From origami stars to personalised advent calendars.
Love the magic of Christmas but could do without the festive stress? Then why not save money, time and the environment by getting crafty this year?
Not only is crafting a relaxing and mindful activity, it can also allow us to make our home ultra-festive and eco-friendly on a budget. Crafting reminds us to cherish the simple things and create a sense of meaning and calm in the run up to Christmas.
Follow these tips from craft blogger Jayanthi at Maiden Aunt and mental health charity, Mind, and you can pare back the high street dash while taking time out to enjoy some mindful crafting in the home. Just add mulled wine, friends and Wham to make it even better!
Mental health charity, Mind, is sharing tonnes of crafty Christmas templates online as part of its Crafternoon fundraiser.
The origami stars template is one of my favourites, because not only do they look great on your Christmas tree, you can also use them to make an extra fancy garland using LED fairy lights (but make sure you use only LED lights – or you’ll risk setting fire to the paper!)
Plus, if you get your friends, colleagues or neighbours together, you can socialise and give to charity at the same time!
Grown-up advent calendars are often all about indulgent treats – chocolates, mini bottles of gin, that age-defying face cream…but, they don’t have to be filled with material objects. Here’s one you can all enjoy together.
All you need is a black pen, paper, mini envelopes and pegs. Write a list of 25 things that will make you smile each day in December on separate pieces of paper.
It could be dancing to your favourite Christmas tunes, ice skating, seeing the Christmas lights, drawing a picture of your happiest memory from 2018, writing a list of things you wish for in 2019, going to see an old friend or snuggling up on the sofa to watch Home Alone. Or perhaps taking part in a crafting activity!
To make it extra special, use Mind’s online guide to fake calligraphy and then pop them in 25 mini envelopes. Arrange them on a pin board or string them up with a little sparkly tinsel.
Pare back your Christmas wrapping by using plain brown paper and biodegradable sticky tape for extra eco friendliness.
Write names directly on the paper using a brush calligraphy pen and Mind’s online guide to fake calligraphy and finish with a small piece of ribbon. You can even glue on some crafty pompoms.
The amount of landfill rubbish at the end of Christmas lunch always takes the edge off my enjoyment of it. However, if you re-use any pretty paper you already have (newspaper, magazines, wrapping paper, kids’ drawings) to make Christmas crackers you can enjoy the novelties without the guilt.
I’ve got a great template for homemade crackers on my website. You can buy cracker snaps and paper hats online, write your own jokes (or find inspiration online) and add something fun, but useful (for example a small soap, herb seeds, chocolates wrapped in a twist of baking paper). For the more adventurous among us, add a dare to make Christmas dinner really go with a bang!
The possibilities for these are never ending!
I love the Mind templates for geometric journals, and you can come up with your own designs for this too. And what about that gorgeous woollen jumper you shrunk in the wash? Turn it into new felted Christmas mittens.
If your crochet skills are up to it, you can make a super-chunky super-snuggly snood using merino wool. Another crochet creation is a recycled t-shirt yarn pot holder and succulent made using a by-product of the textile industry.
Finally, what about taking a small, flat bottomed hessian bag and festooning it with merino wool roving, pompom trims, ric rac and ribbons to make a tactile pot holder. Add a pot inside (no holes!) and some pre-chilled indoor flowering tulip bulbs. Wrap and give. Your recipient just needs to add water and wait for the bulbs to bloom a few weeks later.
Another lovely template from Mind. This is so simple you can do it with the kids and the results will always be lovely.
Create reindeer, Christmas trees and even penguins. And don’t forget to use your new found fake calligraphy skills!
For my final craft, we are heading back to Mind’s crafty templates for a paper Christmas wreath.
All you need is green and red paper or card, a paper plate, scissors, ribbon, glue and a pencil. However, if you’re dead set on nature’s wreath, check out all the inspirational posts on Pinterest for tips on what to collect and how to craft it all together.
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