Opal Crown: DIY CHRISTMAS

Are you looking for a unique gift idea or new, adorable ornaments to hang on your tree this year? I have the answer—embroidered ornaments! They add the perfect handmade touch to any Christmas tree.

Year after year, I use the same decorations. I really wanted to include something unique. I wanted to add a personal touch, and what better way to do so than with embroidery art? So grab a warm blanket and your favorite cup of coffee and let's get sewing.

MATERIAL NEEDED:

Wood embroidery hoops
Embroidery floss
Embroidery needles
Scissors
Pencil
Ribbon or twine for hanging
Fabri-tac glue
Optional: Felt
Optional: Brown paint and a paintbrush

DIRECTIONS:

1.) This step is optional. Water down some brown paint to stain the wood from the embroidery hoop. It adds a little something extra to the overall look.

2.) Make a few sketches of your design in a notebook before drawing on your fabric. When you're satisfied with the look, transfer it to your fabric.

3.) Let's move on to the Christmas tree. For the trunk, I used the back stitch method using brown thread.

4.) I used the same stitch for the tree leaves.

5.) To hang the embroidery hoop, tie a ribbon or piece of twine to the top.

6.) As for the back, apply glue all around the outer edge. Fold the fabric over and press it into the inner ring of the hoop as you go around it.

7.) This step is optional but ideal if you want to cover the back of the stitches, trace around the inner hoop on the felt fabric, and cut the circle out.

8.) Place the felt on the back of the hoop and attach it with a running stitch.

All done!

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This year for Christmas, I decided to make gift tags that can double as ornaments for everyone in my family. This is an opportunity to let the kids join in on the project and share a special moment together. Making tags out of clay is ridiculously easy, and once you learn how to make them, you'll want to gift them to everyone you know.

MATERIALS NEEDED:

Air dry modeling clay
Rolling pin or glass cup
Cookie cutters
Yarn or twine
Skewer (or anything pointy to make the holes)
Sculpey glaze

DIRECTIONS:

1.) Tear off a chunk of the clay and warm up by working with your hands.

2.) Roll out the clay to your desired thickness.

3.) Use cookie cutters to cut the shapes you want.

4.) Carefully remove the excess clay.

5.) Use anything pointy to poke a small hole on the top of each shape.

6.) To smooth out any areas, use a bit of water and your fingertips.

7.) Allow the tags to dry for 24-48 hours

8.) Once dried, tie them to your gifts with yarn or twine.

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A sustainable alternative to gift wrapping is furoshiki. Which is a traditional Japanese wrapping cloth used to wrap gifts or carry belongings. The type of fabric that is most commonly used is cotton, silk, nylon, or rayon. I love using fabric instead of single-use gift wraps to reduce waste. Cloth wrapping doesn't only look gorgeous, but it can last a very long time. You can use various pattern designs or colors depending on who you are planning on gifting it to. I wanted to make the fabric wrap using materials I already had at home. I found these beautiful fabric scraps I've used in previous projects. They were perfect and came out better than I expected.

MATERIALS:

Fabric
Scissors
Needle & thread or sewing machine
Optional: greenery or flowers

DIRECTIONS:

1.) Cut the fabric to your desired size or depending on the size of your gift. (Mine measures 60 by 60 cm.)

2.) With the right side facing down, fold and press half an inch from the edge.

3.) Fold and press the edge again. (Do this to each side.)

4.) Pin the edges so they won't unfold.

5.) Sew using a straight stitch by hand or with a sewing machine.

6.) Do this to each side, and you are done!

7.) Decorate the gift with greenery or dried flowers.

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I had no idea what to gift my parents for Christmas this year, but I knew one thing for sure, I can never go wrong with alcohol. That's probably the best thing anyone could ever gift them, and I swear, I'm not exaggerating when I say that. To make their gift feel more special, I made a reusable gift bag to place their bottle of wine inside, so let's begin!

MATERIALS NEEDED:

Fabric
Needle & Thread/Sewing Machine
Pins
Scissors

DIRECTIONS:

1.) To begin, you'll need some fabric, any kind will work. I'm using leftover cotton fabric I had in my stash.

2.) Fold the fabric in half, lay the bottle on the fabric, and cut it in a rectangular shape. Cut the rectangle 2 inches wider than the bottle, and 4 inches longer at the top.

3.) Turn the fabric with the right sides together, and stitch the sides.

4.) Fold the top of the fabric over twice and sew.

5.) Flip the fabric over and decorate the bag as you'd wish! I wrote Merry Christmas, tied a ribbon, and some greenery.

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I can't believe 2020 is almost over. It was a heck of a year for everyone. No matter what happened, I couldn't be happier that it was finally coming to an end. With Christmas right around the corner, I was really excited to start shopping for everyone. Especially for my son, now that he's older, looking for things he likes was so much fun. Since I have a lot of wrapping to do, I thought I would share with you guys my fav tips and tricks for wrapping gifts using items from the dollar tree. You'd be surprised by how many amazing things you can find there. One of my favorite finds was the chalkboard tags because I can reuse them every year and the baker twine.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means that if you decide to make a purchase through my links, I will receive a commission at no additional cost to you. For additional information, please see my disclosure.

MATERIAL NEEDED:

White Kraft Paper
Brown Kraft Paper
Kraft Gift Box

Burlap Ribbon
Lace Ribbon

Jute Twine
Baker Twine

Chalkboard Tags/ Marker
Black & White Paint/ Paintbrushes
Greenery

DIRECTIONS:

1ST GIFT IDEA:

1.) This gift idea is the easiest of them all. Start by wrapping a lace ribbon around the kraft box, and tie a simple bow.

2.) Add a tag to the box and some greenery.

2ND GIFT IDEA:

1.) Wrap the gift like you usually would with brown kraft paper.

2.) Rip a piece of white kraft paper.

3.) Wrap the stripe around the gift, and secure the ends with tape.

4.) Wrap the box with burlap ribbon and secure the ends with tape.

5.) Next, take some twine and wrap it around the box. Then, tie the ends into a bow.

6.) To finish, top off the present with some greenery and a tag.

3RD GIFT IDEA:

1.) Wrap the present with brown kraft paper.

2.) In a container, add 1 part of the black acrylic paint and another part of the water. Mix well to combine the mixture. Do the same with the white paint.

3.) Dip the brush in the paint and flick the brush onto the paper.

4.) Continue flicking the brush onto the paper until you are satisfied with the results.

5.) Once the paint dries, wrap baker twine around the gift several times, add the greenery and the chalkboard tag.

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How To Make A Christmas Wreath 2 Ways To Display

Christmas is finally approaching us one of the happiest times of the year. I couldn't wait to share with you guys my first Christmas DIY of the month, and what better way to get crafting, than with a simple, cute, and affordable wreath. Using all items from the dollar store. This mini festive wreath only cost me 4 dollars, so if you want to learn how I made it check down below for the full tutorial.

SUPPLIES USED:

Mini Wreath
1 Red Berry
2 Green Pines
Adhesive of Choice ( I used a hot glue gun)
Wire or String (to hang the wreath)

INSTRUCTION:

1. Remove the green pines and red berries from their steam, if you haven't done so already.

2. Glue each individual green pine on the wreath until it's fully covered.

3. Then add the berries for extra dimension and allow it to dry completely. It should only take a few minutes since the hot glue dries pretty quickly.