Link Love: Pinecone Crafts

October 24, 2013 by FaveCrafts 4 Comments

Head outside and look at the ground. Believe it or not, there is a wealth of craft materials at your feet. Let nature be your guide and round up a couple of pinecones for your autumn and winter crafts – you won’t believe how many creative projects you can make.

Now is the perfect time to start making pinecone crafts – they’re seasonal, fragrant and easy to find. Since Christmas is just around the corner, now is the time to start making ornaments, table decorations and more. Our collection of the Top 7 Pinecone Christmas Crafts for Decorating will help you get in the holiday spirit. You’ll find ideas for table settings, wreaths, ornaments and more. A Beautiful Black Pinecone Wreath looks great during the holiday season but it can remain up all year long. Pinecones can also be an ideal canvas if you want to make a bold statement during the holiday season. Glittery Christmas Pinecone Ornaments require very few materials but truly stand out among the other more traditional ornaments on a tree. Kids and adults can work on these ornaments together, making this an ideal afternoon craft. If you aren’t as keen on crafting for the holiday season, make Yo Yo Stuffed Pinecones any time you want. Use up those small pieces scrap fabric pieces to create the tiny yo yo’s needed for this quick and easy craft.

Now is the perfect time of year to turn pinecones into everything from ornaments to place card holders. Head outside before the snow begins to fall and start gathering some pinecones. The delightful smell and rustic look will turn a boring craft into an extraordinary creative experience.

Pinecone Birds from Blueberry Junkie
Pinecone Place Card from Gimmer Some Style
Painted Pinecone Garland from Simplicity in the South
Ombre Pinecone from Whimzeecal
Pinecone Ornament from Flutter Flutter
Homemade Pinecone Firelighters from Kate’s Creative Space
Pinecone Fire Starter Favors from My Own Labels
Pinecone Decorations from Confetti Workshop
Cinnamon Pinecones from Treasure in an Earthen Vessel

Woodland Christmas from Ric Rac: National Sewing Month 2013

September 13, 2013 by AllFreeSewing 87 Comments

It’s Day Thirteen of National Sewing Month! Too see the daily blog posts, projects of the day, and more National Sewing Month details, click here.

Hi, my name is Jodie and I blog at vintagericrac.blogspot.com. I am excited to be part of National Sewing Month, although I might need a National Sewing Year to finish off all the WIPs in my sewing room. I am foremost a toymaker but I dabble in all kinds of sewing and have been known to turn out the odd quilt or garment or practical item on occasion.

I have created this cute little holiday DIY ornament that you can make up in traditional colors, or mix it up with some earthy colors to create a little woodsman. It’s such a cute Christmas craft idea and they make even more adorable DIY gifts! Have fun!

If you have a Google Account (you can make one for free), here is the link to a Google Doc to download the whole tutorial including the pattern pieces: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B3POraACAxjpUEtmRUpFb0hmNEE/edit

This little Santa and his tree have been designed to be hand sewn. All embroidery is done with two strands of stranded embroidery thread.

DIY Ornament

Cut for Santa:

1 Base
1 Body
1 Hat
1 Hat Brim
1 Face
1 Beard
1 Mustache
1 Belt to be cut on fold

Santa Construction:

Using the pattern placement guide, pin the beard in place .

Sew small seed or rice grain stitches at random over the beard .

Place the face on top of the beard and pin in place.

Thread your teeny buckle onto belt and slide to the middle. Pin belt in place on Santa.

Backstitch face in place – I cheated and didn’t sew the very top as it will be hidden under the hat.

Pin mustache in place on top of face and seed stitch the moustache.

Add two single wrap French knot cheeks and two double wrap French knot eyes to your face.

Fold Santa along fold line right sides out and blanket stitch the center back seam, catching the belt ends as you sew.

Pin base in place and blanket stitch ¾ of the way around. Stuff Santa and blanket stitch the base closed, adding more stuffing as needed.

Hat Construction:

Pin hat brim to hat and sew small seed or rice grain stitches to secure it to hat.

Fold hat in half right sides out and blanket stitch center back seam.

Place hat on Santa’s head.

Pop your hat on.

Cut for Tree:

1 base
1 tree bottom
1 tree middle
1 tree top

Tree Construction:

Fold tree bottom in half along dotted line and blanket stitch the center back seam. Stuff and blanket stitch base in place.

