The bow trend is everywhere this Christmas and I am all for it. I have red velvet bows on my candle holders, DIY bow candles and now these DIY Mini Brass Bow Candle pins and mini brass bow tree decorations.

Safety Notes:

• Always supervise a burning candle and keep them away from flammable decorations. Remove your candle pin before burning that far down the candle.

How to Make DIY Mini Brass Bow Candle Pins

What You’ll Need

• Tomato puree tubes (cleaned and flattened)
• Free printable bow template (At the bottom of the post)
• Scissors
• Fine-tipped marker or nail tools for marking
• Strong adhesive or hot glue gun
• Brass spray paint or gold polish (optional, for added shine)
• Drawing pins
• Protective gloves
• Sandpaper (optional, for smoothing edges)

Now I am going to admit I have been saving my tomato puree packaging for a year! But if you haven’t, don’t worry. You will get two pins from one tube or you can buy some sheets of crafting brass or as it is officially called embossing foil.

This post contains affiliate links. If you make any purchases after clicking one of these links, I will make a small commission (hopefully enough to keep me in tea all year) – at no extra cost to you! This allows me to keep creating and sharing free tutorials and content for you. Thank you!

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Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Download & Prepare the Template

Start by downloading and printing the free bow template (available below). This will help you achieve the perfect bow shape without any guesswork.

2. Prep Your Tubes

Carefully open and clean the tomato puree tubes. Flatten the metal sheet and smooth out any creases using the back of a spoon.

3. Trace the Template

Place the bow template on the flattened metal sheet and use a pencil or wooden screwer to trace the shape.

4. Cut Out the Bow

Using scissors, carefully cut along the traced lines. Take your time, as the metal can be sharp. Sand down the edges if needed to make them smooth.

5. Shape the Bow

Gently fold and shape the bow to give it a three-dimensional look. Use the template as a guide for where to fold and bend the metal. use a small amount of hot glue or glue to keep iit n place.

6. Attach the Candle Pin

Use strong adhesive or metal glue to attach a drawing pin to the back of your bow. Allow it to dry completely before handling.

7. Attach string to hang from the Tree.

Alternatively, to using the mini brass bows as candle pins you can omit the drawing pin and add some tine instead to hang them, from your tree.

8. Decorate Your Candles

Once your brass bow is ready, pin it into a candle. If your candle wax is hard then carefully heat the tip of the drawing pin before pushing it in. I held mine over a tealight flame for 2 seconds.

These elegant accessories are perfect for holiday tablescapes, mantels, or even as thoughtful handmade gifts.

Tips for Customisation

• Add texture: Use a textured surface to press patterns into the metal before shaping it.
• Add Colour: If the brass look isn’t to your taste then why not paint them red or another colour to match your seasonal decor? You need to use acrylic paint for this.
• Try patina: For a vintage look, let the brass naturally age or apply a patina finish.
• Make Tree Ornaments: Add a piece of thread instead of the drawing pin to hang them from your tree – these were inspired by Geneva Vanderzeil (I have had this saved for a year)!

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A post shared by Geneva Vanderzeil (@genevavanderzeil)

Free Printable Bow Template

These printables are offered for your non-commercial personal use only. Mass-production of this printable is not permitted, even for non-profit purposes. Please do not upload the Bow templates to other sites – instead, if you want to let people know about these freebies, post a link to this page. Pinning is okay as long as the pin links back to this page. Thanks!

All you need to do is add click on add to cart and the free printable page will be added to your shopping cart. When you are finished click on the orange cart menu at the top right of your page and follow the instructions on the screen. You will not be charged and the free pdf file will be available for you to download immediately and will also be emailed to your inbox.

If you like my content or have downloaded a free printable, please buy me a tea or make a donation this allows me to continue offering accessible human-made content.

This DIY Brass Bow Candle Pin is a beautiful way to add a luxurious, handmade touch to your décor. Inspired by the charm and elegance of Matilda Goad & Co., it’s a unique project that combines upcycling and artistry. With just a few materials, you’ll create a show-stopping detail that looks high-end but costs next to nothing.

Share Your Creations!

We’d love to see how your brass bows turn out! Tag us on Instagram or Pinterest and show us how you’ve styled them in your home.

