BH&G Holiday Crafts 2015

Happy Holidays! Beautifully wrapped packages filled with Christmas crafts surround your tree hung with wonderful handmade ornaments. Obviously you’re an avid Holiday Craftsmagazine reader! You’ll love this year’s issue, full of stockings, pillows, wreaths, and much, much more for you to craft, paint, or sew. Our special Halloween section includes the cutest little Fraidy Cats, some spooks and bats, a quilted wall hanging that displays a spirited BOO greeting, and other creepy decor. I promise it will be scary trying to pick which item to craft first. My favorite crafting holiday (as for many of you) is Christmas. Sweet reindeer package tags, whimsical mitten ornaments, toasty candle cozies, and other inspiring designs fill these pages. I give many of my Christmas crafts as presents, and I don’t know who gets more joy from…

Fraidy Cats No need to fear these black cats! Each feline, made of black cotton batting with a felted wool chest, perches on a fabric-covered wooden disk. An extra-large black chenille stem adds the “purrfect” touch as a bushy black tail. Designer: MELISSA BELANGER Take the Stage Head to the theater this Halloween with a pair of little spooks inside a tiny cardboard stage, above. Paint wooden pegs to resemble a pumpkin ghoul and a masked goblin; then place them in a cute paper-covered box adorned with a cardboard canopy and a painted wooden knob. Designer: JENNIFER MCGLON Fright Night Bats flap across a harvest moon in the delightfully eerie scene, right. Cut heavy black paper with a steady hand to slice out the spooky setting, and set up battery-operated votive candles to glow behind the haunted-house…

Sock Hop Looking for an easy way to make festive coordinating stockings for your mantel? This simple trio starts with purchased neutral stockings that you embellish with pom-pom trim or yarn pompoms you make yourself. To the Point This red-and-white topiary looks complicated but goes together easily, thanks to long lengths of purchased pompom trim. Quick-setting glue is the secret to securing the trim, starting at the bottom of the cone. Take Note Ring in the holiday season with handcrafted cards and tags that are a cinch to make, even in multiples. Trace the bottom of a drinking glass onto the front of a purchased card or tag, then use crafts glue to adhere a length of mini pom-pom trim or small individual pom-poms along the drawn circle to form a wreath. Glue a short…

Give ’em a Hand These petite mittens might not protect your hands, but they will definitely warm your heart with their charming details. Each felt mitten features blanket-stitched edges, a fabric cuff, and button details. Designer: AMY SINIBALDI Home for Christmas Adorned with sweet details, such as rickrack trim, yo-yo lollipops, and a ticking door and roof, this three-pocket gingerbread house wall hanging provides an irresistible place to tuck goodies, cards, kitchen tools, or your favorite holiday recipes. Designer: AMY SINIBALDI Fit to Be Tied Elevate your gift-giving with fabric gift tags that double as keepsake ornaments, right. A sequined tree, a two-piece “special delivery” tag, a pieced gingerbread boy, a dimensional poinsettia, and a mod reindeer comprise the collection. Designer: AMY SINIBALDI Santa’s Snack Lay out an adorable snack mat just for Santa, below. Fusible-web appliqués mark the spots…

Naturally Inspired Tree An assortment of felt holly leaves, pine boughs, leafy branches, and large dimensional poinsettias accented with wooden-bead flower centers gives an elegant look to the felt tree, opposite. A felt-covered foam cone serves as the base of the statement piece. Woodland Wrappings Forgo purchased bows. Instead, decorate your gifts with woodland-inspired toppers, above. A felt bird, mushroom, and pine branch each come together quickly to add natural inspiration to your presents. Snow Berry Wreath As fresh as a new dusting of snow, this white-and-green felt wreath updates any holiday decor. Cut each leaf using pinking shears, then add wire to the leaves and small felted-wool berries. Use florists tape to attach the leaves and berries to a wire ring. Charming Chimes Your recycling bin holds the secret to making each of these felted-wool bells.…

Merry & Bright Shapely ornament appliqués, cut from small-scale red-and-aqua prints, create quick seasonal accents when stitched onto purchased velvet pillows, opposite. Each appliqué is stitched in place using red thread and has a glued ribbon hanger. Tower of Gifts A stack of wrapped round papier-mâché boxes in graduated sizes, above, offers a festive addition to your doorstep urn. Glue strips of contrasting papers to the box sides, and adhere paper circles to the lid tops. Finish with a ribbon bow, leaving long tails to trail down the stack. Stand-Up Scenery Nature never looked so good in paper! Cut, fold, and embellish cardstock to fashion a pair of whimsical reindeer, and stand them in front of a paper evergreen forest. Each reindeer consists of a front and a back panel so it stands upright. The…