Part 17: Cookie for Santa Ornamnet

Supplies:

• size 5 pearl cotton embroidery thread
• needle/ scissors
• felt color for cookie and tag
• optional beads or sequins for chips on cookie
• fuzzy yarn

Order of events:

1. Cut circles for cookies and cut tag shapes.
2. Add cookie to corner of tag; use French or colonial knots to attach to tag (optional here; you could use seed beads or sequins instead).
3. Stitch around edge of tag with blanket stitch. One I couched the fuzzy yarn; on the other I used it to do the blanket stitch. Either way, rough up yarn with finger nail after stitching to make it fuzzy and not matted down.
4. Embroider desired words. I didn't draw letters ahead of time because I wanted it to be more free-form, like a little child wrote it. I also did not do this before the cookies and edging because I wanted to see how much space I had to work, with but you can do those three steps in any order you wish to make it easy for you.
   
5. Add hanger; done.

Part 16: Candle Ornament

Supplies:

• real long needle
  
• sewing needle / thread / scissors
• yellow embroidery thread
• felt
• button

Order of events:

1. Cut felt (the color you want to use for the candle) 1 1/2 inches by 4 1/2 inches rectangle. If you want a tapered candle, cut a slight angle so when rolled it forms a taper.
2. Cut felt for flame.
   
3. Tie knot on yellow embroidery thread; weave through flame; leave a long tail.
4. Roll candle felt around long needle; stitch closed.
5. Thread long needle with embroidery thread; pull through candle.
6. Stitch on button base.
7. Make loop out of another piece of embroidery thread. Thread needle and weave through flame; done.

Part 7: Advent Calendar Red Beaded Icicle Ornaments

Supplies:

• soutache braid or thin ribbon
• 5 beads to match ribbon
• needle
• embroidery thread
• fray check

Order of events:

1. Make loop in embroidery thread for hanger tie knot.
2. String in this order: bead, braid, bead, braid, bead, braid, bead, braid, bead.
3. Cut braid; use fray check for both ends of braid.
4. Knot & trim thread.

Part 6: Advent Calender Button YOYO Ornamnet

Supplies:

• button (I used vintage buttons)
  
• small yoyo (use what ever you want for the template)
• needle
• embroidery thread to sew and use as hanger
• scissors
• sewing thread

Order of events:

1. Make yoyo.
2. Tie knot in embroidery thread; pass through center of yoyo and back again.
3. Thread button and stitch on; go through yoyo and button two or three times. Finish with needle on back of work.
4. Insert needle into yoyo; come out edge of yoyo.
5. Make loop for hanger; tie off.
6. Take needle back into yoyo and cut off.

Because I don't like to post on Sunday, I will post another ornament late tonight for everyone.

Part 5: Advent Calendar Button Tree Ornaments

Supplies:

• 1 yellow button, small
• 4 green buttons, from small to large
• embroidery thread
  
• 2 needles
• scissors
• 3 beads
• fray check; optional
  

Order of events:

1. Make loop in embroidery thread for hanger; thread needles on to the thread tails.
2. String bead and yellow button (look at picture to see how this is done).
3. Then string green buttons, from small to large (look at photo for how to do this).
4. Take other needle, skip bead and thread through yellow button (see picture).
5. Now, thread through the rest of the buttons, and string on last 2 beads; pass both needles through them (see picture).
6. Tie knot to finish and hold thread on you can fray check, if you want.

Part 4: Advent Calendar : Candy Cane ornament

Here is an easy one even the little kids can make (with help from an adult with cutting implements).

Supplies:

• Variegated pipe cleaner
• Round item to wrap pipe cleaner around
• Embroidery thread
• Embellishments (sequins, ribbon, felt, bells whatever)
• Something to cut pipe cleaner and embroidery thread

Order of events:

1. Cut pipe cleaner about 2 to 2 1/4 inches long
2. Bend around round item to form hook
3. Cut and tie knot in embroidery thread to make hanger
4. Add embellishments

Part 2: Advent Calendar: Holly Berries Ornamnet

Supplies:

• Felt, green and red
• Sequins or other embellishments if you don't want red felt berries
  
