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Festive DIY Christmas Crafts: Decorate Your Home with Homemade Charm

How to Make Christmas Crafts for the Home Browse the article How to Make Christmas Crafts for the Home

Home Christmas Crafts Overview

Bring holiday cheer to the home with these clever Christmas crafts.

Christmas can be the warmest and happiest season of the year for many people -- even though time always seems at a premium. The holidays are also when creating homemade Christmas decorations and presents is most fun and fulfilling -- and appreciated by those receiving the lovingly made gifts. Plus, crafting is a wonderful way to escape crowded shopping malls and the mad race to find that "perfect" gift. In this article, you'll find many projects that take a day or less to create that will make great decorations for your home. You will learn how to make a variety of Christmas crafts for your home, including:

Making Angel Crafts
Angels are commonly associated with Christmas and the holiday season. On this page, we will show you how to make some simple angel Christmas crafts to display around your home. We will give you step-by-step instructions for making a Sweet Scandinavian Angel, Angel Folk Band, and a Classic Cutwork Angel.
Making Snowman Crafts
Everyone dreams of a white Christmas, and a white Christmas naturally means snowmen. In this section, we will show you how to make several snowman-themed crafts, including the Warm and Wonderful Welcome Mat, the Heavenly Door Hanging, and a Marvelous Mitten Hanging.
Making Simple Christmas Tree Crafts
It would not be Christmas without a nicely decorated tree. On this page, we will show you how to make some Christmas-tree themed crafts for your home. We will start with two crafts that use actual trees, the Holiday Cheer Topiary and the Sweetest Christmas Tree. We will also show you how to make the smaller set of Fun in the Forrest Christmas trees.
Making Advanced Christmas Tree Crafts
On this page, we will take our Christmas tree crafts to the next level. Here you will find some more advanced projects that will really test your skills. Be assured, these crafts will be worth it. We will show you how to make a Lodge-Style Luminary, Scandinavian Basket Tree, and a Celebration of Christmas Trees.

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Making Santa and Reindeer-Themed Crafts
Your Christmas crafts would not be complete with a few appearances by Santa and his reindeer. On this page, we will show you how to make several Santa and reindeer themed crafts, including a Jingle the Red-Nose Reindeer, a Jolly Metal Punch Santa, and the playful Pom Reindeer Magnet.
Making Floral-Themed Crafts
Flowers and plants have always been a part of Christmas decorations. Whether in Christmas trees or mistletoe and holly, Christmas is often associated with plants. On this page, we will show you several Christmas crafts that involve flowers, including Light the Yule Log, Christmas Cardinal Centerpiece, and a Jolly Jingle Bell Candleholder.
Making Candy-Themed Crafts
These Christmas crafts look good enough to eat, but they're not made from real candy. On this page, we will show you how to make several candy-themed Christmas crafts. We will start with the child-friendly Candy Cane Doorknob Decoration and the more advanced Sweetest Birdhouse.
Making Bird-Themed Christmas Crafts
Birds like cardinals have long been associated with Christmas. In this section, we will show you how to make some bird-themed Christmas crafts for the nature lover in all of us. We will show you how to make a Holly Jolly Cardinal Wall Hanging and a Four Calling Birds.
Making Artistic Christmas Crafts
Sometimes while making crafts you get the urge to stretch your creative wings. Wreaths and stockings are nice, but it can also be fun to think outside the box. On this page, we will show you how to make some artistic Christmas crafts, including a Merriest Wall Hanging, a Christmas Joy, and a Noel Card Holder.
Making Fun Christmas Crafts for Kids
There's no arguing that Christmas is a time for children, and you're children should be a part of all your holiday preparations -- not just the gift receiving. On this page, we will show you how to make Christmas crafts you children can participate in, including Silly Face Magnets and a Holiday Lights.

Making Angel Crafts

Let more angels into your life with angel crafts. With different crafts to choose from you'll find many projects to make for your home.

Sweet Scandinavian Angel

You don't need to be Scandinavian to appreciate the charm of this folksy angel. What kitchen wouldn't feel warmer with her in it? Here's what you'll need:

9x12-inch felt squares: 3 flesh, 1 blue, 1 white
Press cloth
1 yard fusible webbing
Pencil
Scissors
27 inches cotton lace, 1/4 inch wide
Tacky glue
DMC flower thread to match felt plus red
5 tiny heart appliqués
1/2 yard each red and white ribbon flowers (or 10 small red ribbon flowers; 14 small white ribbon flowers; 9 inches white ribbon, 1/8 inch wide)
1 small red bow
2 white embroidered leaves, 3x21/4 inches each
6 inches white ribbon, 1/8 inch wide

To construct a Sweet Scandinavian Angel:

Using press cloth to cover felt, fuse 2 squares of flesh felt together, with webbing between. Trace outline of angel onto paper side of webbing -- download the angel template here. Fuse to last sheet of flesh felt. Cut angel out and remove paper. Fuse angel to doubled flesh piece. Cut angel out. Trace dress shape on paper of webbing. Fuse to blue felt and cut out. Trace, fuse, and cut out hat and apron from white felt. Remove all paper. Fuse dress to body. Trim 1/4-inch lace to fit around apron edge. Place edge of lace under edge of apron and fuse apron to dress. Glue lace at wrists. Fuse hat to head.
Using 1 strand of flower thread to match each felt color, work a buttonhole stitch around all edges except hat. Make blue French knots for eyes, and red for mouth.

©2006 .
Use a buttonhole stitch around
all the edges except the hat.
Glue lace across bottom of skirt 1/4 inch up from bottom edge. Glue hearts above lace. Glue a red flower to each foot. Glue 6 white flowers around hat. Glue red bow at waist.

©2006 .
Glue six of the white ribbon
flowers around the hat.
Twist strands of 8 white and red ribbon flowers together to form garland (or sew or glue red and white ribbon flowers to ribbon). Tack garland ends to hands.

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Glue one end of a string of white and
red flowers to each hand.
Sew or glue 2 embroidered leaves to back of shoulders for wings. Sew a white ribbon loop at back of head to hang.

©2006 .
Glue two embroidered wings
to the back shoulders.

Angel Folk Band

What could be better than a folk band to herald the joy of Christmas? This charming and friendly bunch of angels make beautiful music together! Here's what you'll need to begin:

8x3/4x15 inches wood
Heavyweight paper and pencil
Band or scroll saw
Drill and 5/8-inch brad point drill
Fine-grain sandpaper
Acrylic paint: flesh, hydrangea pink, lilac, blue jay, cactus, dolphin grey, rouge, cardinal red, Monet blue, copen blue, dark brown
#6 or #8 flat paintbrush
Paper towel
Paper palette
Stylus
Jute
Scissors
Tacky glue
1 yard each white, light blue, mint, mauve, pink ribbon; 1/16 inch wide
1/2 yard muslin
1/2 yard fleece or batting
Needle and white thread
Iron and spray starch
3 miniature instruments
41/2-inch musical paper ribbon

To construct an Angel Folk Band:

Trace angel and wing patterns onto paper to make templates -- download the pattern here. Lightly trace angel patterns onto wood with pencil. Cut out angels with saw. Mark angels with pencil dots for hair holes. Drill hair holes 1/4 inch deep. Sand angel bodies smooth.
Paint dresses onto angel bodies using colors indicated on patterns. Let dry. Apply second coat if needed. Paint head and hands flesh. Let dry. Apply second coat if needed.
Shade arms on angels with copen blue as shown on patterns. Dip a #6 or #8 flat brush into clean water. Tap brush on paper towel to remove excess water. Dip one corner of brush into copen blue and stroke back and forth on paper palette until color blends. Color on brush will be on the outside of arms. Shade arms on all angels.

©2006 .
Shade the arms on all of the angels.
Paint faces onto angels as indicated on patterns. Cheeks are floated or stylus dotted hearts. Use stylus to paint two dots side by side. At center of dots, pull paint down with point of stylus to form heart. Dot eyes on faces. Note: Different expressions on faces can be achieved by placing eyes closer together and by painting eyes at different levels on face. The closer eyes are to each other and to cheeks, the more whimsical the expression. Experiment on scrap paper.

©2006 .
Paint the faces on the angels
as shown on the template.
Cut jute hair for angels. Angel A needs thirty 6-inch lengths. Apply glue into each hair hole. Insert 6 strands into each hole. Let dry. Braid hair to 11/2 inches and secure end with ribbon. Angel B needs ten 2-inch lengths. Glue 2 strands into each hair hole. Let dry. Tie ribbon to base of each hair strand grouping. Angel C needs fifteen 3-inch lengths. Glue 3 strands into each hair hole. Let dry. Tie ribbon around end of each hair strand. Angel D needs five 4-inch lengths. Glue a strand into each hair hole. Let dry. Tie ribbon to end of each hair strand. Angel E needs five 2-inch lengths. Glue a strand into each hair hole. Let dry. Tie ribbon to end of each hair strand. Trim ribbons.

