Issue 1 | 2013

merry makings

magazine

hi!

My name is Claire, I am the

editor of heart handmade uk
and Christmas is my absolute favourite time of the
year! With that in mind, I
thought this year was as good a time as any to create some simple and easy DIY
projects. Of course they had to be created in the most budget friendly way
possible! If you already have a stash of craft supplies and the essential tools
every crafter has, then you are going to be well within the budget this year!
Every holiday season I have the curtains pulled, candles lit and my incredibly
tacky, festive jumpers on. I love Christmas, all of it! Every smell and taste of the
season saturates my home which makes me get rather giddy and full of festive
cheer!
With each November, comes the mammoth task of beginning to make the gifts,
write the cards, prepare the December Daily* album and get the decorations out
of the attic in time for the season. I keep it all contained within one room as each
year I will get some complaints Christmas already?! Yes! It takes time to make
things!
I hope you enjoy all of the crafts in this little publication and remember to enjoy
yourself! Dont forget to add your projects to the flickr group!
*December Daily with Ali Edwards scrapbooking and memory keeping project
for the holiday season.

e
r
i
a
cl
xo.

13

57

14

1414

32.

4
55
10

11

19

43

43

Merry Makings
6
8

Meet The Team

Things to do in December

10 Hand Lettered Christmas

Sign

37

12.

Darling decoupage projects

16

Fabric Star Garland

18.

Paper Straw Garland

20. Embroidered Memo board

and little decorations
22 Mini beaded wreath
decorations

45
35

18

24.

Air Dry Clay Gift Tags

26.

Washi Tape Christmas Tree

30.

Recycled Christmas Cards

32.

Stars Above

33.

Snowflake Plate

35. Beaded Heart Wall

Decoration
37.
60

24

Making Candles

40. Essential Christmas Photo

Guide
45

Memory Keeping

54. Beaded Snowflake Gift

Topper
57.

Gorgeous Gift Wrap

58.

Golden Evergreen Toppers

60.

Neon New Years Treat Bags

Ayda Algin
Ayda Algin is a full time

Ira Zinko

Janna Werner

Im Ira from Ukraine. Im 29 Janna Werner works as

Environmental Engineer and and married to my wonder- scrapbook

designer,

free-

part time blogger and crafter. ful husband for 7 years now lance writer and teacher for
With her inspiring blog Cafe and a mother to my adorable online and in-person workNohut which translates into

4 year old son. My passion is shops. She lives in North

Chickpea Cafe, Ayda shares

photography, styling and

the most beautiful images

decorating. A year ago I Jannas love for papercrafts

of her home and crafts and

started an online decor shop and mixed media art evolved

theyre all perfectly styled

called Blueberry Jam and in 2010 when a friend

and absolutely beautiful.

together with my husband introduced her to the world

A special thanks to Ayda

launched our own wooden of scrapbooking. Since then

for contributing a lot of the

creations project - Dream- she has been working togeth-

content found within these

Wood.

pages.

Ira is an incredible stylist and crafting

Germany with her husband.

er with well-known paper-

photographer, you can view companies, magazines and

her fabulous images on her international artists. In May
blog

2013, Janna published her

Blueberry Inspirations.

first book called Paper Art.

Blog: jannawerner.de

Jordan Clark

Silvia Curti

Stephanie

My name is Jordan and I

Im Silvia, a 24 year old girl

Stephanie is a student

am an 18 year old, starry-

from the beautiful town of

teacher of art and music.

eyed girl who is continually

Como, Italy. My passions for

Creativity runs in the veins

inspired by the beauty of the

paper and graphics led me to and was great at helping with

world. Im a dreamer and a

open in 2010 a creative blog:

lots of projects in my home

wanderer, always looking for

Ghirlanda di Popcorn.

^_^ Many of the projects

new adventures and wonder-

This name combines two

made by me were assisted by

ful people to meet. I love the

things I love most; simple,

Steph with great thanks and

summertime, and if I could,

easy and handmade

appreciation heading her

I would live my whole life

decorations and Christmas

way!

by the sea. I spend my time

of course. My blog is my

- Claire

reading, creating things with

paradise, on it I can share

my hands, star-gazing, prac-

my craft and graphics

ticing music, thrifting, writ-

projects, my personal

ing letters, and photograph-

printables, my

ing my life.

DIY tutorials, my feelings

Blog : Stellaire

and everything I love.

meet the team

.....................................
7

If youre anything like me, youve been

wearing your reindeer jumper and
singing carols for at least a week already. Im just preparing my never ending To Do list for the festive
season and I thought Id share a few of
the things at the top of my list!

