Let's be Creative!

Leisure Arts Christmas Advent Garland Felt Kit Give Away

Anita — Wed, 16 May 2012 00:03:39 +0000

Advent calendars are such fun for Children or grandchildren. Getting a tiny surprise every day as you count down the days until Christmas is so much fun and sure to create a lasting memory.

We are giving away a fun to make advent calendar kit –
Leisure Arts Christmas Advent Garland Felt Kit And yes! It will be absolutely free to one lucky US reader. Prize can be shipped to USA only.
Here’s how to enter…

Like Anita’s Arts on Facebook
Follow Anita’s Arts (@AnitasArts) on Twitter
Comment here letting us know your favorite Christmas decoration from your childhood
If you tweet @AnitasArts about this giveaway we’ll even give you an extra entry!

You have 7 days to enter, winner will be announced on Tuesday May 22nd.

Review of Leisure Arts Advent Garland Felt Kit

Anita — Tue, 15 May 2012 18:42:19 +0000

We do carry a few felt kits in addition to the full line of Bucilla felt kits. One of the newest kits added to our site is the Leisure Arts Advent Garland felt kit. This kit contains the materials to make 24 tiny stockings attached to a long strand of jumbo green rick rack. Each stocking can hold a treat that can be removed each day counting down to Christmas.

This kit can be glued or embroidered. If you want a super quick project just glue the felt instead of sewing and free hand the numbers with a Sharpie. I love the look of embroidery on felt, so that is the method I would use. You could even add some designs to the stockings like snowflakes, holly leaves and berries, candy, etc.

Things I liked about this kit:

Felt is already cut out
Low cost – great value
Buttons are already covered
Goes together quickly

My suggestions for this kit:

Picture shows jumbo red rick rack, but none is included. I think the red rick rack does add to the attractiveness of the garland, so I would buy a package and just drape it along with the green rick rack when hanging the finished garland.
Instructions say “Transfer or draw a number from 1 to 24 on one stocking from each pair”. The numbers are printed on the instructions, so I would copy those on to tissue paper, cut them apart, and pin onto the stockings. Then just embroider on top of the tissue paper and tear the paper away when finished.
Candy canes will work great in these stockings. But small pieces of candy will fall down into the toe and be hard to remove when the garland is hanging. I think I would attach the stocking cuff to the front at the bottom and sides, leaving the top open. A small piece of candy could be slipped in that pocket instead of inside the stocking.
The small rick rack is very, and I mean very, wrinkled. So this will definitely need to be ironed. And you might as well iron the jumbo green rick rack too so that everything looks nice.
The instructions do not specify the stitch to use when sewing the front of the stocking to the back. I would use a blanket stitch here.

Click on the picture below to go to this kit in our shop.

Recycle and Repurpose Glass Jars and Bottles Tutorial

Anita — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 18:11:05 +0000

Bits of lace, burlap and old keys can turn glass castaways into keepers. I have had such fun with this project that I went a little over board and hot glued every glass container I could find. I used glass canisters that originally had food gifts in them like popcorn, decorative pasta, and oils. Glass vases, old cruets, and spice jars work rather well also. Flat sided bottles are easier to use, but I think the curved bottles are more interesting.

This is how easy it really is:
Materials:
Glass jar, bottle, or vase
Burlap to wrap around the glass item
Lace or even a strip of muslin to wrap around glass item
Jute twine
Old key, or some other trinket
Hot Glue gun

Picture Tutorial:

More Pictures of Finished Bottles :

Recycle Glass Bottles Picture 2

Recycle Glass Bottles Picture 3

Recycle Glass Bottles Picture 4

Recycle Glass Bottles Picture 5