©2006 .
Cut lengths of jute for the angel's hair.
Cut out wings from muslin and batting. Sandwich batting between 2 muslin wings. Pin wings to hold batting in place. Starting at indentation at bottom of wing, quilt wings together with a running stitch. Knot off at starting knot. Complete all wings. Iron wings using spray starch to add body. Trim loose fibers and batting. Glue wings to angels.

©2006 .
Form the wings from
muslin filled with batting.
Glue musical instrument to angels B, C, and E. Keep flat until glue dries. Glue musical paper ribbon to angel A and angel D and lay flat until glue dries.

Classic Cutwork Angel

What better way to herald the coming of the Christmas season than with this lovely cutwork angel. It's so beautiful you might want to hang it year round! Here are the materials you will need to get started:

9x12-inch piece ivory ultrasuede
9x12-inch piece fusible webbing
Press cloth
Steam iron
Scissors, sharp craft knife
5/8 yard blue cotton velveteen
Sewing machine
Needle, blue and white thread
12x15-inch piece fleece
18 inches gold metallic twisted cording, 3/16 inch wide
31/2-inch gold metallic tassel
22 ivory pearls, 3mm each
101/2-inch length wooden dowel, 1/4 inch diameter

To construct a Classic Cutwork Angel:

Trace angel, halo, and arms onto paper side of webbing, marking areas that will be cut out with Xs -- download the template here. Fuse webbing to wrong side of ultrasuede, using a press cloth. Cut out angel. Cut out all areas marked with Xs.

©2006 .
Trace the angel on the paper
side of the fusible webbing.
Cut 18x23-inch rectangle of velveteen. Fold right sides together and sew a 1/2-inch seam allowance along 18-inch side. Refold so that seam is in center of tube. Mark and sew diagonal lines to shape bottom of banner. Trim corners and turn right side out; leaving top of banner open.

©2006 .
Cut out a rectangle of velveteen.
Cut one piece of fleece the same shape as the banner. Insert fleece into banner.

©2006 .
Cut out the fleece to be the
same shape as the banner.
Center angel on banner. Cover with press cloth and using steam rather than pressure, fuse angel to banner. Fuse halo and leaf shapes from cutouts one at a time so they don't slip under press cloth. Fuse arms over area shown on pattern by dotted lines.
To finish banner, fold top 21/2 inches of banner to back. Tucking under raw edges, hand sew to form a casing for dowel. Sew ends of cording in ends of casing for hanger. Sew tassel at bottom point. Scatter and sew pearls randomly around angel. Slide dowel into casing.

©2006 .
Attach the ends of the cord to the
wooden dowel for hanging.

Another traditional Christmas icon is the snowman. On the next page, we will show you how to make some beautiful snowman crafts for your home.

Making Snowman Crafts

Ever since good old Frosty, snowmen have been a Christmas classic. Here are some great snowman crafts you can make at home.

Warm and Wonderful Welcome Mat

Despite its winter scene, this mat will warm the "soles" of your guests as they step inside your home! What better way to make someone feel welcome than with a friendly snow family! Here's what you'll need:

Tracing paper
Pencil
Scissors
Poster board or cardboard
Stylus
Graphite paper
Craft knife
Rug (short pile, solid dark color)
White chalk
Small stencil brush
Acrylic paint: snow white, forest green, lamp black, green mist, slate grey, milk chocolate, moon yellow, country blue

To construct a Warm and Wonderful Welcome Mat:

Trace or photocopy the patterns from the template -- download the template here. Each circle template must be a separate shape. Cut out circles, and trace them onto cardboard. Cut them out. Trace remaining patterns on cardboard with stylus and graphite paper. Use a craft knife to cut out insides of patterns, creating stencils.

©2006 .
Place the templates on the mat and
trace around them with chalk.
Determine the number of snow people you'd like on your mat; you can make the same number as you have family members. Begin placing the bottom sections of each snow person onto rug, and trace around templates with chalk. Once you are happy with placement, continue placing upper body sections and tracing around them with chalk.

©2006 .
Apply the heaviest paint at
the bottom of the tree.
Place tree stencils in background, and line shapes with chalk. Chalk in hat and broom stencils. Create a ground line with snow white paint, leaving a small space under the base of the snow people.
With stencil brush, dab snow white to snow people's bodies, applying paint more heavily on top of each section. (This will require more than 1 coat of paint.) Apply forest green to tree sections, applying paint more heavily at the bottom of branches. Apply lamp black to hat. Let dry.
With green mist, highlight the tips of tree branches. With slate grey, highlight hat edges. Apply lamp black for coal on snow people's faces and buttons. On broom handle use milk chocolate, and on broom bristles use moon yellow.

©2006 .
With slate grey paint highlight the
edges of the snow-family's hats.
Line WELCOME with country blue. Let dry.

Heavenly Door Hanging

This heavenly snow person hangs on a doorknob and will make you smile each time you enter the room! Here is what you will need:

Tracing paper
Pencil
Scissors
18x9-inch piece white velour knit
Straight pins
Sewing machine
White thread
Fiberfill
Needle
Quilting thread: white, black
2 black beads, 4mm each
2 black seed beads
12 inches gold cord, 1/4 inch wide
Gold chenille stem
Glue gun, glue sticks
Clear plastic lid (such as a margarine lid)
Grease pencil
Gold glitter dimensional fabric paint
Silver fabric star
Small wreath, 1 inch diameter
Wooden skewer
Orange felt marker

To construct a Heavenly Door Hanger:

Enlarge and trace or photocopy patterns from the template, and cut them out. Download the template here. Fold fabric in half widthwise, with right sides together. Pin snowman pattern to fabric, and trace around pattern with pencil.
Remove pattern, and pin layers of fabric together in several places. Thread sewing machine with white thread, and machine stitch along drawn line, leaving 2 inches open at the center bottom for turning.
With scissors, trim excess fabric from edge of stitching. Clip curves and corners.

©2006 .
Remove the excess fabric
from around the pattern.
Turn right side out through opening at bottom. Stuff figure with fiberfill through opening. Blind stitch opening closed with needle and white thread.

©2006 .
Stuff the figure with batting.
Wrap 18 inches of white quilting thread 3 times around neck of snow angel to form head. Tie a double knot to secure. Cut off excess thread.

©2006 .
Wrap quilting around the
neck to form the head.
Thread needle with doubled length of white thread, and stitch leg division, stitching through front and back of body. Fold arms to front, and stitch ends of hands together.

©2006 .
Create the leg division by stitching
through the front and back of the body.
Use black quilting thread to sew on 4mm beads for eyes and to stitch eyebrows. Hide beginning and finishing knots under eye beads.
Begin mouth by stitching on a seed bead. Backstitch mouth, finishing with a seed bead at opposite end. Tie gold cord around neck in a bow.
Bend an end of gold chenille stem into a 1-inch-diameter circle, twisting end back around itself. Glue remaining portion of chenille stem down center of angel's back. (Trim end of chenille stem if it is too long.)

©2006 .
Glue the remaining portion of the
chenille to the back of the figure.
Trace around wing pattern on plastic lid with grease pencil. Cut out wings. Outline edge of wings with dimensional glitter paint; let 1 side dry thoroughly before painting other side. Let wings dry for several hours before attaching.
Attach wings to angel's back with needle and white quilting thread, making several cross-stitches over center of wings. Glue silver star to center of wings, covering stitches. Stitch wreath to angel's hands with white quilting thread.

©2006 .
Attach the wings to the back of the figure.
Cut end off wooden skewer, and paint tip orange with marker. Glue tip to center of face for nose. Thread a loop of quilting thread to top of head for a hanger; knot ends together.

©2006 .
Glue the end of the painted wooden
skewer to the snowman's face.

Marvelous Mitten Hanging

This snowman mitten hanging will amuse everyone while decorating your wall with the wonder of winter! Here is what you'll need to get started:

White paper
Pencil
3/8-yard fuzzy felt
Straight pins
Scissors
5x3-inch orange felt
Scrap iron-on adhesive
Iron
Black embroidery floss
Embroidery needle
2 black buttons, 5/8 inch each
Sewing machine
8x18 inches plaid fabric
Raffia
Safety pin
Silk and plastic greenery and holly

To construct a Marvelous Mitten Hanging:

Sketch out mitten pattern. Pin mitten pattern to doubled felt fabric, and cut out.
Iron adhesive to back of orange felt; trace nose pattern onto paper. Cut out.

