Christmas for me is all about coming together to celebrate love and life. Cozy gatherings in softly lit, romantically decorated rooms instantly spring to mind. For this ideabook, I wished to offer ways to make a romantic Christmas setting with a tree decorated with handmade cloth and paper ornaments. Amidst the hustle and bustle of the holidays, I hope you are able to find a few quiet minutes to create these very simple and pretty ornaments.
Holly Marder
Our Nordman fir stands proud and tall, dressed in rustic and romantic Christmas finery.
Apart from the gold ornaments, every thing on the tree, by the cloth and paper stars to the personalized gift totes, has been crafted by hand. A paper chain made from vintage music sheets, celebrities made from sticks and dainty little bows add some romance.
Holly Marder
To make all of the decorations here, you’ll want:
CardstockVintage audio sheets or paper of choiceFabric(s)Buttons and beadsNeedle and threadScissorsPenPinsTwineGlue stickWashi tapeGift bags and tagsSewing machineSmall twigs or wooden skewers
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Vintage Music Sheet Ornament
Materials:
Classic music sheets or other paperCardstock ScissorsPenButtons and beadsNeedle and threadGlue stick1. Produce a circle template from cardstock. I traced round the neck of a jar I found to generate mine. The circumference of my circle is 2.2 inches. Trace around the template on the music sheets and cut out each circle.
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2. You will need six paper bands for every decoration. Fold each circle in half. Glue half of a circle and stick it to the half of another circle, then lining every half up against each other along the center fold. Continue with all six circles to form the contour.
Holly Marder
Holly Marder
3. Use a needle and thread to sew angled stitches over the top, as shown in the last picture.
4. Leaving enough ribbon to form a loop for hanging your ornament, thread a bead and secure it using a small knot.
Holly Marder
Continuing on the theme, I also made a paper chain from vintage music sheets to string around the shrub. I tied little soft gold bows within an accent.
Holly Marder
Star Ornament
Materials:
Sewing machineScissorsPenVintage audio sheets or other paperFabric(s)Buttons and beadsNeedle and ribbon1. Produce two star templates from cardstock. The next template ought to be .39 inches (1 centimeter) larger than the first one around each edge. I discovered my celebrity template online and made a larger version by hand. Trace around the smaller template on the paper a few times and cut your paper celebrities. You will need two paper celebrities for every decoration.
Holly Marder
2. Create cloth versions of your celebrity utilizing the larger star template. You will need two cloth celebrities for every ornament.
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3. Lay out every paper star onto a cloth star, right sides facing up, and pin into position. Do not worry if your paper and cloth stars don’t just match up; we’ll correct this in the future.
Holly Marder
4. Slowly sew two millimeters all the way around your paper celebrity. Use the balance wheel of your sewing machine to move round the corners. It’s very easy once you get the hang of it.
Holly Marder
5. Sew the buttons onto one celebrity.
Once that is done, place both celebrities wrong sides together. Do not forget to place a length of twine in between them to hang up your decoration. Pin the pieces together.
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6. Slowly sew two millimeters all the way around your celebrity, now on the cloth, attaching the twine in the exact same time. Trim approximately 2 millimeters in the stitch line so the edges are neat and clean.
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This is the final result. You can make these from any cloth or paper combination you prefer. I went for neutrals with hints of gold for an intimate, rustic look.
Holly Marder
Construction on the celebrity theme, I included a handful of stars created from wooden skewers snapped in halfan bound together in the joints with quite sparse washi tape. The star on top of shrub was created in the exact same style, without halving the skewers.
You could also make these from accumulated twigs. That was my initial plan, but the weather here in the Netherlands didn’t allow for it. The skewers provide exactly the exact same look and supply a modern choice.
Holly Marder
Personalize your Christmas tree by creating a couple of little gift bags for every member of the family, such as the one here. This could not be an easier DIY if it attempted.
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Decorated Mini Gift Bags
Materials:
Washi tapeGift bags and tagsScissors1. Starting in the bottom of the gift bag, organize strips of washi tape in a graded manner to the peak of the bag. Tearing it off the roll instead of cutting it will make for a great rough edge.
2. Leave a little bit of excess washi tape over the edge of the bag so that you can neatly trim all the way down the side to avoid folding the excess washi tape over the side of the tote.
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3. Attach a personalized gift tag to a handle of the gift bag with a bit of twine, tie the twine in a bow and secure both using a very small clothespin. Your gift tote is currently ready to be filled with a special trinket and displayed on the shrub.
Holly Marder
From here in the Netherlands to wherever you are in the world, I’d love to wish you a very Merry Christmas. May it be spent with those you love and have warmth and pleasure — and, of course, a fairly Christmas tree!
Tell us Is the tree decorated with hand-made decorations? Share a photo below!
Next: more holiday decorating ideas