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How to Clean and Restore Putz Houses

How to Clean and Restore Putz Houses

How to Clean and Restore Putz Houses

How to Clean and Restore Putz Houses

Today I'm fixing up some vintage putz houses that are in fairly rough condition.  The idea here is to tidy them up and make some gentle home improvements without really changing their designs.  Ma...

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How to Make a Feather Tree

How to Make a Feather Tree

Feather trees were a late-19th century German invention- a creative alternative to wasteful, messy, and exceedingly flammable real Christmas trees from the forest. They were most popular in the ye...

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Putz House Assembly

Putz House Assembly

These chipboard houses are the perfect blank slate for a Christmas village of your own style.  The kits come flat, with the pieces already cut out and scored, and each one comes with a translucent ...

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Bump Chenille Ornaments

Bump Chenille Ornaments

Let's make some vintage bump chenille Santa ornaments!  This is a classic vintage Christmas craft.  Sometimes called Clay Face Santas, you could buy Made-in-Japan chenille ornaments like this at t...

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Vintage Christmas Matchboxes! Holiday Papercrafting

Vintage Christmas Matchboxes! Holiday Papercrafting

Are you giving a candle as a gift this Christmas? How special would it be to include one of these Christmas matchboxes for the recipient!  You can get a pack of 10 matchboxes at Dollar Tree, and e...

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How to Make Nostalgic Waxed Moravian Stars

How to Make Nostalgic Waxed Moravian Stars

  If you long for a simple, old fashioned Christmas like the ones from long ago, this is a wonderfully nostalgic craft to learn.  These traditional Moravian stars are made from strips of paper wov...

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How to Make a Pine Cone Snowman on Skis!

How to Make a Pine Cone Snowman on Skis!

  Today's craft is very much based on some wonderful 1950s skiing figurines! There were many types- some were elves, some were snowmen, some had spun cotton bodies, and some had pine cone bodies. ...

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How to Make Spun Cotton Angel Ornaments

How to Make Spun Cotton Angel Ornaments

It's the holiday season! I love making angels of all sorts. This variety is made using 20mm doll heads paired with 60x45mm spun cotton cones, and they have little loops added to the tops of the hea...

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New Craft Kit! Vintage Elf & Toadstool Decoration

New Craft Kit! Vintage Elf & Toadstool Decoration

It's the holiday season! I have a great new craft kit this year.  If you like a holly jolly vintage Christmas you'll love making this elf with whimsical toadstools! You'll just need a low temp gl...

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Victorian Figural Ornament Made with Roving and Cotton Batting

Victorian Figural Ornament Made with Roving and Cotton Batting

Hi ho, and Merry Christmas!  Earlier this year I shared a start-to-finish spun cotton snow baby figural ornament tutorial using cotton coil or medical cotton.  Today, I'm doing a version using rovi...

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Snow Cap Christmas Ornaments - Embellishing Mercury Glass Balls with Paint and Glitter

Snow Cap Christmas Ornaments - Embellishing Mercury Glass Balls with Paint and Glitter

Today I am dressing up some thrifted glass ball ornaments with a festive snow pattern. I like the brushed-on snow design of Shiny Brite ornaments from the 1950s, so that is the look I am going for...

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Make a Spun Cotton Santa!

Make a Spun Cotton Santa!

This is a variation of a project from my book Spun Cotton Crafts. Get your copy here. In my book I share four different 'recipes' for crafting vintage elves.  Today I'm making a bearded elf, but d...

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Snow Baby Project Demo - Making a Spun Cotton Doll from Scratch

Snow Baby Project Demo - Making a Spun Cotton Doll from Scratch

Today I'm excited to share a video demonstration of one of the projects in my new book, Spun Cotton Crafts!  The Snow Baby from page 106 is an easy-to-make spun cotton doll.  The design is not com...

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Spun Cotton Boats: Handmade Cotton Batting Ornaments

Spun Cotton Boats: Handmade Cotton Batting Ornaments

These darling little boats were inspired by the sparkly Sebnitz ships of the late 19th century.  The small German town of Sebnitz was known for its marvelous handcrafted Christmas ornaments which ...

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Spun Cotton How-To: Making Vintage Style Champagne Bottle Ornaments

Spun Cotton How-To: Making Vintage Style Champagne Bottle Ornaments

Today I'm making some entirely hand-built spun cotton champagne bottle ornaments inspired by some antique factory-made versions from the 1920s.  Because the silhouette is fairly simple, I am build...

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Vintage Christmas Pine Cone Pixies! Fun DIY Holiday Craft

Vintage Christmas Pine Cone Pixies! Fun DIY Holiday Craft

Here's a fun project to use up those extra pine cones you've collected!  These adorable little pixies can sit on the edge of the mantel or a windowsill, or can be arranged on the presents under th...

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Retro Paper Christmas Candles made from Cardboard Tubes and Paper Rolls!

Retro Paper Christmas Candles made from Cardboard Tubes and Paper Rolls!

Collect household paper tubes to make these whimsical vintage style candle decorations for Christmas! In this paper craft project I am upcycling tubes from paper towels, toilet paper, aluminum foil...

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Winter Cottage Snow Globe Ornament - Sweet Christmas Craft

Winter Cottage Snow Globe Ornament - Sweet Christmas Craft

In this project I am creating a snowy winter wonderland inside a glass snow globe ornament to hang on a Christmas tree.  The empty glass ornaments come in round globes, bell shapes, and domes. To m...

