6 Wonderfully Simple No-Sew Christmas Crafts – Belle & Boo

6 Wonderfully Simple No-Sew Christmas Crafts

It’s a wonderful time of the year here at Belle & Boo headquarters. The leaves are changing into gorgeous red and orange attire, jack-o-lanterns line the sidewalks, and there is a friendly crispness to the air. Autumn has fallen onto Bristol with impeccable style and I couldn’t be happier with all of the magic it has brought with it. Although, as much fun as it is to bask in all of this Autumnal glory, we mustn’t forget that the shorter days and chillier weather are a prelude to winter, and we certainly mustn’t let the festive season sneak up on us!

Cookies and cocoa and Christmas oh my! If there’s one thing I love more than Halloween, it's Christmas, and it brings me so much joy to know that it's just around the corner. Before we realise it, we’ll have mince pies in the kitchen, carols on the radio, and presents under the tree. As an American who has found myself in the UK for university, Christmas is also a particularly precious time to me because it’s the one time of year that I know without question I’ll be able to go home to visit family. I certainly can’t wait, and I figured ‘what better way to spread the Christmas-in-October excitement than to give the gift of crafting on behalf of Belle & Boo?’

Below you will find a whole host of magical and sweet Christmas crafts that are all a touch more eco-minded than what you might usually find in a craft book. Whether you’re looking for teacher gift ideas, homemade stocking stuffer how-tos, or crafts to do with the kids while they're home from school, you’re bound to be inspired by these simple (no sewing needed!) festive fabric crafts.

All the fabric we’ve used for these crafts comes from our gorgeous Christmas collection. As always, our designs are printed on 100% organic cotton poplin, which means they’re good for you and the environment.
Shop the full range here.

Here's a quick list of the contents you can jump down to on this blog:

 

Furoshiki Wine Wrap Method

When it comes to my Christmas gifts, I’m always looking to make them just an extra bit more special. I think the amount of time that you put into preparing a gift is always felt by the gift’s receiver. Putting in that extra step, whether it be by adding a homemade gift tag or writing a thoughtful card, is such a wonderful way to show someone that you’re grateful for them. An easy way to put in this little bit of extra care is to wrap your gifts with the traditional Japanese Furoshiki method. You can wrap so many different gifts in such a variety of ways with this method, and it's super easy to find out how with just a quick search on Youtube to find a tutorial. The beauty of this method is that not only does the person receiving the present get a thoughtful gift and the knowledge that you took an extra step to make their gift beautiful, but they also receive a beautiful textile to use however they may choose. Here, we’ve chosen to wrap a bottle of wine which would make a perfect gift for a teacher.

What you’ll need: 
Bottle of wine  
Three rubber bands 

Decorative ribbon

Look out for a tutorial of this specific wrap on our Belle & Boo Instagram account!

Christmas Jam Jars

christmas jam jars





Growing up, every summer my family and I would make a pilgrimage out to the strawberry fields of Ohio and pick as many berries as our buckets would hold. T
hen, we would go home and immediately begin the annual ritual of jam-making. We would sample the jam during the transitional autumn months, but winter was really the time for the strawberry preserves to shine as we brought them out, packaged them up, and gave them as gifts with other edible and drinkable delights. Whether you or your family is anything like mine, or you have just found the perfect gift in artisan jams and jellies, adding a bit of wintery Christmas fabric is an easy way to give them a bit more heart. These are another perfect gift for the teacher and would pair wonderfully with a bottle of wine wrapped like the one above.

What you’ll need: 

Scissors
Ribbon or twine
Jam jars





First, trace a circle on the back of your fabric (using a bowl, plate or cup as a reference!) Use the lid of the jam jar as a guide, and add at least another 2 cm on either side so that you can get those beautiful ruffles when you tie the material onto the jar. 

Then you’ll want to cut out your circles. If you have pinking shears, I would recommend using them for this step, but they are not an absolute necessity.

Lastly, line up the centre of your cut-out with the centre of the jar’s lid, and use your ribbon or twine to tie the fabric onto the neck of the jar. 

 

Christmas Ornaments 

christmas decorations



Deck the Halls with these darling Christmas ornaments! This would be a wonderful craft to make with the kids while they’re home for winter vacation; not only are these ornaments simple to make but they also have the flexibility to be personalised to serve as a memento of your family by having your child write their name of the back, adding their fingerprint with paint, or by just writing the year.

What you’ll need: 

Ornament base 
Scissors
Mod-Podge 
Paintbrush
Twine



The first thing you’ll want to do is trace the shape of your ornament base on the back of your fabric. If you want to make sure both sides of your ornament are covered, trace the ornament twice, but if you’re wanting to write a note or the year on your ornament I would recommend doing so directly on the base.

