Felt Christmas Decorations

I love making Christmas decorations.
I decided to make these for my son's teachers this year.
I loved getting decorations with the child's name and year when I was teaching.
I still hang them on my tree and remember them fondly.

 

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 I also made these without the words for our mums' Christmas presents.

My boy's favourite colour at the moment is orange and he wanted these for his tree.

So grab yourself some felt, beads, stuffing and cord and go for it.

You can stuff them or leave them flat, either way...

they're fun, cute and cheap!

Beaded snowflakes

 I absolutely love these!!

What you need -

beading wire

round nose pliers

thin ribbon

2mm bicone crystals (or small bead)

4mm bicone crystals

6mm bicone crystals

head pins

eye pins

What to do -

1. On 6 eye pins feed 2 4mm bicones, 2 6mm bicones & 4 4mm bicones.  Allow 1cm to curl end with round nose pliers.
2. Cut 20cm of beading wire and secure around one of the beaded eye pins at the end of the wire.  Then secure remaining 5 pins one at a time with the beading wire while fanning each arm to form the snowflake shape.
3. Once you have secured the last arm, feed onto the remaining wire a 4mm, 6mm and 4mm bicone to form a centre piece and to cover the wiring securing the arms.  Secure the wire by winding and twisting the remainder.
4. To make the arm dangles, feed a 2mm then a 6mm bicone on 5 head pins.  Cut excess and curl to make a loop while attaching one to each end of each arm.
5. For the last arm, feed a 2mm then a 6mm bicone on one eye pin, curl and make a loop while attaching.  On the other loop of the eye pin, feed and tie a ribbon to hang snowflake.

These are so pretty I leave one hanging on my daughter's wall all year round.

Fabric Covered Christmas Decorations

These are really pretty, and they have a vintage feel to them.  I made them 20 years ago...time to make some more I think!

What you need -

foam balls
Christmas fabrics
butter knife
fine cord
sequins
pins

What to do -

• Indent 2 lines all the way around each ball to make quarters with the blunt knife.

• Cut fabric in this shape just big enough to cover each quarter of the ball.
• With the edge of the knife, push the fabric into the indentations you made until the edges disappear (cut away any excess).
• Do this for each quarter using a combination of fabrics.
• Wrap the cord around the ball (as you would around a present, twisting at the bottom).
• Secure the bottom twisted cord with a pin through a sequin.
• Make a loop at the top and cut the ends, use another sequin and pin to secure them at the top.
• Make heaps and hang them everywhere!
  

Felt Photo Christmas Decorations

What you need -

felt squares
paper templates
craft glue
scissors
knitting cotton or fine metallic cord
large eye needle
photos

What to do -

Pin paper template shapes (I used hearts, stars, bells and balls) to 2 layers of felt.
Cut out pairs of shapes.
Find something round to trace around (a large glue stick is a good size) on one of the shapes of each pair.
Carefully cut the circle out.
Cut the photos to slightly larger than the holes.
Glue behind so the felt shape becomes the frame.
Place the pair back together and using the cotton or thread, running stitch around the edges leaving enough length to tie ends together.
Hang on Christmas tree, on door knobs, anywhere...

Painted Christmas Tree Balls

What you need -

Foam balls

Metallic paint

Glitter paint

Ribbon of your choice

Star sequins

Pins

What to do -

1. Paint foam balls on one side, allow to dry.  Paint the other side.
2. Paint in the same way with glitter paint.
3. When the balls are completely dry, wrap the ribbon around the ball, twist like you're wrapping a present and bring ribbon up to the top, make a loop and secure with a pin through a star sequin.  Also secure the twisted ribbon at the bottom with a pin through a star sequin.
4. Randomly place a few more stars with pins on the ball and one in the middle of each ribbon section.
5. And, you're done!
6. Hang on the Christmas tree, or anywhere that takes your fancy.