SCK Tries…Cute Christmas Crafts

I always have big plans to make some gifts and decorations for the holidays but usually I don’t get very far. I did complete 2 Christmas crafts this year and, since it’s January now, I’ll combine them into one SCK Tries post. See how I got on with a DIY Gingerbread plush kit and a Christmas robin felt sewing pattern.

DIY Gingerbread Ricemonster Kit from Noodoll

This was a gift (that was top of my wish list!) and I started making it straight away on Christmas Day. As with the original Make your own Ricemonster kit that I previously wrote about, you get a plush skin, stuffing and various felt pieces to decorate it with, however you please.

The Gingerbread version already has an embroidered face and icing so you only really need to add accessories, making it a quick project. The felt pieces included were a bit limited and uninspiring compared to the other kit so I was lucky that I had some of those left over. I ended up keeping it simple with a bowtie and pastel buttons that I attached with strong fabric glue.

You also get a little snowman friend to decorate and I had even more fun with that! I used some of the same techniques as my pom pom snowman, adding mini poms for buttons, yarn arms and a ribbon scarf. It was super difficult to sew on a face through such a tiny hole but I’m quite fond of his wonky smile!

I’d definitely recommend this for a cute holiday DIY – it’s quick and fun and the finished plushies looked cute under my tree. I’ll look forward to seeing them again next Christmas. If you’re not over the holiday mood yet, you can still buy the Gingerbread Ricemonster kit from Noodoll and make it in time to enter their contest (details are in the kit) – the entries so far are very cute.

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Christmas robin felt sewing pattern from Nuvolina Handmade

I featured this in an Etsy Christmas gifts post and couldn’t stop thinking about it so decided to buy it and make one for my dad’s partner. It didn’t look too difficult and I love the embroidery. It’s a digital download so I had to source the supplies myself – I had plenty felt and thread but ended up having to substitute a couple of things that I didn’t have time to order online.

Here’s how mine turned out! As you can see, I made a major error placing the beak, which meant there wasn’t enough room for the scarf. I still think it looks cute without it but I wish there had been an internal photo or a diagram to show the placement of all the pieces more clearly. My embroidery is also a little wobbly in places, due to using stranded floss rather than embroidery thread, but I got really good at french knots by the end! I swapped in a sequin for the eye and more floss for the legs and they both worked well. The pattern is designed to be double sided but I kept the back plain as I was short on time.

I wouldn’t recommend this pattern for a beginner as the instructions are not that detailed but if you’ve done some felt sewing and embroidery, this should teach you a few new skills. The finished robin makes for a very cute decoration and you could always change the embroidery to make it less Christmassy if you want it to hang around all year (as British robins do) . You can download the Christmas robin sewing pattern from Nuvolina Handmade on Etsy.

Did you manage any Christmas crafts?