"Away in a Manger" Sweet and Simple Nativity

Do you ever feel like Christ gets a little lost in the Christmas season?  I do.  So I wanted today's Sew a Song of Christmas project to remind us what Christmas is really about.

I did already make a wooden nativity set a couple years ago, but there's always room for another nativity set, right?   We will have fun playing with these cute little guys and teaching Boo and Daddy's Girl about when Christ was born.

This project was inspired by these adorable Princess Peg Dolls.  When I showed Boo this tutorial, she decided she wanted to paint a princess set.  So she did.  And they turned out really cute.  I'll have to show them to you later.

  

Besides the regular painting supplies, all you need for this project are eight wooden peg dolls.  I found mine at Hobby Lobby.  They come in packs of eight, so that worked out great!

These are the "Man" sized peg people; they also make "Boy" sized dolls, so you could make baby Jesus smaller than the others.  I didn't want Daddy's Girl to eat or lose the little baby Jesus, so I painted Him on Mary.  (The "Man" size are still a choking hazard, so be watchful if you have babies/toddlers.)

First, I painted their heads.  The nice thing about painting all the Nativity People at once is that by the time you've finished the last one, the first is dry already and you can go right to the next step.

Then I painted their clothes.  I decided this was a "less is more" kind of project, and painted their clothes really simply.  

I painted Mary in her traditional blue.  Joseph is dark blue so he feels like he belongs with Mary.  The shepherds are grey to show their humble state in life. (I would have done brown, but I couldn't mix a nice color.)  The three kings are rich, jewel-toned colors.  And of course, the angel is white.

I feel like the nativity set is already identifiable, but that's probably just me.  Let's add a little something, while still keeping them simple.

Mary is holding baby Jesus and wearing the blue head covering.  I didn't know what to do for Joseph; most nativity sets I've seen have him holding a shepherd's crook, which doesn't make any sense at all for the carpenter that he is.

 The angel gets a halo and wings.

The shepherds get a shepherd's crook and a lamb.

And the kings get crowns.  I thought about giving them gold, frankincense, and myrrh, but I went back to "less is more."

UPDATE:  I realized these guys should have a coat of clear polyurethane to protect them, but I haven't done that yet.

I think this little nativity set turned out so cute.  :)  

 Merry Christmas, everybody!  Only nine more days!

Don't miss the other posts in our Sew a Song of Christmas series!
"I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" Tulle Wreath
"O, Christmas Tree" Glitter Ball Ornaments
"What Child is This?" Mini Quilt
"Blue Christmas" Simple Holiday Skirts
"Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer" Ornaments
"Let It Snow" Mitten Ornaments

"Let It Snow" Mitten Ornaments

As you already know, I have two nieces, Boo and Daddy's Girl.  You may not know that I also have a nephew, my brother's baby, "Bam". Boo knows better than to play with the Christmas tree ornaments, but the other two don't, so like just about every home with small children, Jill's Christmas tree is decorated with the breakable ornaments out of reach.

If you want some unbreakable ornaments (or just some cute ornaments that happen to be unbreakable), you can make yourself some of these.  When the weather outside is frightful, and the fire is so delightful, and if there's no place to go, make these felt mittens and Let It Snow.

These felt mittens would make a great kid's craft, too.  If the kids in your life aren't old enough to use scissors, you can cut things out, and they can still have fun glueing decorative felt bits on to their mittens.  You can use the template below, or design your own mitten shape.

To attach the hanger, I sandwiched part of the wire between two pieces of felt, glued them together, and curled the end of the wire over the felt patch to make sure it wouldn't slide out.  I imagine you could avoid making a felt sandwich by simply attaching the wire with a blob of hot glue.  I don't own a hot glue gun, and so, used the felt sandwich.  For extra baby-friendliness,  you could swap the wire for a loop of ribbon.

Isn't felt wonderful?  It's fabric that you don't have to hem.  Too bad felt clothing isn't in style :)
What fun felt things have you made?

Have you seen the other posts in our Sew a Song of Christmas series?
"I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" Tulle Wreath
"O, Christmas Tree" Glitter Ball Ornaments
"What Child is This?" Mini Quilt
"Blue Christmas" Simple Holiday Skirts
"Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer" Ornaments

"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" Ornaments (that Give You a Kiss)

Today's guest post is by my good friend Stephanie!  She's the talented photographer behind Pink Pearl Photography.  She also writes the blog Life as a Wife, where she posts about her crafting, cooking, and mommy adventures.  She also has great party and date ideas!  How cute is her Whoville Christmas Party?  Or her Clue Date?

