Farewell Frosty!

March 23, 2014 by AllFreeChristmasCrafts

On March 20th, we officially said goodbye to winter and hello to spring. Here at AllFreeChristmasCrafts, it’s a little bitter sweet. Obviously we love winter, but here in Chicago we’ve had our fill (Minnesota and Canada, we genuinely don’t know how you do it year after year. We commend you, friends). While I’m ready to let go of the snow, it breaks my heart a bit to say goodbye to snowman crafts.

I know I shouldn’t take sides, but snowman crafts are probably one of my favorite Christmas crafts around. When I see their cute carrot noses and little charcoal buttons, I just can’t help but smile! My mind fills with memories: soaked gloves, runny noses, the weight of the growing snowball as you roll it, the list goes on. Growing up, my family was always outside playing the in the snow. We made snow forts, snow angels, snow tunnels, we even built little igloos, but our favorite thing to make had to be snowmen. As the years progressed, so did our snowmen. This perhaps was my favorite, meet Mike and Sully from Monsters Inc.:

So in honor of the end of winter, I wanted to give Frosty and all his fellow snowmen a proper send off. From homemade Christmas ornaments to wonderful pieces of DIY Christmas decor to hang on your wall, front door, or mantel, there are plenty of ways you can create the last snowman of the season. Let’s wish Frosty a fond farewell with these snowman crafts!

What will you miss about winter?

Mad for Monograms

March 17, 2014 by AllFreeChristmasCrafts

When I was little my mother would put my initials in just about everything. This prevented the inevitable “Is this mine?” confusion that happens when every kid has the same lunch box, jacket, mittens, etc. While monogramming has been around forever, I’ve noticed in the past few weeks that it’s truly been trending.

Everywhere I turn there seems to be another tutorial on how to proudly display your initials, with everything from monogrammed jewelry (something that seems to be particularly popular at the moment), to mugs and homemade Christmas ornaments. My Pinterest has been flooded with monogrammed coasters, pillows, bags, and necklaces. Even my Etsy newsletters have been filled with monogrammed home decor and jewelry.

With school graduations coming up, and wedding and baby shower season kicking into high gear (I like to call this time of year “Milestone Season”), I thought it might be fun to share some fun ways to make something personal for the special people in your life. In my opinion there’s truly nothing better than receiving a homemade gift. Even if it’s not perfectly crafted, it holds so much more meaning knowing that the person spent time creating something so thoughtful. After all, it’s the thought that counts!

Monogramming goes even one step farther, making it personal for them as well! Just think how perfect a monogrammed pillow or wall decoration would be for your graduate, or some monogrammed glasses or coasters would be for a pair of newlyweds. Let’s go mad for monograms with the help of these wonderful tutorials!

DIY Home Decor:

DIY Jewelry:

More monogrammed crafts!

Looking for more homemade gifts?

Check out the book Simple Gifts: 50 Little Luxuries to Craft, Sew, Cook and Knit and win a copy from AllFreeChristmasCrafts! The contest runs until March 25, 2014, don’t miss out on your chance to win!

Flower Power: 25 Flower Crafts

March 11, 2014 by AllFreeChristmasCrafts

I think it’s safe to say that flower crafts are the most popular way to decorate for spring. And while the ground may still be covered with snow, you can create your own flowers with the help of a few of these stunning tutorials. From paper flowers to fabric flowers, there are so many options. You could go small, like this Rustic Paper Flower Ornament, or big like this Breathtaking Poinsettia Wreath. Not only are these crafts beautiful, but the best part about creating them with fabric or paper is that they’re guaranteed to stay fresh all year round. It’s your turn to become Mother Nature and make your own beautiful blossoms.
Who knew that with just a single piece of paper you could create something so exquisite? These paper flowers are the perfect way to get ready for spring!

Simple Paper Flower Ornaments
Recycled Book Rosette Wreath
Handmade Crepe Paper Rose Centerpieces
Sheet Music Magnolia Ornament

Impressive Tissue Paper Flowers
Perfect Punch Paper Flower Pin
Blushing Folded Paper Rose
Flower Bustle Ornament

If you’re not a paper crafting fan, then check out these beautiful fabric flowers! They’re the perfect addition to any wreath!

