Handmade items are wonderful to give as gifts, tie onto packages, hang on the wall, use on a table and trim a tree. Today I want to show you a round-up of ideas from past posts and a new tutorial for simple and easy ornaments and decorations. These are crafting projects and most will use a glue gun, but all are festive and fun. Just click on the underlined links to see the entire post with instructions. Some of the easiest and fastest ornaments are simple Cookie Cutter Ornaments with buttons or roses glued on.
Cover an angel cookie cutter with white buttons. Small star shaped plastic beads and pearls accent the tree on the left.
Glue red and white buttons onto a red candy cane cookie cutter
Make an angel Ribbon Rose Angel Ornament.
Glue small buttons, ribbon bows and roses, sewing themed items onto inexpensive spools of metallic thread for a wonderful ornament gift for your friends. I will glue a larger button on the bottom too, to add detail and interest when the ornament is hung higher on the tree. I found these metallic thread spools in a bargain bin. The quality is not what I would want to use to sew, but the shine and glimmer works great for an ornament. Quick and easy, these could be a secret pal gift for your local sewing group, or a package tie-on for a sewing or quilting buddy.
But, if you can’t find metallic threads inexpensively, you can make your own. Just gather some glitzy trim and empty spools.
Place some hot glue on the spool, and wrap the trim like it was thread.
Finish them off with small items and buttons.
While you are in the sewing department, pick up some large covered button kits. These are no-sew ornaments!
Using the template, fussy cut a motif.
Center the motif in the bottom of the holder.
Place the curved piece inside, this is the button front. Fold in the excess fabric.
Add the back of the button
Using the little tool included, press the back into place.
Hot glue a hanger on the back.
Add some trim to the edge.
Overlap the ends and glue to the back.
Glue a circle of felt to the back to hide all the raw edges.
All done! You can use an even larger size and your embroidery machine to embroider a Christmas motif, or make Peace, Noel and Joy ornaments. Trim with lace.
I added a row of pearls to these too.
You can see how long ago I had this idea originally, LOL!! 2001!
Small motifs fussy cut from any kind of fabric can go into little frames dressed up with buttons and ribbon.
Since I love to cook, this little fabric motif of cookie mix with a cutter in holiday colors made a cute ornament framed in a hoop with lace, buttons and ribbon added. I have more of these little frames and hoops, so we will revisit this basic idea later in the year.
Of course, you’ll need a Winter Holiday Wreath for the front door or window. This Della Robia style wreath can go up before Thanksgiving and stay up all winter. I’ll be doing more wreath designs closer to the holidays.
Mason Jar Holiday Candles make great decorations and gifts. Place holiday themed items in the bottom and add a flared votive holder. Put the ring back on the top to hold it all together. Thrift stores are wonderful sources of mason jars.
Add a decorative beaded trim to the metal ring to really dress it up. See how at Beaded Mason Jar Decoration.
Make a Christmas Candle Wrapper, similar to the jewelry case, to dress up a purchased candle, adding a holiday touch.
Do you have pine cones at your place? Make a great Pine Cone Hanger! Quick and easy with just a bit of hot glue, you can stop with just one, or add two more for a larger piece suitable for your front door or wall.
<
You can make a similar sampler Christmas table cover to this one by using 12 blocks 8-inches wide and four blocks 12-inches wide, adding borders to get the size of your table.
Today’s giveaway will have multiple winners, a book from my personal collection! Just comment on this post with which book you would like most for a chance to win! Entries close on July 24th at noon, winners will be notified by email, and announced on the blog July 25th. Winner has been drawn.
And the blog hop at Confessions of A Fabric Addict will go on for the next 11 days, with a quilt along too. Hop over and follow Sarah to see all the posts. If you are seeing this post first, click on the Sewing Kit to see my tutorial and enter the Aurifil Giveaway!
Thank you to everyone who has commented so far during this event, I am delighted with the response and have read every one. Share the links with your friends as all the drawings will be open for comments until noon on July 24. Drawings were held in 2016. The sponsors love to see a great response, and I hope you will all continue to enter the drawings every day for the giveaways that appeal to you. Are you getting started on holiday sewing and crafting? Which book would you most like to win? Do you want to do a quilt-along in the fall for a sampler quilt like the one above?
Sharing
From My Carolina Home 
Beware! You might get one of these ornaments for Christmas!
Sent from my iPhone
>
I am inspired by your creativity. I love anything Christmas and since I live in an 100 year old farm house, the 301 Country Christmas Quilt Blocks book has caught my eye. Thank you for the chance to win.
Of course I love your Christmas table runner the best!! And YES a fall quilt-along would be fun…..I will be sticking to table runners and throws until I get a few King size projects quilted. 😉 I like the pine cone door hanger. I get a little tired of Christmas wreathes, and think the pine cones could hang into January! The Marti Mitchell book would be my choice, as my “crafty” side is being buried under layers of quilts. 🙂 Will “reblog” your post today.
