Bag a crafty charity bargain!

I went out to the post office in my local village yesterday afternoon and found these gorgeous RSPB pin badges on the counter. I couldn't resist them and at (a suggested donation of) £1 each, thought they were quite a bargain. They look great on a jacket, or you could incorporate them into some sort of crafty make - embellishing a bag or a handmade card, for example.

Goldcrest, great tit and chaffinch pins

When I got home I started thinking about all the other charities that must have online shops and was amazed at the great range of gifts I came across. A lot of online charity shops now have craft sections, which is ideal for a crafty type like myself :) After Christmas, most online charity shops have slashed their prices too, so it's a great opportunity to pick up a bargain and know that your money is going towards something worthwhile.

Here are my top charity crafty picks to start 2012 with a warm and fuzzy feeling:

Notebook: via Marie Curie

These notebooks not only look great, they are also made from recycled paper and cost an amzing £1.49.  A must-have for creative doodling, lists and planning.

Gift wrap pack: via Marie Curie

Gorgeous paper, tissue, tags and cards currently at a reduced price for presenting your handmade gifts.

Sewing Box: via Marie Curie

Store your sewing essentials for a bargainous £5! Sew cute ;)

Button Box: via Cancer Research

Do you use buttons in your crafting? Grab a bargain while you can!

The Cancer Research online shop was the best place I found for crafting supplies and the following are all currently reduced in the January 2012 sale:

Red retrospot tape: via Cancer Research

Empire Ribbons: via Cancer Research

Happy Birthday stamp set: via Cancer Research

If stitching is your thing, then cruise over to the British Red Cross shop to pick up this reduced kit:

LOVE letters tapestry kit: via British Red Cross

And finally, in case you need to be doing textiles crafting on the go, this adorable Magic Stitch Cordless Sewing Machine is currently £5 off in the RNLI sale.

Happy January sale shopping! If you come across any other charity crafting bargain buys, please share them in the comments below.

Party hair band

If you are looking for a stocking filler for a young girl, or something for your little princess to wear in her hair during the Christmas party season, here is a quick, cheap and easy crafty make for you!

All you need is:

• a plain elasticated hair band
• some pieces of ribbon about 15cm long (if they are recycled then so much the better!)
• a pearl or large bead
• 2 beads with large holes through the center (I used two plastic, glittery star shaped beads)
• a short length of thread
• a small piece of felt
• a pair of scissors
• hot glue gun or strong glue

How to make the party hair band:

1. Take the lengths of ribbon and bunch them together with the pieces lying at different angles, crossing in the centre. 
2. Use one length of ribbon to tie a knot around the middle of your bunch to secure in place. Leave the ends of this ribbon long and use them to then tie the bundle of ribbons to the hair band. Cut the ends or incorporate them into the ribbon bundle if you prefer.
3. Thread the beads with large centre holes onto the ends of a couple of the ribbons and knot above the bead to secure into place.
4. Thread the pearl or large bead onto some thread and tie it around the ribbon bundle and hair band so that it sits in the centre of the ribbon bundle. Knot it securely in place at the back.
5. Cut a small piece of felt into a rectangle, round the ends using scissors and then pinching the ribbon bundle to push the ribbon ends upwards and inwards to surround the pearl, glue the felt in place on the back of the bundle of ribbons. This will cover the thread and knots and secure the decorative part to the hair band (see photos below).

Voilà! A pretty hair decoration for any discerning young lady ;)

I made this as a small gift for my 11 year old niece for Christmas. All the ribbons are from my ribbon store, collected from boxes of chocolates, clothing tags etc. You could make it more festive by using red, green and gold ribbons and adding small bells or choose ribbons that match a party outfit. I would love to see your creations if you decide to have a go!