I Spy Tree Ornaments

Bell, House, Snow Globe, Moon, Ice Skate

SUPPLIES & TOOLS:

• White Sculpey air-dry clay
• Rolling pin
• Awl (or something to punch a hole through clay, like the handle of a thin paintbrush)
• Painted clay ornament template (optional)
• X-acto knife
• 80 - 120 grit sandpaper
• Acrylic craft paint (Suggested: black, white, red, pink, orange, yellow, blue, green)
• Paint palette (or paper plate, or cups)
• Paintbrushes
• Paper towels
• String

DIRECTIONS:

1. Use your rolling pin to flatten Sculpey air-dry clay into your desired ornament thickness. Cut out the shapes from the painted clay ornament template, set it on top of the clay, and use an X-acto knife to cut around the paper shape.
2. Use the awl to create a hole somewhere at the top of your shape so that you can attach a string.
3. Set aside and allow to dry completely, it should take about 24 hours. Check the shape’s dryness by giving it a light squeeze in the center. When it’s completely dry, there shouldn’t be any give in the clay when you squeeze it.
4. Once the clay is completely dry, use your medium grit (80 - 120) sandpaper to smooth out any imperfections and round the edges.
5. Paint ornaments as desired. Let paint dry between color applications.

JOANN HACKS:

• Immediately place your air-dry clay in a sealed container after opening to keep it fresh and easy to work with.


• Note that Sculpey air-dry clay takes about 24 hours to dry, so plan to sand and paint on a separate day.


• Painting a clean detail line can be tricky and the bristles on craft brushes especially have the tendency to stick out to the side and make unintended little paint marks. It helps to reshape the bristles of the brush with water and a towel before making any important detail line. It also helps to imagine the line you want to make before making it, and decisively make that action with your hand without wavering; knowing you can adjust it later if it’s too thick or if you get those side marks from the bristles, simply by painting over it again with the adjacent color.

Candy, Ornament, Tree

SUPPLIES & TOOLS:

• Clay (colors of choice)
• Clay needle tool or toothpick (to make holes, lines and imprints)
• X-acto blade
• Pasta machine (optional)
• Clay rolling pin
• Drill and drill bit
• Ribbon
• Templates

DIRECTIONS:

1. Knead clay and condition by hand or with a pasta machine until the clay is soft and pliable.
2. Using the pasta machine on the thickest setting, roll out clay sheets large enough for the templates given. You will want one sheet large enough for the whole design that will be a solid piece as the backer to the ornament.
3. Cut out the paper template with scissors and place it directly on your clay. Cut around the paper template with an X-acto blade.
4. Once the backer piece is cut out from the clay, cut out the corresponding pieces to the design from the templates and corresponding clay and build the design on top of the backer.
5. Once all the pieces are in place, place the ornament onto parchment paper on a baking sheet and back for 30 min at 230 degrees.
6. After the ornament is cooled drill a hole in the top with a drill and bit.
7. To make an ornament: Thread a piece of 6" ribbon through the hole and knot the ends in place to secure the loop for hanging.

JOANN HACKS:

• Work on saran wrap or a silicone mat when rolling out clay to keep the clay from sticking to your work surface.

Cat, Dog, Wreath

SUPPLIES & TOOLS:

• Felt, assorted colors
• Coordinating thread
• Embroidery floss, assorted colors
• Sequins and beads
• Polyfil
• Needle
• Scissors
• Chopstick

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cat Ornament
2. Print pattern provided and cut two from the yellow felt.
3. Whipstitch around the outer edges, leaving a small opening for stuffing. Stuff with Polyfil and whipstitch closed. Use a chopstick for stuffing where needed.
4. Add eyes, nose, whiskers, and ear details with embroidery floss, sequins and beads.
5. Create a collar for the cat by using sequins and beads. Use embroidery floss to add leg details. Finish off with a small loop at the top of the head.
6. Dog Ornament
7. Print pattern provided and cut two from the brown felt.
8. Whipstitch around the outer edges, leaving a small opening for stuffing. Stuff with Polyfil and whipstitch closed. Use a chopstick for stuffing where needed.
9. Add eyes and nose details with embroidery floss and sequins and beads. Cut two small dog ear shapes and attach them with a whipstitch.
10. Add sequin and embroidered details. Add loop on the center-back of the dog to finish the ornament.
11. Wreath Ornament
12. Print pattern provided and cut two from the green felt.
13. Whipstitch around the outer edges, leaving a small opening for stuffing. Stuff with Polyfil and whipstitch closed. Use a chopstick for stuffing where needed. When you have a curvy shape like this wreath, stuffing as you go makes it much simpler.
14. Add ribbon details with a strip of red felt. Add sequin and bead details.
15. Finish off with a large red bow and a small loop for hanging.