Thanks for joining us today, Stephanie!

~~~

Growing up, I have memories of my mom make a bunch of ornaments for our themed tree. One of my favorites she made were these Reindeer ornaments

They were my favorite because she would hide chocolate Kisses inside 

This year I made some for my tree and some to give away. I love these little deer they fill me with Christmas memories from my childhood, and memories of my dear mother who always filled every holiday with cheer!

I used my mom's pattern but tried to put my own spin on them by adding some color...

for instructions on how to make this ornament click here.

~~~

Be sure to check out our previous Sew a Song of Christmas projects!

"I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" Tulle Wreath

"O, Christmas Tree" Glitter Ball Ornaments
"What Child is This?" Mini Quilt
"Blue Christmas" Simple Holiday Skirts

"Blue Christmas" Simple Holiday Skirts

Boo loves to match.  Not like her shirt matching her pants; she comes up with some pretty...inventive outfits.  No, she likes to match other people.  So she will be so excited when she and Daddy's Girl unwrap matching Blue Christmas Skirts on Christmas morning.

These are really basic skirts, but the nice thing about "basic" is that you can easily add your own spin on it.

Both skirts are made from the same blue satin (surprisingly affordable, yet it adds a bit of "special" to the outfit).  Daddy's Girl got pleats on her skirt, Boo got ruffles.  I love variations on a theme.

Oh, ruffles, why must you be so cute, yet so annoying to make?  I actually prefer making pleats than ruffles.  

(By the way, I certainly didn't invent this way of making a skirt; it's been around forever.)

I don't have step-by-step pictures, since I sewed these up at night so the girls wouldn't see their Christmas presents.  (Read:  There was really bad lighting for pictures.)  But the skirts are so easy.

Ready?

Cut the elastic to your child's waist measurement.  Don't add seam allowance—you need the elastic to stretch a little so the skirt stays up.

Cut your skirt fabric as shown in the picture above.  Or, if you want a fuller skirt, cut a longer rectangle.  Less full, closer to square.

Sew up the two short sides, finishing the seams as you prefer.  (I went over the raw edges with a zig-zag seam for the first, and made a french seam for the second.  Just because I didn't think about the french seam at first.)

Make your hem by folding the bottom edge over a half inch, then fold again another half inch.  And sew it down.  A decorative stitch with a contrasting thread could be a nice way to add some detailing.  You could also hand stitch for a less visible seam, or use the blind hem stitch on your sewing machine.  But that's another tutorial.

Now you'll make a casing.  Just iron the top edge down a quarter inch, then fold down again whatever size you need to fit your elastic.  Sew this down, too, being sure to leave a little space for inserting the elastic.

And insert the elastic.  Attach one safety pin to the leading edge so it's easier to thread it through, and another securing the other end to the fabric so it can't pull all the way through.  (Hate it when that happens.)  Once the elastic's through, overlap the two ends by a half inch and use a zig-zag stitch to secure them.

Topstitch the casing closed, and you're done!

(If any of this didn't make sense, send me an email or leave a question in the comments below.  If needed, I'd be happy to make a photo tutorial later.)

Now that you know how to make a basic skirt, you can change it up to make so many different looks!  Besides adding ruffles or pleats, you can make the skirt more or less full, longer or shorter, try color blocking, or a paper bag waistband...I think I'm going to try a scalloped hem next time.

Don't miss any posts as we Sew a Song of Christmas!

"I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" Tulle Wreath

"O, Christmas Tree" Glitter Ornaments

"What Child is This?" Mini Quilt {with free pattern}

"What Child is This?" Mini Quilt Tutorial from Al of Shaffer Sisters

Today, the wonderful Al is sharing with us her mini quilt inspired by the song, "What Child is This?"

She and her sisters, Jo and Scary (aka SarahLynn), have some great projects at their blog, Shaffer Sisters.  One of their projects I'm excited to try is the Minky Crib Sheet.  (How amazingly comfortable does that sound?!)  And they do a lot of sewing for girls (I love this cute dress) and for boys (like this awesome shirt).  You should definitely go check out their blog!

