A craft supply de-stash - simple Christmas drawstring gift bags

Earlier this Autumn I set myself a personal challenge to batch up five craft projects, with the intention of completing them by the end of the year. I'm pleased to say that it's going really well, and I've now completed project number four - some Christmas fabric gift bags.

This Christmas fabric has been in my stash for so long that I can't even remember buying it! I didn't have a project in mind when I did, and so I really wanted to find a use for it that would mean I could appreciate it rather than just having it stuck in a drawer.

I'm not a particularly talented sewing machine user, but one thing that I can make is super simple gift bags. I decided that this was the perfect craft for this Christmas fabric, because it's a useful item that can be brought out year after year. It was also an opportunity to use some of my stashed Christmas ribbon.

I prepared five rectangles of fabric, with co-ordinating cotton and ribbons.

When I came to do the craft it was so easy to get started, it took less than an hour and that included ironing the fabric and remembering how to thread the sewing machine with different coloured cottons! They are super easy to make. All I do is sew a hem along one side for the ribbon, then sew the sides of the bag together. Ribbon is threaded through the hem using a safety pin, and I added a plastic toggle just because I have some in my stash. 

I now have five gift bags in lovely Christmas fabric that I can enjoy every year.

Felt crafting ideas for Halloween and Autumn

The calendar may say that it's Autumn, but the weather seems to be taking a while to catch up this year! Nevertheless, today I'm sharing some of my favourite felt crafts for some Autumn and Halloween themed felt crafting. 

Follow the links for full details of each craft!

Felt Autumn leaves

These embroidered felt Autumn leaves were really simple to make using scraps of felt and tiny beads. I've displayed them in several ways - in the past I have gathered them together in a shallow bowl, and this year I have strung them on a length of cord across the mantlepiece using tiny wooden pegs. They measure around 10cm in height and I had a lot of fun varying the colour combinations and embroidery details.

Halloween felt bunting with ribbon and buttons

This homemade Halloween felt bunting was a real craft supply de-stashing project. I used large felt triangles for the background, then I designed each pendant individually using scraps of felt, ribbon, beads and buttons. I love putting it out each Halloween, often with a few fairy lights.

Colourful stuffed felt sugar skulls

These felt sugar skull Halloween decorations are another great project to use up those crafty bits and pieces in your stash. The basic skull design can be decorated in all sorts of creative ways using beads, buttons, ribbons, sequins - all sorts of craft materials that you have lying around! They can be displayed in a bowl, lined up on a shelf, or you can add a small hanging loop. I chose white for the background, but you could make them in all sorts of colours and sizes.

Simple felt stuffed pumpkins for Autumn decor

These stuffed felt pumpkins were so simple and quick to sew together, and they look wonderful heaped together for an Autumn display. I used a gold cord which really sparkles, and you can really get creative with different colours and shades of felt.

Halloween felt garland bunting

This Halloween felt garland is so easy to make, it just takes a little bit of time to cut out all the tiny shapes! They are strung together using a sewing machine and embellished with sequins.

Make a monster felt kit for toddlers

Finally, this make a monster kit busy bag was one of the earliest crafts that I shared on this blog! All you need to do is cut out some monster themed shapes from felt, add in a few other bits and pieces, and you have a sweet little busy bag craft for your little ones!

Simple felt stuffed pumpkins for Halloween

Today I'm sharing another craft from my recent personal challenge to complete five batch prepped craft projects. This is my third craft - some simple stuffed felt pumpkins for Halloween. 

My pumpkins were made using a free pattern and tutorial from The Yellow Birdhouse - DIY Felt Pumpkins with Free Printable Pattern. It's a simple pattern, easy to follow, and there are plenty of ways that you could customise it. For example, I may re-visit it in the future using bolder colours and printing the pattern in different sizes. This website is filled with beautiful patterns, both free and for sale, and I'll definitely be looking for more ideas when I'm next sorting through my felt stash!

For all of my batched projects I wanted to use only materials that I already owned. So I've used green felt for the leaves instead of fabric, and I chose a thick gold thread for the decoration instead of brown twine. I was a little limited by the colours of the felt that I have remaining in my stash - I've made a few felt Halloween crafts over the years! However, along with plenty of grey and brown felt, I had just enough shades of orange felt to sew together a third pumpkin.