Once you have your shapes traced, go ahead and cut them out. Don’t worry about getting the shape perfect just yet; you’ll be able to trim off any extra fabric throughout the process.

Next, you’ll want to glue your first piece of fabric to the ornament. To do this, paint a thin layer of Mod-Podge on the ornament first and then place your fabric. Doing it this way as opposed to just painting Mod-Podge directly onto the top of the fabric gives you a bit more control in positioning your fabric and making sure it stays where you want it to. Then let the first layer of Mod-Podge dry completely.

Now would be the time to trim off any of the pesky extra fabric that is hanging off the edge of the ornament base. After you have your fabric looking exactly how you want it to, you’ll want to paint another thin layer of Mod-Podge directly on top of the fabric. This layer is more to make sure your final piece is polished and glossy than for any kind of glueing purpose, so just make sure that this layer is evenly painted.

Once this layer has dried, go ahead and follow the same process for the back side of the ornament. After the back has dried completely, you’re ready to add your finishing touches!

From here, you can add whatever your heart desires to your ornament: glitter, candy canes, or maybe even a reindeer if you’re determined! I’ve gone ahead and added some colored twine to the top of mine for just a bit of extra decoration, and then I’ve tied a simple loop through the top hole of the wooden base so that I can hang it.

Beeswax Food Wraps 

christmas bees wax wrap


 These wraps are a reusable and sustainable alternative to plastic wrap and are a wonderful way to bring a bit of extra Christmas cheer into the kitchen. They might sound like an intimidating project, but they are so simple to make and the results are absolutely perfect. When I demoed making these wraps for this blog, it actually became quite a meditative process; I think everyone I know is going to be getting these lovely little wraps for Christmas!

What you’ll need: 

Scissors
An old towel
Non-stick baking paper
Food grade beeswax

Iron and ironing board

 

The first thing you will want to do is set up your ironing board and start to heat your iron on a medium to high setting.

To start these wraps, outline the size of the wrap that you want to make on the back of your chosen fabric. What shape and size you choose is up to you and your imagination; I would just recommend considering the kinds of food that you usually need to preserve and be led by what shaped wrap you think you or the person receiving these would use most.

Once you have your shape traced, go ahead and cut it out. If you have a pair of pinking shears, I would recommend using them to cut your material. However, do not fret if you don’t have any pinking shears as the added wax will prevent the fabric from fraying.

From here, you’ll want to start preparing to add the wax. To do this, place your towel down on the ironing board, and on top of that lay a piece of baking paper; these are to protect your ironing board from any rouge wax. Then prepare another piece of baking paper that will protect your iron from the wax.

Next, place your cut fabric on the baking paper atop of the towel, and add a thin layer of beeswax to the material. The trick to the next couple of steps is to go slow and steady; I would recommend starting off with less beeswax than you think you’ll need as it is absolutely no problem to go back and add more but if you use too much, while possible, it requires some extra steps to remove excess.

When you have your beeswax ready to go, place your baking paper on top of it and begin to iron. When the wax is completely melted, the fabric will appear darker as if it is wet, and that is when you know you can stop. At this point, check your fabric to see if there are any areas that don't look wet. If you find any you can add a bit more beeswax to these sections and iron again.

Once you are happy with the saturation of your fabric, hang the wrap to completely cool and therefore dry.

Want to see the process in action? Keep an eye out for a tutorial on the Belle & Boo Instagram page!

 

Fabric Wrapped Notebook

 

 

 

 This is another super fun and easy craft that is such a great way to add a bit more wintery magic to the day-to-day. Whether you want to upcycle a notebook that is perfect on the inside but might need some love on the outside (that’s what I did!), or you want to personalise one to make a gift that extra bit more special, these wrapped notebooks turn out to be absolutely adorable. They are perfect for wintery notes, Christmas cookie recipes, and I even heard a rumour that Santa keeps his naughty and nice list in a notebook decorated with Belle & Boo designs!

What you’ll need: 
Hardcover notebook
Scissor 
Mod-Podge 

Sponge brush

 

 

The first thing you’ll want to do is lay your notebook out on your fabric so that both covers and the spine lay flat on the material. From there, you’ll want to trace the shape of the notebook onto your fabric leaving extra room to be able to fold edges to the inside cover of the notebook to give it a cleaner look. I left an extra 2.5 centimetres around the entire perimeter of mine with the exception of the area of the perimeter that lines up to the spine which I cut to the non adjusted outline.

Next, you can cut out the outline. If you have a pair of pinking shears, it would be worthwhile to use them for this step. However, don’t worry if you don’t have a pair as any possible fabric fraying will be stopped when the Mod-Podge is applied.