• Pearl cotton embroidery thread or thread to your liking (colors I used : green:368 red:321)
  
• Needle
• Thimble, if you use one
• Scissors
• Optional punches / die cutter

Steps: (sorry; bad lighting in my sewing room I know, but that is how it is)

1. Draw your leaves and cut out
   
2. Use a hole punch to punch out berries (Hint: if you put paper on both sides of your felt, it will punch easier) (Sizzixs also has a die cut you can use that cuts berries and leaves, that is what I did)
3. Embroider veins on leaves; I used a stem stitch.
4. Arrange leaves on top of each other
5. Sew on berries, either felt or sequins or small red jingle bells, beads etc... now. This will also be used to sew all the leaves together while you are stitching on the berries. I used a colonial knot to attach my sequins; you can also use a French knot, instead. The felt berries I just stitch with a single stitch straight up and then down with a little bit of fabric in between the stitches.
6. Attach hanger to back; I used my red pearl cotton thread to do this.

For other parts of this serious Advent Calendar, go here. I also think this would be cute to use on a baby's first Christmas set of booties, hat, or on a Christmas sock.

If you find an ornament you don't like or can't make, just make two of one of the other ones. I don't think it will matter if you have more of one ornament than another. Or, just skip one all together.

Part 1: How to Make a yoyo Advent Calender

This is the start of a continuing tutorial. This will show you how to make the wall hanging part of the calendar. Then, each day I will post how to make one or more ornaments to hang on the tree 'till I have 25. This way you can make it, too. (Above photo is after star, prior to buttons)

Supplies:

• Green fabrics (you can use 1 or lots of green fabrics, I choose solid for the tree and variety for the ground) 42 green yoyos tree, 25 green yoyos ground = total 67 green yoyos
  
• White fabrics (you can use 1 or lots of white fabrics) ( I used recycled 100% cotton, from my husband's outgrown Sunday shirts, 2 of them) 86 white yoyos
• Red fabrics (you can use 1 or lots of red fabrics, I used lots of varieties) 67 red yoyos
  
• Brown fabric enough for 1 yoyo
• Yellow fabric enough for 1 yoyo for star (I used the small clover flower maker to make my star)
• Standard cd to use as template
• Thread
• Needle
• Scissors
• Thimble (if you use one)
• Pencil, optional (for tracing around cd; I don't do this, but some might)
• Optional small clover flower maker to use in making the star. You can also just buy a star at a store and sew it on instead of making one.
  
• 2- 4 cabone rings ( or other type of ring to use as a hanger)
• Dowel or other straight item for strength when hanging
• Bias tape
  
• 67 buttons (I used mother-of-pearl, but you can use whatever you want)

Photo to upper right is what the back looks like.

Order of events:

• Make round yoyos and yoyo star
  
• Lay them out in the pattern (shown below in this post)
• Stitch together in six format, not the 4
• Add star at top of tree
• Stitch a button on every green yoyo
• Stitch on cabone rings (or other hanger item) on back of wall hanging on top row of yoyos; covered by bias tape
  
• Stitch dowel (or other straight item) to top back of quilt to help prevent sagging from weight; covered by bias tape
  

There are 21 rows in this wall hanging.

1. 11 red
2. 1 red 8 white 1 red
3. 1 red 4 white 1 green 4 white 1 red
4. 1 red 3 white 2 green 3 white 1 red
5. 1 red 3 white 3 green 3 white 1 red
6. 1 red 3 white 2 green 3 white 1 red
7. 1 red 3 white 3 green 3 white 1 red
8. 1 red 2 white 4 green 2 white 1 red
9. 1 red 3 white 3 green 3 white 1 red
10. 1 red 2 white 4 green 2 white 1 red
11. 1 red 2 white 5 green 2 white 1 red
12. 1 red 2 white 4 green 2 white 1 red
13. 1 red 2 white 5 green 2 white 1 red
14. 1 red 1 white 6 green 1 white 1 red
15. 1 red 4 white 1 brown 4 white 1 red
16. 1 red 2 white 4 red 2 white 1 red
17. 1 red 3 white 3 red 3 white 1 red
18. 1 red 8 green 1 red
19. 1 red 9 green 1 red
20. 1 red 8 green 1 red
21. 11 red

Stitch all yoyos together and hand stitch star at top of tree. You can do this same type of pattern with English paper pieced hexagons. If you want to use this other technique, go here; there is a tutorial.