This project does require quite a lot of stuffing - not a problem for me as I have plenty saved from old pillows, but worth noting if you want to try this craft. The pumpkins were very quick to work up, and I love working with felt. The pieces are simply sewn together, the pumpkin is stuffed, then the stalk and leaf are attached with a glue gun. I really like the extra thread that is wrapped around the pumpkin and I think that my leftover Christmas gold cord works really well for a bit of sparkle.

Another craft complete, and another tiny bit of space made in my craft stash cupboard!

Review - Miniature Gingerbread House craft kit from Rolife

I received this kit in exchange for a review

Last week I shared some gorgeous Christmas themed miniature craft kits from Rolife, and today I'm featuring another miniature craft kit from the Christmas collection, the Gingerbread House. 

With this kit you can assemble a Gingerbread House bakery, filled with festive treats that include gingerbread men, candy canes, cocoa and chocolate boxes. It's a 3 star kit which means that it isn't too difficult, but it will take a little more time than the basic kits. Suggested assembly time is around six hours, and I would say that is about right.

The kit contains everything that you need apart from two AAA batteries for the lighting kit, however I did find it useful to have some glue on hand just to make sure that everything is firmly stuck together. Inside the kit you will find plain and coloured wooden boards with snap out pieces, paper cuts and stickers, tiny plastic components, a lighting kit, screwdriver, tweezers, double sided adhesive strips and of course full instructions.

I have to say that I really loved assembling this kit, and I think that it may be my favourite Rolife kit so far. I really enjoyed the festive vibes, and all of the miniature components were really sweet.

One thing that I particularly enjoyed about this kit was that I felt the assembly order worked really well. First you assemble the larger pieces that fit inside the bakery - the dresser, cupboards and so on. I found it a good idea to use one the box lid to store the pieces as I finished them.

 

Then you assemble the structure of the house, putting the walls and door in place (this was a bit like building a real gingerbread house!) and installing the simple lighting kit. Finally you put together the very small pieces and glue them into place on and around the furniture to complete the bakery.

I found the assembly of the kit straightforward and the instructions easy and logical to follow. There were a few times when I felt that I needed some extra glue, although the adhesive strips provided are very sticky. The instructions lead you clearly through each step, and this kit didn't require any measuring or cutting pieces to size which you find in some of the more difficult kits.

I loved all the tiny details in the kit. The little coffee machine with a mug of hot chocolate to go, the tiny cakes and biscuits, the miniature boxes of chocolates in all shapes and sizes. It takes time to spot everything that is packed inside the shop as there is so much attention to detail.

The kit includes a lighting kit which lights up the inside of the shop. The battery box and on/off switch is accessed from the back of the house, it cleverly slots inside one of the cupboards. It looks so good when the light is on, especially on a dark winter's evening when you need a bit of festive cheer.

I can see this Gingerbread House being part of a larger Christmas village, which is something that I've always wanted. You could buy and assemble a kit each year as a festive tradition that builds up into something really spectacular that is much more personal than buying the pieces readymade. There are a few other kits which would fit the theme really well, like the Christmas Candy Stand or the Honey Dessert Talk Miniature House.

I know that this Gingerbread House is going to be a part of our Christmas decor tradition for a long while to come!

Review - Christmas 3D frame miniature kits from Rolife

I received these kits in exchange for a review

A few weeks ago I shared some gorgeous Christmas themed miniature kits from Rolife, and now that I've made a start on my Christmas crafting I'm delighted to share the results of these two kits from the DIY Miniature House Story Frames Series.

These kits are titled Christmas Eve Party and Santa's Toy Shop. Each kit contains everything that you need to assemble a miniature world which is fitted inside a deep frame. All you need to add are two AAA batteries so that you can light up the scene. I chose to work first on the Christmas Eve Party kit.

Inside the box you will find the plastic frame which holds it all together and a selection of materials including wooden pieces to press out, stickers, paper cut pieces, the lighting kit, a variety of small themed accessories and full instructions. There is also a small screwdriver for the battery box, plastic tweezers, and tiny double sided tape strips.

Christmas Eve Party depicts a dining room filled with Christmas treats. There is a dresser with shelves filled with festive articles, a display of Christmas plates, a table piled high with delicious food and drink, and a Christmas tree in the corner. The first step is to assemble all of the tiny items that sit inside the scene.