JOANN HACKS:

• Metallic embroidery floss is often easier to stitch with when divided in half.

Nutcracker and Gift

SUPPLIES & TOOLS:

• 3 light pink embroidery thread
• 3 red embroidery thread
• 1 yellow embroidery thread
• 1 navy blue embroidery thread
• Salt DMC Carolina linen 14-count Aida fabric
• Embroidery needle
• 5" embroidery hoop
• Red felt
• Pink felt
• Hot glue gun
• Quilt batting
• Tape
• Scissors

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cut a piece of aida slightly larger than the 5" embroidery hoop. Secure the aida in the hoop.
2. Cut an arms length of embroidery thread. Separate out three strands. Fold the strands in half. Thread the cut ends through the embroidery needle. Pull the needle through the first stitch of the pattern, working back to front, making sure not to pull the loop through from the back. Work the rest of the stitch front to back. Work the needle through the looped thread at the back of the piece and pull tightly to secure.
3. Stitch desired pattern following stitch chart and using the continental tent stitch. Create the tent stitch by working the thread in small diagonal stitches all running in the same direction (ie. \).
4. Remove piece from hoop.
5. Trim the aida approx. 1/4" from the edge of the design.
6. Fold the remaining aida to the back of the piece and iron flat.
7. Trace the shape of the finished stitched piece onto a piece of felt to be used as a backing. Cut the felt to size.
8. Cut a piece of quilt batting so that it fits to the back of the embroidered piece, but is 1/4" shorter on each side.
9. Create a small loop for hanging by knotting threads. Cut three pieces of embroidery thread approximately 6". Knot one end and tape it to a work surface.
10. Separate one thread from the three, make a loop across the other pieces creating a 4 shape. Move the working thread under the other threads and pull it up through the loop and pull tightly. Repeat this until there are 25 knots. Knot all three strands together.
11. Hot glue the loop to the top, back of the embroidered piece.
12. Lay the batting onto the back middle of the piece. Lay the felt over the batting and hot glue each edge to the back of the embroidered piece.

Stocking

SUPPLIES & TOOLS:

• Green and pink foam sheets
• Hot glue gun/glue
• X-acto blade
• Ruler
• Scissors
• Pencils
• Templates
• Ribbon

DIRECTIONS:

1. Print and cut out your templates to use as a guide.
2. Lay the template pieces on the foam sheet color indicated or use a color of your choice. Cut out the pieces by holding the template on the foam piece or if you would rather outline the template in pencil you can.
3. Once all the designated pieces are cut out, glue them in place starting with the backer piece and building the design up from there.
4. Trim off any edges where the layers overlap as needed.
5. Cut a 6" piece of ribbon, fold in half and knot the end. Hot glue the knot to the back of the ornament.
6. Cut a 1/2" size circle from foam coordinating with the back color and glue over the knot to secure in place and finish off the back.

JOANN HACKS:

• Make sure if you choose to trace your template with pencil you draw lightly and trace a bit wider than the finished design so the pencil lines are cut away. It will be hard to remove them after the fact so make your marks intentional.

Mittens and Santa Hat

SUPPLIES & TOOLS:

• Sizes 5 DPNS
• Size H crochet hook
• Red sparkle Caron Simply Soft Party
• Blush Big Twist Soft
• Stitch holder or extra yarn
• Measuring tape
• Scissors
• Tapestry needle

DIRECTIONS:

Holiday ornaments knit in the round with crochet loops for hanging. To create a cleaner and tighter rib, the knit stitches in the rib rows are worked through the back loop - creating a twisted knit stitch.
TECHNIQUES USED: German twisted cast-on, knitting in the round with double pointed needles, increase, finger shaping, twisted rib variation, and stockinette stitch.
FINISHED MEASUREMENTS: 3"x 4"

ABBREVIATIONS:
CO - cast on
k - knit
p - purl
st - stitch
M1L - make one left
M1R - make one right
DPNs - double pointed needles
K2tog - knit two together
K1tbl - knit one through back loop
CH - chain (crochet)