Fold tree middle in half along dotted line and blanket stitch center back seam

Fold tree top in half along dotted line and blanket stitch center back seam.

Stack your tree pieces onto each other

Decorate with French knots, chain stitch – in fact, anything you fancy!

Requirements for Santa:

7 ½ inch square of red felt
4 ½ inch of white felt
2 ½ x 7 ½ inch strip of brown felt
2 inch square of skin coloured felt
1 teeny buckle
Black, red and white embroidery thread
Hobbyfill

Requirements for Tree:

6 ½ inch square of dark green felt
5 x 3 ½ inches light Green felt
Red embroidery threads
Hobbyfill

Finished size approx: 5 inches high

For more sewing inspiration, visit Jodie’s blog, Ric Rac!

Have you started your Christmas sewing yet?

Go Back in Time with Vintage Crafts

May 10, 2013 by AllFreeChristmasCrafts 1 Comment

Some of you might already be planning ahead for next Christmas by deciding on your Christmas home decor and tree theme. One style that’s become very popular in the past few years has been an old-fashioned look. Crafters of all styles have been looking backwards for craft inspiration and designing some very intricate looking vintage crafts for every room in their house, and now they’re passing on their ideas to you. The editors at AllFreeChristmasCrafts would like to help you get started with your planning with our latest collection, A Vintage Christmas: 15 Old Fashioned Craft Ideas, which has some of the best ways to put a classic spin on Christmas that you’ll find anywhere.

Still not sure if you want your entire Christmas theme to revolve around vintage crafting? No problem; you can start small with one of these handmade Christmas ornaments. Each ornament shows off uses different crafting techniques that have standout presentations. You can go for a simple paper themed craft, or crochet a traditional-looking ornament that you can pass down safely to other family members in the future.

Incorporating bigger handmade Christmas decorations is just as easy, as the projects included in A Vintage Christmas cover everything from Christmas stocking patterns to options for a wreath to decorate your front door. These DIY Christmas decorations are excellent ways to save money and preserve style. Stores everywhere are picking up on the vintage tread, but their prices aren’t always reasonable. You won’t have to worry, as you’ll be learning some creative ways to use recyclables and craft materials to make store-bought quality Christmas decorations.

Another way you can incorporate classic elements into your Christmas planning is through your own Christmas fashion. Learn how you can refashion traditional patterns into brand new DIY accessories to show off at your next Christmas party. These are suited for all ages, and help to bring down spending costs in a major portion of your holiday budget.

If you have any friends with a love for all things vintage, than our list of old fashioned Christmas crafts is a must read for gift ideas. The gift ideas we’ve included on our list cover both the practical and the decorative, which ensures loved ones of different tastes will be pleased with what they receive.

Classic Christmas crafts never get old, and they’re a great way to start new traditions with your family that can be passed down for future generations. A Vintage Christmas: 15 Old Fashioned Craft Ideas can be the first step in your Christmas planning, and the vintage crafts you’ll find here can also be used throughout the year to bring a little spark of the traditional into your home.

What’s your favorite way to add a vintage touch to your Christmas crafts?

Get Back to the Outdoors with Nature-Inspired Crafts

April 10, 2013 by AllFreeChristmasCrafts Leave a Comment

Do you miss seeing green grass and hearing birds chirp? Winter’s on its way out, but if you want to get a head start on welcoming back spring, the answer is closer than you might think. The editors at AllFreeChristmasCrafts have had all winter to find ways to help you, and now, we’re excited to share some nature-inspired crafts that will brighten up your home with freshness and color.

Homemade Wreaths

Wreath crafts are popular for any time of year, and they can easily bring a touch of color to your door. You can make something more abstract, like a Bird’s Nest Wreath, which is durable enough to last all year, reminding you of springtime no matter what time of year it is. You can also learn how to make a wreath using actual nature like with this Boxwood Berry Wreath. The design is festive for winter, but green enough for spring. If you don’t want to use real materials, but still want a realistic design, there are also colorful alternatives like those used in the Festive Nature Wreath.

Crafting with Pine Cones

There are many different natural materials that you can use in your nature inspired crafting, and we’ve found a common trend amongst crafters already existing. Pine cones are popular because they’re strong, have a unique shape, and can hold a whole array of craft materials. Christmas characters like the Felt Pine Cone Snowman Ornament, as well as other winter craft creatures like the Nature Inspired Holiday Skier, come to life very easily with the addition of fabric. Pine cones can also make for rustic decorations like the Rustic Pine Cone Light Basket for your home that you can touch up with a nice scent to make your guests feel relaxed and welcome.

