Handmade Christmas Decorations - Some Ideas

I love Christmas! I love everything about it from buying and wrapping presents to cooking Christmas dinner. And there's nothing I like more than decorating my house with all kinds of festive ornaments. I have a very eclectic mix (I can't resist buying what I like, I'm not disciplined enough to stick to colours and themes!) ranging from old, and slightly tatty, favourites from childhood, to brand new store bought decorations and of course lots of hand made ones too.

Here I thought I'd share some of the decorations I've made for myself and love to take out year after year to make it feel like Christmas. These are just some of the ones I've made (it gets quite addictive; or I make them to sell at fairs but they never leave the house) with some ideas on how you could make some too.

Heart Garland

My handmade Christmas heart garland

I made myself this garland a couple of years ago when I was stuck at home in the run up to Christmas with Whooping Cough. I didn't feel like going shopping for decorations (nor did I think other shoppers would appreciate witnessing one of my coughing fits!) so I made quite a few for myself with what I had in the house. These little hearts are made from Christmas coloured fabrics, stuffed and finished with bows and buttons. A hanging ribbon then holds them to a length of cord and little jingle bells are spaced between them.

 

I've since made these garlands in different sizes and colours with various decorative features and they now also hang in quite a few peoples' houses. Not bad for a garland made from scraps I had!

Gingerbread garland

My handmade felt gingerbread garland

 

I love gingerbread men (and women!). They always look so festive and cheery. When I wanted to make a garland for the rail across the top of the stairs last year they were my first choice. I used felt to give a bright and homely look choosing a gingery colour for the people and hearts and festive red, white and greens for the candy canes and holly leaves. The people are made simply by drawing around a gingerbread man cookie cutter twice, decorating one side with ribbons, bows, buttons and white embroidery thread then using blanket stitch to sew the two sides together. The gingham ribbons hold them on a length of cord which I then covered with felt holly leaves and big red buttons to look like berries. It took quite a while to make but I think it's definitely worth it!

Felt hanging decorations

Felt's a great fabric to work with as it's easy to cut, doesn't need hemming to stop it fraying and comes in an incredible range of colours. That's why I make so many decorations out of them! These hanging decorations are made in a similar way to the gingerbread men above but are stuffed to make them 3D. They hang from virtually every handle in my house at Christmas - doors, cupboards, drawers...

  

I also have them in lots of festive shapes including Father Christmas, puddings, snowmen, stockings, gifts, baubles, reindeer ... and they're just the ones I can see while sat here writing this!  You can let your imagination run wild with them as they also look great in more simplistic shapes which are easy to sew. 

 

Cross stitched pictures

 

When I used to have more time (and patience) I used to love doing cross stitching. I have quite a few decorations and pictures that are stitched but this little elf getting ready for Christmas is my favorite. It was part of a larger pattern of Santa's workshop which was then made into a stocking, but I didn't have the time to complete the whole project so I just took part of the pattern to make this picture. 

Well, there are a few of my handmade creations, I hope they inspire your Christmas crafting too!

 

 

Ideas for Advent Calendars

I love everything about Christmas. The decorations, the gift giving (and receiving!), the food are all treats I look forward to throughout the year, and it's this anticipation that makes it even more exciting. So naturally having an advent calendar to countdown to the big day helps to build that feeling that something special is on its way - and I always have at least one on the go from 1st December!

When I was little it was always one of those cardboard advent calenders with a festive scene on that helped me countdown to Christmas. I loved finding the little door each morning and opening it to see which seasonal image was hiding there (and depending on the quality of the calendar trying to figure out what it was). Nowadays though, as a grown up, I still want to experience that anticipation but in a slightly more sophisticated way so now I have fabric calendar I made myself and an advent candle to burn every evening.

The advent calendar I made for myself

My Advent Calendar

I made the calendar above a few years ago when I seemed to have more time to cross stitch. I sewed some simple little fabric bags in red, green and cream cotton material and used iron on bonding to attach a festive image and number to the front of each. I then fill each bag with a little chocolate, tie them with ribbon and use mini wooden pegs to hang them on a length of string along a shelf. The idea is that each bag has the picture facing the shelf and is turned round on its day, but I can't bear to not see all the Christmassy images so I just turn them round to start with!