Festive Sweater Rose Wreath
DIY Flower Pillow
Flower Brooch
Vintage Handmade Flower
Fabric and Felt Wreath
Fabric Rosette Hair Accessories

Cheerful Fabric Flowers
Spring Roses Wreath
Felt So Good Daisies
Holiday Felt Flower Wreath
Elegant Fabric Flower Wreath
White Winter Flowers

Get ready for spring with a few more flower crafts!

Adorable Button Flowers
Cherry Blossom Chandelier
Chenille Button Flower Ornaments
Toilet Roll Flower Ornament
Crochet Violets Pin

How do you make craft flowers?

The Ultimate Crafting Material

March 6, 2014 by AllFreeChristmasCrafts

Crafters, I don’t know about you, but I just love recycled crafts. To me, there’s nothing more invigorating than making something new and beautiful from things that can be found in my recycling bin. Empty toilet paper rolls? Homemade Christmas ornaments! Old Newspapers and magazines? Fabulous paper flowers! It can be fun coming up with creative new ways to craft with materials you already have lying around.

But when it comes to recycled materials, there is none better than coffee filters. Yes, if there was a hierarchy of recycled crafting materials then I would dub coffee filters the queen (or king, whichever you prefer). You might be asking, why?

First and foremost, they’re extremely versatile. You can use them to craft for basically any holiday or season: Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Easter, Halloween, you name it there is a craft (a ridiculously adorable craft, too) that you can make with coffee filters to celebrate. Second, because unlike other recycled crafts, which can at times look like you’ve just covered your trash in glitter (we’ve all seen those), coffee filters actually look beautiful. Don’t believe me? Check out the crafts below!

Valentine’s Day Crafts:

Easter Crafts:

4th of July crafts:

Halloween Crafts:

Thanksgiving Crafts:

Christmas Crafts:

Looking for more? Check out these coffee filter crafts!

Have you ever crafted with coffee filters? What did you make?

I Just Can’t Help Myself

February 28, 2014 by AllFreeChristmasCrafts

Fellow crafters, I have a confession to make. I’m in love with Pinterest. I’m talking the head-over-heels, out-of-this-world, makes-you-want-to-scream-it-from-a-mountain-top type of love. I’m not the only one, right? If you’ve somehow managed to miss out on Pinterest, stop reading and click here. Consider it an early Christmas present from AllFreeChristmasCrafts to you.

If I had to describe Pinterest in a sentence, here’s what I’d say: It’s a virtual bulletin board full of never-ending crafts, recipes, hilarious memes, and DIY inspiration. In short, it’s like a new and improved letter to Santa.

For this reason (beyond millions of more that I won’t bore you with), it’s become the ultimate Christmas planner. You can make a board to store ideas for gifts to make for your friends and family, ways to decorate your home, and what food to serve for your next holiday party.

Now, I know that Christmas is 9 months away, but it never hurts to get a head start. What’s that saying? The early bird gets the worm? And let’s be honest, aren’t you just itching for another reason to peruse through Pinterest boards? Happy pinning!

Obviously, one of the most important Christmas decorations is your Christmas tree. From more traditional ideas to the completely unique, there are so many ways to dress up you tree. One of the first ways is going for a theme, like this simple white and gold tree:

If you like this, try making these:

Chic Paper Ball Ornament
Gold and Lace Ball Ornament
Beautiful Crochet Christmas Ornament

Or you could do something like this, a little splash of blue with a few natural elements like pine cones:

If you like this, then make these:
Shimmering DIY Ornaments
Simple Glitter Ornaments
Simple DIY Pine Cone Ornaments
Gold Dipped Pine Cone Ornament

Or you could do solid color, but different ornament shapes, like this tree:

If you like this, make these:

Festive Star Ornament
Twine Wrapped Ball Ornament
Stars & Hearts Felt Ornaments
Hand Knit Ball Ornaments

You could also go without a theme, and simply mix and match ornaments of different color, shape, and style like this tree:

If you like this, try making these:

Oh So Cute Owl Ornament
Darling Penguin Ornament
48 Homemade Ornaments
Funky Fabric DIY Ornaments

You could also get creative this year, turning your tree into a work of art like this one.

