You will find reindeer antlers with a red nose, striped elf legs, and a cute little Santa hat! The pattern is called “North Pole Friends” and is very easy to follow!

Whether you’re a seasoned stitching enthusiast or a beginner eager to explore the world of needlework, these designs are tailor-made to bring joy to every level of skill.

Gather your friends or family for a cozy craft night and let the laughter and creativity flow. These ornaments are not only delightful to make but are also perfect gifts that carry a personal touch.

These patterns are designed to fit inside 3-inch embroidery hoops and this design works with any cross-stitch fabric or linen (used in the pics).

HOW TO ASSEMBLE:

1. Stitch your Christmas image in the free pattern linked below.
2. Place in 3inch embroidery hoop
3. Trim edges and glue access behind the hoop.
4. Place pom pom trim with a glue gun around hoop (OPTIONAL)
5. Add greenery and tie with ribbon or jute.
6. Hang on your tree or give as a gift!

I’m excited to share these patterns with you! Simply download the free PDFs linked below and let your creativity soar. Don’t forget to share your finished creations on social media using @ucreateblog — I can’t wait to see your beautiful handiwork!

Wishing you all a season filled with warmth, laughter, and endless moments of crafting joy!

Happy Stitching and thanks for stopping by U Create!

NORTH POLE FRIENDS PATTERN

POST BY: Kari Sweeten

Patterns Stitched By: Penny Duran (my awesome Aunt)

The post Embroidered Christmas Ornaments appeared first on U Create.

ROLL IN THE NEW YEAR

How to Play:

1. Object is to roll a “midnight” roll (two 6’s) as many times as you can in one minute.
2. The player who rolls the most midnight rolls wins.

Items Needed:

• two die

DON’T DROP THE BALL

How to Play:

1. Object is to keep the ball from dropping to the floor without using your hands.
2. Player that keeps the ball in the air the longest wins.

CLOCK PUZZLE 

How to Play:

1. Give each player a scrambled clock puzzle.
2. First player to complete the puzzle is the winner!

Tip: make the puzzle easier for younger kids and harder for adults!

Items Needed:

• Clock Puzzle Download
• cardstock (or you could use a cereal box to make it last longer with glue)
• scissors
• make two puzzles

THE MOST KISSES

How to Play:

1. Object of the game is to unwrap the kisses first. (it’s more difficult than you’d think…and hilarious!)
2. Give each player ten kisses and the first one to unwrap them wins!

Tip: You could make things more interesting and have the players eat them, too!

Items Needed:

• bag or two of kisses

NEW YEARS PARTY HAT TOSS

How to Play:

1. Use two players per team. Each player gets a hat and catches as many as they can thrown by their partner.
2. The team who catches the most ping pong balls wins!

Items Needed:

• party hats
• ping pong balls

PARTY BLOWER DESTRUCTION

How to Play:

1. Object is to knock over all pop cans using the party blower — no hands allowed.
2. First to knock over all of the cans wins!

Items Needed:

• 6 empty pop cans per player
• party blower per player

Do you have any other fun New Year’s Eve Party Minute to Win It Games? Please share below!

POST BY: Kari Sweeten

The post New Year’s Eve Minute To Win It Games appeared first on U Create.

If your children are anything like mine, they love to help when it comes to decorating for the holidays! Here’s a simple way they can help using this Merry Christmas Coloring Banner!

SUPPLIES:

• free “Merry Christmas” banner download
• something to color with (markers, colored pencils, crayons)
• white card stock
• scissors
• printer
• tape
• string or ribbon

DIRECTIONS:

1. Print.
2. Color.
3. Cut.
4. Hang with twine or ribbon.

Involve the whole family and make it together. I had a lady contact me and tell me she used this at an assisted living home that she runs and the residents loved coloring this!

This is such a fun way for the kids to get involved in Christmas decorating. My girls want to hang this in their bedroom next to their own mini Christmas tree!

I ove these!!

Love to color? Check out these free Christmas Coloring Pages…

POST BY: Kari Sweeten

The post Merry Christmas Coloring Banner appeared first on U Create.