With the darker nights there is something magical about the glow you get from candles, not only do they add light, they also add a beautiful ambiance to your home. I love to craft and these decorative lanterns are perfect for your mantel, entryways, fireplace, or as a fall centrepiece.

Safety Tip –   battery operated tealights are a much safer option than candles when you have children or are leaving lanterns or luminaries unsupervised

I also love to celebrate and decorate as the seasons change, so rounded up some great original ideas for making lanterns and candle holders for your home. So much creativity has been shown in making tutorials for these lanterns full of autumn color perfect for a fall party of your porch decor.

Fall Lanterns

Fantastic Fall DIY Lanterns and Lights

1. Leaf scribble lantern.  I love how inclusive this lantern is, perfect for making with little ones and older children too.
2. Cheese Box leaf lanterns.  You do not need to press your leaves for these leaf lanterns, which means you can get creating after you have collected them.
3. DIY Fall Pressed Leaf Lantern – these are just stunning and what a way to preserve the beauty of nature as the season changes.
4. Leaf Lanterns. I find the the way this lantern focuses on the beauty of a single leaf delightful.
5. Dodecahedron star lantern. Oh these are so beautiful and you could mix it up by using different colours.
6. Autumn Leaf Mason Jar Lanterns.  These look brilliant and you would never guess that they are made with fake leaves.
7. Heart fall leaf lanterns.  I have never thought about using a punch to cut our shapes from leaves, you could also use tissue paper pieces to punch too.  It is so effective and I think these are my favorites.
8. Paper Mache Lanterns with Autumn Leaves. A fun hands-on autumn project, kids will adore making these.
9. Turkey Leaf lanterns.  I love how these turkeys have been fashioned out of autumn leaves.
10. Sweater lanterns.  I am now scouring charity shops for the perfect jumper to make some of these for gifts. Hard to believe these are jumpers and twine!
11. Leaf relief jar lantern. These are just beautiful and I adore all the colours.
12. Fall Paper Cut Lantern. Simple but stylish
13. Give Thanks Jar.  This is so simple and I think that really is its charm.
14. DIY Recycled Jar Mushroom Lantern. These are just adorable and a little different.
15. Be Thankful Jar. This is being used as a vase, but it would look beautiful with a tea light in.
16. Fall tree luminary jar – it would be wonderful to have one of these for all the seasons.
17. Pinecone luminaries – Perfect for sharing your beautiful treasures of pinecones collected on your walks.
18. Gold Fall Luminary – I adore the gold on this lantern.  This is so beautiful even when not lit up.
19. Pumpkin Jar Luminaries.  Now these are just totally adorable and kids will want to make a whole pumpkin patch filled with miniature pumpkins.

If you like these then check out our Halloween lanterns and Fall Wreaths and Garlands.

When the children were small we had a big hiatus of using real flame candles and started using LED battery operated tea light candles.  Now they are older we are back to using real flames, but we also love battery ones for safety and when you are making your own tealight candle holder you do not know if the materials or combination of them are flammable so I always opt for the battery operated candles and tea lights.

We have rounded up some beautiful candle holders and tea light holders in the hope that they’re the inspiration you need to make your own candle holders and spice up your home decor. Just make sure you follow safe burning tips, such as trimming your wicks.

DIY Candle holders and tealight holders

But candle holders and luminaries are not just for winter, they can brighten up any day and are perfect for making dinners special.

Dandelion paper lanterns – There is something magical about dandelion clocks.  Blowing them and making a wish.  These paper lanterns are truly magical.

DIY Mid Century tea light Candle Holders – How beautiful are these Catherine Holm-inspired candle holders? Perfect for decorating a mid-century inspired home.

Recycled Wine Bottle Lights – What a great upcycle for wine bottles.  This has so much potential.

Paper Snowflake Luminary – These delightful luminaries look just as good in daylight as in the dark.  They are truly beautiful

DIY Heart Cutout Tea Light Holders – These are perfect for valentines day or for any hearts fan and they are a super simple DIY project and guess what you can use microwave-drying clay!

DIY Christmas Candle Holders – I love how simple and beautiful these candle holders are and also they are super simple to adapt to different colour schemes too.

Photo Jar Luminaries –  These are my favorite Luminaries of all.  They look amazing and are great for weddings, significant birthday or just for sharing images of your loved ones.

