By Claire and Lilly Mehok 

Mini Yarn Hats

Review: 

These mini hats turned out very cute and are a great decoration for the winter time! You can experiment with all different colored yarn and make multiple mini hats to add some decoration and color to a desk or shelf. 

Materials: 

  • Paper rolls (toilet paper roll, paper towel rolls)
  • Colorful yarn 
  • Scissors
  • Cotton balls

Steps: 

  1. Cut cardboard tubes into pieces (so they are in rings), about 1.5-2 cm thick.
  2. Wrap yarn around an item, for example a notebook. I wrapped it around the book 30-35 times but it depends on the thickness of your yarn 
  3. Cut the ends off on one side. Each piece of yarn should be around 20-25 cm 
  4. Double up each piece of yarn and make a loop around the piece of cardboard. Pull the ends of the yarn through the loop. 
  5. Repeat this step until the cardboard base is filled. Make sure to pull each piece of yarn tightly so it stays in place.
  6. Push ends of yarn through the hole so you turn the hat inside out.
  7. Place a cotton ball inside. Use a piece of yarn to tie a double knot.
  8. Trim off the excess yarn to create a ball shape.

Sock Snowman

Review:

This sock snowman was really easy and fun to make. The materials were easy to find and the steps made the process very simple. It was fun to use a bunch of different colors for the buttons, scarf, and hat, but it was also cute to make a traditional snowman with a black hat and buttons. This craft is very creative and turned out to be a fun and unique winter decoration.

Materials:

  • 1 white Sock
  • 1 colored Sock
  • 2 Rubber Bands
  • 2 Black Buttons
  • 2 Black Brads or beads, or large ball map pins
  • 5 Black Ball Sewing Pins
  • 1 Orange Pipe Cleaner
  • Polyfill/Fiberfill
  • Pebbles or other small weights

Steps:

  1. Cut the white sock straight across at the heel. Place pebbles or other small weights in the toe of the sock.
  2. Stuff the sock with plenty of fiberfill. Use a rubber band to tie off the top, then use a second rubber band to create a snowman shape.
  3. Cut the colored sock straight across as the heel.
  4. Use the toe of the colored sock to make a hat, rolling up the bottom to create a cuff. Cut the other piece of the sock at an angle to make a long piece of fabric you can use for a scarf.
  5. Complete the snowman by using brads for eyes, a small piece of orange pipe cleaner for the nose, pins for the mouth, and buttons. Secure with hot glue.

Snowflake Soaps

Review: 

These snowflake soaps were very fun and super easy to make. The shapes also turned out really well with the molds I used. They would definitely make a great homemade gift for a friend or family member during the winter. Also, if you want to make scented soap you can add a few drops of your choice of essential oil to each mold. I ended up making some orange and rose scented soaps and they turned out great.  

Materials:

  • ½ soap base
  • Snowflake silicone soap mold 
  • 10 drops essential oil, if desired
  • 1 teaspoon mica powder
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil

Steps:

  1. Remove soap base from container and cut into pieces. Place in a microwave safe container and heat according to package directions. Once the soap is melted, work quickly as it will begin to harden immediately around the edges of the bowl.
  2. Mix together mica powder and melted coconut oil until blended.
  3. To the soap base, add essential oil and mica liquid. Stir to combine.
  4. If the soap has begun to harden, reheat in the microwave for about 10 seconds.
  5. Pour melted soap into the molds and allow soap to rest for at least 45 minutes before moving.
  6. When the soap is set, remove from the mold.

Winter Checkers Game:

Review:

This winter checker’s game was a bit harder to make than these other crafts because there is more you have to do to make the game. However, the finished product turned out very cute and super fun. The supplies and materials were easy to find at any craft store or online. You can be creative with the game and use small winter decorations you can find. This checker’s game was really cute as a decoration and it was super fun to play. 

Materials:

  • Basswood round wood slice
  • Green felt with adhesive backing (This is a set of a rainbow of colors but you can probably find a single sheet in your local craft store.)
  • 12 mini plastic deer
  • 14 mini sisal trees
  • Mini wood snowflakes
  • Mini spun cotton mushroom
  • True Snow
  • Fine iridescent glitter
  • Felt scraps in white and red
  • Small paint brush
  • Scissors or paper trimmer
  • Glue gun

Steps:

  1. Start by cutting green felt into one inch squares (super fast and easy with a paper trimmer!).
  2. Arrange the squares on the wood in a checkerboard pattern. You’ll need four squares per row, also leaving four empty spaces per row so that each row should be eight inches long. Recommend laying out the squares first without sticking them to the wood so that you can rearrange if needed. Then, peel and stick the squares one by one.
  3. Next, use hot glue to affix your trees and deer to the snowflakes. I find that for the deer, it’s easiest to put a small dot of glue on all four feet and then place the deer onto the snowflake, rather than the other way around.
  4. Make 12 deer and 12 trees glued to snowflakes. Use a small paintbrush to apply True Snow to the tips of your trees and to the deer on their antlers, backs, and around their feet. While the True Snow is still wet, sprinkle the pieces with fine glitter.
  5. If you want to embellish your board, glue on a couple of extra trees and a little mushroom to make a forest scene. Add some snow and glitter.

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