This gorgeous macrame snowflake pattern is a perfect winter or Christmas project for even the novice macramer! You only need some cord, a ring for the middle and it uses just two basic knots!
Read moreMacrame Snowflake DIY
christmas
Creative Gift Guide – 2018
If you are looking a gift for someone creative, I have just the post for you! My Creative Gift Guide has lots of creative present ideas, including books, kits and experiences.
I remember the excitement of getting new toys, art kits and books as presents when I was a kid. You know, fun stuff that you actually interact with. Then as you get older, gifts start to become, well, a bit boring. Not that there’s anything wrong with a bottle of wine or boxes of chocolates, but sometimes, I would like something a bit more inventive. Something that lasts beyond New Years. So here are some gifts that are perfect for your creatively minded family and friends!
*Some links are affiliate links, meaning I get a small fee if you go on to purchase the item. I only ever share things that I like and would genuinely want to you to buy. See my disclosure for more details
Read more
Paper Straw Star Decorations
A modern take on traditional Scandi and German straw stars, these stylish straw star decorations use metallic paper straws and thread and are perfect for Christmas and events! Read more
Beaded Christmas Wreath
Use chunky, natural wood beads to make a unique Beaded Christmas Wreath! This DIY up-scales the simple bead weaving technique of right angle weave to make a stylish festive decoration.
Those of you who have been reading this blog for awhile may have noticed that I love the technique of right angle weave. It features a lot in my projects, and they usually have one thing common; the beads are much larger than the tiny seed beads most RAW patterns use. But this time, I have truly excelled myself, as the beads in this festive DIY are a whopping 25mm and 15mm in diameter! This makes a wreath that is approx 21cm or 8¼ inches in diameter.
You will need:
-30 x 25mm Wooden Beads
-30 x 15mm Wooden Beads
-3 metres of Garden Wire
-wire cutters
-greenery and leaves for decoration
-twine to hang
How to make a Beaded Christmas Wreath:
1.Thread 1 x 25mm bead onto the 3m length of wire and slide to the middle, so you have two equal lengths of wire each side of the bead.
2.Add 1 x 25mm to one side of the wire and 1 x 15mm to the other
3.Take 1 x 25mm bead and thread one wire right to left and the other left to right. This is our ‘crossover’ bead.
4.Pull the wires tightly so the beads sit next to one another.
5.Repeat steps 2 – 4, making sure you put the 15mm on the same side
6.Keep following this pattern of a 15mm on one side and a 25mm on the other and a 25mm crossover– you can see that by always putting the 15mm on the same side, a natural curve is created.
7.Keep going until you have used all 30 of the 25mm beads, which should mean you are left with a 15mm on one side and a 25mm on the other
8.To complete the circle, the very first bead we added in step 1 becomes our last crossover bead
9.Pull the wire tightly and check to make sure there are no odd loops of wire and that it sits flat.
10.We need to get our wires each coming out of opposite ends of one of the outer 25mm beads. To do this just carry on following the pattern going though the first round of beads that we added in steps 1-3, just crossing over the wires in an outer 25mm bead instead of tone in the middle.
11.Thread on 1 x 15mm to one of the wires.
12.Take the wire through the next outer 25mm bead and pull tight so the 15mm sits snugly .
13.Repeat this pattern until you have added 7 of the remaining 15mm beads, by which point you will be halfway around your wreath.
14.Now swap to the other wire and do the same thing, using up the remaining 8 x 15mm beads.
15.Secure the wires by wrapping around a couple of times, but NOT cutting off the excess wire.
16.Now for the decoration! Get some evergreen foliage, lay it on the wreath and use the remaining wire to secure it on.
17.Once you are happy with the greenery, take the wire to the back of the wreath and twist them together to secure. Rather than snipping off all the excess wire, I left a short length which mean that after Christmas I can un-twist the wire, and take off the leaves leaving the wreath ready to add more on next year!
18.Tie on a length of twine to hang your wreath and you are done!
If you have a go at making your own Beaded Christmas Wreath, or have any questions feel free to comment below or message me on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook! Happy Making!
***This project contains some affiliate links. This means that I earn a small fee if you buy a product using that link. I will only ever link to a product that I have used and personally recommend***
Natural Christmas Decorations
As much as I like some glitter and metallic sparkle, I have come to appreciate the more natural Christmas decorations of Scandinavian style in recent years. These pine cone and feather decorations can be used as individual ornaments, strung together as a garland or even as part of a door wreath. And it was only after I started making them that I realised I had inadvertently created a Christmas version of the snitch from Harry Potter. Clearly my subconscious Potterhead is escaping! Read more
DIY Christmas Sentiment Decorations
Update your tired old baubles and ornaments with rub-on sentiments and glitter glue!