Advent Calendar Ideas

There are lots of different ways to mark the run up to Christmas in a visual way. These are some ideas I've thought of that would be great to make yourself for your family:

• have a small Christmas tree (an artificial one that would fit on a table top) and hang a numbered decoration on it each day;
• have a pile of small boxes wrapped as Christmas gifts with a number on the tag and a small prize or chocolate in each one and watch the pile go down;
• create a 'jigsaw' picture with a festive image. Each day a piece is added (maybe pinned to a notice board or stuck on a wall) until the full picture is revealed;
• use a calendar you already have and in the month of December add a festive sticker to each day's box;
• create a table centre piece for Christmas dinner by adding an item everyday - for example have a piece of florists oasis and add an artificial flower or pine cone each day.

Or if you don't want to make your own...

 

1. Linen advent calendar by Free Spirit Designs at Wow Thank You £30
2. Magnetic tin advent calendar by Glitter Ink Cards £41.47
3. Advent calendar by Dots and Spots £4.95
4. Wooden truck advent calendar by Little Ella James £32
5. Bunting advent calendar by The Great Hatsby £65

How to Make a Quick and Simple Father Christmas for Crafty Projects

Something I adore about Christmas is all the crafting I get to do. I usually start around August (I just can't wait!) and make cards, gift tags and decorations for myself, my family and now my business too. One of my favourite festive characters is Father Christmas (who I actually saw on Saturday at a craft fair!) as he embodies the child like delight of the season.

I use Santa's image in lots of ways from cards and tags to felt decorations. A new and easy design I've come up with this year is the one below which I'll be using in different ways to add a jolly Christmas feel to my crafting; and I'll show you how you can make him too.

How To Make A Quick and Simple Father Christmas

You will need:

• sheets of card or paper (depending on how you're using the finished figure) in red; white; and peach
• a ruler
• scissors
• a pencil
• a black pen
• paper glue

Step one

Take the red card and use the ruler to draw a triangle on it with a curved line at the base - as in the picture below. (draw it to the size you require for what you will use the finished Father Christmas for). Use your scissors to cut this out.

Step two

a. Now take the white card and place the red triangle cut out in step one on it. Draw around the triangle.

b. Draw lines as shown in the picture below to make a beard shape and cut in out.

c. Also cut out a small circle which will be the bobble for his hat and two tear drop shapes which will be his moustache.

Step three

a. Take the white beard shape cut out in step two and draw around this onto the peachy coloured card.

b. Draw the lines as shown in the picture below to create the shape of his face.

c. Cut out this shape.

Step four

a. Using the glue, stick the white beard shape onto the red triangle where the two sides of the red and white pieces are in line.

b. Now glue the peach piece onto the white beard as shown in the picture.

c. Next stick the white circle, cut out in step two, at the top of the hat and each of the white tear drop shapes onto the peach piece as shown below.

Step five

Use your black pen to draw in two eyes and a nose as shown in this picture.

Ways to use Father Christmas...

...as a Christmas card

Simply stick your Father Christmas onto a card with any background or other decoration you'd like and add a greeting.

...as a gift tag

Make sure he's made out of card for this one. Use a hole punch to punch a hole in his hat and thread a ribbon through this to attach it to a gift. Use the back to write your message on.

... as bunting style decoration

Make a few Santas and attach them to a length of string or ribbon. You could glue them onto the string or hang them up with little pegs.

Or let your imagination run wild! However you use this cute Christmas character you're sure to make your craft project extra jolly for the holidays.

Christmas Markets and Fairs in Sheffield

I love this time of year when all the little hints (or giant ones depending on where you're looking!) that Christmas isn't too far away are appearing. There's frosty mornings, bright red berries on bushes, the robin sat on the garden fence every morning ... and lots of Christmas markets! I love the great choice they offer of unique gifts and decorations that you'd can't get elsewhere and I'm always amazed by how much creative talent there is locally.

