D.I.Y Christmas Decorations

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hey everyone,

i was looking threw the internet and came across alot of crafts forchirstmas and i said id share them with you as i no money is tight this christmas and im sure alot of you's will agree every little does help :) photo's are attached hope the details are ok please leave feedback many thanks :)



paper craft santa, just follow the link print him off and fold him together, kids love this,


http://familyfun.go.com/printables/s...-craft-704339/





Glass Rim Place Cards for Christmas

follow the link and print same as above :) pics below hope this helps

http://familyfun.go.com/assets/cms/p...table-1109.pdf




Penguin Ornament

same as above instrucstions are on the link :)

http://familyfun.go.com/assets/cms/p...table-1109.pdf






Silly-Legs Santa



Here's a curly Santa ornament with a real spring in his step.

Materials

* Egg carton
* Masking tape
* White paint
* Skin-tone paint
* Red paint
* Googly eyes
* Red puffy paint
* Red felt

* Glue
* White pom-pom
* White cotton
* Red pipe cleaners
* Pencil
* Black felt
* Pushpin
* Gold elastic cord

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Instructions

1.

To make one, start with the basic body shape, as described for the Petite Penguin, but omit the rice. Paint the top half of the body white, with a small skin-tone face area, then paint the bottom half red. Glue on googly eyes and add a dot of red puffy paint for a nose.
2.

For a hat, glue a 4 1/2- by 1 1/2-inch piece of red felt around the top of the head. Glue closed the top, then add a white pom-pom. Glue on white cotton for Santa's beard and the trim on his hat.
3.

Silly-Legs Santa Step 3 For arms and legs, coil red pipe cleaners (1 for each leg, 1/2 for each arm) by winding them around a pencil. Glue one end of each leg between 2 black felt boot shapes, and bend one end of each arm into a round hand shape. Use a pushpin to create small arm- and legholes in the body, then push through one end of each curled pipe cleaner.
4.

Finally, glue a loop of gold elastic cord to the back of Santa's hat for hanging.






Cardboard Candlesticks


Total Time Needed:
1 Hour

Turn paper tubes into candlesticks complete with shimmery flames.

Materials

* Paper towel and tissue tubes
* Glue

* Acrylic paints
* Gold foil wrapping paper

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Instructions

1.

Cardboard Candlesticks Set the tubes on end, then (here's the fun part) squirt blobs of white glue right from the bottle around the top of each one.
2.

Allow the glue to run down the sides to create a dripped-wax effect. Let the glue dry thorougly (it should look clear when it has.)
3.

Brush on a coat or two of paint over the dried glue, and again let the candlesticks dry completely.
4.

Cut a flame shape for each candle from a sheet of gold foil wrapping paper. Attach each flame to its candlestick by gluing or taping the lower edge to the inside of the painted tube.




Recycled Gift Tags

Dress up your presents--and give new life to last year's cards--with these easy gift tags. To make one, choose an image that offers enough blank space for your to's and from's (or you can write them on the tag's back). Use card stock for the tag base, then cut around the image so it's slightly smaller than the base (for a more interesting look, we used pinking shears). Glue the image to the base with white craft glue or glue stick. When it's dry, write "To" and "From" on the tag with permanent marker (gold and silver look especially festive). Punch a hole at the top of the tag, thread a length of ribbon through the hole, and tie a knot to secure it.




Shimmering Shelfsicles


Total Time Needed:
1 Hour

Even if the temperature where you live never drops below freezing, you can still have a row of frosty icicles -- inside, no less!

Materials

* White glitter felt
* Paper

* Glue stick

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Instructions

1.

Cut white glitter felt into a strip 6 1/2 inches wide and as long as your shelf. On the non-glittery side, draw long, pointy icicles with a pencil and cut them out, leaving a border of 1 1/2 inches on the top edge.
2.

Shimmering Shelfsicles - Step 2 Cut a strip of white paper about 4 inches wide and as long as your shelf (tape multiple pieces of paper together as needed). Fold over 1/2-inch of one edge, then join the felt piece and the folded paper with a glue stick as shown.
3.