Anyway you choose to decorate it, I’m sure it will be beautiful. And I know what you are probably thinking, it’s too early, but I just can’t help myself. Besides if we start pinning now, by the time Christmas comes around, we’ll have all the inspiration and projects we’ll need to make our Christmas dreams come true….or at least an excuse to look at beautiful pictures on Pinterest.

What would your dream Christmas tree look like?

Burst Into Spring: 16 Flower Crafts

February 22, 2014 by AllFreeHolidayCrafts

We wrote a special poem just for you. Are you ready?

Was it a little too much? Well, I just can’t help it! Here at AllFreeHolidayCrafts, we obviously love winter and the holidays associated with it, but given the long and treacherous Chicago winter we’ve been having, let’s just say that I’m a little excited to begin crafting for spring (understatement of the year). Instead of looking out my window to find grey from sky to ground, I have a hankering for a pop of color and the smell of freshly cut flowers. Don’t you? With spring just a month away (thank heavens), it’s time to get crafting. And let me say, what could possibly scream spring more than flower crafts?

While it still might be too cold (and covered in snow) for me to have some freshly cut flowers, at least I can create some of my own! Not to toot my own horn, but I think these might even make Mother Nature envious. It’s hard to believe that they’re made from paper or fabric. Not only do they look beautiful, but they’re also guaranteed to stay fresh all year round. So what are we waiting for, let’s get crafting!

Fabric Flowers:

Learn how to make fabric flowers with these beautiful tutorials! These are great ways to do a little spring cleaning to your scrap pile, too.

Paper Flowers:

Learn how to make paper flowers that will leave everyone thinking you splurged on a bouquet at the super market with these fabulous tutorials! Choose nice bright colors to brighten up your home.

Reach for the Stars

February 22, 2014 by AllFreeChristmasCrafts

This week, I went a little out of this world for craft inspiration. I don’t know about you, but my heads been stuck in space. Of course, here at AllFreeChristmasCrafts, we love stars. I mean a Christmas tree is not complete without a star shining brightly from the top, right? I’ve also been daydreaming of the star-filled skies of summer (I’ve got a terrible case of the winter blues; where is summer when you need it?). And to top it off, the Oscars are coming up in 2 weeks, which means the Hollywood stars will be out in full force (and decked to the nines). Really, how could I not have stars on the brain?

In honor of those beautiful twinkling balls of fire thousands of miles above our head and the out-of-this world actors/actresses who will honored at the Oscars this weekend, I’ve rounded up a list of fabulous star crafts. From homemade Christmas ornaments to DIY wreaths, there are so many ways to craft with stars. What are we waiting for, let’s get crafting!

Just in case you wanted to craft inspiration more in the route of Hollywood stars, I’ve got a few of those for you, too. Enjoy!

George Clooney Wine Glass – What could be better than having wine with George Clooney?

Ryan Gosling Earrings – Let him whisper secrets to you all day long.

Beatles Spoons – Sargent Pepper, reporting for cooking duties.

Would you ever make a craft with a celebrity face? If so, who would it be?

Let’s Take a “Craft-cation”, We’re Thinking Some Place Tropical

February 9, 2014 by AllFreeChristmasCrafts

Although we love winter weather over here at AllFreeChristmasCrafts, after all Christmas does take place in the middle of winter, we’re starting to get a little tired of it. Don’t get me wrong, I love that serene white landscape, but after a few months of the blistering cold, piles upon piles of snow, and limited amounts of day light, I’m ready for some sun and bright colors.

The novelty of a winter wonderland having officially worn off (I like it better in films, like Frozen), I’ve begun dreaming of a vacation. I’m thinking someplace tropical, where the sun is shining, I can make sand sculptures instead of snow sculptures, and enjoy a never ending sight of blue ocean and sky. Since I can’t take an actual vacation (cue the violins) and we can’t rush Mother Nature (we have no way to reach her) I figured the next best thing is a “craft-cation”.

It might still be a blank slate of white outside, but that doesn’t mean we can’t create a little paradise inside! From DIY home decor to homemade ornaments you can hang around the house, these crafts will help you drift far away into a nautically-inspired nirvana. Not to mention it’ll be a nice head start for spring and summer crafts (nautical crafts will be all the rage in the next coming seasons).

