Posted on Nov 30, 2014 in
FEATURES
Hand crafted décor sets a festive tone throughout the house for all holiday celebrations this season. Deck the halls with these spirited craft ideas from Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores that transform your home into a holiday haven with cheerful color across the mantel, personalized gift tags, a whimsical use for ornaments and even a way to include your four-legged friends in the fun. For more seasonal crafting inspiration, project guides and supplies, visit www.joann.com.
Picture Perfect Gift Tags
Crafting Time: 1–2 hours
Supplies and Tools:
• Circle templates
• Scissors
• Red, green and white cardstock
• Photographs of gift recipients
• Pinking shears
• Scallop-edge shears
• Glue stick
• Cricut machine with circle and tag options (optional)
• Hole punch
• Ribbon
• Various self-adhesive gems
1. Use the circle template to cut 3 inch red and green cardstock circles.
2. Cut photos into 2 1/2 inch circles. Attach photos slightly off-center to red or green circles.
3. Cut 3 1/2 inch white cardstock circles, and use shears to pink or scallop edges. Adhere photos and colored circles onto white cardstock circles, centered.
4. Cut 4 1/2 inch tag shapes and punch hole freehand or using Cricut machine. Attach layered photo off-center on tag. Attach ribbon through hole.
5. Use a glue stick to attach three self-adhesive gems to red or green circles.
Stackable Crate Stockings
Crafting Time: 3–5 hours
Supplies and Tools:
• Small ready-to-finish wood crate (CD size)
• 6 inch-by-12 inch plywood board
• Craft knife and mat
• Pencil
• Metal straight-edge ruler
• Acrylic paint of colors of choice
• Paintbrushes: medium, small round/detail
• Scissors
• 2 sheets 12 inch-by-12 inch glitter paper
• Glue
• Transfer paper
• Stocking pattern templates
• Wood knob
• 2 small hinges
• Screwdriver
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks
• 24 inch ribbon
Doggie Bowtie
Crafting Time: Less than one hour
Supplies and Tools:
• 8 inch-by-12 inch red fabric (fabric A)
• Basic sewing supplies
• Sewing machine
• Iron and pressing surface
• 6-inch-by-10-inch ivory fabric (fabric B)
• Pinking shears
• Remnant holiday print fabric (fabric C)
• Remnant holiday print fabric (fabric D)
• 1/4-inch elastic
1. Fold fabric A in half with right sides together. Stitch all open sides leaving two-inch opening at end. Note: Seam allowances are 1/4 inch throughout.
2. Push fabric through opening, turning it right side out. Press piece. Repeat with fabric B.
3. Run base stitch through center of both A and B. Pull on thread to cinch both pieces at center. Place piece B on top of A and run secure stitch to hold both pieces together.
4. Cut remnant holiday fabric C to two inches by five inches. Fold in half with right sides together and sew along long edge. Flip fabric so right side shows. Wrap around center of bow and stitch in place.
5. Cut 1 inch-by-1 1/2 inch piece of fabric D using pinking shears. Place over holiday remnant C seam. Stitch down.
6. Cut two-inch length of elastic. Loop and stitch to back of bow. Position loop so collar will slide through and bow will lay horizontal on dog.
Hung with Care Christmas Tree
Crafting Time: Weekend project
Supplies and Tools:
• 5 embroidery hoops: 6 inch, 9 inch, 14 inch, 18 inch and 23 inch
• Yardstick
• White acrylic paint
• Ruler
• Clear beading thread/ cording
• Scissors
• 5–10 clear plastic ornaments (the kind that open in half)
• Paintbrushes
• Translucent paint: red, green, white
• Plastic LED lights
• Scrapbook paper
• Marker
• 150 green shatterproof ornaments in various finishes
• 1 gold shatterproof ornament
• Craft glue or duct tape (optional)
1. Separate and paint embroidery hoops and yardstick white. Allow to dry.
2. Determine desired height of finished tree to plan where ornaments will hang. The shortest lengths of thread and ornaments are hung from smallest embroidery hoop, longest hung from largest hoop.
3. Cut clear thread, using lengths determined in step above, plus two inches extra for tying and knotting.
4. Construct clear ornaments. Paint confetti dot design on outside of ornament using translucent paint, allow to dry. Use clear thread to hang an LED light inside ornament or create paper tag noting a gift wish and place inside ornament.
5. Starting with smallest embroidery hoop, use shortest lengths of thread to tie green and clear ornaments all the way around hoop. Trim excess thread. Repeat for remaining hoops.
6. Starting with smallest hoop, secure hoop to yardstick with clear thread. Secure next larger hoop to yardstick below smaller hoop. Repeat with remaining hoops so each surrounds the previous to construct tree with layers of ornaments. Gently shift each hoop as needed to create a uniform shape. Fill empty spots with additional ornaments.
7. Hang gold ornament from middle of yardstick at top of tree. For a more permanent hold, secure hoops to yardstick with craft glue or duct tape.
Source: Family Features
