DIY Felt Tomte (Scandinavian Gnomes)

My little red felted tomte (a mythical creature from Scandinavian folklore, called a tontuu in Finland and a nisse in Denmark and Norway) have been a holiday staple in my home for the last decade.  Every year I'm asked for the DIY tutorial, but they were actually a gift from my Mom.  She said the one with the dark grey hair is me, and the one with the light grey hair is Hubby, lol.  They're made in Sweden and something about their small stature and hidden faces makes them irresistible.  For the first few years we had them, Hubby would always move them to a different spot when I wasn't looking.  Even he was smitten with them... 

(I may or may not have a matching tomte table runner).

This year I decided to try making my own felted tomte to start a colorful collection.  I definitely don't think mine are as cute as the originals, but they are pretty darn adorable!

Quarter for scale (real tomte are never more than three feet tall):

Making them was pretty straightforward and  with a few simple and inexpensive supplies, you can easily whip up a batch of these for gift toppers or a fun holiday crafternoon with friends.  I found my supplies at Windsor Plywood (where they had tons of small wood hearts and little do-dads), Lowe's (they have a huge dowel selection) and Michael's (where they also had wood bits and bobs, plus a great assortment of inexpensive sheets of felt made from recycled plastic bottles).

Here's a full list of what you'll need:

Supplies:

• Small wood hearts (for the feet)
• Small wood balls (for the nose)
• Wood dowel (I used 1 1/4")
• Felt (not too thin, something with a little more substance works best)
• Wool rovings
• Wood glue
• Craft glue
• Sewing needle and thread
• Chop saw or hand saw

How to Make Tomte:

First cut the wood dowel to length.  I chopped various lengths, anywhere between 2" and 3".  Gently sand the cut edges to avoid splinters while working with the wood.

Glue one end of a dowel piece to the heart using wood glue.  Then attach the wood ball somewhere between one third and one half of the way from the opposite end of the dowel.  Let dry and set aside.

Measure the circumference of the dowel and the height between the top of the feet and the bottom of the nose.  Use those measurements to cut a piece of felt and affix with craft glue, placing the seam at the back.  Let dry.

Cut the rovings to the same length and line up with the cut ends lined up, these will be hidden under the cap.

Apply a bead of craft glue along the top of the wood dowel and affix the rovings to act as a hair and bear.  Place a small dab of glue under the nose as well.  Really press down on the rovings to ensure they are glued securely and as snug to the dowel as possible.  Let dry.

To make the hat, I didn't employ my hard earned high school math - I just cut out roughly one quarter of a circle from paper, tested it on the tomte for fit, trimmed a little and kept that as my template.  A little looser is better, because it will fit over the hair more comfortably.  With my template in hand, I traced it onto my felt and cut out the pieces.

For each hat, I held the right sides facing together and quickly stitched a blanket stitch along the edge, turned it right side out, and applied it with craft glue.

Here's what the back looked like when I was done:

And that's it!

My original tomtes are made with what looks like a leather band with "hair" already attached, making the original much tidier than my wilder gnomes.  But I do love the wacky hair and colorful garb, and I had the rovings in my craft supply stash already.  If you're making these, feel free to paint the feet, choose smaller or larger hearts, change the dowel size, chose different felt (wool would be sturdier and easier to work with), or look into doll making supplies for the hair.

There's only one stipulation: you have to let me see if you make some!  Tag me on Instagram or share a link in the comments.

Happy holidays to all my gnomies.

;)

Naturally Green, Tree Shaped Matcha Madeleine Cakes

I am always amazed when I see bloggers and crafters getting into the holiday spirit in the middle of the summer.  Excluding brand collaborations, I definitely do not think that far in advance.  I was still eking out the last few pleasures of summer as late into the fall as I could.  Bonfires, sailing, sandals - that was my focus.  With the exception of today's delicious recipe!

I thrifted the most adorable tree-shaped mini cake pan during the summer and have been waiting for the holiday season to put it to use.  All fall I dreamed of a matcha-infused madeleine recipe.  When I won a photo contest at a local tea shop (3 of my photos will appear in their annual calendar), I used some of the $150 gift card I won and bought some delicious powdered matcha - but you can find it online, too.  These naturally green, tree-shaped mini cakes are so easy to whip up and they taste SO good.  Hubby and I actually invited neighbors over for a cup of tea and madeleines, because we literally couldn't trust ourselves not to eat them all in one sitting.     

Aren't they adorable?  The magic is in the cute pan I found for $1.00:

I couldn't find the exact one online, but I did track down a similar pan with trees and gingerbread people (hello, Grinches)!  No matter what kind of pan you bake these sweet treats in, they're sure to become a fast favorite!  If you're already drooling all over your laptop (guilty), here's what you'll need to bake these matcha madeleines.

