Hello there, Happy November! The weather outside our little thread factory is turning frightful this week with a pre-winter freeze, but this is our busy season so it’s warm and energetic inside. The holidays are right around the corner, and people need threads to stitch their decorations and gifts.
I’m kind of known around the family tree for being creative with my Christmas gift packaging. I’m not sure how it started, but I think it was in a craft store. One year, with the power of a paper punch, I made gift tags out of recycled holiday cards that I embellished with iron-on threads. Another time I decorated brown craft paper with copies of family Christmas photos, 3-dimensional scrapbook stickers and metallic ribbon. One year it was giant glittered wooden initials. I can’t forget the year of hand-embroidered felt gift tags, or the time I crocheted miniature Christmas sweaters that decorated each present. While I joked that this year my package decorations will involve recreating the 12 days of Christmas in polymer clay, I’m actually thinking of scaling back.
I love all of the gorgeous Christmas wrapping paper you can easily find in stores, and quite frankly, you can buy a giant bag of bows on the cheap. So for me, the Spirit of Christmas Gift Wrapping isn’t lacking the basics. It’s the “little extra” embellishment part where you can stand out, be unique, express personality, and show the recipient in another way just how much they mean to you. For creative people, it’s the perfect place to share embroidery, painting, poetry, felting, crocheting, knitting, sewing, etc. Using a handmade or from-the-heart touch in the gift-wrapping layer of a present makes it even more special, fun, and delightful. Aren’t these feelings are some of the best, magical parts of Christmas?
This is a fun, simple gift tag made of scraps: rick-rack, fabric, office supply tag, buttons, ribbon and Kreinik Iron-on Thread. Link to this project’s instructions here.
For package embellishments this year, I am embracing one of the crafts I love the most: stitching. I am going back to basics, and stitching package decorations. “Who has time for that?” Actually, there’s no need to make this labor- and time-intensive; with a little help from some friends (ie, inexpensive ornament shapes from stores like Target, Dollar Store, Michaels, etc), small designs and simple stitches can look fabulous.
And speaking of looking fabulous, Christmas stitching needs to have metallic threads. That’s just a given. Things nature-made and man-made sparkle, twinkle, reflect and shine at Christmas, more so than any other time of the year. People who normally refrain from anything splashy are suddenly wearing blinking Rudolph-the-red-nosed-reindeer necklaces. This is the time for silver and gold, for making everything bright, and for glistening all over the place.
Metallic threads are “naturals” when it comes to Christmas stitchery. Silver, gold, bright red and green…they are almost “neutrals” this time of year. Visit the Kreinik website for a terrific variety of holiday thread colors.
If you are cross stitching or doing hand embroidery, I recommend using Kreinik Fine #8 Braid metallic thread. It’s about the weight/thickness of two strands of embroidery floss, so it works well in all kinds of stitches. It adds shimmer and light to a design in the easiest, prettiest way. Kreinik also has high-speed metallic threads for machine embroidery, and carry-along metallics for knitting, crocheting, and weaving. Contact me if you need advice, encouragement or ideas.
This Kreinik metallic thread color is almost a candy blue hue, perfect for Hanukkah and “blue Christmas” designs.
For stitching Christmas tree designs, I like to mix shades of green. Fortunately, Kreinik has about 18 greens, so there’s a hue for any foliage. Plus you can get green colors in Braid, Ribbon, Facets (a bead-like yarn), Filament, and Japan Thread—a variety of weights and textures for surface embroidery fabulousness.
Here’s a selection of some of my favorite handmade tokens that can be made to decorate gifts. They are all free projects to download so take them and make them your own. I hope they will be put to good use surprising and delighting people all over the world this Christmas. Take a few evenings to relax and embroider a few ornaments or gift tags for your loved ones. They will feel so special, and your wrapped presents will be unique, personal, and pretty.
Simple stitches worked in shimmery Kreinik metallic threads on perforated paper, inserted into a purchased ornament frame. Look for similar frames at discount and craft stores. The stitchery transforms them into art. Link to the project instructions here.
Perforated paper shapes are perfect for stitching gift tags and package embellishments. Kreinik carries the Tokens & Trifles® line, which includes this ornament shape. Threads are Kreinik Braid colors. Link to the free instructions/chart here. Link to the perforated paper shapes here.
I found this plain ornament at a Dollar Store, then attached a piece of stitchery with double-sided tape. Threads are Kreinik Braids, perforated paper is from Wichelt Imports. Link to the free pattern instructions here.
Kreinik metallic threads (green, red) and Kreinik Reflective Yarn (the gray) in simple straight stitches worked on a Tokens & Trifles® Trinkets™ shape (perforated paper for stitching). Link to the free pattern here. Link to the perforated paper shapes here.
Kreinik Iron-on Metallic Threads make easy no-sew embellishments on a felt shape. Iron-on thread how-to here.
P.S. This week I will be stitching some of my gift embellishments and sharing the patterns. They will be available as free projects on the Kreinik 25 Days of Free Christmas Projects. Look for this annual calendar of freebies on www.kreinik.com the week of November 24.
When you really don’t have time to stitch, but want the embroidered effect, go to Kreinik iron-on threads. They are so simple, there’s no right or wrong side, and you can use them on paper or fabric. Use a craft iron or home iron.
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KreinikGirl
Dena Lenham, aka KreinikGirl, is Creative Director at Kreinik Manufacturing Company, a family-owned, USA-based business that manufactures high-quality yarns and threads made of metallics, silks and real metals from their West Virginia factory. Dena’s monthly column, Kreinik Calling, sheds light on the fascinating fibres that we all use and love.
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