1. Arrange Your Festive Craft Kit

Grab yourself an old shoe box and some beautiful

gift wrap to cover. Within your little box you can
store ribbon spools like those shown above
available from LiveLaughLove.co.uk
Stock up on items such as sellotape and glue stick
as you might find you go through one a day,
depending on the crafts you create.

2. Hang a wreath on your door

3. Feed The Birds

Whether its this delightful brussels sprout

wreath from The Contemporary home or
a beautiful traditional wreath, spruce up
your front door for the holiday season.

Its important to keep birds well fed when

the ground has frozen. I usually throw
bird seed on an upturned bin lid.Check
Martha Stewart for this bird cake tutorial.

4. Decorate

5. Keep Warm

I get so giddy around Christmas time.

All the beautifully decorated houses, the
sounds, the smells, all of it excites me.
Enjoy this time of year and spend it with
the ones you love and decorate!

Keep warm this season with hot drinks.

Coffee, tea, hot chocolate and all the rest!
At this time of year I love getting flavoured
coffee from the Christmas market that
comes to town every year.

6. The Scent of Christmas

7. Create a giftwrap caddy

Get yourself 2 lemon wedges, 1 lime slice, 2

orange slices, 3 cinnamon sticks, 2-3 Tbsp.
whole cloves, 3 bay leaves. Pour ingredients
into a saucepan and simmer on low heat,
add water as needed. Put in the fridge to
keep fresh.

Create a giftwrap caddy like Christina of

2littlehooligans.com. This is an upturned
stool with wheels attached. Christina then
stitched pockets for accessories.
9

Merry Christmas Sign

You Will Need
Twine, String or Ribbon
Pencil
Ruler
Eraser
Black Felt Tip and Pen
An Awl or something sharp to
make a hole.
Balsa Wood (can be purchased
in panels in different sizes, my
panel measured 14 inches by
5 inches)
To make this, I used a pencil to poke two hole is each end of this little balsa wood panel. The balsa wood is very light
weight and delicate so be careful when you are poking your little holes. The holes are obviously for putting the string
through and tying knots to secture.
My lettering is very dodgy and not perfect at all. I counted my letters and measured the approximate spaces for each
letter and their swirly parts so; measure your wood and mark off 14 spaces. This is just a rough guide and it means
you wont be marking your letters and erasing a lot because its not really possible to do so with balsa wood. Written
in pencil and then go over the pencil with your black marker.

10

11

12

Air Dry Clay Gift Tags

with Ayda Algin

You will need:

A beautiful, simple DIY project for

ribbon through.

Tissue Paper or Napkins (these

you to make and adorn your tree or

Carefully cut shapes out of your

used are Cath Kidston napkins from

gifts!

napkins or tissue paper and use the top

Christmas 2012)

Take a lump off your block of clay,

layer of your napkin only. Napkins are

Air Dry Clay

knead it (but not too much) and roll it

usually 3 ply which means they have 3

Rolling Pin

flat. Use a lid or cookie cutter to

layers, so use the top layer only.

Cookie Cutter or circular lid (you

create your circle and remove your

Use a small amount of decoupage glue

can be creative with your cutting

clay carefully. (It will be a little

to adhere to the clay and allow to dry.

tool!)

straggley when you pull it apart but If you are using a glue such as mod

Paint Brush for glue

you can file it down once dry.)

Decoupage Glue

Clay can stick to most surfaces when it as a varnish once your original layer

Scissors

its been worked too hard so be

is dry. Once youve left it to dry long

An awl or something sharp to pirce

careful.

enough you are ready to string through

a hole

Use an awl or sharp object to create a

your twine and make your gifts

Ribbon or Twine

hole so you can string your twine or

beautiful!

podge or decopatch you can also use

13

Decoupage Coasters
Decoupage Pillar Candles
Whether these are a gift or they are for your festive
I used the same technique as with the last two projects;
home, these decoupage coasters are a fantastic. Theyre using the top layer of a napkin only to adhere to the
easy and an effective, decorative little gift idea! Using
pillar candles using decoupage glue. I have done a small
the same technique as the project on the previous page; test of burning these candles with the decoupaged napkin
one layer of even decoupage glue, lay a square of your pieces and it just melts along with the wax but do not leave
tissue paper or napkin (ensure you pull apart layers of candles unattended and if you have any concerns at all keep
napkin and use only the top, printed layer) and leave to a fire blanket or small extinguisher on hand. Or just dont
dry. (Add the varnish layer if youre using Mod Podge or make them! Ive burnt them both down and had no fires at
all!
Deco Art decoupage glue.)

