Fluffy Yarn Snowballs

Christmas is over, but winter will be with us for many weeks to come. It's snowing here right now! I love snow--looking at it, not driving in it. I love how a fresh snowfall makes the world look clean and beautiful. Snow inspired this week's super-simple project--fluffy snowballs made from yarn and foam balls. They look like the real thing, don't they?

The yarn is what makes these snowballs so convincing. I used Pipsqueak™ by Bernat® in Whitey White (naturally). It's a bulky polyester yarn that has a fuzzy, super-soft texture. If you can't find it, try another novelty yarn. Making these snowballs requires absolutely no craft skills. Just tape the end of the yarn to a foam ball and wrap until the ball is completely covered. When you're finished, cut the yarn and weave the tail end under previous layers to secure it.

Make a bunch of yarn snowballs and pile them in a basket or bowl for a wintry centerpiece. You can use your yarn snowballs as decorations around the house or to stage an indoor snowball fight (just kidding--sort of).

British Tea Tote

 

After leaving us hanging for many months, Downton Abbey returned last night! I've been watching since the first episode, and I'm absolutely hooked. I think this week's project demonstrates my dedication to the Crawleys and their Englishness--it's a felt tea bag tote decorated with a cross-stitched British flag. I doubt the Dowager Countess would approve of tea bags, but that's what I use to make my tea at Downton time.

British Tea Tote Chart     ©2015 Kathleen Berlew

The first part of the project is the cross-stitching. Follow the chart at right or click here to download and print a copy of the chart. Stitch the flag design on 14-count white Aida. I used two strands of DMC embroidery floss-- #792 (dark cornflower blue) and #321 (Christmas red)--but you can use other shades of blue and red. When the embroidery is finished, trim the fabric, leaving three rows of Aida around the design.

To make the felt tote, print out the pattern and size it as necessary so it measures 3 1/2" by 7". Use the pattern to cut one tote piece from a sheet of blue felt. Position the cross-stitched flag on the felt below the flap (see the pattern) and pin it in place. Use the Aida grid as a guide and stitch one row beyond the embroidery. Be sure to sew through the Aida threads and not just the holes so the fabric doesn't unravel when you make the fringe. When the flag is securely in place, gently pull away the outer row of Aida threads on all four sides to create a fringed border around the design.

Now it's time to assemble the tea tote. Fold the bottom third of the felt piece up over the back of the tote so the top edge sits just below where the flap begins. (This sounds way more confusing than it is. If you look at the picture of the finished tote, you'll see what I mean.) Sew the sides of the tote closed with blue embroidery floss. If you like, stitch along the flap edges, too, to create a decorative edge. I used blanket stitch, but running stitch will also work. To finish my tea tote, I added a snap and used a strip of red felt to conceal my stitching. You could also use a button or pieces of ribbon for fasteners. 

As the Crawleys would say, "Splendid!" Now you're ready to tote your tea wherever you'll be watching the next episode of Downton Abbey.  

New Year's Inspiration Jar

I like the hopeful feeling I get when I start something new. Although I haven't been to school in years, I still get an anything-is-possible, back-to-school feeling each September. I even like Mondays because they give me a chance to make a new start each week. When it comes to fresh starts, New Year's is the biggest day of the year. I try not to ruin it by making a bunch of resolutions that I know I won't keep. Instead, I like to think of ways I can be a better person (ok, and maybe exercise more).

I am a collector of quotes, prayers, and poems that I find inspiring, and I think I've finally found a way to make them part of my daily life. I printed 52 of these sentiments from my computer, cut them out, folded them, and put them in a jar. My plan is to pull one out each Monday and use it for guidance that week. There are some scripture verses in the mix, but also Irish proverbs, Beatles lyrics, and quotes from Confucius and Francis of Assisi. I originally planned to make this a quote-a-day project, but I quickly realized that 365 is a lot of quotes. If your own quote collection is shy of 52, you can visit these websites for inspiration: Brainy Quote, Quote Garden, Goodreads.

As craft projects go, my New Year Inspiration Jar is pretty basic, but I did dress it up a bit so it doesn't get lost on my shelves by February. I made a label by cutting leaf shapes from three different neutral papers and layering them. I attached a metal eyelet to each end and tied the label to the jar with twine. I was going to write "Quote of the Week" on the label, but I decided to use a line from the Rule of St. Benedict instead: "Always we begin again." A good way to start off the New Year, don't you think?

Stamped Christmas Gift Tags

My favorite rubber stamps represent images from nature--like the gorgeous snowflake stamp from PSX that inspired these holiday gift tags. And since heat-embossing is pretty much my favorite rubber-stamping technique, I used metallic embossing powder to show off the stamp's details and give the project a rich look.

Like so many of my projects, this one uses craft materials I have on hand--card stock, snowflake-print decorative paper, ribbon, tulle, beads, and other trims. Each design starts with a tag cut from white card stock. I glued a piece of decorative paper to the front; on the back I stamped small snowflakes (with another stamp from PSX) and "To" and "From" with stamps from Serendipity Stamps. 

Now comes the fun part. I stamped a large snowflake over the decorative paper with an embossing pad, sprinkled it with embossing powder, and then shook away the excess. To make the embossing powder work its magic, I applied a heat tool to the powder until it melted and turned shiny. If you're new to heat-embossing, follow the manufacturer's directions carefully and remember that the heat tool gets really hot. When the embossing powder is cool, which only takes a minute, it's time to put the finishing touches on the tag.

I added an eyelet to the top of each tag and then chose embellishments that complemented the decorative paper I had used. For the pretty tags shown here I used purple and pink satin ribbon, pastel blue tulle, faux crystal beads, and paillettes. If you prefer a more traditional palette, trim your tag with red and green ribbon and tiny jingle bells.