Add front embellishments like the star and buttons now. The buttons are for holding the ornaments on the tree. They are also to hold the ornaments on the bottom ground area 'till they are moved up. There are more buttons on the tree than on the ground so you can have more of a choice where to place them.

Stitch two to four cabone rings (or other hanging devises -- I used metal belt loops because that is what I had on hand) on top row for hanging purposes. Use four if you don't use a dowel for strength and to keep quilt from sagging. Once stitched on, cover stitches with bias tape, too, just like the dowel.

Holiday Tutorials On This blog

Clicking on words will take you to tutorial; clicking on image will take you to where that image is hosted on flickr.

1. We three trees
2. Pomander Balls
3. Cream cheese Mints
4. Kid's airplane ornament
5. Holiday Brooch
6. Old fashioned rock candy
7. Kissing Ball
8. Embroidered Felt Ornament
9. Holiday Journey -- Not a tutorial, but a fun family activity
10. Triangle Hair scarf; easy gift
11. Yoyo doll vintage-looking gift

Holiday Brooch Tutorial

Supplies:

• Mattel Knitting machine (find on ebay, thrift store, the bottom of your closet from when you where a kid in the 70's)
• safety pins or pin backs
• fuzzy yarn
• yoyo (you have to make these; I used a cd as my template)
• jingle bells or other center decoration (buttons....)
• thread, needle, scissors

How to:

1. Cut and make your yoyo; set aside, leave long tail to stitch to fuzzy yoyo, bells, and pin.
2. Make your fuzzy knitted yoyo, (this is 16 rows that are 16 stitches on the Mattel knitting machine, you can do this on knitting round needles too, gather both ends and pull both tails to one side and tie ends in a knot and cut).
3. Stitch fabric yoyo to middle of fuzzy yoyo; have tails of fuzzy yoyo facing fabric yoyo so they are hidden when piece is done.
4. Now, stitch on bells or other embellishments. When done, take needle to back of work.
5. Sew safety pin to back of brooch, or use a store bought pin back. Finished!

my photos on explore

my photos on explore, originally uploaded by sunshine's creations.

1. redwork butterfly signature block, 2. crazy daisies, 3. bubble gum pink quilt #1, 4. back side dove, 5. felt snow man done, style:christmas colors

How to make straw flowers

I decided to make a tutorial for those of you that might have this item from a thrift store but don't have the instructions.

Steps

1. Lay straw across loom from bottom to top. You can also use yarn or any other fabric type material that will bend nicely around spokes.
2. Bring straw back to bottom of loom. Moving straw from left to right behind spoke. Then wrap the next spoke on the bottom left moving straw from right to left behind spoke.
3. Moving to next spoke at the top right wrap straw around it and go back down to bottom. This time you wrap the spoke to the left of the last one you did on the bottom.
4. Repeat last step all the way around
5. You will finish wrapping your straw to the left and on the opposite side of the loom from the first wrap. The two tails should be next to each other. If you are using yarn or something like that you can go around the spokes 1 or two more times to have a petal with 24 or 36 petals instead of 12 like one row has. If you do this make sure to fluff flower at the end and separate the petals they tend to get stuck together.
6. Have needle threaded with pearl cotton ahead of time and make sure your needle is longer than your loom is wide.
7. Pass needle under all the straw.
8. Tie pearl cotton in knot. You are looking at the back of your work and are working from the back knots won't show on front when completed.
9. Pass needle from right to left under 3 petals of flower.
10. Bring needle up and go back under last two petals and pick up one new one to the left of the last petal from the previous round. You will be rotating the flower in a clockwise direction with each pass of the needle.
11. Continue this till you have 3 completed rounds of pearl cotton forming your center of your flowers and holding everything together .
12. Finish thread by weaving it in and out of the pearl cotton do this about 5 times in different spots on the back. I like to do mine in the space between each set of petals and work my way around to each space.
13. Cut straw and pearl cotton. You can make it more secure by using fray check or something like that.
14. If using fray check let it dry. You can also do this step off the loom.
15. Remove from loom and sew onto desired item. See apron I made using these here. You can also see this same technique using double sided satin ribbon here.
    

