Start now and you can make your own Christmas cards

Ever meant to make your own Christmas cards, but thought of it too late in December?

Well there's no time like the present to get started!

These days I don't send many Christmas cards partly because I live in China ( and some muppet in our local postal sorting office snaffles most of our cards rather than deliver them... I think they want the stamps, because all the bank statements and bills arrive). Sorry I digress. 

So I decided a couple of years back to make a donation to charity and send everyone an email to greet them and let them know their card was buying a goat instead. 

 But there is something special about making a few cards yourself

 to give close friends and family

and it is in that spirit that I started today.

I started with things that I had readily to hand and in quantity:

• felt
• black card
• pompoms
• fabric
• sewing machine

If you like my idea, then start with what you have and only buy what you need - so if you don't have babushkas on your fabric then use something that is seasonal for you. (I like babushkas any season actually!)

Pompoms are not very practical as they stick out a long way but I really love pompoms and I think the warped card is worth it! You could easily cut  a star out from paper or fabric instead. 

Just keep it simple and graphic, that works best.

Black was an odd choice - I really wanted to use a brown recycled card - but it had been rolled up too long and would not behave. Actually I like the black now - so always work with what you've got, often it comes out better!

Inside the finished card (Not the wording, of course, that's for you to read in the blog)

The finished outside. 

I love red felt hearts at Christmas - think I've got hearts in my danish blood.

Sewing is not meant to be perfect - so give it a try.

I only sewed one pompom per card - but there are lots lying in wait in my cupboard!

 Just showing you the reverse side of the card and felt, to give you the backstory.

 Let me know if these instructions don't make sense - 

but please note I photoshopped this,

 and am very proud of the small steps 

I am making into that huge wilderness of photoshopdom.

"Pompomtastic" as my daughter would say - 

she inherited an irrational urge to collect pompoms too.

In case anyone was interested...

these pompoms are actually all the way from Chiang Mai in Thailand, 

made by Hill tribe ladies. 

(A must visit destination for all pompom lovers.)

Would love to hear what you think, 

you have to be a lonely blogger
to know the difference a little comment makes to my world!

OK enough from me - go have a cup of tea and start planning a few cards yourself.