Author: Asselin, Barb
Date: 2014-06-17T04:00:00+00:00
Description: Complete a beautiful crocheted afghan in just one day! Have you always wanted to learn to crochet but thought it was too difficult? Have you considered crocheting an afghan but thought it would take too long? Would you like to create a special and meaningful gift for someone? Are you looking for fun, easy and quick afghan projects to complete in just a day? If any of these questions resound with you, then this book is for you! Inside you will find a review of the main crochet stitches and materials often used in crochet projects, in case you are new to the craft, or are looking for a refresher

Table of Contents

Christmas Crafts: Easy Christmas Crafts Anyone Can Make!

Christmas Crafts for Kids: Easy Christmas Crafts Your Kids Will Love Making!

Christmas Ornaments: Easy Christmas Ornaments Anyone Can Make!

One-Day Crochet: Afghans

One-Day Crochet: Afghans: Easy Afghan Projects You Can Complete in One Day

Barb Asselin

Barb Asselin (2014)

Complete a beautiful crocheted afghan in just one day!

Have you always wanted to learn to crochet but thought it was too difficult?

Have you considered crocheting an afghan but thought it would take too long?

Would you like to create a special and meaningful gift for someone?

Are you looking for fun, easy and quick afghan projects to complete in just a day?

If any of these questions resound with you, then this book is for you! Inside you will find a review of the main crochet stitches and materials often used in crochet projects, in case you are new to the craft, or are looking for a refresher. Finally, you will find 10 beautiful afghan patterns that can be completed in just one day. Note that these patterns will help you complete a lap-sized blanket or a baby blanket. For larger projects, you can expect that you will need more than one day to complete.

Are you ready to be creative? Just scroll up and download now so that we can get started…

COPYRIGHT INFORMATION

Copyright 2016 by Barb Asselin and 927922 Ontario Inc., o/a Asselin Group Online Publisher

All rights Reserved. No part of this publication or the information in it may be quoted from or reproduced in any form by means such as printing, scanning, photocopying or otherwise without prior written permission of the copyright holder.

Disclaimer and Terms of Use: Effort has been made to ensure that the information in this book is accurate and complete, however, the author and the publisher do not warrant the accuracy of the information, text and graphics contained within the book due to the rapidly changing nature of science, research, known and unknown facts and internet. The Author and the publisher do not hold any responsibility for errors, omissions or contrary interpretation of the subject matter herein. This book is presented solely for motivational and informational purposes only.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ONE-DAY CROCHET: AFGHANS

INTRODUCTION

NAVIGATE YOUR ENTIRE COLLECTION

THANK YOU

INTRODUCTION

I have a special announcement I would love to share with you, including a fantastic gift to say thank you to my readers.

(No thanks, just take me to my book, please…)

Start One-Day Crochet: Afghans now

My Collection of Craft Books

CHRISTMAS CRAFTS:

EASY CHRISTMAS CRAFTS ANYONE CAN MAKE!

INTRODUCTION

Thank you for downloading this book and supporting an independent author.  I really appreciate it.

I have always loved making crafts.  As a kid, I learned how to crochet from my Nanny Short when I was just young.  Now that I have two daughters of my own, we spend lots of time making crafts, researching how to do a certain craft, or even making our own greeting cards, and gifts.

Not only do I love making crafts, but Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year.  I love the whole season leading up to Christmas.  I usually start in mid-October with baking all of my family’s favorite Christmas treats.  I load up the freezer full of yummy desserts and then take a tray of mixed cookies, chocolates, and squares to everyone’s house that we visit during the holidays.

Every Christmas, my daughters and I plan what we will give each person as a Christmas present and think of gifts that we can make ourselves.  We spend our fall weekends making gifts for others or making Christmas ornaments for our tree.  We have so much fun!

I hope you will enjoy some fun crafting days either on your own, with some friends, or with the children in your life this year.  Note that, if you are planning to make some of these crafts with children, some of these projects will require some assistance or supervision by an adult or an older child.  Note also that four of these projects require some basic wood working skills, such as cutting wood with an axe, or a table saw, or using a drill to drill some holes into some wood pieces.

My goal was to create a book that would appeal to all types of crafters and future crafters:

- people with cooking or baking experience
- people with woodworking experience
- people with sewing experience
- even people with no crafting experience!

I hope you enjoy and try something new and maybe even try a craft that is outside of your comfort level.  Happy crafting!

COOKIE GARLAND

Materials:

- Star cookie cutter
- Drinking straw
- White fabric paint
- 1 recipe salt dough

- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup salt
- 1/2 cup allspice or cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons wallpaper paste
- 1/2 cup water

- Polyurethane varnish

- Approximately 10-15’ of seasonal rope ribbon

Instructions:

- Preheat oven to 250F

- Combine all salt dough ingredients and knead until smooth

- Roll out dough to 1/4" to 1/2" thick

- Cut out 14 star shapes using the cookie cutter

- Use a straw to cut a hole out of the top of each star shape for hanging

- Place on ungreased baking tray and bake for one hour

- Turn and bake for another hour
- Turn oven off and let shapes cool in oven
- Varnish with polyurethane

- Write MERRY CHRISTMAS by putting 1 letter on each cookie with white fabric paint

- Thread a length of ribbon through the hole at the top of each cookie and create a garland to hang in a doorway or on a Christmas tree

Makes 1 “Merry Christmas” garland

GINGERBREAD HOUSE

Materials:

- Gingerbread Dough recipe (see below)
- Icing recipe (see below)
- Tree cookie cutter
- Rolling pin
- Sharp knife

- Large platter or foil covered piece of cardboard

- Candies for decorating

Instructions:

- Make 1 batch of gingerbread dough

- Make 1 batch of royal icing

- Follow instructions below for cutting out gingerbread house and trees

- Decorate with icing and candies

- Display on tray or foil wrapped piece of cardboard

Gingerbread Dough Ingredients:

- 1c brown sugar
- 1/3 c butter or margarine
- 1 ½ c dark molasses
- 2/3 c cold water
- 7c flour
- 2t baking soda
- 2t ground ginger
- 1t salt
- 1t ground allspice
- 1t ground cloves
- 1t ground cinnamon

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream the brown sugar and butter together in a large bowl.  Add molasses and water and combine.  Mix dry ingredients together and add slowly, combining as you go, until it is all mixed together.  Form into a ball and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.  Roll dough on floured surface to1/2” thick and cut according to the following diagram using a sharp knife:

Cut remaining dough into gingerbread trees with cookie cutter.  Place on ungreased baking sheet about 2 inches apart.  Bake for 10-12 minutes until no indentation remains when touched.  Cool on cookie racks.  Decorate with frosting and candies as desired using icing as glue to hold your gingerbread house together.

Royal Icing:

- 2 egg whites
- 3 cups of icing or powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar
- 2 tablespoons of lemon juice

Mix the icing sugar with the cream of tartar.  Mix the powdered mixture into the egg whites a little at a time until you have almost added all of it.  Then mix in the lemon juice.  Finally, add the rest of the powdered mixture.  You want the icing to be the consistency of soft ice cream or mashed potatoes, so add more icing sugar if you need.  If it is too thick, add a bit more lemon juice. Decorate.

Makes 1 gingerbread house with accessories

WOODEN SNOWMAN #1

Materials:

Note that this project will require some woodwork and potentially the use of an axe or a band saw or a table saw to cut the wood pieces.

- 4 wooden logs, approximately 6” in diameter and 6-8” long

- 2 small wooden branches, approximately 1” in diameter and 6” long, with one end cut on an angle

- 1 peeled carrot

- 5 black buttons, 1” in diameter

- 2” slice of wooden log, approximately 8-10” in diameter

- White spray paint
- Black spray paint
- Red spray paint
- Wood glue

Instructions:

- Spray paint one of the wooden logs black

- Spray paint the 2” slice of wooden log black

- Slice an end off of each of the remaining three wooden logs, so that they will stack one on top of the other and the bottom one will sit flat on the ground (with adult supervision)

- Spray paint the three remaining wooden logs white

- Spray paint the two wooden sticks red

- Let paint dry

- Stack the three white logs one on top of the other and glue in place

- Glue the two red sticks on as arms

- Glue the 2” slice of log on top as the brim of the snowman’s hat

- Glue the black log on top as the rest of the hat

- Glue the buttons on as eyes and buttons

- Glue the carrot on as the nose (note that you may need to drill a hole for the carrot to sit in, or use a nail)

Makes 1 snowman

WOODEN SNOWMAN #2

Note that this project will require some woodwork and potentially the use of an axe or a band saw or a table saw or a wood plane to cut the wood pieces.

Materials:

- 1 piece of wood, 4” x 4”, approximately 24” long

- 1 wooden circle, 1/2" thick and approximately 6-8” in diameter

- 1 wooden dowel, 2” in diameter and 4” long
- Piece of carrot
- Black permanent marker
- Wood glue

- 3 buttons, approximately 1 or 1 1/2" in diameter

- Length of fabric, approximately 18” long and 2-3” wide

- 2 branches with a “Y” shape at one end
- Flat thumb tack
- Finishing nail and hammer (optional)
- White acrylic paint
- Paint brush
- Black spray paint

Instructions:

- Using a wood plane or a table saw or an axe (with adult supervision), chamfer or bevel the edges of the wooden 4 x 4

- Spray paint the wooden dowel and the wooden circle black

- Use the white paint to paint the flat edges of the wooden 4 x 4

- Use the white paint to paint diagonal lines on the bevelled edges of the wooden 4 x 4

- Let paint dry

- Glue the wooden circle on top of the 4 x 4

- Glue the wooden dowel on top of the wooden circle to make the hat

- Glue the two branches on the back of the snowman as arms

- Wrap the fabric around the arms to secure and fasten in the front with the thumb tack

- Use the permanent marker to draw the snowman’s face

- Glue the buttons on the front of the snowman

- Attach the carrot as the snowman’s nose with a nail or glue

Makes 1 snowman

WOODEN SNOWMAN #3

Note that this project will require some woodwork and potentially the use of a band saw or a table saw to cut the wood pieces.

Materials:

- Wooden rectangles, as follows:

- 12” x 6” x 2” (base)
- 10” x 5” x 2” (bottom)
- 8” x 4” x 2” (middle)
- 6” x 3” x 2” (face)
- 7” x 4” x 1” (brim)
- 4” x 3” x 2” (hat)

- White spray paint
- Black spray paint
- Black acrylic paint
- Orange acrylic paint
- Paint brush
- Wood glue

- Piece of felt or fabric for scarf, approximately 36” long and 3” wide

Instructions:

- Spray paint the following pieces white:

- Base
- Bottom
- Middle
- Face

- Spray paint the following pieces black:

- Brim

- Hat

- Let paint dry

- Use wood glue to glue the pieces together in the following order from bottom to top:

- Base
- Bottom
- Middle
- Face
- Brim
- Hat

- Paint the face of the snowman

- Tie the scarf around the middle section of the snowman

Makes 1 snowman

ANGEL ORNAMENT

Materials:

- Two sheets of foil paper (8 1/2” x 11”), 1 each of golf and blue (or any other colors you may choose)

- 1 small wooden ball with a hole in the center

- 1 small piece of wooden dowel to fit in the hole in the wooden ball, approximately 1-2” long

- 2-4 feathers

- Small amount of doll hair

- Piece of embroidery thread, approximately 6-8” long

- White glue

- Hole punch

Instructions:

- The gold piece of foil paper will be used at its regular size

- Cut 2” off the length of the other piece of foil paper so that it is 6 1/2" x 11”

- Fold each piece of foil paper into a fan on the long side, by placing the long side in front of you on a table and folding into 1” folds (1 up, 1 down) until you reach the end of each piece of paper

- With the gold foil showing on the outside, fold the gold fan in half lengthwise

- Use the hole punch to punch a hole in the middle

- Fold the smaller piece of foil paper in half lengthwise

- Use the hole punch to punch a hole in the middle of that piece as well

- Glue the dowel into the hole in the wooden ball

- Thread the dowel into the hole in the colored foil fan and then into the hole in the gold foil fan

- Glue the paper into place on the dowel

- Glue the feathers on the back of the angel as wings

- Tie the embroidery thread around the neck of the angel and tie in a bow or a knot for hanging

- Finally, glue the hair onto the angel’s head

- Let the glue dry and then hang on your tree

Makes 1 angel

APPLE CIDER MIX (GREAT FOR GIFTS!)

Materials:

- 2 c empty mason jar with lid
- 1 1/4 cups of dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons each of:

- Ground ginger
- Ground cloves
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground nutmeg
- Ground allspice

- Piece of cardstock
- Festive permanent marker
- Hole punch
- Ribbon, approximately 10-12” long
- Brown sugar “keeper” (optional

Instructions:

- Mix all ingredients together and put in jar

- Add brown sugar keeper to keep mixture moist

- Use marker to write instructions on cardstock (or type on computer and print out)

Delicious Apple Cider

Mix 1-2 tablespoons of this mixture into a cup of apple juice

Heat and enjoy!

- Punch a hole in the top left corner of your paper

- Attach instructions to jar with ribbon

Makes 1 gift

WOODEN XMAS LETTERS

Materials:

- Wooden letters from craft store:

- X, M, A, and S

- White spray paint
- Gold acrylic paint
- Nail file or piece of sand paper
- Sponge
- 2 buttons
- 2 sleigh bells
- Small amounts of red fabric
- Small amounts of pattered fabric
- White glue

- Needle and matching thread or sewing machine

Instructions:

- Spray paint the letters white

- Rough the edges of the letters with the sand paper or nail file

- Use the sponge to apply gold paint on the roughed edges

- Cut two strips of patterned material, approximately 1” x 6”

- Fold strips into a bow and glue onto the X and the A

- Glue a button to the center of each bow

- Cut two triangles from the red material, 6” wide and 6” long

- Cut two strips of patterned material, approximately 6” long and 3” wide

- Using either a needle and thread or a sewing machine, sew two sides of the triangle together

- Turn right side out and trim bottom so that it is not on an angle (fold it flat with the seam in the back and trim the bottom half to match the top half)

- Next, sew the rectangular piece of material to the bottom of the hat, for the brim

- Flip the rectangular piece of material up so that it covers the seam you just created

- Sew a sleigh bell to the end of the hat

- Repeat to make a second hat

- Glue the hats to the top right corners of the M and the S

Makes 1 gift or centrepiece

WOODEN SUCKER CHRISTMAS TREE

Note that this project will require some woodwork and potentially the use of a band saw or a table saw to cut the wood pieces and the use of a drill to drill holes in the wood.

