Winter Crafts: Staying Busy & Cozy

sweetstitchingcrafts — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 17:56:14 +0000

Winter has never been my favorite time of year. My dislike of snow and the chill in the air often encourages me to hibernate. I could easily spend my days nestled under a pile of blankets with a cup of hot tea, binge-watching my favorite crafting channels on YouTube. However, instead of letting the season pass me by, I’ve found joy in celebrating winter through craft projects that reflect its unique beauty. Surprisingly, these colder months have become some of my most productive and enjoyable times. Here are a few of the projects I’ve been working on to stay cozy and creative.

Winter Wreaths

I’ve always admired seasonal wreaths but had never made one myself until this winter. Unlike holiday-specific designs, I opted for a seasonal winter theme so the wreath could stay up longer and reflect my personal taste.
To make my wreath, I started with a base from Michaels to eliminate the challenge of shaping the frame myself. The decorative elements, however, were entirely handmade. I’ve been making soft toys for years, but for this project, I shrunk the patterns to create ornaments that fit within the wreath. This required some adjustments, like using a smaller stitch length on my sewing machine and slowing down while sewing. Tools like hemostats were lifesavers for turning out tiny pieces like arms and stuffing them with poly-fil.
I also made fabric stars to add to the wreath, using both handwoven and commercial fabric. The handwoven ones, with their unique textures, turned out to be my favorite. The result was a wreath that felt both personal and perfectly suited to the winter season.

Macramé Snowflakes

These delicate macramé snowflakes were inspired by a fellow guild member. A few years ago, my guild hosted a workshop on making snowflakes, but I wasn’t able to attend. Fortunately, my friend gave me a personal lesson using the pattern “Wish Upon a Star” by Annie’s Kit Clubs.
The project required minimal supplies—just wooden rings (about 2 inches in diameter) and twine, both of which I found at Michaels (and, of course, used a 40% off coupon for a great deal!). While the pattern included clear written and visual instructions, having someone demonstrate in real-time was invaluable for me. So far, I’ve made six snowflakes, which are now proudly displayed on my wall. The process is so relaxing and satisfying that I plan to make many more.

Rug-Hooked Standing Ornament

Rug hooking is a craft I’ve loved for years, and lately, I’ve been exploring its versatility beyond traditional rugs. This winter, I came across a pattern for a standing ornament in an older issue of Rug Hooking magazine and decided to give it a try.
I enlarged the design and used #3 wool strips (3/8th inch wide) to hook the pattern. To add texture and visual interest, I experimented with pulling loops at different lengths and incorporating sculpting techniques. Buttons served as eyes for the gingerbread man in my design, and I’ve since sewn up the sides by hand for a precise finish. The ornament is stuffed with poly-fil, with some gravel-filled bags at the bottom to add weight so it can stand upright. I’m still on the hunt for the perfect bell to finish off the top, but I’m thrilled with how it’s coming together.

Hand-Embroidered Sheep Ornaments

If you know me, you know I’m obsessed with sheep, and I’ll incorporate them into my crafts whenever I can. This winter, I’ve been making hand-embroidered sheep ornaments that are as adorable as they are resourceful.
For the fleece, I used crewel wool to create French knots, while the faces were satin-stitched with black embroidery thread. I made little caps for the sheep from tiny wool scraps that were too small for other projects. As for stuffing, I used both poly-fil and leftover fleece from a spinning project. I’ve been leaning towards fleece lately as it gives a firmer yet soft feel to the ornaments.
To make the most of my leftovers, I used scrap fabric for the ornament bases and even backed some with handwoven material. These ornaments are not only

Crafting has transformed winter from a season I used to dread into one that I can handle better. Each project brings warmth, creativity, and a sense of accomplishment. Whether it’s wreath-making, macramé, rug hooking, or embroidery, these crafts help me celebrate the beauty of winter while staying cozy and productive. If you’re looking for ways to brighten up your own winter days, I hope these ideas inspire you to pick up a new project or revisit an old favorite. What are you crafting during these winter months? Please feel free to comment below!

Happy crafting!

The post Winter Crafts: Staying Busy & Cozy appeared first on sweetstitchingcrafts.

Harvesting Creativity: Crafting This Fall Season

sweetstitchingcrafts — Tue, 21 Nov 2023 00:43:13 +0000

Music: Passage by Jakob Ahlbom & Trust in You by AK Silla

Nature is my go-to source of inspiration, regardless of the season. However, I must admit that the changing colors of leaves, the bright autumn afternoon sun, and the pine needles covering the forest grounds rekindle my imagination. I have a strong desire to recreate the mood of comfort, stillness, and crispness that I experience during my woodland walks in the fall. What crafts am I gravitating towards this fall to reflect this change of pace?

Rug Hooking

My current rug hooking project is from an older Buttermilk Basin pattern called Patriotic Sheep. Using primitive cut wool strips (1/4 inch wide strips of wool) in rustic colours such as burgundy, mossy greens and burnt yellows. As you can see, I still have the main body to work on. I have a variety of creams and white wool fabric waiting to be felted and cut into strips. The final project will be a 3-dimensional sheep that will hopefully decorate my craft room.

Weaving

Weaving with my multicolored handspun using a crackle weaving structure. The pattern is called the French pattern, and it is from Marguerite Porter Davidson’s book, A Handweaver’s Pattern Book. This book has a great compilation of older weaving patterns, but using this pattern along with my multicolored handspun is giving this old pattern new life while preserving the vintage feel and look. I will admit my initial choice of a gray color was more subdued, but I am glad I changed my mind. This fall season is bursting with color, and I wanted my current projects to reflect this.

Knitting

Knitting socks during this time of year, I am obsessed with staying warm and what I can make that will keep me warm. Naturally, my feet are the first part of my body that get cold quickly, and it is not even below 0 degrees. I start rummaging through my yarn stash to find the perfect yarn that is sturdy and warm enough to start a new pair of socks. Then, I finish all the last year’s sock projects by closing the toes and weaving all the loose ends.

Punch needle

It is not a craft that I often work on, but I do enjoy it immensely when I do. This pattern is a Michelle Palmer original punch needle design, and of course, I was drawn to it because of the cute sheep design. It was featured in a summer 2019 issue of the Punch Needle and Primitive Stitcher magazine, but I felt the color selections in this design reminded me more of fall leaves that decorate the forest floor instead of summer flowers in full bloom. I have the pattern stretched on some wooden bars for increased accessibility while I am cuddled under some blankets and sipping on a hot cup of tea.

Quilting

I find binding quilts takes a long time when I make blankets. But it feels good to be under the blanket while doing it. I usually bind quilts in the fall, after piecing them together during the summer when there’s more daylight. It gets too hot to manoeuvre the blanket while hand-sewing the edges. I feel good when I finish because I have a new blanket to keep me cozy during the winter while I work on other crafts.

What crafts are you drawn to when there is a change of season, especially when the weather gets cooler? Please feel free to comment below!

The post Harvesting Creativity: Crafting This Fall Season appeared first on sweetstitchingcrafts.

rug hooking Archives - sweetstitchingcrafts