Dec

23

Have yourself a very cross stitched Christmas!

Posted on Sunday, December 23 2012 at 10am

Every single year we look back and think 'if only I'd stitched more of my presents', or 'if only I'd made more of my Christmas cards'. It all starts with good intentions and gorgeous charts in October, and then by the time Christmas comes you've only stitched half of what you wanted. Ironically, we then spend the entire Christmas holiday stitching three year's worth of presents!

We couldn't help but share this fabulous blog post by Emily from Family Fordham, who has had the most cross-stitched Christmas we've ever seen! From cards to gifts and decorations galore, Emily's house is jam-packed with handmade delights this Christmas!

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Dec

21

Have you ever wondered how to stitch a simple cushion? Here's a great how-to!

Posted on Friday, December 21 2012 at 2pm

The Christmas holidays are just round the corner, and we're going to spend ours crafting! We always seem to stitch at super-speed over Christmas. It's the perfect time of the year to put your feet up with a cup of tea (or a glass of mulled wine!) and get stuck in to the project that you've been putting off for so long! At the end of the Christmas break, you'll inevitably have gorgeous hand-crafted creations, but you won't have anything to do with them. That's where this fab envelope cushion tutorial comes in! It's so quick and easy that your sofa will be over-flowing with lovely pillows by January!

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Dec

19

Turn your old t-shirts in to a ball of yarn!

Posted on Wednesday, December 19 2012 at 3pm

If you're having a pre-Christmas clear out or you're already planning what to do with unwanted Christmas clothing, then we've stumbled across a tutorial we think you're going to love! Head over to Time for Tea, where blogger Jess teaches you how to recycle old t-shirts into a big ball of yarn - perfect for knitting into wintery accessories. We're thinking hats, scarves and mittens!

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Dec

17

Stitch luxury wrapping

Posted on Monday, December 17 2012 at 4pm

For a really special Christmas present, we love this idea from CrossStitcher - stitch your own gift wrap! Get the free download now, and create beautiful wrapping that can be used again and again.

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Dec

14

Join the Papercraft inspirations party!

Posted on Friday, December 14 2012 at 11am

If you enjoyed our 12 Days of Christmas online party last week, there's even more fun to be had over at the Papercraft inspirations website! 

The magazine team are having a week of blog party fun, including free projects, giveaways and a bumper competition - the ultimate papercraft giveaway! Click over now to check out card ideas from American Crafts, a clever scrapbooking idea from Morag Cutts, free Christmas paper downloads and much more.

It's papercraft heaven! Visit papercraftinspirations.themakingspot.com to catch up on all the party fun!

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Dec

13

Take a peek at Simply Crochet!

Posted on Thursday, December 13 2012 at 6pm

We had a huge response to our Simply Crochet competition last week, so we're thrilled that you can now get a sneak preview of this exciting new magazine!

Head over to www.simplycrochetmag.co.uk and click on the 'Take a peek' link to browse a few pages of the first issue.

The magazine hits the shops very soon, or you can subscribe now online. Each issue is filled with gorgeous crochet patterns plus tips and tutorials for beginners. It's a treasure trove for crochet fans!

Even better, the Simply Crochet team have a bumper competition for you to enter right now. You could win crochet goodies worth over £200 - visit the website to find out more and enter now.

We love you, Simply Crochet!

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Dec

12

12 Days of Christmas quick links

Posted on Wednesday, December 12 2012 at 11am

Our 12 Days of Christmas blog party is over! Here are some quick links to all the posts so you can catch up on anything you missed. Please note that the competitions have now closed, but we've added links anyway for those who want to ogle the pretty prizes!

Many thanks for joining us - we were thrilled to read the wonderful comments and emails from all over the world. If you've enjoyed our party, be sure to sign up to The Making Spot for more free patterns, tutorials and great new craft projects every month. Happy crafting!

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Dec

11

Embroider a gingerbread apron!

Posted on Tuesday, December 11 2012 at 12pm

Here's a fantastic final flourish for our Christmas blog party - a free project from Pretty in Patchwork: Holidays.

If you love sewing, you'll adore this collection of seasonal projects, including beautiful stockings, ornaments, gifts and quilts. Click over to www.thegmcgroup.com to find out more and order your copy now!

We're thrilled to bring you this project from the book; a fun festive apron complete with the cutest appliquéd gingerbread men. With the handy printable template, it's easier than it looks, and everyone will be so impressed with your handmade apron!

Read on to find your free templates and full instructions so you can make your own.

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Dec

11

Free project - cross stitch a needlecase!

Posted on Tuesday, December 11 2012 at 11am

Today is the last day of our 12 Days of Christmas blog party! Thank you so much for joining us, we hope you've enjoyed our festive treats.

Here's a free project for when you've finally finished all those Christmas makes - a trendy union flag needlecase just for you!

Designer Angela Poole has created this little project in candy pink shades, but you could choose any other colours you like; we think it would look great in cool blues or funky purples too.

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Dec

10

Free Christmas Fairies papercraft project

Posted on Monday, December 10 2012 at 10am

We can't believe that our 12 Days of Christmas blog party is almost over! Have you seen all of our giveaways, offers and freebies? There's a complete list at the bottom of this post for you!

Today we've got a treat to celebrate the start of another bumper blog party - our friends over at Papercraft inspirations are hosting a week of spectacular competitions, card ideas and lots more! The party kicks off today, so click over to papercraftinspirations.themakingspot.com to see what's happening.

So here's our card-tastic treat for the day - a free card making project from the Papercraft inspirations archives. Designer Angela Poole has created printable illustrations, so all you have to do is print out, layer up and embellish!

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