If you don't have this tool and you want to buy some flowers they are for sale at my store already made.


whipup

Please join flickr group if you have made any of these types of flowers

Valentine's from MIL

These two Valentine's my MIL made a few years back. I wish I had written the date on them; oh well. They are real simple and cute. I will explain how to make one. The pictures should be good enough with out diagrams to make it.

Supplies

• red and white double sided satin ribbon thin
• 1 stick of cinnamon broken into 3 pieces
• 3 small wood hearts
• 1 large wood heart
• drill
• glue
• red paint and brush
  

how to make

1. Drill four holes in large heart; one at top center and three across the bottom (see picture).
2. Paint all four hearts red; let dry.
3. Glue small hearts to three strands of ribbon; let dry.
4. Tie cinnamon to bottom of ribbons.
5. Pass ribbon through bottom holes on large heart and glue in place; let dry.
   
6. Make loop of ribbon for top of large heart, pass through hole and tie.

Hang and enjoy or give as a Valentine

we three trees

About four or five years back, my MIL was making these trees as gifts for her kids for Christmas.

I was living with her at the time. No joke; she is a great lady and living with her proved it more to me.

Any way, these are made out of dowels to desired length, and torn home spun fabric in Christmas colors, a rusty tin star, raffia, and a piece of branch that has been cut on a band saw and drilled in the middle to accommodate dowel. I can't find the original instructions or I would post them. The strips of fabric are just tied around the dowel and they get shorter and shorter as they approach the star. I think they came out real cute and would be cute in other colors and fabric too. The neat thing about homespun is that it has no right or wrong side to the fabric, so it does work a little better for this project.

It is trendy right now to have a stripey blanket. I know it is on about five other blogs, just can't remember where. Well you can see ours on the sofa in the back by the big Christmas tree. I made that one about three years ago for my husband's birthday present.

Hi! I saw that Sunshine needed this pattern, so here it is:

The Three Trees

Each tree requires 1/2 yard of fabric. For three trees, you should have three different plaids that go well together. The fabric should be printed on both sides; homespun works best. The trees look best if the fabric is torn, not cut, into strips.

Dowels are approximately 7/16 inches in diameter and measure approximately 19 1/2 inches, 16 1/2 inches, and 13 1/2 inches in length. All three should be able to be cut from a single 40-inch dowel.

1. Tear the fabric into strips according to the directions below.
2. Start with the longest strip for a tree and tie it to the bottom of the dowel with one single knot. Continue until all the strips have been tied to the the tree -- the longest strips at the bottom, the medium strips in the middle, and the shortest strips at the top.
3. Push all the knots on the tree closely together.
4. Put a little wood glue into each tree base, and then insert the dowel.
5. Tie a few strands of raffia at the top of the tree.
6. Finish by gluing the metal star (available at craft stores or WalMart) in place.

Medium and Small Trees

Tear thirteen (13) strips, lengthwise, from your fabric. Each strip should be approximately 1 1/4 inches wide. Lay six (6) of the strips side-by-side and cut in three (3) 12-inch lengths. (Note that there is a short area of wastage with this set of strips. If you are doing multiple sets of trees, this wastage can be combined to form usable lengths of ties.) Lay five (5) strips side-by-side and cut in one (1) 12-inch length and three (3) 10-inch lengths. Lay the final two (2) strips side-by-side and cut in one (1) 10-inch length, and four (4) 8-inch lengths.

You should end up with

• 23 12" strips
• 17 10" strips
• 8 8" strips
• 45 total strips
  

Note that the lengths do not have to be exact, but it helps to be relatively correct.

Large Tree

Tear thirteen (13) strips lengthwise from your fabric. Each strip should be approximately 1 1/4 inches wide. Lay seven (7) strips side-by-side and cut in three (3) 14-inch lengths. Lay six (6) strips side by side and cut in two (2) 12-inch lengths and two (2) 9-inch lengths.

