Tag: white

DIY Red and White Striped Christmas Box

Christmas is nearly here and we love celebrating every moment!

What better way to celebrate than having a Christmas box! Now when I first heard of these, they were and are referred to as Christmas Eve boxes and presented on Christmas Eve for the family to enjoy, but then some of the items can only be enjoyed for one to two nights before Christmas is technically over, so I’ve decided to just call it a Christmas box and we can present it a week before Christmas to really enjoy its contents!

SUPPLIES
  • Wood crate
  • White acrylic paint
  • Red acrylic paint
  • Foam paint brushes
  • Painter’s tape
  • Matte varnish
  • Embellishments (optional)
  • Hot glue (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Paint every other beam of the crate (outside and inside) with white paint and then allow it to dry.
  2. Repeat step 1 until the desired brightness of the paint is reached.
  3. Once the paint is dry, use painters tape to tape up and protect the edges of the white beams or anywhere else where the red paint may drip or bleed.
  4. Paint the remaining beams and the sides of the crate (outside and inside) with red paint and then allow it to dry.
  5. Repeat step 4 until the desired brightness of the paint is reached.
  6. Carefully peel off the painter’s tape and coat the whole crate with varnish, this may take two coats to reach the desired coverage.
  7. If you have any embellishments like an ornament or two, carefully glue them on with a hot glue gun and allow it to dry.
  8. Fill it up and enjoy!

If you’re looking for ideas to fill your new Christmas box with here are a few to spark your imagination!

  • Candy
  • Cookie mix
  • Festive hat(s)
  • Festive pajamas
  • Festive plushies
  • Festive socks or slippers
  • Gingerbread kit
  • Holiday-themed books
  • Holiday-themed movies
  • Hot Apple Cider mix
  • Hot Cocoa mix
  • Mug(s)
  • Ornament(s)
  • Savory snacks
  • Sweet snacks
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DIY Pinched Felt Halloween Garland

DIY Halloween Pinched Felt Garland

Although Halloween may be celebrated a little differently this year, that doesn’t mean we can’t kindle a little Halloween spirit!

Today we’ll be making what I like to call a “pinched” felt garland. Pinched felt garlands are made by pinching small ribbons of different colored felts, poking a threaded needle through the pinched portion of the fabric, and stringing them close together onto a garland.

In the spirit of Halloween (and this tutorial), we’re going with traditional black, orange and white. Other fun variations would be candy corn colors or general fall colors so you can display it from the Autumn Equinox through Thanksgiving.

DIY Halloween Pinched Felt Garland

DIY Halloween Pinched Felt Garland

SUPPLIES
  • Black felt, cut into 1 x 3” strips
  • Orange felt, cut into 1 x 3” strips
  • White felt, cut into 1 x 3” strips
  • Scissors or a rotary cutter
  • Rotary mat
  • Ruler
  • Black cotton crochet thread, size 3
  • Needle
INSTRUCTIONS

DIY Halloween Pinched Felt Garland

  1. Cut the felt into 1 x 3” strips. I started with about 200 pieces of each color, but I only used about 175 of the orange and white and 176 of the black. You can use fabric or sewing scissors to do this, or you can use a rotary cutter. If you use a rotary cutter, please make sure you have a cutting mat so you don’t damage the surface below the felt. I use a ruler to keep my cuts straight.

    DIY Halloween Pinched Felt Garland DIY Halloween Pinched Felt Garland

  2. Measure out 7 feet of the cotton crochet thread, 6 feet for the garland and 6 inches on either side for the ties and knots.
  3. Thread the needle, then knot the tip of the opposite end (I often triple each knot).
  4. Six inches from the first knot, tie another knot in the thread again to create a section to tie the garland up when it’s finished.
  5. Pinch the center of a black piece of felt and poke the needle through the folded pinched fabric and push it down to the knot.
  6. Pinch the center of an orange piece of felt and poke the needle through the folded pinched fabric and push it down onto the black piece.

    DIY Halloween Pinched Felt Garland

  7. Pinch the center of a white piece of felt and poke the needle through the folded pinched fabric and push it down onto the orange piece.
  8. Repeat steps 5, 6 and 7 until you’ve created 6 feet of pinched felt garland. The pieces of felt will be pretty close together to hide any exposed thread in between the pinched felt.

    DIY Halloween Pinched Felt Garland

  9. Thread one last piece of black felt to frame the garland and then tie a knot in the thread.
  10. Remove the needle and tie a knot on the very end of the thread, creating another tie section on this side of the garland.
  11. Hang or display your garland and enjoy!

DIY Halloween Pinched Felt Garland