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How to make a toddler elf hat sewing Christmas craft

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With three little grandsons, I wanted to make a toddler elf hat for them to enjoy during the holiday season. Cinco was a dancing elf in his school play and I wanted him to have his own hat to wear anytime he wants.

How to make a toddler elf hat with minky or fleece. Free printable pattern for sewing for children Christmas crafts.

Supplies for toddler elf hat

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To make toddler elf hat, you will need scissors, pins, and minky or other fleecy fabric in red or green and white.

Other notions: You may want to stitch a jingle bell or pompom to the top of the elf hat.elf-hat-1

Instructions for toddler elf hat

  • Wash and dry the fabric. Minky recommends cold water wash with cool dryer. Do not use fabric softener. Tip: I actually threw mine in with my normal laundry because I knew the parents would not want to worry about how to wash the hats. The minky is still soft and looks fine.
  • Download and print the hat pattern. The small fits our 18 pound baby and the large fits our 2 ½ year old. You can measure your child’s head and adjust the pattern to fit. Measure the pattern to make sure it printed so that the dimensions are correct.elf-hat-2
  • With the white fleece, cut a rectangle for the hat band. For small 19 inches x 6 inches, medium 20 ½ inches x 6 inches, and large 21 ½ inches x 6 inches.
  • Fold the red minky in half and cut the hat cap piece. Line up the edge with the double arrows along the fold.elf-hat-3
  • Tip: If you have a lot of lint at this point, put the cut pieces in the dryer with a damp washcloth. Run on low for about 10 minutes.
  • Right sides together, fold the hat piece and pin every inch. Stitch the hat cap piece from the bottom edge, to the top, and to the top of the fold. Tip: at the very top, take one or two stitches parallel to the bottom.elf-hat-4
  • Fold the hat band together right sides together with the short ends of rectangle touching. Stitch the short end together.elf-hat-5
  • Turn the hat band right side out. Fold wrong sides together with the long sides touching.
  • Place the hat cap inside the hat band, right side out, with raw edge matching up with long edge of band. Stitch through all three layers.elf-hat-8
  • Fold the band seam up towards the cap. Stitch again ¼ inch from the seam, sewing the seam to the hat cap.elf-hat-6
  • Wrap a piece of adhesive tape around your fingers, sticky side out. Go over the hat to pick up all the stray lint.
  • If desired, hand sew a bell or pompom to the top of the elf hat.elf-hat-7

Resource links

Let’s talk story

We have a tradition of hanging Santa hats on our chairs around the house (you never know when you will feel moved to wear a Santa hat!) and these hats are small enough for Cinco, Duke, and Chip to join in the fun.

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Candy cane Christmas ornament: Hobby horse Button bracelet ornament swag

Candy cane Christmas ornament: Hobby horse

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I’m sharing with you a candy cane Christmas ornament that has been in my family for three generations. There are great candy cane choices that include the traditional peppermint, chocolate, and famous fruit candy flavors (Jolly Rancher, Sweetarts, Starburst…). These candy cane stick horses add some sweet whimsy to your tree and give you a cute way to continue the old hospitable custom of offering visitors a “sugarplum” from your tree.Candy cane Christmas ornament is a hobby horse made with felt and candy canes. Have fun being creative with trims!

Supplies for candy cane Christmas ornament

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To make this candy cane hobby horse you will need felt, baker’s twine or other similar cord for hanging, trimmings for mane, and notions for eyes.hobby-horse-stitched-notions

Instructions

  • Download and print out the pattern for the head. Check the dimensions with a candy cane to make sure it will fit inside.
  • Trace the pattern on parchment paper and cut out. You can use this pattern to pin to the felt. If you are working with children, it may be easier to make a cardboard pattern to trace on the felt with a sewing marking pen or chalk.hobby-horse-cut-felt
  • Cut out two heads from felt. I had one felt that was sparkly on one side, so I had to be careful that the heads would fit together to have sparkle on the outside.hobby-horse-button-eye
  • Attach the eye to the head piece, 1 to 1 ½ inches from the nose and ½ inch from the forehead. Sew on a button, attach a sequin with blanket stitch and French knot, or press on a googly eye.
  • Cut a 4 inch piece of baker’s twine. Fold in half and tie an overhand knot in the ends.
  • Put a new needle in the sewing machine and thread to match the felt. Set the machine for a narrow zig zag and short stitch length. Place the knot of the twine about 1 inch down from the tip of the ear, so that the loop will get caught by stitching. Sandwich the heads. Carefully stitch two heads together stitching very close the edge. Leave the bottom edge open.
  • OR you can assemble the head without a loop. Thread a hand needle with a double length of thread. Sew into the top of the head and make a thread loop two inches long.
  • Place the trim on the edge of the head, starting at the bottom of the ear. Zig zag into place. hobby-horse-googly
  • Hand sew any additional trims.
  • Insert a candy cane and hang on your tree!Candy cane Christmas ornament is a hobby horse made with felt and candy canes. Have fun being creative with trims!
  • OR If you don’t want to sew, you can use Tacky Glue or hot glue to assemble the horse and decorate.
 