Then the lighting kit is placed into position, and all the tiny items are stuck firmly in place before a plastic dust cover is added to the front. The picture below is taken before the front of the frame was added so that it can be photographed without a reflection. I'd recommend leaving it a day or so before adding the dust cover just so that you can check everything inside is stuck firmly - although it is possible to remove the front to make changes it might risk upsetting everything inside!

The dust cover is a great way to make sure that everything inside stays nice and clean, especially as this is something that you will want to bring out from year to year. I love all the detail in this kit, especially the tiny cake and mug of cocoa!

Next I worked on Santa's Toy Shop. This kit is slightly different because it is in portrait rather than landscape format. It also doesn't have a dust cover, instead the elements of the kit extend outside the frame, making a tiny world that you can imagine walking into. It features the entrance to the toy shop, with a front door that can be pushed open to reveal more decorations inside. Piled up outside the shop is a heap of gift wrapped boxes, one filled with sparkling baubles, and the shop window displays more festive delights. 

Once again the assembly of the kit was simple and enjoyable. Both kits did have their fiddly parts, in particular the tree in Christmas Eve Party and the lamp post in Santa's Toy Shop. Some of the wooden pieces are very delicate and I did have a couple that snapped when I pushed them together too firmly. It was easily fixed with some superglue, but it's a reminder to be careful and not get impatient. I used glue (not supplied) in some places just to make sure that everything was stuck firmly.

I also messed up slightly when I installed the battery box on this kit, I slotted it in backwards and then found it very difficult to remove. It's very important to read the instructions and check the pictures very carefully, all the information is there if you look properly!

The finished frame kits have a plastic hook at the back so they can be hung from the wall, or else they can be displayed free standing. I can't even decide which is my favourite! 

The lighting for the kits is very simple and easy to install. The battery box is accessed from the back, and two AAA batteries are required. There is a light sensitive button for the lights which is on the outside of the frame, and a light touch is enough to turn them on.

Here are the frames displayed proudly on my bookcase so you can see the scale, they each measure approximately 16cm by 21cm. They look lovely together but would also make great individual kits. They would be a lovely gift for a crafty friend, or something that the family can work on together to create something that will decorate the home at Christmas for years.

These kits are not too difficult to put together, and it's a very satisfying process. Each one takes about two hours to make so you can complete in an evening, but I'd recommend taking your time and enjoying the assembly, as well as making sure that each step is firmly stuck before moving on to the next. 

These kits would make a lovely addition to your Christmas decor, as well as giving you a lot of enjoyment when you work on completing them. Next I'm going to be working on the Gingerbread House miniature kit, and I'll be sharing my progress soon!

A look at some Christmas themed kits from Rolife

I received these kits in exchange for a review

I love crafting for Christmas - mainly for the enjoyment of completing a craft project but also having some unique finished festive decor that I can bring out every Christmas and admire for many years.

I've been sent some gorgeous miniature crafting kits from Rolife to try this Christmas, and so I'm going to share a quick preview before I start my crafting and share the finished results!

First is this DIY Miniature House - Gingerbread House. This lovely kit comes with all sorts of tiny accessories to build a light-up Gingerbread Bakery shop filled with delicious Christmas goodies. I've always wanted a miniature Christmas village and this looks like it could be the perfect start - I can't wait to begin putting it all together! This kit is a 3 star kit so I'm expecting it to be a little more complex than the basic sets, and I know that I'm going to really enjoy assembling it.

Secondly I will be working on these two kits from the Story Frames Series - Christmas Eve Party and Santa's Toy Shop. These two kits are built inside a deep plastic frame which holds the contents and also a lighting kit. Christmas Eve Party features a lovely little Christmas themed interior with a table set with treats, a Christmas tree, and lots of tiny festive decorations. Santa's Toy Shop is the exterior of a toy shop filled with Christmas treasures including decor and toys.

These Christmas frame kits are both 2 star difficulty kits with an estimated build time of two hours, so I could probably complete these in one sitting. But I'll be working on them a little slower because I want to enjoy every minute of the build process! 

I'll be sharing a full review of the kits when I've completed them, but in the meantime I've made a start on the Christmas Eve Party frame kit. I just love the idea of these frames which can be hung on the wall or displayed standing as part of your Christmas decor. They are packed with tiny details, just look at all these sweet little accessories that will be carefully placed into position. I expecially love the tiny gingerbread house!