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• Juice + zest of half a lemon
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 tbsp powdered matcha
• 1 stick of butter (1/4 pound)
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 cup flour 

Supplies:

• Whisk
• Small pot
• Madeleine tin or other small cake pan
• 2 mixing bowls
• Sieve for dusting sugar

How to Make Matcha-Infused Madeleines:

I had read that making madeleines was tricky and, certainly, there were a ton of extra steps (like refrigerating the dough before baking, letting the eggs come to room temperature, etc) but I skipped them all because I didn't want my madeleine to have that signature hump; I wanted the trees to lie flat.  So these are the steps I followed, which was a quick and easy way to make madeleines that, to my taste buds, did not affect the tastiness one bit:

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat (I let it bubble so it was golden, then removed it from the heat and set it aside).
2. Meanwhile, grease the pan well with butter.
3. In a mixing bowl, using a whisk, whisk the eggs with the vanilla, lemon juice and lemon zest.
4. In another mixing bowl, measure out the flour and matcha powder.
5. Slowly add in the eggs to the dry ingredients, gently whisking.
6. Add the melted butter and whisk until combined.
7. Pour the batter into the greased pan, filling each section only half way.
8. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 15 minutes. 
9. Let cool and lightly dust with matcha powder and icing sugar.

These are a breeze to whip up and yet they turned out so adorably well!  They are such a pretty shade of green and the dusting of icing sugar looks like snow.  Plus they taste amazing: really sweet and cakey, with just the mildest hint of matcha.  They're really delicious with a cup of tea.

If you loved my matcha shortbread, you'll love these.  Happy baking!   

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Easy DIY Felted Wool Ball Garland

Did you spot the DIY felted wool ball garland in Monday's post about my wintry blue and white holiday decor?  My mantle is so narrow that decorating it is a real challenge.  It's difficult to create a layered look but I wanted it to look really full and interesting so I came up with some tricks, like tucking glittering picks behind my cone trees for extra oomph and making a huge, natural cedar wreath to add some height.

I also whipped up that cute white felted ball garland at the last minute.  I love how it really popped against my dark grey fireplace and, because the felted balls looks like snowballs, complemented my wintry theme so perfectly:

Making felted wool ball garland is really, really easy, which makes it the perfect last minute holiday craft or decor idea.  Hang it from a mantle, like I did, or use it as garland around a tree.  Mix up the size and color of the balls and use colorful, metallic thread for some sparkle and shine.  You could even mix in some beads or needle felt designs onto the felt balls.  

Supplies:

• Wool roving (your choice of color, I linked to white but these blues are pretty)
• Dish soap or hand soap
• One bowl of really, really hot water
• One bowl of really, really cold water
• Large needle
• Metallic embroidery thread

 
How to Make Felted Balls

My original felted ball tutorial - when I made my cute felted wool billy buttons - is really thorough and even though I've since shared felted ball tutorials (like when I made my felted wool rings), it's still my favorite so I've included it below.  But if it seems like too much work, you can track down pre-made felted wool balls on Etsy or Amazon and skip these steps.  Here's a lot of 100 mixed colors for $14.48 or try this 200 lot listing for under $30.  If you're after a more traditional holiday palette, these felted balls might fit the bill.  It seems that single color lots are a little bit pricier, but I tracked down this teal green listing - the color is so gorgeous - and this multi-colored bundle is limited to greens, which is very seasonal.  But I have to say that these these sky blue felted wool balls or this mixed lots of different blues have that wintry look I'm into this year.

Yup, you can definitely find a ton of these felted balls online, in different colorways and price points.  But they're so much fun to make!

The whole process for one felted wool ball should only take a couple minutes.  First, tear off a piece of your wool roving, like you would tear off a piece of cotton candy; you want ragged ends.  Remember that your wool ball will shrink during the felting process.  The size you choose is up to you and if you find that your first ball is smaller than you hoped, just layer on some more wool and keep felting to enhance the diameter.  I recommend starting with a dry ball the size of a marshmallow.      

Next, place a small drop of soap (I have used both hand soap and dish soap successfully) in your dry hands and also rub a tiny bit onto the piece of wool roving. 

Then, roughly shape the wool into a ball before dipping it gently in the hot water – you want it a tad wet, not completely drenched.

Very, very gently roll the wool roving between your palms – like you would a clay ball, but with much less pressure.  At this stage, don’t squish the wool any harder than you would a baby chick.  Then dunk the roughly shaped ball into the cold water (this time you can soak it) and keep rolling. Then dunk the ball into the hot again, then the cold, rolling between dunks.  The change in temperature helps “shock” the wool fibres and is part of the felting process.  Plus, you want to rinse out the soap.

As your ball becomes firmer (and thus smaller), you can apply more pressure.  Your ball is finished when it is firmer to the touch and feels dense.  You can see in the next photo how much smaller my wool ball has become.

Leave the felted wool ball(s) to dry, for about 24 hours - or at least overnight.  The dry felted wool ball should have a slight bounce to it when dropped on a counter top.  I recommend making a few as a “test” before diving into mass production.  I've created a second post, with tips for felted wool ball troubleshooting, and I'm happy to answer any questions you might have in the comments below. 

Once you get the hang of it, making these felted balls is so easy.  When the balls have dried, it's time to turn them into garland! 

How to Make Felted Ball Garland:

I just grabbed a pretty metallic gold thread from my stash and, using a larger needle, threaded each ball onto the thread.  Because mine are so densely felted, the friction causes them to stay put in the thread so once I spaced them evenly, they didn't budge.  But you could definitely add a knot before and after each ball to secure them in place.  Use a thicker thread or embroidery floss for strength.  

If you're looking at the calendar, nervously counting down the days and staring a looming to-do list, you can also buy felted ball garland, ready to hang!  Here's a six foot long multi-color felted ball garland.

So easy, right?  But it looks so cute.  I kind of want to make itty bitty wool garland for some of my plants.  My tree shaped lavender planter is especially begging for some more ornamentation. 

Here are some great links to finished felted wool balls, ready-to-go garland, and wool roving - for whatever level of commitment you've pledged.  Happy crafting!

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DIY Gemstone Soap Tutorial | How to Make Easy Gem + Mineral Shaped Soap Rocks

 
As a rock collector, you can imagine how much I mooned over the gem and mineral shaped "soap rocks" when I first spotted them in an artsy boutique in Duluth, MN.  They were regularly price at around $11, so you can imagine my glee when they were put on clearance one day - for $6 a bar!  Still pricey, but I ran to the cash register with an armful.  I bought a couple as gifts and then depleted the store's stock of "turquoise" soap rocks, which I've doled out to myself over the years.  You might have seen them pop up in this bathroom and that bathroom.  I swear it wasn't the same soap, moved from room to room.

;)

When I finally got down to my last original soap rock, I hopped online to buy more and they're still expensive - even in bulk.  I am definitely not want to shirk away from paying for craftsmanship, ingenuity or quality but they're too expensive to enjoy (does that make sense to anyone else?), no matter how adorable.  When I started seeing gemstone shaped soap tutorials popping up everywhere, I decided to make my own soap rocks.  My gem soaps are nowhere near as gorgeous as the originals, but at only $2 a bar (which will be less once I make more batches), my wallet is much happier - and I don't feel a twinge of guilt when I'm lathering up.  Plus, making soap turned out to be such a fun and easy craft project that I can't wait to make more!  

Although there are a lot of great gemstone soap tutorials online (like these ones by A Beautiful Mess, Dream a Little Bigger, Fall for DIY, Honestly WTF, Soap Queen, and DIY in PDX), this tutorial is my favorite and it's the one I followed because it created the most realistic looking "stones".

Soap Rock Making Supplies:

• Organic Clear Glycerine Soap Base
• Organic White Glycerine Soap Base
• Cosmetic Grade Mica Dyes
• Silicone Bar Molds
• One Large Loaf Silicone Mold
• Essential Oils
• Cutting Board
• Non-serrated Knife
• Microwaveable Bowl (my Pyrex 4 cup measure worked well)
• Microwave
• Stir sticks

A note on these soap making supplies supplies:

Essential oils: I read that vanilla can yellow a soap so if you're going for a really clear "gem," opt for another scent.

Glycerine soap bases: In total I ordered 7 lbs of glycerine, which yielded two huge silicone molds worth of soap.  I linked to the exact glycerine bases I used because they are really nice.  I chose organic glycerine and was really happy with how this particular soap base lathers.  The clear looks so gem-like, so I ordered even more of it.  If you're only going to order one (the opaque or the clear), get the clear.

Cosmetic grade mica dyes: Mica colorants bestow the shimmer and sheen of real stones and help make these gem soaps more realistic.  I think I went a little overboard with the dye and made mine too richly colored, so play around a little with the quantity and add a little to start, building up the color if required.  For my next batch I'll try more faintly tinted clear glycerine areas for a more "quartz" inspired look.  The exact kind of mica I used is no longer available but I linked to a similar one.  Buy any kind you like, but make sure it's cosmetic grade.  Or try what Rachel did and put those unused eye shadow kits to good use! 

Look at the pretty shimmer:

How to Make Gem and Mineral Shaped Soap:

This style of soap making (melt and pour) is too easy:  in a nutshell, you melt the glycerine, add coloring agents and fragrance, pour into molds, and let cool.  With soap rocks, you add an extra step of chopping up the soap, arranging in a larger mold, adding more melted glycerine then cutting the finished product into a natural rock shape.