Projects for Animal Lovers

You don’t have to use nature in all of your nature-inspired crafts. Animal lovers know that instead, you can create a craft inspired by one of your favorite forest creatures. You can make a frame like the Wintertime Bird Frame or the Rustic Nature Frame that really put your design skills to the test. If you’re looking for something more 3D, you can recycle your toilet paper rolls to make a Toilet Role Yule Log Ornament or use real nature to make an Acorn Nest Ornament that help your home to feel more realistically nature inspired.

No matter what time of year it is, nature-inspired crafts are a surefire way to give your home the essence of the outdoors. Use the beauty around you as inspiration (and part) of your next craft project and enjoy the freshness these crafts bring to your home decor.

How do you include nature in your crafting?

Start Spring with Flower Power Floral Crafts

March 10, 2013 by AllFreeChristmasCrafts 4 Comments

You can bring a breath of fresh air into your home even before the snow has melted away by creating your own craft flowers. Real flowers are beautiful, but arrangements can be expensive, and they don’t last forever. The editors at AllFreeChristmasCrafts want to help you find inexpensive, but beautiful alternatives that you can create and display in your home as long as you want. Learn how to create a variety of flower craft projects with these ideas below:

Chenille Button Flower Ornaments – Start off simple with this ornament craft that can help you get rid of some of your craft drawer clutter. These fun little decorations don’t require much outside of pipe cleaners and buttons, meaning there’s plenty of ways for you to add your own touches. Their size not only allows them to be homemade Christmas ornaments that the whole family can make, but also wearables and embellishments for bigger projects.

Fabric Rosette Cuff – Your home isn’t the only thing that can have a spring-themed upgrade; think about your wardrobe too. Pick out your fabric fabric and see how you can make DIY bracelets with a 3D design that’s going to grab a lot of attention.

DIY Flower Pillow – Another simple way to spruce up your home decor is felt. Any plain pillow can be turned into a spring-inspired flower craft that adds just the right pop of color to any setup. Non-sewists will be happy to know that the tutorial has options for both stitching and gluing, so you can learn how to make a pillow decoration too.

Recycled Book Rosette Wreath – A popular technique when it comes to craft flowers is making rosettes. In this case, you can make a paper craft, recycling craft, and a new homemade wreath all at the same time. It can be a bit time consuming, but the results will be worth the effort.

White Flowers – While many of these projects are meant to be large scale decorations, you can also make flower crafts more suited for a windowsill or mantel. These white flowers are made with easy-to-find materials and add a certain modern elegance that can brighten up any room.

Rose Card – A lot of major holidays have passed, but there are many more coming up (including plenty of birthdays and anniversaries), so make this next occasion all the more special for a loved one by sending them a handmade card with a floral theme. The tutorial has a thorough step-by-step guide for how to create a professional design that will be cherished by anyone.

Cherry Blossom Chandelier – Anyone interested in creating new home decor crafts needs to see this standout decoration. Store-bought chandeliers are very expensive and not suitable for every household. Luckily, there’s this impressive project that is a cascade of flowers and crystals that you can hang in any room with a ceiling. It’s hard to believe this gorgeous DIY craft project is made out of an old embroidery hoop!

What do you make craft flowers for?

4 New Super Cool and Unique Projects! Cool2Craft TV

January 27, 2013 by Tiffany Leave a Comment

This week, the Cool2Craft design team is sharing four super cool and unique project ideas! Join EcoHeidi Borchers, Tiffany Windsor, Candace Jedrowicz, and Lisa Fulmer for this week’s online episode.

EcoHeidi is crafting Cool2Cast Gift Cans, Tiffany is creating Kitchen Foil Earrings, Candace is making Cake Mail Postcards, and Lisa is decorating a Year-Round Studded Ornament.

It’s easy to watch the Cool2Craft TV Channel right from your computer. Watch craft demos and join in the live chat at showtime at Cool2Craft.com. Monday January 28, 2013 – 9 am Pacific/10 am Mountain/11 am Central/noon Eastern.

You can also check out all these cool project tutorials and videos at FaveCrafts.com!

