Category Archives: Christmas

Christmas Countdown – Day Seven

Day Seven of the Christmas Countdown already! That’s a whole week gone…eek!

From last year’s Advent Calendar I bring you gift tags, I had lot’s of fun making these. I wish I could remember the safe place in which I put the pot of silver bells, I’ve just had an idea….

Click on the photos below to go to the links, there are some lovely free tags to download and print if you haven’t the time to make your own…

Planet Penny Advent Calendar – Day Seven

These look very professional. I haven’t tested how easy it is to personalise them with your own choice of names, but Lia Griffiths the designer seems to have explained things very thoroughly.

liagriffith.com

You can buy these tags on Etsy, simple and very pretty…

Terryscards – Etsy

The Wee Birdy tags come in various colourways to download and print…

weebirdy.com

Understated elegance…

Happiness DIY

and homespun fun…

Fresh Picked Whimsy

I hope you find something here to suit your Christmas style…

See you tomorrow…x

Christmas Countdown – Day Six

Day Six on the Christmas Countdown… and last year I was thinking about pinning things, and it wasn’t anything to do with Pinterest either! There’s always stuff to pin up at Christmas from Christmas Cards to shopping lists so pretty pins are always useful for the pinboard, whether it’s in the kitchen or the workroom. I made these last year and if you follow the link below you can find out how. They are very easy, and packed in a pretty, decorated glass jar would make a great stocking filler for a crafty friend.

covered thumbtacks - Christmas Countdown day 6

Planet Penny Advent Calendar 2012 – Day Six

A good use of bottle tops here, you’d have to remember to be v-e-r-y gentle with the bottle opener to keep them neat!

Bottle top thumb tacks - Christmas Countdown Day 6

Martha Stewart

We’re back to buttons again here, is there no end to their uses? You can even fasten clothes with them, you know!

button thumb tacks - Christmas Countdown Day 6

The Crafted Sparrow

This candle idea is fun, and very easy. I feel like I have to do a Health and Safety thing here….take the pins out before the candle burns down to them… never leave burning candles unattended…not suitable for children under 36 months…

How about not lighting the candle at all, just stand back and admire!

thumb tack candle - Christmas Countdown Day 6

Activity Village

This next requires a serious amount of drawing pins, and maybe an account at the stationers…

thumb tack tree - Christmas Countdown Day 6

Landeelu

But oranges, lemons and limes would all look good with this treatment, if you’re not tempted to put them all in the mulled wine!

It’s not time for mulled wine alas, but I am in need of a cup of coffee so I’ll say…

…until tomorrow…x

Christmas Countdown – Day Five

We’ve got swags and garlands for Day Five of the Christmas Countdown.

(I’ve just been completely diverted by going back to the original blog post about the making of this garland and reliving a moment from 2009! That’s what’s so lovely about writing a blog, isn’t it?)

Anyway, the link below will take you to a tutorial for this particular Christmas Garland…

Planet Penny Advent Calendar – Day Five

The next one was for sale at Anthropologie, but I don’t think it taxes the imagination too much to work out how to make something similar…

Anthropologie

Pompoms again! I love them…

pompom wreath - christmas countdown day 5

I sooooo want a stags head! Not a real one you understand, that wouldn’t be kind, but I would have such fun dressing it up like this… and the crochet garland is very pretty too!

reindeer head - Christmas Countdown Day 5

ing-things.com

And here’s a really pretty idea, and simple enough to do with the children.

This one is for sale on Etsy but Blooming Felt has a fantastic range of thick 100% wool fleece and felt balls for a project like this…

Felted Garland - Christmas Countdown Day 5

Etsy.com

Andfinally, a scrap bag garland, made by knotting fabric strips onto a wire ring base, or onto thick string to make a garland…

scrap wreath - Christmas Countdown Day 5

Crafts & DIY

I’m off to look for a stag’s head…I’ll be back tomorrow!

Christmas Countdown – Day Three

It’s Day Three of the Christmas Countdown and I’ve got a spot of paper folding for you. I loved Origami as a child and I think the one and only book on the subject in our local library spent more time at my house than on the library shelves! I only found out about these simple little stars made from paper strips relatively recently, though, and these are the ones I made last year for the Advent Calendar. (click the photo below to find the instructions)

Planet Penny Advent Calendar – Day Three

Brightly coloured folded paper balls are spectacular, and you have to be pretty neat fingered and accurate. However, I think once you’ve made them you would want to have them on display all year round, not just Christmas time!

Origami Lights Christmas Countdown Day 3

thecraftideas.com

These snowflakes and Santas are very jolly and brightly coloured, aren’t they? The website the picture is linked to has little videos to show you how to make them. I haven’t had a chance to try them out yet, but if you do I love to know how you get on!

origami snowflakes Christmas Countdown Day 3

Origami Maniacs

I had a craze for making paper cranes a while back and filled the family Christmas tree! I sourced some metallic and iridescent Origami sheets which looked really pretty.

These stars make a pretty garland…

Design Detective

…and going back to the simple little stars at the beginning, this would make a stunning centrepiece for the Christmas table wouldn’t it?

etsy.com

Enjoy the links and have fun with the paper folding, I’m itching to have a go myself now!

Until tomorrow…x

Christmas Countdown – Day Two

Hello! I hope you enjoyed the links and inspiration for Day One of the Christmas Countdown.

Looking back to last year and the Planet Penny Advent Calendar I found the little yarn balls which I made as tree decorations which then went on to have decorative use all year round.

This is how they started out…

mini balls and needles - Christmas Countdown day 2

Planet Penny Advent Calendar – Day Two

They then went on the tree…

And eventually found a new life as the Knitting Mobile!

Knitting Mobile Christmas Countdown Day 2

Knitting Mobile link to PDF

This year I made some slightly bigger baubles by the same method, leaving off the knitting needles and adding a contrasting button on the hanger.

So with the wrapping of threads in mind, here are a few more ideas…

These are made using balloons and I think would work well fixed over fairy lights.

home-dzine.co.zaI

I can’t find a link for this one but I love it, even though it would take oodles of yarn (and patience!)

This little tree is sweet, and makes good use of battery fairy lights which are a much safer option, especially when you have excited little ones around.

Homemade Gifts Made Easy

And this is a lovely, simple idea. What better time of year than Christmas to count your blessings and put them on a string?

A Soft Place To Land

I hope you like these yarn and string ideas. Don’t forget to click the images and links to find out more..

Have fun! See you tomorrow…x

Christmas Countdown – Day One

It’s that time again! Have you eaten the first chocolate from your Advent Calendar yet? We are now on the final run down to the ‘Big Day’, and there is always so much to do, isn’t there? Last year’s Planet Penny Advent Calendar was lots of fun, a daily post with a craft, decoration or recipe.

This year I’ve rather less time available, alas, but I’m planning an Advent Calendar reprise, the Christmas Countdown – with added extras!

Everyday I’ll be bringing you seasonal pictures, ideas and links which I hope will give some inspiration, and something to enjoy when you take a well earned break from the festivities! Just click on the images below to find the source and instructions where available

I do like to add a little individuality to my gift wrapping, but it does mean some forward planning. Last year I utilised a large roll of lovely brown paper which is so much cheaper than the glossy printed variety.

I should imagine it’s much more ecologically friendly too.

Planet Penny Advent Calendar – Day One

There’s masses of scope for imaginative decorations, and great fun if you get the children involved with cutting out and printing and the compulsory glue/ glitter combo! And how about the good old potato print?