Mia Bella Passions Red & White Christmas

Here's a peek at this years Christmas decor 

in the red sitting room.

I really do have a soft spot for the colour red.

I wear lots of red.

I adore red lipstick.

One cannot have too many pairs of red shoes

(or shoes in any colour!)

I love strawberries, cherries...

in fact any red berry will do!

And the couch in the sitting room is red too!

(How's that for a little impromptu poetry?)

Maybe I love red so much because... 

it reminds me of Christmas cheer and joy...

 So this year Mia Bella Passions 'red' sitting room is decorated:

red & white.  

The mantel displays a collection of snowmen

(now that is wishful thinking isn't it as my Christmas is a summer Christmas.)

'Air New Zealand' have made this funny Christmas video starring Ronan Keating;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmfIfqZc-jE

- watch it and you will understand my longing for snow. 

The wreath is decorated with berries lights and antlers.

There is of course a sack or two.

And a rust covered HOHO...

(find out how to make faux rust here.)

I've reused music sheet angel wings from a previous Christmas - find out how to create here.

There are loads of white, and red ornaments.

Some shop bought, others crafted.

And yes that is a Bearington Bear atop of the tree.

There's a painted carafe and berries...

(find out why I had to paint my berries here).

My favourite handcrafted ornament this year is the white scottie dog.

(Tutorial here).

with the felt reindeer nudging in at second place.

(Tutorial here.)

I hope you have enjoyed a peek into my summer red & white Christmas.

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas!

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#christmasideas #christmascrafts #diychristmas

Felt Reindeer Christmas Decorations...

Here's another little cutie felt project for ya all.

A 'Felt Reindeer Christmas Decoration'....

I made  a whole lot of these darlings for the main Christmas tree ornaments a few years ago.

This is a slightly modified version, 

as the first were hand stitched, and had separate ears.

To make:

Copy & paste the template to your computer and print.

Cut out the antlers and reindeer templates.

Choose felt in the colours of your choice.

Pin to felt that has been folded in half as you need two antlers and two reindeers per ornament.

Using a sewing machine:

Stitch the two antlers together using a contrasting colour thread.

Do the same with the reindeer but leave a gap to insert stuffing on the under tummy.

Stuff using a chopstick to push into small areas.

Stitch up the gap.

Add a sequin nose.

Handstitch antlers in place.

Two bead eyes.

A ribbon bow or bell at the neck.

Add a hanger.

Hang on the Christmas tree.

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#christmas #felt #crafts #sewing #ornament

Painted Carafe & Christmas Berries...

Carafe vases are a nice shape and perfect for arrangements of Christmas lillies and berries.

My clear glass carafe vase needed a bit of oomph for Christmas,

so out came the white paint.

All I did was pour a little paint inside and slowly swirled it around the vase until the inside was completely coated.

The paint I used was Dulux Aquanamel in white,

 because it is water resistant, and a lovely thick paint.  

This makes the coating of the glass exceptionally easy.

It took 5 minutes from start to finish for this glass painting project.

As I have already shared, here in New Zealand it is summer.

Which means no winter berries!

At the moment I have one Ilex 'Holly' shrub in berry, 

but the berries won't be red until Autumn.

So what does one do when one must have red berries?

Get out the spray paint of course!

Before painting I stripped the leaves off the stems.

then spray painted them.

After 24 hours drying and fume release time,

place into the vase.

I haven't put water into the vase.

 as the spray paint seals the berries with a thick coating of paint, and preserves them.

Red berries and a white vase to match the Christmas themed cushions.

Place vase on a coffee table, mantel or sideboard,

for a little bit of berry red and white fun.

#Christmas #crafts #berries #red #painted

Cute Scottie Dog Ornament...

This scottie dog ornament is 'OH SO CUTE'!

It's a simple hand stitched ornament that is basic enough for the older kids to create for the Christmas tree.

And a pretty neat gift for those little white dog lovers.

You will need:

A template printed

White felt

Thin wadding

embroidery cotton in the colour of your choice.

an embroidery needle

scissors.

Save as and print the template.

Choose the size you like.

Cut it out.

Place on felt that has been folded in half with the wadding as the middle layer.

Pin template onto the felt layers 

Cut it out.

Hand stitch around the outer edge...

 using embroidery cotton.

Stitch on a bead eye.

Add a little bell at the bottom of the neck.

Then stitch back up to top of the neck as shown.

Add a ribbon hanger.

And a nose -

I used a rose embellishment.

Now is this wee scottie cute? 

Or the cutest?

#felt #craft #handstitched #christmas #ornament #diy

Faux Rust Meets Christmas!

There are a few tricks on creating faux rust on objects,

but this one is probably the easiest!

To make faux rust Christmas letters:

you need pre painted white wood letters.

White craft glue or mod podge.

Ground cloves and cinnamon.

On a newspaper covered table, use a paint brush to spread the glue on to each letter one by one. 

Sprinkle/ or sieve over the cinnamon.

Add more glue is needed to throw on pinches of cloves..

The cloves is darker than the cinnamon so it gives a nice rust worn patina.

I created a rusty 'HOHO' 

How cool is that?

The bonus is all that cinnamon and cloves is

making my sitting room smell 'Oh so much like Christmas'!

Divine!

#christmas #craft #letters #cinnamon