The only tricky part is creating a realistic gem, so the first step with making rock soap is to figure out what kind of stones you want to make.  Hit up Pinterest (I have a entire board dedicated to rocks) and find at least one kind to mimic.  Take a close look at the veining and colors to determine what colors of soap you'll need to make, and how to layer the different pieces - but there's no right or wrong way to do this.

How to Make Melt and Pour Soap:

With your rock soap "design" sorted, here are some more detailed instructions for how to actually make melt and pour gem-shaped soap.

Cut up the glycerine into small pieces and place in the microwaveable bowl.  I worked with a cup or two at a time.  Pop into the microwave and melt (about 30 seconds - 1 minute, depending on the microwave).

Mix in a pinch of mica until the color is perfect and then add essential oil.  I added a few drops of oil at a time until it smelled great - it's a personal decision how much to add.  If you're going to be making many colors, you can also pour the melted soap into another container, add dye and oil, and then pour into mold to keep the Pyrex measuring cup from transferring dye across batches (like I did, below).

 
Pour the melted glycerine into the bar mold and let cool 6-8 hours.  In the meantime, start on another color and repeat the process.  You want to have a nice variety of the colors present in your gem or mineral.  I spent a couple of hours leisurely making different colors; it was a relaxing crafternoon.

You can also use an assortment of random plastic containers, but the bars pop out of this silicone bar mold so nicely.  I bought it because I figured I can make rectangular bar soap later.  After they've hardened, remove the soap from the molds.  (Technically, at this stage you could also just cut these soaps into gem shapes). 

Now chop up those bars!  Use a knife or other kitchen tools (like a vegetable peeler) to create organic looking shapes.  Create bigger and smaller chunks, some shards and thin little "veins" - depending on the stone you're trying to replicate.  You can also gently rub the soap to soften corners.  Set aside any shavings and cuttings - you can add them to a bar later or melt them again.

Next, assemble the pieces in the large loaf silicone mold, as per the gem or mineral you want to replicate.  For one batch, I started with a darker layer then added lighter layers as well as "veins":

Then melt a batch of glycerine, adding essential oils and mica again, but keeping the color very light and sheer.  Once mixed, pour into the soap mold, covering all of the smaller pieces.  How much you need will depend on how much room is left.  Start with a cup and keep adding.  If you want separation between the layers, let them firm between adding more.   

Let the loaf of soap set and harden overnight.

When it's set, you'll have a block like this:

For my first attempt, I really created a layered look (below) and my second batch was a little more uniform (see above):

For my next attempt, I plan to limit the variation of color and just play more with opacity, so the little shards and pieces I cut up will be suspended in what I hope will look like quartz.  This process is fun and I promise you'll want to keep experimenting to get as realistic a gem soap as possible. 

Once it has hardened, remove the soap from the mold and slice it like bread.  Cut off edges and corners, and add some facets, to create a random, organic feel.  Cut some bars diagonally, some square - mix it up! 

Making soap can continue forever because you'll end up with little scraps that you can melt down and use again or add into the next batch of rock soap.  One neat idea is to pick up a small silicone mold, like this gem-shaped mold, and then melt down and make mini guest soaps with any leftovers (recognize the gem mold from my gemstone gummies?)

I love my DIY gem soap - it makes such a cheery statement on the counter in the bathroom.  The colors didn't stain or dye anything (which was my worry the first time I lathered up a bar in my brand new white tub).  I also have really sensitive skin (prone to redness, dryness, and also oiliness - yay) but this soap has not dried out my skin or aggravated acne; it's a really nice soap. 

Make a batch of these easy DIY gemstone soaps for holiday gifts - bonus points for whipping up birthstones!  (Or, if you're in a rush, you can always find Soap Rocks on Amazon for stocking stuffers and make/hoard these handmade gem soaps for yourself later).

Tips and Tricks for Making Melt + Pour Gem Soaps:

• Make sure to keep some areas translucent to create a more realistic "gem" look
• The mica/shimmer shows up better in clear glycerine
• If you don't like a color, re-melt the bar and try adding more dye (to darken) or glycerine (to lighten), or add a whole new hue and try again!
• If you get mica bubbles (I got some) spray with rubbing alcohol, or mix the mica with the alcohol before adding to the soap
• But don't worry about it being "perfect" - have fun and just go with it
• Clean up is a breeze (it's soap!) so I just ran my cutting board, knife and Pyrex cup through the dishwasher when I was done

I'll definitely be trying this again and I'll be sure to share my results.  Have you made soap?  I'd love to see!  Share a link in the comments or tag me on Instagram.  

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