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Click the eBook Cover to Order Work at Home Truths, by Tiffany Dow
Crafts
Christmas is the time of traditions and crafts. From pipe cleaner candy canes to making and decorating gingerbread houses, there is no time like Christmas for crafting. Whether you have yearly holiday traditions already in place at your house or are looking for ways to start a new tradition, you’ve come to the right place.
One tradition that many households celebrate during the holidays is decorating the Christmas tree. Usually putting up decorations and adorning the tree with lights, garland and ornaments that hold special memories is an affair the entire family participates in. So, if you love to craft and your family is one that makes an entire day out of decking the halls, read on for a way to combine the two loves this year.
Crafting your Christmas tree can be done a few different ways.
1. Use crafts from years past
2. Make new crafts for the tree
3. Creating themes with crafts every year
Using Crafts from Years Gone By
One way you can craft your tree this year is to gather all the goodies your family has made in previous years. A few such times might include those made from by the kids when they were in elementary school, during rainy days that meant crafting the afternoon away or any other times when crafts were made within the family.
Make New Crafts Just for the Christmas Tree
If you don’t have crafts from year’s past, make some new ones. Take an afternoon and spend it making crafts especially for this year’s tree. You can find craft kits with Christmas themed items at your local craft or dollar store or you can make your own from every day items around the house. It doesn’t even have to be Christmas type crafts. Whatever your family wants to make, let them go for it, then decorate your tree with pride – even if it is with finger paints and paper airplanes. Let the kids choose crafts that show their interests. If your daughter likes Hannah Montana and your son likes aliens, it’s ok; this tree is all about combining the differences in family into one loving and unique tree.
Create a Yearly Theme for Your Christmas Craft Tree
Want to make crafting your tree an annual tradition that changes a bit every year so no one gets bored with the same decorations year after year? Pick a theme for your tree and make crafts that fit the theme. Here are a few examples of themes you could use:
Snowmen – Create snowmen from all kinds of things like foam, cotton balls, construction paper, etc. Make a big snowman dressed to the hilt with his broom and top hat to place on the top.
Tree of Garland – You can create garland out of almost anything. Popcorn, construction paper chains, beads, ribbons, string are all great ideas. You can even create a charm garland by taking a piece of string and attaching various crafts or trinkets from the year past.
Color Schemes – Pink & Purple, Red & Green, Blue & Silver, or Gold & Silver, whatever colors your heart desires. Choose two or three colors at most to keep from going over board. You can add bows, ribbons, or any other decoration you’d like as long as it keeps the color scheme.
Baby – Got a baby celebrating their first Christmas this year or expecting your first child? Decorate your tree with craft items that resemble baby bottles, teething rings, rattles, etc.
These are just a few of the many ways you can craft your Christmas tree this year. Get creative and think of some of your own too. Make a day out of decorating your tree this year and for years to come by making some cookies the day before and sipping on some hot chocolate throughout the day. Don’t forget the Christmas carols playing in the background. No holiday decorating is complete without your favorite songs to sing along with.
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Christmas ornaments made from ordinary pipe cleaners and inexpensive acrylic beads are very pretty and easy to make. They look quite impressive yet are easy enough for small children to make. This is a nice Christmas craft idea to use again and again. Older people and kids will enjoy making these Christmas crafts, too, which can be varied to make a number of different sparkling ornaments for your Christmas tree.
To make the bead and pipe cleaner ornaments, you need common pipe cleaners in desired colors and acrylic beads. Two types of beads are particularly effective when strung on pipe cleaners. One type are called sunburst beads, but are also known as paddlewheel beads, snowflake beads, or starburst beads. These beads have six faceted paddles spaced equally around a center that contains the hole for stringing. When several of these sunburst beads are strung consecutively, they fit against each other in an interlocking pattern.
The other type of bead that is also effective for this Christmas craft is called the tri bead or propeller bead. It has three rounded bumps arranged around the stringing hole. Like the sunburst beads, the tri beads interlock when strung consecutively. For the most sparkly and attractive Christmas ornaments, get tri beads and/or sunburst beads in translucent colors of red, green, and clear. The tri beads can also be found in metallic gold and silver which can be used in these Christmas crafts as well.