I've already been to three that were all different in their own way and bought a few gift, decorations and foody treats. And there are a lot more to come. If you're lucky enough to be in the Sheffield area between now and Christmas take the opportunity to look at these:

November
16th
Burton Street Christmas Fair, Hillsborough
Christmas Market, Channing Hall, city centre
17th
Ridgeway Christmas Farmer's and craft market
23rd & 24th
Whirlow Hall Farm Christmas Fayre


December
1st
Hillsborough Sports Arena Christmas fair
Nichols Christmas Fair, Nichols Building
3rd 
Tapton Hall food and craft fair
7th
Vintage and craft Christmas market, St Mary's Church
8th
Nether Edge Christmas Market
Wentworth Woodhouse Christmas Fayre
12th
Sheffield Up Market, University of Sheffield
15th
Elsecar Heritage Centre, Unique Xmas gift fair

And every Saturday Morning there are festive treats on sale at Sheffield Country Markets in Broomhill.

There are lots of opportunities to get ready for Christmas or just get into the spirit of the season at these and lots of other venues too.

Tapton Hall Farmer's Market and Craft Fair

In August I went to an unusually timed craft fair - it was on a Tuesday morning. It took place at Tapton Hall in Sheffield and was only a small event with a handful of stalls and customers. I sold a reasonable amount though so thought it was worth going back to again (the markets are held on the first Tuesday of every month) and I was surprised as since August it has grown to more than double the size and was a lot busier!

I had a lovely time looking around all the new stalls and the lovely variety of products on offer. I even bought one or two little Christmas gifts and some treats for myself - delicious Eccles cakes and some soothing Aloe Vera moisturiser. Many of the stall holders said they'd be back for the December market too, so maybe I'll be getting a few more treats next month too (actually, there's no 'maybe' about it, I won't be able to resist!). And where else could you find a reindeer like this on a Tuesday morning?

There were lots of items to discover that I don't usually see at craft fairs and it was interesting to investigate what was available and chat with the stall holders. As you walked in you were greeted with wonderfully scented candles in tempting aromas including a delicious black fig one, and you could even book a candle party for your home! An imaginative use for old cutlery could also be found. Beautifully delicate Sheffield silverware was framed with a little history and picture of where it came from to create a unique piece of home decor and bring new life to cutlery that's past its use. A gorgeous array of tactile leather bags in all shapes and sizes kept me occupied for a while and it was interesting to look through some art supplies perfect for children and grown ups.

There was also a great choice of craft fair favourites. You could buy some pretty home furnishings including cushions, bunting and notice boards in a variety of patterns and colours. Different styles of jewellery could be found from sparkling silver to delicate beadwork. And of course, as it is a farmer's market, lots of tasty treats including chutneys, local honey, pies, cakes, olives and Turkish delight - something for all tastes!

And of course, there was my stall - all ready for Christmas!

If you're around Tapton Hall for the next farmer's market and craft fair, it's well worth calling in to see what you can discover too.

The next market is on December 3rd from 9am - 2pm.

Table Confetti For Special Occasions

I love to decorate a table for a special occasion. In fact, this is often one of the main reasons for organising a meal or get together in the first place! For me a beautifully set and decorated table is like extra special wrapping paper on a present. Thoughtful details make the occasion more memorable - and might just detract from my less than perfectly presented food (it tastes fine, it just looks...well, not so fine!)

One of the finishing touches I like to add is table confetti I've made myself with papers which are no longer useful. I use my craft punches to create the upcycled confetti out of texts linked to the occasion or in colours that match the rest of the settings.

Here I'm sharing some ideas for table confetti for different occasion using various texts. These are just ideas, once you start there are so many possibilities to have fun with that have special meaning for you!

Upcycled Table Confetti

Using Books

This is a great way to use pages from books which are old, tatty and unloved. I often pick up books in 'bargain boxes' at charity shops; the books have been read and fulfilled their purpose but now have pages missing, scribbles or stains. I punch around the marked pages to make the confetti. Link the theme of the occasion to the text you choose:

• birthdays - choose the guest of honour's favourite book
• Halloween - use a ghost story
• Valentine's day - a classic romantic novel (or a trashy one!)