Materials:

- 23-1” x 1” pieces of wood, in the following lengths:

- 2 pieces 12” long
- 2 pieces 11” long
- 2 pieces 10” long
- 2 pieces 9” long
- 2 pieces 8” long
- 2 pieces 7” long
- 2 pieces 6” long
- 2 pieces 5” long
- 2 pieces 4” long
- 2 pieces 3” long
- 2 pieces 2” long
- 1 piece 1” long

- 1 wooden base, 4” x 4” square, 1” thick, or 4” in diameter

- Green spray paint
- 3/8” dowel, 24” long
- 3/8” drill bit
- 1/8” drill bit
- 45 suckers
- Polyurethane varnish
- Paint brush
- Wood glue

Instructions:

- Varnish the base with at least 2 coats of varnish

- Spray paint the 23 wooden pieces green

- Using the drill and the 3/8” drill bit, drill a hole through the center of each of the 22 longest pieces of wood, as well as the base

- Drill a 3/8” hole through half of the 1” piece of wood

- Drill a 1/8” hole through the other half of the 1” piece of wood, so that there is a 1/8” hole on one side and a 3/8” hole on the other side and they meet in the middle

- Using the drill and the 1/8” drill bit, drill a hole at each end of each of the 22 longest pieces, 1/2" from each end, for the suckers

- Starting with the base and the dowel, build your tree as follows:

- Glue the dowel into the base

- Thread the two 12” pieces of wood onto the dowel, turning them so that they are perpendicular to each other

- Add the two 11” pieces of wood, turning them so that each one is offset from the one below it

- Add the two 10” pieces of wood, turning them so that each one is offset from the one below it

- Add the two 9” pieces of wood, turning them so that each one is offset from the one below it

- Add the two 8” pieces of wood, turning them so that each one is offset from the one below it

- Add the two 7” pieces of wood, turning them so that each one is offset from the one below it

- Add the two 6” pieces of wood, turning them so that each one is offset from the one below it

- Add the two 5” pieces of wood, turning them so that each one is offset from the one below it

- Add the two 4” pieces of wood, turning them so that each one is offset from the one below it

- Add the two 3” pieces of wood, turning them so that each one is offset from the one below it

- Add the two 2” pieces of wood, turning them so that each one is offset from the one below it

- Add the 1” piece of wood to the top of the tree

- Add suckers to the ends of each tree branch and to the top of the tree

Makes 1 tree

CANDLE CENTERPIECE

Materials:

- Styrofoam ring, 12” in diameter and 1-2” wide and 1/2-1” thick

- 4 round, red candles, 3” in diameter
- Approximately 150-200 small pinecones
- A few sprigs of artificial spruce tree
- A few sprigs of artificial berries
- 20-30 red balls in various sizes
- 6-8 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
- Hot glue gun and glue sticks

Instructions:

- Using glue sticks, cover Styrofoam ring with pinecones

- Glue on the four red candles so that they are evenly spaced throughout the circle

- Add the red glass balls, spruce sprigs, berries, and cinnamon sticks until project is finished

Makes 1 centerpiece

CHRISTMAS STOCKINGS

Materials:

- White piece of felt, approximately 12” x 36”

- Red piece of felt, approximately 12” x 36”
- Red and white embroidery thread and needle
- Small amounts of white and red felt

- 2 pieces of red ribbon, approximately 6-8” long each

- White and red fabric paint (optional)

Instructions:

- Fold the red felt in half so that it is 12” x 18”

- Draw and cut two stockings from the folded felt, basing the shape on the photo above

- Repeat for the white felt

- Cut 1 white heart and 1 red heart from the leftover felt

- Use white embroidery thread on the red heart and red embroidery thread on the white heart to embroider a snowflake shape onto each heart (optional) – note that another option would be to use fabric paint to paint a snowflake on each heart

- Sew each heart on the opposite color of stocking (fronts only) using a large embroidery stitch – note that you should sew the red heart with white embroidery thread and the white heart with red embroidery thread

- With wrong sides together, sew each stocking around the outside using a blanket stitch and red embroidery thread

- Fold each piece of ribbon in half and sew to the inside of each stocking

Makes 2 stockings

PINECONE WREATH

Materials:

- Wire frame for wreath, 12” in diameter
- 6 large pinecones
- 18 small-medium sized pinecones
- Gold spray paint
- 6 sprigs of spruce tree branches
- 12-18 sprigs of berries
- Hot glue gun and glue sticks

- Approximately 36” of 3” wide fabric ribbon (optional)

Instructions:

- Spray paint all pinecones with golf spray paint

- Glue large pinecones to wire frame, making sure they are equally spaced around the frame

- Glue 1 sprig of spruce branches in between each large pinecone

- Glue 3 small or medium sized pinecones in between each large pinecone

- Embellish with berry sprigs

- Tie a large bow with the fabric ribbon and attach to the top of your wreath (optional)

- Hang

Makes 1 wreath

EVERGREEN WREATH

Materials:

- 1 evergreen wreath

- Various colored small glass or plastic ornaments

- Approximately 24”-30” of red ribbon, 1” wide

- Three sprigs of berries

- Red and white string beads, approximately 24”-30” each

- Hot glue gun and glue sticks

- Approximately 36” of 3” wide fabric ribbon (optional)

Instructions:

- Wrap red string beads around wreath and secure with hot glue gun

- Wrap white string beads around wreath (using a different path than the white beads) and secure with hot glue gun

- Wrap the red ribbon around wreath (using a different path again) and secure with hot glue gun

- Embellish with berries sprigs and colored ornaments

- Tie a large bow with the fabric ribbon and attach to the top of your wreath (optional)

- Hang

Makes 1 wreath

MUG  O’ GINGERBREAD MEN (GREAT FOR GIFTS!)

Materials:

- 1 decorative/festive porcelain mug for each gift that you wish to make

- 1 sprig of artificial spruce tree for each gift that you wish to make

- 1 recipe gingerbread cookies (recipe below)
- Gingerbread man cookie cutter
- 1 recipe decorative icing (recipe below)
- Clear cellophane wrap (optional)
- 1/8” ribbon (optional)

Instructions:

- Bake two gingerbread men for each gift that you wish to make

- Arrange two gingerbread men with spruce tree sprig in festive mug

- Wrap gifts in cellophane wrap and decorate with ribbon (optional) before giving

Ingredients:

- 1c brown sugar
- 1/3 c butter or margarine
- 1 ½ c dark molasses
- 2/3 c cold water
- 7c flour
- 2t baking soda
- 2t ground ginger
- 1t salt
- 1t ground allspice
- 1t ground cloves
- 1t ground cinnamon
- White or colored frosting (optional)
- Candies (optional)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream the brown sugar and butter together.  Add molasses and water and combine.  Mix dry ingredients together and add slowly, combining as you go, until it is all mixed together.  Form into a ball and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.  Roll dough on floured surface to ¼ inch thick and cut with cookie cutters.  Place on ungreased baking sheet about 2 inches apart.  Bake for 10-12 minutes until no indentation remains when touched.  Cool on cookie racks.  Decorate with frosting and candies as desired.

Frosting:

Mix 1c icing sugar with 4t milk and combine until smooth.  Add a dash of vanilla.  Add milk or icing sugar as necessary to get desired consistency.  Add food coloring as necessary.  Decorate.

SUGAR COOKIE CHRISTMAS TREES

Materials:

- Large-sized star cookie cutter
- Medium-sized star cookie cutter
- Small-sized star cookie cutter
- Sugar cookie dough (recipe below)
- White icing (recipe below)
- Silver ball cake decorations
- White sugar or icing sugar for dusting

Ingredients:

- 1 ½ c butter, softened
- 2c white sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1t vanilla
- 5c flour
- 2t baking powder
- 1t salt

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cream the butter and sugar together in a medium-sized bowl.  Add eggs and vanilla and beat with mixer until smooth.  Mix dry ingredients together and add slowly until all ingredients are mixed together.  Form into ball, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.  Roll dough on floured surface to 1/2” thick.  Cut into the following shapes:

- Each tree will require:

- 3 large star cookies
- 2 medium star cookies
- 2 small star cookies

Place on ungreased baking sheet 1 inch apart.  Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are starting to brown.  Cool on cookie rack.

Frosting:

Mix 1c icing sugar with 4t milk and combine until smooth.  Add a dash of vanilla.  Add milk or icing sugar as necessary to get desired consistency.

Use frosting as “glue” to build trees as follows:

- Place 1 large star on the counter or a small paper plate

- Glue the second large star on top, making sure that the points of the star are off center from the previous layer

- Glue the first medium star on top, making sure that the points of the star are off center from the previous layer

- Glue the second medium star on top, making sure that the points of the star are off center from the previous layer

- Glue the first small star on top, making sure that the points of the star are off center from the previous layer

- Glue the second large star on top, making sure that the points of the star are off center from the previous layer

- Glue the last small star on top, so that it stands up like the star on top of a Christmas tree

- Embellish tree with silver ball cake decorations and sugar as a “snow” dusting

Makes approximately 12-15 trees

PAINTED PINECONES

Materials:

- Various pinecones

- Acrylic paint or spray paint in desired color

- Paint brush

- Container or basket

Instructions:

- Use paint brush to paint pinecones in desired color of paint

- Alternatively, spray paint your pinecones in desired color of paint

- Let dry

- Fill a bowl or basket or glass container with your painted pinecones

Variations:

- Consider embellishing painted pinecones with glitter glue, beads, or even spray snow

- Consider painting each pinecone a different color, or use two or three “Christmasy” colors such as red, green, and gold

- Add a bow or some small glass ball ornaments to your project

Makes 1 centerpiece or decoration

OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE MIX JAR

Materials:

- 1 one-quart jar with lid
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup quick cooking oatmeal
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 12” length of ribbon
- Cardstock for baking instructions and label
- Christmas embellishments (optional)
- White glue or tape

Instructions:

- Layer all of the dry ingredients in the jar, tamping down each layer so that each layer is cleanly separated, in this order:

- Mix together flour, oatmeal, baking soda, baking powder, and sale as the first layer

- Brown sugar
- White sugar
- Chocolate chips

- Place lid on the container

- Write directions on cardstock and decorate with border or Christmas embellishments

- Preheat oven to 375 degrees

- Mix together 1/2 cup margarine or butter, 1 egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla in a medium-sized bowl until mixed together well

- Add the cookie mix from this jar to the bowl and mix together

- Cover and cool in fridge for 30 minutes or overnight

- Drop tablespoon-sized balls onto a cookie sheet, spaced 2” apart

- Bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges are golden brown

- Cool slightly on baking sheet, then remove to wire racks

- Makes approximately 18 cookies

- Write title of cookies on cardstock and decorate with border or Christmas embellishments

- Glue or tape title to front of jar

- Punch hole in instructions

- Thread ribbon through hole in instructions and tie around the neck of the jar

Makes 1 jar gift

CONCLUSION

Congratulations on making your way through this book!  I hope you enjoyed the craft ideas and have even made a few.

I also hope that you have shared these crafts with your family, friends, or the child or children in your life to make the anticipation of the holiday season that much more special.  I love the whole lead-up time to the Christmas holidays because I can go through my craft room or even the recycling and find some materials to turn into some fun crafts.  When the kids have their friends over, we usually bake something or I set the kids up to be creative and make a craft to take home.  They love that!

Please feel free to use the ideas in this book in various different color combinations and as a starting point for creating your own unique holiday masterpieces.

Happy crafting!

CHRISTMAS CRAFTS FOR KIDS:

EASY CHRISTMAS CRAFTS YOUR KIDS WILL LOVE MAKING!

INTRODUCTION

Thank you for downloading this book and supporting an independent author.  I really appreciate it.

I have always loved making crafts.  As a kid, I learned how to crochet from my Nanny Short when I was just young.  Now that I have two daughters of my own, we spend lots of time making crafts, researching how to do a certain craft, or even making our own greeting cards, and gifts.

Not only do I love making crafts, but Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year.  I love the whole season leading up to Christmas.  I usually start in mid-October with baking all of my family’s favorite Christmas treats.  I load up the freezer full of yummy desserts and then take a tray of mixed cookies, chocolates, and squares to everyone’s house that we visit during the holidays.

Every Christmas, my daughters and I plan what we will give each person as a Christmas present and think of gifts that we can make ourselves.  We spend our fall weekends making gifts for others or making Christmas ornaments for our tree.  We have so much fun!

I hope you will enjoy some fun crafting days with the children in your life this year.  Whether you make these crafts yourself, or have fun with your child, grandchild, or friend’s child, or if you are a day care provider, these crafts can be made by children of all ages.  Note that some of these craft projects will require some assistance or supervision by an adult or an older child.

Happy crafting!

ORIGAMI SANTA

Materials:

- 1 piece of origami paper that is red on one side and white on the other side

Instructions:

- Fold paper in half diagonally

- Unfold and fold paper in half diagonally the other way

- Unfold and you should see an X in the paper

- Ensure the red side is on top

- Fold one corner to the center

- Fold the opposite corner to the center

- Fold one of the center points so that it creates a right angle triangle with the outer edge

- Do the same on the other side

- Unfold

- Fold one of the unfolded corners up to 2/3 of the way to the second fold

- Unfold and fold up to the fold you just made

- Unfold again and fold up to the second fold you just made

- Fold over again

- Flip and do the same on the other side

- Fold project in half diagonally with the two white “cuffs” on the outside edges

- Fold the bottom point up to the center of the long flat side

- Fold the first layer of the upward pointing triangle down about 3/4 of the way to the bottom

- Fold the second layer down about 3/4 of the way to the bottom

- Fold the second layer back up about 2/3 of the way

- Tuck the second layer inside the first layer

- Fold the white tip down behind both layers

- Fold the top 1/8” of the downward facing white triangle up under itself to form a lip at the top

- Fold the bottom right section up so that it is in line with the top fold

- Unfold and do the same on the other side

- Unfold and fold the far right corner across so that it forms a 90 degree angle

- Unfold and fold the top portion of the right side down so that it lines up with the right side of the Santa head

- Repeat on the other side

- Fold the right arm up towards the centre

- Repeat with the left side

- Fold the right arm towards the center so that the entire arm and cuff are hidden

- Repeat with the other side

- Fold the right side under so that all you see is the Santa face

- Repeat on the left side

- Fold the right arm back and out

- Repeat on the left side

- Fold the right leg to the right slightly to make the right foot

- Repeat for the left leg and foot

Makes 1 Santa

WATER BOTTLE PENGUIN

Materials:

- One plastic pop/water/juice bottle, empty and clean, with the label removed

- 2-4 cups of cotton balls, depending on the size of the pop bottle

- Small amounts of black and orange construction paper or scrapbooking paper

- 8-12 inches of red ribbon
- 2 googly eyes
- 4-6 blue feathers

- White glue, glue stick, or hot glue gun (with supervision)

Instructions:

- Start with an empty plastic bottle that has been cleaned and is dry on both the inside and the outside

- Fill the empty bottle with cotton balls

- Cut a rectangle of black construction paper that will fit around the lid and glue in place (if you want the bottle to still open, make sure you only put glue on the removable part of the lid and glue the paper to only that portion)

- Glue the blue feathers to the inside of the black paper that is covering the lid

- Glue two eyes to the black paper that is covering the lid, close together

- Cut a nose shape from orange construction paper and glue just below the eyes and the black paper that is covering the lid, for the nose

- Fold a piece of black construction paper (about 3” x 6”) in half to make a 3” square piece of paper with a fold on one side

- Cut the feet and fins/arms from the black paper, using the picture above as a shape guide (since it is folded, you will be cutting two of each at the same time)

- Glue the arms, one on each side of the bottle, about 1/3 of the way down

- Glue the feet to the bottom of the bottle, as shown on the picture above

- Finally, tie a bow using the red ribbon and glue the ribbon to the bottle in between the arms

- Let the glue dry and voila!  You are finished!