DIY Frosted Glass Jam Jar Luminaries – There is something ethereal about these simple frosted glass luminaries and they are deceptively simple to make. As the decoration is on the outside of the glass it is OK to use wax tealights for these.

Fine Motor Lantern Craft – This is a fun craft idea to make with kids that will work on their fine motor strength and skills.  I love how flexible they are, make red ones for Chinese New year or even match them to your birthday party colours.

Tree Clay Luminaries –  These are just so much fun, bit also so stylish.  A perfect decoration to bring our year after year.

 Colour Block Candle Holders – You will never guess what these are made of.  I love how fast these are to make.  They would look fantastic at a party or a wedding.

Fairy Jar Lanterns –  Oh my, these are just so magical.  Spread some fairy dust with these gorgeous and simple lanterns

Salt dough valentine candle holders – Salt dough is such a versatile craft material and these candle holders are really long lasting as long as they are varnished.

Fairy House Luminaries – How wonderful to have child friendly fairy houses that light up.  I can see hours of fun being had by these.

DIY Winter Village Luminaries – How wonderful would it be to raid the recycling container and create a whole village that lights up at night?

Mondrian Inspired Jar Luminaries – learn more about renowned Dutch artist Mondrian with these simple and delightful luminaries.

Cornflour Dough Tea Light Holders – Another homemade dough that is perfect for making tea light holders.

Tin Can lanterns – Another fabulous up cycle.  These are so versatile and look amazing.

Cardboard Tube Village – Make a beautiful and simple cardboard tube village full of colourful houses that can light up. A frugal kids craft.

Snowflake Jar Luminary –  This is such a simple way to recycle old jam or mason jars and really versatile too.  Look at how beautiful they are when made for valentine’s or Halloween.

Simple seasonal crafting fun! Making pumpkins can be fun for the whole family. I remember making fabric pumpkins with my mum when I was little and I love that I can now make them again with my little one. Once you learn the basics you can make pumpkins in all shapes and sizes. You’ll find this is a great scrap buster too!

Gather the materials and equipment you will need to create the Stuffed Fabric Pumpkins:

• Fabric – Grab a pumpkin trio pack direct from Sugar Bowl Crafts with fabric, felt, stuffing and thead to make three pumpkins.
• Felt
• Embroidery Thread
• Stuffing (you can use a bag of stuff or even fabric scraps to stuff)
• Scissors (pinking shears optional)
• Pins & Needle
• Ruler
• Chalk or Removable Fabric Pen
• Glue Gun or Fabric Glue

Material Sizes

• Large Pumpkin – 25cm x 55cm fabric piece
• Medium Pumpkin – 20cm x 50cm fabric piece
• Small Pumpkin – 20cm x 40cm fabric piece
• Stem felt – 50cm x 50cm (you could use more if you want to make longer stems

Tip – If you cut your fabric on the bias that you’ll get more of a stretch (The bias of the fabric is 45 degree against grainline)

How to Make Fabric Pumpkins

You start by sewing the two shorter ends of your fabric together to form a cylinder. I like to use my sewing machine for this, but you could sew by hand just as easily. Fold the fabric in half  – with right sides together (this means you should be looking at the ‘inside’ of the pumpkin).  Sew together using a half-inch seam allowance. I’ve used a wider allowance to make it easier for beginner sewers, but you can choose any allowance that works for you just keep it consistent.

Sew the bottom of the pumpkin. I like to hand sew this part but you could use your machine just as easily. I knot one end and sew a running stitch across the bottom. I sew 1” away from the edge. Then pull tight to gather the end. Knott again and turn inside out. If there is a hole still visible you can go back and stitch it closed.

Add your stuffing. This can be toy stuffing or I find scraps of fabric make excellent wadding too. How you stuff the pumpkin will determine the shape, so spend a couple of minutes added and subtracting stuffing to check of size and shape. Personally, I liked a little less filling as the top closes nicely and you get really nice creases on the sides which makes for a more realistic pumpkin shape.

For smaller pumpkins, add another running stitch to the top of the pumpkin an inch away from the selvedge (the edge of the fabric).

This time you want to pull the gathers leaving the raw edges visible at the top of the pumpkin. This forms the base of the stalk. When the hole is closed, tightly knot your thread and remove loose ends.

