Upcycle Those Christmas Cards

If you haven't quite got round to recycling your pile of Christmas cards, why not upcycle them instead? I know that this is a bit late and most people took their decorations down last weekend, but even if you've already thrown away your cards, this is a great way to create your own gift tags during the rest of the year.

I love old fashioned, brown luggage/postage labels and already use them in my bib packaging, so I loved the idea of this label shaped punch when I read about it on the Offbeat & Inspired blog back in December. I immediately bought one online from Amazon and intended to use it to make some homemade labels for Christmas. Sadly I didn't actually get it until after Christmas, but when I was taking down all my Christmas cards last week I was thinking what a shame it was to throw them away when I remembered the punch.

It's so simple to use and strangely addictive, you find yourself wanting to punch label shapes out of everything! Now I have lots of labels ready for next year which I've packed away with the ribbons and Christmas wrapping paper. As it will be the first Christmas with a new baby, I think I'll be very glad that I was so organised!

I do intend to use it all year round to make pretty home made tags, like the ones made out of cereal boxes that Offbeat & Inspired originally blogged about that inspired me in the first place! Have a look at Sarah & Tiffany's beautiful tags here.

Homemade Christmas Cards

Now it is December, it's officially OK to start getting excited about Christmas - yay! After a failed attempt to buy some 'nice' cards for my close family that didn't cost about a fiver (when did cards get so pricey?), I decided to make my own. Here are my first attempts:

 To create something similar, lay out your buttons on a different card or blank piece of paper and then gradually sew the buttons on the card you're going to use in sequence - easy! I used double thread and taped down the knotted ends on the inside so that they don't come loose. And I even added a little bell on the top for that Christmas sound effect.

For my second design, I cut out some mini stockings out of red felt, attached a bit of silver ribbon to the top and then secured them to the card by sewing on the buttons. I've left spaces on both to sew on people's names and I think next time I might sew the stockings on the card with a blanket stitch and even fill them with little presents.

With some Christmas carols on and festive biscuits to nibble on, making these was surprisingly therapeutic so hopefully I'll have time to make some more and maybe get a bit more adventurous with my designs.

A Fine Fox

The boy and I managed to escape to the country last week for a few days in beautiful Devon. We were absurdly lucky with the weather with lots of sunshine which is highly unseasonal for October.

On the way back, we stopped off for a night in Wiltshire with the lovely Robin and Mould to meet the gorgeous new addition to the family, their beautiful daughter Edie.

And they gave me a belated birthday present which is such a cute idea that I wanted to share it. It's a teatowel that is also a Sew Your Own Fox!

It comes complete with instructions to cut out and sew your fox and they even have a video online at www.mibo.co.uk. They also have sew your own owls, lions and squirrel tea towels. Now I just have to work out if I want to keep it as a teatowel or cut it up. Think the temptation to sew it will win.

I liked it so much that I've since been lusting after all kinds of lovely stuff on the Mibo website. They are a small UK company based in Hove in Sussex and they make all kinds of things from paper animals to adorable printed T shirts. I'm already planning to get organised and buy some Christmas pressies from the site.

Mibo website

Sunday Skirts

As this isn't the first time I've mentioned Christmas on here, you won't be surprised to know that I've already started on the mulled wine. I figure I'm allowed as I'm making Christmas presents, with the added bonus that if they turn out well I'll develop some more lines to sell in my shop.

I haven't quite gone as far as playing the Christmas tunes yet (the boyfriend draws a line when it's still this early), but I was pretty pleased with this cute little skirt. Next I'm planning a range of different fabric and sizes (this one should fit a 2 year old). I'm thinking of making one for my goddaughter in a Liberty print and I'm already regretting not buying some of their adorable Hello Kitty fabric. It seems to have sold out online but hopefully it wasn't just a one off collaboration.

(Photo via: http://www.liberty.co.uk)

Too early for Christmas...?

Some people might say yes, but for those of us who need to get crafting you can never be prepared too early. I'm not alone as there are loads of lovely things on Etsy already and I've pulled together a treasury list of inspirational Christmas items.

               Christmas Tags - Do Not Open Until December 25th by Shabby Peas Designs

 

Believe Christmas Mantle banner by Any Occasion Banners

                           Retro Kids Cookie Decorating Party set by Blush Printables

For more Christmas inspiration have a look at my treasury list.

Sunday Sewing

Thankfully, I managed to stay in long enough this weekend to start making things again - which is just as well as I have some pre-orders in for some bibs and the babies are on their way. I also finally got around to making some cushions with this Orla Kiely Car Park Print material that I've had for ages.

As you can't seem to buy Orla Kiely material by the metre, (surely there would be a market for it?) I ended up buying some pillowcases and picking them apart. I used the smaller print on one side to cover a footstool from a junk shop and always intended to make cushions with the larger car print on the other side. I managed to cover the stool almost a year ago, so I'm very pleased I can now cross the cushions off my to do list. They were so quick to make I'm not really sure why I put it off for so long.  

I've seen on Twitter that a few crafters are already talking about Christmas. I have to confess that I started thinking about it on the first day of September. (I get a bit over-excited about Christmas so I'm banned from talking about it until this month.) So the next job is researching some new product ideas which I'm looking forward to - a glass of mulled wine anyone?