Assembling the kit is straightforward with clear instructions to follow. The assembly is broken down into individual stages for each component, so you need to gather everything that you need for that step and then carefully follow the guidance to put it together. The kit is designed to be assembled without glue, with the pieces being adhered using small strips of double sided tape. However I liked to keep some glue handy as I wanted the extra security of knowing that things were firmly glued together.

So far I've build a little display case filled with festive plates, a corner display shelf, a chair holding a wooden teddy and a couple of small gifts. The thing I love about these kits is that you can work on them when you have time available, as the short steps mean that you can stop and start at any point. I like to keep everything ready, and then when I have a few spare minutes I can put a few pieces together ready to be placed inside the main frame.

I'm going to be very busy working on these kits, ready to have them on display as part of my Christmas decor!

Review - Rolife miniature kit - Elsa's Tailoring

I received this miniature kit in exchange for a review

Last week I shared an in progress look at the Rolife miniature kit Elsa's Tailoring, and this week I am delighted to share a full review of the completed kit! Elsa's Tailoring is graded with a five star difficulty level, meaning that it is one of the more complex kits available from Rolife. It takes around 8-10 hours to complete, but because it is assembled in small sections you can work on it in short or longer crafting sessions.

The kit contains everything that you need, apart from two AAA batteries. There is no painting and no glue required, as all pieces are adhered using small double sided sticky tape. A display box is available to purchase to keep your creation dust free, and detailed instructions are included.

This is what you receive in the box. As a more advanced kit, I noticed that the wooden pieces are thinner. This makes them a little more delicate when putting them together, but it also means that the overall impression of the finished build becomes more detailed and lifelike. 

Most of the work involves building is all the tiny bits and pieces that are put together to form the complete sewing shop. It's a combination of wooden pieces which are slotted together, cardboard pieces to press out and stick together, stickers, fabric and ribbon pieces to cut to size and some clear plastic windows.

There is a light in the shop which has some simple wiring to a battery box which is hidden in the bottom of the dresser and accessed from the back. 

I found the assembly instructions very clear and easy to follow. The assembly is broken down into lots of small sections, and each part is identified using labelled wooden sheets or stickered plastic bags. I had no problems working out which piece to use, and no missing pieces. 

Some of the assembly in this kit is a little more complicated than the simpler kits that I've worked on. For example this kit has a lot of fabric pieces which need to be cut to size. The size is given in the instructions, and in some cases I found it easier to create a cardboard template which I could use to cut the fabric. It's important to be accurate because the pieces need to fit together exactly.

Although no glue is needed to assemble the kit, I did use some of my own glue. Sometimes just to make sure that pieces were stuck firmly together, sometimes because I just found it easier as the little strips of tape can be a little fiddly. The tape was however excellent for sticking together any fabric pieces, for example the display dress on the stand which has ribbon around the base. The included tweezers were also very helpful, especially for the final positioning of pieces.

I love all the tiny details in the kit. I think that my favourite accessory is the ribbon holder display with miniature rolls of ribbon. I also love the little sewing machine and tiny scissors. Some elements are put together yourself, like the rolls of ribbon and the bundles of fabric, others are provided readymade, like the scissors and the necklace. The gold accent pieces really make the kit sparkle.

I loved completing this kit. Like all the Rolife kits, it's a really relaxing activity that you can work on whenever you have a few moments to sit down at it, and when complete it looks great on display.

If you are interested in trying a Rolife kit for yourself, you can receive a 10% discount on the Rolife website by using my code Jennifer10.

Review - Rolife miniature kit Elsa's Tailoring - a progress post

I received this miniature craft kit in exchange for a review

A couple of weeks ago I shared my review of the Rolife Miniature Kit Silent Corner Study. I loved putting this kit together, it didn't take too long but it was complicated enough to keep my interested and the finished miniature book nook is gorgeous. 

Now I'm moving on to the second kit which I received to review - Elsa's Tailoring.  

The Elsa's Tailoring kit is graded with a five star difficulty level. This means that it is more intricate and will take a little longer to complete. Opening the kit I could see that it contained a wider range of materials - as well as the wooden pieces, stickers, card cutouts and plastic accessories there is also ribbon and fabric pieces. The wooden sheets are thinner and the pieces are finer and more delicate.