Clear a shelf, lay the paper on it so that the icicles hang down, and replace the objects to keep the shelfsicles in place.




Emoticon Magnets


Materials

* Computer and printer
* Colored markers
* Scissors

* Clear, flat decorative gems (available at craft stores)
* Glue
* Small, round self-adhesive magnets

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Instructions

1.

Use a computer to create a variety of emoticons slightly smaller than the gems. Leave plenty of space between them. Print them out.
2.

Use the markers to decorate and color the different faces. Then cut out the faces, trimming them into ovals or circles slightly smaller than the gems.
3.

Glue each cutout (facedown) to the back of a glass pebble and then affix a magnet. Make sure the glue dries completely before you wrap the magnets as a gift.

Tips:
The magnets shown here were made with some of the more familiar emoticons, or "smileys." Encourage your child to see what other expressions she can create.

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Make these simple chair covers for Christmas, then customize them for any celebration at home or school.

Materials

* Felt
* Fabric glue or needle and thread

* Pins
* Repositionable glue (we used nontoxic Aleene's Spritz-On Reposition-It Tacky Glue, available at craft stores)

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Instructions

1.

Snowman Chair Covers - Step 1 The Slipcover:

This easy slipcover, made from a few yards of felt, serves as a backdrop for a year's worth of decorations.

First, decide how far down the back of your chair you want the slipcover to hang. Measure from that point up and over the top of the chair, then down to the seat (or stop at the arms if your chair has them). This is the total length of felt you'll need for each cover. Now measure the width of the chair back at its widest point; add to that measurement the thickness of the chair back and 1 inch for the seams (1/2 inch per side).
2.

For each chair, cut a piece of white felt to fit your measurements. Ours ran 1 1/2 yards long and 2/3 yard wide.
3.

Fold the felt over the chair and pin the sides in place. Remove the cover and sew up the sides or glue them together with fabric glue. If you sew them, turn the cover inside out.
4.

Snowman Chair Covers - Step 4 The Decorations

This jolly fellow's scarf is cut from polar fleece and around the chair rather than glued onto the slipcover. Click here to download the snowman template.

(To view the .pdf files, you'll need Adobe Reader which is available for free from the Adobe site.)
5.

Trace the templates on to felt (or other lightweight materials such as ribbon) and then cut them out. (We hot-glued pom-poms to all the black felt circles to make the snowman's eyes, mouth and buttons to look more like coal.) Dimensions will depend on the size of your chair covers.
6.

Spray the back of each piece with a thin layer of repositionable glue, then press them onto the slipcovers or layer them on top of one another. (If little hands peel off any of them, just apply another layer of glue and press them back on.) Tip: If you get a clump of glue, spread it out with a paintbrush so it doesn't leave a mark on the white felt.
7.

Store the pieces in plastic bags, preferably with the sticky sides facing away from one another. Next time you use them, spritz on another layer of glue.

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Festive Holiday Napkins

Total time needed 1-2hrs


Customized for the holiday of your choice, these delightful -- and washable -- napkins look great whether at the kids' table or next to Grandma's best china. They make great gifts for grandparents, aunts, and uncles.

Materials

* Felt
* Scissors
* Fabric glue (we used Fabri-tac)

* Set of machine-washable napkins
* Sequins
* Mini pom-poms

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Instructions

1.

Cut decorative shapes from the felt, such as a dreidel, Christmas tree, or reindeer (or use our templates).
2.

Glue the shapes to a corner of each napkin and decorate them with glued-on sequins and/or mini pom-poms.

[tudlytops]

Fantastic, will be trying a few of these and best of all one can do them with the kiddies, all fun

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Silverware stickings

These stockings add a playful touch to the dinner table throughout the holidays. They also make it easier to hang on to everything you need when maneuvering through a buffet line. You might see similar items in home decor catalogs, but you can make your own for a fraction of the cost. A beaded initial adds a personalized touch.