An  old copy of Pride and Prejudice and a flower punch make lovely Valentine's Day confetti

 

 

Using Maps

Maps and places can hold a lot of personal meaning. Again I look for ones which are tatty or even out of date. As you can see in the picture, this map has damage where it looks like it got wet. They are great for making confetti for:

• weddings - a place where the happy couple met or are going on honeymoon
• housewarmings - a map of the new area
• home coming -  if a loved one has been traveling and you're celebrating their return use maps of where they've been

A map of a special place and a heart punch make thoughtful wedding table confetti

 

Using Sheet Music

I often find old sheet music in charity shops and second hand centres that's been torn or the staples have come out so only half of it is left! This is great to use for upcycling purposes. Music can suit any occasion as songs are attached to many celebrations. Here are some ideas:

• Christmas - use carols punched into festive shapes
• anniversaries - try and find music played at the happy couple's wedding
• Christenings - hymns or nursery rhymes

 

Christmas carol sheet music paired with snowflake and tree punches make festive confetti

 

 

Using Magazines

This is a fun activity for children; there are so many colours and patterns to choose from! It's great for using up the free magazines and junk mail that get posted through the door too.

Fun patterns and colours using magazines to make table confetti

So next time you're holding a special get together to mark an occasion get out the old papers and punches and create a thoughtful finishing touch!

My Favourite UK Crafter of the Week - Stocking Fillers

I thought I'd do something a little different this week with my favourite crafters post. Instead of focusing on just one designer/maker I've chosen a few pieces by various crafters that would make great little gifts or stocking fillers.

If you've seen my blog in the last couple of weeks you'll realise that I've already started my Christmas shopping and I'm buying as much as I can with from small businesses and local makers (most... but when your mum requests Chanel shower gel you have to make some exceptions!). I've been quite organised and bought most items, but I'm still looking for some little extras and treats, so this is as much for me as anyone else!

So far I've bought gifts from local independent businesses, makers and markets as well as from local sellers on Etsy. Now I'm going to branch out further into the UK too, and here are a few ideas all available online...

Favourite UK Crafters - Stocking Fillers

For the children

 

1. Hair Bow £3.50 Button Owl
2. Waldorf Gnome £6.50 Madame Craig
3. Personalised Pirate Crayon Roll £4.00 Wow Thank You
4. Little Knitted Teddy Bear £4.00 Wow Thank You
5. A Clay Police Car Set £4.99 Bought With Thought
6. 2 Gingerbread Men Soaps £2.45 Soppy About Soaps

For Her

1. Digestive Pocket Mirror £4.50 Nikki McWilliams
2. Long Tailed Tit Brooch £3.00 Pocket Wren
3. Russian Doll Earrings £5.73 Jackdaw Jewellery
4. Make Your Own Bracelet Kit £4.00 Bought With Thought
5. Grapefruit and Lemongrass Soap £3.95 Wow Thank You
6. Poodles Key Ring Change Purse £6.00 Wow Thank You

For Him

 

1. VW Campervan Keyrings and Magnets £4.00 each Wow Thank You
2. I Am A Rock Legend Badge £1.05 Sam Osbourne Store
3. Lego Man Soap £3.75 each Funny Soaps and Bits
4. Artist's Notebook £6.00 Typescale
5. Record Vinyl Bookmark £2.50 When The Music's Over
6. Lego Brick Cufflinks £3.76 Bits and Badges

Christmas Shopping - Buying local and some Sheffield ideas

Christmas is certainly getting noticeably closer now - only 9 weeks away! Most shops now have festive goods on offer, adverts are mentioning everything they can think of in connection to Christmas and I'm surrounded by Father Christmases, puddings and robins!

I've seen the image below getting shared around Facebook and I absolutely agree with the sentiment behind it. I love the idea of buying local and supporting small businesses and there are so many great artists, crafters and makers out there that I'm sure there'll be lots to discover near you too.

I've already started planning my Christmas shopping as I have so many fairs booked building up to the holidays I'm not going to have time to do it then. So I thought I'd share some great local places in Sheffield (and a few elsewhere available online) that I'll be looking at for ticking items off my Christmas list.  If you happen to be in the Sheffield area I recommend taking at look at these...

Bird's Yard, Chapel Walk, Sheffield

I've written about Bird's Yard here on my blog before for two good reasons: 1. I sell my work there and 2. I love this shop! It's a collection of local designers and makers who sell together under one roof right in the city centre which is a great opportunity not only for the sellers but also for customers, to discover something new and different. Every time I go in there I see so many things that would make great gifts, the only problem is making up my mind which I'm going to buy! These are some things that caught my eye recently...

