Christmas Crafting 2024

Tis the season of long, cold, dark afternoons and days. However, we at TGt Swindon welcome the cold snap for the opportunity to concentrate on our Christmas craft projects.

Young or old crafting is a fantastic way to feed your mind, boost your mood and improve your health. Below we have listed a few of our favourite activities which can be used for decorations, gifts or at home entertainment.

1/ Fillable baubles

These versatile decorations can be decorated and filled in a manner of ways. Available from most craft suppliers, baubles can be presented as gifts or used as decorations. Below are a few of TGt ideas of how to personalise yours this Christmas;

Sweet fillings

Fillable baubles bring a whole new meaning to edible Christmas decorations. Select the favourite sweets of a loved one or yourself and fill, reusable year after year and made to your taste.

Customise with your design

Personalise your bauble with names, Christmas characters or patterns. We love the idea of Rudolph designs or Snowman baubles. Let your imagination run wild.

Keepsake decoration

Add a photo of a loved one who cannot be present or add a memorable token, either way, take the commercial out of Christmas and make it your own.

2/ Gingerbread recipe

If we were to describe Christmas via scent, gingerbread would be the top of our list. Unbaked dough can be refrigerated for a month or chilled for a few days. While baked gingerbread biscuits keep for two weeks – unless eaten by a hungry horde!

Ingredients:

• 350g plain flour
• 100g butter
• 5 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda
• 175g light brown soft sugar
• 4x tablespoons golden syrup
• 1x medium egg

Instructions:

1. Mix the flour, butter, ginger, cinnamon and bicarbonate of soda in a mixing bowl until crumbly.

2. Add the sugar, syrup and egg until it forms a solid pastry mix.

3. On a well-floured surface roll out the dough until around 5mm thick.

4. Cut out your shapes.

5. Place shapes on a greased or non-stick baking tray.

6. Bake in the preheated oven until golden, about 15 minutes. Check after 10 minutes.

Although delicious plain, gingerbread can be decorated with royal icing, icing pens, jelly sweets or chocolate beans. By tying luggage labels around your Gingerbread biscuit shapes can become an alternative place-holders.

Or, for the ambitious, why not try a gingerbread house? Make your dough, create your pattern, cut it out and get building!

3/ Simple Salt Dough decorations

Ingredients:

• 17 oz Plain Flour *All-Purpose Flour
• 17 oz Table Salt
• 10 fl oz Warm Water Hand Warm

Instructions:

1. Mix your dry ingredients together.

2. Add water and knead your dough.

3. Make your creations using the salt dough add a small hole at the top if hanging on a tree.

4. Place the salt dough creations into the oven at 180C. The amount of time needed to bake depends on the size and thickness of the salt dough creations.

When cooled, customise your decorations with paint and once dried thread with wool, ribbon or string to add to your tree.

4/ Colour in tablecloths

Colouring in is excellent for hand-eye coordination, calming the mind and stimulating creativity. It is also a great way to keep kids at the table for the festive meal.

Why not create a personalised colour in tablecloth leading up to the day? A fabulous family activity and creation.

On the big day, everyone can decorate your Christmas table with colour pencils and crayons. Allow colouring in between courses or on the lead up to the meal to ensure happy dinner guests.

5/ Pom Pom Wreathes

• Pom-pom maker
• Wool
• Sharp scissors
• Fabric glue
• Crochet thread size 10 — Pick a colour that works with your wool
• Embroidery needle for crochet thread
• Wreath frame

A Pom Pom wreath can be used year after year as table or door decorations. The uninitiated will find they're making an easy but lengthy task. Therefore, for best results include friends and family in the project and start early.

Pom Pom makers can be purchased from all good craft shops or made from cardboard discs.

Make your own Pom Pom maker:

1. Cut out two cardboard discs using a glass as a template.

2. Draw a circle inside using a large coin as a template.

3. Cut out the central disc.

4. Put the two discs together and cut out a slit to allow you wrap your wool around the doughnut shape.

5. Continuously wrap the wool evenly around the shape until densely covered.

6. When complete tie the two ends of wool together and cut around the edge of your disc entirely to create your Pom Pom.

To make a Pom Pom wreath repeat over and over in colours of your choice when complete attach to the wreath frame using glue and the crochet thread.

We hope you enjoyed our Christmas craft guide. Remember all these crafts can be gifts as well as entertainment and festive fun.

Until next time, keep crafting and creating!

By Emma Smith