Variations:

- For a sweet, edible craft, try filling up the empty bottle with miniature marshmallows – makes a fun child’s gift, or take-home craft from a birthday party or sleepover party

Makes 1 penguin

FELT SNOWMAN

Materials:

- 1 piece of white felt, approximately 4” x 6”

- 1 piece of black felt, approximately 3” x 3”

- 1 piece of orange felt, approximately 1” x 1’

- 1 needle with an eye that will fit embroidery thread

- Scissors
- 2 black sequins
- 3 small black buttons
- 6” length of ribbon for hanging
- 6” length of ribbon for scarf

- Embroidery thread (white, black, and orange)

- White glue

- Cotton batting, optional

- Note that you may use white glue in place of the embroidery thread for younger children

Instructions:

- Cut the white felt into the basic snowman body shape, as in the picture above – the head is approximately the size of a silver dollar and the body is approximately the size of the base of an 8 oz. glass

- Cut the black felt into the snowman’s hat, as shown in the picture above

- Cut the orange felt into the snowman’s nose, which is approximately the size of half a nickel

- If you want your snowman to be fluffy and three-dimensional looking, glue cotton batting on to the white felt body of the snowman and cut the edges so that the cotton batting is the same shape as the snowman body (this step is optional)

- Fold the orange felt into a cone and either sew or glue it on to the snowman’s face

- Sew or glue the two sequins to the snowman’s face as eyes

- Sew or glue the hat on to the snowman’s head

- Sew or glue the buttons to the snowman’s body

- Tie the scarf ribbon around the snowman’s neck

- Finally, sew or glue the hanging ribbon to the back of the snowman’s head and hat so that you can hang your ornament on the tree

Makes 1 snowman

CRANBERRY OATMEAL COOKIE MIX JAR

Materials:

- 1 one-quart jar with lid
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup quick cooking oatmeal
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup white chocolate chips (optional)
- 12” length of ribbon
- Cardstock for baking instructions and label
- Christmas embellishments (optional)
- White glue or tape

Instructions:

- Layer all of the dry ingredients in the jar, tamping down each layer so that each layer is cleanly separated, in this order:

- White sugar

- Brown sugar

- Mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and sale as the next layer

- Oatmeal
- Cranberries
- White chocolate chips (optional)

- Place lid on the container

- Write directions on cardstock and decorate with border or Christmas embellishments

- Preheat oven to 375 degrees

- Mix together 1/2 cup margarine or butter, 1 egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla in a medium-sized bowl until mixed together well

- Add the cookie mix from this jar to the bowl and mix together

- Cover and cool in fridge for 30 minutes or overnight

- Drop tablespoon-sized balls onto a cookie sheet, spaced 2” apart

- Bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges are golden brown

- Cool slightly on baking sheet, then remove to wire racks

- Makes approximately 18 cookies

- Write title of cookies on cardstock and decorate with border or Christmas embellishments

- Glue or tape title to front of jar

- Punch hole in instructions

- Thread ribbon through hole in instructions and tie around the neck of the jar

Makes 1 jar gift

LARGE RIBBON STAR ORNAMENT

Materials:

- 80” of ribbon, approximately 3/4 to 1” wide
- Scissors
- Glue (optional)

- Embroidery thread for hanging (approximately 6-10”)

Instructions:

- Cut ribbon into four 20” lengths

- Fold each length in half, so that each one is now 10” long and folded

- On your table or flat surface, lay one folded ribbon piece so that the fold is at the top and lay another folded ribbon piece beside it so that the fold is at the bottom

- The two folds (going in opposite directions) should be beside one another

- The third folded ribbon piece will be woven in horizontally from right to left with the ribbon going around the ribbon on the right and through the middle of the ribbon on the left

- The fourth folded ribbon will finish off the woven square by being woven in from the left with the ribbon going around the ribbon the left and through the middle of the ribbon on the right

- Tighten up the four ribbons so that you have a square

- You now have 2 ribbons heading in each direction (north, east, south, west)

- Take the top ribbon from the north and fold it down

- Take the top ribbon from the east and fold it to the west

- Take the top ribbon from the south and fold it up

- Take the top ribbon from the west and fold it to the east, but this one will go over the first ribbon and under the second ribbon (through the hole created by the previous folds

- Tight up and press down on your project to lock it in place

Making the points

- Take the left ribbon on the top and fold it behind and to the left, flattening with a crease

- Now take the same ribbon and fold it in front and down, flattening with a crease and creating a point

- You will now have two ribbons beside each other point down with a point at the top

- Now fold the point in half, so that both ribbons are one on top of the other

- ***Take the top one of these two ribbons and thread it through the top left corner of the square

- Trim the ends of each length of ribbon into a slant so that they easily slide through the ribbons as you continue

- Turn your project clockwise one section

- Repeat this section “Making the points” until all four sides have one point each

- When you get to the section with a “***” above, you will thread the ribbon through the top left corner of the square, however, there will be an extra piece of ribbon that you will have to temporarily lift up to get to the top left corner of the square

Turning the project over

- Now that you have four points on your project, turn your entire project over so that each of the points you made are now on the right side of each edge of your project

Making the next points

- You will now do the same thing as above, but for the four points on the other side.

- Take the left ribbon on the top and fold it behind and to the left, flattening with a crease

- Now take the same ribbon and fold it in front and down, flattening with a crease and creating a point

- You will now have two ribbons beside each other point down with a point at the top

- Now fold the point in half, so that both ribbons are one on top of the other

- ***Take the top one of these two ribbons and thread it through the top left corner of the square

- Turn your project clockwise one section

- Repeat this section “Making the points” until all four sides have one point each

- When you get to the section with a “***” above, you will thread the ribbon through the top left corner of the square, however, there will be an extra piece of ribbon that you will have to temporarily lift up to get to the top left corner of the square

Making the star three dimensional

- Your project now has eight points and four ribbons coming out of the center on both the top and the bottom

- Take the top left ribbon and fold it back and up so that it is pointing straight up and in line with the ribbon on the left side of the two pointing up

- Now take the same ribbon, which is now pointing up, and weave it under the ribbon that is on the top right position and through the fold that is under that ribbon

- You will see the ribbon coming through the point on the bottom right

- Pull the ribbon so that a three dimensional point is formed

- Turn your project clockwise one section

- Repeat this section “Making the star three dimensional” until you have four points on the top of your project

- Flip your project over

- Repeat this section “Making the star three dimensional” until you have four points on the other side of your project

- Gently trim the points of your star to remove the excess ribbon

- If you want to make sure your star doesn’t unfold, dab a bit of glue inside the points where you just trimmed the ribbon

- To hang your star, attach some embroidery thread to the center of your star by either weaving it through a section, or punching a hole in a section and threading the embroidery thread through the hole

Makes 1 star ornament

MINI RIBBON STAR ORNAMENT

Materials:

- 60” of ribbon, approximately 1/8” wide
- Scissors
- Glue (optional)

- Embroidery thread for hanging (approximately 6-10”)

Instructions:

- Cut ribbon into four 15” lengths

- Fold each length in half, so that each one is now 7.5” long and folded

- NOTE that the following illustrated directions depict the regular ribbon star ornament above, however, this is done so that the folds can be seen easier.  The folds with the 1/8” ribbon are quite small.

- On your table or flat surface, lay one folded ribbon piece so that the fold is at the top and lay another folded ribbon piece beside it so that the fold is at the bottom

- The two folds (going in opposite directions) should be beside one another

- The third folded ribbon piece will be woven in horizontally from right to left with the ribbon going around the ribbon on the right and through the middle of the ribbon on the left

- The fourth folded ribbon will finish off the woven square by being woven in from the left with the ribbon going around the ribbon the left and through the middle of the ribbon on the right

- Tighten up the four ribbons so that you have a square

- You now have 2 ribbons heading in each direction (north, east, south, west)

- Take the top ribbon from the north and fold it down

- Take the top ribbon from the east and fold it to the west

- Take the top ribbon from the south and fold it up

- Take the top ribbon from the west and fold it to the east, but this one will go over the first ribbon and under the second ribbon (through the hole created by the previous folds

- Tight up and press down on your project to lock it in place

Making the points

- Take the left ribbon on the top and fold it behind and to the left, flattening with a crease

- Now take the same ribbon and fold it in front and down, flattening with a crease and creating a point

- You will now have two ribbons beside each other point down with a point at the top

- Now fold the point in half, so that both ribbons are one on top of the other

- ***Take the top one of these two ribbons and thread it through the top left corner of the square

- Trim the ends of each length of ribbon into a slant so that they easily slide through the ribbons as you continue

- Turn your project clockwise one section

- Repeat this section “Making the points” until all four sides have one point each

- When you get to the section with a “***” above, you will thread the ribbon through the top left corner of the square, however, there will be an extra piece of ribbon that you will have to temporarily lift up to get to the top left corner of the square

Turning the project over

- Now that you have four points on your project, turn your entire project over so that each of the points you made are now on the right side of each edge of your project

Making the next points

- You will now do the same thing as above, but for the four points on the other side.

- Take the left ribbon on the top and fold it behind and to the left, flattening with a crease

- Now take the same ribbon and fold it in front and down, flattening with a crease and creating a point

- You will now have two ribbons beside each other point down with a point at the top

- Now fold the point in half, so that both ribbons are one on top of the other

- ***Take the top one of these two ribbons and thread it through the top left corner of the square

- Turn your project clockwise one section

- Repeat this section “Making the points” until all four sides have one point each

- When you get to the section with a “***” above, you will thread the ribbon through the top left corner of the square, however, there will be an extra piece of ribbon that you will have to temporarily lift up to get to the top left corner of the square

Making the star three dimensional

- Your project now has eight points and four ribbons coming out of the center on both the top and the bottom

- Take the top left ribbon and fold it back and up so that it is pointing straight up and in line with the ribbon on the left side of the two pointing up

- Now take the same ribbon, which is now pointing up, and weave it under the ribbon that is on the top right position and through the fold that is under that ribbon

- You will see the ribbon coming through the point on the bottom right

- Pull the ribbon so that a three dimensional point is formed

- Turn your project clockwise one section

- Repeat this section “Making the star three dimensional” until you have four points on the top of your project

- Flip your project over

- Repeat this section “Making the star three dimensional” until you have four points on the other side of your project

- Gently trim the points of your star to remove the excess ribbon

- If you want to make sure your star doesn’t unfold, dab a bit of glue inside the points where you just trimmed the ribbon

- To hang your star, attach some embroidery thread to the center of your star by either weaving it through a section, or punching a hole in a section and threading the embroidery thread through the hole

Makes 1 star ornament

CHRISTMAS TREE HOLIDAY CARD

Materials:

- White cardstock, 8.5” x 11”
- Red tissue paper, approximately 4” x 5”
- Green tissue paper, approximately 4” x 5”

- Tree-shaped cookie cutter or pattern, approximately 4” tall

- Pencil
- Glue stick
- Scissors

Instructions:

- Fold white cardstock in half, so that your card is 5.5” x 8.5”

- Unfold the card so you are working on the front cover only

- Use your pencil to trace two cookie cutter trees on your card

- Using scissors, cut out the insides of the cookie cutter trees

- Using scissors, cut your tissue paper pieces to fit underneath each tree cut-out leaving room to glue the tissue paper to the back of the card cover (I cut my tissue paper in square or rectangle sizes)

- Using a glue stick, glue the tissue paper on the back of the card front so that it shows through the tree cut-outs (be sure to glue the card and not the tissue paper, otherwise the tissue paper will rip)

- Fold your card again so it is closed

- Add your Christmas message to the inside of the card (I like to use a gold or silver or festive-colored pen for writing my Christmas message on the inside of the card)

Variations:

- You could use any Christmas cookie cutter shape for this card, simply cut out as many shapes as will fit on one card and glue tissue paper inside

- You can also use many different colors of tissue paper, or alternatively, you can complete the whole card with just one color of tissue paper

Makes 1 Christmas card

CHRISTMAS TREE GARLAND

Materials:

- Green construction paper (or scrapbooking paper)

- Scissors

- Tape

Instructions:

- Cut the paper in half lengthwise, so that each piece is 4.25” x 11” (or, if using scrapbooking paper, 6” x 12”)

- Use tape to tape the two pieces of paper together at the short ends

- You will end up with a long piece of paper that is either 4.25” x 22, or 6” x 24”

- Accordion fold the paper so that each fold is approximately 3-4” away from each other

- Use the diagram below to draw your tree on your folded paper

- Use scissors to cut away on the black lines of the previous diagram

- Note that you can cut away part of the fold on each side, but not all of it – leaving some of the fold on each side allows your trees to chain together

- Unfold your tree chain

Makes 1 length of garland, approximately 2’ long

BAKED DOUGH SNOWMAN

Materials:

- 1/2 cup salt
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 cup water
- White paint
- Various colors of paint for decorations
- Paint brush

- Glue and beads or other embellishments (optional)

Instructions:

- Preheat oven to 250 degrees

- Mix salt, flour, and water together

- Knead into a dough, adding flour or water, as necessary

- Roll dough to make one each of small, medium, and large-sized balls

- Stack the balls on top of one another and place on cookie sheet

- Add two small balls for the feet and to help the snowman stand on the cookie sheet

- Add dough to make a hat for the snowman

- Add a small amount of dough for the carrot nose

- Bake for approximately 2-2.5 hours

- Let cool completely, for at least four hours or overnight

- Paint the snowman white
- Paint the hat red
- Paint the nose orange
- Use black paint to add eyes and a mouth

- Either paint buttons on the front of the snowman, or use glue to add beads for the buttons

- Note that this dough is not edible because it doesn’t taste good, but it is not harmful

Variations:

- This recipe can be multiplied to make a bigger batch, just keep the following ratio:

- 1 part salt
- 2 parts flour
- 1 part water

- This dough can be used to make a variety of clay ornaments, just roll out with rolling pin, cut with cookie cutters, use a straw to poke a hole for hanging, bake, and paint

- This dough can be used to make any other clay sculptures for any holiday, just sculpt, bake, and paint

Makes 1 or 2 snowmen

ORIGAMI CHRISTMAS TREE

Materials:

- 1 sheet of green origami paper

- Scissors

Instructions:

- Fold your paper in half diagonally so that the green side of your paper is on the inside

- Open and fold again diagonally from the other two corners, so that there are two folds in your paper creating an “X”

- Open and fold your paper in half so that it creates a rectangle with the green side of the paper on the outside

- Open and fold in half to form another rectangle with the other two sides

- Hold the paper with the open ends down and push and flatten it slowly – it should form a square

- With the secured point on your left, fold the top layer up to the middle line.

