DIY Tissue Paper Garland

The other day my daughter asked me how to make paper chain people.  It brought me back to when I was a child, curious how paper chains were made.  As a kid, the whole process seemed very mysterious.  Keeping that in mind, I decided to create a paper chain garland that would be simple for a child to make.  Since it's close to Christmas, we made gingerbread tissue paper garland. We used tissue paper instead of regular paper for a couple reasons.  One, it's easier to cut through than standard paper.  And two, since tissue paper is longer, you can make longer chains.

Supplies:
Tissue Paper
Cookie Cutters - Choose your shape
Pencil
Scissors

First thing you will need to do is fold your tissue paper.  Start with a strip of paper slightly taller than the height of your cookie cutter.  Fold tissue paper in half (refer to fig. 1).  Continue to do this until you get the desired width.  The more times you fold, the more images you will get.

Place your cookie cutter over the tissue and trace the outside with a pencil.  It's important that the cookie cutter overlaps on both sides of the tissue paper.  The two white lines drawn on the folds is where the trees will connect.

Cut out the tree making sure not to cut on the folds highlighted with white lines in the step above.

Unfold carefully and admire your pretty garland.

*Tip - You can iron tissue paper.  Just make sure that the iron is on a low setting and you keep it moving.  I ironed the tissue paper so it was nice and crisp before I made these.

A Christmas Card with A Surprise

 Photo Credit: The Witchcraft

The other day I was just clicking link to link, looking for new sites.  Ever do that?   Usually it ends up being a big time waster but that day I made a wonderful discovery.  I found the The Witchcraft blog which I promise you has nothing to do with witchcraft and everything to do with lovely, lovely crafts.  One of my favorite projects on the site was this Christmas card.  One of the first things I thought while I was looking at this was, "what happens when you pull the string".  Want to see?  Scroll down.

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 Photo Credit: The Witchcraft

Ta-da! What happens is you get the cutest little paper Christmas tree.  There are even directions on the site how to make this ornament.  Click here for the full tutorial on The Witchcraft.

Happy Friday everyone!

Snow Globe Christmas Card

I've been playing around with the bubble wrap again.  I have an entire roll of the stuff so I'm trying to put it to good fun use. This time I'm making bubble wrap Christmas cards.  The bubble wrap is really what makes this card come to life and gives it a 3-D effect.

This snow globe card is easy and fast to make.  The template is created to make two cards.  Simple directions below.

Supplies:
Template - Click here for printable template
White Cardstock
Large Bubble Wrap - circles should be 1 inch in diameter
White Glitter
Glue
Scissors
Toothpicks
Round-edge punch - optional

1.  Print template out on cardstock.  Cut in half to make two cards.  Fold in half.

2.  Sprinkle a little glitter on the snowman.  You do not need to glue it.

3.  Cut out on bubble wrap circle.  On the flat side of the bubble run glue around the edge of the circle.

4.  Place bubble on the printed blue circle.  Run a toothpick around the edge of the bubble to secure it to the paper.

5. Clip corners of card with round-edge punch.

Tree Photo Props:  Past Kindergarten crafts made by my children

Christmas Printables by Tiny Me

Tiny Me has a new set of Christmas printables and it looks like they thought of everything.  There are gift tags, cupcake toppers, cards, garlands and more.  All you need is some spare ink. For the free download visit Tiny Me.

They also have printable Christmas crackers which I have my eye on.  I've always wanted to make these for Christmas but can never find the time.  Have you made Holiday crackers before?  What do you like to put inside them? 

Kid Craft: Packing Peanut Igloo

This week I'm sharing another craft made from packing supplies. This time I'm making an igloo out of packing peanuts.  The secret to this project is that the packing peanuts are biodegradable so no glue is required.  All you need are three things: cardboard, water, and water soluble packing peanuts.

To make the base for your igloo, trace a 5.5 inch circle on cardboard.  Add a rectangle to the circle according to the measurements above. Cut out your base.

Dip the packing peanuts in water and adhere them to the base as pictured above.  The water will make the peanuts sticky.  Only get the side of the peanut wet that's going to stick to something, just like you would with glue.

*I like to soak a folded paper towel in water and place it on a plate.  Then I pat the packing peanuts on the paper towel to get them moist.  Just make sure not to get them too wet or they will start to disintegrate.

For the opening of the igloo, stack three peanuts on each side directly on top of each other.  Then add two peanuts in the center to make an arch shape.  Refer to the pictures above.

Now add three more layers directly on top of each other around the circle.  In the picture there's only three layers but there should be four.

Now you're going to make the top of the igloo arch.  For the next layer line the circle as before but have the peanuts closer to the inside of the circle.  Do this with two more layers.  For the top, add as many peanuts as you need to fill the hole.  From the picture above, you can see that I used three.