©2006 .
Trace the nose onto the felt and cut it out.
Iron nose to mitten front. With floss, stitch nose and mouth. Sew on button eyes.

©2006 .
Using the embroidery floss,
stitch the nose and mouth.
With right sides facing, pin mitten front and back together. Sew 1/4 inch seam. Clip corners. Turn inside out.
Fold plaid material lengthwise with right sides together; iron. Use a running stitch to sew short ends together to make a large loop. Place cuff inside mitten, with seam of cuff facing inside. Use a running stitch to sew cuff on, stitching 1/2 inch away from edge. Turn cuff to outside of mitten.

©2006 .
Place the plaid cuff inside the mitten with
the seam of the cuff facing inside.
Tie a bow using raffia, and pin it to cuff with safety pin. Place greenery and holly inside mitten and arrange.

You can't have Christmas without a Christmas tree, right? In the next section, we will show you how to make Christmas crafts for your home.

Making Simple Christmas Tree Crafts

Nothing says Christmas like a beautifully decorated tree. On this page, you will find some easy Christmas tree crafts to decorate your home.

Holiday Cheer Topiary

Add a touch of elegance to your Christmas-decorated home with a rosebud-studded topiary. An assortment of greens and long streamers of ribbon make it particularly eye-catching. Here are the materials you will need:

3- to 4-inch-diameter clay pot
Quick-drying floral spray paint: red and green
12-inch foam cone
1/3 block dry foam
Serrated knife
Low-temperature glue gun and glue sticks
6- to 7-inch twig
Handful Spanish moss
3 stems preserved springerii
4 stems preserved plumosus
2 stems dried boxwood
1 twig preserved cedar
2 to 3 stems preserved ming fern
Ruler
Floral knife (optional)
2 dozen dried red roses
2 to 3 stems dried red pepper berries
1 bunch dried red star flowers
Wood picks (optional)
3 yards red ribbon,
1/4 inch wide
1 yard green ribbon,
3/8 inch wide
Florist wire

To construct a Holiday Cheer Topiary:

Spray clay pot red and foam cone green with quick-drying floral spray paint (or hobby paint). Allow to dry. Shape 1/3 block of foam to fit into clay pot (you may need to cut it with a serrated knife). Glue it in place. Insert and glue twig into base of foam cone, making sure it is centered. Insert and glue other end of twig into dry foam, leaving about a 3- to 4-inch tree trunk. Cover dry foam with Spanish moss.

©2006 .
Cut the foam to fit your pot and
insert a twig into the flat end.
Cut, if necessary, and evenly distribute 2- to 3-inch pieces of springerii, plumosus, boxwood, cedar, and ming fern over foam cone. Make sure to use smaller pieces at top and longer, fuller pieces at bottom.

©2006 .
Cover the top of the foam with the
greenery you've chosen.
Evenly distribute red roses over entire tree, using smaller pieces at top and longer, fuller pieces at bottom. Repeat with one or two red pepper berries and clusters of red star flowers. If stems are brittle, reinforce them with wood picks. To do so, place wired end of pick next to stem overlapping approximately 1/2 to 1 inch, and wind wire snugly around stem.

©2006 .
Evenly distribute the red roses
throughout the tree.
Make a bow from 2 yards of red ribbon. Drape it over top of topiary to look like a garland. Make another bow from remaining 1 yard of red ribbon and 1 yard of green ribbon. Attach to base with florist wire. Insert a cluster of pepper berries next to ribbon.

©2006 .
Make a bow from two yards of ribbon
and drape it over the tree.

Sweetest Christmas Tree

This golden tree will dazzle your guests! Or take it for a hostess gift -- it will surely sweeten that party. Here's what you will need to begin:

6-inch terra-cotta pot
White acrylic paint
Paintbrush
3 gold doilies, 6 inches each
Scissors
Gloss decoupage
Foam paintbrush
Clear gloss spray
17-inch tall foam cone, 5- to
6-inch base
Low-temp glue gun, glue sticks
7 silk evergreen branches
Wire cutters
6 gold berry picks
Chenille stems
Gold-foil chocolates
4 yards sheer gold ribbon, 3/4 inch wide

To construct a Sweetest Christmas Tree:

Paint pot white; let dry.Cut doilies into quarters. Decoupage doily pieces to pot, overlapping freely. When dry, use spray gloss to seal.

©2006 Publicaitons International, Ltd.
Decoupage the doily pieces to the pot.
Glue foam cone into pot. Cut evergreen branches into 2- to 3-inch pieces. Insert pieces into cone until almost covered.
Separate and twist berry picks into 4-berry clusters. Insert berry clusters around tree.
Cut chenille stems into 3-inch pieces. Glue end of stem piece to back of a chocolate, and push unglued stem end into foam. Repeat for all chocolates.
Cut the ribbon in half. With half of ribbon, wind it around tree, tucking and spot gluing as you work. With other ribbon half, tie a simple bow in middle of ribbon, and glue bow to top of tree. Let long ribbon tails fall gracefully on table.

©2006 .
Tie a simple bow with the remaining
ribbon and glue it to the top of the tree.

Fun in the Forrest

These fun holiday decorations would make perfect gifts for your children's teachers -- they probably already have their fill of "world's best teacher" mugs and ornaments. Surprise them, or any of your friends, with something different and original -- something no one else can give them. Apples, stars, or birds, who could resist the whimsical appeal? There are plenty of people on your Christmas list who would just love to receive one! Here's what you will need:

6-inch mini tree; paintbrush; water container; low-temp glue gun, glue sticks
Star Tree: 3-inch wood star; 2-inch wood star; 36 assorted wood stars, 3/4 to 1/4 inch; gold acrylic paint
Apple Tree: 36 mini red apples; 3-inch wood apple box set; cardinal red acrylic paint; silver mini star garland
Bird Tree: 3- to 4-inch birdhouse; assorted small mushroom birds, 1 inch each; 8 bird's nests, 1 inch each; dolphin grey, bright red acrylic paint; small hand drill with ⅛-inch drill bit, small candy canes.

To construct Fun in the Forrest:

Star Tree: Basecoat all stars and base of tree with gold. Apply second coat if needed. Let dry. Glue base of mini tree to 3-inch star.

©2006 .
Glue the base of the mini
tree to the 3-inch star.
Glue small stars to ends of branches. Larger stars should go toward bottom of tree. Glue 2-inch star to tree top.
Apple Tree: Paint apple box with cardinal red. Let dry.
Remove base of mini tree, leaving only a thick wire at bottom. Apply glue into hole of apple top and insert tree wire. Let dry.

©2006 .
First, remove the base from the mini tree.
String mini star garland on tree starting at bottom and ending at top of tree. Glue mini red apples to ends of branches.

©2006 .
Starting at the bottom, glue the
star garland to the tree.
Bird Tree: Drill a hole at the top center of the birdhouse. Paint body of birdhouse with grey. Paint roof, bottom, and perch with bright red. Let dry.
Remove base of mini tree by twisting base until base pulls free, leaving only a thick wire at bottom. Apply glue into hole at top of birdhouse and insert tree wire. Let dry.
Glue bird's nests and candy canes to ends of branches. Glue mushroom birds to tips of other branches.

©2006 .
Glue the candy canes to the
ends of the branches.

On the next page, we will learn how to make some more advanced Christmas tree crafts.

Making Advanced Christmas Tree Crafts

Now we'll learn how to make some Christmas tree crafts that require a little more preparation and effort.

Lodge-Style Luminary

Create a glowing piece of art that has the look of a handcrafted stained-glass luminary. You'll be surprised at how stunning it will be. Here's what you need to get started:

4 sheets craft plastic
Pencil
Ruler
Scissors
Clear tape
2 packages lead strips, 1/8 inch wide
Craft knife
Lead shapes: 6 stars, 2 moons
Glass paints: denim blue, ivy green, sunny yellow, clear frost, crystal clear, amber, cocoa brown
Glass paint tool set
4 black report cover plastic spines
Electric candle

To construct a Lodge-Style Luminary:

Cut plastic sheets into four 6x9-inch pieces. Download the pattern here.
Tape pattern to back of a cut plastic sheet, with pattern showing through plastic. Allow 1/2 inch of clear plastic on each side of pattern.
Working on a section at a time, lay vertical lead lines down and trim ends. Then lay horizontal lead lines, allowing ends to overlap vertical lines. Trim excess. (Use trimmed pieces for short lead lines.) Lay down diagonal lines; overlap ends. Tightly trim ends at junctions, creating square pieces and/or small diamonds on top of underlying lead strips to look like mock solder joints. Place 2 stars and a celestial moon in sky area.