14

Balsa Wood Star Garland

A Panel of balsa wood * Star template *Sharp Knife *
Gingham Ribbon * Tacky Glue

Cardboard Stars
Star Template * Cardboard * Sharp Knife or scissors *
tacky or PVA glue * glitter

This is an incredibly simple DIY project. You need to

be VERY careful with your balsa wood. I actually used
4 panels of balsa wood measuring approximately 14
inches long by 5 inches high. When you are cutting the
balsa wood, it can break easily so make sure your knife
has a new blade and that you have a suitable cutting surface underneath. Use tacky glue to glue your star shapes
to a length of ribbon.

I used a star template to cut stars out of pieces of cardboard I found in my recycling bin. I then used pva glue
to add some Martha Stewart Glitter in two layers. Once
dry you can thread string through the cardboard layers to
create decorations for your tree or as a garland.

Just like on page 9, heres the recipe to ensure your home smells like Christmas the whole season!
Get yourself 2 lemon wedges, 1 lime slice, 2 orange slices, 3 cinnamon sticks, 2-3 Tbsp. whole cloves, 3 bay leaves. Pour
ingredients into a saucepan and simmer on low heat, add water as needed. Put in the fridge to keep fresh.
15

16

how to
......................
You will need: To make one star; gather your fabric and use your template to mark
out the star shapes. Using the pinking shears, carefully cut out two
Pinking Shears stars from each piece of fabric.
Pieces of Fabric or Fabric Scraps
Star Template
Awl for creating holes
Twine, Cord or Ribbon
Sewing Machine
Thin Wadding/Batting
Eyelets
Eyelet Setter
White or Matching Thread
Fabric Marker or Chalk

Cut out the same size star from your wadding/batting.

Create a sandwich layer of fabric, wadding and fabric and pin
together. Stitch your layers together on the sewing machine and
then mark a little dot where you want your hole to go.
Using an awl you can work holes through your layers or alternativelly mark an X with your chalk and use very sharp scissors to cut
along the lines of your X. You can trim the tips before placing in
your eyelets and using an eyelet setter to secure your eyelet in place.
You can then take your cord, twine or ribbon and string all your
little stars up.
Images and project by Ayda Algin

fabric star garland

................................................
17

18

Every year I like making a new garland for my craft room with common materials like acorn for autumn, paper doilies
for spring and this year I decided to make a new do-it-yourself winter garland using paper straws: they are so pretty and
ideal to use for different craft projects.
You will need:
Paper straws (red-white straws are perfect for Christmas time but every other colour is good)
Scissors
Xmas silver bells
String
How to:
Cut the straws in half.
Make a triple node in order to stop the string on one side.
Thread paper straws and little bells alternately up to complete the garland.
Make another triple node on the other side and your garland is done!
Project, images and words by Silvia Curti.

19

embroidered

memo board

20

embroidered memo board

You will need:
Frame
Old Cork Board
Calico Fabric
Embroidery Floss
Embroidery Needles
Scissors
Decorative Ribbon
How to:
Trace or free hand write Merry
Christmas onto your fabric and
embroider. I used a little diamante red
sticker to dot my I for added
interest.
Attach your decorative ribbon just
below your embroidery project.
Cut the cork to the size of your frame
and cover with the embroidered
fabric. Secure at the back with pins or
a staple gun.
Remove the glass from your frame
and insert your cork board as you

would a regular image in a frame.

This means you can stick your pins in
there for attaching everything!
ribbon paper chain
There is a little ribbon paper chain
there made with ribbons and double
sided tape!
wrapped yarn bauble
You will need:
1 Styrofoam ball
1 Paper Clip
2 Tooth Picks
2 Beads
Tacky Glue
Bakers Twine
How to:
Secure one end of your yarn to the
styrofoam ball and allow to dry before you begin wrapping.
While youre waiting for your glue to
dry, take your paperclip and bend

back and forth until it snaps in half.

This means you can now poke it into
the top of your styrofoam ball to add
twine for hanging. Wrap your yarn
around and around and secure with
tacky glue. Slide your tooth picks in
and glue beads to the top. Add bakers
twine and hang.
ribbon spool with jingle bells
You will need:
Short piece of ribbon
Spool
2 Jingle Bells
Bakers Twine
Hot Glue or Tacky Glue
How to:
Secure one end of ribbon to spool using glue. Create a loop & knots with
your twine to secure inside the spool.
Use glue to really secure it. String the
twine through the bells to attach, wrap
your ribbon around the spool and
secure with glue and hang! Ta-da! 21

easy decorations
....................................

Mini Beaded Wreath

These miniature wreath
decorations can be hung
from hooks in your
kitchen, on windows or
even on fridges to add a
festive touch to any room
this Christmas.

