Archive Category: 'Crafts'

• Scrap Happy – More Than 50 Fabric Scraps & Remnant Ideas Plus Free Patterns: A Needle Case, or a case for Knitting Needles, or one for Crochet Hooks and what about a Kimono-Style Case Diaper Case Pin Cushions. Fabric Coasters and another Mouse Mat Covers An iPod Cozy Microwaveable Rice Heating Bags and Tootsie Warmers Oven Mitts and Hotpads Book Covers, or this Journal Cover, and there’s an idea for a moleskin too Pencil Roll & Art [...]
• Vintage Crochet Pattern – Bread Tray Ruffle: Here’s a pattern for a bread tray ruffle (and ruffly it is!) from a vintage pattern magazine (1948): I’ve uploaded it in a pdf file for anyone who’d like to have it: Bread Tray Ruffle – Crochet Pattern (pdf file). For starching doily instructions, here’s what they advised: Directions for Starching Doilies Starch: Dissolve 1/4 cup starch in [...]
• More Craft Care for Virginia Tech: Visit Craft-Chick’s livejournal for another opportunity to reach out to Virginia Tech, this one is for quilters: Project HOKIE HOPE: I am an alumna of Virginia Tech (PhD finally finished in 03) and was, with the whole country, horrified by last week’s events on that beautiful campus. In my effort to ease some of my own [...]
• Reach Out To Virginia Tech With Knit & Crochet: The Mosaic Yarn Shop in Blacksburg, VA is requesting 8×8 inch knit or crochet squares in Maroon, Burnt Orange, White, Black so that they can be made into blankets to give to the victims’ families. All designs are welcome. Color choices for squares: Maroon, Burnt Orange, White, Black Please knit or crochet squares out of the nicest, softest [...]
• Tote Bag Ideas & Free Patterns: For some, tote bags may not be symbols of high fashion but they are awesome tools to stay organized. And if you sew them yourself, you can make them as high-fashion as you like ! Here are a few ideas for using tote bags: Have a tote ready for work (water bottle, planner, personal needs) [...]
• Make Your Own Oven Mitts: Today’s feature tip is from My Longest Year with the tutorial for How To Make Oven Mitts I have provided templates for both a child-sized and adult-sized oven mitt. Trace as instructed on the template if you have preferences for fabric placement (for instance, I wanted the red fabric to be on “top”). Materials Needed: [...]
• Kids Crafts & Cookie Sheets: Give kids their own Craft Cookie Sheet to work over top of when snipping bits of paper, gluing pieces of ’stuff’ together, dusting pom poms with glitter and all the other fun, wild & crazy things kids love to do when crafting. By giving them each a cookie sheet to use as their crafting space, [...]
• Free Bunny Pattern Roundup: Today’s feature tip is from three different blogs for bunny crafts, the first is Missy Ballance and her Bunny Pillow Tutorial I started making these little bunnies last spring as pins. They were kind of a booth filler for me, and I really loved making them and seeing them all together in a bowl, [...]
• Homemade Shower Spa Bags: Start the day with a pampered feeling by using shower spa bags. Fill a cloth bag with the ingredients below and use to scrub in the shower for a nice skin treatment. Details: The cloth bag can be made from muslin, handkerchiefs, cheesecloth, or even strips of nylon pantyhose cut to size then knotted at both ends [...]
• DIY Make Your Own Designer Dog Leash: Today’s feature tip is from Anna Maria Horner’s blog with her instructions for How To Make A Dog Leash: As promised I have finished up one doggie-inspired project and I am offering it here for you to try. It is really simple, pretty quick and I’ve got a few photos to walk you through it. Then [...]
• Homemade Goop: Fun to play with, but messy! Homemade Goop Recipe 1/2 cup white household glue 1/2 cup water nontoxic poster paint 1/2 cup water 3/4 tsp borax Combine first three ingredients and mix well. In a separate bowl, mix the water and borax. Slowly stir the borax solution into the glue mixture for instant goop! Caution: keep the kids at a table covered with [...]
• Fabric Trim Boxes: Tutorial: Today’s feature blog is All Buttoned Up with Melissa’s tip Trim Box Instructions: We’re breaking down the trim box today. These instructions will work for a box of any dimensions, but I’m in the middle of this particular project, so you get the ones for trim! These instructions are meant for personal use. Lots of photos [...]
