Vintage holiday craftin'

Today I'm going to share with you all a few of my vintage crafted felt items.  These aren't things that I crafted using vintage materials, they were crafted by some poor already over-worked wife out there 50-60 years ago under direction of either a PTA or church group in the name of a bazaar.

You can tell these aren't things that were made with love but rather in speed and quantity with all the attention of a fast food sandwich maker dealing with a double case of pink eye....but even still they are great!

The above are clever Santa napkin holders with the white napkins folded in such a way that they become the hat details and beard.

These babies were fashioned by someone that gave zero f*cks.  They are still pretty neat though.  They are door hangers with little bells.

You may recognize these guys as I hang them off of my lamp shades every year.  They are actually felt napkin rings where the white is the tip of his hat and his long ZZ Top beard.

These guys are...or were more of a fancier craft item (kit from Brucilla?) that was made as a gift with real care only after ages of wear and tear they look like holiday dumper dredges.

 Also in my collection I have this one pattern for making felt lovelies.

You see that Merry Christmas table cloth above?

Check out the other side!

And I also found a few felt Christmas crafts in one of my vintage Better Homes and Gardens 'Christmas Ideas for 1958' that would be great for some modern day craftin'!

A Santa Belly card holder.

A stocking and cafe curtains.

Placemats.

A table runner, covered match boxes, and a clothes hanger slip cover.

And this super cute tent tunic!

If you want to try your hand at making some vintage inspired felt items I'll give you a hint.  Don't use felt, or craft felt, or what ever those scratchy small sheets of brillo pad they sell in the store are.  It always was so frustrating to me when I would see and own all these vintage crafts that were made out of "felt" but clearly felt of today was sub-sub par.  I just figured felt had become a victim of  'evolving' into garbage as everything has over the years.  Then while I was helping my stepdad downsize my mom's MASSIVE craft hoard I came across a couple of bolts of this solid colored fabric material....and it felt just like vintage 'felt'  but it wasn't vintage.  I then put it together that mid century felt is today's FLANNEL!  Maybe all you ultra crafty folks are already in the know about that but for the few that weren't aware there you go, that info is your gift from me, Merry Christmas!