In Case You Missed It: “How to Make an Angel for Christmas: 7 Angel Crafts” eBook

January 10, 2013 by AllFreeChristmasCrafts 1 Comment

One of the most traditional and heartwarming parts of the holiday season that you can celebrate year round are angels, and they’ve been inspiring crafters of all kinds to create them in the most unique and beautiful ways. All of us at AllFreeChristmasCrafts are so impressed by how creative angel crafts have gotten; we’ve seen angels made out of fabric, paper, and even food! We know we’re not the only ones who love angel crafts, so we’re spreading the joy on to you with our latest eBook, How to Make an Angel for Christmas: 7 Angel Crafts.

The angel crafts in this new eBook are accessible to crafters and non-crafters of all ages, so it’s the perfect way to get the family together during any time of the year. You’ll find that every one of these craft angels looks professionally made, but will hardly cost you a thing to make. The full tutorials and free patterns you’ll find in this eBook are all very different from each other, but each gives you a new way to be crafty with recyclables and household materials in order to make ornaments, decorations, and more. Make them throughout the year as decorations for your home or even faith-themed gifts for loved ones. Angels are popular with all ages, so there couldn’t be a better way to interest the whole family in trying some new crafts.

What you’ll find in this eBook:

Pasta Angel Ornaments – Speaking of popular crafts, this has been one of the top projects on our site for a long time, and now you find out why. You’ll be amazed at how few steps it takes to turn unused food items and paint, and turn them into handmade Christmas ornaments that will have everyone talking. This is also an easy Christmas craft that kids will enjoy, so if you have any little ones at home, show them a craft they’ll be proud of once they see the results. There’s no better way to save money and produce quality Christmas crafts!

Ribbon Angel Christmas Ornament – Sewists will also love our new eBook because there are gorgeous Christmas sewing patterns like this one inside. The most amazing thing about it is that it only took some festive craft ribbon and a few extra materials. This would really sparkle on top of a Christmas tree, but it’s also durable enough to last for years (we know a few crafters who have already had theirs for multiple generations). A little angel craft like this would make such a touching gift for a loved one of any age.

Download a copy of How to Make an Angel for Christmas: 7 Angel Crafts – It’s free!

If you like this eBook, you’ll love:

Celebrate the End of the Year with 2012’s Top 100 Christmas Crafts

December 16, 2012 by AllFreeChristmasCrafts 1 Comment

The end of the year is such an exciting time! Not only is Christmas less than a month away, but New Year’s is right behind it. For Christmas crafters, this means putting up the last of your decorations and finally handing out the handmade Christmas gifts you worked so hard on. For all of us at AllFreeChristmasCrafts, this is also a great time to review what all of you crafters out there liked the most this year.

We’re excited to share our big, year-ending collection of 2012’s top 100 Christmas Crafts with you! You’ll find links to all of the projects that on many wish lists this year. See if your favorite on there, and find a new craft to start off the near year.

Christmas Ornament Ideas – Nothing has been more exciting than to see what new kinds of handmade Christmas ornaments bloggers have been working on. We’ve seen everything from sewn Christmas ornaments like the Birdie Ornaments to projects made out of toilet rolls!

Homemade Christmas Decorations – Many of you came to our site in search for more budget-friendly Christmas craft options for your own Christmas home decor. You can plan ahead for next year with some eco-friendly options that are just as stylish as they are thrifty, like the ever-popular Dollar Store Glass Hurricanes.

Homemade Christmas Gifts – Crafters this year were especially generous with the heartfelt and creative gifts they created this year. You, our readers, were big fans of practical projects like the Christmas Treat Jar that loved ones can use all year.

Free Christmas Patterns – Crafters with many different talents such as crochet and knitting provided plenty of Christmas patterns that many of you used as DIY Christmas decorations and homemade Christmas gifts for others, such as the Candy Cane and Gingerbread Pot Holder.

Christmas Crafts for Kids – There are many little crafters out there, and we wanted to make sure they had a winter full of Christmas crafting fun. The Melted Snowman Ornament alone received a huge response, showing that crafters of all ages were working hard this year.

Christmas Characters – From Santa to Frosty, this was an excellent year for new ways to create Christmas characters out of all kinds of materials. The most popular craft of the year, the Pasta Angel Ornaments, shows that it doesn’t require money to create something long lasting and beautiful during the holidays.

