Holiday Crafting?

Holiday Crafting?

Are you making any fun holiday items for gifts or to sell? I usually end up making last minute gifts or ornaments but it appears that this year (knock on wood), I won’t be making any. I thought I’d show a few efforts from prior years and then give you a few links to some good ideas I found online.

finished ornaments

These are some ornaments that I made in 2011. They are made from felt scraps and then stitched together. You can get a little more information about how to make them in this post. If you have the scraps on hand, these are fairly quick except for sewing on the ornaments but you could always glue them on.

Christmas Tree Ornaments
Christmas Tree Ornaments

These are ornaments that I made in 2009. These are wet felted over a large whiffle ball (plastic ball with holes in it) and then the designs are needle felted. I can’t say that these are quick and easy as the needle felted designs take quite a while. You can see a few more photos of these here.

I made these poinsettias in 2010 and there is a tutorial here if you’d like to try some. They can be used as pins/brooches, ornaments or added to other ornaments.

Here’s a combination of the two types of ornaments. Instead of needle felting the white yarn down I couched it down with gold thread. This was an ornament I made for an exchange.

Now to a few gifts I have made in the past. One year I made ‘everyone’ coaster and trivet sets. This is the leaf set that I printed with thickened dye and then stitched.

 

 

These are stitched petroglyphs.

This is the floral set.

And finally the Montana Griz Fan set. I don’t seem to have a good photo but here they are drying.

And then there was the year of the fabric bowls.

I made a few as you can see. These actually take quite a bit of work as you have to fuse the fabric to interfacing on both sides and then zigzag it all together and around the edges.

This year has been a bust for making any gifts or ornaments. I did make one post card for the forum exchange and that has been it. But I would love to see anything that you have made as gifts or ornaments this year or in year’s past. Just join us on the forum and post about what you’ve made.

I have included a few links below for some fiber related ornaments and holiday gifts.

Knitted Christmas Trees (thanks to Leonor for pointing these out on Facebook)

Needle Felted Gnome Ornaments

Wool Ornaments That Could Be Used Year Round

Felted Acorn Garland

Wet Felted Snowmen

Wet Felted Lanterns

 

 

 

 

 

18 thoughts on “Holiday Crafting?

  1. You’ve got an impressive array of Christmas items there! I love the Christmas trees – if you had the time and/or patience to make a few dozen, it would make the best garland ever!

    Lovely links too, thank you.

    1. Thanks Lyn – I guess if I still had those trees it wouldn’t be bad to make another set to form a garland but they were all given away and I’d have to start all over 🙂

  2. Thanks for sharing your ideas. All ornaments are lovely but my favourite ones are coster and trivet sets. I keep pieces of felt that I was experimenting with and may use them one day when I collect enough matching colours.

  3. You sure get busy during the holidays, Ruth! I’d have to say that of all you’ve made, the green leaves are my absolute favourite.

    Thanks for the tutorials, I loved the acorn garlands! I wish I had some acorns now, I’d so make them for myself… 🙂 (And how cute are those trees?)

    1. Thanks! In years past, I have been very busy making holiday goodies. This year I haven’t made a thing. Yes, the acorn garlands are really cool – I don’t have any acorns either.

  4. Ruth, you have been a very busy woman in years past with your nice variety of Christmas gifts.
    My favorites are the petroglyph and leaf coasters. Several years ago, I made some needle-felted ornaments, and I will photograph them and post on the Forum later today. Thanks for sharing the tutorials!

  5. Ohh so many wonderful ideas, so little time. I love the fabric bowls and the wreath. The links are great, too. Thanks for posting them. I may have to try the lanterns.

  6. The coaster sets are really beautiful! I must try sewing on felt some day…
    I’m making slippers for two family members for Christmas. Leaving them slightly oversized so that they can do the final fulling themselves (on their feet) to get the right size and shape. 🙂
    I’ve also had a go at selling craft kits this year. A lot of people seem to like the idea – but most say that they don’t have time to do crafts. But I have sold some (mostly to friends and colleges at work) – and given away a couple as gifts.
    http://zararooke.wordpress.com/2014/11/26/crafts-by-zara-nystartad-webbutik/

    1. Thanks! I love to sew on felt, it is a lot of fun and really adds a nice accent. I’m sure your slippers will be appreciated. Thanks for the link – your various ornaments are cool.

  7. Great ornaments and gifts Ruth. I have made balls, acorns, snowmen and of course sheep in the past. I have no pictures I could find in a hurry. I am sure they are on the computer but unlabelled. Sorting pictures should be my new years resolution.

    1. Thanks Ann! Ha, it would take me forever to sort photos. I just get these off my blog by searching for certain words. That’s the only way I can ever find old photos. The blog is good for something. 🙂

  8. Very creative Ruth! 🙂
    The needle felted ornaments look lik they should be in a very expensive shop 🙂
    I made a placemat and coaster each for my Mum and Dad, I really didn’t want to sew the edges, so had to work the felt hard to make sure it was well fulled. I know have muscular wrists! I made my sister a scarf which she loved, and a scarf for my dad which will probably end up on a shelf.
    I have a job lot of 2015 diaries left over from a craft fair too!

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