22

mini beaded wreath decorations

You Will Need
Small Hoops (we have used
15cm rings available in packs of
10)
Ribbons
Bakers Twine
Beads
Little Toadstools on Wires
Scrapbook embellishments
Crochet Flowers
Buttons
Pom Pom Ribbons
Fabric Scraps
Washi Tape
Beading Wire
Glue Gun
Tacky Glue
Scissors

How To:
These little wreath decrations
were made by taking mixed
fabric strips and using a glue
gun to secure a piece of fabric
to the hoop and then wrapped,
being secured at the end with tacky
glue (most brands are suitable for
use with ceramics, fabrics etc).

beads to the top of the hoop

where we were attaching the
bakers twine for hanging.
Project
by
Stephanie,
Words and Images by Claire
Donovan
of
hearthandmadeuk.

Beading wire was used to string

any beads or buttons on as it was
being wrapped around the hoop.
This is when you can choose to
add ribbons or wrapping a pom
pom string ribbon around the
hoop. You can then add extra
embellishments (the same way we
attached the toadstool on a wire).
When the little hoops were

23

Air Dry Clay

gift tags

....................................................................

24

You will need:

Air Dry Clay
Scissors
Rolling Pin
Gold Pen or Paint
Cookie Cutters
Gold Thread or Twine
Awl or Sharp Object to make small holes
Littlebeads for added decorative interest

little rough, you can smooth those with sand paper after
it dries.
Allow your tags to dry fully before you attempt to paint
or you will destroy the nibs of your pen or your paint
brush. Trust me! Once dry, decorate and doodle. Once
paint or ink has dried you can use your gold thread to
string up and add your little decorative bead.
Project and images by Ayda Algin

How To:
Cut off a lump of clay from your packet and knead
until it can be easily rolled out. Be sure not to knead too
much as the clay can become quite sticky and will more
than likely stick to your surface.
Use any choice of cookie cutter to cut your shape and
carefully remove. Poke a little hole and set aside to dry.
Its quite common with air dry clay for the edges to be a

25

26

washi tape

tree

................................................

Images and project by Ayda Algin

All you need to make this washi tape tree is a roll of washi tape, a large piece of
poster board or foam board, some brads (the little brass tacks with two prongs at
the back) and some string!
You dont have to be perfect with your measurements, start at the top and start
sticking and ripping tape.
Figure out where you are going to place your brads and mark little holes so you
can use something sharp to make a hole to insert the brads. Fold your prongs at
the back and that will keep them secure. If you were to use regular push pins, it
is quite likely they would fall out when you add any decorations to your string.
Now you can add string to your tree, securing at the top and looping around the
rest of the brads, securing at the bottom. Now decorate!

27

A Tabletop Vignette
Display your washi tape
Christmas tree ontop of
a dresser, shelf or even
a piano. You can add
some string lights and
some festive touches
using little gift wrapped
boxes
and
baubles
strewn across the top.
of your furniture.
Obviously this is not a
practical idea for those
of you with children!

Learn how to make these lovely pastel and

glitter cards on pages 32 and 33
28

A Festive Arrangement
Gather some sprigs of an evergreen,
some candy canes and arrange them
in a little latte cup. This makes a cute
little festive addition to your home!

29

recycled greetings cards

30

You will need:

How To

Old Christmas cards

Glitter
Scissors
Glue Stick
Scanner
Printer
Pastel Card Stock
White A4 Card
A Bone folder or the
back of a knife

This is such an easy project and a great way to reuse your old Christmas cards. If you have a
scanner, scan in your old Christmas cards. You can use free
software such as picassa to print them out as four pictures on one sheet of A4 card.
Cut your little cards out using scissors (if you have a steady hand or a paper trimmer if you
dont). Then use glue stick or a glue pen to add little glitter
(ensure you have a large piece of paper underneath your work that has been folded in half,
this means you can save any excess glitter and put it back in your pot).
Once youve finished covering your card with glitter you can fold a piece of pastel card stock
and glue the card to the front of your card stock. When
folding card I always use a bone folder or the back of a knife to make sure the creases are

31

Toilet Roll

CARDBOARD STARS

..................................................................................
These cardboard stars (or flowers) are such a simple craft ro make!
Take a regular sized toilet roll, a ruler and a pencil, measure 1cm
sections and cut. You will need a glue gun for this craft so plug it
in and start adding small amounts of glue to the one end of your
cardboard stars.
Just a dot is needed on the end and you can attach a second. Mine
arent perfect so I can glue down any ends that dont look even.
You can then paint and add embellishements!

