ornaments | Bead Happily Ever After

Valentine Hearts of Lace

Posted on December 28, 2008 by crystal

It’s true that Christmas was only a few days ago but . . .

Valentine’s Day will be upon us in the blink of an eye!

So, in honor of the occasion, I thought you might like another quick and easy-to-make ornament!

These airy little hearts only look as if they are hand crocheted! Actually, they’re a cinch to make with cotton cluny lace and chenille stems. So pretty hanging in a window, but they’re also perfect to tie on a gift!

Use any color scheme you like.

For Valentine’s Day, I love the traditional red or pink colors, but this green one makes a great Victorian-style Christmas ornament! (Burgundy or Plum would be beautiful, as well!)

The secret is the cotton lace that you can find online at Home-Sew – a great source for lace, trims, ribbon, and other goodies. (The lace may also be available at a fabric store near you.)

Materials Needed:

*One 12” chenille stem (pipe cleaner)
*22” piece of 1-1/4 inch-wide cotton cluny lace
*1 yd. of 1/4″-wide satin ribbon.
*Fishing line or embroidery floss for hanger
*Tacky glue

Instructions:

NOTE: Read through all directions before beginning.

1. Thread the chenille stem through every other hole in the 2nd row of holes on the lace – see diagram.
2. Adjust the gathers evenly and bring the ends of the chenille stem together and twist 2-3 times.
3. Cut off excess chenille stem ends. The point of the twisted ends forms the point of the heart.
4. Shape the stem into a heart and adjust the gathers again if needed.
5. Make a loopy bow and glue to the bottom of the heart.
6. Attach fishing line hanger.

When finished, the heart measures 5-1/2″ across.

If desired, you can make smaller hearts by using half of a chenille stem and an 11″ piece of 7/8″-wide lace.

Christmas Ornaments Part 4

Posted on December 23, 2008 by crystal

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Here’s the 4th and final part in the series on handmade ornaments that my daughters and I have made over the years.

Category 4: Mixed Media

There’s a real smorgasbord of styles and techniques in this group, including applique, embroidery, beading, plastic canvas, general crafts/glueing, and knitting! The icicle, candle, and lollipop were made by my girls when they were in grade school. The mini stocking – one of my favorites in this group – was knit on regular knitting needles, and then transferred to “tiny needles” made from round wooden toothpicks and beads! Notice the little red bird with a strand of the yarn in his beak.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this series as much as I have enjoyed presenting it. I encourage everyone to make a few Christmas ornaments each year. It’s amazing how quickly your collection will grow! There’s no need to make complicated designs. Simple is always beautiful. Before you know it, you’ll have a “family heirloom” kind of tree!

In case you missed the earlier parts of the series, here’s a quick photo recap . . .

Part 1 Cross Stitch

Part 2 Embroidered Felt

Part 3 Fabric Ornaments

Part 4 Mixed Media

Merry Christmas!

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Christmas Ornaments Part 3

Posted on December 18, 2008 by crystal

Here’s the 3rd part of my handmade ornament series.

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“Fabric & Ribbons”

These little characters feature fabrics and embellishments with a Christmas theme! They were whipped up fairly quickly on the sewing machine. Only the little slipper is sewn by hand (It can also be glued . . . click here for the pattern).

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In the photo above, in the bottom right corner, there’s a tiny cat wearing a dress. One year when I was making lots of different items for a craft show, I asked my husband if he could cut some cat shapes out of tin for me to dress as ornaments. He kindly obliged and they were a real hit at the show. I’m so glad that I kept one aside for us, though. Now, when we decorate the tree with all of the “handcrafted” ornaments that my daughters and I have made over the years, there’s one that was made by “Papa Bear” too!

Three’s Company . . .

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Which one in this category is my favorite, you ask? Well, I guess it would have to be “Humpty”. Love his bow tie, and look at that protective arm he has wrapped around the little angel! Awww . . .

Stay tuned for Part 4: “Mixed Media Ornaments”

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Christmas Ornaments Part 2

Posted on December 17, 2008 by crystal

Here’s the 2nd part of my handmade ornament series.

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“Embroidered Felt with Sequins”

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These were pretty time consuming, because there’s so much hand sewing on each one, but I really loved making them! They’re the kind of project that’s great to work on in the middle of winter – when Christmas is far away – so there’s no rush to complete them.

My favorite of the group is the little elf!

Stay tuned for Part 3: “Fabric Ornaments”

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Christmas Ornaments Part 1

Posted on December 16, 2008 by crystal

Do you love Christmas ornaments? Do you like to collect them? Have you ever made ornaments for your tree? I have to answer “yes” to all three questions 🙂

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Over the years, I’ve had lots of fun making ornaments. Each year, I’d make a few with the plan that someday I’d have enough to decorate our entire tree with just handcrafted ornaments!

When my daughters were old enough, they began to help me and eventually we had a nice assortment of different styles.

I thought you might like to see them, so I’ve divided them into 4 different categories and I’ll post pictures over the next week.

Today, I’ll start with the “Cross Stitch” Category.

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Some I made and some were made by my daughters. Many are dated – I wish we had dated them all, though. Maybe you want to remember to do that!

Here’s a closer view of the top section of the photo!

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And a better look at the ones at the bottom . . .

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This is one of my favorites!

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Luckily, I remembered to date it – 1988.

Yowza! Time does fly when you’re havin’ fun!

Stay tuned for Part 2 – Ornaments in Embroidered Felt.

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