You can also cut the peanuts with scissors if you need them to be smaller.

It's hard to see in the photo but I added a little glitter to the igloo for some extra sparkle.  The polar bear came from a piece of junk mail. 

Featured in Family Fun Magazine

A few months ago Family Fun Magazine asked me if they could feature my Christmas pom pom ornament in their December/January 2013 Issue.   Well the issue is finally out for all to see.  If you have a chance, check out the magazine when you're at the store or pick up a copy.  They always have great crafts targeted for kids between ages 3-12.  I know I'm probably biased but I really like the crafts they share in the magazine.  In fact, there's a metal washer necklace craft on page 83 that I can't wait to try out with my kids.

There's the Pom Pom ornament on the left.  I like how they switched it up and used shades of purple for the pom poms.  You may recall, the original ornament was sparkly and multicolored.

Christmas Popdown Calendar

One of childhood's simple pleasures is popping bubble wrap.  Even now, I'll find myself popping a couple bubbles when I receive a package.  It just calls to me.  Inspired from this simple amusement, I created a Christmas Popdown Calendar for my children.  I can tell it's already going to be a hit in our house.  My youngest keeps circling the calendar waiting for me to hand it over to her.  I just hope I don't find all the circles popped three days into December.

Want to make a popdown calendar of your own?  Here's what you'll need.

Supplies
Bubble wrap - 1" circles
Scissors
Glue
Two toothpicks
Paintbrush or Q-tip
White Cardstock

Print out the template on cardstock.

For the pink/orange template click here.

For the red/green template click here.

Carefully cut out 25 circles from bubble wrap.

Turn bubble upside down and brush glue around the edge of the circle.  Place down on number.  Hold one edge down with toothpick and run the second toothpick around the edge to seal to paper.  It took me about 30-45minutes to glue all the bubbles down.

*Make sure the bubbles are glued on well so they don't fall of when you pop them.

To display your calendar, place it in a frame without the glass. 

Craft: Upcycled T-Shirt Ornament

I'm always searching for new ideas on how to re-use t-shirts.  With two growing children, it seems there's always an endless source of t-shirts piling up in my craft room.  Which has me asking, do I make something or do I donate the shirts?  Usually donate wins.  But this time around I decided to make something, upcycled t-shirt ornaments. These star ornaments are fun, bright, and simple to make.  So simple in fact that a child could make them (age 7 and up). 

Supplies:
T-shirts in 2 different colors
Embroidery thread in a complimenting color
Polyfill
Sewing Needle
Scissors

Download the star template here and cut out.  I'm trying something new and using Google Documents.  Please let me know if you prefer this over having to copy and paste the image.  I think it will be easier for everyone.

1.  Place template on t-shirt and cut out three stars.  I recommend taping the star down opposed to tracing or pinning.  Do what is easier for you.

2.  Layer your three stars directly on top of each other (orange, pink, orange).

3. With embroider thread, sew through all three layers using a running stitch.  Leave a small opening.  Stuff with a little polyfill between the two bottom layers.  Make sure not to over stuff or your top layer will not lay flat when finished.

4.  Finish stitching all the way around and knot closed.  Add a loop of embroidery thread for hanging.

5.  Carefully pull up the center of your top layer and make a small cut in it.  Make sure not to cut any of the other layers.  Now cut a star shape out of the top layer from the cut you just made (refer to picture on right).

You could make these ornaments in any shape you want such as hearts or birds.   I recommend keeping the shapes simple for best results.  Have fun!

Christmas Mug Rugs

I realize it's a little strange talking about Christmas when I just posted a Halloween post two days ago. But if you're making your Christmas gifts this year, you know the importance of starting early.  I bet some of you even started working on gifts in July.  So today I'm going to share a little bit about what I'm sewing for Christmas with some fabric I was sent to review by Modes4u.com.

I've worked with Modes4u before and one of the things I like about their store is their fabric selection.  Specifically, they have an amazing selection of Japanese fabric.  My only problem with the fabric is trying to decide what I'm going to make with it.  I don't want to squander it on any old project.
  

So, I finally settled on a project that's worthy of my designer fabric, mug rugs.  Mug rugs are like a glorified coaster.  They're a little bigger.  Sometimes they have pockets for snacks or a circle for your cup.  They come in all shapes and sizes.  They're also the perfect project for fabrics sold in .5meter units.

For this mug rug I used the tutorial from the blog Fashioned by Meg.

For the roof I chose to use "Large Pretty Petals" by Michael Miller.  The shape of the flowers worked out perfect for the roof.  One flower cut in half was the perfect size for the roof template.  And I love how the fabric looks like an ornate roof top.