©2006 .
Lay down lead lines over the
pattern and trim off the excess.
Repeat steps 2 and 3 on another plastic sheet. Repeat steps 2 and 3 on remaining plastic sheets, omitting moon and trees and placing 1 star on each sheet.
Paint each panel as follows: sky is denim blue; trees are ivy green; stars and corner squares are sunny yellow; moon is clear frost; top, bottom, and sides are crystal clear; mountain and background are amber; tree trunk is cocoa brown. (Note: Use sharp tip of metal combing tool to gently push paint into tight corners and junctions. If you are not using combing tool, use a liner brush to push paint into corners.) Let paint dry completely (see manu-facturer's instructions).

©2006 .
Use sunny yellow to color the stars.
Match 2 finished panels back to back (1 with trees and 1 without). Slide black plastic report spines over plastic panel edges to connect. Repeat for all panels and edges. Position luminary over electric candle.

©2006 .
Use black plastic report spines
to connect the panels.

Scandinavian Basket Tree

A tree brings warmth to a room, and this little tree can be altered to fit any decor. Simply change the color of the bows and container. Be creative! Here are the materials for the basic design:

Red bucket, size proportional to tree
1/4 yard burlap
Scissors
Disposal bowl
2-pound bag plaster of paris
Mixing stick
Small artificial tree, 16 to 26 inches
3 to 4 sprigs red berries
Wire cutters
Hot glue gun, glue sticks
8 to 12 baskets, 2 to 3 inches each
Spool thin craft wire
12 to 16 cinnamon sticks, 3 to 4 inches long
Spool red ribbon, 1/4 inch wide
Fresh or dried baby's breath
Scissors
Tacky craft glue
Wheat star ornament

To construct a Scandinavian Basket Tree:

Place burlap into bucket as lining. Trim excess burlap.
In disposable bowl, mix plaster of paris according to manu-facturer's instructions. Pour into bucket, filling to 1 inch below top. Discard extra plaster in trash; do not pour down sink! Place tree base into plaster. Let plaster set.
Use wire cutters to cut small clusters of berries. Hot glue berry clusters into baskets. Cut 6-inch length of wire for each basket. Wire baskets around tree to branches.
Cut 6-inch lengths of wire, and use them to attach cinnamon sticks to branches between baskets at different angles.

©2006 .
Attach the cinnamon sticks to the
tree between the baskets.
Cut ribbon into 6-inch lengths, and tie bows. Glue bows to branches.
Snip baby's breath tops. Gather into small bundles, and dip stems into tacky glue. Place stems into center of tree.

©2006 .
Bundle the baby's breath and
place it on the tree.
Cut 6 inches of wire, and wire star ornament to top of tree.

©2006 .
Wire the star ornament
to the top of the tree.

Celebration of Christmas Trees

These felt trees will bring charm and freshness to your holidays, and kids will love making presents for their favorite people. Here's what you'll need:

Pencil
Paper
Ruler
Felt: 3 sheets per tree
Scissors
Cone air freshener or 6x27/8-inch foam cone
Craft glue
Small sparkle pom poms, sequins, small jewels, decorative buttons
Needle, red thread

To construct a Celebration of Christmas Trees:

Make circle patterns in these sizes: 51/2 inches, 41/2 inches, 31/2 inches in diameter. From felt, cut out two 51/2-inch circles, two 41/2-inch circles, and three 31/2-inch circles.
Cut a 21/2-inch cross slit in the center of each large and medium circle. In all but 1 small circle, cut 2-inch cross slits centered in each circle. With remaining small circle, cut a slit from outside edge to center for tree peak.

©2006 .
Cut a crosshatch slit in the
center of each felt circle.
Slide a large circle over cone as far as it will go; glue in place. Continue adding circles, with second large circle,2 medium circles, and 2 small circles. Adjust and check that surface of cone does not show between circles. Form the last small circle into a cone peak, and place on top.

©2006 .
Slide the circles over the cone
in decreasing order of size.
Decorate trees by gluing on pom poms, sequins, jewels, or sewing on decorative buttons.

It was only a matter of time before we got around to Santa Claus. Sure enough, on the next page, we will show you how to make Santa and Reindeer-themed crafts.

Making Santa and Reindeer-Themed Crafts

A discussion of Christmas crafts would not be complete without a few Santa projects thrown in. On this page you will find some Santa crafts and some reindeer crafts.

Jingle the Red-Nose Reindeer

This whimsical fellow is in full holiday spirit. He'll certainly add a festive touch to your Christmas celebrations. Write a warm greeting on the chalkboard to welcome yuletide guests. Here are the materials you will need:

Two 3-inch foam eggs, one 6-inch foam egg
Serrated knife
Two 6-inch extruded foam hearts
Round wood toothpicks
Foam glue
4-inch wood dowel, 5/8 inch diameter
2 pairs disposable wooden chopsticks
5-inch foam ball
Brown paper bag or craft paper
Decoupage medium
Paintbrushes: 1 inch, 1/2 flat
Wood shapes: 2-1/2-inch flat snowflake, 2-inch circle, 2-inch star, three 2-inch teardrops, two 3/8-inch circles
2x4-inch craft chalkboard, chalk
Wood hand drill, 5/64-inch bit
Acrylic paint: beige, yellow, red, black, white
17 inches red ribbon, 1/2 to 1 inch wide
Ruler
Needle
Red thread
Jingle bells: 7 silver 19mm or 3/4 inch, 1 red 25mm or 1 inch, 2 red 12mm or 1/2 inch
19-gauge craft wire
Wire cutters
Fine white floral wire
Scissors
22 inches wire-edged ribbon, 2-1/2 inches wide

To construct a Jingle the Red-Nose Reindeer:

With a serrated knife, cut both 3-inch foam eggs in half lengthwise. Cut a 1-inch V notch from peak end of each egg half to create 4 hooves. Cut both heart forms in half at center seams. Cut heart halves into pieces as shown. Break 4 toothpicks in half.

©2006 .
Cut up the hearts as
shown to form the antlers.
Apply foam glue to bottom of a small foam piece, and push a toothpick half into bottom; attach to large piece. See photo for placement. Let dry.

©2006 .
Use toothpicks to construct
the antlers as shown.
Insert dowel into 6-inch foam egg so egg tilts back slightly. This is the head and neck. Insert a chopstick into each hoof, and then insert each into bottom of foam ball. Check stability. Glue chopsticks into foam hooves with foam glue.

©2006 .
Insert a chopstick into each hoof and
attach the ends to the foam ball.
Crumple pieces of brown paper, and wet paper with water. Tear paper into 1-, 2-, and 3-inch random shapes.
Working on a small area at a time, apply decoupage medium to foam with paintbrush. Lay paper pieces on decoupaged surface, and brush decoupage over paper. Cover body, head, hooves, and 3 wood teardrop shapes (ears and tail) with paper and decoupage. Let dry. Glue legs into body with foam glue.

©2006 .
Apply the brown paper bag to the
foam one area at a time.
Drill a hole in top of snowflake and 2-inch circle, center of star, and tip of 1 coated teardrop. Then drill a hole on each top side corner of chalkboard.
Paint antlers, legs, and neck rod beige; star yellow; 2-inch circle red; 3/8-inch circles black; and snowflake white. Paint white stripe on red circle (orna-ment), and add white highlights to 3/8-inch circles (for eyes).
Attach antlers to sides of head with broken toothpicks and foam glue. Glue eye circles in place. Let glue dry.
With needle and thread, stitch 7 silver jingle bells to red ribbon, begin 31/2 inches up from each end of ribbon. Center and space bells about 11/2 inches apart. Glue ribbon harness in place around middle of body.
Cut three 3-inch lengths of craft wire, and thread a length through a red jingle bell. Fold wires in half with bells centered. Push wire with largest bell into front of face for nose. Pass 1 wire of smaller red bell through drilled hole on star and other through hole on teardrop tail. Push wire of teardrop/tail into backside of body; use wire on backside of star to wrap on antler to attach. Reinforce attachments with glue.
Write a message on chalkboard. Cut and attach 8 to 10 inches of craft wire to 1 side of chalkboard, hang chalkboard around neck, and attach wire to other side. Cut varied lengths of string or white floral wire to hang snowflake and ball ornament on antlers. Wrap and tie wire-edged ribbon around neck.

