Ugly Christmas Sweaters!

I found an idea on Pinterest for "ugly Christmas sweater" gift tags.  Sorry, but I've lost the link to it, so I can't reference it.  But it's very simple.  There was a pattern to print and cut out, but really, it's such a simple shape that it doesn't really need a pattern.  This is a way to use up old Christmas cards.

Here you can see the pattern I used and my tracing marks on a Christmas card.  I really needed to trace on the front, as opposed to the back (where my tracing marks would not be seen) in order to get the "sweater" positioned on the card where I wanted it.  I was just careful to cut out inside the lines.

Here are a couple of the resulting gift tags.  On the back I've simply written "To:" and "From:."  I may punch a hole in the shoulder maybe to attach with a ribbon/string.  Or I may just tape them on a package.

Pretty quick and easy craft to use up some of those pretty cards.

Embroidered Christmas Ornaments

I have been quite busy the last couple months sewing Christmas ornaments.  The pattern I used is by Sara Hardwig for Blueberry Backroads, and I found it at Bear Patch Quilting Company in White Bear Lake, Minnesota.

There, now I have all the legal business behind me!

Here you can see photos of several of the many that I made.  Silly me!  I didn't take a photo with anything to show you the scale.  They finished at 2 3/4 inches by 3 1/4 inches.

These tiny ornaments don't take very much time to finish up.  I ended up making 25 of them for my guild to sell at our annual Festival of the Trees, which is our major fundraiser.

When I was done with all of them, I started in on some more to put in with Christmas cards to give to some of my family.  It was suggested to me that they could also be used for gift tags.  Easily done by writing the name on the back with a fine point indelible marker.  Then the recipient also has a nice ornament, too!

I set up a sort of assembly line to make the embroidery bases.  I first cut out 1 1/4 in strips from various green and red fabrics.  Then I cut out the small muslin rectangles (2 by 2 1/2" pieces).  I randomly chose a red and a green fabric to sew around the muslin.  Next came cutting up the batting scraps to put behind the "frames."  And finally, I cut pieces for the backing for each one.  

I used my "light box" (paper and fabric taped to a window) to trace all the patterns with my Frixion pen.  Then I proceeded to stitch away.  I embroidered quite a few, maybe a dozen, then sewed them to the backing fabric (adding the gold braid for a hanger), turned them right side out, and stitched closed the opening.  All that was left to do then was sew the simple little quilting line around each "frame."

I encourage you to go to Blueberry Backroads and look at their selection of nice patterns.  Or shop for them at your local quilt shop, which is what we all really like to do.  I know that I want to try some more of her patterns in the future!

Holiday Gift Tags

Who knew?

Shouldn't have been surprised.

This same technique for making holiday cards

(see previous posts here and here)

works for gift tags, too.

Not surprising, but it's easy to whip up quite a few gift tags

in a short time by cutting small green triangles and card stock,

and gluing one to the other.

I hope that all of you are at least this far in your

Christmas gift-giving! Gift tags are always the last thing I think of. Don't usually remember to buy any, so am left making my own when I finally get into the throes of gift-wrapping!