- Then, open it and put your finger into the pocket and flatten it.

- Flip your project over and do the same on the other side.

- You will do this four times.

- Fold your newest layer up to expose the third side that will be folded in this manner.

- Then, create the same fold with the bottom corner.

- Fold your project over again.

- Fold the top layer up to expose the fourth side that will be folded in this manner.

- Fold the fourth side.

- Flatten your project and cut off approximately 1/2" of the bottom points.

- Now cut the white portion of the bottom to form a tree trunk.

- Cut five slots in the each side of the tree, through all layers.  The cuts will be from the top down and slightly towards the centre of the tree.  The slots should be evenly spaced.

- Now fold down the points created by the slots on the top layer on each side.

- Fold your project over and fold down the slots on the other side as well.

- You have now done two out of four sides.

- Open up the folds of your tree so that the sides without folded slots are visible.

- Repeat the process of folding the slots down on all sides of the tree to make it look three dimensional.

- Open your tree

Optional Star:

- If you would like to add a star to the top of your tree:

- Use scissors to cut the top off your tree (just the very top, about 1/8 or 1/4").

- Next, hold three of the eight folds of the tree.

- You will cut the remaining five folds of the tree to the centre, being very careful not to cut through the three you are holding.

- Fold up the star.

Makes 1 Christmas tree

RIBBON BALL ORNAMENT

Materials:

- Styrofoam ball, approximately 3” in diameter

- 1 roll of ribbon, approximately 1/2" – 3/4" in width

- Straight pins

- Approximately 6” of coordinating ribbon for the hangar

Instructions:

- Cut the ribbon in lengths that are long enough to wrap all the way around the Styrofoam ball once with a tiny bit of overlap

- Starting at the top center of the ball, wrap the first strip of ribbon around the ball and use a straight pin to hold the ribbon in place

- Continue adding strips of ribbon held in place with straight pins until your ball is completely covered in ribbon

- Add a hangar by tying your coordinating ribbon around one strand of wrapped ribbon

Variations:

- You can make a variety of these types of ornaments using:

- Smaller or larger Styrofoam balls

- Wider or thinner ribbon

- Note that the larger the ball, the wider the ribbon you should use

- Another fun variation is to use a variety of ribbon prints on the same ornament

Makes 1 ribbon ball ornament

PAPER SNOWFLAKES

Materials:

- Sheet of white paper, 8.5” x 11”
- Scissors
- Waxed paper
- Iron

Instructions:

- Fold your paper so that it creates one tight corner (see picture)

- Use scissors to cut off the portion that is not folded, leaving a triangle

- Fold the triangle in half

- Fold the triangle in half again

- Fold in half one more time

- Use scissors to cut off the excess paper at the wide end of the triangle

- The point is the center of your snowflake

- The wide end is the outside edge of your snowflake

- Use scissors to cut out shapes from the folded edges of your snowflake

- Be very careful not to cut all the way across your snowflake

- If you want a hole in the center of your snowflake, cut off the folded point

- If you want to decorate the outside edges of your snowflake, cut a pattern on the wide end of your folded paper

- Carefully unfold your snowflake and lay flat

- Iron for a few seconds on low heat between two sheets of waxed paper to completely flatten your snowflake (an adult should do this)

Makes 1 snowflake

PAPER CHRISTMAS TREE

Materials:

- Styrofoam cone

- 1 sheet each of scrapbooking paper (12” x 12”) in two shades of green

- Red mini pompoms
- White ribbon 1/8” in width
- Silver glitter glue
- White glue
- Scissors

Instructions:

- Cut each piece of scrapbooking paper into 2” strips

- Use scissors to cut slits along the length of each strip – cuts should be 1” long or less and at 1/2” intervals

- Use white glue to glue each strip on the cone

- Start at the bottom of the cone with one color of green

- Glue the back of the strip on the section that has not been cut

- Glue the strip to the cone letting the cut edges overlap the bottom of the cone a bit

- The next strip will be your second color of green

- Glue the back of the strip on the uncut edge

- Glue the strip so that it overlaps the previous strip by 3/4 to 1”

- Continue alternating strips until the cone is covered

- Cut the white ribbon into 4-6” lengths
- Tie bows from each length of ribbon
- Glue the bows onto the tree
- Glue the red pompoms onto the tree

- Use the glitter glue to further decorate your tree

Makes 1 tree

HANDMADE CHRISTMAS WRAPPING PAPER

Materials:

- 1 roll of plain brown wrapping paper
- 1 clean sponge, approximately 4” x 6”
- Green paint
- Scissors
- Paper plate
- Matching ribbon for wrapping (optional)

Instructions:

- Unroll brown paper on the floor so it is completely flat

- Use scissors to cut the sponge into a tree shape

- Pour some green paint in a thin layer in the paper plate

- Dip your tree sponge into the paint on the paper plate and stamp on the paper

- Start at one end of the paper and keep stamping green trees all over the paper

- You can either stamp your trees in a particular pattern, or stamp your trees in every direction for a more random pattern

- Pour more paint into your paper plate as necessary, until paper is uniformly stamped with Christmas trees

- Let roll of paper dry and then roll up to be stored and used to wrap Christmas presents

- When ready to wrap, cut to desired length and wrap present

- Decorate with matching ribbon, if desired

Variations:

- Homemade wrapping paper can be made with any shape and any color of paint

- Cut sponge into the shape of a snowflake or a snowman or an angel and use white paint

- Cut sponge into the shape of a present and use any color of paint (this paper can be used for birthday presents as well)

- Cut sponge into a Santa hat and use red paint

- Cut sponge into a star shape and use gold or yellow paint

- Use any other shape and color combination or use multiple sponges and colors to create your own masterpiece wrapping paper

Makes 1 roll of wrapping paper

CONCLUSION

Congratulations on making your way through this book!  I hope you enjoyed the craft ideas and have even made a few.

I also hope that you have shared these crafts with the child or children in your life to make the anticipation of the holiday season that much more special.  I love the whole lead-up time to the Christmas holidays because I can go through my craft room or even the recycling and find some materials to turn into some fun crafts.  When the kids have their friends over, we usually bake something or I set the kids up to be creative and make a craft to take home.  They love that!

Please feel free to use the ideas in this book in various different color combinations and as a starting point for creating your own unique masterpieces.

Happy crafting!

CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS:

EASY CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS ANYONE CAN MAKE!

INTRODUCTION

Thank you for downloading this book and supporting an independent author.  I really appreciate it.

I have always loved making crafts.  As a kid, I learned how to crochet from my Nanny Short when I was just young.  Now that I have two daughters of my own, we spend lots of time making crafts, researching how to do a certain craft, or even making our own greeting cards, and gifts.

Not only do I love making crafts, but Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year.  I love the whole season leading up to Christmas.  I usually start in mid-October with baking all of my family’s favorite Christmas treats.  I load up the freezer full of yummy desserts and then take a tray of mixed cookies, chocolates, and squares to everyone’s house that we visit during the holidays.

Every Christmas, my daughters and I plan what we will give each person as a Christmas present and think of gifts that we can make ourselves.  We spend our fall weekends making gifts for others or making Christmas ornaments for our tree.  We have so much fun!  Many years, we give handmade Christmas ornaments to their teachers as gifts during the holidays.

I hope you will enjoy some fun crafting days on your own, with a friend, or with your kids this year.  Happy crafting!

COUNTRY HEARTS AND STARS

Materials:

- Heart shaped cookie cutter or template

- Star shaped cookie cutter or template

- Enough fabric (solid color) to make two stars and two hearts

- Enough fabric (pattern) to cover 1/2 of a star and 1/2 of a heart

- 2 buttons, approximately 1/2" in diameter
- Mesh ribbon, approximately 6”
- Thread to match the solid color fabric

- Embroidery thread to match the pattern fabric

- Stuffing

Instructions:

- Trace and cut 2 each of the heart and the star from the solid color fabric

- Trace and cut 1/2 each of the heart and star from the pattern fabric

- Layer all three of each shape together one on top of the other

- Sew all three layers together either by hand using a whip stitch, or using a sewing machine, leaving approximately 2” unsewn

- Stuff the ornament through the hole you left when sewing together

- Sew the remaining border shut

- Repeat for the other ornament

- Using embroidery thread, sew a few loose stitches across the open end of the top pattern layer of each ornament

- Cut two 3” lengths of mesh ribbon

- Using embroidery thread, gather the ribbon in the middle to form a bow shape and sew to the ornament with the button

- Repeat for the other ornament

- Sew a 6-8” length of embroidery thread to the top of each ornament for hanging

Makes 2 ornaments

FELT CHRISTMAS TREE

Materials:

- Tree shaped cookie cutter or template

- Enough green felt to make two trees

- 7 half-ball buttons, approximately 1/4” or 1/2" in diameter

- Mesh ribbon, approximately 6”
- Green embroidery thread
- Stuffing

Instructions:

- Trace and cut 2 trees from the green felt

- Layer the two trees together one on top of the other

- Sew the layers together either by hand using a whip stitch, or using a sewing machine, leaving approximately 2” unsewn

- Loosely stuff the ornament through the hole you left when sewing together

- Sew the remaining border shut

- Using embroidery thread, sew the buttons on the stuffed tree as ornaments

- Sew a 6-8” length of embroidery thread to the top of your ornament for hanging

Makes 1 ornament

DOUGH GINGERBREAD MAN

Materials:

- Gingerbread man cookie cutter
- Drinking straw
- 1 recipe salt dough

- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup salt
- 1/2 cup allspice or cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons wallpaper paste
- 1/2 cup water

- Polyurethane varnish

- White fabric paint

- 1/2" width ribbon, approximately 6-8” long for each ornament

Instructions:

- Preheat oven to 250F

- Combine all salt dough ingredients and knead until smooth

- Roll out dough to 1/4" to 1/2" thick

- Cut out shapes using the cookie cutter

- Use a straw to cut a hole out of the top of each cookie shape for hanging

- Place on ungreased baking tray and bake for one hour

- Turn and bake for another hour
- Turn oven off and let shapes cool in oven
- Varnish with polyurethane
- Decorate with white fabric paint

- Thread a length of ribbon through the hole at the top of each cookie and tie a bow or a knot for hanging

Makes about 12-15 ornaments

GOLDEN SLEIGH BELL

Materials:

- 1 sleigh bell
- Gold spray paint
- White acrylic paint
- Matching ribbon, approximately 6-8”
- Small paint brush

Instructions:

- Spray paint your sleigh bell with gold spray paint, making sure you paint all sides (you may have to let it dry and turn it over and spray again)

- Once it is dry, use the white acrylic paint to add embellishments to the bell

- In the example above, use a think paintbrush to paint four thin lines of white paint in a “snowflake” pattern in various places on your bell

- Dip the end of your paintbrush in white paint and use to make the dot in the middle of each “snowflake” and the eight dots around the outside

- Loop your length of ribbon through the top of the bell and tie in a bow at the top for hanging.

Variations:

- Make a variety of bell ornaments by using:

- Different colors of spray paint
- Different colors of acrylic paint
- Different colors of hanging ribbon
- Different embellishment patterns

Makes 1 ornament

FELT REINDEER

Materials:

- Light brown felt
- Dark brown felt
- Small amounts of white and black felt

- Light brown and dark brown embroidery thread

- Red 1/8” ribbon, approximately 6-8” long
- Two red beads
- One white bead
- White glue
- Red thread

Instructions:

- Using the picture as a guide, trace and cut 2 each of the face shape from the light brown felt

- Using the picture as a guide, trace and cut 4 each of the ear shape from the light brown felt

- Using the picture as a guide, trace and cut 4 each of the antler shape from the dark brown felt

- Cut two small circles of black felt for the center of the eyes

- Cut two slightly larger circles of white felt for the outside of the eyes

- Glue the black circles onto the white circles

- Layer the antler shapes together in groups of two one on top of the other

- Sew together

- Layer the ear shapes together in groups of two one on top of the other

- Sew together

- Layer the face shapes together one on top of the other

- Place the antlers and ears in between the face shapes

- Sew together, ensuring that you sew the antlers and the ears together with the faces, leaving a small opening at the bottom of the face

- Stuff the ornament through the hole you left when sewing together

- Sew the remaining border shut

- Glue the eyes on the front of the reindeer face

- Using red thread, sew the three beads so that they are hanging slightly from the antlers, as shown in the picture

- Sew or glue to the top of the ornament for hanging

Makes 1 ornament

FELT MINI STOCKING

Materials:

- Red felt
- White felt
- Stocking cookie cutter or template
- White embroidery thread
- Red embroidery thread
- Red 1/8” ribbon, approximately 6-8” long
- White glue

Instructions:

- Using the picture as a guide, or using your cookie cutter as a template, trace and cut 2 stockings from the red felt

- Using the picture as a guide, trace and cut 2 stocking cuffs from the white felt

- Using the picture as a guide, trace and cut 1 heart shape from the red felt

- Sew the heart to the front of 1 of the stocking shapes

- Sew 1 cuff to the top of each stocking shape

- Layer the cuff and stocking shapes together one on top of the other

- Sew together using a whip stitch, leaving the top of the stocking open

- Fold down the cuff

- Stuff the ornament through the top

- Sew or glue the hanging ribbon on the top edge of the stocking

- Sew the top of the stocking shut

Makes 1 ornament

CINNAMON DOUGH ORNAMENTS

Materials:

- Various cookie cutters
- Drinking straw
- Plastic wrap
- 1 recipe cinnamon dough

- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 1/2 cups ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons white glue