Jolly Metal Punch Santa

Hang our favorite Christmas friend on a wall to greet our holiday visitors. He is so jolly that friends will be asking for their own. Here's what you'll need:

Embossing metal, medium pewter
9x12-inch sheet craft foam, 2mm
Tape
Red ballpoint pen
Hobby awl
Heavy-duty scissors
Transparent burgundy or red glass and tile color paint
#8 round paintbrush
Tissue or absorbent cloth
18 inches silver craft wire, 22 gauge
Wire cutters

To construct a Jolly Metal Punch Santa:

Unroll and smooth metal sheet on craft foam. Tape pattern to metal, and firmly trace pattern lines with red pen. Download the pattern here.

©2006 .
Trace the pattern on the
metal with a red pen.
Check to make sure pattern lines are impressed clearly on metal. If not, retrace lines. Remove paper pattern, and flip metal sheet over. Using pad of fingertip, press around lines to create "puffy" embossed areas beside lines.

©2006 .
Make sure the lines of the pattern are
impressed clearly on the metal.
Staying on back of metal, use hobby awl to punch holes along all pattern lines.

©2006 .
Use a hobby awl to punch holes
along the pattern lines.
Turn metal over, and punch eye dots using pointed end of wood embossing tool that came with metal. Using opposite flat, round end of wood tool, gently press circles all over hat. Turn metal over to back side, and rub out hat with pad of fingertip to give only a very slight impression of a circular pattern on front.
Cut out design along outside pattern lines.
Thin glass paint with a little water. Paint lip, tip of nose, cheeks, and hat. With tissue or absorbent cloth, quickly lift or wipe away paint, leaving only a tint.
Thread a wire end through a hole punched on one side of Santa; twist wire end to secure. Thread other end of wire through a hole on opposite side, and twist wire end to secure.

©2006 .
Thread a wire through each
end of the Santa pattern.

Pom Reindeer Magnet

Kids can make these Pom Reindeer Magnets to hold their Christmas lists on the refrigerator. Before Santa comes, they can attach a note to the magnet that says, "Enjoy what's in the fridge!" Here's what you will need:

Poms: 1-inch beige, 2-inch brown, and 1/4-inch red
White glue
Felt: 1x1-inch red and 2x2-inch brown
Scissors
Two wiggle eyes, 10mm each
Two beige chenille stems, 12 inches each
Ruler
Tracing paper
Pencil
12-inch length of red rattail cord
Two gold jingle bells, 8mm each
3/4-inch length of magnet strip, 1/2 inch wide

To construct a Pom Reindeer Magnet:

To make the head and the muzzle, glue the beige pom to the lower front part of the brown pom. For the nose, glue the red pom to the upper front part of the muzzle. Cut a smiling mouth shape from the red felt, and glue it below the nose. Glue the wiggle eyes to the head so that the bottom edges of the eyes touch the top of the muzzle.

©2006 .
Glue on the wiggle eyes so that the
bottom touches the top of the muzzle.
Measure and cut one chenille stem into a 5-inch length and a 7-inch length. Measure and cut the other chenille stem into two 6-inch lengths; you will use only one of the 6-inch lengths, so set the other one aside. To make the antlers, line up the middles of the three lengths of chenille stem. Twist the stems in the middle to join them together. Arrange the stems so the 7-inch length is on the bottom, the 6-inch length is in between, and the 5-inch length is on top. Pinch and curl each of the six ends up to form the antlers, as in the drawing. Glue the middle of the antlers to the back of the head.

©2006 .
Glue the antlers to the back
of the magnet's head.
Cut two ears from the brown felt. Apply a dot of glue to the bottom of one ear; pinch the bottom together, and hold it for a moment. Repeat this gluing process to make the other ear. Glue the ears to the head just in front of the antlers.

©2006 .
Pinch the bottom of the ear and
glue it shut to form the ear.
Tie a bow in the rattail cord. Tie a jingle bell to each end of the rattail cord. Glue the bow beneath the muzzle. Glue the magnet strip to the back of the head.

On the next page, we will delve into floral and holly crafts.

Making Floral-Themed Crafts

Floral plants like holy have been a part of Christmas traditions for centuries. Now it can also be a part of your Christmas crafts.

Light the Yule Log

Add Christmas cheer to your mantel this holiday, along with the convenience of not having to look for the matches! This small decorative touch will bring lots of warmth to your family. Here's what you'll need to get started:

Empty snack food cylinder
Paper towels
10x12 inches corrugated cardboard
Scissors
Hot glue gun, glue sticks
Copper spray paint
1 yard green ribbon, 21/2 inches wide
Assorted Christmas greens, cut into pieces
Copper berry spray, cut into pieces
Wire cutters
Copper blossoms
Fireplace matches
Christmas Cardinal Centerpiece
Woodsy Winter Wonderland

To construct a Light the Yule Log:

Use paper towels to clean inside of cylinder. Wrap corrugated cardboard around outside of cylinder. Cardboard can extend above lip of cylinder but should be flush with bottom. Trim cardboard if needed, and hot glue in place.

©2006 .
Wrap corrugated cardboard around
the outside of the tube and
glue into place.
In a well-ventilated area, lightly spray cardboard with copper paint. Let dry, and repeat.
Tie ribbon around center of cylinder, leaving 31/2-inch tails. Glue knot of ribbon to cardboard. Trim ends of ribbon into Vs.
Use photo as a guide to glue lengths of greens to center of knotted ribbon. Glue berry sprays to greens, then glue on blossoms.

©2006 .
Glue the greens to the tube as shown.
Cut striking surface from match box, and trim as needed to fit bottom of cylinder. Glue in place on bottom of cylinder. Place matches inside cylinder.

Christmas Cardinal Centerpiece

Let that brilliantly colored bird, the cardinal, decorate your living room this Christmas. With bright berries and evergreen boughs, this centerpiece is sure to capture everyone's attention! Here are the materials you will need:

Terra cotta pot, 51/2 inches tall
Terra cotta saucer, 8 inch diameter
Hot glue gun, glue sticks
4x2-inch foam piece
Serrated knife
Tape measure
Assorted Christmas greens, cut into pieces
Wire cutters
3 pinecones
2 red berry sprays, cut into pieces
3x9-inch red pillar candle
7 red crab apples
1 yard red plaid ribbon, 21/2 inches wide
Scissors
Floral wire
Red cardinal
Potpourri

To construct a Christmas Cardinal Centerpiece:

Place pot at back edge of saucer, and glue in place. Use knife to trim foam so it fits snugly inside pot and is 1 inch below rim of pot. Glue foamin place.

©2006 .
Glue the pot at the back
edge of the saucer.
Glue short lengths of Christmas greens around base of pot, leaving front open. Glue pine-cones to sides, and add a few berry sprays.
Place candle inside pot. Insert short lengths of Christmas greens around base of candle. Glue crab apples and berry sprays around candle.

©2006 .
Place the candle in the pot and cover
the blank spaces with greens.
Cut ribbon into three 12-inch lengths, and form each length into a loop secured with floral wire. Glue a loop to each side of saucer and remaining loop to back.
Glue cardinal to left side of saucer. Fill saucer with potpourri. Caution: Never leave a burning candle unattended.

©2006 .
Glue the cardinal to the left
side of the saucer.

Jolly Jingle Bell Candleholder

Bring the spirit of holiday music into your home with this festive candleholder. Group a few together to create a wonderful centerpiece, or give one as a gift to your favorite holiday host. Here are the materials you will need:

9-inch-tall clear glass cylindrical vase with 31/4-inch opening
2x2 inches foam
Low-temperature glue gun and glue sticks
8 evergreen sprigs, 6 inches each
Scissors
3 sheet-music pages
1 yard gold metallic ribbon, 13/4 inches wide
Ruler
Floral wire
Wire cutters
2 red berry sprays, 12 inches each
6 holly leaves
48 gold jingle bells, assorted sizes
Clear glass votive holder
Red votive candle

To construct a Jolly Jingle Bell Candleholder:

Glue foam block to outside bottom of vase. This is where you will insert evergreens.
Place vase so foam block is on your right side. Insert and glue 2 evergreen sprigs horizontally at base of foam, one coming in front of foam and one extending away from foam. Cut remaining evergreens into short lengths, and fill in around already inserted evergreens.

©2006 .
Glue two evergreen sprigs to
the base of the foam block.
Cut pages of sheet music in half horizontally. Tightly roll each section, and glue edges in place to secure. Cut 1 music roll in half, and insert and glue all rolled pages into evergreens.
About 6 inches from one end of gold ribbon, shape 2 loops about 31/2 inches each. Pinch 2 loops together, and secure with short length of floral wire. Trim end of bow streamers to 4 inches, and cut V shape into end of each. Glue remaining ribbon trailing out back of design. Trim end of ribbon into V shape.

