Recently, we announced our first ever Fan of the Week contest on the AllFreeChristmasCrafts Facebook page! Thank you so much to everyone who replied and told us their favorite project. And now, without further ado, our first fan of the week is – Mary Vaughn!

Mary’s Crafting Tip

My best craft tip is that patterns and instructions are guidelines ONLY! You are the one creating something keep what you like and feel free to change what you don’t. In the end, NO one else will see the pattern or what your project was suppose to look like they will see YOUR creation.

Mary’s Favorite Free Christmas Crafts

Vintage Granny Square Christmas Stocking – This one really helped me because I had a student who wanted to take a crochet class from me at Michaels on how to do a christmas stocking and all the patterns I had were too complex or not cute enough to teach in one class! This pattern however is adorable and very easy! I had her bring in grannys and in the class she put them together and made a cute brim and started making her daughter’s name on it!! I’ve used this pattern at least fifty times!

Little Beaded Angel – This craft is great for children to make (and give) as gifts. I am always on the lookout for easy, cheap, cute and fun crafts for Sunday school and this one fits the bill!! We will be making these this upcoming year and i’m sure the parents will love them. My son and I had fun making some samples last month. 🙂

Clothespin Nativity – This one is really neat too! To me this is just a starting point it’s very easy to expand on idea and do the entire nativity. Not only would this make a cute display but a wonderful playset!

More About Mary!

To get to know Mary a little better, we asked her a few questions, which she was kind enough to take the time to answer!

1. What crafts do you like to do? I’m a yarn- aholic as one would say. First for crochet, I teach crochet classes at Michaels Arts and Crafts, and I recently start blogging and sharing free pattern. My blog is www.crochetchiq.blogspot.com. I also enjoy looming, tatting and needlepoint. I have done some some quilting, and enjoy playing with my cricket from time to time. My grandma is a major crafter and started me painting when I was in elementary school and taught me to upholster chairs in high school so I dabble in everything. I even made all-natural candles for a while.
2.  How long have you been crafting? About 20 years easily! It’s been a part of most of my life and became my passion in the last few years.
3.  If you were stranded on a deserted island, what five craft supplies or tools would you want with you? – 1. My crochet hook it has many uses including a great way to hold your hair up when no hair clip can be found! 2. Sharp scissors to cut up all sort of things so I can crochet place mats, blankets, clothes out of natural materials. 3. My hot glue gun if there is one that exists that doesn’t need to be plugged in… that thing is always useful! 4. A darning needle for sewing anything 5. Glitter- to make me smile and because everything looks better with sparkle!
4.  What craft have you always wanted to try? I love beaded tapestries! I don’t think I could ever stay focused long enough to finish one though!
5.  Have you ever had a craft fail? Tell us about it! HAHAHA YES MANY! I have never been one for following patterns exactly which now that help me create my own pattern but hahah my first few attempts were awful! family thought I would never finish a project and shake their heads as they would see me pull out a crochet hat i spent three hours on because it was shaped wrong or tooo big. I kept trying and trying and eventually got it! The first time I tried quilting, the cutting got me, little did I know that yes you really need to use a ruler and should not eyeball things!!

Thanks to Mary for being our first ever AllFreeChristmasCrafts Fan of the Week!