- Various colors of fabric paint

- 1/2" width ribbon, approximately 6-8” long for each ornament

Instructions:

- Preheat oven to 200F

- Combine all cinnamon dough ingredients and knead until it is the consistency of dough (you may need to add more applesauce or cinnamon, as required)

- Roll out dough to 1/4" to 1/2" thick between two sheets of plastic wrap

- Remove the top layer of plastic wrap and cut out shapes using the cookie cutters

- Use a straw to cut a hole out of the top of each cookie shape for hanging

- Place on ungreased baking tray and bake for two and a half hours

- Remove and let cool

- Decorate with white fabric paint

- Thread a length of ribbon through the hole at the top of each cookie and tie a bow or a knot for hanging

Makes about 12-15 ornaments

FEATHER-FILLED GLASS ORNAMENT

Materials:

- 1 glass ball
- Black permanent marker
- White feathers
- Matching ribbon, approximately 6-8” long

Instructions:

- Remove top of glass ball and fill the glass ball with white feathers

- Replace top of glass ball

- Use the black permanent marker to write NOEL on the outside of the ball

- Let marker dry so it doesn’t smudge

- Loop ribbon through the top of the ball and tie in a bow for hanging

Variations:

- Create variations of this ornament by using different colors of feathers, or different colors of marker

- Also, consider filling your ball with different materials such as baby’s first haircut, pet’s first haircut, stuffing, mini bells, or other small seasonal items

Makes 1 ornament

YARN CHRISTMAS TREE

Materials:

- Small piece of cardboard, approximately 3” x 6”

- Green yarn

- Small amounts of various colors of yarn

- 5 beads in various colors (1/2” in diameter or smaller)

- White glue
- Scissors
- Paint brush

Instructions:

- Use scissors to cut a triangle tree shape from the cardboard, with a base of 3” and a height of 6”

- Use paint brush to brush a thin layer of white glue on both sides of the triangle

- Wrap the green yarn around the tree shape starting at the bottom and working your way up

- Decorate by taking 1 color of yarn at a time and wrapping it around the tree (not as completely as the green, just enough of each color to decorate

- Add 1 bead on each color of yarn somewhere on the front of your tree

- Repeat with the other colors of yarn and beads

- Once done, gently press yarn to cardboard so that glue is distributed across project

- Tie a 6-8” length of year at the top of the tree for hanging

- Let glue dry before hanging

Makes 1 ornament

PAINTED PINECONES

Materials:

- 1 pinecone
- Acrylic paint in desired color
- Matching ribbon, approximately 6-8” long
- Paint brush

Instructions:

- Use paint brush to paint pinecone in desired color of paint

- Let dry

- Tie length of ribbon to the top of the pinecone for hanging

Variations:

- Consider embellishing painted pinecones with glitter glue, beads, or even spray snow

- Instead of using as tree ornaments, consider painting a variety of pinecones and filling a bowl or glass container with painted pinecones

Makes 1 ornament

GLASS BALLS WITH BLING

Materials:

- 1 colored glass ball

- Silver fabric paint in a squeezable bottle or tube

- Matching 1/2" ribbon, approximately 8” long

- Matching 1/8” ribbon, approximately 6-8” long

- White glue

Instructions:

- Tie the 1/2" ribbon into a bow

- Glue the bow to the top of the glass ball

- Thread the 1/8” ribbon through the hangar at the top of the glass ball and tie into a knot

- Plan which pattern you will make on your glass ball

- Squeeze fabric paint onto the glass ball in your intended pattern

- Hang your ornament to dry

Makes 1 ornament

CLOTHESPIN SNOWFLAKE

Materials:

- 8 wooden clothespins, separated (16 halves)
- White spray paint
- White glue
- Sprig of artificial holly with berries

- Piece of 1/8” ribbon, approximately 6-8” long

Instructions:

- Spray paint one side of all 16 clothespin halves white

- Dry, flip and spray the other sides white

- Take the 16 halves of clothespins and glue them back to back in pairs, to make 8 pairs glued together

- Glue the 8 sections together in a snowflake pattern, as shown above

- Glue the holly/berry sprig onto the center of the snowflake

- Finally, glue the ribbon to the back of the snowflake for hanging

Makes 1 ornament

TWO-TONE PAINTED GLASS BALL

Materials:

- 1 clear glass ball

- Two colors of acrylic paint (this example uses gold and turquoise)

- Piece of 1” ribbon, approximately 8” long

- Piece of 1/8” ribbon, approximately 6-8” long

- White glue

Instructions:

- Remove the top of the glass ball

- Pour the 2 colors of paint into the inside of the glass ball, alternating colors

- Slowly swirl the paint colors inside the glass ball by rolling it between your fingers, keeping the open top pointed upwards so that paint does not spill out

- Replace the top of the glass ball
- Tie the 1” ribbon into a bow
- Glue the bow to the top of the glass ball

- Thread the 1/8” ribbon through the hangar at the top of the glass ball and tie into a knot or a bow for hanging

Makes 1 ornament

HANDPRINT SNOWMAN FAMILY GLASS BALL

This ornament is meant to be done with a child as a gift for a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, etc.

Materials:

- 1 colored glass ball ornament that is slightly larger than your child’s hand

- White watercolor paint
- Paper plate
- Black permanent marker
- Orange permanent marker

- Piece of 1/8” ribbon, approximately 6-8” long, for hanging

Instructions:

- Pour a small amount of white paint into the paper plate

- Spread paint around so that it covers the bottom of the plate

- Press child’s hand into the white paint on the plate

- Carefully decorate the glass ball with the child’s hand with the palm at the bottom of the ball and the five fingers, slightly apart, up one side of the ball

- Let dry

- Use the black marker to draw hats, faces, and buttons on each snowman

- Use the orange marker to draw a nose on each snowman

- Use one of the markers to write the year on the ornament, either on the back or on the white portion below the snowmen

- Print the following on a piece of paper or cardstock:

These aren’t just 5 snowmen

as anyone can see.

I made them with my hand

which is part of me.

Now you can look back and recall

when my hand was just this small!

- Punch a hole in the top left corner of the paper

- Thread the hanging ribbon through the paper and through the hangar at the top of the ornament and tie a bow or a knot

Makes 1 ornament

WOODEN BALL WITH CANDY CANE

Materials:

- 1 wooden ball, approximately 2” in diameter

- 2 plugs for ends of ball, approximately 1/2" in diameter

- 1/2" drill bit, if holes are not already drilled in ends of ball

- 1/8” drill bit

- Red spray paint

- Acrylic paint in various colors (green, white, and red)

- Paint brush

- Piece of 1/8” ribbon, approximately 6-8” long

- White glue

Instructions:

- Drill 1/2" holes in ends of wooden ball, if there are no holes in ball already

- Drill 1/8” hole through one of the plugs

- Spray paint the 2 plugs red and let dry

- Glue the bottom plug (the one without the 1/8” hole in it) in  the bottom of the ball

- Fold the ribbon in half and put it through the plug with the hole in it

- Secure the ribbon under the plug with a dab of glue

- Glue the plug (with ribbon ends) in the top of the ball

- Use red paint to paint a candy cane shape on one side of your ball

- Use white paint to paint stripes on your candy cane

- Use green paint to paint a bow on your candy cane

- Let dry and hang

Variations:

- Use your paint brush and gold paint, or a gold permanent marker to put the year on the back of your ornament

Makes 1 ornament

WOODEN BALL WITH CHRISTMAS TREE

Materials:

- 1 wooden ball, approximately 2” in diameter

- 2 plugs for ends of ball, approximately 1/2" in diameter

- 1/2" drill bit, if holes are not already drilled in ends of ball

- 1/8” drill bit

- Red spray paint

- Acrylic paint in various colors (green, brown, yellow or gold, and other colors for ornaments)

- Paint brush

- Piece of 1/8” ribbon, approximately 6-8” long

- White glue

Instructions:

- Drill 1/2" holes in ends of wooden ball, if there are no holes in ball already

- Drill 1/8” hole through one of the plugs

- Spray paint the 2 plugs red and let dry

- Glue the bottom plug (the one without the 1/8” hole in it) in  the bottom of the ball

- Fold the ribbon in half and put it through the plug with the hole in it

- Secure the ribbon under the plug with a dab of glue

- Glue the plug (with ribbon ends) in the top of the ball

- Use green paint to paint a tree shape on one side of your ball

- Use brown paint to add the tree trunk

- Use yellow or gold paint to add the star or topper to the tree

- Use the remaining colors to add “ornaments” to your tree by dipping the end of your paint brush into each paint color and dotting the body of the tree with “ornaments”

- Let dry and hang

Variations:

- Use your paint brush and gold paint, or a gold permanent marker to put the year on the back of your ornament

Makes 1 ornament

CLOTHESPIN NUTCRACKER

Materials:

- 1 old fashioned clothespin
- 1 small black pompom
- Gold cording, approximately 6-8”
- Black marker
- Red pipe cleaner, approximately 2”

- Matching ribbon for hanging, approximately 6-8”

- Acrylic paint (red and blue)
- Paint brush
- White glue

Instructions:

- Use the paint brush to paint the body of the nutcracker red

- Paint the legs of the nutcracker blue

- Glue the pompom to the top of the nutcracker’s head

- Use the marker to draw two eyes on the nutcracker’s face

- Wrap the gold cord so that it criss-crosses the nutcracker’s body and then wrap it three times around the bottom of the nutcracker’s body

- Glue the cording in place

- Cut the red pipe cleaner into 2-1” pieces

- Glue 1 piece on each side of the nutcracker’s body for arms

- Glue the ribbon to the back of the nutcracker’s head for hanging

- Let dry and hang

Makes 1 ornament

CLOTHESPIN REINDEER

Materials:

- 3 old fashioned wooden clothespins
- Brown stray paint or dark wood stain
- White glue
- 2 googly eyes, 1/8” in diameter
- Small amounts of red and green felt

- Piece of red ribbon, approximately 6-8” long

Instructions:

- Spray paint the clothespins brown, or coat with stain

- Let dry, turn over, and paint the other side of each clothespin

- Glue the 3 clothespins together as follows:

- Glue 1 on top of another so that the tops and bottoms match up

- Turn the third clothespin upside down so that top of the round end (3rd one) is in line with the beginning of the slit of the first 2

- Cut 2 small red circles from the red felt

- Glue the two eyes on the front of the upside down clothespin as shown in the picture

- Glue one of the red circles on the upside down clothespin as the nose

- Cut 3 small leaves from the green felt

- Glue the 3 small leaves at the beginning of the reindeer’s antlers as shown in the picture

- Glue the other red felt circle beside the 3 leaves

- Glue the ribbon behind the antlers for hanging

- Let dry and hang

Makes 1 ornament

CLOTHESPIN SNOWMAN

Materials:

- 1 regular wooden clothespin
- White spray paint
- Acrylic paint (orange, and black)
- Paint brush
- Small amount of fabric for a scarf
- Scissors
- Matching ribbon, approximately 6-8” long
- Glue

Instructions:

- Spray paint 1 side of clothespin white

- Let dry, turn and spray paint the other side white

- Use the paint brush to paint the carrot nose using orange paint

- Dip the end of the paint brush in black paint and dab on the eyes, mouth, and buttons

- Use scissors to cut a strip of fabric for the scarf (don’t worry if the ends are frayed)

- Tie the scarf around the front half of the clothespin

- Glue the scarf in place

- Glue the ribbon to the back of the snowman for hanging

- Let dry and hang

Makes 1 ornament

CONCLUSION

Congratulations on making your way through this book!  I hope you enjoyed the ornament ideas and have even made a few.

I also hope that you have shared these ornament crafts with the child or children in your life to make the anticipation of the holiday season that much more special.  I love the whole lead-up time to the Christmas holidays because I can go through my craft room or even the recycling and find some materials to turn into some fun crafts.  When the kids have their friends over, we usually bake something or I set the kids up to be creative and make a craft to take home.  They love that!

One of my most favorite things about Christmas is decorating our family tree because all of the ornaments are handmade from over the years.  Decorating the tree is like a walk down memory lane as we remember when we made each one.

Please feel free to use the ideas in this book and as a starting point for creating your own unique masterpieces.

Happy crafting and Merry Christmas!

ONE-DAY CROCHET: AFGHANS

INTRODUCTION

Thank you for downloading this book and supporting an independent author.  I really appreciate it.  Crochet is something I have enjoyed doing since I was about 6 or 7 when my Nanny Short taught me how to make a granny square.

Knitting and crocheting are very popular in my extended family.  Every year for Christmas, my Aunt Ruth used to knit my brother and me “lopi sweaters”, or at least that is what we called them.  They were beautiful handmade sweaters with intricate designs at the top.  We also celebrated Christmas each year with handmade crocheted stockings that had Rudolph and our names on them.  We still have those stockings to this day.

My Nanny Short used to make me an afghan every year, but not for Christmas.  Whenever I went home (usually during the summer months), she would show up with a big garbage bag full of something and I knew that inside was another one of her beautiful creations.  As I got older, the afghans got bigger.  She made me single-sized afghans when I was young.  When I got my first apartment, the afghans grew to double-sized.  When I got married, they were queen-sized, and after I had children, they were king-sized.  Plus, she made me many lap-sized afghans over the years.

Growing up in such a crafty family, you can probably guess that my spare bedroom is called the “Craft Room” and there is a closet filled to the brim with fabrics and yarn.  My daughters and I love to go into the Craft Room and choose some materials and just create something new.

I hope you enjoy creating something new from this book.  I specifically chose projects that would take you only one day, however, please feel free to increase the size of any of the afghans to fit your bed size, just know that it may take longer than one day.   Also, please note that the “one-day” feature of this book is dependent on your experience and familiarity with crochet, the time you have available, the size of project you have chosen to make, the type of yarn you are using, and even whether or not you are multi-tasking.  Each of these items can increase the time required to finish your project.  If you choose a lap blanket, are familiar with all of the stitches used, use a regular weight of yarn, and are not interrupted a gazillion times, you should be able to finish your project in just one-day.  If you have chosen a larger project, or are using yarn that is more challenging, or are also watching a movie at the same time, you may take longer.  That’s totally OK – the idea is to have fun and create a new masterpiece!

This book starts with an overview of the basic crochet stitches as well as yarn information and tools often used in crocheting.  If you are a beginner at crochet or looking for a refresher, you should start here.  Then, you will find 10 beautiful afghan patterns that you can create in just one day.

Enjoy!

YARN

There are a wide variety of yarns to choose from, depending on the look of the project you are planning to make.  You can choose from crochet thread, yarn of various weights and textures, as well as yarn made from various materials.

