Small Things

I just thought I'd share a few DIY Christmas gift projects I worked on over the weekend. These are fairly simple and inexpensive crafts that make great gifts for the holidays!

Clay Gift Tags

I haven't tried anything with clay (of the earthen or polymer varieties) since an art class in college. I'm not so good with modeling clay into something like an animal or a specific shape. I'm lacking that gene along with the ability-to-do-math-gene. I CAN roll clay out flat and cut it with a cookie cutter and stamp it with something. Like a cookie! Oh yes, I know about cookies!!!! Following this tutorial, you too can make these cute little tags that you can use for gifts or ornaments (or gift tags that are ornaments!).

I just purchased two blocks of white Sculpey polymer clay. I pulled out other things I have my craft supplies like stamps, ink pads, paint (not pictured), clay tools. 

I bought a cookie sheet at the Dollar Tree that I could use only for the purpose of baking this clay. You don't want to place it on a surface that you would ever place food. The same rule applies for the tools you use. I cut mine out with a set of round fondant cutters I found in the cake decorating aisle at Michael's. I used craft stamps for the initials and other decorative elements on the tags, and a straw cuts out a perfect hole for ribbon to tie them onto a package or to hang.

After baking.

Once they cooled, I decided to use paint (same technique as the tutorial), to add a little dimension to the tags. Using very little paint on a dry brush, I filled in the impression left by the stamp, and then with a dry towel wiped away the excess.

I used silver jump rings that you use in jewelry making, to make it easier to attach ribbon to the top. This is totally optional because you could run the ribbon through the hole with no problem.

Girls' Headbands and Hats

This is a project I just made up as I went along. I need a few gifts for little girls and thought I could use some things I already have to embellish store bought hats and headbands. I snagged the hats and headbands at Walmart. The hats were about $1.30 and the headbands were four for about $3.

I pulled the bow and pink flower off the headbands and then attached leftover rolled-rose flowers I made a year ago for another project.You can find a tutorial for making the flowers here.

I also pulled out some feathers and the feathery yarn shown at the top of this photo. 

I wrapped the feathery yarn around the side of one of the headbands. I just glued it on either end to the headbands.

Then glued the flower on top of that.

I did the same for these:

For the hats, I sewed the rolled roses, in groups of three, directly onto the hats. I put a small piece of dark pink felt on the back side of the roses (inside the hat) and pulled my stitches from the roses, through the hat, and then through the felt so the stitches wouldn't pop through the woven fabric.

And that was it! Some very cute gifts that only took a little bit of time, but I hope they'll be looking very cute on a few little girls this holiday season.