32

stencilled snowflake plate

Depending on whether you want a clear
glass plate or to draw snowflakes on a
ceramic plate you may need different
materials.
I used
1 Glass Plate
2 Martha Stewart Snowflake Stencils
1 Oil Based Paint Marker (chalk wouldnt
dry on the glass plate)
If you want to do this to a ceramic plate
you will need
1 Plate
1 Porcelain Marker you can bake on so its
safe for food.
Stencils

I used washi tape to secure my stencils to the top of my plate. As my

plate is glass and I was able to turn the plate over and use the stencil
as an outline. As I am using this technique you can print a snowflake
template out from the internet and use that as your template.
I drew my snowflakes directly on the plate with my template on the
other side and I kept moving my stencil around the plate where I
wanted to draw my little snowflakes.
When I was finished with my wobbly snowflakes I then just used the
pen to dot all over the plate to look like snow.
Theyre not perfect but theyre suitable for what I want to use it for!
You can be more precise of course and you can also use ceramic paint
and a fine brush if you are going to create a plate safe to use with
food and dish washing.
The templates that I used came as a pack from the Martha Stewart
seasonal stencils.

You can print templates instead of buying.

33

Beaded Heart Lights

.................................................

34

wire hanger beaded

heart

lights

You will need:

1 Wire Coat Hanger
1 Set of Battery Powered Fairy Lights
1 Beaded Wire Garland (I used 5 Metres, available from
any florists)
Set of wire cutters (not essential, I was able to bend the
excess wire with pliers enough so it snapped off)
How to:
The steps are very simple, although you do need some
muscle for this part - bending and shaping the hanger
into a heart. I detangled the wire from below the hook,
flipped one side of the untangled wire upside down and
retwisted the wire. At this time I left the excess wire
hanging down until I had shaped the hanger into a heart;
I had a little trouble getting it smooth but I kept
working at it and it turned out very well. At this stage I
used a pair of regular pliers and bend the excess length
backwards and forwards until it snapped off.
You then need to begin wrapping your beaded garland
around the heart shape. You should have plenty of
the garland to wrap the beads tightly, or you can wrap
loosely and create two layers. Once I had finished
wrapping the wire I was able to twist the end of the
garland wire to another part of the garland which
secured it. It was then time for the lights! You can also
wrap these (20 lights in a pack) quite tightly.
Your excess cable and battery pack will hang loose but
you can find a creative way of hiding it! You could hide
it behind canvas like I have shown on the opposite page.

35

making candles

You will need:

ended up covering my white walls in soot, which I discovered in the spring time!

Soy wax container blend

Soy wax is more eco friendly and doesnt smoke like
Scented oil if you choose - I chose gingerbread!
paraffin and is now the only type of wax I will use.
Candle Wax Dye if you choose
Buying soy candles can be quite expensive so I am goA jug
ing to be making all of my Soy pillar candles this year.
A saucepan that you are happy to get covered in wax
or invest in a double boiler but its cheaper to get a glass This means I should invest in a larger jug and use an
old saucepan which is larger as I currently use a 500ml
jug and small saucepan. I used what I had in my cupjug and old milk pan.
board.
Wick suitable for soy container blend.
I purchased all of my supplies from WhicksnEmpty glass jars
Why choose soy wax?
I use a lot of candles in the winter for heat. I have a
small room so its easy to heat. The parrafin wax I had

whacks and the owners have been kind enough

to offer readers in the UK 10% on their purchases using code WNW11.

How to:
Once youve chosen your candle containers (I used jars) make sure theyre clean and completely dry. Place them
on a baking tray (or regular tray) with tin foil covering the base. This will ensure that any wax spills will be easy
to clean up. Insert a candle wick in the center of each container. If you are using wicks with wick sustainers (little
metal disks on the end), the wicks should stand up straight without any assistance (mine didnt so I used a glue
gun to secure them to the base of the jar). Using wicks with sustainers in containers is highly recommended as
loose wick can be quite difficult to keep straight (your wax would melt in unevenly).
Now its time to start your double boiler or jug and saucepan! The soy container blend wax comes in flakes so its
easier to melt. Put it in the jug and wait until it melts. Then pour the wax into your chosen containers in layers. I
usually poke some holes into layers when a skin has formed, to allow the wax seep in, if you pour it all in at once
and leave to set you run the risk of creating an air pocket that will crack and create a small well once it has set.
37

pringles can candles

You will need
Soya Pillar Blend Flakes 700g will
make one large pringles can pillar
candle
1 Pringles Can
Double Boiler (jug and saucepan)
Scents if you choose
Wick suitable for soy blend pillar
candles (a larger width than some
container wicks)
One (baking) tray with tin foil or
wax paper to catch any spills
How to:
Start by applying a little washi tape to

38

the sealed end of the Pringles tube,

in a criss cross to mark the centre
point, then you can use a hammer
and sharp nail to make a hole. I did
not use the tape method to mark the
centre hole and ended up with two
holes! I was able to seal up one end
with the glue gun. (You can learn
from my own mistakes)
You can cut the tube if you wish to
have a smaller candle, if you decide
to use paraffin wax (not
recommended) you might need to
peel the pringles can apart when it
has set, soy wax candles come out
much easier after it has been refriger-

ated.
Pass the wick through the hole at
the bottom and you can secure with
some blue tac.
Divide your wax into 3 x 150g portions and one of 250g
Start your double boiler and place
the first (lightest) portion of wax
melted, as the first pour will be the
top of the candle.
Put the pringles tin on your tray in
case you havent properly sealed the
end

Straighten and tighten the wick,

use a bit of blutack or washi tape
to secure it

down and hopefully it will come

out of the can! If it doesnt it can
be easily cut away. Voila!

