Erin Fox
Children’s Corner
Advent begins this weekend and it’s officially time to embrace the Christmas spirit, starting by donning your Christmas jumper. Each year, Christmas jumpers get wackier and more distinctive. Yet sometimes it’s still hard to find the perfect jumper of your dreams.
It’s very easy to upcycle an old plain jumper and decorate it whichever way you want. But what about when you have a dozen ideas in your head?
You parents won’t be too impressed if you Christmassify all your jumpers, tops and tees so it’s better to leave those alone.
But you can create dozens of small jumpers and let your fashion designs flow onto those.
While it’s still a bit too early to put up the Christmas tree, it’s not too early to make decorations. So, this weekend, sketch out your oh-so-fashionable designs and make your own miniature Christmas jumpers to hang on the tree when it’s time to put it up.
For the jumpers you will need: metal wire (or a large paper clip straightened out), wire cutters or secateurs, coloured felt, Christmassy buttons and sequins, embroidery thread, scissors and needles.
Cereal card
First make your jumper template on the back of some cereal card. Create different templates so the arms of the jumper are positioned differently. Make a few copies of each of the templates as they might get a bit battered when you pin them to your fabric.
Pin the template to the felt and cut out two pieces for one jumper. To make the hanger, cut a 12-inch piece of the wire.
Place one of the jumper templates on the work surface and bend the wire to create the first corner of the hanger.
Use the template to help you gauge the size of the hanger. Lay it onto the pattern to help you gauge the size. Leave enough space around the collar for stitching at the end.
Bend the other side to create a triangle. The two ends should intersect. Take the left side and twists this around the other side to create the hanger neck.
Bend the other side to create the hook and snip off any excess wire.
Make as many as you need for hanging up your jumpers.
Glue the hanger to one of the pieces of the jumper. Add more glue and press the other piece on top and then glue on your decorations.
You can sew a blanket stitch all around the edge of the jumper if you like.
Instead of hanging the jumpers on the tree, make them into a garland or use them as gift tags on presents.