In this section, we bring you two different ends of the holiday spectrum. We'll teach you how to make angel pins, an easy Christmas craft that you can do with your children. Then, we'll show you how to make beautiful gift pins that your friends and family will love to receive as presents.

Both of these Christmas crafts require that you download a pattern. For a refresher on how to download and use patterns, click here.


©2006 Publications International, Ltd.
"No Worry" Angel Pin.

"No Worry" Angel Pin

You'll never run into trouble when you have a Christmas angel on your shoulder. These delightful pins can be created safely by small hands. This is a great Christmas craft to construct with your kids. We've included delightful illustrations to further entice your little ones.

You'll Need:
  • Five 25/8-inch toothpicks
  • Embroidery floss: white, pink, beige, yellow
  • 10-inch length gold tinsel stem
  • 11/2-inch pin back
To Make "No Worry" Angel Pin Jewelry:
  1. With help from an adult, cut off and throw away 5/8 inch from each end of one toothpick. Use a pencil to make a mark 5/8 inch from one end. This is the body. Set aside.

  2. Use two more toothpicks to make the legs. Cut off and throw away 5/8 inch from one end of each. For the arms, use the remaining two toothpicks. Cut off and throw away 13/4 inches from one end of each.

  3. Glue one leg toothpick to each side of the body, with the pointed ends even with the pencil mark on the body toothpick. Apply a dot of glue to the pencil mark on the body, and place the end of the white floss into the glue.

  4. Wrap the floss around the toothpicks, row after row, working your way down. Stop wrapping 1/2 inch from the end of the legs. Cut the floss, and glue the end in the back.

    Wrap the floss down the body of the angel pin.
    ©2006 Publications International, Ltd.
    Wrap the floss down the body.

  5. With the pink floss, use the gluing and wrapping method from Steps 3 and 4 to completely wrap each arm. Glue the arms to the sides of the body, lining up the top of each with the top of the white floss. To make the shoulders, start wrapping the white floss just above the pencil mark, stopping about 1/4 inch below the mark. (It will cover the tops of the arms.) Cut the floss, and glue the end in the back.

    The pink floss makes the arms for the angel pin.
    ©2006 Publications International, Ltd.
    Use the pink floss to make the arms.

  6. To make the head, wrap beige floss around the top of the body toothpick. Continue making layers, working rows up to the top until the head is approximately 3/8-inch thick. Cut the floss, and glue the end in the back.

  7. For hair, cut eight 4-inch lengths of yellow floss. Align the ends, then fold the lengths in half. Apply glue to the top of the head and place the folded middles in the glue, covering the top and back of the head with floss. Trim hair to the same length all around. Use the trimmed floss to make short bangs and glue in place.

    Glue the hair of the yellow floss to the angel's head.
    ©2006 Publications International, Ltd.
    Glue the hair of the yellow
    floss to the angel's head.

  8. For the halo, cut a 1-inch length of tinsel stem and wrap it around a pencil. Remove and glue to the top of the head.

  9. Use the remaining tinsel stem for the wings. Download and print the angel pin pattern here. Bend a 41/2-inch length of the tinsel stem into its wing shape. Repeat for other wing.

    Bend the tinsel into the wing's shape.
    ©2006 Publications International, Ltd.
    Bend the tinsel into the wing's shape.

  10. Glue the wings to the back of the angel. Then glue the pin back to the back of the angel. It's easy to make variations on the angel by simply using a different color of floss and/or painting the legs.

Pretty Present Pins make great Christmas gifts.
©2006 Publications International, Ltd.
Pretty Present Pins

Pretty Present Pins

What could be a better gift than a miniature version of, well, a gift? These pretty pins are perfect presents for all your favorite people.

You'll Need:
  • Shrink plastic
  • Pencil
  • Fine-tip permanent black felt pen
  • Permanent felt pens: red, white, metallic gold
  • Scissors
  • Jewelry glue
  • Adhesive pin backing
To Make Pretty Present Pin Jewelry:
  1. Downloand and print out present pin pattern. Place a piece of shrink plastic over the patterns and trace them onto the plastic with a pencil. Remove pattern, and retrace outline with black felt pen.

    Retrace outline with black felt pen.
    ©2006 Publications International, Ltd.
    Retrace outline with black felt pen.

  2. Color presents with colored felt pens. (Note: Do not use metallic gold until after plastic has been shrunk.)

    Color presents with felt pens.
    ©2006 Publcations International, Ltd.
    Color presents with felt pens.

  3. Cut out the presents. Follow manufacturer's instructions to heat shrink plastic in your oven.

  4. When pieces have cooled, turn them over so the shiny side faces up. Add metallic gold. When dry, glue small present to large present.

  5. Apply adhesive pin back to back of large present.

    Apply adhesive pin to back.
    ©2006 Publications International, Ltd.
    Apply adhesive pin to back.

In the next section, we'll show you how to make fine necklaces.