Christmas DIY Decorations With Our Favourite Makers

Christmas is the perfect time to get creative and showcase your crafty skills. Combine your creativity with your talents and recreate our favourite Christmas DIY decorations inspired by our favourite makers. From DIY Christmas table decorations to Christmas projects that allow you to adorn your home with a festive touch, our makers offer inspiration and guidance in creating these effortlessly festive designs.

Find everything you need to recreate these projects, including quilting fabrics, craft supplies and tools as well as incredibly helpful guidance and tips from our favourite makers, right here at Spotlight.

Quick Links

• Quilted Christmas Table Runner With @allysiejkaart
• Faux Christmas Candle With @nina.loves.to.sew
• Quilted Patchwork Christmas Bow With @allysiejkaart

Quilted Christmas Table Runner With @allysiejkaart

As the centre of many holiday gatherings, your table setting sets the scene for your festive celebrations, and creating DIY Christmas table decorations is a great way to elevate your holiday table setting with a homemade charm. Maker Ally Siejka, also known on Instagram as @allysiejkaart, demonstrates how to put together this cosy table runner, the perfect foundation for your holiday centrepiece. Whether you're a beginner quilter or experienced in this realm of crafting, follow along Ally's project and recreate DIY Christmas table decorations that will set your holiday table setting apart.

What You'll Need

• Selection of Spotlight Christmas fabric (Ally used 10 different patterns, but you can use as many or as few as you would like) 40 cm of each colour - if using 10 patterns
• Plain coloured cotton fabric (Ally used 5 different colours - red, pine green, navy, baby pink and mint) 1/2 metre of each colour - if using 5 colours
• White fabric 70 cm
• Backing fabric - Total length of your finished piece if you don't want joins on the back
• Binding fabric - 1/2 metre additional fabric if making your own or premade bias binding
• Thread (Ally used white Gutermann thread throughout the whole project)
• Cotton wadding
• Sewing machine
• Cutting mat
• Rotary cutter
• Scissors
• Quilting clips
• Safety pins

How to Make The Quilted Christmas Table Runner

Star Patches

Ally made a total of 26 star patches for this runner. Each patch was a different colourway, but this would also look beautiful with the same colour way on all star patches. It is a very flexible design. To make one star patch you will need 2 x 4x4" squares (1 plain fabric and 1 patterned fabric. This will create the two triangle square patches for the star points) 1 x 3x3" square for the centre of the star (Ally used a third fabric here to create contrast, however you can use the same colour as the star points to make the star look like a solid colour) 4x 1 3/4"x1 3/4" squares for the corners (same colour as one of the colours in the 2 triangle square patches)

First, get your two 4x4" squares and place them on top of each other. Right sides together. Draw a diagonal line along each corner to create an X. Stitch 1 cm either side of the diagonal lines. Cut along the diagonal lines with a rotary cutter and then through the middle vertically and horizontally. This will give you 8 triangles that need to be opened to create the two triangle squares. Press the seams and cut the tails to create a neat square patch ready for your patchwork star. Now place all your pieces to create a star pattern you are happy with. Attach the top row together. Then row 2 and 3 half triangle patches together and attach to the middle patch. Then the bottom row. Press the seams. Sew all the rows together. Press the seams. Trim the edges so they are neat and ready to sew the patchwork top together. Sew 26 star patches in total.

Border

For the border, Ally used an off-white fabric and three different plain coloured fabrics for the little squares in between. (Baby pink, pine green and red) Ally talks of how she loves the contrast this gave the final design and made the star patches stand out. However, you can use any colour combination for your border design. White fabric - 67 x 5.5x2" rectangle patches. Colour fabric - 42 x 2x2" square patches (if you are doing 3 different colours for these patches, you need 14 of each colour = 42 pieces)

Assembly

Once you have all your star patches pressed and trimmed and all your border pieces cut, it is time to assemble the patchwork top. Find a clear area to lay out your design.

• First row - 1 coloured border square, 1 white border piece horizontal, 1 coloured border square, 1 white border piece horizontal, 1 coloured border square
• Second row - 1 white border piece vertical, 1 star patch, 1 white border piece vertical, 1 star patch, 1 white border piece vertical

You keep repeating these rows until you have used all your pieces. Note: the runner should start and end with this combination - 1 coloured border square, 1 white border piece horizontal, 1 coloured border square, 1 white border piece horizontal, 1 coloured border square.

Now it's time to sew it all. Ally began by sewing each row, pressing the seams for each row and then attaching the rows. Press the seams down and you will have a completed patchwork top!