For larger pumpkins, take a piece of felt (6cm x 20cm) and roll tightly to form a stiff ‘stick’, glue so that it doesn’t unravel (you can always use glue to stop it unravelling). Place the felt stick into the top hole, push the raw edges of the pumpkin fabric into the pumpkin so that they are hidden and pull the gathers around the stick to secure it and close the gap.

Knot securely. This forms the structure of the stalk. There shouldn’t be any raw edge or knots visible.

Use your thicker thread, I use quilting or embroidery thread to make and define the creases in your pumpkin. First squish the pumpkin into the desired shape.  Then knot the thread by the stalk and follow a natural gather in the fabric to the base.

I pull the thread in through the hole at the bottom and come up in the next place I want the crease to form. I then take the thread back up to the stalk and knot again at the stalk. So each strand of thread I want to start and finish at the stalk. I’ve learned to only do one pumpkin ‘segment’ at a time as the thread tends to snap with the tension and doesn’t hold its shape as well. Carry out this process 6 times. 

Step six. Cut out a minimum 6 triangles from felt that will form the stalk. I use pinking shears to create a more organic look but straight edges work fine too. I cut the triangles very roughly 1 inch tall, but you can create much bigger stalks if you like them. Now glue the triangles into place. The base of the triangle should cover the base of your fabric stalk, hiding the join of fabric to the stalk. Add as many triangles as you need to cover the fabric stalk and make sure the points of the triangles meet.

With practice, you can twist the points to make them look more natural. Trim the top of the stalk if you like.

I have also seen a wine cork wrapped in string used to make the stalk too and cinnamon sticks.

Print

How to Make Fabric Pumpkins

Cuisine Craft

Keyword autumn, crafts, Fabric pumpkin, Fall

Equipment

• Thread
• Scissors pinking shears optional
• Pins & Needle
• Chalk or Removable Fabric Pen
• Glue Gun or Fabric Glue

Ingredients

• Fabric – Grab a pumpkin trio pack direct from Sugar Bowl Crafts with fabric, felt, stuffing and thead to make three pumpkins
• Felt
• Stuffing

Instructions

• Fold the fabric in half  – with right sides together (this means you should be looking at the ‘inside’ of the pumpkin).  Sew together using a half-inch seam allowance.
• Sew the bottom of the pumpkin. Knot one end of your thread and sew a running stitch across the bottom 1” away from the edge. Then pull tight to gather the end. Knott again and turn inside out. If there is a hole still visible you can go back and stitch it closed.
• Add your stuffing. This can be toy stuffing or scraps of fabric .
• For smaller pumpkins, add another running stitch to the top of the pumpkin an inch away from the selvedge (the edge of the fabric).
• Then pull the gathers leaving the raw edges visible at the top of the pumpkin. This forms the base of the stalk. When the hole is closed, tightly knot your thread and remove loose ends.
• For larger pumpkins, take a piece of felt (6cm x 20cm) and roll tightly to form a stiff ‘stick’, glue so that it doesn’t unravel (you can always use glue to stop it unravelling). Place the felt stick into the top hole, push the raw edges of the pumpkin fabric into the pumpkin so that they are hidden and pull the gathers around the stick to secure it and close the gap.
• Knot securely. This forms the structure of the stalk. There shouldn’t be any raw edge or knots visible.
• Squish the pumpkin into the desired shape.  Then knot the embroidery thread by the stalk and follow a natural gather in the fabric to the base.
• Pull the thread in through the hole at the bottom and come up in the next place you want the crease to form. Then take the thread back up to the stalk and knot again at the stalk. Carry out this process 6 times.
• Cut out a minimum 6 triangles from felt that will form the stalk. Pinking shears will create a more organic look but straight edges work fine too. Cut the triangles very roughly 1 inch tall, but you can create much bigger stalks if you like them. Now glue the triangles into place. The base of the triangle should cover the base of your fabric stalk, hiding the join of fabric to the stalk. Add as many triangles as you need to cover the fabric stalk and make sure the points of the triangles meet.

That’s it! Happy Autumn!

If you like this make sure you check out some of our other autumn crafts

As a family we recycle, use our own DIY Eco cleaning products and upcycle where we can, However, I feel it is still key that we set aside this one day to focus on our Earth, our environment and how we can impact it. Using recycled materials in our crafts and activities is one of those ways. Not only are we reusing them, but we are also repurposing them to bring joy.

