My creative Christmas….thanks to Hobbycraft

When it comes to arts and crafts and handmade, homemade things, I don’t claim to be terribly good or hugely inventive. In the past Ive tried to follow in the steps of Kirsty and Martha and attempt all kinds of wonderful (expensive) creations which generally don’t work out the way I’d hoped and are not suited to someone with very little patience. I like things to be done quickly and with little effort but I also enjoy the satisfaction of having made or created something myself. Those things don’t often go hand in hand. This Christmas, however, I have surprised even myself with some of my handy work but for the most part, it is all thanks to the fabulous emporium which is Hobbycraft.

If the idea of sewing and gluing and stapling and baking and primping and ribboning (if that’s a  word) leaves you cold, then look away now. But if you have even the smallest desire to create some Christmas decorating cheer with your very own hands, then carry on reading.

So firstly, my bird and star tree decorations. The basic plain bird / star cost just 99p each from Hobbycraft, the bag of pom poms cost me £1.99 on Etsy…but you can get them in Hobbycraft too I’m sure. I rather liked them plain but my 4 year old complained that they didnt have wings and so I set about with some pom poms and fabric glue (Hobbycraft) and there we go, wings (sort of). The stars were a basic 5 point pom pom affair. They’ve been hanging for over a week now and knocked around by cats and children and still the poms stay put. And they took about 10 minutes to do whilst drinking a glass of wine. You see, easy AND enjoyable.

The orange slices were done on a whim when I saw 3 lonely looking oranges in the fruit bowl who weren’t going anywhere. So I sliced them, lay them directly on the oven shelf and baked them for an hour or so on a medium setting. Or just until they looked dry and Christmassy. At the moment I have most of them in a jar waiting patiently for a good idea and I put a few around a candle with some pine cones collected from the park. It’s quite a sophisticated arrangement for me but it makes me feel grown up. I shall use the rest as part of a holly wreath for the door or perhaps add them to a garland of pine cones or I might just open the jar from time to time and smell them. They make me feel strangely proud. It’s Pomanders next, just as soon as I work out exactly what they are.

And then to the crackers. £3.99 for a pack of 6. All you have to do is roll them (the “bang” is prefixed to the card), put in the hat and joke provided, a present of your choice and ribbon them up. I put a chocolate coin in each which makes for a perfectly satisfactory rattle.

So far so good. I may attempt more as the days go on or I may just sit back and see how long it takes until the kids rip off the pom poms and raid the crackers. Christmas is for the children after all.