CROCHET THREAD

Crochet thread is used for dainty projects such as doilies, tablecloths, snowflakes, and angels.  Note that the thinner the thread you use, the smaller the hook you will need.

YARN TEXTURES AND WEIGHTS

There are a variety of weights and textures available in different types of yarns.  If you are a beginner at crocheting, you should consider starting with a smooth yarn as they are the easiest to work with.  Fancier yarns that are fluffier or have “eyelashes” hanging from the thread are harder to work with as it is more difficult to see the stitches as you are completing them.

The most common type of yarn for most crochet projects is worsted weight yarn.  If you prefer to crochet with a heavier weight of yarn, just remember that you will need a larger size of crochet hook.

TYPES OF YARN

Wool Yarn

Wool yarn is a great choice if you are a beginner.  You will find that it is flexible and very forgiving.  If you make a mistake using wool, it is very easy to unravel that portion of your project with the mistake and re-crochet it.  You may have difficulty using wool, however, if you or a family member has allergies to wool.  In that case, you should choose another type of yarn.  Also, wool yarn is more expensive than other types of yarn, which may be a factory for you and your project.

Cotton Yarn

Cotton yarn is less forgiving than wool yarn.  It has less give to it and won’t stretch.  This makes it slightly harder to crochet with, especially if you are a beginner.  However, it is a lighter yarn to work with, so if don’t like the heat or warmth of crocheting a project made of wool, you should consider using cotton yarn.

Acrylic Yarn

Wool and cotton yarn are both natural fibers.  Acrylic yarn is man-made.  It is usually the least expensive option for crafters and comes in a wide variety of colors and types.  It is a good choice for beginners, however, if you are looking to create a family heirloom, you may wish to choose a natural fiber.

TOOLS

The nice thing about crochet is that you only need a hook and some yarn and you are all set to create a new project.  There are a wide variety of sizes of crochet hooks available.  The picture below shows a variety of fine crochet hooks that range in size.  These types of metal hooks or painted metal hooks are used with thinner sizes of yarn and crochet thread.

The following picture shows larger-sized crochet hooks that are made of plastic.  They are used with thicker yarn and even other materials used in crochet, such as strips of fabric and novelty yarns.

STANDARD CROCHET HOOK SIZES

It is important to use the correct size of crochet hook for the type of yarn or thread or fabric that you will be using.  If you use a cotton thread and a large plastic crochet hook, your stitches will be large and loopy and your project will be very oversized and misshapen.  Alternatively, it would be very difficult to crochet with thin strips of fabric using a tiny crochet hook made for cotton thread.

Once you choose a thread or yarn, the label on the outside of the yarn will indicate which size of crochet hook you should use.

Crochet hooks are sized using three methods.  You will find the size on the crochet hook package as well as on the flat part in the centre of each hook.  They are sized either by millimeter or by number or by letter.

The following table indicates the millimeter, letter, and number equivalencies so that you will always know which one to choose to complete your project properly.

Millimeter Range

Crochet Hook Size (Numeric)

Crochet Hook Size (Alphabetical)

2.25 mm

1

B

2.75 mm

2

C

3.25 mm

3

D

3.5 mm

4

E

3.75 mm

5

F

4 mm

6

G

4.5 mm

7

n/a

5 mm

8

H

5.5 mm

9

I

6 mm

10

J

6.5 mm

10.5

K

8 mm

11

L

9 mm

13

M/N

10 mm

15

N/P

12.75 mm

17

n/a

15 mm

19

P/Q

16 mm

n/a

Q

19 mm

35

S

25 mm

50

n/a

STITCHES

This section contains an explanation of the different types of stitches and how to make each one.  There are photos for each stitch so that you can easily see if you have made it correctly.

CHAIN STITCH

Make the chain stitch (Ch) by making a slip knot or tying the yarn around your crochet hook.  Loop your crochet hook under and around the yarn and use the hook to pull it through the loop on your hook.  Then, loop your crochet hook under and around the yarn again and use the hook to pull it through the second loop on your hook.  You will see that a chain is beginning to form.   Continue until the chain is as long as your pattern requires.

SLIP STITCH

The slip stitch (Sl St) is used in this book in order to join rounds or different parts of a project together.  To create a slip stitch, insert your hook into the particular part of your project that is indicated in the directions.  Then, loop your hook around your yarn and draw the yarn through your project.

SINGLE CROCHET

To make a single crochet (SC) insert your hook into your project.  Loop the yarn over your hook and pull your hook back through your project.  You will now have two loops on your crochet hook.  Finally, loop the yarn around your hook and pull the yarn through both loops on your hook so that you now only have one loop on your hook.

DOUBLE CROCHET

To make a double crochet (DC) loop the yarn around your hook, insert your hook into your project, loop the yarn again on your hook, and draw the yarn back through your project.  Now, you will have three loops on your hook.  Next, loop the yarn over your hook and pull your hook through the first two loops.  Now, you will have two loops on your hook.  Next, loop the yarn over your hook and pull your hook through the remaining two loops.  You will now be left with one loop on your hook.

PROJECT SIZE BASICS

Now that you are familiar with the materials, tools, and stitches that will be used in your projects, let’s choose a size of afghan.

Here is a list of common sizes of beds:

- Twin: 39” x 75”
- Extra long twin: 39” x 80”
- Full or double: 54” x 75”
- Queen: 60” x 80”
- King: 76” x 80”
- California king: 72” x 84”
- Crib: 28” x 52”

This is a list of common sizes of afghans:

- Children under 2 years: 24” x 30”
- Small lap blanket: 28” x 36”
- Children between 2-6: 30” x 36”
- Children between 7-11: 36” x 42”
- Children over 12: 48” x 60”
- Medium lap-sized afghan: 36” x 48”
- Adult-sized afghan: 50” x 70”

Remember that a larger-sized afghan will be more than a 1-day project, but will be very rewarding to complete.  If you are looking for a true 1-day afghan project, I would suggest that you start with a baby blanket or an afghan for a child or a lap-sized afghan.

Also note that an afghan made from single crochet stitches will take much longer to crochet than an afghan made from granny squares of double or triple crochet stitches.

The afghan projects in this book will be based on creating either a baby blanket or a small lap blanket (approximately 28” x 36”).  Feel free to increase the pattern in any project if you would like to create a larger sized afghan.

Some of the projects in this book will determine the amount of yarn needed by the yard or meter.  For example, you may require 860 yards or 786 meters of yarn for a small lap blanket based on using worsted weight yarn and a size 5 crochet hook.    If the yarn you have chosen contains 400 yards of material, you will need between 2-3 balls of yarn for that project.

Other projects will determine the amount of yarn required by the ounce.  For example, if the pattern calls for 20 ounces of yarn and you are buying yarn that is sold in 5 ounce balls, you will need 4 balls of yarn for your project.

In any case, it is always a good idea to buy at least an extra 10% of yarn for your project in case your stitches are a different size than the scale used in this book.

RAINBOW AFGHAN #1

Materials:

- Approximately 20oz. for small lap blanket or 30oz. for a medium lap blanket – 5oz. each of 6 different colors (purple, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red)

- Suggested yarn is medium weight acrylic such as Bernat Worsted

- Crochet hook size 5.00mm (H/8)

- Darning needle for weaving in ends of yarn when your project is completed

- Safety pin to temporarily mark your stitch at the beginning of your project

Gauge:

- Stitch gauge: 13 SC = 4 inches

- Row gauge: not applicable

Instructions:

Small: Ch 85

Medium: Ch 117

Start with purple

NOTE: You will change colors a lot during this project – ensure you leave a 6” tail each time for each color so that they can be woven into the project at the end

Full Version of this afghan:

This book is a “one-day crochet” book, so I have reduced this pattern down to a doable one-day pattern.  If you would like to complete the exact afghan as shown on the cover and at the beginning of this pattern, here is the sequence you should follow:

11 different colors of yarn:

- Purple
- Dark blue
- Medium blue
- Light blue
- Green
- Light yellow
- Dark yellow
- Light peach
- Dark peach
- Light cranberry red
- Dark cranberry red

Follow the instructions below, however, the first 6 rows will now be the first 11 rows, then you will start again at purple and add 12 rows of each color as in row 7 below, using the 11-color sequence noted above.  Once you have completed 12 rows of each of the 11 colors, you will follow the “Next Rows” instructions below, 1 SC row for each of the 11 colors, just like you did in the first 11 rows.  You will end with purple.

Or, you can do the one-day version below.

One-Day Version of this afghan:

Row 1 (purple):

- Use the safety pin to temporarily mark the 1st Ch from your hook

- SC in the 3rd Ch from your hook
- Ch 1, skip the next Ch, SC in the next Ch
- Continue until you reach the end of the row
- Ch 1 and turn

Row 2 (blue):

- SC in the next Ch-1 space and then Ch 1

- Repeat this across the rest of the row

- When you reach the end of the row, SC into the stitch where you had placed your safety pin and remove the safety pin

- Ch 1 and turn

Row 3 (green):

- SC in the next Ch-1 space and then Ch 1

- Repeat this across the rest of the row

- When you reach the end of the row, SC into the turning Ch of the previous row

- Ch 1 and turn

- Continue until you have completed 1 SC row of each color you are using (rows 4-6)

Row 7-? (purple):

- Ch 3 and then 3-DC in the next Ch-1 space

- Ch 1 and then skip the next Ch-1 space and 3-DC in the next Ch-1 space

- Continue on in this manner until you reach the end of the row

- DC in the last stitch of the row

- Ch 3 and turn

- Continue with purple until you have a stripe that is the size you desire (or most of the yarn you have, leaving enough for 1 SC row at the end)

- Create the same number of similar DC rows with the remaining 5 colors in the same order as your SC rows in the beginning, ending with red

- In the very last row of the very last color, Ch 1 and turn

Next rows (red):

- SC in the next Ch-1 space and then Ch 1

- Continue to SC in every second stitch with Ch 1 in between each SC until the end of the row

- When you reach the end of the row, SC into the turning Ch of the previous row

- Ch 1 and turn

- Continue until you have completed 1 SC row of each color you are using (ending with purple)

Finish:

At the end, finish your last row by tying a knot in your yarn and cutting the yarn, leaving an approximately 6” tail.  Use your darning needle to weave the beginning tail and the ending tail into the blanket.  Use your darning needle to weave all of the tails of your project into the project from all of the color changes.

STRIPED AFGHAN

Materials:

- Approximately 20oz. for small lap blanket or 30oz. for a medium lap blanket – one-half each of two different colors

- Suggested yarn is medium weight acrylic such as Bernat Worsted

- Crochet hook size 5.00mm (H/8)

- Darning needle for weaving in ends of yarn when your project is completed

- Safety pin to temporarily mark your stitch at the beginning of your project

Gauge:

- Stitch gauge: 13 SC = 4 inches

- Row gauge: not applicable

Instructions:

Small: Ch 85

Medium: Ch 117

Row 1:

- Use the safety pin to temporarily mark the 1st Ch from your hook

- SC in the 3rd Ch from your hook
- Ch 1, skip the next Ch, SC in the next Ch
- Continue until you reach the end of the row
- Ch 1 and turn

Row 2:

- SC in the next Ch-1 space and then Ch 1

- Repeat this across the rest of the row

- When you reach the end of the row, SC into the stitch where you had placed your safety pin and remove the safety pin

- Ch 1 and turn

Row 3:

- SC in the next Ch-1 space and then Ch 1

- Repeat this across the rest of the row

- When you reach the end of the row, SC into the turning Ch of the previous row

- Ch 1 and turn

- Continue until you reach the end of your afghan

- NOTE: Change color after every 6 rows to create the striped effect of this project

Finish:

At the end, finish your last row by tying a knot in your yarn and cutting the yarn, leaving an approximately 6” tail.  Use your darning needle to weave the beginning tail and the ending tail into the blanket.

To make the fringe on the edges of your afghan, cut 3 six-inch strands of yarn for each  stitch along the side of the afghan where you will add a fringe.  If you have 20 stitches, you will need 60 strands of yarn.  Use 3 strands for each stitch.  Hold the strands so that both ends are even.  Fold all three in half, creating a loop at one end.  Put your crochet hook through the first stitch and catch the loop you created.  Pull the loop through the stitch so that the loop hangs below and behind the stitch.  Use the hook to pull the strands of yarn through the loop, attaching it to the project.  Repeat for each stitch on each side that you want a fringe.  Note that the fringe will add more yarn to the requirement for this project.

SMALL GRANNY SQUARE AFGHAN

Materials:

- Approximately 20oz. for small lap blanket or 30oz. for a medium lap blanket – 4 or 5oz. each of a variety of colors, slightly heavy on the white for joining the squares together

- Suggested yarn is medium weight acrylic such as Bernat Worsted

- Crochet hook size 5.00mm (H/8)

- Darning needle for weaving in ends of yarn when your project is completed

Gauge:

- Granny squares can be worked in any gauge, just be sure to match your hook size to the recommendation on the label of the yarn you are using

Instructions:

Round 1:

- Begin with a slip knot

- Ch 6

- Join the last chain to the slip knot with a Sl St to make a circle

- Ch 3, then 2 DC, Ch 2 (all of the DC are made in the center of the circle)

- (3 DC, Ch 2) three times (all of the DC are made in the center of the circle)

- Sl St to join the last stitch made to the first stitch made to close the first round

Round 2:

- Change the color of your yarn for this round

- Ch 3, 2 DC in Ch-2 space

- Ch 2 (this makes the corner space)

- 3 DC in the same space (this sequence makes the corner and you will do the same for every corner of your project)

- Ch 2 (this is the space you will make between crochet sections throughout each granny square)

- 3 DC in next space, Ch 2, 3 DC in same space, Ch 2 (this is your second corner)

- 3 DC in next space, Ch 2, 3 DC in same space, Ch 2 (this is your third corner)

- 3 DC in next space, Ch 2, 3 DC in same space, Ch 2 (this is your fourth corner)

- Sl St to join the last stitch made to the third chain stitch made in this round to close the round

Round 3:

- Change the color of your yarn for this round

- Ch 3, 2 DC in Ch-2 space

- 3 DC in next space, Ch 2, 3 DC in same space, Ch 2 (this sequence makes the corner and you will do the same for every corner of your project)

- Ch 2 (this is the space you will make between crochet sections throughout each granny square)

- 3 DC in next space (this is not a corner) and then Ch 2

- 3 DC in next space, Ch 2, 3 DC in same space (this is your second corner)

- Ch 2 and 3 DC in next space (this is not a corner) and then Ch 2

- 3 DC in next space, Ch 2, 3 DC in same space (this is your third corner)

- Ch 2 and 3 DC in next space (this is not a corner) and then Ch 2

- 3 DC in next space, Ch 2, 3 DC in same space (this is your fourth corner)

- Ch 2 and 3 DC in next space (this is not a corner) and then Ch 2

- Sl St to join the last stitch made to the third chain stitch made in this round to close the round

Round 4 and more:

- Change the color of your yarn for this round and all other rounds, ending with a round of white

- Ch 3, 2 DC in Ch-2 space

- Ch 2 and 3 DC in the next Ch-2 space (do this for all spaces until you reach the next corner)

- Ch 2

- 3 DC in next space, Ch 2, 3 DC in same space (this sequence makes the corner and you will do the same for every corner of your project)

- Ch 2 (this is the space you will make between crochet sections throughout each granny square)

- 3 DC in next space (this is not a corner) and then Ch 2 (do this for all spaces until you reach the next corner)

- 3 DC in next space, Ch 2, 3 DC in same space, Ch 2 (this is your second corner)

- 3 DC in next space (this is not a corner) and then Ch 2 (do this for all spaces until you reach the next corner)

- 3 DC in next space, Ch 2, 3 DC in same space, Ch 2 (this is your third corner)

- 3 DC in next space (this is not a corner) and then Ch 2 (do this for all spaces until you reach the next corner)

- 3 DC in next space, Ch 2, 3 DC in same space, Ch 2 (this is your fourth corner)

- 3 DC in next space (this is not a corner) and then Ch 2 (do this for all spaces until you reach the beginning of this round)

- Sl St to join the last stitch made to the third chain stitch made in this round to close the round

Finish:

At the end, finish your last round by tying a knot in your yarn and cutting the yarn, leaving an approximately 6” long tail.  Use your darning needle to weave the beginning tail and the ending tail and all tails from changing colors into each square.