Geometric Clay Christmas Decorations
My love of geometrics continues with these cornflour clay decorations. The can be used as individual ornaments, or strung together as a banner or even as gift tags! Read more
Craft Blog Club Secret Santa!
One of the things I really enjoy about social media is the connections you can make and the interactions between people you rarely get the chance to have in ‘real life’. In particular, I love twitter chats and every Tuesday evening at 7pm GMT there is #CraftBlogClub. They are a friendly bunch, and even though I don’t make it every week, I always enjoy it when I do! Back in November the Secret Santa was mentioned and thought it sounded like fun and signed up!
I got Katie of Katiegetscrafty and after a little bit of internet stalking, decided to make her a small notebook and a gemstone bracelet!
Then just before Christmas, my Secret Santa package arrived! I was a good girl and saved it for Christmas day. My Secret Santa was the lovely Zoe of zoflo. She had made me some gorgeous goodies; a hessian star and some wooden Scrabble tile Christmas decorations (oh and a chocolate reindeer lollipop!
It was really lovely thing to be a part of and would definitely do it again. If you were part of the #CraftBlogClub Secret Santa or any other crafty swap this Christmas, pop a comment below, I would love to take a look.
Emma
Christmas Beaded Star Decorations
These simple, rustic star decorations use wooden beads and some wire. You can even add some glitter for extra Christmas sparkle.
You will need-
-25 round wooden beads. I’m using 6mm ones, but you can use any size.
-0.4mm wire
-wire cutters
Optional –
-Washi Tape. Helps hold the wire in place.
-Glitter glue. Well, it is Christmas.
1. Cut a 50cm length of wire. Thread on 10 beads, leaving a 10cm tail (you can use some tape to hold this bit of wire down and stop the bead coming off!)
2. Pick up the longer end of wire and thread it through the first bead you added, which will be the one at the shorter end of wire.
3.Pull the wires tightly to form a circle.
4. Thread 3 beads onto the longer end of wire, find the bead that this wire come out off, skip the next bead along and thread through the next. Gently pull the wire until the 3 beads make a point on the outside of the circle.
5. Repeat step 4 until you have five points. Both wires will now be coming out of the same bead, just on different sides.
6.You can just hang your star like this, but I prefer having the wires coming out of a point. To do this thread the short end of wire through the beads again to the nearest point. For the longer end, thread it round through the inner circle again and up the other side of the same point as the other end.
You can then add glitter or ribbons, or use larger 8mm beads. Let me know if you make your own Beaded Star Decorations by commenting with a link or message me on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook! Happy Christmas crafting!
Tutorial – Christmas Sequin and Yarn Garland
For someone who doesn’t knit or crochet, I seem to have a lot of wool. So I’m always trying to come up with inventive ways of using up some of the yarn I have accumulated. This garland uses polystyrene balls covered in yarn and sequins to make a really different Christmas decoration.
You will need:
-Polystyrene balls. I used 4cm/1 1/2”
-Wool or yarn
– Bead and Sequin Pins
-Sequins
-Cutting Mat
-Awl or kebab skewer
-Long needle
Wrapping
1. Secure the end of your yarn to the polystyrene ball using a bead or sequin pin. These are shorter (16mm) than standard dressmaking pins, so you do not risk the sharp end poking out.
2.Begin wrapping the yarn around the polystyrene ball. I find it easier to hold the yarn and move the ball rather than the other way around. I attempted to use a fluffy mohair yarn, but it was just to soft to grip the polystyrene- cheaper wool works better!
3.Make sure you cover the surface equally for even coverage.
4. Keep wrapping until you can’t see any white of the polystyrene.I found it took approx 8 metres of yarn for a 4cm ball. Secure the end with another pin and cut off the tail.
Making the hole
5. Working on a cutting mat use an awl (a kebab skewer or large pointed needle also work) to poke a hole in the polystyrene.
6.Make sure you go all the way through
7.Using a needle, thread some yarn or twine through the hole. I made my own twisted needle from 0.6mm wire, but you can buy long, large eyed needles.
8. Knot either side of the ball to hold it in place. I spaced mine out about 5cm apart.
Decorating with sequins
9. Use the bead and sequin pins to attach the sequins
10.You can create lots of different pattern, like stripes
11.Try using different types of sequins, placed at random, for a really lovely effect.
12. You can even make star or snowflake patterns!
You can hang the garland on your tree, as a mantelpiece swag or even use the same technique to create baubles and ornaments. Let me know if you use this tutorial to make your own yarn and sequin decorations, by commenting with a link or message me on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook!