Patchwork Petunia

With only 2 weeks until Christmas its time for 'Books love Crafts' week over on my Instagram account. This week on Instagram I am going to be sharing a few of my favorite Christmas Stories alongside some easy crafts to keep kids busy over the Christmas Holidays. I've picked a few of my favorite to write up here on the blog, the first of which is todays pick 'Petunia's Christmas'.

This book was first published in 1967 but is completely new to me this year. I first sighted it over on someones feed on Instagram (sorry I can't find where now) and was intrigued by their write up. I didn't think much more about it until 4 days later when a copy arrived on my doorstep gifted and I have no idea who sent it! This lovely surprise meant that the creative universe was absolutely trying to send me a message so I sat down and read it straight away and LOVED the story. Immediately I knew this had to be one of my Christmas story picks. Not to give the whole story away the plot revolves around a very clever and creative goose named 'Petunia' and yes it has a happy ending!

To go alongside this book today I have 3 separate crafty invitations for your kids, and all of them can be made with some basic craft supplies.

You will need:

Cereal Box

Pen

Goose stencil - PDF attached if you want to use mine or draw your own freehand

Scissors

Glue

Fabric (or patterned paper if you don't have fabric scraps)

Ric Rac /Ribbon and shiny gems to decorate

For the second project you will need paper and crayons and/or kwik stix

For the third project you will need rosemary and ribbon

Step 1

To begin with the patchwork Petunia, draw the shape onto the cereal box.

Cut the shape out only make one slice into the cardboard to cut around the shape because you will need the off cuts for project 2.

Once the Goose is cut out tape up the cut you made into it so you now have two templates, positive and negative.

Step 2

Give your child strips of fabric to glue onto the cardboard goose.

Use plenty of glue

Encourage you child to glue on top of the fabric as well as underneath and to overlap the pieces.

Once you are finished you should not be able to see the shape of the goose at all. Leave it to onesie to dry.

Step 3  

While you wait do Project 2

While the glue is drying on the goose open up the book and talk to your child about how Petunia disguises herself with paint in one of her cunning plans. Wouldn't it be funny to see a goose painted and dressed up in real life? What colors do you think the goose would pick? would you be scared by the dragon bird if you saw Petunia?

Taking the other part of the cardboard stencil tape it still to a piece of white paper. We used a mixed media paper so it was heavy duty and wouldn't tear easily. Taking our favorite Kwik Stix we designed our own scary goose disguises. (If you don't have kiwi Stix crayons or paint would also work for this.)

Once you have filled all the blank space, remove the template to show your scary goose.

Project 3

This is another quick project for the kids to do while the glue is drying.  We picked a few sprigs of Rosemary from the garden. If you don't have rosemary you could use pine like Petunia or another scented green leafed plant. Show your children again some of the pretty wreaths Petunia makes to sell and make money. With a little sprig of green make your own mini wreath.

Take a little Rosemary, oh it smells SO GOOD. Have your kids smell it, use all of their senses. Wrap it into a circle and help them tie the two ends together with a little bow of red ribbon or string.

Step 4

Continuing with Project 1...

Once the glue is dry cut around the edge of the cardboard to trim the excess fabric from the goose.

Allow your children to decorate the goose, ribbon, rik-rac, buttons and sequins whatever you have on hand. If they like they can even add the rosemary garland as a necklace like Petunia did in the story.

Once you are all decorated you can mount your patchwork goose onto backing paper to display.

Petunia hopes you enjoy this fun Christmas story as much as we did - Merry Christmas from the Farm!

Sew a Yeti

So we have a Yeti fan in the house, I think it started when he was about 2 and we took him to see the Frozen movie in the Theatre because of his big sisters being obsessed and while watching there is that scene with the ice castle and the Abominable Snowman, his big brother was hiding under the seat in the movie theatre terrified and my then two year old was laughing his head off! Ever since its been Yeti PJs, T-shirts, books and games - have you played Yeti Spaghetti (one of his favorites). 