You should end up with

• 21 14" strips
• 12 12" strips
• 12 9" strips
• 45 total strips
  

Again, these lengths do not have to be exact, but it helps.

If you are doing multiple set of the trees, you may end up with more fabric, or extra strips; GREAT! (Or, you may want to use a bit more fabric and just cut some extra strips.) The more strips you can get from your fabric, the more full your trees will be. However, be aware that narrower strips than 1 1/4 inches are too small and don't look very nice on the finished project.

I received this pattern from a leader when I made a set of three trees at a Church women's homemaking activity. The set of the trees, accompanied by the book "The Legend of the Three Trees," retold by Angela Elwell Hunt, were given as a gift to each of my children for the Christmas of 2002.

A wonderful Christmas and a joyous New Year to you and yours.

Pattern Posted by Myrna

( Up date: if you don't know who Myrna is, it is my Mom-in-law aka MIL; but I just call her Mom. I am not a great speller or grammar-type person, but she is. So she was kind and agreed to check over my stuff from time to time and fix mistakes. Here, she was kind enough to give you the pattern I couldn't find. Thanks MOM)

Please click on the first photo to see how cute these really are.

A kids how too make airplane ornament

This is easy, even for tiny kids; no gluing or anything like that.Supplies

• 2 rolls of life savers ( one for body and one you open for wheels)
• 1 stick of gum with wrapper still on it
• 1 rubber band
• 1 ornament hanger or paper clip bent open ( not pictured)

How to make:

1. pull rubber band through both wheels and over one wing.
2. place closed roll of life savers over wheels and under wing
3. Pull other end of rubber band over other wing and adjust wheels. ( this step is not shown) . The finished plane is easy enough to understand from finished item picture and description.
4. Attach hook on both rubber bands above wings and hang on tree. ( not pictured)
   

Also cute as a party favor to entertain kids while gathering.

My MIL taught me how to make these a few years after I married her son.

Update for an older kid also get

• another rubber band
• a tootsie roll
• a smarties
  
• small crochet hook to fit through center of roll

make hole in each end of life saver roll. Push hook through it grab one end of new rubber band. Place a tootsie roll inside of band and pull tight to life savers place smarties at other end this makes tail and prop. Also if You want a stronger set of wings use a 5 pack of gum and don't unwrap.

If you don't want to use tootsie roll you can use a match with the head cut off and put a piece of craft paper on it for tail too.

Just get creative.

How to make a pomander ball

AppleOrangeLemon / Lime

The first time I made one of these, I was about six years old. My Vavo (grandmother) showed me how to make them. She had us just stick the cloves straight into the fruit. It wasn't long before my fingers just hurt, and I wanted to quit. They did get finished, but it took many days because my fingers kept getting hurt. My grandmother still has those balls in her china cupboard, and they still have a scent. I figured there had to be a way to do it without the pain, so I used an stiletto to prick the fruit first. It made it so the cloves went in easily; no pain. I made six about a year ago in one sitting and without the hurting fingers. This year I am doing it for the tutorial but I will enlist one of my children's help. It is to hard to make and take photos so she made the pomander as I gave her instructions on what to do next so I could take pictures.

Supplies:

• 1 whole orange, lemon, lime, or an apple (unpeeled) which ever you like the look of or have on hand
  
• 4 oz whole cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• optional 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• orris root (I usually skip this part. This item helps the fruit dry without molding, and dry faster, too. This is more useful in humid regions than the hot, dry Utah/California area)
• sharp implement can be a skewer, ice pick, awl, stiletto, toothpick, knitting needle, nail or any thing that will make a small hole in the fruit
  
• zip closing plastic bag
• mess plastic apple bag or cheese cloth or lofa scrubber cut open (it will be a tube of mess fabric)
• yarn
• ribbon

Instructions:

Work over cookie sheet or plate as juices drip out while handling the fruit; this makes for easier clean up. Try to use cloves with the heads still on them; this will make for a prettier ball in the end. The others can just be saved for cooking with.

1. First making sure that the fruit is not all bruised as this can lead to molding when drying. Then remove fruit stickers then wash and dry fruit.
   
2. Use sharp instrument to make small holes in fruit. If a small child is doing this please have adult supervision and take care that they are safe.
   
3.