Quilt Sandwich

Get your backing piece of fabric and place it on a flat surface. Place your patchwork on top and cut around. Ally advises to leave an extra 1" border of backing fabric while quilting everything. Get your cotton wadding and cut the same size as the backing fabric. Ally used two layers of cotton wadding in this runner, but you could use one if preferred. Place the backing fabric right side down onto your table or surface. Place one piece of wadding on top. Spraying with basting spray between layers and rubbing it out flat. Then place the next layer of wadding on. Followed by the patchwork top, right side facing up. Each layer should be secured with the basting spray. Grab your safety pins and attach around the perimeter and a few of the star patches to keep everything secure and in place while quilting.

Quilting

With a sewing machine, Ally 'stitches in the ditch', which is sewing in the crevice through each seam. She does this along all horizontal and vertical seams.

Binding

Once finished, cut off the excess border of fabric with a rotary cutter and make sure everything is neat and straight. Measure the outside to see how much binding you will need. It should be approximately 520 cm. Ally likes to add a little extra when making her binding, just in case. You can also use a pre-bought bias binding for this. Sew your binding like normal. Attach to the back first. Then fold over the front, secure with quilting clips. Sew the top binding with your machine or by hand.

Tips:

• Before starting the project and cutting any material, Ally likes to iron all fabric first so that her cuts are neat and accurate.
• Always iron your seams.
• Using the same seam allowance throughout the project will help keep everything consistent, so the patchwork lines up nicely.

Faux Christmas Candle With @nina.loves.to.sew

Christmas DIY decorations allow you to showcase both your festive spirit and your creative talents simultaneously. Crafter Nina, also known by her Instagram username @nina.loves.to.sew, demonstrates how to create Christmas projects that result in effortlessly festive decorations, perfect for transforming your home into a holiday paradise. Perfect for your Christmas tree or for displaying around your space, Nina demonstrates how to create faux candles for a DIY project that celebrates tradition with a classic Christmas style. Learn how to recreate Nina's project right here.

What You'll Need

Materials:

• Christmas-print fabric - for the candle base, bow and holly leaves
• Thick card
• Seed beads
• Metallic pipe cleaners in gold and orange
• Mod Podge
• Clips

Tools:

• Paper scissors
• Fabric scissors
• Paintbrush
• Hot glue gun + glue sticks
• Sewing machine
• Heat-erasable fabric marker
• Iron + ironing board
• Turning tool

How to Make Faux Christmas Candles

Create The Candle 'Flames'

Cut your metallic pipe cleaners in half. Thread seed beads onto one pipe cleaner to create the inner flame, shaping it as you go. Repeat with another pipe cleaner to create the outer flame. Add an extra piece of pipe cleaner to give the flame a little more length if needed.

Create The Candle Base

Using your paper scissors, cut a rectangle from your thick card measuring: 8 cm x 13 cm. Cut as many rectangles as the number of candles you would like to make.

Cover The Card With Fabric

Cut your Christmas candle fabric into rectangles measuring approximately: 8 cm x 28 cm. Using a paintbrush, apply Mod Podge to the card and attach the fabric. Smooth the fabric over the card and leave it to dry completely.

Creating The Candle

Once the fabric is dry, roll the card into a tube with the right side of the fabric facing outwards. Use your hot glue gun to secure the edges together. Repeat for each candle.

Add the Flame

Take one of your pipe-cleaner 'flames' and push it through the centre of the tube. Turn the overlapping fabric at the top of the candle inwards using your fingers. Repeat with the bottom fabric. Adjust the flame until you're happy with how it sits and looks.

Make the Fabric Bow

Cut a rectangle out of your Christmas fabric measuring: 50 cm x 10 cm. Fold the fabric in half lengthways, with the right sides together, and press with your iron. Find the centre of the fabric and mark it.

Sew and Turn the Bow

Using your sewing machine, sew along the long edges of the fabric, leaving a 5 cm opening in the centre for turning. Snip the corners, being careful not to cut through your stitching. Turn the fabric right side out using your turning tool. Push out the corners so they are nice and neat, then press with your iron. Finally, sew the opening closed. You will now have 1 long rectangle.

Create Your Bow

Tie and shape your long rectangle into a bow. Play around with the loops and tails until you're happy with their shape.

Make the Holly Leaves

Fold your holly-leaf fabric in half, right sides together. Create a simple holly leaf template using a piece of card, for reference, Nina's leaf is 10 cm long and 6.5 cm wide at its widest part. Place your leaf template on top and trace around it using a heat-erasable fabric marker. Sew directly along the drawn line, leaving a small opening along the straight edge of the leaf. Be sure to backstitch at the beginning and end of your sewn line.

Trim and Turn the Leaves

Carefully cut around the sewn leaf. Trim the corners, being careful not to cut into the stitching. Turn the leaf right side out through the opening. Use your turning tool to gently push out the corners. Press the leaf with your iron.

