I have to admit that I don’t decorate much for Christmas, or throughout the year, for that matter. I put up a tree and hang a wreath on the door, but that’s about it. A few years ago, I started collecting the LEGO Winter Village sets (Some people collect ceramic houses; I do LEGO.), but I never get around to setting up an actual display. Maybe this year will be different.
I came across a video a few weeks ago for how to make pumpkin pom pom garland. I’ve seen a similar technique for making several pom poms at once, but this is pretty clever. First, wrap lots of yarn around two poles several feet apart. Then, securely tie short sections at equal intervals. Finally, cut between the ties to create individual pom poms; for garland, though, keep one strand intact all the way across so that the poms are strung along the length of it, evenly spaced. To trim and shape the pom poms, hold the long strand out of the way while you carefully snip around.
I thought the pumpkin garland was cute, but Handmade Christmas is my schtick. So, how about snowballs? Yep, white yarn works just as well as orange! I flipped a table onto its side and wrapped yarn around the legs. It’s a 6-foot table, so I’m guessing the legs are about 5 feet apart, making my garland about 5 feet long. For a longer garland, I imagine you could flip a table over completely and wrap around all four legs. One tip I have is that it’s faster to wrap with two strands at once by using the inside and outside of the skein. Also, your fingers will get pretty sore from tying a lot of pom poms, so plan breaks accordingly if you’re making several lengths of garland.
Two years ago, I made lots of large white pom poms for my sister’s three girls for a Frozen-inspired indoor snowball fight. I made them with a Clover pom pom maker. It’s a great little tool, but it took forever to make those things. I wish I’d known about this trick back then. Do you know some kids who live in a warmer climate or are too small for a knockdown, drag-out snowball fight? A bucket of fluffy pom poms would be a fun, quick gift.
Another gift I’m thinking of is knitted Mason jar covers. When you place a candle inside (battery-operated, for me), the fabric diffuses the glow and casts pretty figures onto the wall. Jenn Sheelen has several beautiful patterns, but the one I used was Faerie’s Firelight. Several of my knitting friends made these last year. I think I knit mine in about a day.
And, of course, cowls, shawls, and toys are rather quick projects to knit or crochet. Don’t forget about the Indie Design Gift-A-Long! The 25%-off sale ends November 30. Then post your projects by the end of the year for a chance to win prizes!