SPRING HAS SPRUNG

REEL LOVELY DINGLY DANGLY ORNAMENTS.

So I promised that if you tuned in over the weekend I would have a spiffy little tutorial for you on making haberdashery based tree baubles.

BUT.....

There was an ill feted short lived, probably to be repeated before the weeks end, fling between me and the contents of a bottle of cava.

Well, I think the problems really started when I began mixing my drinks.

The cava ran out so we switched to a handy bottle of prossecco that someone had foolishly left laying about.

Any road up, all this silly behaviour lead to Sunday being a very unproductive day.

But tonight is a new night I have been out to a carol singing practice, I have had a large and warming plum brandy, all is well and good in the world.

And so here it is.

Take one lovely old wooden cotton reel.

If you aren't lucky enough to have one to hand you can buy new wooden ones here.

I unwound the thread still on the reel and used it for the decorative stitching.

Take a strip of suitably festive fabric 1/2" wider than your reel. Press under 1/4" either side.

Decorate with stitches and beads.

I then used my most favourite crafting quick fix.

In true Blue Peter style 

Double sided sticky tape.

I do sometimes wonder if there is anything in life it won't fix.

I am yet to be proven wrong.

Though I hadn't started this train of though when I broke my ankle a few years ago.

And voila!

A fabby festive covered cotton reel.

I then made some dingily dangly tassels to hang from it.

I started with one bead and did a back stitch through it.

Thread on further beads and then stitch back through the string of beads missing the first one.

Knot the ends of the thread with the threads left at the beginning to create a little extra length to the tassel.

I made 3 tassels, then stitched them all together at the top.

Then threaded a larger bead on to the top of the tassels.

Thread some twine or a ribbon back through the centre of the reel.

I used a bit of red and white butcher's twine, just because it reminds me so much of Christmas.

When we were kids Mum had a load of it that we carefully unwound every year and hung our Christmas cards on it.

Then after Christmas we would carefully wind it back up and pack it away for use the following year.

I then stitched the tassel on to the bottom loop of the twine, tied it in a knot at the top.

Hang it on the tree, stand back and enjoy.

I planned to make more of these and in fact have, but not before the light had failed and the late afternoon gloom set in.

But keep an eye on Facebook as I'm sure I will put the pictures of the finished articles there.

Happy Christmas kids.

Love Nora xxxx