Pipe cleaners can be found in silver and gold tinsel as well as chenille of all colors. For the Christmas craft, the best colors to use are the metallics and Christmas colors. The beads cover the pipe cleaners, but the ends will need to be twisted together and made into hangers, so they show.
Anyone, even small children, can string these beads on pipe cleaners. Bend up the end of the pipe cleaner so the beads don’t fall off. The pipe cleaner works like a needle, making a needle unnecessary. For best results, show the children how to alternate colors when stringing, or start a pattern of three colors. When the beads are strung on the pipe cleaners, they can be bent into different Christmas shapes. For instance, string red and clear beads alternately, then bend down one end of the pipe cleaner for a candy cane shape. Or alternate red and green beads and form a circle for a wreath. Use red pipe cleaner to form a small bow to decorate the wreath. Form a hanger for these Christmas crafts or simply slip the circle over a branch of the tree.
If you experiment with clear beads and silver pipe cleaners, you can make some beautiful snowflake or star ornaments. Snowflake designs can be twisted of silver pipe cleaner only, without the beads for a simple but pretty decoration.
Bead and pipe cleaner ornaments are a Christmas craft you will find yourself using every year. Children and their parents will both appreciate this simple yet pretty Christmas crafts.
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Finding the perfect gift for new parents can often be a challenge. Many times new parents have either already shopped for their babies, or they have other children and have many of the things they will need already in their homes. One perfect gift option in this case is the gift of a handmade crochet baby blanket.
With the recent popularity resurgence in knitting and crocheting, there are limitless options available for yarns and fibers which you can quickly and easily crochet into an heirloom baby blanket. And, the best thing is that many of today’s yarns and fibers are dyed colors which lend themselves well to making a baby blanket. With the soft pinks, light blues and mellow yellow yarns, you can be sure to match any nursery decorations the new parents may have done.
A handcrafted gift is one which can be passed down through generations and appreciated by everyone. It shows the receiver that you spent a lot of time and effort to make just the right gift for them. And, because of the time you have invested in the gift, it will be one of the best received.
When you are going to make a blanket for a baby, there are a few important things which you need to keep in consideration as you find your pattern and buy your supplies. A few of them are:
Pattern Selection – You should choose a pattern which is tightly woven if the blanket will be used by a very young baby. Often designs with any open-work allow for the baby’s fingers or toes to get caught up in the blanket and cause discomfort. This is both a health and a safety risk.
Yarn Selection – When you are making an item for a baby you want to find a yarn or fiber which is both soft and machine washable. New parents are often too tired and over-extended to spend time hand washing items. And, because babies can be very messy, it is essential that anything they come into contact with can be successfully washed.
Blanket Color – If you know the color scheme of the nursery, or even the sex of the baby, you can better match your blanket colors to them. If not, use your imagination and create a wonderful unisex blanket.
Blanket Size – When you are crocheting for a baby, your first inclination might be to make a very small blanket. However, babies grow very quickly into toddlers. And, babies move around a lot and require decently sized blankets to keep them covered up and warm. Your blanket will get much more use if you make it a bit larger than your first inclination.
No Beadwork – While beadwork is popular in today’s knitting and crocheting patterns, beads are never appropriate for a baby item. A baby can loosen them and they can become a choking hazard.
By keeping these simple considerations in mind, you can be well on your way to creating a keepsake baby blanket which will be cherished for years to come. As with any baby gift, you want to insure that your blanket is safe and secure for the baby who will be using it. However, by using your imagination and creativity you can come up with the perfect and safe design for the new bundle of joy.
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The art of crochet has been around for thousands of years. People in earlier times who had means would purchase hand crocheted and knitted laces and fabrics for their opulent garments and décor. Having these items showed others that you were a person of means and you led an opulent lifestyle.
Over the years, through industrialization and mass production of lace and fabrics, items made with crochet and knitting have gained popularity in the lower to middle classes and the upper classes started showing their wealth in other, more material, ways.
