Aliens + Xmas + Minis + Sakura

Sometimes you put on garments that haven't been worn in a year and there's an old momento, or even a five dollar note (yay). This reminds me, a person once told me they would purposely stuff their winter jacket with bits of money so that the following year they would get a lovely surprise.

Today I was looking at the backdoor of my blog and noticed the blog reading list. I completely forgot about this list. I wiped the dust off the list by clicking on a few of them. Of that list there were only two blogs that are currently active on a weekly basis. Most of the blogs hadn't been updated in ten years, or had been deactivated completely.

This brought mixed emotions. But I reminded myself that many bloggers, same as me, made the transition to Instagram. Admittedly I do not blog as much as what I used to, which is perfectly fine. I come here when I need to. For the most part these days I use my blog to house the links to my craft projects that are floating around out there with other publishers.

And so, without further ado, let me show you some of my craft tutorial highlights.

Xmas tree alien ornaments
Mini Xmas tree	Mini bookshelf	Sakura paper lantern

Tutorial paper craft gingerbread house

Paper craft gingerbread house tutorial

Hands up all those wanting to make a gingerbread house without the hassle of actual baking.

For more information visit the above link, and download this template.

Xmas Crafts

2019 runs it's final lap as we head in toward end of year celebrations, revelations, relaxations, considerations, contemplations...

The Xmas spirit can be fun, but for some it is not always a jolly time. With the cultivated image of what we think Xmas Day should look like, the postcard view can be hard to live up to. It shouldn't matter if there's only one present, or if the Xmas tree is a drawing on piece of paper, yet we do worry that we aren't able to recreate picture perfection on this one day of the year.
For me, the take away of Xmas Day is having a moment of relief, and kindness. Kindness to the stranger on the street, kindness to those we care about, but also kindness to ourselves. It's not always easy, but somewhere between the rush of 'life' traffic we can get lost along the way. So, this season, whether you celebrate Xmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Ōmisoka or the New Year I hope you are able to find something in yourself to love and appreciate.

{My Poppet link}

In other things Xmassie, if you're looking for decorating and present ideas that are ever so easy to make, and inexpensive, head on over to My Poppet – a pretty and clever craft resource. Top of my list is this Xmas Tree Ornament, which is actually a miniature Xmas Tree. Can you imagine a Xmas Tree completely decorated with Xmas Trees?

Here are some other Xmassie nuggets on My Poppet:

• My Poppet – Advent Calendar Coloring Page
• My Poppet – Modern Crochet Calendar
• My Poppet – Paper Christmas Angel
• My Poppet – Scrap Fabric Twine Baubles

Before heading off I also wish to highlight another Xmassie craft project which I produced for Kidspot. It's of a refurbished book which I converted into an angel. For the tutorial video and details head on over to Kidspot. If you so wanted you could use this tutorial as a basis for making a miniature model Xmas tree or even a Dalek. Or, how about a Xmas Dalek. What do you think? Too much, or just enough?

Book Week: Rodrick + Luna

Rodrick & Luna: When fictional worlds collide.

What is Book Week? If not a warm up for Halloween. Or an early traipse into a life long obsession with cosplay.
There's a bit of work helping the kids bring their favorite book characters to life. But as stressful as it can be, the end goal is worth the temporary loss of insanity.
This year the kids wanted to dress as Luna Lovegood (Harry Potter and the order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling) and Rodrick Heffley (Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney).

{Pottermore link}

{IMDB link}

A Rockstar is Born
Creating Rodrick was relatively easy. My youngest only wanted/needed a black shirt to be painted with the words 'löded diper'. She wore the painted shirt, jeans, and because it was a cold day she had a long sleeve shirt underneath. Actually when I come to think of it, she was dressed just like me. Anyhoo, we messed up her hair, sprayed it, and applied rockstar eyeliner, because... Rodrick is pure rockstar. 

 

 

Magic-ing up a Witch
Creating a Luna Lovegood costume was much more. Oh, so much more. I was on a tight schedule for this one. The costume had more components, such as a wand, Quibbler magazine, radish (I mean Dirigible Plum) earrings. I got through making this costume with the aid of the My Poppet Luna Lovegood cosplay tutorials. I loosely followed the My Poppet tutorials, with a few variations of my own. For instance, I made the earrings from sculpting and painting clay. I decorated the wand not with yarn, but with pipe cleaner, and I gave it a gilded appearance with a mega load of hot glue, and metallic paint.