For the doors I used a coordinating fabric by Michael Miller called "Nordic Holiday".  I chose this print so it would match the roof and made a nice focal point for the doors.  I also liked having the variety of trees and reindeer.

 

Why should the front get all the cute fabrics, right?  I always like the surprise of turning something over to find it looks just as pretty as the front. That said, I went with a fabric called Snowflakes by Timeless Treasures for the back of the mug rug.

Have you started creating gifts for Christmas yet?  What are you making?

Free Printable: Christmas Cootie Catcher

Christmas Cootie Catcher, say that three times fast!

Remembering my own appreciation for these paper toys, I decided to make a Christmas version. I actually can remember my first cootie catcher. In elementary school, someone brought one to school and of course I just had to have one. I remember telling my mom about it and she said she recalled making them. I can remember her trying to figure it out with a piece of paper. I even remember feeling impatient with her that she wasn't making it quick enough. Finally, she figured it out and I had my first cootie catcher. Curiously, I don't remember what was written on it... numbers? colors? jokes? That part is all a blur.

This cootie catcher has already been child tested and approved. When I woke up this morning, I found my children playing with the prototype. It didn't have the jokes printed in it yet but they were still having fun.

Click on image, right click, copy, paste, print. The printed images should be about 7" x 7". You might need to scale the image to make it bigger as well. Click here for directions on how to fold a cootie catcher.

Start playing!

Tell a joke.

Craft: Washi Tape Ornaments

You know what I love about washi tape? You can transform the most basic item with just a little bit of it. Have plain white paper? Add a little tape and it's stationary! Have some old glass ornaments lying around, now they're fresh and contemporary! Try it out and see, your household items may never be the same again. Or in this case, your Christmas ornaments may never be the same again.

Supplies:
Glass ornaments ( old scratched ornaments are great for this project)
Washi Tape

Cut or rip the tape and apply it to the ornaments anyway you wish. One of the wonderful qualities of washi tape is that it's semi translucent which creates a wonderful overlapping effect. You can kind of see what I'm talking about with the Christmas tree ornament. I experimented with shapes, monograms and just random ripped squares. If you don't like what you make the first time, just peel the tape off and start again. Washi tape is low tack so it won't leave a sticky residue.

Warning, these are really addictive to make!

Craft: Inkblot Ornaments

This inkblot ornament was inspired by an episode of Project Runway of all things. If you kept up with last season's show, then you're probably familiar with episode 7 that featured an inkblot dress. Now where I translated that into Christmas ornaments, I'm not too sure. But in some strange way I was able to make it work (sorry, couldn't resist slipping that in). Directions below.

Supplies:
White cotton fabric cut into 4" x 4" squares
White thread
Thick felt
Beads
Acrylic Paint
Wax Paper
Ribbon

(Click on images for a larger view)

1. Place paint in center of fabric and fold fabric. Spread paint out while the fabric is still folded by pressing on it. Unfold. Let dry on wax paper.

2. Once dry, cut around the edge leaving a 1/4" seam. If necessary, iron.

3. Sew on beads however you want. I played on the reflective qualities of the ink blots and had the beads mirror each other.

4. Sew on a thick piece of felt to the back of the ornament. This will cover up all the stitching from the beads and make the ornament more sturdier. While sewing the felt on, sew in a piece of ribbon to the top of the ornament. Last, trim felt to the shape of the cotton fabric. Done

Other ideas - make an inkblot Christmas tree with green paint and sew on round beads as ornaments. I also think adding some glitter to the paint would be a nice effect.

Kid Craft: Fabric Scrap Ornaments

I've been storing this idea in my brain now since high school. I always knew one day I would get around to making it. I just didn't think it would take me fifteen years! The idea came from someone I used to babysit for. The mother had made a wreath out of a styrofoam wreath form and fabric. Of course, I asked her how she made the wreath and she was happy to share the details. I always thought the technique would make for a nice ornament.

This is an easy inexpensive craft for children 5 and up. Both my 5 and 7 year old made one of these ornaments and had no problems. Directions below.

Supplies:
One styrofoam ball - I used a ball that's 2" in diameter, any size will work

Fabric cut into one inch squares - If you're going to use a bigger ball, I recommend making the squares larger as well.

Embossing tool or tiny screw driver - You don't want to use anything pointy like a toothpick or knitting needle ( it will just poke a hole in the fabric). I speak from experience.

Yarn
Tapestry needle
Scissors
Knitting needle

1. Poke a hole all the way through the center of the styrofoam with the knitting needle. Thread both ends of yarn trough it. Tie yarn at bottom of ball. Cut loose ends. Refer to picture above.

With embossing tool, push the center of the fabric into the styrofoam.

Your ornament should look something like this now.

Repeat process until the entire ball is covered and no styrofoam is showing.

Done!