Cotton batting -- that fluffy stuff often used as filler for cushions and pillows -- is well suited to Christmas crafting. Even without doing much to it, it looks a bit like a blanket of snow. Fluff it up to add more dimension, use it to create a beard for Santa or add a cap of snow to your crafts and ornaments. Batting is available in many craft stores that sell sewing supplies, as well as in fabric shops.
Spread a sheet of cotton batting over a table to create a blanket of snow for a holiday decor scene; allow it to hang off the edges of the table a bit to add to the blanket effect.
Fluff the batting by pinching and pulling it upward and outward. Sprinkle a small amount of glitter atop the batting for added sparkle.
Place holiday tabletop decor, such as as a sleigh or Christmas caroling figures, atop the batting snow.
Cover the work surface in newspaper. Plug in a hot glue gun containing a glue stick. Create a batting snowman by hot gluing the edges of three consecutively smaller plastic lids to one another, in snowman formation.
Tear three chunks of cotton batting off the roll, rolling each into a somewhat round form. Hot glue one bunch of batting to each plastic lid front to add dimension to the snowman. Repeat the process on the back of the snowman.
Cut bits of dark felt into button eyes, nose and mouth shapes for the snowman. Secure them in place with craft glue. Cut a scarf shape from felt and wrap it around the snowman's neck.
Create the snowman's hat by cutting a round disc of black felt for the brim of a hat. Center the bottle cap on the disk, securing it with hot glue. Color the bottle cap, if not already black, with a permanent marker.
Set two pieces of felt atop one another using the same color or different colors, if you'd like. Draw a star on the top piece of felt with a marker. Cut out the perimeter of the star shape, cutting through both felt pieces, using scissors.
Stitch the two stars together around their edges with gold thread, stopping halfway through the project. Stuff batting into the points of the stars in the previously stitched areas, as well as the center of the star.
Continue stitching and stuffing, eventually stitching the star shape closed. Stitch a loop of gold thread to the top of the star to create a hanging decoration.
Things You Will Need
- Cotton batting roll
- Silver or light blue glitter
- Holiday tabletop decor
- Hot glue gun
- Plastic lids - three different sizes
- Colored felt
- Craft glue
- Plastic cap from water or soda bottle
- Black permanent marker
- Gold thread
- Cover existing figural ornaments with batting to give them fluffy "coats" that can be painted with craft paints.
- Instead of stitched felt stars, young children can make stars from construction paper and glue, stuffing the creations with batting.
- Add tufts of faux snow to the tops of existing holiday decor, such as a building or small pine tree, by tearing off a small bit of batting, forming it over the top of the ornament, shaping the cotton as you'd like. Hot glue the batting in place.
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