Create a Unique Twinkling Snowman or Christmas Tree Quilt Wall Hanging Using Rice Lights

At a local quilt shop nestled in Oregon's beautiful wine country, I had the opportunity to learn how to make a unique twinkling quilted wall hanging. The instructor, Cheryl Ennis, has developed an innovative and fun technique for using tiny rice lights to add true sparkle and pizzazz to holiday quilt projects.

I decided to make the Twinkling Snowman quilt rather than the Twinkling Christmas Tree quilt as I figured that I could display the quilt until February. The snowmen are a delight to make and Cheryl added some whimsical elements to the design. Cheryl taught the class and encouraged us to add our own creative touches to the design to make each one unique.

The quilt pattern costs about $22 but it does include all the special rubber "O" rings that you need to hold the rice lights in place on the quilt. Late summer and early fall is a great time to begin making these magical twinkling quilts because you can readily find holiday embellishments at stores such as Michael's or JoAnn's. You'll need access to a store that carries a variety of buttons, trims, and holiday fabrics.

Twinkling holiday quilts are great projects for beginning quilters because they are small and require only a small amount of sewing. If you have a sewing machine and basic sewing skills, then you can make these quilts.

For people who live near the Willamette Valley in Oregon, I encourage you to check with your local quilt shop and see if the shop offers one of Cheryl's classes. If so, grab a friend and sign up for a twinkling quilt class. You need to do some prep work, but I can guarantee that you'll have a good time during the class and will leave at the end of the day with a nearly completed quilt.

My twinkling snowman quilt turned out beautifully. I added the rice lights at home once the rest of the quilt was completed. The key to adding the rubber "O" rings and rice lights is to make sure that your children and pets stay far away during this process!

I plugged the rice lights in to illuminate the snow sky behind the snow people. My favorite part of creating this unique twinkling quilt was watching my toddler's eyes light up with holiday magic when I plugged in the lights, despite the face that it was still August!

If you want to make one or more of these beautiful twinkling quilts, go visit your local quilt store and see if they carry Cheryl's patterns. If not, you can contact Cheryl directly through her website - Teddy Bear's Quilt Workshop. She is currently working on a special Halloween twinkling quilt that will be published sometime this late summer or early fall.

Let your imagination go wild with these twinkling quilts, and you'll have some very precious gifts to give this holiday season.

Visit these Oregon Quilt Shops for Cheryl's patterns and classes:
The Quilted Hill
Greenbaum's Quilted Forest
Craft Warehouse