Create as many granny squares as are necessary for your project.  To determine how many squares you will need, measure your finished square and divide the total dimension of your finished afghan with the size of the square to figure out how many you will need.  For example, if your square is 6” wide and 6” long and you want to create an afghan that is 24” x 30”, you would divide 6” into 24” and get 4 squares wide.  Then, you would divide 6” into 30” and get 5 squares long.  You will need 20 squares to finish your project (4 x 5).  Note that your finished project may be slightly bigger as you still need to join your squares together.

You will join your squares together with white yarn.  Loosely assemble your squares together on the floor or a table so that you can see how the squares will be joined together and which square will be joined with which other square or squares.

Take two squares and hold them together with the wrong sides facing outward and the right sides facing together.  The project will be combined using the slip stitch (Sl St).  Leave a 6” tail in your yarn before you start so that it can be woven into your project at the end.  Starting at one corner of the sides to be joined, put your crochet hook through one loop on each square.  Make sure you always choose the same loop on each square and each stitch.  There are two loops on the outer edge of your project.  You can choose either the front loop or the back loop, just be consistent throughout the joining of your project.  After you have put your hook through the loops, hook it around your yarn and pull the yarn through the loops, then put your hook through the next two loops and put your joining yarn through.  Continue in this manner until the entire side has been joined together.  Keep adding squares and joining sides until your entire project is complete.  Finally, weave in all tails.

CHECKERBOARD AFGHAN

Materials:

- Approximately 20oz. for small lap blanket or 30oz. for a medium lap blanket – half white and half a variety of colors, with black for joining the squares together

- Suggested yarn is medium weight acrylic such as Bernat Worsted

- Crochet hook size 5.00mm (H/8)

- Darning needle for weaving in ends of yarn when your project is completed

Gauge:

- Stitch gauge: 13 SC = 4 inches

- Row gauge: not applicable

Instructions:

Ch 27

NOTE: You will make half of your squares white and the other half of the squares will be a variety of colors of yarn that you have selected.  The first square will be white and we will use it to measure and determine how many squares you will need for your project.

Row 1:

- Use the safety pin to temporarily mark the 1st Ch from your hook

- TC in the 3rd Ch from your hook
- Ch 1, skip the next Ch, TC in the next Ch
- Continue until you reach the end of the row
- Ch 3 and turn

Row 2:

- TC in the next Ch-3 space and then Ch 1

- Repeat this across the rest of the row

- When you reach the end of the row, TC into the stitch where you had placed your safety pin and remove the safety pin

- Ch 3 and turn

Row 3:

- TC in the next Ch-3 space and then Ch 1

- Repeat this across the rest of the row

- When you reach the end of the row, TC into the turning Ch of the previous row

- Ch 3 and turn

- Continue until your square is the length you wish it to be

Finish:

At the end, finish your last row by tying a knot in your yarn and cutting the yarn, leaving an approximately 6” long tail.  Use your darning needle to weave the beginning tail and the ending tail into each square.

Create as many squares as are necessary for your project.  To determine how many squares you will need, measure your finished square and divide the total dimension of your finished afghan with the size of the square to figure out how many you will need.  For example, if your square is 6” wide and 6” long and you want to create an afghan that is 24” x 30”, you would divide 6” into 24” and get 4 squares wide.  Then, you would divide 6” into 30” and get 5 squares long.  You will need 20 squares to finish your project (4 x 5).  Note that your finished project may be slightly bigger as you still need to join your squares together.

Once you have determined how many squares you need, divide that number by 2.  You will need this many white squares.  The remaining squares will be made from different colors of yarn.

You will join your squares together with black yarn.  Loosely assemble your squares together on the floor or a table so that you can see how the squares will be joined together and which square will be joined with which other square or squares.

Take two squares and hold them together with the wrong sides facing outward and the right sides facing together.  The project will be combined using the single crochet (SC).  Leave a 6” tail in your yarn before you start so that it can be woven into your project at the end.  Starting at one corner of the sides to be joined, put your crochet hook through one loop on each square.  Make sure you always choose the same loop on each square and each stitch.  There are two loops on the outer edge of your project.  You can choose either the front loop or the back loop, just be consistent throughout the joining of your project.  First, put a slip stitch on your hook.  Then, put your hook through the loops you have chosen.  After you have put your hook through the loops, hook it around your yarn and pull the yarn through the loops.  You will now have two loops on your hook.  Now, wrap your yarn around the hook and pull it through both loops, to make a single crochet.  Continue to SC to the end of the row and the entire side has been joined together.  Keep adding squares and joining sides until your entire project is complete.  Finally, weave in all tails.

RAINBOW AFGHAN #2

Materials:

- Approximately 20oz. for small lap blanket or 30oz. for a medium lap blanket – choose a multi-colored yarn for this project

- Suggested yarn is medium weight acrylic such as Bernat Worsted

- Crochet hook size 5.00mm (H/8)

- Darning needle for weaving in ends of yarn when your project is completed

Gauge:

- Granny squares can be worked in any gauge, just be sure to match your hook size to the recommendation on the label of the yarn you are using

Instructions:

Round 1:

- Begin with a slip knot

- Ch 6

- Join the last chain to the slip knot with a Sl St to make a circle

- Ch 3, then 2 DC, Ch 2 (all of the DC are made in the center of the circle)

- (3 DC, Ch 2) three times (all of the DC are made in the center of the circle)

- Sl St to join the last stitch made to the first stitch made to close the first round

Round 2:

- Ch 3, 2 DC in Ch-2 space

- Ch 2 (this makes the corner space)

- 3 DC in the same space (this sequence makes the corner and you will do the same for every corner of your project)

- Ch 2 (this is the space you will make between crochet sections throughout each granny square)

- 3 DC in next space, Ch 2, 3 DC in same space, Ch 2 (this is your second corner)

- 3 DC in next space, Ch 2, 3 DC in same space, Ch 2 (this is your third corner)

- 3 DC in next space, Ch 2, 3 DC in same space, Ch 2 (this is your fourth corner)

- Sl St to join the last stitch made to the third chain stitch made in this round to close the round

Round 3:

- Ch 3, 2 DC in Ch-2 space

- 3 DC in next space, Ch 2, 3 DC in same space, Ch 2 (this sequence makes the corner and you will do the same for every corner of your project)

- Ch 2 (this is the space you will make between crochet sections throughout each granny square)

- 3 DC in next space (this is not a corner) and then Ch 2

- 3 DC in next space, Ch 2, 3 DC in same space (this is your second corner)

- Ch 2 and 3 DC in next space (this is not a corner) and then Ch 2

- 3 DC in next space, Ch 2, 3 DC in same space (this is your third corner)

- Ch 2 and 3 DC in next space (this is not a corner) and then Ch 2

- 3 DC in next space, Ch 2, 3 DC in same space (this is your fourth corner)

- Ch 2 and 3 DC in next space (this is not a corner) and then Ch 2

- Sl St to join the last stitch made to the third chain stitch made in this round to close the round

Finish:

At the end, finish your third and last round by tying a knot in your yarn and cutting the yarn, leaving an approximately 6” long tail.  Use your darning needle to weave the beginning tail and the ending tail and all tails into each square.

Create as many granny squares as are necessary for your project.  To determine how many squares you will need, measure your finished square and divide the total dimension of your finished afghan with the size of the square to figure out how many you will need.  For example, if your square is 6” wide and 6” long and you want to create an afghan that is 24” x 30”, you would divide 6” into 24” and get 4 squares wide.  Then, you would divide 6” into 30” and get 5 squares long.  You will need 20 squares to finish your project (4 x 5).  Note that your finished project may be slightly bigger as you still need to join your squares together.

You will join your squares together with the same multi-colored yarn you used for the squares.  Loosely assemble your squares together on the floor or a table so that you can see how the squares will be joined together and which square will be joined with which other square or squares.

Take two squares and hold them together with the right sides facing outward and the wrong sides facing together.  The project will be combined using the single crochet (SC) stitch, however, we will make the border so that it shows as a raised seam on the front side of the project.  Leave a 6” tail in your yarn before you start so that it can be woven into your project at the end.  Starting at one corner of the sides to be joined, put your crochet hook through both loops on each square.  Make sure you always choose both loops on each square and each stitch.  There are two loops on the outer edge of your project.  You want to choose both the front loop and the back loop throughout the joining of your project.  First, put a slip stitch on your hook.  Then, put your hook through all four loops.  After you have put your hook through the loops, hook it around your yarn and pull the yarn through the loops.  You will now have two loops on your hook.  Now, wrap your yarn around the hook and pull it through both loops, to make a single crochet.  Continue to SC to the end of the row and the entire side has been joined together.  Keep adding squares and joining sides until your entire project is complete.  Finally, weave in all tails.

GIANT GRANNY SQUARE AFGHAN

Materials:

- Approximately 20oz. for small lap blanket or 30oz. for a medium lap blanket – approximately 40% white, 40% light blue, and 20% dark blue as in the photo, or a similar percentage of three colors of your choosing

- Suggested yarn is medium weight acrylic such as Bernat Worsted

- Crochet hook size 5.00mm (H/8)

- Darning needle for weaving in ends of yarn when your project is completed

Gauge:

- Granny squares can be worked in any gauge, just be sure to match your hook size to the recommendation on the label of the yarn you are using

- The first four rounds will be light blue, followed by two rounds of dark blue, followed by four rounds of white and then two more rounds of dark blue

- This color pattern will continue until you are finished your project

Instructions:

Round 1:

- Begin with a slip knot

- Ch 6

- Join the last chain to the slip knot with a Sl St to make a circle

- Ch 3, then 2 DC, Ch 2 (all of the DC are made in the center of the circle)

- (3 DC, Ch 2) three times (all of the DC are made in the center of the circle)

- Sl St to join the last stitch made to the first stitch made to close the first round

Round 2:

- Ch 3, 2 DC in Ch-2 space

- Ch 2 (this makes the corner space)

- 3 DC in the same space (this sequence makes the corner and you will do the same for every corner of your project)

- Ch 2 (this is the space you will make between crochet sections throughout each granny square)

- 3 DC in next space, Ch 2, 3 DC in same space, Ch 2 (this is your second corner)

- 3 DC in next space, Ch 2, 3 DC in same space, Ch 2 (this is your third corner)

- 3 DC in next space, Ch 2, 3 DC in same space, Ch 2 (this is your fourth corner)

- Sl St to join the last stitch made to the third chain stitch made in this round to close the round

Round 3:

- Ch 3, 2 DC in Ch-2 space

- 3 DC in next space, Ch 2, 3 DC in same space, Ch 2 (this sequence makes the corner and you will do the same for every corner of your project)

- Ch 2 (this is the space you will make between crochet sections throughout each granny square)

- 3 DC in next space (this is not a corner) and then Ch 2

- 3 DC in next space, Ch 2, 3 DC in same space (this is your second corner)

- Ch 2 and 3 DC in next space (this is not a corner) and then Ch 2

- 3 DC in next space, Ch 2, 3 DC in same space (this is your third corner)

- Ch 2 and 3 DC in next space (this is not a corner) and then Ch 2

- 3 DC in next space, Ch 2, 3 DC in same space (this is your fourth corner)

- Ch 2 and 3 DC in next space (this is not a corner) and then Ch 2

- Sl St to join the last stitch made to the third chain stitch made in this round to close the round

Round 4 and more:

- Ch 3, 2 DC in Ch-2 space

- Ch 2 and 3 DC in the next Ch-2 space (do this for all spaces until you reach the next corner)

- Ch 2

- 3 DC in next space, Ch 2, 3 DC in same space (this sequence makes the corner and you will do the same for every corner of your project)

- Ch 2 (this is the space you will make between crochet sections throughout each granny square)

- 3 DC in next space (this is not a corner) and then Ch 2 (do this for all spaces until you reach the next corner)

- 3 DC in next space, Ch 2, 3 DC in same space, Ch 2 (this is your second corner)

- 3 DC in next space (this is not a corner) and then Ch 2 (do this for all spaces until you reach the next corner)

- 3 DC in next space, Ch 2, 3 DC in same space, Ch 2 (this is your third corner)

- 3 DC in next space (this is not a corner) and then Ch 2 (do this for all spaces until you reach the next corner)

- 3 DC in next space, Ch 2, 3 DC in same space, Ch 2 (this is your fourth corner)

- 3 DC in next space (this is not a corner) and then Ch 2 (do this for all spaces until you reach the beginning of this round)

- Sl St to join the last stitch made to the third chain stitch made in this round to close the round

- This fourth round is the final round in your first color and then you will change color for two rounds and then use your third color for four rounds and then back to your second color for two rounds

- Continue using this color patter until you are finished

Finish:

At the end, finish your last round by tying a knot in your yarn and cutting the yarn, leaving an approximately 6” long tail.  Use your darning needle to weave the beginning tail and the ending tail and all tails from changing colors into each square.

