Trying My Hand At Needle-Felting

This is another project from last winter. For Christmas, Santa brought me this needle-felting kit. If there's one thing I'm good at, it's following detailed instructions - especially when the instructions are accompanied by color photos! I think my little bird turned out pretty darn cute. Last year I had him hanging inside a wreath in my house. This year he resides near the top of my Christmas tree, with his other birdie friends.

Robot Cheer

I found the idea from this on Etsy, and I wanted to try making my own little robot friend for the Christmas tree. It was so simple. All I needed was a little wooden body (which I found easily at a craft store), a hex nut, and three eye screws. I painted the body silver and glued on the hex nut, the screwed in the eye screws. Last, I used a Sharpie to add the stoic little face.

Easy-peasy!

Upcycling Christmas Cards

I'm sure I'm not the first person to have this idea, but since I haven't heard of anyone else doing it I'm claiming credit now. I invented this idea.

I always keep my Christmas cards, because it seems so lame to throw them out. At the same time, I'm a whatever-the-opposite-of-a-pack-rat-is (an unpack cat?), so it really bugs me to just store them.

So here's my solution. I went to Michael's and got the biggest round craft punch I could find. Then I punched the best part from each card. Voila! Next year's gift tags, all ready to go. I'll pack them away now, and next year I'll have totally cute, unique, free, eco-friendly gift tags!

New Sewing Machine!

My wonderful Aunt Jeannie gave me her old sewing machine, and I am going to learn how to use it well. This was my first project with it: Christmas napkins. I saw this vintage-inspired fabric at Pacific Fabrics not too long ago, and bought a couple of yards figuring that I'd find something to do with it.

They're double-sided, which I have heard is even easier than single-sided. Basically, you just make a pillowcase, then sew around the border to encourage it to lay flat.

I took this picture on my kitchen floor, because I'm fancy.