Materials

* Stocking template -- draw your own or download ours
* Scissors
* Felt
* Patterned fabric

* Hot glue or fabric glue
* Rickrack
* Beads
* Beading cord (we used clear plastic cord)

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Instructions

1.

Use the template to cut two stocking shapes from the felt, then cut the cuff and toe shapes from the patterned fabric. The cuff is a long rectangle with the two long edges folded under and ironed for a clean look.
2.

Glue the two stocking shapes together at the edges, leaving the top of the stocking open. Fold a 6-inch length of rickrack in half and glue the ends just inside the stocking's top. Glue the cuff and toe in place.
3.

String beads onto the cord. When the string of beads is long enough to form your letter, knot both ends. Draw your letter onto the stocking with glue, then press the string of beads onto it.

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Originally Posted by tudlytops

Fantastic, will be trying a few of these and best of all one can do them with the kiddies, all fun

i have more to come tudlytops best of all as you said we can do them with the kids the worst part about christmas and having not alot of money is you spend alot of time at home watching old moviies why not try a few crafts both you and the little ones will enjoy spending time together :)


many more to come il post separtly as pic to go with and no1 can get confused :)

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Starry Santa Tin
Ho, ho, homemade Claus from


this one is brillant for left over sweet tins just re-decorate to your own taste and you can use it all year round :)


Here's a stellar way to spruce up an old tin for carrying Christmas cookies: decorate it with a folk art Santa.

Materials

* Cookie tin
* Colored tissue
* Scissors and glue

* Acrylic sealer
* Ribbon

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Instructions

1.

Trace around the lid onto a solid-color piece of paper, cut out the circle, then glue it to the lid. Next, lightly pencil a rough five-pointed star shape onto the lid. (Tip: Start by making five evenly spaced marks around the edge of the lid for the star points.)
2.

Now, let your kids create the Santa within the star pattern. Here, we glued on cut paper shapes (including punched holes for Santa's eyes and nose), but your kids could also use acrylic paints--or even a combination of paper and paint. Seal their design with a thin coat of acrylic sealer.
3.

To finish off the tin, glue a piece of ribbon around the outside rim of the lid. Now it's ready to fill with cookies.

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easy peasy mini xmas tree decoration

made in 2 mins

all you need is pipe cleaners and sequins and glue

the pic below will explain everything:)

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follw the pic to help with the directions :)

Advent Calendar


Count down the days 'til Christmas with a calendar filled with sweet surprises.

Materials

* Construction paper
* Scissors
* 25 small treats
* 2-inch wide colored tape
* Puff paint

* Tape or glue
* Rickrack
* Pencil
* Colored yarn

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Instructions

1.

Advent Calendar - Step 1 Gather 25 small treats, such as gumball-machine prizes, wrapped candy and trinkets. Cut a 4 1/2-foot length of 2-inch wide colored tape. Lay the tape sticky side up and place the treats along the length of it, approximately 1 inch apart.
2.

Advent Calendar - Step 2 Next, tape together several pieces of construction paper or sections of a paper grocery bag to create a 6-foot long, 3-inch wide strip. Place it atop the treat-covered tape and press together the paper and tape around each treat . Trim off any excess paper.
3.

Advent Calendar - Step 3 Write the numbers 1 through 25 in puff paint on pieces of colored construction paper and cut them out. For extra fun, shape pieces into green trees, red Christmas balls and a yellow star. Starting at the bottom, tape or glue the numbers to the paper strip, one over each treat. Finally, glue rickrack along the edges of the paper and tape the top of the calendar to a pencil.
4.

Tie a length of colored yarn to the ends of the pencil, and the Advent calendar is ready to hang.

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Countdown-to-Christmas Collage


Total Time Needed:
Afternoon Or Evening


Kids can enjoy a literal buildup to December 25th with this add-to-it-each-day twist on an Advent calendar.