The latest “Color It, Print It or Stitch It” pattern is this “Give Thanks” turkey for fall!

I’ve included the different free downloads below for you to color in the black and white version with crayons, pencils, watercolors, etc.

Print it out and you’re ready to go!

Use this same black and white pattern to use as a stitching pattern. I used two strands of DMC floss on this little guy!

Now I just need to decide if I want to turn him into a pillow or frame him!

Don’t want to do any of the work? We’ve got you covered, too!

I’m also including my finished watercolor turkey print so all you need to do is print and frame!

DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE PRINTABLES HERE:

Water Color Turkey Printable

Turkey Coloring Page

Turkey Free Stitchable

The post Fall Turkey Printable appeared first on U Create.

My daughter wanted something with an Easter theme to display in her bedroom and so we printed out this adorable Free Easter Bunny Template by Boys, Building, Books, and Berries.

SUPPLIES:

• white canvas (we used a 5×7)
• black DMC floss
• needle
• pom pom
• glue

DIRECTIONS:

1. Print out free template.

2. Trace image on canvas lightly with a pencil.

3. Use a running stitch around the bunny using 3 strands.

4. Glue or stitch on the pom pom for the tail.

You’re finished! Enjoy your new Easter home decor!

POST BY: Kari Sweeten

The post Free Stitchable Easter Bunny appeared first on U Create.

I had a fun project I wanted to share with you so I headed to Michael’s to pick up faux pumpkins in different colors!

Stitching is where it’s at in the creative community right now and I wanted to stitch the pumpkins but thought it might take me forever to get my needle and thread through the plastic.  The thought came to me to draw the stitches and paint them with paint markers! Oh, and it was FUN.

SUPPLIES:

• faux pumpkins
• paint markers (I used Sharpie oil paint based markers)
• tracing paper (if you don’t feel comfortable free handing)
• free printable Halloween template (links below)

31 Cross Stitch Template

Bat Cross Stitch Template

Spider Cross Stitch Template

Skull Cross Stitch Template

DIRECTIONS

1. Print out the Halloween template(s).
2. Use tracing paper to transfer the design on your pumpkin. Also feel free to resize pattern and make as large or small as you’d like!
3. Now you’re ready to paint the stitches with your paint marker! I used Sharpie oil-based paint markers.
4. Let dry completely!

Display on your Halloween mantel, front porch, your office, etc.

There are so many different colors and sizes of pumpkins at Michael’s to get you started!

POST BY: KARI SWEETEN

The post DIY Paint Stitched Pumpkins appeared first on U Create.

Let me share with you some of the most creative ugly sweaters out there! Some of them are so creative I don’t even really consider them “ugly”….in any case fun sweater ideas for the holidays!

Grab some cardboard to add to you sweater and create this amazing gingerbread house sweater!

I love the pompom trim on this sweater and the random snowballs! Another creative sweater idea…

Attach random ornaments and bows to this ugly Christmas sweater! Love how there’s a matching bottle holder!

Grab some festive Christmas ribbon and create “bow” sleeves for your Ugly Sweater Christmas party!

Love how they glued the tinsel all over the sleeves with accents in the center! Supper puffy and festive!

Not only is there a tinsel tree on this shirt but the tree skirt makes this awesome! Decorate your tree however you’d like!

Hop on over to the dollar store and turn those little mittens into a sweater or sweater vest! Absolutely love those embroidered cats, too!

Turn a bag of gift wrap bows into an ugly Christmas sweater for your party! So simple. You could make this in about 10 minutes!

This snowglobe sweater made me laugh so hard when I saw it. Hop on over and check out the one he made for his adorable dog, too!

Let’s end with this decorated Christmas tree sweater with a poinsetta as the topper! Fun for any holiday party!

The post DIY Ugly Christmas Sweater Ideas appeared first on U Create.

They are so easy to make. You can decorate them for the holidays or with any theme you’d like for year-round fun! Many of these use socks or sweaters you might have in your dresser or closet – don’t have any? Hit your local thrift store!

