Felt Christmas Decorations (Twenty to Make)
Make a start on your Christmas decorations with these fast and fun felt fantasies. Unbreakable, simple and modern they are sure to withstand the rough and tumble of the festive season better than traditional glass - The Scandinavian theme is spot on at the time of publication, so draw the curtains, put on one of their popular detective series and get crafting! Muted gray, red, white and pale blue is the core palette for these creations and the theme continues with birds, elves, reindeer (my favorite) and decorations of embroidered stars and snowflakes. There are also old favorites such as gingerbread men, toy soldier and angels as well as a clever woven basket, pot shaped like a jester'sjester's hat, felt name tags, letters to tuck small gifts into and the inevitable advent calendar, here shown as fashionable bunting. Each project consists of a whole page photograph plus a page of instructions, materials and tools. The lists of tools are a very useful feature; it is easy to compile a shopping list from materials used in a project but also easy to forget what you need to make the item. All the tools are things most people will own anyway and the main material is the felt itself, plus stuffing and thread. Children can attempt many of the items.  -  I have memories of being eight and embroidering a felt bee,  -  so families and groups can craft together. Maybe Dad can have a go at actually making felt by shrinking an old jumper in a washing machine. - There is nothing quite as special as home made decorations at Christmas, and here is a great collection of them that cleverly managinges cleverly to avoid merely rehashing what can easily be imagined.-Myshelf.com If you are struggling for stocking fillers, this is a great series of books for crafters from Search Press. There are varied titles, each giving twenty projects. The books are small, concise and might just spark off a new interest or re-kindle an old one, and will give plenty of ideas. Perfect for anyone who loves to make things. This book includes cute makes to brighten up your Christmas tree, table and home. Delightful angels, toy soldiers, gingerbread men and more can hang on the tree. Create  a felt garland or pot and basket covers. I love the reindeer and the snowflake decorations. This is Christmas.-yarnsandfabrics.co.uk/crafts 20 fabulous little makes for you to have fun with and make some gorgeous Christmas decorations. Easy to make, even if you are new to sewing, and as felt is so forgiving, some of these patterns could easily be made by younger members of your family. From Christmas Pixies to some adorable Christmas Stockings, this is ideal to make your Christmas more 'homemade'. Templates are provided at the back of the book but just a word of warning, they need enlarging before you can begin so if you were going to choose this book as a stocking filler for someone, I would go to the trouble of enlarging the templates and enclosing them as well  -  you'd be loved forever!-Fabrications