The Magic Bean

Freebie Friday - Christmas Ornament Patterns for Free

There are some great new free patterns on the net for doll or sewing related ornaments, it would be a downright shame to miss them.

Click hereto see Sherry Goshon's free pattern A Wee Bit of Holly.

Eileen Stewart gives us these little Jingle Owl ornaments.

If you want an owl inspired garland to go with your owl ornaments, check out this fab pattern from Moonstitches.  Aren't they cool?

If you are not up to sewing but feel like getting a bit goopy, try this no-sew vintage ornament courtesy of Jess at Joggles.

This button wreath tutorial from Craftpalooza will really clear out the button box.

Or use those extra buttons to make little holiday figure ornaments with Martha Stewart here.

Martha shows us how it is done with these little clothespin doll ornaments.

This little present would do double duty as an ornament and a pin cushion.

Go forth and decorate!

Freebie Friday - Elf Patterns for Free

Christmas elves are necessary for getting a little Christmas magic done.  Here are some free elvin patterns to get you in the spirit:

Click here to see some little softie elves suitable for babies - great for baby's first Christmas, perhaps?

These little wilderness elves and fairies would be great for making with little people (the kind of little peope without the pointy ears).  When I was wee I loved making things out of pinecones and leaves.

These cute little flower fairies also bring some Christmas woodland magic to your ornaments.

Make an entire elvish Christmas scene with this pattern designed by Helen-Carol Soucy.

Chickpea Studio gives us these very Nordic looking Christmas pixies.  I do love that Scandinavian look.

Here is an Advent Elf to help you count down the days from Calamity Kim.

Calamity Kim also shares this gnome egg-warmer pattern.  Wouldn't they be cute on Christmas morning?

If you want to get your elf doll suited and booted or just want a cute centrepiece, why not make these cute felt elf clogs from All Sorts.

If you feel like being an elf yourself, make some pointy elf ears with this free tutorial.

Go on, get your elf on!

Freebie Friday - More Free Santa Patterns

You just can't get enough of the big guy at Christmas!  Check out these free Santa patterns available on the net.

Make these simple and cute rag style dolls of Mr and Mrs Claus.

Or make the whole gang - Santa, Mrs Claus and the elves here.  These little dolls are between 5-7.5".  Wouldn't they make great stocking stuffers?

This jolly little Santa is made on a flowerpot.

I absolutely love this Santa face ornament from Michael's.

Use push moulds to create this great Santa face pin or ornament.

Make these adorable clay Santa and Reindeer figures or try these Christmas polymer clay projects from Sulpey (there is a Sants, a polar bear and snowman).

This clothes pin Santa ornament could be made with the kids.

Linda Walsh offers this free Santa e-pattern.

Make a vintage Santa ornament with Martha Stewart and her guest Lucy with this video:

If you feel the need for more Kris Kringle, check out these Freebie Friday links from 2007.  And these links for stocking stuffers and wreaths from 2008.

More Christmas freebies are coming up this month - next week elf patterns for free and the week after that Christmas ornaments for free.

Just Cuz Freebie

One thing about the Freebie Fridays where I scour the net to find free patterns and tutorials on various themes to share with you each week, is that occasionally I find something that is so great just after I've done a Freebie Friday on that theme.  I hate that.  And it happened today.  I found this sweet tutorial on how to make this gorgeous little polymer clay nativity set after having just shared a list of Nativity set links.  And it is probably the best of the bunch.  Had to share it.

Freebie Friday - Polar People

There's a chill in the air and snow in the forecast?

Click here to make this cut snow people pattern to get yourself in the mood.

Reduce, reuse and recycle by making this bottle snowman.

This cute little snowman uses a bottle and sock as a base.

Glitzy Gloria is a diva of a snow-woman if I've ever seen one.  Click here to see how to make her.  If you like Gloria watch this video to see how to make a little snowman to go with her or check out this little snow guy. Make a little house for your snowman village with this Holiday Clay Pot Waffle Cone shop.

If you'd rather the temperatures were a little warmer, why not make this felt melting snowman.

Another melting snowman made of Styrofoam.

Make this little snowman and his polar pals from foam and felt.

These polymer clay polar bears are just so cute.

If you've rather make a snowman out of the real white stuff, try making this snowman making kit.  It would make a great present for the young at heart too.

For more Frosty for Free patterns, check out these free snowmen pattern links from last year.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.....

Freebie Friday - Free Nativity Scene Patterns and Tutorials

My dad and I have a thing about Christmas.  We love all of it.  And we love our nativity scenes (there was slight issue one year when our dog Ben ate the leg off one of the sheep.  Good thing that we really loved our dog and he was really cute is all I'm saying).  My dad bought me this absolutely beautiful nativity scene a few years back.

If you don't have a nativity scene, why not make your own?  Here are a few free patterns and tutorials:

This flowerpot nativity is simple and cute.

This polymer clay nativity is pretty simple (the pictures in the tutorial are quite blurry, but you get the idea).

This nativity is made by wrapping pipe-cleaners.  I remember doing a similar craft as a kid and it is pretty effective actually.