DAISY AFGHAN

Materials:

- Approximately 20oz. for small lap blanket or 30oz. for a medium lap blanket – approximately half of the yarn will be white with approximately 4oz. each of yellow, green, pink, and orange

- Suggested yarn is medium weight acrylic such as Bernat Worsted

- Crochet hook size 5.00mm (H/8)

- Darning needle for weaving in ends of yarn when your project is completed

Gauge:

- Granny squares can be worked in any gauge, just be sure to match your hook size to the recommendation on the label of the yarn you are using

Instructions:

Round 1 (yellow center):

- Begin with a slip knot

- Ch 6

- Join the last chain to the slip knot with a Sl St to make a circle

- SC, Ch 4 in circle (8 times)

- Sl St in first SC to close the round

Round 2 (white petals):

- Change the color of your yarn for this round

- Sl St in any Ch 4 loop, Ch 3, 2 DC, Ch 3, Sl St in same loop, Ch 1

- Repeat 7 more times, once in each of the remaining loops

- Sl St to bottom of first petal made to close the round

Rounds 3 and 4 (green leaves):

- Change the color of your yarn for these two rounds

- Sl St to add the green in between any two petals

- Ch 4 behind the next petal, SC in the Ch 1 space between that petal and the next

- Continue Ch 4 and SC behind each of the remaining 7 petals until you have completed round 3

- Sl St into next Ch 4 loop from round 3

- Ch 3, 2 DC, Ch 2, 3 DC in the same loop (this sequence makes the first corner)

- Ch 2 (this is the space you will make between crochet sections throughout each granny square)

- 3 DC in next loop (this is not a corner) and then Ch 2

- 3 DC in next loop, Ch 2, 3 DC in same loop (this is your second corner)

- Ch 2 and 3 DC in next loop (this is not a corner) and then Ch 2

- 3 DC in next loop, Ch 2, 3 DC in same loop (this is your third corner)

- Ch 2 and 3 DC in next loop (this is not a corner) and then Ch 2

- 3 DC in next loop, Ch 2, 3 DC in same loop (this is your fourth corner)

- Ch 2 and 3 DC in next loop (this is not a corner) and then Ch 2

- Sl St to join the last stitch made to the third chain stitch made at the beginning this round to close the round

Round 5 and more (round 5 will be either pink or orange, followed by 2 rounds of white):

- Change the color of your yarn for this round and all other rounds, ending with two round of white

- Ch 3, 2 DC in Ch-2 space

- Ch 2 and 3 DC in the next Ch-2 space (do this for all spaces until you reach the next corner)

- Ch 2

- 3 DC in next space, Ch 2, 3 DC in same space (this sequence makes the corner and you will do the same for every corner of your project)

- Ch 2 (this is the space you will make between crochet sections throughout each granny square)

- 3 DC in next space (this is not a corner) and then Ch 2 (do this for all spaces until you reach the next corner)

- 3 DC in next space, Ch 2, 3 DC in same space, Ch 2 (this is your second corner)

- 3 DC in next space (this is not a corner) and then Ch 2 (do this for all spaces until you reach the next corner)

- 3 DC in next space, Ch 2, 3 DC in same space, Ch 2 (this is your third corner)

- 3 DC in next space (this is not a corner) and then Ch 2 (do this for all spaces until you reach the next corner)

- 3 DC in next space, Ch 2, 3 DC in same space, Ch 2 (this is your fourth corner)

- 3 DC in next space (this is not a corner) and then Ch 2 (do this for all spaces until you reach the beginning of this round)

- Sl St to join the last stitch made to the third chain stitch made in this round to close the round

Finish:

At the end, finish your last round by tying a knot in your yarn and cutting the yarn, leaving an approximately 6” long tail.  Use your darning needle to weave the beginning tail and the ending tail and all tails from changing colors into each square.

Create as many granny squares as are necessary for your project, half with pink and half with orange as the flower color.  To determine how many squares you will need, measure your finished square and divide the total dimension of your finished afghan with the size of the square to figure out how many you will need.  For example, if your square is 6” wide and 6” long and you want to create an afghan that is 24” x 30”, you would divide 6” into 24” and get 4 squares wide.  Then, you would divide 6” into 30” and get 5 squares long.  You will need 20 squares to finish your project (4 x 5).  Note that your finished project may be slightly bigger as you still need to join your squares together.

You will join your squares together with white yarn.  Loosely assemble your squares together on the floor or a table so that you can see how the squares will be joined together and which square will be joined with which other square or squares.

Take two squares and hold them together with the wrong sides facing outward and the right sides facing together.  The project will be combined using the slip stitch (Sl St).  Leave a 6” tail in your yarn before you start so that it can be woven into your project at the end.  Starting at one corner of the sides to be joined, put your crochet hook through one loop on each square.  Make sure you always choose the same loop on each square and each stitch.  There are two loops on the outer edge of your project.  You can choose either the front loop or the back loop, just be consistent throughout the joining of your project.  After you have put your hook through the loops, hook it around your yarn and pull the yarn through the loops, then put your hook through the next two loops and put your joining yarn through.  Continue in this manner until the entire side has been joined together.  Keep adding squares and joining sides until your entire project is complete.  Finally, weave in all tails.

BABY AFGHAN #1

Materials:

- Approximately 10oz. of yarn for small, 15oz. for medium, or 20oz. for large-sized baby blanket (half light pink and half light blue)

- Suggested yarn is 5oz. light weight acrylic such as Bernat Softee

- Crochet hook size 4.00mm (G/6)

- Darning needle for weaving in ends of yarn when your project is completed

Gauge:

- Stitch gauge: 4 stitches = 1 inch

- Row gauge: not applicable

Instructions (start with light pink):

Small: Ch 105

Medium: Ch 121

Large: Ch 145

NOTE: You will change colors a lot during this project – ensure you leave a 6” tail each time for each color so that they can be woven into the project at the end

Row 1 (light pink):

- DC in the 3rd Ch from your hook
- Ch 1, skip the next Ch, 3-DC in the next Ch
- Continue until you reach the end of the row
- Ch 3 and then 3-DC in the next Ch-1 space

- Ch 1 and then skip the next Ch-1 space and 3-DC in the next Ch-1 space

- Continue on in this manner until you reach the end of the row

- DC in the last stitch of the row

- Ch 3 and turn

Row 2 (light pink):

- 3-DC in the next Ch-1 space

- Ch 1 and then 3-DC in the next Ch-1 space

- Continue on in this manner until you reach the end of the row

- DC in the last stitch of the row

- Ch 3 and turn

Row 3 (light blue):

- 3-DC in the next Ch-1 space

- Ch 1 and then 3-DC in the next Ch-1 space

- Continue on in this manner until you reach the end of the row

- DC in the last stitch of the row

- Ch 3 and turn

- Continue until you have completed your afghan, alternating between two rows of light pink and two rows of light blue

Finish:

At the end, finish your last row by tying a knot in your yarn and cutting the yarn, leaving an approximately 6” tail.  Use your darning needle to weave the beginning tail and the ending tail into the blanket.  Use your darning needle to weave all of the tails of your project into the project from all of the color changes.

To make the fringe on the edges of your afghan, cut 3 12-inch strands of yarn for each stitch along the side of the afghan where you will add a fringe.  If you have 20 stitches, you will need 120 strands of yarn.  Use 3 strands for each stitch.  Hold the strands so that both ends are even.  Fold all three in half, creating a loop at one end.  Put your crochet hook through the first stitch and catch the loop you created.  Pull the loop through the stitch so that the loop hangs below and behind the stitch.  Use the hook to pull the strands of yarn through the loop, attaching it to the project.  Repeat for each stitch on each side that you want a fringe.  Note that the fringe will add more yarn to the requirement for this project.

BABY AFGHAN #2

Materials:

- Approximately 10oz. of yarn for small, 15oz. for medium, or 20oz. for large-sized baby blanket

- Suggested yarn is 5oz. light weight acrylic such as Bernat Softee

- Crochet hook size 4.00mm (G/6)

- Darning needle for weaving in ends of yarn when your project is completed

- Safety pin to temporarily mark your stitch at the beginning of your project

Gauge:

- Stitch gauge: 4 stitches = 1 inch

- Row gauge: not applicable

Instructions:

Small: Ch 105

Medium: Ch 121

Large: Ch 145

Row 1:

- Use the safety pin to temporarily mark the 1st Ch from your hook

- SC in the 3rd Ch from your hook
- Ch 1, skip the next Ch, SC in the next Ch
- Continue until you reach the end of the row
- Ch 1 and turn

Row 2:

- SC in the next Ch-1 space and then Ch 1

- Repeat this across the rest of the row

- When you reach the end of the row, SC into the stitch where you had placed your safety pin and remove the safety pin

- Ch 1 and turn

Row 3:

- SC in the next Ch-1 space and then Ch 1

- Repeat this across the rest of the row

- When you reach the end of the row, SC into the turning Ch of the previous row

- Ch 1 and turn

- Continue until you reach the end of your afghan

Finish:

At the end, finish your last row by tying a knot in your yarn and cutting the yarn, leaving an approximately 6” tail.  Use your darning needle to weave the beginning tail and the ending tail into the blanket.

BABY AFGHAN #3

Materials:

- Approximately 20oz. for small lap blanket or 30oz. for a medium lap blanket – approximately 25% light blue and 75% light yellow

- Suggested yarn is 5oz. light weight acrylic such as Bernat Softee

- Crochet hook size 4.00mm (G/6)

- Darning needle for weaving in ends of yarn when your project is completed

Gauge:

- Granny squares can be worked in any gauge, just be sure to match your hook size to the recommendation on the label of the yarn you are using

- The first five rounds will be light yellow, followed by five rounds of alternating blue and yellow, followed by five rounds of light yellow and continuing in this manner until it finishes with two rounds of light blue

- This color pattern will continue until you are finished your project

Instructions:

Round 1:

- Begin with a slip knot

- Ch 6

- Join the last chain to the slip knot with a Sl St to make a circle

- Ch 3, then 2 DC, Ch 2 (all of the DC are made in the center of the circle)

- (3 DC, Ch 2) three times (all of the DC are made in the center of the circle)

- Sl St to join the last stitch made to the first stitch made to close the first round

Round 2:

- Ch 3, 2 DC in Ch-2 space

- Ch 2 (this makes the corner space)

- 3 DC in the same space (this sequence makes the corner and you will do the same for every corner of your project)

- Ch 2 (this is the space you will make between crochet sections throughout each granny square)

- 3 DC in next space, Ch 2, 3 DC in same space, Ch 2 (this is your second corner)

- 3 DC in next space, Ch 2, 3 DC in same space, Ch 2 (this is your third corner)

- 3 DC in next space, Ch 2, 3 DC in same space, Ch 2 (this is your fourth corner)

- Sl St to join the last stitch made to the third chain stitch made in this round to close the round

Round 3:

- Ch 3, 2 DC in Ch-2 space

- 3 DC in next space, Ch 2, 3 DC in same space, Ch 2 (this sequence makes the corner and you will do the same for every corner of your project)

- Ch 2 (this is the space you will make between crochet sections throughout each granny square)

- 3 DC in next space (this is not a corner) and then Ch 2

- 3 DC in next space, Ch 2, 3 DC in same space (this is your second corner)

- Ch 2 and 3 DC in next space (this is not a corner) and then Ch 2

- 3 DC in next space, Ch 2, 3 DC in same space (this is your third corner)

- Ch 2 and 3 DC in next space (this is not a corner) and then Ch 2

- 3 DC in next space, Ch 2, 3 DC in same space (this is your fourth corner)

- Ch 2 and 3 DC in next space (this is not a corner) and then Ch 2

- Sl St to join the last stitch made to the third chain stitch made in this round to close the round

Round 4 and more:

- Ch 3, 2 DC in Ch-2 space

- Ch 2 and 3 DC in the next Ch-2 space (do this for all spaces until you reach the next corner)

- Ch 2

- 3 DC in next space, Ch 2, 3 DC in same space (this sequence makes the corner and you will do the same for every corner of your project)

- Ch 2 (this is the space you will make between crochet sections throughout each granny square)

- 3 DC in next space (this is not a corner) and then Ch 2 (do this for all spaces until you reach the next corner)

- 3 DC in next space, Ch 2, 3 DC in same space, Ch 2 (this is your second corner)

- 3 DC in next space (this is not a corner) and then Ch 2 (do this for all spaces until you reach the next corner)

- 3 DC in next space, Ch 2, 3 DC in same space, Ch 2 (this is your third corner)

- 3 DC in next space (this is not a corner) and then Ch 2 (do this for all spaces until you reach the next corner)

- 3 DC in next space, Ch 2, 3 DC in same space, Ch 2 (this is your fourth corner)

- 3 DC in next space (this is not a corner) and then Ch 2 (do this for all spaces until you reach the beginning of this round)

- Sl St to join the last stitch made to the third chain stitch made in this round to close the round

- Continue to crochet rounds until your project is finished using the following color pattern:

- 5 rounds light yellow
- 1 round light blue
- 1 round light yellow
- 1 round light blue
- 1 round light yellow
- 1 round light blue
- 5 rounds light yellow

- Continue with alternating blue and yellow and 5 rounds of yellow until you are almost done

- Finish with 2 rounds of light blue

Finish:

At the end, finish your last round by tying a knot in your yarn and cutting the yarn, leaving an approximately 6” long tail.  Use your darning needle to weave the beginning tail and the ending tail and all tails from changing colors into each square.

CONCLUSION

Well, I hope you have been inspired to do one of the following:

- Start your first crochet project
- Finish an unfinished crochet project
- Start a new crochet project from this book
- Create a gift for someone

I hope that you feel that you are now equipped with the knowledge to start and complete a beautiful afghan.  There are so many beautiful styles and colors to choose from, I am excited for you to begin your next project.

Please feel free to use the patterns in this book in various different color combinations to create your own unique masterpiece.

Happy crocheting!

MY COLLECTION OF CRAFT BOOKS

As a bonus for buying my crochet book, One-Day Crochet: Afghans, I am pleased to give you my Christmas craft series of books, absolutely free!  I really hope you enjoy the craft books.  My children and I have spent many, many hours making Christmas crafts for ourselves, for others, and even to sell at craft shows.  Enjoy!

ONE-DAY CROCHET: AFGHANS

CHRISTMAS CRAFTS

CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS

CHRISTMAS CRAFT FOR KIDS

THANK YOU

I see you’ve made it all the way to the end of my book.  I’m so glad you enjoyed it enough to get all the way through!  If you liked the book, would you be open to leaving me an honest review?  You see, I’m a self-published author, and when people like you are able to give me reviews, it helps me out in a big way.  You can leave a review for me at the Amazon page for this book.

It’d really mean a lot to me.

Thank you.

Barb Asselin