What using recycled Materials teaches our Children

Encouraging children to recycle is a way of teaching them about sustainability. Learning the importance of being sustainable shows them that the environment is important. It also helps create responsible adults, however, reusing materials that are in the recycling bin encourages children to think about how they can reuse and repurpose something that would go in the bin. It teaches them creativity, to think outside the recycling bin and learn that the recycling bin is not just an another garbage bin.

It is key to teach children that repurposing items before throwing them away takes less energy and fewer resources than making products from brand new materials.

Earth Day activities for kids

• Soil – Earth Day Volcano
• Earth Day Scavenger Hunt
• Shaving Cream and Glue – Puffy Paint Earth
• Shaving Cream – Awesome Earth Day Art Project
• Magazines and Junk Mail – Earth Collage
• Paper and Flower Seeds – Plantable Paper Earth
• Paper Tube and Magazines – Earth Day Tree
• Salt Paste (recipe) – Salt Map of The Earth
• Glue –  Stained Glass Earth Day Sun Catchers 
• Newspaper – Paper Mache Light-Up Globes
• Newspaper – Heart of the World
• Magazines – Earth Day Collage
• Magazines and Junk Mail – Earth Collage
• Coffee Filter – Earth Day Craft with Writing Prompt
• Coffee Filter – Earth Day Art Project 
• Coffee Filter – Coffee filter stained glass earth
• Card – Earth Day Windsocks
• Paper – Earth Day Quilling
• Paper Bag – Earth Day Paper Bag Crown
• Christmas Ornament – Earth Day Ornament
• Tissue Paper – Stained Glass Planet Earth
• Tissue Paper – Earth Day Crafts for Kids – Tissue Paper Earth
• Kitchen Paper – Bleeding Tissue Paper Rain Art for Earth Day 
• Cake Cases – Earth Day Daisy Craft
• Messy Sensory Play – Baked Cotton Ball Earth Day Craft
• Eggshells – E is for Earth & Eggshells
• Buttons – Earth Day Button Tree
• Buttons – Button Globe
• Glass Paint and Votive – Earth Day Luminaries 
• Balloon – Earth Day Balloon Stamping Art 
• Plastic Bottle Caps – Earth Day
• Moss – Earth Day Moss Ball
• Paper Plates – Give the earth a little spin
• Paper Plates – Paper Plate Earth Day Art 
• Paper Cup – Cup Earth Craft
• Nail Polish~ Simple Earth Day Nails
• Egg Cartons – Egg Carton Challenge: The Earth
• Dyed Pasta – Pasta Word Map
• Broken Crayons – How to Make Earth Shaped Crayons
• Broken Crayons – Earth Crayons
• Yarn and Wool – Earth Pompom
• Yarn and Wool – Earth Threading Craft
• Yarn and Wool – Earth Day Weaving
• Straws – Earth Day Kids Craft
• Earth Day Colouring

These recycled crafts are specifically designed with our earth in mind and focus on our planet, but recycled materials make great craft materials all year round not just for Earth Day.

• 10 Recycled playsets
• DIY Recycled Plastic Bottle Poppy Craft
• Recycled Toilet Roll Easter Bunny Stamp
• Recycled Art Projects
• Plastic Bottle Wind Spiral Mobile

Over the years I have learned that I like soy candles and ones with aromatherapy oils rather than synthetic fragrances (as they seem to give me headaches).

Candle Making for Beginners

I have loads of craft stuff in my house and was a bit daunted at bringing even more “stuff” into the house, but actually was pleasantly surprised at how little I needed as I could repurpose other items in the house due to the waxes low melting point and the fact that it is super easy to clean. I am sure that more professional candle makers have lots of tools that make things easier, but this is a tutorial for beginner candle making with minimal items needed!

Materials and Tools Needed to make your own Candles

This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking one of these links, I will make a small commission (hopefully enough to keep me in tea all year) at no extra cost to you! This allows me to keep creating and sharing free tutorials for you to try. Thank you!

• Soy Wax – I tried flakes and pellets
• Wicks – for ease I used pre-waxed wicks
• Essential oils
• Wooden Skewers
• Washi Tape
• Glass jug
• Empty containers or jars
• Glue Dots

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Prep your area by covering with brown paper or old newspapers and have fun. They don’t have to look perfect! Once you master the art of simple candles then there are lots of moulds and colours you can use.