So, if you have the winter blues and are looking for a cure, follow these steps:

Break out your crafting supplies
Begin thinking that you’re someplace tropical and warm
Repeat after me: We can make it, we can make it, we can make it.

Make one of these tropically-inspired crafts:

Out to Sea Pillow
Coastal Wall Art
Simple Nautical Inspired Wreath
Anchor’s Aweigh Necklace

Maritime Buoy Garland
Beachy Driftwood Trees
Sand Dipped DIY Candles
Coastal Rope Vases

Bit of a Beach Ornament
Nautical Painted Napkins
Sun and Sand Afghan
Glamorous Glitter Seashell Ornaments

How do you get over the winter blues?

Roll Out the Red Carpet: 10 Frozen-Inspired Crafts

February 3, 2014 by AllFreeChristmasCrafts

Have you seen Disney’s latest animated film, Frozen? The Oscar-nominated film tells the story of two sisters attempting to find their place in the world and come into their own. As you might have guessed from the title, it takes place in a land that is experiencing a raging winter, including piles upon piles of snow and freezing temperatures. Kind of like Chicago this year (and Canada every year).

Although this film breaks from a few typical Disney characteristics, it heralds back to the animated musicals that made Disney, well, Disney. One of my favorite songs from the film has to be “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” It’s just too cute! As a bit of movie nut, I felt inspired by the films beautiful winter wonderland animations. From the ice castle to the glistening white snow-topped trees, I had so much “craftspiration” from the film, I just had to share it with you.

While we may not be able to turn our house into literal ice (I’m not so sure we’d like to), we can make a few beautifully frosted and snow-covered crafts to make us feel like we’re in the movie. We’ve got winter wonderland snow globes and frosted luminaries, to a few snowman crafts in honor of one of the film’s most lovable characters, Olaf the Snowman.

Let’s roll out the carpet for some of these Frozen-inspired crafts from AllFreeChristmasCrafts:

Winter wonderland crafts:

Stunning Frosted Mason Jar Luminaries
Chic Mason Jar Snow Globes
Winter Wonderland Bottles
Frosted Snowflake Luminaries
Frosted Glass Ball Wreath

Make your own Olaf with these snowman crafts:

Mini Knit Snowman
Darling Snowman in a Jar
Super Cute Snowman DIY Wreath
Adorable Poufy Snowman
Snow Much Fun Snow People

Looking for more “craftspriation”?

Enter our current giveaway of Christmas Crafting in No Time. This craft book is full of 50 step-by-step projects and inspirational ideas to help you decorate your house for the holidays. You have until February 11th to enter. Don’t miss your chance to win, enter today!

Ready, Set, Craft!

January 28, 2014 by AllFreeChristmasCrafts

Why let the sporting world have all the fun? In honor of the many impending sporting events, AllFreeChristmasCrafts decided to throw a little craft-athon ourselves. We’ve picked a few of our most popular wreath crafts, homemade Christmas ornaments, and more, to go head to head. In order to vote, all you’ll need to do is comment below. We’ve got just one question for you: which craft do you think should take the gold?

Round 1: Wreath Crafts

Wreaths are one of the easiest ways to decorate during any holiday or season. You can hang them on your front door to welcome your guests or even on a wall in your home to add a splash of color or holiday spirit. Here are four heavy-weight contenders looking for that number one spot.

Round 2: Ornament Crafts

Christmas just wouldn’t be the same without ornaments hung on a tree. As everybody knows, handmade is the way to go. We’ve gathered a few of our favorite DIY Christmas ornaments to go toe-to-toe. Check out the ornament crafts below:

Round 3: DIY Snow Globes

There’s something magical about a snow globe, like a little winter wonderland in a jar. These DIY snow globes prove that you don’t need to spend a bunch of money to get snow globes that look like they’re straight from a store. Which snow globe do you like best?

Round 4: Lighting Ideas

Nothing quite sets a calm and cozy ambiance like a lantern, votive, luminary, or candle. Turn out the lights, spread them throughout your house, and you’re all set. Here are some of the most popular DIY lighting solutions, which one will you vote for?