• Vintage Apron Bonnet Pattern: Earlier this week I promised a unique vintage apron pattern and here it is. It’s from Women’s Household Magazine, July 1968–nearly 40 years old! It’s something I haven’t come across before. It’s an apron with two pockets. Or you can use it as a clothespin holder. Or you can button it up into a bonnet. I think [...]
• Exploding Craft Box Tutorial: Today’s feature blog is Crafty Daisies and their Exploding Scrapbook Box Tutorial: I got the idea for this from the cricut.com messageboard, but you don’t need a Cricut to make it. What you do need is 3 pieces of 12×12 cardstock, one piece of 6×6 cardstock and matching paper and/or embellishments you want to use. Start by [...]
• How To Make A Dishtowel Apron: Today’s feature is a great tutorial for a Dishtowel Apron: I decided to break out one of my Martha Stewart dishtowels and make a “Mommy’s Little Helper Kitchen Apron”. My initial goal was to make it to fit Aubry but it turned out closer to a size to fit an 8-11 year-old girl instead. If you want [...]
• Tips for Beginner Sewers: Here are a few basic but helpful sewing tips for beginner sewers: Pressing each freshly sewn seam as you are sewing your project truly does make a difference in the finished piece. Iron out all the wrinkles of the pattern pieces before pinning to fabric. This makes the cutting job more accurate as well as much [...]
• How To Make A Hotpad: Today’s featured tip is from Anna’s blog: Pleasant View Schoolhouse. She has an easy-to-do hotpad tutorial: Okay, ladies, this is really simple! Just cutting, pinning, and straight-line sewing. There are probably *better* ways to sew up a hotpad, but this has got to be the easiest. I love projects like this because a) they’re useful and [...]
• 12 Ideas for Recycling Shower Curtains: Before reusing shower curtains, first clean and de-grime in a tub filled with vinegar and water or bleach and water–soak for an hour or so then rinse well and hang to dry. If the shower curtain can be laundered–just toss it in the washing machine. Recycling Shower Curtains: Ideas Cover table tops and floors for protection against messy [...]
• Free Boo Boo Bunny Pattern & Instructions: BooBoo Bunnies are popular gifts for baby showers and fillers for new baby gift baskets (good item for the diaper cake too. Here are free instructions and pattern I came across for making them: Boo Boo Bunny. Very easy to make! The idea is to stick an ice cube in the middle of the bunny and [...]
• How to Make a Diaper Cake – Free Directions: This is the cutest instruction set I’ve found for making a decorated diaper cake, she did quite a nice job! Diaper cakes are given at baby showers and normally contain items such as baby blankets, toys, washcloths, socks and diapers. They’re quite a gift for the lucky new mom! Find the instructions here: Diaper Cake / Nappy [...]
• How To Make A Flannel Board: Materials Needed: Thick piece of cardboard in the size you want (or a piece of wood sheet, foam board, pizza box works as well) Flannel to cover board as well as fold over at least 2″ on back along all sides Felt pieces in a variety of colors Directions: Wash and dry the flannel first before using. Cover cardboard with flannel [...]
• How To Make A Microwave Heating Bag: Instead of using electric heat pads & blankets or hot water bottles for your aches and pains, these microwaveable bags are just the ticket! They’re known by a few different terms such as: bed buddies, stress busters, magic bags, corn cozies, rice bags–but they’re basically all the same thing. These bags serve a dual purpose as [...]
• 10 Homemade Playdough Recipes: A little bit of everything here from basic cooked, non-cooked, glitter to koolaid to jello. Homemade Playdough Recipes Plain Old Playdough Recipe #1 Ingredients: 1 cup flour 1 cup water 1/2 cup salt 1 TBS cream of tartar 1 TBS oil food coloring Directions: Heat all ingredients in a saucepan, slow to medium heat. Stir continuously. Once dough is at the consistency you want, remove [...]
• 10 Ideas for Recycling Old Towels: Cut down to size for washcloths, dishcloths and hand towels. Either serge ends or hem. Pack some in the car too, great for cleaning up spills or wiping down the dash while you’re stuck in traffic. For very thin towels, you can double up the towel. Make yourself a spa headwrap, pattern: free spa headwrap pattern Whip [...]
• Crochet & Needlework Tips: Photocopy the pattern page and insert into a plastic sheet protector. No more ratty patterns! Store threads and yarn in ziploc bags when travelling or picking up while your waiting during errands and appointments. You can open a corner of the bag to let the thread through when your doing your needlework. This helps keep your [...]