How to make Candles

Start by cleaning your containers – I ran all of mine through the dishwasher to ensure that they were free of old wax or dirt.

Measure the wax – now depending on the type of wax you have depends of the amount needed. So if you are using soy wax flakes, then it is double the dried flakes in the container to melted. So fill the container twice to get the right amount approximately. For soy wax pellets if is one and a half.

Melt the wax – As a rule of thumb you can melt wax the same way you can melt chocolate, so double boiler, slow cooker or microwave. I use a large pyrex jug for my wax as I like the lip for pouring and I melt mine in the microwave using the medium setting. The melting point of soy wax is 49 degrees c.

While the wax is melting I prep the jars and wicks. I use a glue dot on the bottom of the wick and stick it in to the center of the jar.

To keep the wicks upright I made a support from two wooden skewers and some tape. Some people use pegs. I used what I had in the house.

Add your fragrance. I use essential oils which are not as strong as synthetic fragrance blends. Ideally, the recommendation is a 6% to 10% oil to wax ratio, but I say try and remember that they will smell a lot less when the candle is set. I don’t like strong candle fragrances and used Lime, Basil and black peppercorn for my daytime ones and, lavender, roman chamomile and jasmine for my evening ones. I used a wooden skewer again to give it a good stir.

Pour the wax – As your wax will have cooled a little now is the perfect time to pour the wax. Keep a small amount back for topping up as the candles will dip at the wick as they start to cool.

Your candles will need to set for 24 hours at room temperature to set.

Then you can trim your wick to about 5mm.

If you are gifting the candles then make sure to add a safety label

Adding a Personalised Label

I wanted to know what scent each candle was so I decided to create a set of personalised labels.

I printed them on sticker paper, before cutting them and sticking them on.

I am going to make different colours for different scents!

You could also make your candles in teacups like I have in the past.

This cardboard tractor is a DIY project for adults that creates a foldable, durable play prop for kids. Built from a Halfords kids’ bike box and finished with non-toxic paint, paper plate wheels, and printable decorations, it’s designed to be safe, sturdy, and easy to store.

Perfect for farmyard play, costumes, or imaginative adventures, this craft combines recycling with creativity.

Growing up my boys loved playing in cardboard boxes. I remember turning one into a train and carriage and they played with it for months. The only downside was the fact that I had a couple of big cardboard boxes in my dining room which inspired me to make sure that this fabulous cardboard box tractor was foldable for storage and longevity. A tractor is a great make if you have more than one child as you can add another box at the rear as a trailer, so they can take turns in driving. If you like this then also take a look at our cardboard box car that folds too.

The boxes that kids bikes from Halfords come in are fantastic thick cardboard perfect for transformation, way too good to just send for recycling.

How to make a tractor out of a cardboard box

This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking one of these links, I will make a small commission (hopefully enough to keep me in tea all year) – at no extra cost to you! This allows me to keep creating and sharing free tutorials and content for you. Thank you!

Materials:

• Halfords Kids Bike Box (or similar large cardboard box)
• Cutting mat or large chopping board
• Tape measure
• Masking tape
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Stick on velcro (our secret magical ingredient)
• Paint
• Our tractor printables
• Paper plates

No products found.

Lots of cardboard vehicles are made from square boxes, but I wanted to show that with a little creativity, you can turn a long box into a great cardboard tractor. plus the bonus is this is made with much stronger cardboard and it is foldable too. Yes, it take a little planning, however, once you have the basics you can make any vehicle like our fabulous cardboard car that folds for storage.

Instructions (For Adults)

Start by measuring your box – I have found that most of the children’s bike boxes were about 140cm folded, which gives you in excess of 280cm to play with.

Prepare the Box – Then cut off the top and the bottom of the box – the main reason for this is there are really large staples in the box, and this removes them and gives you a nice rectangle to work with. Also, cut one of the ends so you end up with a long rectangle of cardboard.

Plan out your tractor – or just use my plan and start drawing it out on the cardboard. A tractor is super easy to draw as it is all straight lines.

Then cut out. Make sure your blade is sharp; it is much easier and safer to cut the cardboard with a sharp knife. Also, if you have a metal rule you can use that to cut against.

