out the bits I want to make and bookmarking/jotting down.

jomio123 · 22 January 2010 at 6:12PM

Shove up & make room for another one, please? Long time lurker finally takes the plunge!
I've been crafting for more years than I care to remember but arthritis has curtailed some activities unfortunately. Fortunately, there's always another craft to be experimented with & I think I'm slowly working my way through them!

I've been doing HM gifts of some sort for many years & they seem to be well received. If my friend's OH doesn't get his Xmas cake and jars of home made pickles, chutney & assorted home-grown, home-made jams, there's a major sulk <lol>

Machine knitting took care of many gifts over the years, especially for rellies who don't fit the normal shop sizes, but have had to stop doing that nowadays as holding the tools & needle for sewing up is nigh on impossible.
I've never been able to drive a sewing machine nor a crochet hook, apart from extremely basic stuff.

I grow a lot of plants for both home & garden & they usually go down well.

I paint a bit - usually on surfaces picked up from charity shops, car boots etc rather than on paper & canvas.
A nice glass jar can be painted with acrylics is washed with vinegar & coated with a sealer first then a few coats of acrylic varnish to finish it. Makes a different container for HM sweeties etc & can be personaised for the recipient.
Or maybe an unusually shaped bottle? Painted, it can be turned into a lamp or just a holder for dried flowers.
Same goes for terracotta plant pots - a big one makes an unusual waste paper bin or receptacle for bathroom cleaning stuff / soaps etc.

Salt dough - great for the littlies to make their own gifts for granny & Uncle Fred etc. Rolled & cut out with cookie cutters, baked, painted, varnished then a magnet stuck to the back & voila, a unique fridge magnet. If the littlies like playing with plasticine or playdough, they'll love this.
Linda Rogers does some lovely salt dough books for ideas to get you started if needed.

See - I've got loads of ideas, so can I come & play please? Got to go & get the tea on, but will try & come back later.

jamtart6 · 22 January 2010 at 6:17PM

I've gone through and book marked all the links people have put on and will try and upload them all. Would anyone mind if I just thanked the "people of the MSE craft thread" (and credit the person whose tutorial it is) rather than name you one by one? That is what would take me ages, but I don't want to offend anyone who has spent time finding the tutorials.

jamtart6 · 22 January 2010 at 6:58PM

Does anyone have any ideas what to do with long bright pipe cleaners, they are littering my craft shelf! I bought a pack for flannel reindeers but now have LOADS left!there is an awful lot of lime green ones knocking about....