Add Detail to the Leaves

Fold the leaf in half along the straight edges. Sew a very small stitch across the corner. This simple detail helps give the leaf a more realistic shape. Trim any loose threads.

Assemble Your Candle

Using your hot glue gun, attach your fabric holly leaves and your fabric bow to the candle base. Arrange the leaves and bow until you're happy with how your candle looks.

Attach the Clip

Cut out a small circle out of card and hot glue this to the base of your candle. Hot glue a clip onto the card base. Allow the glue to dry completely before attaching your candle to the Christmas tree.

Quilted Patchwork Christmas Bow With @allysiejkaart

Displaying Christmas decorations on your front door is the perfect way to greet your guests with a festive charm while showcasing your Christmas decorating theme right from the point of entrance into your home. Perfect for your front door, mantlepiece or as a work of art on your wall, crafter Ally demonstrates how to create this cosy decorative piece, outlining all the supplies you need and guiding you through each step that makes this patchwork bow possible. Ideal for those with a bit of experience with a sewing machine or for beginner crafters looking for a fun quilting challenge, check out how Ally made this patchwork Christmas bow over on her Instagram page.

What You'll Need

• Around 1/2 metre of four different fabrics
• Wadding (Ally used Legacy cotton)
• Thread
• Rotary cutter/scissors
• Sewing machine
• Poppa fasteners
• Ribbon

How to Make The Quilted Patchwork Christmas Bow

Matching the Patchwork

Start by cutting out 4x4 inch squares of your chosen three fabrics. Ally used a complementary colour palette of greens with a pop of pink. Arrange your patchwork design into 2 rectangles: 13 patches wide by 3 rows. Start attaching your patches row by row and then attach your rows. Don't forget to iron your seams as you go for a neat patchwork. You should end up with two patchwork rectangles that are approx 42x10 inches.

Quilting

Cut out two pieces of wadding the same size as your rectangles. One rectangle at a time, put your patchwork on top of the wadding and quilt, whichever way you would like to! Ally did 1cm either side of every seam, vertically and horizontally. But you could use the stitch in the ditch method or diagonally.

Attach the Backing

Once you have quilted your patchwork, cut backing pieces out of your fourth fabric colour. The same size as your rectangles. Place the fabric on top of your patchwork, right sides facing each other. Clip around the edges.

For your first rectangle, stitch along the top and bottom of the rectangle, leaving the sides open. Turn inside out once stitched and iron the edges. Fold your rectangle in half, right sides together. Stitch along the open edges to seal. Turn around and you have your first part of the bow complete.

For the second rectangle, draw a diagonal line from the bottom left corner to the second from the edge top patch. Cut along this line and repeat on the right side, bottom right corner to the second from the edge top patch and cut. Stitch around the edge, leaving a 6cm gap down the bottom. Cut the excess fabric from the corners and turn inside out. Poke the corners out with a skewer and press along the edges with an iron. Stitch along the gap to close.

Making the Strap

Now to make the strap to secure the two bow pieces together. Using the backing fabric, cut 2 9.5x3 inch rectangles. Cut a piece of wadding the same size. Place your fabric on top of the wadding (if using a patterned fabric, place right sides together on top) and stitch around the edge, leaving a gap. Trim excess fabric from the corners, turn inside out and poke the corners out with a skewer. Press with an iron and top stitch along the perimeter, closing the gap as you go. Place around your two patchwork pieces to see where to place the poppa fasteners. Follow the instructions on the pack.

Assembling

Once you have your two bow pieces and strap, grab the top bow piece and fold into the centre in the middle. Grab your second piece with the angled bottoms and fold into the centre. Place these two pieces together, lining the middles and place the strap around the middle. Secure with the poppa fasteners and fluff the top of the bow out to make it even.

Tie a piece of ribbon to attach to your front door or the top of your tree! Or you could make smaller ones to add around your house.

You can play around with different fabrics to create fun colour palettes and designs! To make a plain quilted bow, without patchwork, cut 42x10 inch rectangles and follow all other steps.

Recreate Our Favourite Makers' Christmas Projects

This Christmas, express your creativity by recreating these talented makers' favourite Christmas projects. From DIY Christmas table decorations to showstopping tree decorations, there's a project out there for every skill level. Check out @allysiejkaart and @nina.loves.to.sew final projects online and find everything you need to bring your creative visions to life, in store or online at Spotlight.

And for more DIY Christmas inspiration, don't forget to check out our blog articles where you can find fun and festive Christmas Knitting and Crochet Ideas and Christmas Sewing and Quilting Ideas as well as a range of Christmas Crafts You Need To Try.

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