Resource links

Let’s talk story

I love childhood Christmas-y things on the tree: angels, Santas, teddy bears, and toy horses. This was a craft my mother did with me when I was a child. She taught my Brownie troop how to embroider, and those stitches made it into the little horses. I made some with my daughters that we still hang on the Christmas tree. We made them with glue, no sewing. I’m happy to make this candy cane Christmas ornament now for my grandsons’ trees and hope you will add them to your tree, too.


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Paper ball ornament – Christmas card icosahedron

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Here are my paper ball ornament instructions to use leftover Christmas cards. I always feel like hoarding the beautiful cards friends send me and this DIY Christmas ornament makes a great use of them. Added bonus: it’s a little math lesson too!Paper ball ornament instructions remix Christmas cards into an icosahedron ball ornament. Have fun being creative with using the designs!

Supplies for paper ball ornament

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To make this paper ball ornament you will need Christmas cards or festive card stock, double-sided tape or glue, a circle template such as a Duck Tape roll, scissors, pencil or marker, and thin ribbon or twine.

Instructions

  • Choose Christmas cards to use for the paper ball ornament. You will need 20 circles for each ornament.
  • I use a Duck Tape roll to trace circles. This makes exactly the right size to fit the ½ inch double-sided tape. You could make larger circles. I found making smaller circles very difficult to fold. I trace on the right side of the card so I can see what part of the design will show. (If you have a large circle paper punch, use that!)card-circle
  • Cut the circles out, cutting inside your tracing line.
  • On the back of each circle, draw straight lines to make an equilateral triangle. Each line should touch the edge of the circle and each other. Or you can try folding the card by estimating. You may want to make a triangle template to trace onto each circle.
  • Fold the “ears” towards the printed side of the card, so that you have a triangle.
  • Line up 10 of the cards and stick the ears to each other to make a straight line of cards. This means one triangle point will face up and the next one will face down.
  • Make this line of 10 cards into a circle by sticking the two end ears together.card-middle-circle
  • Make two caps for the ornament. Use 5 cards and stick them together so that the points of the triangles are meeting together. Cut a 4-inch piece of ribbon and fold in half. Stick the raw ends of the ribbon into one of the caps to use for hanging. (Or use a hole puncher to make a hole in one of the ears to attach the hanger.)card-5-top
  • Stick the caps to the two sides of the circle you made earlier.Paper ball ornament instructions remix Christmas cards into an icosahedron ball ornament. Have fun being creative with using the designs!
  • Or you can use white glue to assemble the ornament. You may want to put some on a disposable dish and use a small paintbrush to apply. Hot glue will work too.

Paper ball ornament instructions remix Christmas cards into an icosahedron ball ornament. Have fun being creative with using the designs!

Resource links


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Make a duct tape wreath with a theme

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Wreaths are a welcome statement during the holidays and all through the year. Along with the traditional wreaths, I wanted to add a tropical theme wreath to our holiday decorations. This pleated duct tape wreath fit the bill.How to make a duct tape wreath with theme tape and foam wreath form. DIY pleated wreath to add to your Christmas crafts and family activities.

I was inspired by the white duct tape wreath from Emily of Jones Design Company. I chose a tropical green and a hibiscus print tape for accent.

Supplies

To make a duck tape crafts wreath you will need

  • 2 rolls of duct tape, 20 yards or more
  • 12-inch foam wreath. Choose the color based on your tape colors. I used green for my tropical wreath. If you choose a larger wreath, you will need more tape.
  • A hanging method. I have put a Command hook on the back of one of our large mirrors and used a loop of fishing line to hang the wreath “invisibly” over the mirror. The wreath fits well in the large hook of an over-the-door wreath hanger.
  • Scissors
  • Craft cutting mat or silicone cutting boardschool-duck-tape

Instructions

  • tape-foldCut the tape into 3.5 inch strips. As you cut each strip, you can lay it sticky side up on the craft mat. Fold one end up so that ½ inch of sticky tape is left above 1.5 inch folded piece.

 

 

 

  • Find the midpoint on the front of the foam wreath. Tape a folded strip to the wreath. Tape the next strip over about 1/3 of the first strip, lining up the sticky edge of the tape. Make a complete circle. For my wreath, I made a pattern of 3 green strips to 1 flower strip.
  • Start a second circle towards the inner circle of the wreath. Line up the sticky tab ½ inch from the first circle (no foam will be showing). If you are making a pattern, be sure your accent tape is offset from the first row.
  • Make one more circle to cover the inside of the wreath.
  • Flip the wreath to cover the back side of the wreath. This should take 2 or 3 more complete circles.
  • If desired, cut a 12 inch piece of nylon fishing line, loop around the wreath, and tie a knot.

