Craft Junkie: Christmas Ornaments

For as long as I can remember, I’ve made new felt Christmas ornaments every year after discovering them in a Woman’s World magazine. I first began making them to sell at craft shows… even family sold them at their workplace… and they sold fast… all hand sewn… no glue!

A few years past of ornaments… the ones on the tree are my original ones I first sewed!

Last year I knitted mitten ornaments for almost everyone… and you can see them over Here. This year I sewed felt Grinch houses for the girls and the VW and camper for the big girls and boys; each granddaughter received a set of three houses.

Love these little houses…  remind me of houses in the Grinch movies! So many pieces were just too tiny and hard to even cut from their patterns… so I winged a lot of decorations with free hand cuts.

The “big kids” received the VW tree carrier and camper!

I’m constantly asking myself, why is it that I can’t start these earlier, instead of driving myself crazy as the holidays close in… but I just don’t get in the mood until the holidays are almost upon me. Oh Well!

My recent ornament this year is a knitted sweater that I found as a free pattern over Here. Besides the sweater, there’s also a small knitted hat and a few more surprises. I can follow a pattern, but I often make changes… which I did on this knitted sweater in order to knit it using the magic loop method… which works better for me; next I’ll be the knitting the hat from this pattern set… if Christmas doesn’t sneak up on me.

My final group of sweater ornaments… they just kept snowballing along as I matched color combinations. I’ve knitted 11 so far…. might be making it a baker’s dozen soon. At this point, I don’t even need the pattern in sight… it’s all in my head! I keep thinking that I need to knit a Nancy Drew silhouette pattern on one… yes a definite must!

I decided on these two for hubby and I… adding eyelash fringe on the top of mine. If I’d been fast enough in planning, I should have used  fringe on the bottom and cuffs for a complete match. It was a little tricky to use on such a small knitted piece, but I managed… then I trimmed it down for a better fit. Have you spotted the “alligator”… I made that one especially for hubby to remember his alligator sighting in the lake at my sons house this past November.

The cupcakes were made for the “baby reveal” for baby McKinley… had to make both blue and pink as to not give the “reveal” away… which I only knew! Pink prevailed!!! The little kitty in stocking is one of my originals from years ago… she’s still a cutie!

I designed a mini tutu like the big ones I made for the girls to hold their hair ribbons and bows. I should make these mini ones for the girls… but they were so much work, I gave up after making one. Someone will lay claim to it one day!

One of my all-time favorites, and also an original pattern from that first Woman’s World magazine from the 80’s! Lots of work, but so cute!

Happy Crafting!

Like to read on more of my crafts, Click Craft Junkie

© 2018, copyright Jeanne Bryan Insalaco; all rights reserved