This kit begins with the assembly of many small components. I just love all the tiny details! My favourite part so far is the little ribbon spool holder which you can see on the left of the white display case in the photograph below. It's so tiny and perfect! The display case and the dresser will be filled with accessories when the kit is completed.

There is definitely more work required when assembling this kit. All of the fabric pieces need to be cut to size, so I needed to make a template using a ruler before cutting. It requires a bit more thought and concentration than just slotting together wooden pieces.

The instructions are easy to follow and comprehensive, but you do often need to pay attention to the direction a piece is facing or the order in which to put parts together. No glue is required for this kit as pieces are stuck together using the supplied double sided tape.

My favourite part when putting together a miniature house kit is getting the main structure together! You can see that the light fixture is in place on the left side wall, this was really easy to assemble. The battery box is hidden at the back, it cleverly slots inside the base of the dresser. You need to provide two AAA batteries and there is a very small amount of simple wiring to do, just connecting two sets of wires and threading it through at the back to keep it secure.

The next steps are to build lots more tiny components, and then it's a case of putting everything in the correct place and making sure that it is all firmly stuck together ready for display.

I love that these Rolife kits are broken down into many small sections, so as long as you have some space to leave everything out you can come easily back to it after a break and add a little more. It's perfect for people that don't have the chance to sit down with a craft for hours, but have odd moments throughout the day when they can spend a few minutes working on it.

I will share a full update and review when I've completed the kit!

Review - The Cutebee Mrs Hunt Bakery miniature wooden craft kit

I received this craft kit in exchange for a review

Today I'm sharing a review of the Cutebee miniature craft kit Mrs Hunt Bakery. This kit is completed by slotting small wooden components together to produce a sweet little bakery shop filled with breads, cakes and other delicious goods. It's a part of the City Walk series which contains a number of different shops, and the miniature kit is recommended for ages 14+.

The craft kit comes neatly packaged and contains everything that you need apart from glue and batteries. 

Inside the box is a selection of wooden sheets with press out parts, as well as some moulded plastic pieces, the electrical components for the lights, a screwdriver and hinges and the instruction booklet.

The first thing to do is to find some batteries and check that the lights are working, then you can start to work through the instructions. I found them clear and easy to follow, with a logical progression through the kit. You just press out the pieces that you need for each part and slot them together. Some of the pieces require glue so you may need to wait for things to dry, but you can always skip ahead and come back when it's ready.

I loved watching the bakery come together. The little pieces are so sweet! The printing on the wooden sheets is really good quality and looks very realistic. I didn't have any problems with pieces not fitting together. There are spares for some of the more fiddly pieces in case you break them, but that wasn't a problem for me.

The pieces fit together well and look really good. You can work on the kit a little bit at a time as each section only takes a few minutes to put together, so you can pick it up and put it down as you get chance.

The finished bakery has a hinged part to the side which can open up to reveal the side wall which I thought was a lovely part of the design. The front door also opens and closes.

The bakery is perfect for displaying on a bookcase, and the solid construction and plastic windows keep the inside free from dust. The kit also contains a lighting kit to highlight different parts of the construction which is easily accessed from outside the casing.

I've put together a few tips in case you are considering working on one of these kits!

Tips for completing a Cutebee wooden miniature craft kit

Before starting, set up your work area. Find a tray or box to keep pieces that aren't needed yet, and make space to spread out all the wooden sheets so you can easily find the one that you need as sometimes a component requires pieces from several different sheets.

Press out the pieces as you need them so that you don't lose track

If a piece doesn't pop out straight away there is a small wooden piece that you can use as a tool to help. As you get going with the kit it becomes easier as you get the hang of it, so don't force it.

You need to provide your own glue, and batteries for the lights.

When slotting pieces together, double check the orientation because some are designed to be viewed from only one angle and you need to make sure the printed side is facing the right way.

Take time to follow the instructions carefully and check the assembly order.

Don't throw anything away until the end as some of the pieces are tiny and easily missed.

Don't rush, take the time to enjoy the process as well as the finished product.

If you enjoyed this review you might also like to see my review of the Christmas Wish Store Book Nook - Review - The CuteBee Christmas Wish Store Book Nook craft kit.