It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!
Lyn
Annie has many robins in her garden and she now has hundreds of photos of robins! Looking at her photos inspired me to make my Robin Wreath. It has a diameter of 30cms (12″).
To make the wreath base I used a blue wet felted cord from my stash box ..
..but it wasn’t strong enough on its own so I made a wire cover for it by wrapping craft wire around a knitting needle..
..then stretching it out and threading the cord through it..
..then I made a hanging loop and wire branches for the robins to stand on.
Then on to needle felting a couple of robins. I used scraps of white felt as a base and I used photos of robins to get the outline. Then I started to ‘colour it in’ with needle felting.
I made the legs from black floristry wire and stitched them to the back of the robins.
The Christmas present was needle felted using 2 squares of scrap white felt one on top of the other then covered with yellow wool and embellished with a sparkly bead.
I had to photograph the Robin wreath flat on a table because I’ve run out of time for this blog post. I just have to make fairy stitches to the back of the robins and the present to attach them firmly to the wire branches so that I can hang it up.
Annie
I thought I’d like to make a wet felted Holly & Berries themed Christmas table runner so set about trying out a few ideas with different fabrics and prefelts.
Trouble is I enjoy playing too much so when the work of doing the real thing of setting out lots of pre-felt holly leaves and berries began..
..I ended up accidentally getting sidetracked by making a pair of pink wet felted stockings, then laying out another pair, this time one green, one purple, with longer cuffs that could be turned over if they work how I want them to (still in progress on the desk). The pink ones came out rather cute, but possibly do need some decoration.
I also started a bauble garland and some machine stitched shaped holly leaves! Any projects that I don’t finish in time for this Christmas will be finished by the new year then I’ll be well ahead for Christmas 2024 🙂
18 thoughts on “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!”
Wonderful! What a crafty pair you are. I’m glad getting side tracked is not just an elderly crafter’s trait. The robin wreath is so cute (and I don’t say that very often) and so are the stocking/boots – there said it again!
Ann
Thank you Ann! When you have a creative mind getting sidetracked is so easy no matter your age.
But it’s fun isn’t it? 🙂
Lyn and Annie,
Wow, such fresh and lovely decorative items for Christmas. The wreath is stunning, and awesome use of a knitting needle! The pink stockings are just delicious, and I’m sure the pair in progress will be just as lovely.
Thank you Marie – the wreath isn’t traditional but it’s great to have fun and do something different 🙂 Those stockings will probably hang in Annie’s fireplace but she won’t get very big presents in them!
That wire wrapped cord for a wreath base is genius Lyn! The whole thing looks great.
Nice stockings Annie and I like your reasoning regards unfinished projects this Christmas putting you in the lead for next year!!
Thank you Karen – the wrapped cord invented itself by my using the ‘what if’ question when I was sorting through my stash looking for ideas for a wreath base.
Annie’s stockings are lovely and she has so many pretty bits of felt on the production line for Christmas decorations but not enough time to finish them all for this year.
You’ve both done it again….lovely colourful, imaginative pieces that will look fabulous over the festive season.
Very inspiring. Thank you both of you.
Hope you will show us the complete table runner. Will you hang your Robin wreath in the window Lyn?
Thank you Antje. The wreath needs to be hung against a wall or on a door as it’s a one-sided piece and Annie’s table runner will be shown off when it’s done 🙂
That wreath is darling. I assume you cut carefully around the robins? You were very clever with the knitting needle idea.
Annie, at least you got distracted by something that still fit the blog topic you were working on. I usually go off in a completely different direction. the little boots are very cute.
Lyn are you not doing a diorama for a Christmas card this year?
Thank you Ann. Yes the robins were cut out – needle felting on top of fairly thick white felt meant that they are nicely stiff. I got the idea for the wire around the knitting needle when I saw a clockmaker making a tiny spring.
Annie went ‘off piste’ when she had meant to be making a table runner but as you noticed she did stay within theme and she made some lovely Christmassy pieces that just need finishing off.
The snowmen dioramas take many weeks of work – they may look simple but a lot goes on behind the scenes – and I have been unable to devote as much time to felting as I would have liked to this year.
Great festive creations that will be a wonderful addition to your holidays. It is so easy to get distracted but keeping on the holiday theme makes it work. Happy Holidays to you both!
Thank you Ruth – when surrounded by stash it’s very easy to suddenly have other ideas and then you’re off on something different and pushing aside the project you’d started 🙂
Wonderful creations. The robin wreath is so festive and very beautifully made, as always, Lyn. Annie – the runner is very cheerful whether for this year or next and those little stockings are delightful
Thank you Lindsay. For once, and it’s most unusual, the project didn’t take too long – from idea to completion only about 4 hours!
Annie has some lovely almost-finished projects that didn’t get shown in the post but she is going to be so ahead for Christmas 2024 🙂
A lovely cheerful and colourful post Lyn and Annie. Thank you both for sharing. A perfect read to brighten up a dull December. I love the way you have threaded the felted cord through the wire – pure genius, The robins are so cute and lifelike.
What a joyous table runner – can you please post a photo when it is finished.
As for the booties gorgeous! They should most certainly take pride of place on your tree.
hugs
Helene
Thank you Helene! Nearly all of our work is the result of ‘what if?’ and of using learned transferable skills. We always enjoy and have fun with what we do! And yes, it’s usually colourful 🙂
Love your wreath. What a fun idea to make your own coil and thread the felt through it. (I can feel the wheels turning now that you’ve shown me this.) Terrific job. I can also relate to how easy it is to get sidetracked with another project. The boots are really cute.
Thank you Carlene. Good ideas somehow just appear when you let yourself play around and let your mind wander a bit! The boots are going to look lovely hanging on the fireplace.