©2006 .
Shape two loops out of the
length of gold ribbon.
Cut 1 red berry spray in half, and insert a length vertically behind bow. Insert other section coming forward beneath bow. Cut other berry spray into short lengths, and insert around bow. Glue holly leaves into design around bow and music. Glue jingle bell to middle of bow; add more jingle bells as desired.
Fill vase with assorted jingle bells to about 3 inches from top. Place votive holder with candle inside vase.

In the next section, we will show you how to incorporate candy canes and other sweets into your crafts.

Making Candy-Themed Crafts

Candy canes are over 350 years old and were first invented as a Christmas tree decoration. Here are some other great Christmas-candy crafts.

Candy Cane Doorknob Decoration

This simple craft would be a great project to try with small children. Here's what you will need:

7x9-inch white posterboard
Felt: 7x9 inches white, 1x12 inches red
18-inch length of 1/8-inch wide green satin ribbon
5/8-inch jingle bells: one each red, white, green

To construct a Candy Cane Doorknob Decoration:

Using the pattern from the template, trace and cut four candy canes -- two from posterboard and two from white felt. Download the template here. Lay the posterboard canes on your work surface so the top curves face the center. Starting on the left side, glue the felt cane onto the posterboard cane. With the canes still facing each other, glue the other felt cane onto the right side.
To make the stripes, cut the red felt into two 1/2x12-inch lengths. Cut each into four 2-inch lengths and one 4-inch length. Before gluing, place the stripes diagonally on the canes with the 4-inch lengths at the top curves. The ends of the stripes will overlap the edges of the canes. One at a time, glue the stripes onto the canes. After gluing, turn over each cane. Trim the excess red felt so the ends are even with the edges of the white felt.

©2006 .
Cut the felt into 2- and 4-inch lengths
and lay over the cane before gluing.
To assemble, overlap the canes at the top and bottom to form a heart shape. Glue the overlapping areas. Cut the ribbon so you have 3-, 4-, 5-, and 6-inch lengths. To attach the bells, insert one end of the 3-inch length of ribbon through the red bell loop. Bring the ends together and glue. Repeat using the 4-inch length of ribbon with the white bell and the 5-inch length of ribbon with the green bell. Glue ribbon ends to back bottom of the canes. Tie a bow in the remaining 6-inch length of ribbon, and glue it to the front bottom of the canes.

©2006 .
To assemble, overlap the canes at the
top and bottom to form a heart shape.

Sweetest Birdhouse

Look good enough to eat? If the witch's house looked this good, it's no wonder Hansel and Gretel were lured into danger! Add this charming birdhouse to your Christmas keepsake decorations and enjoy its whimsical appeal year after year. Use as a centerpiece in the middle of your cookie tray or add a small bird on the perch and listen to the comments of your family and friends. Everyone you know will want to make one! Here's what you'll need:

Medium chalet birdhouse
Acrylic paint: mink tan, snow white, dark chocolate, baby pink, boysenberry, mistletoe, forest green, cadmium orange, lavender, ebony black, yellow light, cadmium red, French grey/blue, russet, clear glimmer
Brushes: 3/4-inch flat, #2 flat, 3/8-inch angle, 10/0 liner
Pencil
Tracing paper
Snow texturizer medium
Matte spray finish
Download the various design templates here.

To construct a Sweetest Birdhouse:

Always apply each application on dry paint. Basecoat house walls, bottom board, and under eaves with mink tan. Basecoat perch, roof, and roof edges with snow white.
Measure 1/4 inch off each corner and draw pencil line for peppermint stick corners. Trace and apply front door and top window patterns. Trace large window and apply to sides and back wall. Center patterns between the peppermint sticks found at each corner. Prebase all windows, gum-drops, and peppermints with snow white for a truer color. Basecoat door and wood thickness with dark chocolate.

©2006 .
Make a mark a quarter inch in on each side.
Basecoat sugar wafer shutters with baby pink. Basecoat frosting center of wafer with boysenberry. Paint one gumdrop of each color around window as follows: Base-coat mistletoe, float a shade with forest green; basecoat cadmium orange, float with transparent forest green; basecoat lavender, float with transparent ebony black; basecoat yellow light, float with transparent lavender. Line wafer with boysenberry. Additional wider line is transparent boysenberry.
Float a highlight on wafer with transparent snow white. Heart in center of wafer is cadmium red.

©2006 .
Highlight the wafer with
transparent snow white paint.
Line all peppermints and peppermint sticks with cadmium red. Create an additional line on roof peppermint sticks with mistletoe. Let dry. Float a shade on all peppermints with French grey/blue. Optional float on all cadmium red is russet. Let dry. Highlight all peppermints with a line of snow white.

©2006 .
Highlight all peppermints
with French grey/blue.
Float shade on all mink tan with dark chocolate. This includes unused space in the windows between gumdrops.

©2006 .
Shade all the tan areas
with dark chocolate.
Apply clear glimmer to all gum-drops for a sugared look. Let dry.
Apply snow texturizer to roof, on some window sills, over the door, on gumdrop bushes, and on base of birdhouse.

©2006 Publicaitons International, Ltd.
Apply snow textures to the
base of the birdhouse.
Seal entire birdhouse with matte spray finish.

In the next section, we will learn how to make bird-themed Christmas crafts.

Making Bird-Themed Christmas Crafts

Cardinals are often associated with Christmas because of their brilliant red color. Now you can make this beloved bird -- and many others -- part of your holiday crafts.

Holly Jolly Cardinal Wall Hanging

Looking for something just a bit different to decorate your wall this Christmas season? Then the holly jolly cardinal quilt will be just what you are looking for. With its bright red cardinals, and gold and Christmas-print fabrics, this quilt will be eye-catching as well as awe-inspiring. Though the hand quilting will take you a bit longer to finish, the rewards will be worth it. This wall hanging will become a family treasure! Here are the materials you'll need:

1 yard white fabric
1 yard backing fabric
1/2 yard dark green subtle print or solid fabric
1/4 yard fabric for binding
1/4 yard solid red fabric
1/4 yard to 1/2 yard red/green small scale plaid (depending upon repeat)
1/4 yard gold pindot or solid fabric
1/4 yard white background Christmas print
1/8 yard (or scraps) black pindot or solid fabric
1 yard low-loft batting sewing and hand-quilting thread between-hands quilting needles pencil, scissors, ruler (A rotary cutter and board are helpful for cutting border and binding strips, but not essential.)

©2006 .
Here is the completed
Holly Jolly Cardinal Wall Hanging.

To construct a Holly Jolly Cardinal Wall Hanging:

Prewash and iron all fabrics before cutting. Organize fabric pieces into blocks as they are cut. They are 2 types of blocks -- a cardinal block and a holly leaf block. They are 8 blocks of each type for a total of 16 blocks. Trace around the pattern piece on the wrong side of the specified fabric and cut out as directed. Cut the strips and larger pieces of each fabric before cutting the smaller pieces. Download the pattern here.

Cut a 33x33-inch piece of the backing fabric and the batting.
From the binding fabric, cut four 2x45-inch strips.
From the plaid, cut four 13/4x45-inch strips. Cut along the straight line of plaid and use plaid repeat as a guide. (See photo for meaning of repeat). For example, if repeat is 21/4 inches, cut 21/4x45-inch strips. All 4 strips should be identical. Strips should not be wider than 3 inches.

©2006 .
In step 3, cut identical
strips of plaid fabric.
From both gold and Christmas print, cut four 11/2x28-inch strips each.
From A, cut 72 white, 16 black, and 8 each of red, green, and gold. From B, cut 40 green. From C, cut 16 white and red. From D, cut 16 white and 8 red. From E, cut 56 white. From F, cut 8 white and 16 red. All seam allowances are 1/4 inch. Follow guide to assemble 8 cardinal and 8 leaf blocks. Press seams toward darker colors whenever possible and press open when joining squares to make blocks.

©2006 .
Assemble 8 cardinal
blocks and 8 leaf blocks.
Stitch together 16 blocks, alternating cardinal and leaf blocks, to complete the center section.

©2006 .
Stitch together a group of 16 blocks,
alternating between leaf and cardinal.
Stitch a Christmas-print strip to both sides of center section. Trim ends even with center section. Press seams toward strips. Stitch remaining Christmas-print strips to top and bottom of center section. Trim ends and press toward strips.

©2006 .
Stitch a Christmas-print strip to either
side of the 16 block section.
In the same manner, add gold border strips, and finally plaid border strips to complete quilt top.
Thoroughly iron top and backing. On a large flat surface, place backing face down and center batting over it. Center top right side up over batting and carefully smooth it out. Pin edges. Using a long needle and thread, start at center and hand baste through all thicknesses vertically and horizontally. Baste close to edge around perimeter.