But first, the "What Child is This?" mini quilt.  On to you, Al.

~~~

This was taken at a church Christmas party when Ty was 18 months old.

I love Christmas. I treasure the peace, hope, and love that I feel when I think about the true meaning of the season. Too often it seems like the Christ in Christmas is lost to bright flashing lights and an excessive focus on Santa and the entitlement of gifts.

Christmas Towel Tutorial & Free Printable

I love my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and this season (as with years past) it is my goal to give something that keeps the focus on my Redeemer. The King of Kings was born into the most humble of circumstances, but that didn't make Him less. His birth was marked by the fanfare of angels, the brightest star in the sky, and the company of humble shepherds and faithful Wise-men from afar. From a young, pure, and loving mother He was born. I'm sure that Mary, just like all new mothers, felt an overwhelming love of this gift straight from heaven, but also an uncertainty that she could be the best for of someone so precious and perfect.

This story is portrayed in the hymn of "What Child is This?"  It is one of my favorite Christmas songs. One day while thrift store shopping I found "Quilt a Colorful Christmas" (contains 39 projects) and it cost only $2. You should probably know that I love quilts so getting it was a no brainer. One of my favorites from the book was the Mother and Child project which I decided to share with you today.

This was such a fast and easy project. I thought it would entail paper piecing or something a little more complicated, but it was simply just fabric, sew-able heat-n-bond (they recommended fusible web, but I had to make due with what I had), stitching on top of the applique, and then putting it all together.

Sadly I can't give this pattern to you since it's not my design, but you can do something similar to this by just sketching it out. Then add 1/8-1/4" (on your sketch with a dotted line) to the pieces that lay underneath the pieces on top (so you don't have any unwanted dead space, but you will be able to trace out your pattern next). Then you can go through and trace out each little pattern pieces onto printer paper. And wala you have your own pattern.

Since I don't want you to miss out if you want to do something like this and feel like you lack the artistic ability necessary, I came up with my own design using the instructions above. I am sharing the pattern with you and tomorrow you can come over to my blog and see the finished project and share yours if you decided to make one as well.

What Child is This Placement Guide & Pattern Pieces (print to be 8.5" x 11" size)

You will need:
Pattern pieces
Scraps of 6 different colors (plan appropriately and make sure there's enough)
(1) blue background fabric 8" x 6 3/4"
(2) 3 3/4" x 6 3/4" for top and bottom border
(2) 3 3/4" X 13 1/2" for side borders
(2) 2 1/4" x width of fabric for binding (piece together to have one long strip)
(1) 12 1/2" x 13.5" piece of quilt batting
*When sewing use 1/4" seam allowance.

After printing or designing your pattern pieces place then fusible webbing or sew-able heat-n-bond above the pattern (paper side up) making sure you trace all the pattern pieces. After that it's just a matter of cutting out the adhesive pattern pieces and ironing them to your scraps of fabric, cutting them out of the scraps and removing the backing paper.

To put it together you can look at your original picture for a placement guide and place it on the blue background. Don't iron until you are absolutely ready. When I did it, I just did a little at a time (starting at the bottom and making my way up) because I wanted to be able to adjust if it shifted. Once it's all ironed you can stitch around the edge of the applique with a small zigzag stitch in a clear or neutral thread so that the design will stay.

After that it's a matter of adding the border (top and bottom first then sides) and putting it all together like a mini quilt. There's a little extra length on the side pieces (1/4") that you can trim down and square off when you are done. All that will be left is to quilt (what design/method you choose) and bind. If you don't know how to do binding you could read this tutorial on binding.

Thanks so much for letting me share my love for the Lord this Christmas season.

With Love,
Al

~~~

Be sure to check out the other posts as we Sew a Song of Christmas!

"I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" Tulle Wreath

"O, Christmas Tree" Glitter Ball Ornaments

"O, Christmas Tree" Glitter Ball Ornaments

Merry Christmas, everybody!  Since Thanksgiving is over and it's "legal" to get into the Christmas spirit, I helped Jill and her family put up their Christmas decorations on Saturday.  I've given Jill a Christmas tree ornament (or sometimes a set) every year since she got married.  Last year, I made her a glitter ball ornament.  Boo obviously liked it, because later Saturday, she informed me that she was going to use my glitter and ball ornaments to make an ornament for her baby sister.  After getting her to ask me, rather than tell me, I agreed to help her and let her use my stuff. 

When I made these the first time, I got the inspiration from the blog The Greenbean's Crafterole.  You can find the post here.

This tutorial said to use Pledge furniture polish, but I just couldn't bring myself to buy a big bottle of something I would only use once.  I used homemade Mod Podge (aka, watered down Elmer's glue) instead.  A year later, the glue's still holding.  I don't remember what ratio of water to glue I used—just mix in water until it looks good.  (Don't you love instructions like that?)  Just remember that it needs to make a nice, thin, non-gloppy film.

What you need:
-Clear glass ball (or other shape) ornaments
-Adhesive of choice.  I used watered down Elmer's glue.
-Glitter
-A funnel.  I made my own with a sheet of paper.