This creche from Canadian Living is a slightly more sophisticated sewn version.

Thisnativity tutorial uses pre-bought head and limbs, but is very lovely and shows you how to put the bits together.

If you have the figures but no manger,here is a tutorial on how to make a manger out of wood.  (in case you don't have a woodworking genius like my dad to figure it out for you).

Now this nativity is just a bit of fun, a Gingerbread Nativity - yum.

If you are just after an angelic host, try this huge list of free angel doll patterns.

Now, if you have a dog - watch out for the sheep.  They are tasty apparently.

Freebie Friday - The Best of Last Year's Links

I am afraid that I have been very ill indeed this week and am still not capable of very much except coughing and spluttering.  So, like a long running TV show I am going to fill the gap by reviewing some scenes you've seen before.  Here are some great links from last year's Christmas free pattern round-ups:

A host of heaven-sent angel patterns here.

Some great Santa free patterns here.

Some snowman patterns here.

This is a new link, just to keep you interested, of a no-sew fabric Christmas tree ornament that I found via Whip-up.  Cool huh?

And hereis a mammoth list of Christmas craft links also courtesy of Whip-up.

That should keep you out of trouble while I recover.  Merry Christmas!

Freebie Friday - Stockings and Stuffers

One of the traditions in my family is to fill stockings for everybody - even the adults.  My Grandma Joan used to do stockings for each person in our family (which was quite a few!) and my brother would put on his Santa beard and hand them out on Christmas Eve.  Now my mum does them and my dad (aka The Christmas Elf) and I handle Mum's.  Sometimes though, it's hard to find tiny things to put in those little stockings. 

Here is something that will fit just perfectly - Cloth Doll Pencil Toppers, a Colleen Babcock original design I might add, a cloth doll pattern that is now available for free at Dollmaker's Journey here. 

 

I also think these make great little birthday presents, thank gifts, or mementos for those moments when you need a cloth doll head mounted on a pencil (and you know, those moments are hard to shop for).

Plus these pencil toppers are a great way to practice your face drawing technique. 

  

The free pattern has lots of great diagrams for help with drawing cloth doll faces.

Right, you've got some stuffers, now let's have some free stocking patterns:

OK, so these mini felt stockings from Martha Stewart won't hold much but they are wee and therefore cute.

These stockings on the other hand are swarthy and manly (you should read that in a deep voice for maximum effect).  They look like they belong to lumberjacks.

Here is a very detailed set of instructions for a stocking from McCall's.

Here's  big list of knitting, crochet and cross-stitch stocking patterns free on the internet.  I think the John Deere crochet stocking is a stitch - forgive the pun.

And I know this is totally off topic, but I find myself helpless in the face of the adorableness.  Isn't this little advent elf the cutest?

Go on, get stuffing!

Freebie Friday - Wreathed with Cheer

I still haven't gotten around to making a wreath for my door.  I may just use one of these free Christmas wreath patterns and tutorials when I do.

This little Gingerbread Man Wreath looks good enough to eat.

Talk about good enough to eat, check out this Gumdrop Wreath.

If you are liking the idea of edible wreaths, check out these recipes from Better Homes Gardens.

If only it were cold enough in England to make this ice wreath.  How cool is that?  Forgive the pun.

Thiswoolen felt wreath from Betz White gives me a major case of the textile shivers.  I love it!

I linked to this one last year, I think, but it's so cute it is worth repeating.  Check out this Hung up on Christmas Santa wreath.

Ok, so thiswreath is adorned with spring fairies, but do it in Christmas colours and replace the flowers with sprigs of holly and bingo, it's a Christmas wreath.

This paper wreath looks great, but wouldn't it be fabulous if you made the leaves out of fabric?

And if the holidays are already getting you stressed, watch this video on how to make a Christmas wreath out of fabric softener sheets.  Yup, you read that right.  I defy you not to giggle.

This completely reminds me of making very similar wreaths out of strips of green garbage bags as a kid.  They were so, so....waterproof.  Mind you I was also great at making toys out of paper toilet rolls, not to mention delicate flowers crafted out of Kleenex and a twist tie.  What can I say, I'm the MacGyver of the craft world.  I could probably make a wreath out of pocket lint, spit, and a gum wrapper. 

Hot Little Hands

I'm working on a new doll that I'm very excited about, but ran out of the material I was planning on using.  I ordered some more, but when it arrived it was a completely different colour than the last batch I ordered.  So, first I got mad - at myself for ordering the wrong stuff, then the people who dyed it a different colour and then myself again.  Then I broke out an alternative project, so as not to go a whole weekend without my sewing machine. 

   

I already had a pair of Christmas oven mitts, but let's just say there was an unfortunate incident with an oven element.  Hem hem.

So I whipped up these oven mitts based (loosely, I might add) on this free pattern from Skip to my Lou.  I used thermal fleece to protect against any further oven element incidents.  Hem hem.  And those berries are just decorative for the photos sake, by the way.  I'm sure that the berries would not survive an element incident.  Hem hem.  I seem unable to speak of "the incident" without the hem hem bit.  Hem hem.