 

 

Today's Post is Brought to You by the Letter P

Why am I talking about the letter p? Because my recent content incidentally starts with the letter P. Such as paper doll... pom pom... and even pony.

Let's get into it so I can take you on a creative journey.

{My Poppet}

You will find my printable paper doll design over at My Poppet. For those who remember and loved paper dolls will appreciate this free printable.

{Kidspot}

Head on over to Kidspot. There you will find my hilarious Pom Pom Shoes DIY.

{this blog}

Then head back to my blog and you will find a sewing tutorial for a flying pony. It comes complete with instructions, and a video (should the instructions make no sense whatsoever ;)).

Sew a Flying Pony

I have create a sewing project for you to try.  With the supporting content video and instructions you can make your very own Flying Pony. How neat is that?

Collect some materials, biscuits and a friend (or two), and get started making this cute flying pony. FYI, the wings can be moved.

You will need:

• 3 felt sheets (different colours)
• 4 buttons
• Pen
• Thread
• Needle
• Hobby fill
• Dressmaker pins
• Haemostat or chopstick
• Craft scissors

Steps:

1. Copy and print the below template, and cut out the pattern pieces.

















2. Place the pattern pieces on felt. Draw outlines of the pattern pieces onto the felt.
Felt 1 – body, ears.
Felt 2 – tail, mane, fringe.
Felt 3 – wing.

3. Cut out the drawn felt pieces.

4. Pin the fringe, ears and mane to the top of a body piece, as per the body pattern reference markers and plain stitch together.

5. Roll up the tail piece along the length, pin it and plain stitch closed.

6. Pin together the two body pieces, with the fringe/ears/mane sandwiched between.

7. Sew along the body perimeter, 3-5mm from the edge. Keep the horse bottom open.

8. Stuff the body with hobby fill.

9. Slip the tail into the bottom opening and pin into position. Sew closed the bottom opening, making sure to stitch into the tail.

10. Stitch one button into either side of the horse’s head, as per the reference marker. The easiest way to do this is to feed the needle from one side of the body to the other, through the holes in the buttons.

11. Layer and pin each pair of wings. Plain stitch lines into each wing piece, as per the reference markers.

12. Position and pin the wings onto either side of the horse’s middle, as per the reference marker. Stitch one button into either side of the wing, as per the reference marker. Do this by feeding the needle from one side of the body to the other, through the holes in the buttons. You now have your very own flying horse.

Go Ahead! Make Your Own Sloth

© Melissa Gaggiano

How could I not be excited? Today I am launching my first craft tutorial ebook, and it's all about the sloth.

This book has been quite a few weeks in the making. There were times I wasn't sure this would actually come together. But a combination of perseverance and getting some sleep, made it possible.

And now, I present to you "Sloth – Felt Design Tutorial", available on my Etsy store.

This PDF download provides you with all the information you would need to make one of my cute sloth designs. It includes:

- material and tool listing
- simple, step by step instructions with matching photographs
- pattern pieces template page

The dimensions of the doll presented in the tutorial are as follows:
Height – 17 cm
Width – 6.5 cm

A little background story...
This sloth originally emerged as a much larger doll that has showcased in a Leonard St clothing boutique in Melbourne. The original sloths wore doll size clothes, replicating Leonard St fashion. For more information about this – Leonard St Sloth.

I then decided to product a smaller scale of the sloth (without clothes), and make it available as a tutorial, for you. Which is where this book comes in.

Visit my Etsy store and buy your own copy of "Sloth – Felt Design Tutorial".

© Melissa Gaggiano

Angel Baby

{My Poppet link}

"Who is the dream who starts me dreaming

Angel baby

Then keeps me worrying and schemeing

You, angel baby, you"

The year is drawing to a close at a pace that I can hardly believe. Time doesn't stand still, and neither do we. There is always something to work toward, and always a time to rest. The planet rests. Flowers rest. Animals rest. Humans are animals, and we too need our rest, as much as we need good work to thrive.

On that note I'd like to take you to My Poppet to access my latest DIY. It is an easy as paper angel project. This decorative piece makes a lovely time out project. So head on over to My Poppet, and get into it!

DIY LoZ Korok Mask

My Poppet Makes

Ding dong!