©2006 .
Pin the backing to the wall hanging.
Hand quilt through all thicknesses of quilt. Quilting should begin toward center and work outward. Outline cardinals, run diagonally through holly leaves and diagonally in opposite direction through center of each leaf block. Remove all basting except the perimeter.
For binding, stitch together 4 binding strips to make a long 2-inch strip. Fold strip in half lengthwise with wrong sides together. Place raw edge of binding even with basted edge of quilt. Stitch binding to quilt top, beginning in middle of a side and leaving 3 inches of binding free at beginning. End stitching 1/4 inch from each corner, and backstitch. Reposition binding to begin next side, and repeat for all sides and corners. End stitching about 3 inches before binding ends meet. Stitch ends of binding together, cut off excess, and finish stitching binding to quilt. Trim batting and backing. Miter corners. Turn binding to back, and blind-stitch.

Four Calling Birds

Four snowy birds call out a message of goodwill to all. Birch branches trimmed with holly and tiny blossoms form a unique wreath. It looks like this frosty foursome has made a charming wreath their new home for the holidays! Here is what you'll need to begin:

Stem floral wire, 22 gauge
Brown floral tape
Wire cutters
Birch branches, about 24 inches in length (between 140 and 170 branches)
4 matching birds
Hot glue gun and
glue sticks
Spanish moss
2 stems silk holly
2 stems white silk miniature roses
Miniature pinecones
White glue
Small artist's paintbrush
Diamond dust or opalescent glitter

To construct a Four Calling Birds:

Wrap and cut floral wire with brown floral tape. Separate branches into 4 bundles with about 36 thin branch pieces in each and another 2 bundles with 10 to 15 branches each.
With taped wire, tie each bundle in middle, then tie on each end. Add extra branches as needed to make solid bundles.

©2006 Publicaitons International, Ltd.
Secure each bundle of
Birch branches with wire.
Make a square with 4 large bundles, and wrap ends together with wire. Square should measure about 18x18 inches. Leave a few light branches longer at corners to soften wreath. Trim remaining branches so wreath has a flat back for hanging.

©2006 .
Arrange the bundles into a
square and attach with wire.
Wire 2 smaller bundles to back of wreath to form 4 equal center squares. Again, wire middle of 2 bundles and at either end for good support. Slip in extra branches as needed to strengthen squares.

©2006 .
Wire two smaller bundles to the larger
frame to form four even squares.
Glue birds in place. They should sit firmly in middle bottom of each center square. Tilt birds forward so wreath still has a flat back. Glue small amounts of Spanish moss at base of each bird to resemble a nest.

©2006 .
Tilt the birds slightly forward before
gluing them on so the wreath
will have a flat back.
Cut individual leaves and berries from holly. Glue into place around nest and to hide wire on wreath. Glue on roses. Glue pinecones between holly leaves and flowers.
Using small artist's paintbrush, brush tips of flowers, pinecones, and holly leaves lightly with glue. Sprinkle with diamond dust. If desired, sprinkle diamond dust on birds' feathers also. Let dry overnight.

You'll need to break out best craft-making skills for our next section. On the next page, we will learn how to make artistic Christmas crafts.

Making Artistic Christmas Crafts

Who said Christmas crafts all had to red, green, and feature snowmen? The crafts on this page a nice change of pace.

Merriest Wall Hanging

What a perfect decoration for the Christmas season. Fill your wall hanging with things that give your holidays meaning. A decorated mat filled with pictures of the kids would make a great gift for grandma and grandpa! Here are the materials you will need:

Mat with 25 openings
Ink: white, red
Red cardstock
Ruler
Pencil
Scissors or paper cutter
Assorted patterned papers
Paper glue
5 black-and-white photos
Word stickers
Rub-on words
Ribbon: assorted scraps, 2 yards word
Embellishments: leather frame, acrylic heart, circle clips, mini brads, mini word jewelry tags, flowers, metal charms, cardboard word tag, bottle cap, acrylic word, snowflake brads
4 metal book corners
Hand drill
2 eyelets
Clear acid-free tape

To construct a Merriest Wall Hanging:

Ink edges of mat with white ink. Measure and cut red cardstock to match size of mat. (Our mat is 12x12 inches.) Place mat over cardstock, and lightly draw a pencil line around openings of mat.

©2006 .
Draw circles on the cardstock
using the mat as a template.
Remove mat, and cut 13 pieces of patterned paper to cover 13 circles. (Be sure paper does not cross to next circle's area.) Glue in place. Cut 2 photos to cover 2 circles. Glue in place. Add word stickers in another circle.

©2006 .
Cut 13 pieces of patterned paper
to cover the 13 holes.
Place rub-on words in 2 openings. Tie ribbons around edges of mat and between openings of center hole.
Adhere cardstock to mat. Cut 2 photos into squares to cover 2 separate openings, and glue over openings. Cut another photo to fit into leather frame, and place rub-on words at bottom of frame. Glue frame over an opening.
Glue acrylic heart to middle opening, and add circle clips around edges. Ink edges of mini jewelry tags with red ink, and attach to an opening with a brad. Attach flowers, cardboard word tag, and a metal charm with brads to separate openings. Attach word tag to an opening with brads. Glue bottle cap to an opening. Glue other metal charms and acrylic word to separate openings. Add snow-flake brads to an opening.
Place rub-on words around mat. Attach book corners. Use hand drill to drill holes in top right and left of mat for eyelets. Attach eyelets in holes. String word ribbon through eyelets, going from front to back. Tape ribbon to back to hold.

©2006 .
Drill holes on the top left
and right for eyelets.

Christmas Joy

Bring joy into your home this holiday -- and hang it on the wall. There is no better time to remind your family and everyone visiting what the season is about! Here's what you'll need to get started:

6-inch wood letters: J, O, Y
Fine sandpaper
Paper towels
1-inch foam brush
Dark green acrylic paint
Crackle medium
Off-white acrylic paint
Gold paint marker
Hot glue gun, glue sticks
1 yard gold sheer ribbon, 11/2 inches wide
Measuring tape
Scissors
Floral wire
Wire cutters
Assorted Christmas greens, cut into pieces
Liberty-style bell
Small brass musical instrument
5 small jingle bells

To construct a Christmas Joy:

Sand letters smooth, and wipe clean with damp paper towels. Use foam brush to paint front of letters dark green. Let dry, and repeat.
Apply crackle medium to letters; let dry. Paint letters off-white; let dry. As paint dries, crackle lines appear.

©2006 .
Paint the letters off-white and let them dry.
Outline edges of each letter with gold paint marker.
Hot glue O at an angle on top of J and Y (see photo for reference). Reinforce back of O with hot glue as needed.

©2006 .
Hot glue the O at an angle
to the J and the Y.
Cut a 12-inch length of ribbon, and glue an end behind O next to J. Measure 6 inches from glued end, and glue this point to bottom of O next to Y, leaving a tail. Cut and glue a small length of ribbon to upper left of O. With remaining ribbon, form a 2-loop bow with loops of about 2 inches each. Secure center of bow with floral wire. Glue bow to lower right of O on top of other ribbon.Trim ribbon ends on a diagonal.
Glue small sprigs of Christmas greens to center of bow and to ribbon at top of O. Twist a small length of floral wire through loop of liberty bell. Glue wire to center of ribbon so bell hangs down.
Tie small instrument to ribbon tail at bottom of O. Glue 3 jingle bells to ribbon at top of O and 2 to ribbon at bottom of O.

©2006 .
Tie the small instrument to the
ribbon attached to the O.

Noel Card Holder

This card holder is a snap to make -- and what a fun and whimsical way to display your holiday spirit! Here are teh materials you will need:

4 wood base-and-pegs sets
Wood glue
Wire cutters
Ruler
Sandpaper
Tack cloth
Wood letters: N, O, E, L (with predrilled holes)
Acrylic paint: white, bright red, green apple, Christmas green
Paintbrushes: 2-inch foam, #6 flat, #12 flat, 1/2-inch flat
Pencil with new eraser
White floral wire
Needle-nose pliers
Matte clear acrylic spray sealer
1 yard apple green wire-edge ribbon, 3/8 inch wide

To construct a Noel Card Holder:

Insert side pegs into base holes, then attach bases. Use wood glue to hold pieces securely. Use wire cutters to cut dowels: Make three 1-inch, one 11/2-inch, three 2-inch, two 3-inch, and one 31/2-inch pieces. Leave 6 pegs uncut for back row.