Now comes the glueing; I like to apply Mod-Podge with a very methodical process, but this is certainly not required or even necessary. Please feel free to combine as many of the glueing steps as feels right. All of this being said, my process went like this: 

  1. Paint Mod-Podge on the front cover and lay down the corresponding side of the fabric remembering to not glue the edge of the fabric to the edge of the notebook because you left the extra margin to fold in. Then, let it dry.
  2. Repeat step one on the back cover and spine.
  3. Paint a thin layer of Mod-Podge on the front cover to act like a sealant. Then, let dry.
  4. Repeat step 3 on the back cover and spine.
  5. Open the front cover and fold over the 2.5 centimetres of extra fabric left on the top and bottom of the notebook toward the centre of the inside cover. Apply Mod-Podge directly on top of the fabric to keep them in place. Then, let it dry.
  6. Fold over the 2.5 centimetres of extra fabric left on the long side of the cover and Mod-Podge directly on top of the fabric. Then, let it dry.
  7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 on the back cover and spine. 

Christmas No-Sew Bunting



As an American nearly freshly moved to the UK, I am brand new to the magical world of bunting and, quite honestly, I want it all over my
 house. The only thing getting in the way of my interior design tour de force is the fact that I don’t have access to a sewing machine (and I don’t think I would know how to use it
if I did). Thankfully, I found a way around this pesky sewing problem and
came up with a way to make beautiful and sturdy bunting
with little more than hemming web and an iron.
   

 

 
What you’ll need: 

Fabric strip that is 8 centimetres tall and as long as you want your bunting to be
Bunting triangle pattern (I just googled ‘bunting triangle template’
and printed my favourite to cut out)
Scissors
Hemming web
Iron and ironing board 

Ribbon (optional)


To start, set up your ironing board and preheat your iron to a medium high setting.

Then you’ll want to take your triangle pattern and trace as many triangles on as many different kinds of fabrics as you want. As far as bunting is concerned, I’m always of the opinion that the more colours and patterns involved the better.

Next, you’ll want to cut out your triangles. This is another instance where having pinking shears would work in your favour especially because there isn’t going to be any sealant applied to the bunting. This being said, if you don’t have pinking shears just make sure you cut out your triangles with a very sharp pair of scissors and be careful not to be too rough with them in order to prevent as much fraying as possible.

After your triangles are cut, we’re ready to move onto the ironing board. The first thing you’ll want to do is position your fabric strip across the board so that it is running longways left to right. Then, you’ll want to fold the strip into thirds by folding the top and the bottom edge of the strip so that they touch (or kiss as we used to say in primary school art class) in the centre. Give these two folds a good iron so that they stay in place.

From there, you’ll want to cut a piece of hemming web so that it is as long as your strip of fabric. Then, open up your two creases, and place the webbing underneath the parts of the fabric you have folded over so that the strip becomes a webbing sandwich of sorts. Iron over top of the two folds just as you would have done in the past step, but this time focusing more on where the two sides of the fabric meet so that the webbing becomes thoroughly melted. Depending on the width of your webbing, you may need two strips to put next to each other in the webbing sandwich just to make sure the bonding is strong.

Now you should fold the strip so that you cut the height in half (hotdog way if we are using the primary school lexicon) and iron that crease so that it stays.

Next comes the fun part - adding in the triangles. To do this, you’ll want to work one triangle at a time. First, tuck a piece of webbing into the crease so that it covers the area on the top and bottom of the crease. Again, you may want to use two strips of the webbing depending on its width. Then, tuck the top of your triangle into the crease so that the sandwich now consists of the following: the bottom half of the fabric strip, webbing, the top of the triangle, webbing, and lastly the top half of the fabric strip. Finally, iron over the fabric strip to activate the adhesive and glue the triangle in place.

Repeat the step above for as many different triangles as you have making sure to also bond the crease together in the area between triangles. After all this, I went ahead and used the webbing to add ribbon to each side of the bunting just to add a pop of more colour and make it easier to tie up.  


That’s a Wrap! 

I truly do hope that this collection of craftable goodies has filled you with excitement for the festive season to come and has also given you inspiration for some of your Christmas gifts and decorations. For those of you who do choose to incorporate Belle & Boo fabric into your creations, all of us here at Belle & Boo want to say thank you from the bottom of our hearts. It fills us with so much joy to know that you have warmly welcomed Belle, Boo, and their friends into your home and have invited them to celebrate this precious time of the year with you. 

If you do choose to try your hand at one of these projects, or if you’ve found another way to perfectly utilise our fabrics, wrapping paper, or postcards, we would love to see it! It fills us with so much joy to see all the creative ways that our products are brought to life. If you do wish to share your projects with us, you can send photos to info@belleandboo.com or direct message us on Instagram @belleandboo.

Until next time and with many thanks, 
Chloe and the team at Belle & Boo