Better Homes & Gardens – Holiday Crafts 2019

Instructions

64 HolidayCrafts 2019

Soft Touch

shown on page 62

MATERIALS

14×14-inch piece of^3 ∕ 4 -inch plywood
Jigsaw
^1 ∕ 4 yard of^1 ∕ 8 -inch-thick hand-dyed
wool felt: green
Sewing thread: white
Hot-glue gun and glue sticks
100—20-millimeter felt balls: white,
light green, dark green
Saw-toothed hanger

Ring a Tree

shown on page 60

MATERIALS

16×24-inch piece of^3 ∕ 4 -inch plywood
Acrylic paint: white and black
Paintbrush
1×2 board cut into two 24-inch
lengths and two 17^1 ∕ 4 -inch lengths
Wood glue
Hammer and^3 ∕ 4 -inch finishing nails
(or nail gun and brads)
2 saw-toothed hangers
1-inch-tall number stencils
Painters tape
^3 ∕ 4 -inch panelboard nails: white
Florists wire
12—^1 ∕ 2 -inch wooden beads
Wire cutters
Jute twine
Hot-glue gun and glue sticks

CUT OUT BASE AND LEAVES

Draw a 13-inch-diameter circle on the

plywood. Draw an 11-inch-diameter circle

inside the 13-inch circle. Cut along the

lines using a jigsaw to make a ring for the

wreath base.

Trace leaf pattern in Pattern Pack

onto white paper; cut out. Trace pattern

54 times onto wool felt; cut out shapes.

Machine-stitch through the center of each

leaf using white sewing thread.

ASSEMBLE THE WREATH

Place leaves on the plywood ring, arranging

them evenly in pairs or individually with the

curved leaf edges facing either inside or

outside the ring. When satisfi ed with the

arrangement, hot-glue leaves to ring.

ASSEMBLE AND PAINT THE SIGN

Paint the plywood using white; let dry.

Use wood glue to adhere a 1^1 ∕ 4 -inch-wide

edge of each 24-inch-long 1×2 to each long

edge of the plywood. Nail the boards to

the plywood at the ends and center. Glue

and nail the 17^1 ∕ 4 -inch-long 1×2s to the

short edges of the plywood. Nail two saw-

toothed hangers to the top back.

Find and mark the center of the

plywood. Plan the layout of each row of

numbers, allowing for about 2 inches

between rows. Mark the rows lightly with

a pencil.

Referring to the photo, right, position

the number stencils, 1 through 25, on the

plywood using painters tape. Paint each

number black; let dry.

Hammer a^3 ∕ 4 -inch panelboard nail above

each number.

Arrange the felt balls in center of ring,

covering straight edges of leaves. Start with

one color, then layer on subsequent colors

one by one. Hot-glue balls to ring before

adding a new ball color.

Attach a saw-toothed hanger to back

of wreath.

MAKE THE BEAD WREATH

String 12 wooden beads onto fl orists wire.

Twist together wire ends to make a ring;

trim excess with wire cutters.

Wrap jute around the wire twist until the

wire gap is covered, securing with hot glue

as needed. Tie a length of jute into a bow

and hot-glue the bow to the wrapped jute.