Recycled Crafts – We were happy to see so many Christmas crafters embracing eco-friendly and green Christmas craft ideas. One of the most beautiful crafts we saw all year was the Embossed Soda Can Snowsicles. It’s hard to believe these crafts are made of reusable materials, because they always look brand new.

To find out what other Christmas crafts people couldn’t stop making this year, take a look at the rest of 2012’s top 100 Christmas crafts. We can’t wait to see what’s in store for next year!

What was your favorite Christmas craft this year?

Christmas Mosaic, Believe Book, Wool Felt Wall Art and More on Cool2Craft TV

December 2, 2012 by Tiffany 1 Comment

This week, the Cool2Craft design team is celebrating the holidays with Christmas ideas! Join EcoHeidi Borchers, Tiffany Windsor, Candace Jedrowicz, Lisa Fulmer, Heather Valentine and Savannah Starr for this week’s online episode.

EcoHeidi is crafting a Christmas Mosaic Brick, Candace is making a B-E-L-I-E-V-E Book, Tiffany is creating a Wool Felt Christmas Tree Wall Hanging, Lisa is sewing a Reversible Gift Bag, Savannah is crafting Holiday Cupcake Toppers and Heather is sewing a Mini Felt Tree Ornament.

It’s easy to watch the Cool2Craft TV Channel right from your computer. Watch craft demos and join in the live chat at showtime at Cool2Craft.com. Monday December 3, 2012 – 9 am Pacific/11 am Central/noon Eastern. Join the chat on Monday and mention this blog post to be entered to win our weekly prize giveaway!

Homemade Christmas Ornaments Kids Can Make

November 30, 2012 by AllFreeKidsCrafts 2 Comments

As you hear Santa sliding down the chimney, a wave of panic sets in. You forgot to decorate the tree with impressive ornaments. He’s not going to leave any gifts. Your whole family will be present-less. Fear not! There are super easy and quick homemade Christmas ornaments kids can make. So, it doesn’t matter how far away or close Christmas is; you have plenty of time to make this Christmas tree the best one ever.

Deck the tree this year with homemade Christmas ornaments made by the precious little ones in your life. Take Christmas back to what it should be: a family holiday. Not a Hallmark holiday. No longer do you need to have store-bought Christmas decorations (except for the lights — unless your child is an engineer in the making). Instead, as a family, craft for the holiday using your hands and your heart.

Simple Kids’ Crafts

One of my favorite crafts is the Five Finger Snowman Ornament. It’s so incredibly simple, but it looks awesome. Hoping he gets stuck for a bit, you could totally finish this ornament before Santa emerges from the fireplace. I love that it’s easy, but it’s such a long-term keepsake. Anything with reminders of how little they once were are sure to make it past the numerous charity donations and garage sales.

More Simple Kids’ Craft Ornaments:
Wish List Ornament
Swirled Paint Glass Ball Ornaments
I Spy Christmas Ornaments
Thumbprint Christmas Ornaments

Recycled Materials Crafts: Joy to the World

I’m loving on the Bottle Cap Snowman Ornaments over at What I Live For. I think they’re a great way to recycle something that you would have just thrown away into a fun adornment for your tree. Recycled crafts mean more money in your pocket, and therefore, more smiles on your face. Maybe it’s just me, but I think repurposed crafts are totally clever, and sometimes they give me a good chuckle. I laugh knowing that not too long ago, someone finished a toilet paper roll, and probably sat there in a bit of a pickle. That same trouble-maker is now a cute little reindeer on the Christmas tree.

More Recycled Materials Ornaments:
Wrapping Paper Collage Ornaments
Santa’s Sleigh T ape Dispenser
Toilet Paper Roll Reindeer

Glittery Ornament Crafts for Kids

It’s Christmas. And kids love sparkles. Let them glitz the place up with homemade Christmas ornaments even if glitter isn’t your favorite. These ornaments are really pretty and look store-bought, so you may not despise the glitter after all. Everyone needs a little glam in their lives anyhow. Muffin Tin Mom is sparking like a star, and you and your kids should too by crafting Recycled Glitter Star Ornaments. You and your munchkins deserve to feel fabulous during Christmas!

More Glitz:
Glitterbells
Christmas Scene Ornament
Glittered Seashell Ornaments

As an awesome bonus ornament for you to make with the kids, check out the Accordion Ornament at Under the Table and Dreaming.