Christmas decorations and bits and pieces I've been making

I am quite obsessed with Christmas decorations and gifts and I've been making a few bits and pieces. All are based on some clever designs that other people have made!!!

Reindeer Bunting.  Artwork from Gifted Magazine 2010, by Jutta Rikola.  I printed mini versions of these back to front and punched little star holes in the corner and strung them up with red and white butchers twine to make bunting.  I made these last year and am glad to be reusing them!  (Some of these photos are from last Christmas. I am still in a bit of a baking and crafty disaster zone so my house is not this tidy at the moment!!!!)

Red felt pom poms. Image found on Pinterest, tutorial found here.  I envisaged making a lot more of these for decorations in my house, and may keep adding to them later this week, but for now, I've only got 4!  I've also made mini ones to add to gifts. They are so cute!!!!  I really love these - simple but affective!

Merry Christmas stitched packing tags.  I can't remember where I first saw these, but I've seen them a few times and had to give them a try.  I bought the packing tags already cut & perforated from Officeworks, printed them using a font called Rough Typewriter and then did long sticthes on my sewing machine with red thread.  Tied on to gifts with more red and white butchers twine!!!

Calico Advent Calender. Image found on Pinterest here. I think you can buy them on Etsy, but I couldn't find the link anymore when I went to write this post.  I have wanted to make this since I first saw this image and was very excited to make it happen!  Even better was that I managed to use all scrap calico material that I already had and a hotch potch of left over ribbon mostly too!  It took me a while to work out the best (aka easiest!) way for me to get the date on the bags and after some serious think tanking (with my good friend the crafty Claire and also with the lovely and very artistic Kate), I again went with cheap and cheerful.  I bought a $4 stencil from Officeworks and after trying a couple of different markers, I ended up using a biro!  I found the ink bled less with a biro.  Anyway, it was an easy project, although it would have been even easier if my 30 year old overlocker and sewing machine hadn't both packed it in half way through, but I got there in the end.  I really need to take a better photo of the whole calendar hanging on the wall. I will update this soon!

Inside the bags I put little activity cards.  This was initially inspired by this pin and further work shopped with the lovely Cat and Kate.  They are two very creative and inspiring mamas!  I have to admit that I've been quite slack with following all of the activities inside the bags - some days I've been too busy, distracted and forgetful and have pretended the card said sing Christmas carols a few extra times!!! ; )

Calico gift bags.  Again, using leftover material I have made some little gift bags for some of the little people in our lives.  I was going to cut out the initial of the child's name for the front, but in the end, took (another!) shortcut and made shapes instead.  I bought iron on material from a roll at Lincraft and cut shapes out from Word and traced it on the the material. Iron and done!  Being on a bit more of a budget this year, I thought these little bags might help spruce up some low key kids gifts. I've made about 20 already, but will most likely make some more before the festive season is over!!!

Pom pom ball garland.  I have been wanting to buy these gorgeous garlands by Little Lamb Freckle that I've seen at the beautiful Lark store. However, this year's budget did not allow. So while I save up, I have made a cheap, cheat version using cheap fluffy pom poms from Lincraft and some red and white butchers twine from Kikki K.  Definitely no where near as sturdy or pretty as the original, but it will get me by for this year!  I used a thick embroidery needle (from Nana's sewing stash!) and made sure I threaded it right through the centre of the pom pom so they didn't come apart.

And last of all, the obligatory kids dressed up homemade Christmas card.  I always include at least one feral photo of my kids in this - a screaming baby etc. This year, it must be this Christmas Elves Gone Wild photo. I am quite proud of Mr 1 for tackling Mr 3 and getting some of his own back!!!  And the message on his cute butt says it all!!!

I will update this post when I've finished decorating and add to this any further crafty bits.


UPDATED:
I finally tidied my house in time for our first little Christmas party and put up the last of our decorations, so here are a couple of pictures from this year. I've now strung the garland along our island bench, added a square piece of fabric to the kids table as a make shift table cloth (not even hemmed, just cut at the last minute as it was hanging around and cute!), you can see the advent calender in full view and you can see a couple of gift bags ready for some little visitors.  I've also got a gorgeous vintage christmas print (sitting next to the little lolly jars and the calico bags) which I found at Magnolia Square Market and bought from a very lovely lady. Her small business is called Vintage Print and you can find her website here.  I will eventually frame it!  (I also bought a few other prints from her for my boys from Santa!)  There is another print above our kitchen sink that was a gift from a lovely lady from the gorgeous Incy Interiors.  We bought Mr 3's bed from there and when there was a little delay, she kindly sent him the Ferris wheel print as a gift.  I love it too much to put in his room so it's still in the kitchen months later!!  Also next to the lolly jars is a cute little white suitcase that came with my maple syrup jar from the gorgeous Emerald and Ella. It is currently storing my twine and sewing scissors.  And of course, I had to dig out the little soda bottles again! This time with some red and white stripey straws. Along with some old biscuit tins of my mum's and my favourite tin from the gorgeous Lark.  The tins have been thoroughly used already this Christmas hauling biscuits, focaccia  and fruit skewers to picnics, numerous parties and Christmas carols in the park.

A few oddities to note. The couch is now pressed up, facing the window because Mr 1 has become a dare devil jumping head first off it! And this year, our Christmas tree is staying outside due to some little red back visitors in our backyard!!!!

Still to come my post on the homemade tasty treats for Christmas gifts.

I really, really, REALLY love Christmas!!!!  Time to put on the Christmas Carols CD.  Or even better, dig out my old 1970 record for some old school, scratchy sounds!

Love Amy xoxo