Bunting

It's officially party season, and who doesn't need bunting at a party? Or just to decorate a small corner :) I love making bunting, and it was the first thing I made when I purchased my sewing machine. I have made it for friends and family, and been told it's better than most that can be purchased in shops. I will take that compliment!!

What you will need:
* fabric
* ribbon - the length depends on how long your bunting will be (also I used a textured ribbon rather than a shiny finish) but the width should be around an inch across
* sewing machine or a needle and thread
* template like this one (draw a triangle 13cm across the top and 18cm to the point)

What you need to do:
1. Draw and cut out your template, and using a pen draw around the template. You need 2 Triangles for every flag on your bunting.

2. When you have drawn out all your triangles, cut them out and pair up.

3. Pin them together with the outsides touching together. Then sew around the two side edges around 5mm from the edge, and leave the top open.

4. When you have sewn up all your triangles turn them all inside out. Then iron them to make sure that they're flat.

5. Take your ribbon and pin the flags all along, making sure that the gaps in between are uniform. The ribbon should be wide enough for it to fold in half over the flag and cover the top gap. Pin all the way along and iron to make sure its flat. Then sew all along the ribbon making sure that the flags stay firm and the two ribbon edges are sewn together.

Beautiful!!

Hope your parties go well!

Little Details

Wrapping up a gift is very important to me. I love receiving a really well packaged present, and I always put as much thought into wrapping my present as buying the gift inside. Special little details are important to me, even if they only last a few moments until the paper is yanked off! Here are a couple of little details that I have added to my gifts this year, as well as the pom pom gift wrap from an earlier post.

Magic Wand
I have decided to give all my girlies a little magic and make them a wand! It was literally a 30 second make using two 30cm pipe cleaners. I made a zig zag with 4 points at the top, 5 at the bottom and the each end being slightly longer than the zig zags in between. I bent it round for the two points to meet and there is your star. Twist the two ends together and then using the second pipe cleaner wrap it around the twisted ends and there you go. Wrap it around any ribbon or ties that you have on your gift and it adds a 3D element that's a bit special.

Stamped gift tags
Gift tags are something that I have always made myself. I don't understand people who get upset because they can't find a gift tag in the shops that matches their paper. Make your own people!! I just got a large piece of card, took my Christmas stamp set and got a bit stamp happy... Then I cut them out into tag shapes and voila! Done! :)

Good luck with your wrapping people, only four more sleeps 'til Santa!! X

Origami Gift Box

Sometimes, when wrapping all the gifts commences, you suddenly remember something important. For me it is mostly "ahh a box!". So I learnt to make this easy peasy origami box. It can be used for anything, but the best thing I love about it is that it matches the wrapping paper your using; because you can use the wrapping paper!

So what do you need?
* Ruler
* Line drawing implement (pen/pencil)
* Wrapping paper

What do you need to do?
1. Draw out a square roughly 3 times the size that you need the box to be. I made my 30x30cm and it came out 10.5x10.5cm.

2. Putting the print side down and the inside facing up fold the square in half sides touching, open and repeat with the other side so there is a creased cross across your square.

3. Then take all 4 corners and fold into the centre where the two previous creases are crossed over.

4. Next take one edge and fold it over so the edge touches the centre of the square and fold, repeat on the opposite edge.

5. Repeat the last step with the top and bottom thinner edges. You should now have a smaller square.

6. Then unwrap all your folds except for the last two opposite corners touching in the centre like so...

7. Then, looking at the above photo, the square in between my thumb and finger fold inwards on the diagonal to match the edge of the paper to fold in towards the centre of the square, and repeat 4 times around the box.

8. Then take the last corner and fold over the folds and down back into the centre of the box. Repeat on the other side and fix with tape if needed.

Make two squares in total. The second square should be smaller to do the bottom of the box. Mine was 28x28cm and fit just nicely. 

Then all you need to do is stuff with your gift and add a bit of a sparkly ribbon and a lovely tag. Then pass on to the person you love and watch as they are amazed that your box is so pretty... :)

Knitted Bangles

Want to make something lovely and different for a friend for Christmas, or even a cheeky little number for yourself? Look no further! These knitted bangles that I put together in a night are just knitted cosies on an up-cycled old bangle.

I simply took some old bangles and bracelets. I knitted twice the width in a pattern of my choosing, and when stretched out it measured the circumference of the bangle I crocheted the two ends together and sewed the back all together on the inside. Took me no time at all!

X

Glitter Plum Christmas Jam!!

This jam is something that I made some family members for Christmas last year. They all said how much they loved it, so guess what?! They are getting it again!! If they were just being nice then tough! Ha ha!

I found this jam so easy to make, it takes around an hour, and about half an hour to prep. But it depends on the fruit your using.

What you need to make it:
* 350g Bramley Apples
* 1.3kg Plums
* 2 Oranges - juice (although you can use the zest too if you want a more Christmassy taste to it)
* 800g Caster Sugar (but I use Silver spoon preserving sugar and its just as good)
* 2 Lemons - juice only
* Edible Glitter for a bit of sparkle
* A large saucepan
* Thermometer
* Wooden spoon
* Clean Jam jars (around 4 1/2 litres are made)
* Jug
* Ladle

What to do:
1. Peel the apples and grate into the large saucepan, making sure you discard and pips and stalk. Cover with 500ml of water. Bring to the boil and cook until all the liquid has evaporated and the shreds of apple are falling apart.

