Crocheting for Christmas

This was the year of the wreath for me.  I loved the  “Simple Statement Wreath”  from Lisa Gutierrez of goodknits.com  from the moment I saw it on Pinterest.

The wreath calls for bulky  yarn but I used Carron Simply Soft in red which I had on hand, and it still worked up really quickly with a size I hook, and didn’t use that much yarn.  The  tutorial shows a rounded foam form but I just used a cardboard form like the one I used in my poinsettia wreath.   I made 3 rounds of the border lace as that’s my favorite part.  Then I decided to use bells for embellishment.  Maybe next year I will make two more so I can have a trio including possibly a larger wreath in metallic gold thread.  I can also picture tiny ones to hang on the tree.  This is a clever pattern, and the free tutorial is clear and detailed.

I have long admired crocheted thread snowflakes, but I found them too difficult for me to make when I tried crocheting them in the past.  So I snapped up this set of twelve different handmade and stiffened  snowflakes that I found at the Goodwill bookstore near me.

I paid $3 for all twelve.  They’re intricate and lovely!

Wool and Burlap Poinsettia Wreath

I love seeing the Christmas flower, the poinsettia, everywhere this time of year.  This holiday season my crafting vision was to make a wreath celebrating this flower’s beauty from simple natural materials.

I started with a store bought cardboard form, a strip of burlap, and thick wool felt.

I began by wrapping the burlap around the form and securing it with a few staples.  I made 3 different sized petal templates for the flower.

I machine stitched a line down the center of each petal, although in retrospect I could have skipped this step.  When I began hand sewing the petals together, I discovered that the flower came together best when I sewed each layer of five petals together separately, and then attached the three layers together.  I added a few green leaves.  For the yellow flower centers, I pinched off small pieces of wool roving and rolled them between my fingers . I used two squares of the red wool to make three flowers.

Then I decided on the flower placement that appealed to me and attached the flowers to the burlap wreath with wire.  I added a burlap bow and a rustic red and white plaid bow on top for additional decoration.

The wreath was fun and simple to make, and these spectacular blooms will last and last adding beauty and color to any wall or door.