(Isn't my niece cute?  She was cold, so she grabbed the nearest coat—mine.)

Pour glue into the ball.  Use more that you think you'll need.  You'll pour the extra out anyway. Carefully swirl it all around.  As the original blogger said, shaking the ball would made froth, which is bad.  Hence the careful swirling.  Now, dump out the extra.  Make sure it drains well, but don't leave it so long that it dries.  Last year, I had to rinse out my glitter and start a ball over again because too much glue puddled on the bottom of the ball and didn't let the glitter coat the ornament evenly.

Dump in the glitter.  Use the funnel, if needed.  Again, don't be afraid to use more than you think you'll need.  You will dump out the extra.  Just make sure you don't have big glue puddles in the ornament.  This time, you can shake the ball to get it covered.  Let it dry before you pour the extra glitter back into the bottles. You wouldn't want to get wet glue in your unused glitter.

And that's it!  After they're dry and free of extra glitter, put the tops back on and hang your beautiful, glittery ornaments on your tree.

Be sure to check out the other posts in our Sew a Song of Christmas series!

"I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" Tulle Wreath

And check back on Friday for the next bit of musical Christmas fun!

"I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" Tulle Wreath Tutorial

Today we're kicking off my newest blog series, Sew {Cook, Paint, Craft} a Song of Christmas!  I've invited some wonderful bloggers to join in, and together we will be showing you our projects inspired by Christmas songs.  We'll be posting Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays until Christmas, so be sure to check back often!

Now, on to the first project!

When I was a kid, we always had snow at Christmas.  (Sometimes we even had snow for Halloween!)  My siblings and I built snowmen, made snow angels, and walked to school in five feet of snow, uphill both ways.  Okay, I don't think it was uphill even one way.  But still, there was a lot of snow.

Now we live where it's warm most of the year.  And I love being warm.  I love playing in the pool, going on walks in the warm evenings, and wearing short sleeves year round.  (Although I did that when I lived in a cold climate, too.  That's what coats are for.)

I love warm weather, but something about Christmastime just makes you want snowflakes.  And hot chocolate.  And sparkly, fresh snow, glistening everywhere.  And a fire crackling in the hearth.  (Yes, I really do like to be warm.)

So here's my homage to days gone by, back when I was a kid and we always had snow for Christmas, my "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" tulle wreath.

When I was making this wreath, I told Boo it was a winter wreath because I wanted it to last for all of winter, not just until Christmas.  

"It looks cold."

Mission accomplished.  :)

You know I'm always up for a quick and inexpensive project, and this wreath certainly is that.  

What you need:
A wreath blank.  I cut mine out of cardboard--two layers, to give it a little more body.  After I took this picture, I decided to cover the wreath blank with paper to be sure no brown would show through.  Ribbon would also work, but why waste pretty ribbon on something that won't be seen?  My wreath blank is 8.5 inches in diameter, with the inner circle 6 inches.

Tulle.  Buy it on a spool, rather than off the bolt--it's so much easier that way.  I bought one spool each of white, light blue, and glittery white.  I'm not sure how much I ended up using, but I bet less than half of the tulle I bought.

Extra, optional stuff to personalize your wreath.  I ended up using two of the three sizes of beads I bought, and a length of navy blue ribbon.

Cut your tulle into strips.  I cut mine to 14 inches long, but it will depend on how big your wreath blank is, and how big you want your finished wreath to be.  I saw this cool trick on Pinterest somewhere for quickly and easily cutting your tulle to even lengths.  Just wrap the tulle around a piece of cardboard the length you want your tulle to end up; cut down one side, and there you go.  (The cut size is twice the finished size, since you double the tulle over when you tie it on.  Make sense?  Okay.)

Fold the tulle in half and lay it under the wreath blank...

...And then pull the loose ends around the top and through the loop.  Squish the knot right next to the one before.  If you want to.  I wanted my wreath to be nice and full, so I squished my knots as close together as I could.

{This is the same technique you use for making those cute tutus you see all over, by the way.  Just tie the tulle around elastic, or my favorite, ribbon, and you have a tutu!}

I alternated colors white, blue, white, glittery, white, blue, etc.

I like how the wreath looks at this point, but I felt it didn't look quite finished.  So I sewed my sparkly, icy-looking beads on to the wreath, sewing through the knots.  You could probably use hot glue to attach your beads, but I wanted to be able to remove mine if I decided the wreath was better off without.

And I added a ribbon to hang the wreath. The wreath was up too high without the ribbon, but with it--perfect.

I've never had a wreath on my door before.  I feel very grown up.