Materials

* FOR THE BACKDROP
* 1 yard of felt, cut to 25 by 28 inches
* Scissors
* Ruler
* 2 feet of cording
* 2 (3/8-inch-diameter) dowels, each cut to 27 inches
* Fabric glue
* FOR THE ADD-ONS
* 1/4 yard of felt for the house, cut to 9 by 22 inches

* 1/4 yard of felt for the roof
* 1/8 yard of white felt for the snow
* 10 to 12 (about 9- by 12-inch) felt sheets in a variety of colors
* Templates for the add-ons
* Fine-tipped permanent marker
* Small pom-poms for the Christmas tree
* 16 tiny bells for the reindeer
* Repositionable glue such as nontoxic Aleene's Spritz-On Reposition-It Tacky Glue

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Instructions

1.

Countdown-to-Christmas Collage - Step 1 Backdrop
Set the felt right-side down on a flat surface. Using scissors, make 2 small holes along the top edge, as shown, 1 inch down from the top and 10 inches in from each side. Thread the ends of the cording through the holes.
2.

Lay one of the dowels lengthwise across the felt and tie each end of the cording around it in a tight double knot. Pull the cording taut.
3.

Countdown-to-Christmas Collage - Step 3 Spread a thin, even line of fabric glue across the top edge of the felt. Tightly fold the felt over the dowel and press it in place. Repeat the gluing process with the second dowel (but no cording) along the bottom edge of the felt. Allow the glue to dry thoroughly (about 45 minutes).
4.

Countdown-to-Christmas Collage - Step 4 Add-on Pieces

Download and print templates for the add-on pieces and roof and snow templates. Trace and cut out each. Following the directions on the templates, glue together the layered elements, such as Santa. Add details such as eyes, chocolate chips, and the word "toys" on the bag with a permanent marker.
5.

Countdown-to-Christmas Collage - Step 5 Set the pieces facedown on a clean trash bag. Following the directions on the label, spray with repositionable glue. Store the pieces in a plastic bag, preferably with the sticky sides facing away from one another, until you're ready to place them on the collage. (If a piece isn't sticking properly, apply more glue and allow it to dry thoroughly.) Next year, simply spritz on another layer of repositionable glue before starting your collage.

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Chewy & Louie


Total Time Needed:
1 Hour

Whether slip-sliding across Lake Lollipop or waddling up to greet guests at the chalet, these dapper penguins are a cool yet comical pair.

For the complete edible winter wonderland, click here!

Materials

* Toothpicks
* 2 small white gumdrops
* 2 large white gumdrops
* 2 orange jelly beans, halved
* Royal icing

* 2 purple Necco wafers, halved
* 2 orange M&M's, halved
* Scissors
* Black shoestring licorice

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Instructions

1.

To make each penguin, use a toothpick to attach the small gumdrop (the penguin's head) on top of the large one (the body). Snap a toothpick in half and use the same technique to attach the jelly bean halves to the penguin's body as feet.
2.

Using small dabs of royal icing, glue the Necco wafer halves in place as wings and the M&M half as a beak.
3.

Snip off two tiny lengths of shoestring licorice and affix them with royal icing to make the eyes.

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Dog Paw Stocking

Toatl time needed 2-3 hrs

Cut your family's furriest friend in on the action -- this stocking's big enough to hold a bone that will last all day.

Materials

* Scissors
* 2 pieces of light tan faux fur, each 24 by 13 inches
* 2 piece of dark tan faux fur, each 24 by 13 inches
* Sheet of dark brown felt, 9 by 12 inches
* Long sewing pins

* Large-eye sewing needle
* Dark brown embroidery floss
* Clear tape
* 9 inches of tan twist cord

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Instructions

1.

The Basic Stocking: Click here to download the dog paw stocking pattern.

2.

Cut 1 paw shape from each piece of the light tan fur and 1 from each piece of the dark tan fur
3.

Cut paw pads from the brown felt.
4.

Pin the paw pads to the furry side of a dark tan paw and use the floss to whipstitch (see diagram and Tips) the pads in place.
5.

Pin together the 4 paws with the dark tan paws on the outside, furry sides out, and the light tan paws on the inside, furry sides in.
6.