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Attach the two bases with side pegs.
Lightly sand base, dowels, and letters to remove rough areas. Wipe with tack cloth to remove dust.
Apply 2 to 3 coats of paint to cover surfaces completely. Using appropriate brush for area, paint base top and bottom Christmas green, sides of base and all pegs bright red, N and E front and back bright red and sides green apple, O and L front and back green apple and sides bright red. Let paint dry between applications.
Paint white stripes on N and E, use pencil eraser to stamp white dots on front of O and L. Paint white stripes along sides of base using 1/2-inch brush. Let dry, and follow with green apple stripes using #12 flat brush.

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Use a pencil eraser to stamp
white dots onto the O and L.
Twist and wrap white floral wire around red pegs, and form swirls at top.

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Wrap the floral wire around the red pegs.
Insert pegs with letters into front holes of middle 2 bases. Insert other pegs, graduating heights from front to back. Add wood glue to hold.
Spray with sealer; let dry between coats. Cut and tie green ribbons onto letter pegs.

On our final page, we will show you how to make some fun Christmas crafts for kids.

Making Fun Christmas Crafts for Kids

Every child loves Christmas, and the holiday season tend to bring out the kid in all of us. Why not try some of these fun crafts you and your little ones can make together?

Silly Face Magnets

These fun magnets will be a hit with the kids. For an easy variation, glue on pin backs and hand them out to all your friends! Here's are the materials you will need:

Polymer clay, 2 ounce blocks: emerald green, red hot red, white, black, silver
Needle tool or toothpick
24-gauge wire, 2 inch length
4 self-stick magnets

To construct a Silly Present magnet:

Shape a 7/8-inch emerald green ball into a square; press square flat to about 1/8-inch thick. For lid, roll a 5/8-inch log that is a little longer than top of present. Press all sides and corners flat into a rectangle, and press to top of present.
For bow, press a 1/8-inch red hot red ball in center of lid. Roll two 1/4-inch red balls and shape them into 2 triangles. Press them to either side of ball, matching points.

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To make a bow, put a ball in the
center flanked by two triangles.
For ribbon, roll a 3/8-inch red ball to about 3 inches in length. Gently press flat. Place on a diagonal across present, making 2 lines. Make lines and dots in bow with needle tool. Note: Leave room for eyes and smile when placing ribbon.
Draw a smile on front of present with needle tool. Roll two 1/4-inch white balls for eyes, shape them, and place them side by side above smile. Press a tiny black ball in each eye; press point of needle tool into black balls. Roll a 3/16-inch green ball into a roll, and taper each end. Place green roll across top of eyes for eyebrows; indent center with needle tool. See Silly Penguin, step 6, to finish.

To construct a Silly Lightbulb magnet:

Roll a 7/8-inch red ball into a teardrop shape. Roll a 1/4-inch silver ball, and press it to top. Indent sides of silver clay, and make lines with needle tool.

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Roll a silver ball and place in
on top of the light bulb.
Roll two 3/16-inch green balls into diamond shapes. Indent sides and center with needle tool to create holly leaves, and place them at top of bulb. Make 3 tiny red balls, and place them on leaves for berries.
Draw a smile on bulb with needle tool. Make two 1/8-inch white balls, and place them side by side above smile for eyes. Press a tiny black ball of clay in each eye for pupils; press point of needle tool into black balls. Roll a 3/16-inch red ball into a small roll, and taper each end. Place roll across top of eyes for eyebrows. Indent center of red roll with needle tool.
Bend wire in half, and twist ends together tightly. Insert wire into silver bulb top. See Silly Penguin, step 6, to finish.

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Bend the wire in half and insert
in the top of the silver ball.

To construct a Silly Tree magnet:

Press a 7/8-inch green ball into a triangle. With needle tool, make branch lines at sides.

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Make cuts in the side of the triangle
to form the branches.
Wrap a flattened 1/8-inch white ball around top of tree for a snowcap. Slightly bend top of tree.
Mix a 1/4-inch red ball with a 1/4-inch green ball until brown. Shape brown clay into trunk, and press it to bottom of tree.
Draw a smile on tree with needle tool. Make two 1/8-inch white balls, and place them side by side above smile for eyes. Press a tiny black ball of clay in each eye for pupils; press point of needle tool into black balls. Roll a 3/16-inch green ball into a small roll, and taper each end. Place roll across top of eyes for eyebrows. Indent center of green roll with needle tool.
Mix 2 small equal-size balls of white and green clays, and 2 small balls of red and white clays to make light green and pink. Press tiny balls of light green, red, pink, and white to tree for ornaments. See Silly Penguin, step 6, to finish.

To construct a Silly Penguin magnet:

Roll a 7/8-inch black ball into a chubby teardrop shape; smaller end is bottom of body. Pinch two 3/8-inch black balls into wings, and press to sides of body.

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Pinch two balls in to wings and press
them into the sides of the penguin's body.
Mix a 3/8-inch white ball with a 3/16-inch red ball to make pink. Form two 1/4-inch pink balls into feet shapes, and press feet to bottom of body. Make a 3/16-inch pink ball into a triangle, and press to face area for bill. Make 2 holes in bill with point of needle tool.
Roll a 1/4-inch white ball into a flat oval. Press to body for chest. Roll two 1/4-inch white balls, shape them, and place them side by side above bill for eyes. Press a tiny black ball into each eye for pupils; press point of needle tool into black balls. Roll a 3/16-inch black ball into a small roll, and taper at each end. Place roll above eyes for eyebrows. Indent center with needle tool.
Shape two 3/16-inch green balls into diamonds. Indent sides and middle with needle tool to look like holly leaves. Place leaves at top of chest. Place 2 tiny red balls on leaves for berries.
Shape a 1/4-inch red ball into a cone, and press it to top of head. Roll a 3/8-inch white ball to 1-inch in length. Gently press white clay so it is slightly flat, and wrapit around bottom of hat. Make indent lines with needle tool. Press a 3/8-inch white ball to top of hat.

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Make a Santa Claus hat and
place it on top of the penguin.
Bake all ornaments according to manufacturer's directions. Let cool, and attach magnets to backs.

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Once the magnet is finished,
attach the magnet to the back.

Holiday Lights

Light up your Christmas with a string of lights that perpetually "glow." Kids will love helping with this fun project! Here are the materials you will need:

Paper clay: red, green, yellow, black
1/4-inch dowels, 3 inches long
Acrylic high-luster varnish
Paintbrush
7 feet green cord, 2mm
Craft glue

To construct a Holiday Lights:

Take a piece of red clay about the size of a walnut, and form a bulb on bottom 1-inch of dowel. Make 5 bulbs of each color except black. Let dry.

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Make 5 bulbs, one for each color.
Varnish bulbs. Let dry.
Make a socket using 1/2-inch strip of black clay about 1/16 inch thick, and wrap it around top of bulb. Repeat for all bulbs. Let dry overnight.
Remove dowel, and insert a loop of cord into bulb. Glue in place. Add a bulb about every 4 inches.

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Glue the cord in place on each bulb.

This year, turn your house into a Christmas celebration with more than just a tree and ornaments. There are Christmas crafts for every corner of your home.

About the Craft Designers:

Sweet Scaninavian Angel: Dee Dee Triplett

Angel Folk Band: Maria Nerius

Classic Cutwork Angel: Dee Dee Triplett

Warm and Wonderful Welcome Mat: Carol Neu

Heavenly Door Hanging: Phyllis Dunstan

Marvelous Mitten Hanging: Trena Hegdahl

Holiday Cheer Topiary: Kathy Lamancusa/Maria J. Buscemi

Sweetest Christmas Tree: Diane Hardy

Fun in the Forrest: Nerius House Designs

Lodge-Style Luminary: Jill D. Evans

Scandinavian Basket Tree: Karen Almy Stovall

Celebration of Christmas Trees: Jill D. Evans

Jingle the Red-Nose Reindeer: Jill D. Evans

Jolly Metal Punch Santa: Jill D. Evans

Pom Reindeer Magnet: Cindy Groom Harry and Staff

Light the Yule Log: Ed Smith

Christmas Cardinal Centerpiece: Ed Smith

Jolly Jingle Bell: Ed Smith, AIFD

Candy Cane Doorknob Decoration: Cindy Groom Harry and Staff

Sweetest Birdhouse: Carol Neu

Holly Jolly Cardinal Wall Hanging: Judith Sandstrom

Four Calling Birds: Walter B . Fedyshyn, AIFD, PFCI

Merriest Wall Hanging: Lindsay Teague

Christmas Joy: Ed Smith

Noel Card Holder: Jill D.Evans

Festive DIY Christmas Crafts: Decorate Your Home with Homemade Charm

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