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Vintage Craft: Pine Cone and Felt Victorian Carolers

Vintage Craft: Pine Cone and Felt Victorian Carolers

These pine cone and felt carolers are part of my vintage craft series: wonderful projects found in vintage craft books brought to life!  I collect vintage craft books, and flipping through them I a...

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Snow Day Ski Friends - Vintage Style Spun Cotton Figures

Snow Day Ski Friends - Vintage Style Spun Cotton Figures

  These whimsical figures are made from spun cotton shapes and colorful crépe paper, and are the perfect indoor activity for a cozy snow day.  In this project, crépe paper is used as clothing for ...

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Retro Felt Angels - DIY Vintage Style Christmas Craft

Retro Felt Angels - DIY Vintage Style Christmas Craft

I recently got a shipment of these wonderful spun cotton angel heads from the Czech Republic- in PINK!  This project was inspired by this wonderful display of bohemian angels that I found in a 196...

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Beautiful Acorn Ornaments with Pine Cones and Glitter - DIY Christmas Craft

Beautiful Acorn Ornaments with Pine Cones and Glitter - DIY Christmas Craft

To welcome the fall season I thought it would be fun to share my technique for making these sparkling and gorgeous acorn ornaments!  I made and sold these in my shop for years, and they were a bes...

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Vintage Style Spun Cotton and Paper Lantern Ornaments

Vintage Style Spun Cotton and Paper Lantern Ornaments

  I have always loved the vintage lantern ornaments that were made in Japan for export in the 1950s.  There were several different types made of paper, as well as the heavy painted glass bulbs for...

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How to Make a Sugared Orange Spun Cotton Ornament

How to Make a Sugared Orange Spun Cotton Ornament

  In this tutorial, I am sharing my process for turning a plain spun cotton ball into a beautiful orange ornament.  Spun cotton ornaments of this type were popular in the 1920s and 30s, and fruit t...

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How to Make Sisal Bottle Brush Trees - From Scratch! DIY Craft Tutorial

How to Make Sisal Bottle Brush Trees - From Scratch! DIY Craft Tutorial

Published July 14, 2017 Here's a fun craft project for Christmas: How to make sisal bottle brush trees - from scratch!  In this tutorial I'm using green sisal fiber, some floral wire, and a couple...

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Christmas Craft Tutorial: Make a Retro Cake Pan Diorama!

Christmas Craft Tutorial: Make a Retro Cake Pan Diorama!

These cake pan dioramas are a fun way to display small ornaments or figurines.  I have some little wooden ornaments, pine cone elves, and putz houses that are sometimes hard to see if I put them w...

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Tutorial: Retro Spun Cotton Sugar Bell Ornaments

Tutorial: Retro Spun Cotton Sugar Bell Ornaments

These retro sugar bell ornaments look almost *exactly* like the ones made in the 1940s!  Before styrofoam entered the Christmas market, spun cotton was a go-to material for imported Christmas orna...

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Make Minty Bleached Bottle Brush Trees for Christmas!

Make Minty Bleached Bottle Brush Trees for Christmas!

In this tutorial I am sharing my technique for bleaching bottle brush trees. You will need to use craft trees made of sisal, which can be harder to find than plastic or pvc trees.  I use simple ho...

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DIY Snow Globe Ornaments - Fun Christmas Crafts

DIY Snow Globe Ornaments - Fun Christmas Crafts

  Published November 2, 2016 These DIY Snow Globe Ornaments have a great vintage style, and are so fun to make!  There are three style of glass ornaments: a globe, dome, and bell-shaped cloche.  Y...

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Tutorial: Retro Silver Bells

Tutorial: Retro Silver Bells

Last year I decorated one of my Christmas trees with some vintage paper mache bells that were made in Japan in the 40s-50s, and I just loved how they looked hanging off the tips of the branches.  ...

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Pipe Cleaner Craft: Christmas Garland Tutorial

Pipe Cleaner Craft: Christmas Garland Tutorial

Here's a great pipe cleaner craft for Christmas! This retro Christmas garland was inspired by a real one from the 1950s that I once had in the vintage Christmas collection in the shop.  What I lov...

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Tutorial: Christmas Snow Globe Ornament

Tutorial: Christmas Snow Globe Ornament

I've been wanting to make a Christmas snow globe ever since I started carrying these clear glass ball ornaments in the shop!  This design was inspired by a 1950s German ornament that I once saw ...

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Tutorial: Cute Snowman Decorations

Tutorial: Cute Snowman Decorations

  These cute snowman decorations couldn't be simpler to make, and they are so darn adorable! Their bodies are spun cotton, and they have little bump chenille arms, plastic hats, and each one holds...

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DIY Advent Wreath with Painted Rocks

DIY Advent Wreath with Painted Rocks

This is a really simple and rustic DIY advent wreath centerpiece, and it costs next to nothing to make.  You'll need a good assortment of rocks, and smooth ones work the best.  Beach stones or riv...

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How to Make Spun Cotton Mushrooms

How to Make Spun Cotton Mushrooms

Here's a great way of making whimsical antique-style spun cotton mushrooms with loops for hanging up as ornaments. These would look adorable on a woodland Christmas tree, and make super unique gif...

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Tutorial: Deer Diorama Ornament

Tutorial: Deer Diorama Ornament

These vintage-inspired Christmas ornaments are just the sweetest little treasures! You can collect all kinds of miniatures to put inside and craft your little worlds.  I make some with little spun...

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Tutorial: Plaster Fairy Mushroom Picks

Tutorial: Plaster Fairy Mushroom Picks

It seems that so many amazing crafts originated in Germany.  These plaster fairy mushroom picks were inspired by some vintage German-made ones, and would make great embellishments for lots of proj...

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