"Although we had no money,
I was rich as I could be,
in my coat of many colors
my mama made for me."
I bought this book for the kids a few weeks ago intending for it to be a Christmas present. In light of the horrible fires that destroyed our nearby community of Gatlinburg and all that Dolly Parton is doing to help our dear neighbors here in East Tennessee, I decided to make this book the inspiration for our ornament craft this year. And so, the kids got an early Christmas present. We cuddled together on the couch to read this sweet tale from Dolly's childhood. The story is about a patchwork coat that her mama made her with a few scraps of fabric and a whole lot of love. Lydia Grace looked at me when the story was over and said, "Mama, that was a great story!" And it really is! It's a heartwarming tale with a beautiful moral. Enough of me gushing about it, you'll just have to read it for yourself.
Inspired by the patchwork coat from the story, the kids and I made patchwork ornaments using fabric scraps. I'll warn you, though. This craft gets a little messy, but the fun you'll have is worth all the mess. My three, five, and seven-year-old each had a blast making their very own patchwork ornament. Ready to give this craft a try? Grab your kids and let's start crafting!
Patchwork Ornament Tutorial
- styrofoam balls
- fabric scraps (Use what you have hand in your fabric stash or buy a quilting pack like this one.)
- fabric scissors or pinking shears
- Mod Podge
- foam brush
- buttons
- hot glue gun
Directions
Kid-Made Christmas Series
This craft is part of a series hosted by Mama Miss. Be sure to check out the full list of kid-made ornaments here.
- Gather the materials. Lay waxed paper down over your work surface. Or you could put down Glad Press n' Seal which makes cleanup much easier.
- Use fabric scissors or pinking shears to snip squares of fabric from various fabric scraps.
- Using Mod Podge and a foam brush, begin adhering pieces of fabric to a styrofoam ball. Tip: Here's the messy part. You'll need a lot of glue. Although you can use a foam brush for this process, you could also dip the fabric directly into the glue and use your fingers to smooth the pieces out.
- Continue adding fabric pieces and overlapping the ones previously placed. Once the ball is completely covered in fabric, smooth all of the pieces down and set it aside to dry.
- Thread a thin strip of fabric through a button and tie it off at the ends to make a hanger for the ornament.
- Once the ornament has completely dried, use hot glue to adhere the button hanger to the ornament. Hang and enjoy!
This craft is part of a series hosted by Mama Miss. Be sure to check out the full list of kid-made ornaments here.
Twig Christmas Tree Ornament | Arty Crafty Kids
Acorn Ornament | Tru Aim
Polar Bear Ornament | Kitchen Floor Crafts
Another Ornament Idea
Need more ornament inspiration, be sure to take a look at last year's DIY Wood Slice Ornament inspired by the wintery tale Old Bear and His Cub.
I hope one of the ideas in this series inspires you to create a handmade ornament with your child this holiday season. There are few things better than cuddling up with the kids on the couch to enjoy a delightful children's book and then completing a book-inspired craft over giggles and mugs of steaming, hot cocoa. That's the magic of ornament making--spending quality time together. If you make an ornament with your kids this season, be sure to share it with us by posting it on social media and tagging it with #KidMadeChristmas.
Happy crafting!
For kids?! But they're so cute! lol - I may have to whip up a grown-up farmhouse/rustic batch with some burlap and lace fabric scraps ;)
ReplyDelete-Clarissa @ The View From Here
These are so cute! You get an awesome mom award for making a craft that goes along with a book. :) :) I hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas.
ReplyDelete