Im still burning the pillar candles

and so far theyve been burning for
16 hours!

Melt the next portion of wax and

when a skin has formed on the
wax in the pringles tin, poke a few
holes in it so the two parts will
mix a little and then pour in your
wax! Do the same for your last
portion of wax.

A little advice

Ive also been saving extra wax to

reuse.

Wait for a couple of hours (once

the skin has formed you can put it
in the fridge)
You will see a dip around the wick
at the open end where the wax has
shrunk (when it looks like someone poked their finger in)
Warm up your remaining wax and
fill the cylinder
Again, once a skin has formed, pop
it in the fridge.

Leave it a couple more hours until
it feels cool all over and then
carefully tip the candle upside

For my candle projects, I have been

using Wedo Eco Candle wick. I
bought mine in metre lengths and
created my own wicks suitable for
container candles, aswell as using
it continuously for the pringles can
pillar candle.
To make wick suitable for containers
you will need
sustainers (little metal discs) and
pliars.
If you go to www.whicksnwhacks.
com you can use promo code
WNW11 for 10% discount within
the UK
I have tried pre-waxed candle wicks
and I have discovered that they burn
too quickly for the soy wax. The
soy wax burns for a long time and
the small jars I used in my container
candle project lasted for 9-10 hours
burning time.

39

40

Each year everyone is looking forward to the winter holidays. Unfortunately, within all the fuss we seem to miss the opportunity to photograph some truly beautiful and
somewhat important details of the festive season. In this article you will find a list of 12
images you should try to take this Christmas. I promise they will be memories to treasure!
Whats Christmas without a beautiful wreath adorning your front
door? The first on your list will be your Christmas wreath. If
youre like me you will have more than one, or like a family member of mine, the flower arranging class will be in full swing creating swags and traditional style decorations. You can take a picture
of it in the traditional style, hanging ona door, or you can simply
put it on any surface ( a wooden surface would add texture and
would fit particularly ince), scatter around spruce twigs, and add
some ribbon to make your wreath look more attractive.
41

2. Usually we pay attention to the gift wrapping

as much as to choosing the gifts themselves.
So why not take a picture of all these creative
packages in different settings. Under the tree,
the wrapping in progress, there are so many
ideas for styling gifts and many boards on Pinterest for inspiration if you really want to make
it like a photoshoot.
3. Christmas baking is an essential part of the
holiday season. If you also like to bake, be sure
to capture a photo of your creations. Just add
some greens, red bakers twine and pretty fabric
into the frame, and your baking will immediately look even more tasty!
4 . Various arrangements can be made with the
help of candles. They always look very cozy
in the image. Light them, add some Christmas
decorations and another festive photo is ready.
5 . Each of you definitely has a favourite
Christmas ornament. Try to photograph them
in a different way - hang them on the snowcovered twigs, hold in your hands or just put
them on a snowy surface.
6. All kinds of pinecones and nuts also create
a festive mood in your home for the holidays.
Why not scatter them on the table or put into
a pretty basket or bag and take a picture?get a
magical winter picture. (see previous page for
the cozy shots).

42

7. For an extra coziness add some pretty

mittens or socks into your shots. They are able
to make any arrangement more charming. And
if you sprinkle them with just a little snow, youll
get a
magical winter picture. (see beginning of article
for the cozy shots)
8. Whats Christmas without beloved hyacinths.
These delicate flowers clearly make your photos
more vibrant. Just add some moss, pinecones and
vintage details into the composition.
9. Berrries always bring a bit of color into the
photo. Thus dont forget that they are easy way to
complete any arrangement.
10. Most of us just adore vintage details. Not
surprisingly, they always look charming in the
photos. Take out your old stool, vintage books,
various wooden boxes/baskets and play with
them until you get the composition you like.
11. Children particularly anxiously await the holidays. Baking Christmas cookies for example can
be so much fun, then why not take a photoshoot
of all this magical process?
12. While playing in the snow, making snowman
or just walking in a winter forest, grab a camera
and try to capture the most memorable moments
of this winter

43

memory keeping

&

Scrapbooking
with Janna Werner

44

You will need

Patterned paper
Embellishments (Crate Paper)
Frame for 12x12 papers (Prima
Marketing),
Sewing machine
White thread
Twine
Sar sequins
Reinforcement rings
Glue
Scissors

How to:
Cut tags from three different patterned papers,
punch a hole on top of each tag and adhere a reinforcement ring as well as twine. If you like, sew
on the tags and let the thread hang lossely, this
adds a pretty shabby chic touch. Glue them onto
a 12x12 patterned paper.
You can now put the paper into a frame.
Gather embellishments that fit the color scheme
of the tags and spread them on the three tags
add gold and glitter for a Christmassy and classy
look.

