In my family, we have a tradition of sending each other Christmas decorations. I was isolated from my family for many years while in an abusive relationship, and this tradition got lost.
It has been wonderful to regain my family over the last 18 months, and I decided to reinstate our old tradition this Christmas, but this time I know crochet!
For my sister, I created a string of Christmas lights. My sister loves what she calls "shinies" or "sparklies," basically anything that lights up or shines in some way. So when I saw the How to Crochet Christmas Light Decorations pattern, I knew I had found the perfect crochet gift for her. From the look on her face, I think you can agree!
I found the pattern pretty easy to follow. It just took some time to complete. I worked on it for 30-60 minutes of an evening for just over three weeks. I love the way they dangle and move when suspended, so much so I'll probably create a set for myself at some point.
The second decoration was for my Mum. I decided to try making a Christmas pudding decoration. This one turned out to be the harder of the two to pull off. I struggled with the holly leaves, and the instructions were not clear in places either. I tried finding other patterns, but none of them worked out. It required some stitching that I had not done before, and every time I tried, it just became a straight line, not a leaf. So I looked for an easier leaf and adapted something from this Little Leaves pattern instead.
My Mum loved it anyway and quickly put it up on her tree when she got home.
I had fun making these, and it was my first time making stuffed crochet items too. I'll definitely do this again in the future, but I'll make sure to start sooner in the season as it was touch and go if they arrived on time this year!
Image Source: Thea Stone