Patchwork Pig, High Street, Rotherham

A little shop with a lot to offer! Loads of great gift ideas can be found in this colourful shop for all members of the family.

Heritage Re-Loved, Elsecar Heritage Centre, Barnsley

A gorgeous little shop selling vintage, upcycled and re-loved clothes, craft supplies, home wares and other little treats. It's the perfect place to find a pretty, unique gift or the supplies to make your own. I've often bought, or had bought for me, lovely gifts from here including embroidered lavender sachets, table clothes and vintage plates. There's also a fantastic antiques centre very close by which it's impossible to leave without a few goodies...

 

Sheffield Country Markets, Broomhill, Sheffield

This market takes place every Saturday morning and sells food and crafts by local producers. It's the perfect place for picking up some festive foods for yourself or ordering a hamper as a gift (or for yourself!). There are also a range of non-food gifts including jewellery, skin care and knitwear with lots of different things every week.

If you're not in Sheffield you can take a look online too:

• Bird's Yard
• Crafted By Charisma
• Imogen's Imagination 
• Little Denim
• Northern Sewn
• Silver Starling
• Vertiline In Love

• Patchwork Pig
• Heritage Re-loved
• Sheffield Country Market

Christmas Crafting for 2013

One of my first posts when I started this blog earlier this year was about Christmas crafting trends for 2013 based on some internet snooping I'd done. I shared some ideas about my favourite 3 trends and noted some ways I might use them this year.

Well, my Christmas crafting is well under way for myself, family and to sell at fairs I've booked. I've been searching through my (many) supplies and having a look around shops and on the internet and collected together the materials I'm going to use. The trend that I've found I love the most is the traditional with a Scandinavian twist - lots of red and white with festive patterns and images, with a little bit of the forest influence mixed in (the animals are too cute!).

I've already started to make (and I'm planning on making more of) cards, gift tags, garlands and hanging decorations with these supplies and I thought I'd share some of them here too. 

Fabrics

I hoard fabrics. I often see pretty rolls in the haberdashers, fat quarters in the craft shop, fabric scraps people have left over from projects... and well, everywhere really and I just can't help but collect them up! I already had some fabrics and then bought some more to match them into the Scandinavian theme. I got plenty of plain red and cream as the bases then lots of festive patterns to complement them. My favourite is this red and white snowflake design.

I'm using them mainly in making heart shaped Christmas garlands and decorations but I've also created some fabric cards cutting out bauble shapes to make the images. 

Ribbon

Another obsession! I found these ribbons in a shop in Sheffield (when I was shopping for a new shower curtain which I still haven't bought!) and love how they match into the theme. The colours are traditional and match the fabrics I bought but some of the images give them a fun twist. I love the Russian dolls with little Christmas trees on them and the owls look festive in red and green matching the forest theme.

I'm using them to decorate some of the hearts on the garlands and I'll save some to wrap my Christmas presents with too - I think they'll look lovely against brown paper in particular. 

Buttons

There are so many uses for buttons in crafting that you have to have a big supply of them (that's what I keep telling myself...). For Christmas decorations I like to have a stock of plain festive coloured ones to go with patterned fabrics and fancy ones to go with plain fabrics. To match the traditional and Scandinavian themes this year I've chosen wooden buttons in classic Christmas patterns and some with red and white cross stitch effect reindeer. 

I'm using them to add the finishing touches to some decorations, tags and cards.

Papers

There's a theme building here - more hoarding I'm afraid! I bought a load of papers in the sales after Christmas last year and there are quite a few that are still relevant this year (of course any are relevant because it's up to your personal taste which you use) for this year's trends. Again, I've got lots of others stacked up and sorted through them to find the ones that will match my other makes.

I'm using the papers to hand cut and piece together a range of cards and tags.


These are just some of the materials I'll be using this Christmas; I'm always finding new ones to add in too. They give just a little taste of what's available and what's 'on trend' this year, although as I've said before go with what you love for yourself and your family - it's just I happen to love this traditional and Scandinavian trend too!

I hope this little peek into my Christmas preparations gives you some inspirations for your own festive crafting or buying!