First, let’s start with these long, skinny hat gnomes!

Next, the fun thing about Elaina’s gnome is she filled it with lavender to have a nice scent in her office!

How adorable is this farmhouse gnome? Sarah has tons of gnome ideas on her blog and this little guy really stood out to me. Great for year-round decor, too!

This holiday gnome was inspired by Caroline’s Scandinavian heritage. How adorable are these long skinny legs?

This next version is made mostly of wood. Love the curly beards, too!

Next up? This Nordic-inspired gnome has the cutest nose! This version was made from a sweater and filled with rice!

Ugly Christmas sweaters are for gnomes, too! Another gnome version from the talented Ruffles and Rainboots blog!

Ready for some mini gnome-cuteness? Heather made these to go on a darling wreath, but they’d also make a cute little gnome village! Beyond adorable.

Make DIY gnomes with your friends and have a craft party! Loving the huge poms on the hats and fluffy hair! Can we also notice how darling those gnome throw pillows are? She shows you how to applique them, too!

Let’s end with this adorable gnome ornament tutorial! Crochet many of these with any color of hat you’d like! Perfect addition to a Christmas tree.

I hope you’ve been inspired to create your own gnomes and put your own personal twist on them!

You might also like…

Christmas tree inspiration…

The post 10 Gnome Tutorials appeared first on U Create.

This first idea is an ornament I came up with that lets us reflect on the whole year. You, your family, or whomever you are giving this ornament to can reflect and write their favorite memories….an ornament you can go back to and remember the year you’ve had.

YEAR OF MEMORIES ORNAMENT TUTORIAL

Supplies: plastic ornament, stickers, ribbon, and free printable list.

Directions: 1. Personalize your ornament with the stickers however you’d like. 2. Write your memories on the list (or give the list with the ornament as a gift. 3. Roll up your memories and place inside ornament.  4. Attach ribbon for hanging.

Year of Memories List Ornament Printable

Next up is something Merry and “BRIGHT”.

PLAID CHRISTMAS CANDLE PRINTABLE WRAPPERS

Supplies: candle (I used the Ashland candles from Michaels and they were only $5 each — keep in mind you can use all sorts of candles), ribbon, tape, and free printable candle wrappers below.

Directions: 1. Print and cut the printable wrappers. 2. Tape and secure around the candles. 3. Decorate with a bow and you have a wonderful gift!

Christmas Candle Wrappers Download

Holidays Candle Wrappers Download

Let’s end with a recipe that is a hit at our home and with our friends!

This is my “go-to” popcorn recipe I’ve been using for years and this Christmas version is a hit!

Follow the recipe below and package in these cute little ramekin dishes (that were only $1 a piece at Michaels by the way)!!

CHRISTMAS POPCORN RECIPE

Christmas Popcorn

 

Print

Author: Kari

Recipe type: Holiday

Ingredients

• 2 Popped Bags of Microwave Popcorn (I used Kirkland from Costco)
• 1 Bag of White Candy Melts
• mini m&m's (I used one half a bag)
• candy cane sprinkles

Instructions

1. Melt the candy melts by microwaving them 1 minute, stir, microwave another minute, keep doing this until smooth.
2. Pour over the popped popcorn in a large bowl and mix together.
3. Lay flat on wax paper and cookie sheet.
4. Sprinkle m&m's and crushed candy cane.
5. Let set for 10 minutes and you are ready to package your yummy popcorn however you'd like!

3.4.3174

I hope you were inspired by these super, simple gifts for this holiday season!!

POST BY:

The post Last Minute DIY Gifts appeared first on U Create.

I’m coloring this doodle page that Becky created and I posted it on Instagram today.

You’re never too old to color right?!

Anyways, many of you asked for the download so you could color it, too! Becky is so kind to share her design for free tonight!

DOWNLOAD “HE IS RISEN” COLORING PAGE

…and HAPPY EASTER!!

POST BY: Becky Vandenberg

The post He is Risen Coloring Page appeared first on U Create.