Felt Christmas Decorations

Last post I showed you a star Christmas decoration that was inspired from a keyring project from one of my japanese craft books.  Well I had so much fun making the star that I have made a few more decorations along the same style... I can see a new look for our Christmas tree this year!

Japanese craft book - keyring project

Here is another recent project from one of my japanese craft books.  I am really falling for japanese felt craft projects!   I had trouble sourcing wooden beads and quality string - I'm still working on that.  I'm not sure how well this keyring would hold up to going in and out of my handbag countless times... but it would be a lovely detail on a key that you leave in a door... or for keys you have hanging on a pretty key rack.

I enjoyed this project so much that I was inspired to create some Christmas decorations in the same style. I found this more 'rustic' string in the garden section of the hardware - it is some simple jute twine.

This project is from this book (ISBN 978-4-07-257064-7) again apologies I can't translate the author or title of the book.

The project is on page 16 and this is a picture of their keyring from the backcover

Kids Crafternoon - Sewing Project

I am on a mission to actually do some of the lovely projects from my stash of craft books. Craft books are lovely to browse through, pondering which materials I would use, thinking how lovely that would look on my bedside table/ in the kids bedroom / beside the fireplace, how much so and so would like that as a gift... but I very seldom make (and complete) the projects. So over the next few weeks... months.... maybe even years (I have quite a few craft books!!) I hope you will see more and more finished projects from my craft books.

I am in the process of completing my second project (more of that to come shortly) and I have already learnt a lot. By following the instructions as closely as possible (given in the Japanese craft book I was copying the picture rather than the written instructions!) - it has challenged me to do things differently - whether it is a different embroidery stitch or putting together colours I wouldn't put together. I thought that following the projects exactly in a craft book was not 'creative' - that unless I added my own twist to the project I was being productive rather than creative. However with the few projects I have completed I can see that they already have added to my repertoire of skills and possibilities.

Not long ago I bought the Kids Crafternoon, Sewing book (Hardie Grant Books, ISBN 9781742700403) Edited by Kathreen Ricketson. I thought the school holidays - especially with the weather we have been having - would be the perfect time to do some more sewing with the kids. My daughter chose the scarf project (page 46) - a series of rectangles and squares sewn together. She has used a sewing machine before - but I had to help her out quite a bit to keep the seams straight (one side of the scarf ended up a bit more like a 'J') - it was a fun project to do together.

We used some of her old 'too small' clothes (the florals and denims) mixed with some scraps from my stash. The beauty of using old clothes is that they are already soft, and loved, and the colours already go with what she has! Admittedly the scheme is a bit 'wild' for me - but she has worn it everywhere since it was finished!!