Dog Paw Stocking - Step 6 Using the floss, whipstitch around the edges, sewing the paws together. Leave the top edges unsewn.
7.

Dog Paw Stocking - Step 7 At the top, sew together the front 2 edges, then the back 2.
8.

Fold down the top to make a cuff.
9.

Tape the ends of the cord to keep them from fraying, then sew the cord to the stocking for hanging.

Tips:
A Stitch for All Stockings
Thread your needle with a length of floss and knot one end. Begin sewing by pushing the needle up through the underside of the fabric and then out the top. Loop the needle back under the fabric and repeat the stitch.

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Flying Bird Ornaments


total time needed 1 hr


Have your kids make this sweet handmade ornament to hang on the Christmas tree.

Materials

* Scissors
* Cardinal or dove template
* 2 (7-inch) squares of red or white felt
* Fabric glue

* 12 inches of clear fishing line
* Fake holly sprig (available at craft stores), cut into a 2-inch length
* 2 small black beads or a permanent marker

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Instructions

1.

Flying Bird Ornaments - Step 1 Print out a cardinal or dove template. Cut 2 matching bird shapes from the felt squares. Apply a thin outline of fabric glue to the body of one of the cutouts, excluding the wing, as shown. Knot the ends of the fishing line to create a loop. (We used black thread in the photo above for demonstration purposes only.) Lay the knot on the body as shown and firmly press the second cutout onto the first, sandwiching the fishing line.
2.

Flying Bird Ornaments - Step 2 Once the glue is dry (about 15 minutes), use scissors to poke a tiny hole in the beak at least 1/2 inch from the tip. Push a holly sprig through the hole. Attach bead eyes with fabric glue or draw them on with a permanent marker.

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Pom-pom Snowmen
Craft a crew of mini snowfolk -- no mittens required



You can easily build a whole bunch of these no-melt snowmen no matter what the weather in your area.

Materials

* Needle
* Thread
* White pom-poms in 2 sizes: 1-1/2 inches and 1 inch
* Colored felt
* 1/4-inch jump rings

* Glue
* Orange felt
* Black fabric paint
* Yarn
* String

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Instructions

1.

Pom-pom Snowmen Step 1 For each one, thread a needle with a 2-foot length of thread, then double it and knot the end. For the snowman's body and head, pass the needle through the centers of 3 white pom-poms: first a 1-1⁄2-inch pom-pom, then two 1-inch pom-poms.
2.

To add a hat, sew through the centers of a 1-1⁄2-inch circle of colored felt and a matching 1-inch pom-pom. Slip the needle through a 1⁄4-inch jump ring (found in the beading aisle of craft stores), then secure the snowman by scrunching the parts together slightly and sewing back through the hat and the head. Tie the thread to itself between the two 1-inch white pom-poms and trim any excess.
3.

Glue on a small orange felt triangle for a nose and add dots of black fabric paint for a face and buttons. Finally, tie on a yarn scarf and a loop of string for a hanger

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Petite Penguin


This little polar bird makes a handsome tabletop decoration for the holiday season.

Materials

* Egg carton
* Uncooked rice
* Masking tape
* Black paint
* White paint
* Craft glue
* Googly eyes

* Orange felt
* Red felt
* White pom-pom
* Mini rickrack trim
* Orange pipe cleaner
* Cardboard
* White cotton

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Instructions

1.

Petite Penguin - Step 1 To hatch one, begin by filling a cup cut from an egg carton with uncooked rice, top it with a second cup (turned upside down), and secure them together with masking tape.
2.

Paint the cups black, and once they are dry, paint a white oval on the front. Use craft glue to attach 2 googly eyes and an orange felt beak.
3.

For a hat, glue a 41⁄2- by 11⁄2-inch piece of felt around the top of the head. Glue closed the top of the hat, then glue on a white pom-pom and a strand of mini rickrack trim.
4.

Bend an orange pipe cleaner into feet and glue it to the bottom of the body. Give your penguin a snowy roost by gluing him to a 3-inch cardboard circle covered with white cotton.