Anyway when Trixi over at www.ColoredButtons.com asked me to participate once again in her Christmas Sew a Softie (which is an amazing event jam packed with lots of super easy and fun beginner sewing projects for kids) I knew I had to say Yeti! So if you have a Yeti obsessed kid, or maybe just fancy making your own Abominable Snowman for Rudolph then read on, I've included all the info on how to create once of these cute furry guys below.

You Will Need:

White Fur

White Felt

Blue FeltWhit

Grey Felt

Googly Eyes

White Embroidery thread

Scissors

Needle / glue

Print out of the PDF

Step 1

Print out the Yeti PDF

Step 2

Cut out the templates and begin by tracing the body shape onto the fur and the white felt.

Then cut the fabric so you have two body pieces.

Cut the other smaller template parts out and trace them onto the blue and grey felt.

Step 3

To make it easy for the kids I hot glued the hands and feet onto the white felt sheet, you could sew them on but for beginner sewers this way is easier. I used my hot glue gun so they could get on and sew straight away.

Step 4

To begin sewing take a long piece of the white embroidery thread. Tie a big knot in one end and then thread it through the bottom later of the body so that you hide the knot on the inside.

Take the furry body part and line it up on top of the felt piece.

Begin to sew the two body pieces together by stitching around the outside. I like to show the kids blanket stitch as it holds it together nicely when you go to stuff it but a running stitch will work too.

Step 5

Once you get almost all the way around (leave at least an inch gap) you can add the stuffing. Using your fingers make sure that the filler goes down the arms and legs of the Yeti.

Once you are happy with the amount of stuffing finishing sewing around the outside to seal it up.

Step 6

Once sealed around the edges add the extras to the front of the yeti. Cut out the last two remaining shapes his face and his tummy. We hot glued these to the outside of the yeti.

Add the googly eyes.

And draw on a mouth with a black sharpie.

Now he's ready to play...

ITS YETI TIME!!!

And if you are looking for more sewing projects after you've made your Yeti why not check out our Gingerbread Cookie Cutter softies from last year.

Simple Gold Wreath

Welcome to December! Anyone else find this year flew by? My kids are bouncing off the walls to get the Christmas Season underway and what better way to welcome in the month than with this pretty Welcome Wreath for your door. If you follow me in IG you got a sneak peak at it yesterday but as promised heres the longer 'How To'. 

This gorgeous wreath is easy enough for a child to make but you might just want to make one yourself too. I love its simpleness and the elegance that the gold paint gives it. Whether you are making this for someone else or just to hang up in your own house to enjoy, here is a quick run through as to how we made it.

You will need:

Thin bendy twigs - you'll probably have to cut these of a bush or shrub as live wood tends to be the bendable type, dead wood from the ground will just snap as you bend it. We have lots of woods near us and some of the vine weeds that grow are perfect. If no wood is available you could always improvise with a thick wire coat hanger, you won't even have to do step 1, just stretch it into a circle shape and use the hook to hang it!

A few sprigs of plants - holly, ivy, mistletoe and even grasses are good.

Cardboard

Scissors

Wire - we used a copper 18 gauge craft wire, a floral wire works well too

Glue

Gold spray paint

Step 1

Begin by bending the sticks into a circle. Fasten the ends together by wrapping the wire around tightly. you should now have a hoop. Our vines were already twisted together but if you have a single strand you might want to loop around more than once.

Step 2

You can now start attaching small sprigs of interesting shaped leaves, seed pods and berries. Sprigs from the yard are perfect but again if you live in the middle of a city and don't have access to real plants you can always go pick up some few fake foliage at a craft store and trim it to make what you need - the color doesn't matter because you are going to spray paint it all anyway.

Attach the sprigs again using the wire to hold them in place. Think about placement, with kids you'll probably have to remind them that less is more in this case as they'll want to attach lots which is fine but to keep the simple design its nice to see the hoop a little.

Step 3

Before we spray the hoop we also add a wire loop to the top to hang it by. This makes it much easier to spray paint when its done.

Step 4

Cut a cardboard house out and glue to one corner of the hoop. I used my hot glue gun for this so we didn't have to wait for it to dry. Then take your hoop to a well ventilated area and spray it all gold.

Once its all dry you can hang it on a door to enjoy, or package it up as a gift for someone special. Welcome December!!