Who can resist the retro charm of yo-yo crafts?
Yo-yos are so easy to make and are great for using up scraps of all sizes. I used scraps in rainbow colors and scraps of soft linen to make these two stuffed yo-yo trees.
The pattern for these trees makes a 4" (10cm) tall tree - great for ornaments, dollhouse play, pincushions, or small trinkets to brighten up an office desk or windowsill.
Enlarge the pattern to make larger trees suitable for a mantle or tabletop display.
Download the templates and instructions to make your own sweet little trees.
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I love a tree skirt piled up with kraft paper presents.
"Brown paper packages tied up with string" (oh, Maria Von Trapp, will you be my mother?) become a neutral canvas against which you can choose a stunning palette of decorative colors each year.
Are you dreaming of a white Christmas? Maybe gold to honor the gifts of the Three Wise Men. Perhaps you'll just go traditional with candy can striped ribbons and garland. I hope you're not having a blue Christmas without them.
One of the ways I like to dress up those packages is with unique gift tags in my chosen colors of the year. This year, I'm going with bright reds, greens and blues. And the theme is "Ugly Christmas Sweater".
With this in mind, I created some cross-stitched gift tags and would love to share them with you. Not so ugly after all!
Download this PDF of instructions and pattern to make your own cross-stitched gift tags this year.
And to give you a little extra creative inspiration, I thought I'd share these gift tags I bought at the thrift store. I got two sheets and have added some embroidered elements to two so far.
Happy Stitching and Merry Christmas!