Pingback: Day 2 of Christmas in July | stitchinggrandma
Thank you for all the ideas. I am going to take the small embroidery frames I put into the give away pile and try making some decorations. Also will be looking for pine cones when up in mountains this fall. Either quilt book would be nice if my name were picked.
This is a great list of quick, simple ornaments to make. Perfect even for working with grandchildren/children. I’ll remember this!
Some excellent ideas here, particularly the embroidery rings. Will keep my eyes open for some different sizes. The book “301 Country Christmas Blocks” look very interesting.
Beautiful! Gets me kinda in the Xmas Spirit! I will have to share some of my Xmas ornaments with you!
Good Morning Carole! Your post today is filled with such an array of projects it really sparked my crafting bug! LOL. I think each of the projects you presented will make great gifts, decorations and holiday wrapping ideas. Deanna bought a box filled with little tiny ornaments, beads and ribbons at a garage sale during the late spring and these would all work great with your ideas. I look forward to trying them. My choice for the book drawing would be Christmas Bazaar Crafts, since I am discovering the joy it is to make a variety of craft items.
I would be up for another Quilt Along! Thank you for sharing and have a fantastic creative day!
Carole, what fun! Love the creativity in the ornaments and they, too, put me in the holiday spirit. Thank you so much for your posts. I look forward to them!
301 Country quilt blocks. I will be stepping back a little from starting more quilts this fall. i have a stack of quilt tops that i need to start quilting.
What fun and simple ideas for Christmas decorations. And thanks for the giveaway, I would love Cheri Saffiote’s 301 Country Christmas Blocks!
Hello! 🙂 Heck yea I’ve started my Christmas sewing. How about you? Actually I started in January but haven’t gotten much accomplished. Yet! lol If I had my choice of the books from your stash, I’d pick the bazaar craft book. I usually find lots of great inspiration in those types of books. IMO I’d rather do I a QAL instead of a sampler. My OCD don’t like the randomness of samplers.
Love them all, don’t need them though! still busy moving in and working on wedding quilt. Not a lot being accomplished, and sadly I haven’t truly decorated for several years, too small house, too little motivation. I will pull out my tabletop tree this year, the one I have sentimental ornaments on that I’ve made, kids have made etc. You inspired me! and I think a new tabletop tree skirt, I found a pattern for a swirly bargello style that my daughter has already used, and I think I need one as well!
big hug,
sharon in hot colorado
Oooh! The 301 Christmas blocks has me drooling – wish I could turn the pages here to see what treasures are inside! I’ve been slow stitching a Christmas table topper since February or March I think! Someone gave 2 of us similar unwanted kits, & she has finished hers. I only work on the project during Crafty Fingers group at our local Sr. Center, tho, so who knows if i’ll be done this Christmas??! It has red & gold candles, greenery & berries & cream & white poinsettias in 4 corners. Part of the design includes metallic thread – sooo pretty, but what a pain to sew with! Soooo, I’m embroidering everything else first, will take a deep breath & tackle the sparkle last! I enjoy taking smallish projects along when we travel . . . always some waiting to be done! Jennie
HI, ‘QUILTERS CHRISTMAS” looks neat! Thanks for sharing!
Well your very crative lady…I love the table topper quilt ty for sharing..Quick country christmas quilts please…. happyness04431@yahoo.com
I absolutely LOVE the cookie cutter idea! That would be so easy for our Christmas craft day at church. Thank you for that idea. For the books, I’d love to win the 301 Christmas Blocks. =) Thanks so much for the giveaway from your own books! The table runner looks great. One of these days, I’m going to make a round one for my round table!
Loving so many of your ideas! I’m not sure what I would want to pick in the books, they all look great! I don’t do templates though. I would love a January quilt along of a Christmas quilt to have finished for next year, unless I get busy and do the one on Confessions. jadahlgr@yahoo.com
Loving your Christmas in July. I am looking forward to trying out some of these ideas. Especially the sewing thread ornaments and embroidered buttons. I would love a chance to win Marti Michell’s book. I have been a fan of hers for a long time. Thanks.
These are all such lovely and creative ideas ! Those books look fun; I’d be happy with any of them! 🙂
Those decorated button covers are so cute. Thanks for including something for us non sewing types.
A Quilter’s Christmas by Marti Mitchell.
Question: What do you do about the sharp side of a cookie cutter, especially the metal ones?
I would love to receive Quilter’s Christmas. |Love receiving your blog everyday.
Thanks
Any of the books look good but the Christmas bazaar book would be my choice…another quiltalong Will be great….thanks for all the cute ideas…
Eileen
I’m torn between two, I guess the Christmas Bazaar Book would be my choice, second would be the 301 Christmas Quilt Blocks.
I love the looks of Country Christmas Quilt Blocks. Ah Christmas in July!!!
TYTYTYTY for the win cant wait……
These are so beautiful. I love handmade ornaments.