45

You will need:

Papers
Vellum
Alphabet stickers
Embellishments: Crate Paper
Stamp: SODAlicious
Ink: Tsukineko
Spray: Heidi Swapp
Black pen (American Crafts)
Sewing machine
Yarn
Scissors
Photo
Glue
3D foam dots
How to:
Cut strips from glitter paper,
vellum and patterned paper and
adhere them on the top and
bottom part of the page.
Do not glue them directly on top of each other, but make sure each stripe can be
seen beneath the other. Adhere a garland on top of the page and stickers on the
bottom right. If you like, use a sewing machine to adhere the stickers.
Cut a few patterned papers that are bigger than the photo. Place them behind the
photo, add a clothespin and glue the papers + photo into the center of the scrapbooking page.
Add a title beneath the photo, use 3dimensional dots to apply the alphabet stickers
like this, the title will pop out of the page.
Stamp onto the page and write onto the photo. You might want to add the handwritten journaling before glueing down the photo as that is easier. Make sure to
use a photo marker!
Add a few spritzers and more embellishments on and next to the photo, but make
sure the motive doesnt get covered.

47

Christmas Shopping
Patterned paper (ILS)
Tags (Chic Tgas)
Alphabet stickers (Panduro)
Wood veneer (Studio Calico)
Stamps (swissgirlDesigns)
Star sequins
Black pen
Photo
Scissors
glue
White cardstock (Stampin Up)
Sewing machine
White thread
48

Cut two few strips from patterned paper, place one

on the top and the other one on the bottom part
of the cardstock. Place the title on the top left, the
title on this page was created with a tag and alphabet
stickers.
Cut a few patterned papers and place them and a
few tags beneath and next to the photo. Glue the
paper onto the cardstock, adhere the photo and add
stitches with a sewing machine.
Stamp onto the page and add handwritten journaling, if you like. Drawing arrows helps to emphasize
certain parts of the page.

You will need:

Patterned paper and
embellishments (Glitz Design)
Spray (Heidi Swapp)
Alphabet stickers (Glitz Design)
Black pen
Sewing machine
White cardstock (Stampin Up)
Glue
Scissors
Photo

Cut to strips from patterned paper and place them on

top of the page. They do not need to be straight nonstraight stripes add a interesting look to the page. Cut
a triangle from a piece of patterned paper and glue it
into the top left corner, adhere a sticker on top of the
triangle.
Cut a few patterned papers that are bigger than the
photo, use a sewing machine to adhere the papers. Place
the papers in the middle part of the white cardstock or
move them slightly to the right. Use spray to add a few
blobs, gold spray underlines the Christmassy look of
the page. Add a few more embellishments, a title and
if you like - handwritten journaling.
49

50

Patterned paper
Embellishments
Alphabet stickers: Pink Paislee
Spray: Heidi Swapp
Masking tape: mt masking tape
Sewing machine
Sequins
Photo
Scissors
Glue
Black pen
Sewing machine
White thread

Cut strips from one or more patterned paper. Place them at the top
and bottom of the page. Add stitches, if wanted. Place masking tape on
top of the layout.
Create the middle section by using
collage sheets, parcel tags, patterned
paper, a photo and embellishments.
Embellish the rest of the page by
using Pink Paislee City Sidewalks
ephemera, snowflakes and ephemera.
Cut triangle from patterned paper
and use them as photo frames or in

the corners of the page. Add stitches, if you like.

Add a title and journaling and set
highlights with sequins and Pink
Paislee City Sidewalks snowflakes.
If you like splatters, nows the time
to add some! Use Heidi Swapp ColorShine sprays and drop the liquid
onto the page. Let dry or use heat
gun to dry.

