These simple decorations are easy and cheap to make, and are filled with Christmas spices for a wonderful aroma. Alternatively, why not fill them with lavender for a homemade gift that’s sure to delight?
Homemade Christmas Decorations
You will need:-
- Some pretty scraps of fabric
- Needle and thread
- String or ribbon
- Buttons, sequins or any other decorations you like
- Cotton wool or kapok stuffing
- Some cloves, a cinnamon stick cut into pieces and a whole nutmeg
- Some graph or lined paper
What to do:-
- Fold the graph paper in half, and draw half the heart shape against the fold. Open the paper and cut out the template.
- Cut two heart shapes from the fabric, and lay them right sides together.
- Sew them together along the edges either by hand or by machine, leaving a gap on one of the long sides.
- Turn the heart the right way round.
- For each heart, use 6 cloves, about 1/6 of a cinnamon stick and a few gratings of nutmeg. Crush the spices roughly with a pestle and mortar (alternatively, put them in a plastic bag and use a rolling pin).
- Put a little cotton wool or kapok into the heart and drop the spices on top. Continue to add stuffing until the heart is nicely rounded, then sew up the gap.
- Sew a ribbon or string to the top of the heart, and add a button or sequin to hide the stitching.
Once they’ve been hung on the tree, rub them every so often between your hands to re-activate the smell of spices.
Lavender Gift Hearts
These pretty lavender hearts make great gifts. They can be placed in drawers or hung in the wardrobe to scent linen, or just used as decorations.
Instead of the Christmas spices, you will need some dried lavender (available online), and can also use some lavender essential oil (optional). You will also need some cellophane gift bags, ribbons and labels.
- Follow steps 1 – 4 above.
- Put a little cotton wool into the heart, and add a tiny drop of lavender oil, if using. Don’t put too much oil in, as it may seep through and mark the fabric. Add the dried lavender (at least a couple of tablespoons) then top up with more cotton wool.
- Sew up the gap, and sew a string or ribbon to the top of the heart to hang it. Add a button to cover the stitching.
- Put the finished heart in a cellophane gift bag, and tie with a pretty ribbon.