CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--ELEGANT YO-YO CHRISTMAS TREE TOTE

Elegant Yo-yo Christmas Tree Tote

Yo-yo crafts are the craft featured in Revenge of the Crafty Corpse, the third book in the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery series. In keeping with our Christmas in July theme this month, here are directions for making an elegant Christmas tree tote that can also double as a gift bag.

Materials:

13” x 13” black canvas tote bag, 1/4-yd. green plaid lightweight cotton fabric, scrap of brown print lightweight cotton fabric, compass, lightweight cardboard or card stock, scissors, pencil, sewing needle, quilting thread, 7 antique looking gold buttons each 5/8”-3/4”, fabric glue

Directions:

1. Using the compass, draw a 4” circle and a 5” circle on the cardboard or card stock. Cut out the circles.

2. Using the cardboard circles as templates, trace a 4” circle on the brown fabric and six 5” circles on the green plaid fabric. Cut out circles.

3. For each yo-yo, hold the fabric circle with the wrong side facing you. Fold 1/4” of the raw edge toward the wrong side of the fabric. Using the quilting thread, begin the first stitch underneath the fold of the hem to hide the knot, then sew a running stitch around the circle. When you reach your starting point, and the circle is completely hemmed, pull the thread tight to gather the fabric. Smooth and flatten the yo-yo so the hole is in the center. This is the right side of your yo-yo.

4. Sew a button in the center of each yo-yo.

5. Arrange yo-yos to form Christmas tree on front of tote (see photo.) Glue yo-yos in place.