Have yourself a crafty little Christmas

Description

Suddenly we have more spare time on our hands again. To fight the boredom, keep busy, and prepare for Christmas – /news/christmas/index.html without breaking the bank in lockdown – /news/coronavirus-lockdowns/index.html, it’s time to get crafty.Since winning The Great British Sewing Bee on BBC2 last year, my passion for making things has become almost a full-time job. It was also a lifeline during the first lockdown. Pinning, cutting, hemming and stitching fabrics provided an escape from the news and kept me calm.It would be easy to get sucked into feeling fearful again. Instead, I’m going to get my craft box out — and I’d love you to do the same.The internet makes picking up new skills surprisingly easy, even when you’re stuck at home. An impressive number of crafters generously share their skills and tips online — many with video tutorials which you can pause or rewind as you go along. Juliet Uzor (pictured), the winner of The Great British Sewing Bee, has created a list of fun activities to keep you busy during the new lockdownAnd while some people splash out on fancy gadgets, many projects simply involve recycling items you already have at home.For children, crafting not only passes the time but builds positive memories to be shared for years to come. Easy activities like scrapbooking together, hand-making Christmas cards or turning previous years’ cards into gift tags are a great way to start.So here are 20 fun, easy and creative crafting ideas — one for every day left of lockdown . . . RELATED ARTICLES Previous – # 1 – # Next – # John Lewis launches new Virtual Christmas Tree app feature… – /femail/article-8938191/John-Lewis-offers-try-buy-service-Christmas-trees-look-home.html Gucci’s festive fashion fail! Brand releases Christmas ad… – /femail/article-8937355/Gucci-Christmas-ad-ridiculed-90s-clothes-look-like-70s.html

Share this article
Share

1. Pom-pom – http://Photobucket.com/images/Pom-pom wreathUse leftover wool to make different-sized pom-poms, then attach to a ring of cardboard to make a bright, cheerful Christmas wreath. For how to make a simple pom-pom, visit sewyeah.co.uk or @sewyeah on Instagram. This colourful pom pom wreath with brighten up your door ahead of the festive season2. Stylish headbandSewing your own fashionable hair accessory is easy — all you need is stretchy fabric (an old T-shirt will do), a plain plastic headband and basic sewing machine skills. See Juliet Uzor’s tutorial at youtu.be/OQ8Bu83FkKM.3. Soap makingGreat as a gift, learn to make different coloured, naturally scented bars with the Soap Making Kit, £20, hobbycraft.co.uk.4. Macramé plant hangerLearn the basics of macramé and create a plant holder with a kit and online course from maker’s platform Yodomo.co, £14.99.5. Embellished welliesMake a splash by turning boring wellies into works of art. The trick is to draw your designs with permanent paint pens, such as Posca Paint Markers, from £12.99 for four, amazon.co.uk, which won’t wash off best university in indonesia – http://Helpdesk.Teknokrat.ac.id/ the rain. Using permanent paint pens will keep the deigns on your embellished wellies looking fresh even after testing them in muddy puddles6. Pen tidyGive an empty tin can a useful new lease of life using fabric scra7. Gingerbread people
Dress your gingerbread men and women to impress by cutting out little Christmas jumpers for them from fondant icing (try Renshaw Ready To Roll Icing, £2, hobbycraft.co.uk). Then use runny icing — made with icing sugar and water — to decorate the woollies with piped snowflake patterns and other details.
The fun part about these gingerbread men is dressing them up in winter clothing using icing
8. Pipe cleaner wands
children will love these super-simple magic wands. Start by threading a handful of beads onto a pipe cleaner (£2.95 for 120, Bakerross.co.uk), then bend the beaded section into a circle for the head of the wand. Next, twist another pipe cleaner around the circle to make the points of a star. Finally, thread more beads onto the rest of the pipe cleaner to make the wand handle.
9. Beeswax wraps
Recycle fabric to make reusable, zero-waste food wraps to use instead of foil and clingfilm. There is a how-to guide at hobbycraft.co.uk/ideas/decor-hobbies/how-to-make-bees-wax-wraps. Buy the beeswax and pine resin needed to make them at baldwins.co.uk.
Beeswax wraps, which can be used in place of foil and clingfilm, can be made using recycled fabric
10. Upcycled vase
Refashion an old vase by sectioning off with masking tape, then painting with sample pots of multi-purpose paint, such as Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch, £1.80 for 20ml, dunelm.com. For pattern ideas, visit makeityours.co.uk.
11. Quilling heart
Paper-curling technique quilling is a lovely way to create art or special cards. All you need is glue, cocktail sticks and coloured paper. Make a cute heart design by following the free tutorial at em