Today, crochet and knitting are the craft art of choice for many people all over the world. They are both handicrafts which are challenging to learn yet affordable for nearly everyone. Supplies are easy to find to create some very amazing hand crafted items with the emergence of new yarns and colorful fibers.
As a beginner to the art of crochet, there are some simple things to learn to be successful. Here are ten steps to get you started on your road to crochet success:
Step #1 – Gather Up Your Supplies – To crochet you will need a crochet hook, yarn, scissors and a large-eye needle.
Step #2 – Holding Your Crochet Hook – You will want to hold your crochet hook in your dominant hand. Create a slip-knot and place it over the end of your hook.
Step #3 – Create a Continuous Stitch – Slide the hooked yarn to the slip-knot on the hook. This will create a chain of stitches. Continue to make this chain by brining your yarn to the top of the hook and pulling it through the slip-knot.
Step #4 – Move Up The Chain – Move up the chain allowing the first chain stitch to knot on the hook. This allows the yarn to stay in place and not loosen. It is generally a good idea to make this first knot tight rather than loose.
Step #5 – Creating Two Loops – Next, insert your crochet hook into the hole of the next chain stitch and slide the passing yarn through its center.
Step #6 – Bring Your Yarn Back – Bring your yarn back on the hook from back to front and slide your knot in the center of the loops which you have already created on the crochet hook.
Step #7 – Making Rows – From your second yarn loop, create another single chain stitch and make a counter-clockwise loop. Start again and create the same loops as the previous stitches.
Step #8 – Crochet Until Done – Continue this basic crochet technique until you have a swatch of fabric.
Step #8 – Cut your Project Off – Once you have completed a swatch of fabric, it is time to remove it from your ball of yarn. Cut it with about a 6” tail left at the end.
Step #9 – Fasten Your Project so it won’t Unravel – Bring your tail of yarn back through the last stitch to fasten it.
Step #10 – Cut the Excess – At this point you are finished and can cut off the excess tail of yarn.
Using these simple ten steps you can learn to successfully complete a basic crochet fabric. Like any new skill, crochet takes time. You will want to practice a lot at first and see what techniques and hand holds are the most comfortable for you.
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This is a fun project that you may want to break up across a couple of days, so be sure to start a few days before Halloween. Mom, you can join in the fun as well and make a Halloween wreath of your own too!
Material List
• Paper Plate (One per child/adult)
• Scissors
• Leaves
• Glue Sticks
• Orange Construction Papers
• White Construction Paper
• Black Construction Paper
• Washable Black Marker
• Black Yarn (optional)
Adult Preparation: (To Be Done Prior to Actual Wreath Making)
Cut the center from each paper plate prior to giving one to each child. These will be the base for the homemade wreaths.
Day 1: Grab the kids and head outdoors.
Gather as many fallen leaves of different shapes and colors as you can find. Once you’ve collected enough leaves to cover each paper plate, head back inside and glue them to the paper plates. You can glue the leaves to cover the entire plate, randomly around the plate or even as a border around only the edge, whichever you prefer. Once you’ve glued the leaves to the paper plate, leave the plates to dry for 24 hours or at least overnight.
Day 2: Creativity
Depending on how much time you have to complete this project you can have the children do the next step after the leaves have been glued on, while you’re waiting for them to dry or you can make another day of it.
Let the children draw Halloween images on the construction paper. Here are some ideas for each color of paper:
Orange – Pumpkins (Use the black marker to draw the face on their pumpkins)
White – Ghosts, Mummies, Bones
Black – Cats, Witch Hats (You can use the yarn to put a tail on the cat and hair on the witches head if you’d like to put that under the hat)
Once the children have picked out and drawn which decorations they’ll be using, carefully cut them out and paste them to the wreath.
Tip: Pre-placement (before gluing) will give the child an idea of what the wreath will look like once it is all glued together. When the children are happy with the way the decorations are placed, it’s time to glue them to the leaves.
Again, allow the decorations to dry completely.
Day 3: Decorating Time
Congratulations! You’ve made your very own homemade Halloween wreath. Enjoy your child’s creation by hanging it on the front door or his or her bedroom door for all your friends and family to see and admire.
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