If you make your own Christmas decorations.....

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

And yes, September IS a good time to start thinking about this

I have a large Ikea glass hurricane jar that I part fill with green glass chips, a chunky candle and ivy from the garden

I grow ivy in pots then put them into gold or silver sprayed pots and a faux flame candle for safety (some of the faux flames are really good quality now)

Ice-Bowl: boil water a couple of times (to make the ice clear), cool, then put a couple of inches in a large freezable bowl. Freeze solid, put a smaller bowl inside , secure with ducktape. You can put berries,holly leaves between the two bowls, fill the gap with the water and freeze till needed.
Then put a candle inside and let it sparkle (I put this outside so I don't get a load of water everywhere)

I have a bunch of decorative keys (garden ornament) that I'm going to spray gold and hang on festive ribbon) my DC are too old for Santas Keys but it's pretty. I might put this on the fireplace

I glue gold or silver confetti stars onto fishing line then hang from the stairwell

Jars painted with frosted spray for garden candles ( patterns of stars or reindeer if you're craft-ey)

Any other ideas?

[ItchyFoot]

You are me with motivation!!!! I love Christmas and kitting the house out. I'm planning on making a pom pom wreath this year. Have a few of the pom poms finished already. It'll also have jingle bells on and metallic balls of thread that will (hopefully) look like miniature balls of yarn. I'll hang it on the inside of the front door.

[neddle]

I recommend Pinterest and Craftsy for ideas for Christmas decorations, although be prepared to lose your entire day browsing!

[anyoldname76]

last year a crocheted 2 Christmas wreaths, a Christmas tree wall hanging, a bell garland, snowflake tea light holders, a christmas stocking, loads of tree decs and a reindeer hot water bottle cover. i havent got anything finished yet but im making a new tree skirt, large standing snowman, a tree skirt for my sister and if i get chance i want to make the repeat crafter me Christmas graphgan. i did see a good idea for dc the other day, cut ear buds in half, stick in a polystyrene ball and spray with glitter, they looked really good when finished and its an easy fun Christmas craft

[Sipperskipper]

Just made my mincemeat today- its never too early! I have collected up lots of pine cones over last couple of weeks- will spray with snow spray on the tips, string up & hang on the fireplaces as garlands.

I can't wait!

[ItchyFoot]

Ooh never thought about crocheting a tree skirt. I really want one as well. Just found this!

[elQuintoConyo]

OMFG it is worth learning how to crochet just to make that light-tube-thing

When I was 'nesting' i did bugger all to kerp the house clean or prepare the nursery, but i spent 3 month sewing Christmas wonders:

5 giant stockings (DS's is made from purple felt with 18 different coloured 'baubles' sewn onto a chain, every year we take a the best pic of him from Christmas day and glue/sew it onto a different circle/bauble. When he is 18 ut will be complete - and hilarious, i hope).

25 mini-stockings that tue to a gold rope which i twist round the bannister, each big enough to hold at least two Snickers! I put a mini chocolate or Lego figure or love-note or a note with an activity in it every night ehile DS sleeps.

I made 6 cutlery stockings - WAY before they became something you could get in Wilko for a pound!

I made a tablecloth and matching napkins.

I made a tree skirt that is rubbish, so i might make another this year.

I made a big fluffy red sack with red/white checked ribbon trim for DS' tree presents.

This year as well as a new treeskirt- and the crocheted light in a pp - i'd like to make napkin rings, Christmas boiled egg cosies as we have dippy eggs for Christmas morning breakfast. Also i'd like to make some simple but lovely decorations for the backs of the dining chairs.

I made a white pompom wreath last year, with a few ice-blue pompoms at strategic places, some frosty white buttons and a couple of small crystal beads.... It looked like Dumbo made it while drunk so i may try my hand at cutting out a million felt ivy leaves instead and gluing/sewing them on with some red berries.

So much to do so little time!

[ItchyFoot]

Conyo I'm 31 weeks pregnant and I'm crocheting everything instead of preparing for the baby! Really wanna do the light tube.

[anyoldname76]

i also made these last year using seed beads, i wont be doing anymore though as they took forever

[elQuintoConyo]

Oh yeah, that does look time-consuming anyoldname76

I have decided on this year's Christmas card theme i only make about 10, so not too laborious. And i make a special one for DH/DS!

And i have made a start of finger puppets for childrens' gifts. Go me!

[Birdlet]

Made this wreath a few years ago with coat hanger wire, baubles and a glue gun

[itmustbemyage]

Glass jars, decoupatch them with Christmas motifs (thin enough to let LED twinkle lights or fake flames shine through).
Have made a few wreaths over the years basic wire to thread stuff through or polystyrene to stick felt shapes or leaves to.
Made my own pocketed advent calendar.
Tried to make table setting sized, cone shaped trees last year with thread dipped in laundry starch wound around a cone mould but they all collapsed on me.