Resource links

Let’s talk story

I get very inspired by looking at all the duct tape options at the sewing or craft stores. I found “College Duck Tape” in NC State style, so I’m making a wreath to use to show our school spirit! The repeat of the design on this tape is 5 inches, so I have to change the length of the cut strips to 2.5 inches so that both designs on the tape show on the wreath. I also found glow-in-the-dark tape that I think will be very cool on the front door in the evenings. What combination do you want to try?

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I’ll look for questions in Comments or lisa[at]thecasabouquet[dot]com.

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Make an Advent wreath

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The four Sundays before Christmas are known as Advent, the first season of the liturgical year. An old tradition that comes down to us from Germany is the Advent wreath with four candles to light each Sunday (and sometimes a Christmas candle). Try this DIY Advent wreath with natural materials from the garden.How to make an Advent wreath with seasonal greenery and floral supplies. DIY Advent wreath to add to your Christmas crafts and family activities.

Supplies

To make an Advent wreath you will need

  • advent-wreath-candlesCandles. You may choose purple tapers or 3 blue candles and one pink. The Christmas candle can be a white pillar that you can set in the center of the wreath.

 

  • Wet floral foam brickadvent-wreath-foam
  • Greening pinsadvent-wreath-candle-cups
  • Plastic candle cups with spike (or candle stakes)
  • Floral oasis waterproof tape
  • A large, flat, round dish with a lip. A pizza pan with sides can work. It must hold water.
  • Sharp knife, garden secateurs or snips, gloves
  • Large paper grocery bag full of leaves, berries, herbs, and flowers. (The paper bag isn’t required, but that’s about the volume of greenery you need).

Instructions

  • Before assembling your wreath, get outside and cut greenery. I like to use magnolia leaves for the base layer. Camellia, boxwood, juniper, fir, or non-prickly holly (ilex) can all be used. Berry bunches add some festive color, such as nandina, beauty berry, pyracantha, or American holly. Flowers and herbs are also nice to harvest: lavender, rosemary, rose buds, rose hips, and sasanqua camellias.advent-wreath-greenery
  • Cut the floral foam brick in half through the middle of the 3-inch side. A serrated bread knife works well for this. The two halves should be about 9 x 4 x 1.5 inches.
  • Lay the two pieces side by side. Use the U-shaped greening pins to connect them together on the top and sides.advent-wreath-cut-foam
  • Use a round dish or bowl to trace out a circle in the center. You want to have about 2 inches of foam left at each side of the circle. Cut out the circle with the knife.advent-wreath-center

Note: if you want to use a Christmas pillar candle for the center, find a china or plastic dish that will hold the candle and fit in the circle. My guacamole bowl is just the right size!

  • Use the greening pins to attach the pieces in the center.
  • Use your tracing dish to lay on each outside corner and trace a rounded edge. Cut the corners. I don’t worry if it’s not exactly round, but you do need to make sure you’ve left enough space to insert the candle cups.advent-wreath-round
  • Wrap the outside edge of the form with floral tape. Insert the candle cups evenly space around the center circle. Place the wreath in your round dish or pan.
  • Insert your base greenery around the bottom of the foam. With magnolia leaves, I push them in at a diagonal. You may wish to use them brown side up.
  • Insert your next set of greenery close to the top edge of the foam. These pieces should be cut slightly shorter than your base greens. I use camellias, boxwood, and rosemary for this layer.advent-wreath-magnolia
  • Fill in the upper side of the foam. Use greenery, lavender, berries, and flowers. These pieces should be 2 to 4 inches long. Keep the center circle mostly open along with access to the candle cups.advent-wreath-greenery
  • Insert tapers into the candle cups. Pour water into the center circle and on top of the wreath, being careful not to spill out of the dish. It might take quite a bit the first time to thoroughly wet the foam. You will need to water the wreath once or twice a day.advent-wreath-1

Resource links

Let’s talk story

Gathering together to make these natural wreaths is a tradition at White Memorial Presbyterian Church in Raleigh. It’s a wonderful start to the season to make these wreaths in a social setting, sharing the work and greens with others.advent-wreath-2 A note about the “school spirit” backgrounds in these photos: we were working on these wreaths in my dining room, so the table was covered with every vinyl tablecloth I have! The pink candle is lit the third Sunday, as a symbol of joy. Purple candles represent royalty and repentance. Blue signifies hope and waiting (I’ve also heard it’s the color of Mary’s cloak). At Casa Bouquet, we read an Advent story, say a blessing, and sing a hymn each Sunday at dinner. We like O come Emmanuel, Come thou long expected Jesus, and On Jordan’s bank. You can also listen to (or sing) Part I of The Messiah. You can search online for Advent wreath family activities to make your own tradition.advent-wreath-3 I’ll look for questions in Comments or lisa[at]thecasabouquet[dot]com.

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