2. While the apple is boiling take your plums (skin and everything, except the stones), and chop them all up into small chunks. Then when the apple is ready add them to the pan with the juice of the two oranges.

3. When the fruit starts to fall apart and the colour comes out of the skins to make the jam a lovely plum red colour, add the sugar and the juice of the two lemons.

4. Make sure that you constantly stir the mixture so that the sugar doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. Place the thermometer onto the edge of the pan and wait until the mix is 104C in temperature. The jam will bubble and plop, be super careful as the sugar will burn you if it gets on you.

5. When the jam reaches the required temperature it is time to sterilise your jars. To do this I cleaned the jars thoroughly, then, leaving a small amount of water in the bottom of the jar I popped them into the microwave for 3 minutes on high. When they come out I pop them onto a tray with a tea towel on it, so that they don't slip and cover me in hot jam (it is likely to happen!).

6. Then I do the best bit. I take my edible glitter (any colour you want, last year it was gold, this year pink!) and sprinkle sprinkle into my jam. Give it a super mix and you are done so take it off the heat.

7. The next bit is the tricky bit. Some people use special funnels, some fancy cloths. Whatever you do just get it in the jar. I use a ladle into a pourable jug and poor it from the jug into my jar. Seal properly and your done.

All you need to do now is make your jars look pretty. However you chose to do that is fine by me. I usually pick fabric squares and a rustic string to wrap around the lid to protect it. :) Good luck with your jam making! X

White Christmas

Because I work in UK retail I don't get much time for Christmas. I get one extra day off. So my lovely man is providing me with many Christmases this year. Our first was yesterday, which involved mulled cider, friends, knitted jumpers and watching many Christmas films. It was really enjoyable! The best film of course was Home Alone! Who doesn't love this song???

Pom Poms and Presents!

I love wrapping presents in beautiful ways. Mostly because giving presents, although I love doing it, terrifies me. In my eyes a beautifully wrapped present is half the gift :)

So when wrapping the present for friends after they had their first baby, I decided for a simple pom pom. Strangely I know someone who doesn't know how to make pom poms and I wondered how many others don't know. So here it is, how to make a pom pom!

Things you will need:
*Card (scraps will do)
*Something round to use as a template
*Pen - to use to draw the template
*Scissors
*Yarn

What to do:
1. Take your piece of card, I used a Christmas card that I had spare, and draw around your template. Then draw a smaller circle inside of that (using a second round thing if you want). The thinner the ring the fatter your pom pom, and the larger the ring the larger your pom pom!

2. Then, making sure that you have 2 of the same ring, start wrapping your yarn around the ring.

3. Keep wrapping it around until the hole in the middle is not there anymore. Then take your scissors and carefully cut around the edge of the pom pom in between the two pieces of card. Then take another piece of yarn and put it in between the two pieces of card, pull it tight and tie a knot. Then cut the card and take it off the pom pom.

4. Take the pom pom, which probably has lots of sticky out bits, and trim it so its nice and spherical. Then take your box, wrap the inside nice and pretty. Tie the yarn around the outside and attach the pom pom at the top. Pretty and cute!

X

Felt Decorations

These are some decorations that I made last year for everyone I knew. They are so easy and take minutes!

What you need:
* Felt
* Contrasting thread
* Beads or other decorative bits and pieces
* Ribbon
* Stuffing

What you need to do:
1. Decide what shape you want to make your decorations. I made stars, gingerbread men, Christmas trees, angels.
2. Make a template so that all your shapes are the same size.
3. For every decoration you need 2 of the same shape.
4. Taking your 2 shapes and a piece of ribbon, loop the ribbon over and start by sewing the loop ends to the top of the two shapes in between them, to make the hanger. Then blanket stitch around three quarters of the shape leaving a gap to add the stuffing.
5. Stuff the decoration leaving it nice and plump.
6. Stitch the last quarter of the decoration and your done!

"It's all sewn up in a neat little package!"

Snow Baubles

With this being the first Christmas in our own home we have inherited a lot of Christmas bits and pieces. I love having things handed down to me. I have ended up with some beautiful vintage baubles that were my grandma's aunts! Very old!!

But some baubles can do with a little re-vamp, which is just what I did! 

Things you will need:

• baubles
• paint to cover the baubles (I used white poster paint)
• PVA glue
• Snow (obviously not real snow, but you can buy it in packets in most places now)

What to do:
1. Take your baubles and give them a couple of coats of paint depending on the base colour of the baubles and the final effect that you want. Leave to dry in between coats.
2. When dry, put your snow into a bowl to make the next bit easier. Then cover your bauble in a coat of PVA glue and then dunk into your bowl of snow and cover all over. Leave to dry.

It is as easy as that!

If you need a couple of coats you could always use spray mount to add a second layer. But mine were great after the first layer :)

Does anyone else have any good bauble re-vamp ideas?

x