[ItchyFoot]

That's beautiful birdlet

[Birdlet]

Ah thanks itchy it's definitely my favourite Christmas dec - so much so that I won't put it on the front door in case it gets broken kind of defeats the object!!

[TheOnlyPink]

The poncetastic thread starts on the 25th of Sept! I look forward to it every year. I start with great intentions, last year I actually accomplished a few things. My youngest is at school now so really looking forward to getting started!

[elQuintoConyo]

Ooooh! How could i have forgotten the Poncetastic thread?!

I'll pretty much be ignoring any poncing up of food (hate cooking!) or alcohol (no one to give it to). But table decs and general decs i'll be on it!

[VanellopeVonSchweetz99]

Last year some other parents & I had a craft evening, donated most of the stuff we made to the primary school Christmas Fair, made over £650 (just from the craft stall).
Cupcake ornaments & air dry clay ornaments - dead easy once you've tried one or two, and v low cost. Can't wait for this year!

[VanellopeVonSchweetz99]

Birldet
That wreath ... swoon ...

[VanellopeVonSchweetz99]

anyold
OMG they are like something made by Fabergé!

[anyoldname76]

thanks vanellope

[Umlauf]

Oh hello my people

I'm a crocheter mostly, and since learning 2 years ago I've done these 2 big projects for Christmas as well as lots of fiddly garlands.

I need a big project this Christmas I suppose.

Not a blanket, I don't have the patience..

I have bought very sparkly linen yarn (I'm a poncetastic regular!) and am currently crocheting Christmas stars for my Christmas cards. Yesterdy bought gold ink so I can stamp out merry Christmas too!

[Birdlet]

Thanks Vanellope! Love the clay decorations... Might have to give those a try this year

[BiddyPop]

OOh, some lovely ideas!!

I have done lots in the past but I haven't had time for crafting recently (as in, maybe 3 years, sobs...).

I made 10 stockings when the DSiblings agreed to do a KK and small stocking items for everyone else (6 "Kids" and 5 DPs at this stage - I need to make another).

A good few years ago, I made a large bundle (probably about 30 as I gave loads away and have a good handful on my own tree) of small felt stockings. They have various decorations on them, are either red or green, and have a nice ribbon to hang them, and can hold a small candy cane.

I taught myself enough about crochet (which is really not a lot) to make a couple of snowflakes for the tree. Very wonky ones, but different and realistic! And I knitted a tiny angel (flat one, like a silhouette, not anything fancy) as well which goes on every year too.

I do like to do some flower arranging for the house for Christmas, if I get time. Last year, I did manage to do a flowerpot arrangement each for DSisIL and DMIL's houses, with a candle in the middle, for the Christmas tables. That will take some arranging again this year, as they kept the pots and oasis trays and candle holders - and I don't have any spares. So while I want one for the cottage we're in, and hopefully to do them for DMIL, DSisIL and DM - I need to gather a fair amount of raw materials in advance, quite apart from the greenery and flowers and berries on 23rd/24th. Actually, that's another item for my list of phonecalls too - order the flowers locally there so I'll definitely have those, I can gather greenery in DMs garden if necessary.

I actually have loads of materials to do Christmas cards, and make Christmas flannel cosy PJs for DD (if she'd still fit the amount of material I have!), and Christmas tablemats, and lots of other projects that aren't even UFOs (unfinished objects) yet!

Most of my crafting though has tended to be presents. Like the year everyone got cotton facecloths, each with a different picture knitted into the middle. Or every DAunt and DUncle got a different type of scarf (I was studying that year and needed distractions from the braininess stuff!).

There are a few UFOs already started though - including the blanket (which is just nice and bobbly, not actually festive) that I started for DH's DAunt about 4 years ago is still only halfway there. Maybe that's what I need to concentrate on first.

[TheOnlyPink]

I want to do some Christmas crafts, but no idea where to start this year. I'm getting a new tree, so maybe some tree decorations! I made a paper wreath last year, I liked doing that. I crochet too, but always get bored before finishing things, and not sure what I could do.

I lack confidence in my crafting! I love it once I get started!

[ConstantlyCooking]

I will definitely be trying the ivy in jars 70. I was thinking about adapting it for the fireplace.

[AmyAmoeba]

I've been eyeing up bundles of twisted willow in the florist. I'm thinking of painting them white and creating a light frame of some sort so that I can hang them a couple of inches off the ceiling using command hooks and fishing line. i have a set of clear glass baubles that I can put a tea light into and I'm going to hang them out of the willow frame at different heights. I can see it in my head but it's hard to describe.

I have a massive overgrown Rosemary plant in my garðen and I'm going to try my hand at a simple wreath too.

I want to do some kind of hessian and dried orange slice swag for the stairs but I haven't quite figured out what or how yet.

If the willow branches are suitable I might set some in concrete in a nice pot or vase to make an ornament tree - not just for Christmas but as an easy centrepiece for other events. I'd hang hearts for valentines, bats for Halloween, eggs for Easter, etc.

No shortage of imagination but I'm definitely lacking in the nimble fingers department.