A top tip for making sure both sides of your tractor are the same is to take the cut out from the first side and turn it over and use it as a template.

Cut out your windows and again you can use the cutouts as templates for the other side.

If your cardboard box has bends where you don’t want them, then you can reinforce it by using cardboard perpendicular to it and this is where the masking tape comes in. It is perfect for using inside or outside as you can paint and draw over it.

Paint the tractor in your chosen colour scheme (classic green or red, or personalise for your child) I painted ours with ready mixed Tempura – I learned with the tractor to paint on the side with no writing as then it only takes one coat. I had to go over the writing a couple of times.

Now for the fun bit – the decorating.

You can make this as easy or complicated as you want and to make it easier we have created some tractor printables you can download including number plates to personalise, headlamps, brake lights, steering wheel and speedometer. If you want to make it even easier then print them onto sticker paper!

Our Cardboard tractor has a bonnet which lifts up and holds the steering wheel. I fixed it with stick on velcro as I did the rear door too.

Before adding on a number plate and break lights.

Then when the children have enough time playing, you can fold it and pop it away until next time.

Why Parents Love This DIY Tractor

• Foldable and storable thanks to Velcro design.
• Made from recycled cardboard & paper plates – eco-friendly and budget-friendly.
• Doubles as both a costume prop and toy for imaginative play.
• Safer and sturdier than a flimsy craft project – built to last.

Download your Cardboard Tractor Printables

I had plenty of velvet left after the knotted headbands, so decided to use that and who doesn’t like velvet in the Autumn and Winter?

This post contains affiliate links. If you make any purchases after clicking one of these links, I will make a small commission (hopefully enough to keep me in tea all year) – at no extra cost to you! This allows me to keep creating and sharing free tutorials and content for you. Thank you!

Materials

• Fabric (mine is stretch velvet) (UK Link/US Link)
• Fabric scissors or rotary cutter(UK Link/US Link)
• Cutting mat (If using rotary cutter) (UK Link/US Link)
• Ruler (UK Link/US Link)
• Headbands (UK Link/US Link)
• Hot glue gun (UK Link/US Link)
• Ribbon (UK Link/US Link)

No products found.

How to make DIY braided headband (Alice band)

If you have some ribbon that is the same colour as the fabric then I would wrap that around the headband and glue in place. I didn’t have a ribbon that close in colour so I decided to wrap my headband with a piece of fabric.

Cut your velvet using sharp fabric scissors or a rotary cutter into three strips (26 inches long by 3.5 inches thick). Fold the large sections in half lengthwise right sides together and use hot glue gun to glue the two sides together, alternatively you could use a sewing machine. Turn the fabric right side out (which is what I did).

Stack the three pieces on top of each other and pin the end. Place the fabric under something heavy and then braid until you reach the length of your headband.

Pin the edges closed. You can either knot, glue or sew both sides to seal your braid. Glue works too but doesn’t look quite as clean as sewing.

Using your hot glue gun, secure the braid to the top of the headband.

Using your grosgrain ribbon, seal the ends by wrapping horizontally and secure with glue.

Just remember that hot glue is, well, hot! You could also use fabric glue but you will need to use clips to hold the ribbon until it sets.

I found the inexpensive frames in B&M but you could also use wooden Ikea frames or ones from Amazon. The tissue paper confetti was leftover from our bleeding tissue paper canvas. I am a holder of craft materials for times just like these!

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Materials:

• Photo Frames
• Bostik PVA Glue PVA Glue (UK Link/US Link)
• Tissue Paper Confetti  (UK Link/US Link)
• Scissors
• Brush

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How to make Tissue Confetti DIY Decorated Photo Frames

I love how this DIY Decorated Photo Frame is such a simple inexpensive craft and uses so few materials but can turn out so different depending on who does the making!

Start by removing the glass from your frame, that way you keep it clean no matter how much glue you use.

Start by adding glue to a small area and placing some confetti dots. We found it easier to do a bit at a time, adding more glue and layering where necessary.

You can also cut the confetti dots in half for areas where you don’t want a whole dot.

I love using tissue as you get a fab effect when it creates layers.

Once you have covered your frame then you need to cover it with PVA to prevent the tissue ripping and to give the frame a glossy finish. I would have used a foam applicator at this point if I had one.

Once it is dry then clean the glass and you can start using the frame.