Halloween is around the bend.

Masks on!

Mischief is in the air.

My latest craft tutorial is now live at My Poppet. It is the perfect project for all you Legend of Zelda enthusiasts. And even if you don't know about LoZ, head on over anyway, to find out what Koroks are all about, and how to make this mask for the lil' Korok in your life.

My Poppet – DIY Korok Mask

A Kaleidoscope of Butterflies

{My Poppet}

I just discovered that a group of butterflies is known as a kaleidoscope. How neat is that? I can picture it, being inside a kaleidoscope filled with butterflies. In fact that give me an idea for another project, but that's for another time. Right now, I want you, to check out my latest butterfly craft project, over at My Poppet.

And if you cannot get enough of butterfly craft, My Poppet also has this butterfly lantern, for you to try.

Chopstick Hairy Accessory

© Melissa Gaggiano

This just in! My latest craft tutorial for My Poppet is now live. Mosey on over to My Poppet and learn how to make this 'sparkly as a star' hair accessory.

© Melissa Gaggiano

Ladybug Loveliness

 

And now for the latest and greatest in news. I have produced a lovely ladybug tutorial for My Poppet. It is the perfect thing to make for yourself, or your favorite bugaboo. So, head on over to My Poppet and find out how you can make this cute little bug.

Two Sloths, a Dog and a Delicious Project

{ My Poppet }

It has been a period of neat things happening around here. To start things off I would like to share with you my latest tutorial offering over at My Poppet. I tell you it's a delicious treat of a project.

The latest issue of the Australian magazine, Handmade, has landed and two months in a row I've been a cover girl. Well, to be exact my designs are making the cover. In this issue you will find Frilly Tilly, a dog with long floppy ears and an adorable expression.

{ Melissa G Sloths x Leonard St }

Additionally, if you visit the Leonard St Fitzroy store, you will find a pair of sloth friends hanging out by a bench in their Leonard St ensemble, drinking coffee and gabbing about their weekend plans in Melbourne.

For more information about my handcrafted Leonard St Sloths check out the Press Release. And, if you happen to be in the Melbourne and Fitzroy area, say hello to the sloths.

A Week of Bees

© Melissa Gaggiano

The world speeds up, and I find myself slowing down. Or so it seems. When I check the date I am surprised to find that it is not May. I could have sworn it was, and yet here I am, the year almost complete. How quickly it goes, huh.

The past couple of weeks Spring has started to kick in. The bees are buzzing around, and for the first time I look at having a flowering garden as more than an aesthetic pleasure. When the heat of summer kicks in I'll put out little bowls of water so the bees have something to drink.

You can find my latest craft tutorial over at My Poppet. This one is a cute spin on the tooth fairy pouch.

my poppet.com.au

In October I debuted as a contributor for Handmade magazine. How cute is that Santa doll on the cover?

Handmade 36-6

In other neat stuff: I am devoted to to Joshua David McKenney's Pidgin dolls. On the Pidgin fan Facebook page, people were invited to suggest a Halloween costume illustration for Pidgin. Guess who had the winning suggestion... Yep! It was me! I suggested The Cowardly Lion from The Wizard of Oz.

@pidgindoll

Somewhere over the...

{link}

Wonderful this! I love a rainbow, and I never met a person who didn't like one. So in honour of the big, beautiful rainbow I came up with this charm design, the perfect accessory to brighten your world. Heaven knows we need more rainbows in the sky. To see the tutorial simply visit My Poppet.

Vintage Paper Doll Bookmarks

{My Poppet}

Hey y'all! Are you looking for something else to make? Are your fingers itching' for some colouring in? Yes! Then head on over to My Poppet and get cracking with this retro cute bookmark tutorial from moi.

Paper House

My Poppet - Makes
Folding Paper Dollhouse tutorial

I am totally and completely proud to announce another tutorial contribution of mine over at My Poppet. If you like doll houses and paper crafting then this is for you. Check it out!

Flowery Felt Craft Project

My Poppet tutorial
© Melissa Gaggiano

How exciting is this! My Poppet Makes presents a freshly minted tutorial by moi. If you're into felt craft and flowers then this lil' treasure of a project is the perfect activity for you. Add this to your list of wee wonderful to make this year.

© Melissa Gaggiano

© Melissa Gaggiano

My Poppet Makes