Homemade Christmas and Festive Decorations: 25 Home Craft Projects

Vintage birthday banner

Pretty piñata

Paper pompoms

Party bags

Cards, gift wrap and labels

Homemade basics

Craft basics

Sewing basics

Knitting basics

Patterns and templates

Directory

List of Projects

Acknowledgements

Also available

About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)

Introduction (#u4e2c860c-97da-567b-8b91-775fdb79e139)

A homemade Christmas, or indeed any festivity, must be the most rewarding way to celebrate. Making something for someone else with love – whether it is a cake, a Christmas wreath or a simple greetings card – feels good, and in a world often said to be divided between those who spend money in order to save time and those who spend time in order to save money, our time is still seen as the ultimate luxury.

It is not a cliché that Christmas is about giving and there are plenty of ideas in this book that would make wonderful gifts. Mostly, however, this is a book about how to dress your home to create a beautiful, warm and inspiring environment in which to welcome friends and family to celebrate events throughout the year. All of the projects have been chosen because they can be imbued with meaning, in a way that’s simply not possible for mass-made products – you can incorporate favourite old items that have seen better days or have long been outgrown but retain fond memories. These decorations can also be made without too much expense and uniquely tailored to suit a loved one or friend. There is nothing more rewarding and nurturing for the soul than spending time making something that is genuinely appreciated and admired by others.

This book is filled with ideas, many of them very simple and quick to make. We hope they will not only enhance your celebrations and save you money, but also help you recycle – and upcycle – materials that you may already have lying around.

I am forever encouraging people to get into the habit of keeping old wrapping paper, cards, ribbons, fabric scraps, buttons and yarn, not in a post–war ‘make do and mend’ way, but because much of today’s wasted material can be made into very stylish new objects. There has never been so much ‘stuff’ around – so don’t waste it, grab it with both hands! Look out for interesting items that other people don’t spot. Once you have got used to noticing pretty old buttons on flea-market jackets and the beautiful paper someone used for your own birthday presents, you’ll begin to see just how much wonderful stuff is there for the taking. Save what you can and it will give you an endless source of materials to turn into beautiful creations of your own.

We have created a wide range of projects, which will allow readers to use even the most basic of craft skills in new and unusual ways. There are plenty of ideas and alternatives for the skilled maker as well as the reader who feels more at home with a glue stick than a sewing needle.

I have always been proud to be seen as a creative person, but now we are firmly back to a time where craft is not the preserve of an envied talented few, but widespread across the globe. ‘Homemade’ (including ‘homegrown’) has become a way of life for a huge number of people. So many can now be heard saying with pride, ‘I made it myself!’ People are no longer happy with doing an occasional piece of knitting on their commuter train or taking a homemade gift to a party – they want to ‘live the life’, embracing the authenticity and love behind everything homemade.

This book is for anyone seeking respite from impersonal commercialism and all things disposable, and who would like to spend half an hour or so now and then making things – either alone, or with friends or family. Enjoy the process and reap the rewards.

Ros Badger

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Dressing the Christmas tree

Dressing the Christmas tree is a lovely ritual in which all the family can participate. Choose a time when you can work in an unhurried way – ideally towards the end of the afternoon or early evening so that the lights can be switched on with a degree of ceremony when it gets dark.

The idea of the ‘styled’ tree, with all the objects newly bought to fit in with an agreed colour scheme, is anathema to the homemade approach. Instead, bring out vintage decorations that have become family heirlooms since your own childhood and beyond, plus newer ones made by hand, perhaps some of them by the children in your life. Homemade items bring an energy all of their own to the tree, adding to its significance as a family talisman, loaded with memories and associations, from year to year.

Like the eggs on the Easter tree (#litres_trial_promo), your collection of homemade tree decorations will become a treasured possession that you can add to year by year. As well as making pieces, such as the embroidered felt shapes on the next page, we also buy a few new or second-hand items every so often – from vintage finds on eBay to those picked up on trips around the country or travels abroad.

Less is most definitely less when it comes to tree decoration. In our book, you can’t have enough decorations and we load our trees with this eclectic mix of old and new until there is very little greenery showing in between.

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Felt decorations

Bursting with cheerful colour and homespun charm, these felt decorations couldn’t be simpler, and they are a great way of involving children in pre-Christmas preparations.

You will need

Felt, which is generally much cheaper when sold by the metre than in smaller squares

Ribbon (ideally recycled lengths from your stash of ribbons)

Stewing threads in contrasting colours to felt

sequins (optinal)

To make a felt decoration

• Using a paper pattern only where really necessary (there are templates (#litres_trial_promo) for the decorations shown here), cut out the decorations, using two layers of felt for each one. For the heart, you could cut out some of the pieces of felt using pinking shears to add a pretty, zig-zag edging.

• Sew the pieces together by stitching around the edge in tiny running stitches. Use a contrasting colour to add some basic but attractive decoration. Secure a loop of pretty ribbon at the top edge as you are sewing.

Star, heart and stocking decorations

• These three lovely decorations (#litres_trial_promo) are shown. We used chain stitch to decorate the star, heart and stocking with words.

• For the stocking (#litres_trial_promo), use the template. Start by attaching some white felt (the cuff) to each piece of red by working a row of chain stitch across the bottom edge of the white cuff. Then stitch the red pieces together by sewing around the outer edges in running stitch, but leave the top open. Attach the ribbon loop to the corner of the top back edge. Work a row of running stitches across the top of each side of the stocking to secure the white cuff. There should be plenty of space for a chocolate!

Bauble decoration

• Cut out two circles freehand or use the template (#litres_trial_promo). Join the circles by sewing around the outside with running stitch, leaving a space about 2cm (¾in) wide to add stuffing.

• After stuffing with kapok (toy stuffing) or a clean pair of tights, continue sewing up the gap with running stitch, adding the ribbon loop for hanging.

Holly decoration

• Use the templates (#litres_trial_promo). Cut out two pieces of green felt using the leaf template, and sew veins onto them using small back stitches. Cut out two or three red berries using the berry template, and stitch to the top near the ribbon. Sew the leaves together, sewing in a loop at the top.