HOLIDAY MITTENS
With a 48" tail and size 5 DPNs, cast 24 stitches across 3 DPNs with red yarn, 8 st per needle.
*K1tbl, p1* for 4 rows to create a tight 1x1 rib.
K for 1 row.
To begin increase for thumb: M1R, k2, MIL, k to end of row (+2 st, 26 st total).
K for 1 row.
M1R, k4, M1L, k to end of row (+2 st, 28 st total)
K for 1 row.
M1R, k6, M1L, k to end of row (+2 st, 30 st total)
K for 1 row.
M1R, k8, M1L, k to end of row (+2 st, 32 st total)
K for 1 row.
Place first 10 st onto stitch holder or scrap piece of yarn. These will be picked back up later to work the thumb. With last needle from previous row, CO 1 stitch. With new needle to start working next row, CO 1 st and k to end of row. (-10, + 2 = 24 working st on needles)
K until mitten measures approx. 3" or 15 rows of stockinette.
Begin decrease to shape mitten top. From this point forward the mitten will be worked on 2 DPN’s, with stiches split in half evenly on them. On first needle: *SSK, K8, K2tog.* On second needle, repeat * to *. (-4, 20 st total).
K across row.
*SSK, K6, K2tog* twice. (-4, 16 st total)
K across row.
*SSK, K4, K2tog* twice. (-4, 12 st total)
K across row.
Without casting off, trim tail to 1' and thread tapestry needle onto yarn. Run tail through live knit stitches and pull to synch top of mitten. Weave into wrong side to finish mitten.
To work thumb: transfer 10 stitches from stitch holder onto DPNs. Pick up 2 stitches where previous st were cast on(12 st total).
K for 6 rounds. Run tail through live knit stitches and pull to synch top of thumb. Weave into wrong side to finish thumb.
Weave in any tails.
Add embroidered details: with 36" of pink yarn on tapestry needle and leaving 4" tail, begin by running pink yarn over purl stitches in the beginning rib rows. Work across whole mitten to create vertical stripes in ribs. Without breaking yarn and using the vertical stripes as a guide, begin zig zag pattern 3 st directly above left or right most stripe on one side of mitten. Work zig zag horizontally 3 st up and 3 st down, inserting needle in same column as vertical stripes created on rib. When completed, run yarn to back side and either weave in or tie to beginning tail and trim ends.
Repeat for second mitten.
To create loop for hanging: With one 48" tail, use the crochet hook to chain 4" and attach to other mitten. Weave in any remaining ends.

SANTA HAT
With a 48" tail and size 5 DPNs, cast 28 stitches across 3 DPNs with pink yarn.
*K1tbl, p1* for 4 rows.
Break pink yarn and switch to red, knit for 4 rows (work any st that were K1tbl in the first row the same way, work in regular stockinette after).
*K2tog, k5* - repeat across row (-4, 24 st on needles).
Knit for 4 rows.
*K2tog, k4* - repeat across row (-4, 20 st on needles).
Knit for 4 rows.
*K2tog, k3* - repeat across row (-4, 16 st on needles).
Knit for 4 rows.
*K2tog, k2* - repeat across row (-4, 12 st on needles).
Knit for 4 rows.
*K2tog, k1* (-4, 8 st on needles).
Knit for 4 rows.
*K2tog, K2* twice. (-2, 6 st on needles).
Knit for 4 rows.
Run tail through live knit stitches and pull to cinch top of hat. Run through to wrong side of hat, do not weave in.
Make a pom pom with pink yarn that measures 1/2"-3/4", leaving 6" tails to attach to hat. Run two pink pom tails into inside of hat and tie securely together with red yarn tail from finishing top of hat. Trim to 1/4".
Fold top of hat over and use some scrap red yarn to stitch two inside layers together.
To create loop for hanging: With another piece of red scrap yarn and the crochet hook, attach yarn to top right of fold and chain for 4". Fold chain over, being careful not to twist, and attach to same part of hat. Weave in/secure any loose tails.

Truck, Cardinal, Trumpet

SUPPLIES & TOOLS:

• Wood laser cut ornament shape
• Acrylic Paint, assorted colors
• Paint markers (optional)
• Small flat paintbrush
• Small detail paintbrushes
• Pencil and eraser
• Rust-Oleum Satin Finish spray_x000B_Fine sandpaper (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Lightly sand wood shapes to remove any rough edges.
2. Paint base color of the ornament allow to dry.
3. Transfer designs to wood surface using a pencil.
4. Paint design onto ornament. Several coats may be required. Allow paint to dry between each coat/color.
5. Add details to the ornament with a paint marker.
6. Spray each ornament with the clear satin spray with 2-3 coats following the directions on the can.

JOANN HACKS:

• Make sure the previous layer of paint is dry before applying the next layer. To give your ornament more definition, you could outline the design using a fine tip paint marker.


• SKILL LEVEL: Intermediate


• CRAFTING TIME: Varies