A Start to Christmas Shopping - Some Gift Ideas

I've often written on this blog about buying handmade items and all the great reasons that go with it. Yesterday I worked another shift in Bird's Yard in Sheffield and it was great to hear customers' comments about why they liked all the handmade and unique finds there. The most frequently heard was 'it's so different in here' (usually accompanied by a big smile!); people really appreciated the variety of goods on offer and how they offered alternatives to the latest trends on the High Street. The shop is a collective of individual local designers and vintage sellers who each have their own space and offer items they make and like based on their own tastes, skills and ideas - which is why there's such an eclectic collection.

Another comment I heard a lot was related to Christmas shopping and how Bird's Yard will be a great place to do that. That got me thinking and having a look around too making a Christmas list for my friends and family, and one or two ideas for me too! I've been working on items to take to craft fairs this week in the run up to the festive season and realised I'll be very busy in the usual shopping time so I'd better make a start now with some of these...

Gifts For Friends...

 

 Gifts For Family...

Gifts For Those Who Already Have Everything...

...I bet they won't have any of these unique finds!

Just For Me...

So, there are some ideas to get your Christmas shopping list started. If you're in and around Sheffield and starting your shopping be sure to stop by Bird's Yard on Chapel Walk. Not only will you find unique and beautiful gifts for your loved ones, you'll be supporting local designers too.

Christmas at Pink Flamingo Handcrafting!

I know it's only September and summer's still in recent memory (just about!), but I feel like it's December already! I've been busily working on my Christmas cards ready to sell at the markets I've booked, in my online shops and for actual 'real' shops too. I thought I'd share with you some of my festive creations and the ideas that brought them to life.

Keep reading for a SPECIAL OFFER for blog readers!

One of the main things I liked about selling at markets in the summer was listening to customers and their feedback. One comment a heard a few times was along these lines, 'That's a lovely card. It's a pity it's for a birthday as it would have been a great thank you card for my friend'. And this got me thinking. Something I can offer with handmade cards that it's difficult to do with printed cards is a personalised greeting; so this is what I'm going to do with my Christmas cards this year. I'll display the different cards I've made for a customer to choose from and then have a range of greetings which I can add to give people more choice. And even better, the cards sold online can have any greeting added to include names, date or occasions too! (This also explains why some of the cards in these pictures don't have greetings on.)

Love Bird Robins

I first made a card similar to this last Christmas to send to my family. I love the little robins who visit my garden in the winter and wanted to add them to a card, but I'm not a great drawer so they became stylised robins! I played around with a few designs and favoured them sitting on their branches with some little hearts in between. Each card is made with a different variation of patterns and colours to make them unique - and so I can play around with all my different papers!

I also make a version using an old falling to pieces copy of 'A Christmas Carol' and have great fun reading through the text to pick out Christmassy words to use and colouring the pages.

Festive Mrs Fox

I love little foxes and especially all the cute ones that have been around recently on stationery and clothes, so I designed one of my own. At first she was on some birthday cards but to make her more festive I've sat her next to a Christmas tree - each of which is unique. I've given her eyelashes to make her extra cute and think she's perfect to send to sisters, best friends, mums and daughters.

There are some urban foxes that I see sometimes in the early mornings wandering around behind my house which I always like to watch, but they're not as cute as these!

Christmas Russian Dolls

Anyone who's seen my bookshelves will know I have a thing about Russian Dolls. I can't even remember when I got my first set (and anyone who knows me will also know my memory isn't that great!) but I've always been fascinated with them. I love the patterns and colours which are so intricate and the stories that can be told with the images going down the dolls.

There's a continental market which visits Sheffield city centre a few times each year and there's a stall there that sells dolls from the Ukraine. I can't resist looking at them all and buying a set (and a brooch, and some Christmas decorations, and a magnet, and a jewellery box...well, you get the idea). I have a few sets of Christmas related ones too so thought it only natural to include Russian dolls in my cards. Again, each one is unique with a range of different colours and patterns available.

So, there are some of the inspirations behind my Christmas range of cards. I've also started work on decorations too and I'll share the story of those as the festive season gets closer (only 98 days til the big day!).

To help you get a head start preparing for Christmas and as a SPECIAL OFFER for blog readers, you can get 25% off all personalised Christmas cards in my Etsy shop until 30th September 2013.  Just use the code XMASBLOG25 at the checkout! Pink Flamingo Crafting on Etsy