51

Scrappy Gift Tag

52

With Janna Werner

You Will Need

How To

Patterned paper (Prima Marketing)

Cardstock (Stampin Up)
Rhinestones (Prima Marketing)
Spray (Heidi Swapp)
Vellum
Pencil
Linen
Cardboard
Stapler
Twine
White gel pen
Alphabet stickers (Prima Marketing),
Sickers, (Prima Marketing)
Sewing machine
White thread
Glue
Scissors

Cut a piece of cardboard to the desired size and shape, apply patterned
paper and vellum.
Cut two speechbubbles from patterned paper, one bigger than the other.
Adhere them on top oft he vellum, preferably with a sewing machine.
Use a stapler to adhere linen and twine on one side of the tag, then
decorate the top speechbubble with alphabet stickers, stars, rhinestones
and doodles. Outline the black stars with a white gel pen to add more
contrast to the shape.

Beaded Snowflake

&

pretty giftwrap
with Jordan Clark

..............................................................................................

53

you will need

Seed beads
A few larger beads
Beading wire (that fit the seed beads)
Book Page or newspaper page
White Paint
Washi Tape
Lace or decorative ribbon

how to
Cut 4 pieces of wire about 6 inches,
and one piece of wire about 8 inches.
(You can adjust the sizes if you would
like your snowflake to be smaller or
larger).
Fill each wire piece with seed beads,
leaving a littleextra room for the wire
to be twisted around later.
Put a larger bead on each end of the
4-inch wires and twist the wire around
the bead to secure it.
Begin twisting two beaded wire pieces
together in the middle. Add the other
two wires, also twisting them around
the middle, until you have a snowflake
shape.
Use the 8-inch wire piece to go around
the snowflake, twisting it once around
each point to secure.
Begin twisting two beaded wire pieces
together in the middle. Add the other
two wires, also twisting them around
the middle, until you have a snowflake
shape.
Use the 8-inch wire piece to go around
the snowflake,
twisting it once around each point to
secure.
You can add a white wash using watered down white paint to a b
ook page or newspaper page and leave
to dry. Wrap your gift and secure using
washi tape or decorative tape.
Use some decorative lace to attach the
snowflake to your gift or you can use
some 3d glue or pads to secure .
54

Project, Images and words by Jordan Clark

55

gorgeous gift wrap

Project and images by Silvia Curti
56

Christmas is my favorite festivity ever and waiting for it makes me happy and enthusiastic. Im
a package lover and I love everything about
paper, gift package and decorations so here is
one reason for why I love this festivity so much.
Red is the color that best represent Christmas
for me but every year I like to try new alternative
palettes. This year I decided that pink will have
an important role at some of my gift packages.
Here are my package ideas for Christmas 2013.

1. Search in stationery store a

decorative gift wrap (I love this
one with some little mushroomson it, arent they adorable?) and
combine it with a ribbon and a
bell in the same colours.
2. What about fluorescent pink
and silver for this Christmas? I
absolutely love it. Use a simple
kraft paper, it is perfect for every
decorations and colours. You
need also a fluorescent pink washi
tape, some cream-silver twine and
a little silver bell to tie with the
sewing thread
(ideal because it is so thin that
nobody will see it).
3. Have you got a special tissue? Use it to wrap you gift (you
need just a little bit of hot glue to
paste the fabric). At the end add

a glittering ribbon and a tag with

a funny-xmas quote on it,you will
have a very smart package.
4. One of my favourite decoration
to embellish gift packages is paper
rosette. You just have to overlap
some paper cups in different size:
from the biggest one to the smallest, stapled them together and
paste a paper circle and a sticker
on them . Your wrapping paper
will become
more beautiful and original.
5. Do not forget bakers twine,
perfect for last minute packages.
Decorate a simple polka dots
wrapping paper with the classic
white-red bakers twine and with
an handmade bow to be glued
with hot glue. So simple, so cute!

57

All you need for this simple DIY project is gold paint, paint
brush, gold ribbon and some evergreen sprigs. Gently paint the
sprigs, set them on top of your napkin or gift and wrap with ribbon. You can adorn this with decorated little pegs and a name tag.

58

with Ayda Algin

59

You will need:

Roll of wax paper or parchment
paper
Scissors
Pegs
Glitter
Glue
Washi Tape
Ruler or measuring tape
How to:
Cut one long strip of wax paper
measuring 10 inches by 3 inches.
Fold in half (you may need an iron
to flatten the little pocket)
Use washi tape to secure the sides.
You can use some glue stick along
the top of your pegs and sprinkle
glitter over your pegs. You can fill your little treat bag with glitter, little stickers, terrible cracker jokes (to
stay in the festive season!), much like the evergreen toppers you can use these at the party dinner table!

Thanks to Ayda Algin

New Year Treat Bags

61

With special thanks to all the contributors and everyone who helped with this
publication!
If you make any of the projects from this publication, please provide credit
where credit is due and feel free to add your projects to the Flickr group for
a potential feature on the blog.
Claire
http://www.hearthandmade.co.uk

Merry Christmas!