Posted in Craft Day

November 1 ~ Aprons
November 2 ~ Pincushions & Pins
November 3 ~ For the House
November 4 ~ Lunch Bags
November 5 ~ Tote Bags
November 6 ~ Blankets for Baby
November 7 ~ For your Purse or Pocket
November 8 ~ Whimsy
November 9 ~ Fabric Ornaments
November 10 ~ Ties and Belts
November 11 ~ Reading & Writing
November 12 ~ For the Table
November 13 ~ Placemats
November 14 ~ Kids’ Clothes
November 15 ~ Warm those Toes
November 16 ~ Gifts for the Crafter
November 17 ~ Purses
November 18 ~ For Baby
November 19 ~ Tech Gifts
November 20 ~ Gifts for Organization
November 21 ~ Pillows
November 22 ~ Fun for Hair
November 23 ~ Soft Toys & Games
November 24 ~ Sachets
November 25 ~ For the Kitchen
November 26 ~ Embellishments
November 27 ~ Gifts for Warmth
November 28 ~ Drawstring Bags
November 29 ~ Fabric Boxes
November 30 ~ Gift Compilations

Posted in Craft Day

Posted in Craft Day

Leaf prints!

OK, my kids love these; and I have to admit, I do, too!  Simple, but pretty. 

Gather your leaves, press them in a heavy book for at least an hour or so to flatten them out. 

Select paper, cloth, or whatever you want to print on.  You've got lots of options: rolls of butcher paper to make giftwrap, construction paper, note cards, t-shirts, napkins, pillowcases, aprons, tote bags.....you get the idea . 

Choose the proper paint or ink for your project- tempera paint is ok for paper, though it dries flat.  I prefer acrylics, though you have to be careful to keep the paint on the project and not on your clothes, as it doesn't wash out.  Ink pads can be fun, too.  If you're using cloth, use fabric paint. 

Now the fun begins, choose a leaf and brush paint on the side you are printing (or roll ink on with a roller); then press it down onto your printing surface.  Lift it up carefully and observe your artwork!  Print just one leaf, or make a design or collage effect.

Once you've printed your leaves.  Let the paint dry; and then, if you like, dress it up even more with glitter, markers or paint pents, buttons, beads.....whatever your heart desires. 

Have fun, you will find lots of creative ways to use this simple project if you think about it!  We're starting a leaf collection for our homeschool Science project.  I think a print of each type of leaf we collect will make a great addition to our notebooks. 

Please share your ideas with us, too!

Blessings,

Catherine

Posted in Craft Day

Just thought I'd share this quick and easy project with you all. And if I say quick and easy, anyone can do it! I had bought some extra fleece last year on sale and thought I'd like to make scarves for some family members for Christmas, so I decided to do a trial run last night by making a scarf for myself.

I know that if you use double sided fleece, you don't even have to sew a stitch, just fringe the edges, but I didn't have any of that, so I had to sew 3 seams. I found these instructions for the simple scarf on a blog by googling fleece scarf. I made a few mistakes though, so I thought I'd share my instructions with you.

Nancy's Simple Scarf:

Materials:

Youth = 1 1/2 yds

Adult = 1 3/4 yds

Thread

Scissors or rotary cutter

Instructions:

1. Cut your fabric to the proper size.  These are just guidelines. Use what you have on hand or makes sense to you. Also these measurements are for a scarf that you fold in half and sew, just divide the width by 1/2 if you're using double sided fleece.
   

   Youth size = 8 1/4" x 48 1/2"

   Adult size = 12 1/4" x 60 1/2"

2. Fold the fabric lengthwise right sides together (or the pretty sides as I say). Sew a 1/4" seam down the length BUT leave 3 1/2 inches on each end open (for the fringe).
3. Now you should have a big ol' tube. Turn it right side out and then sew a seam (on the pretty side of the fabric) on each of the short sides 31/2" from the ends.
   
4. Now you just have to cut the fringe on each end. You'll have to cut the fold on each end too, but just eyeball the fringe to make it look right. Fleece is nice because it doesn't fray. Just be sure not to cut into your end seams.
   
5. Voila! It's done! You've got a fluffy warm scarf.

Your ever-so craft-challenged Senior Editor,
~Nancy

Posted in Craft Day

Would you like to make a skirt out of a pair of blue jeans? It is very easy!  We have used jeans that were too short or maybe had some other flaw in them.  One daughter bought a pair of jeans and after she washed them they were too tight.  She made them into a skirt and she did not feel her jeans were a waste of money.

To make a skirt you will need to remove the inner leg stitching on your jeans.  After you have done that you will fill in the empty area with your choice of fabric or use the legs of the jeans to fill in this area. 

Below I have listed several websites that give good step by step instructions for this. 

http://sewing.about.com/library/sewnews/qa/aaqa1202a.htm

http://www.sewing.org/enthusiast/html/efs_jeans_skirt.html

http://www.fashion-icon.com/fall_2001/jeansplicing.html

http://www.notmartha.org/tomake/jeanskirt.html

http://www.savvyseams.com/clothing/jeanskirt.php

Crystal Miller

Posted in Craft Day

Paint A Pot

Painted terracotta flower pots are a favorite craft around our house.  I don’t know why, but my girls just LOVE to paint on those pots!  And I have to admit, it is an enjoyable and easy project.

The options are just about endless- paint a pot for a favorite plant; make a pencil holder from a small pot; paint several to make a windowsill herb garden, and paint the names of the herbs on the pots, etc.

These make nice gifts, too.  You can tuck in a plant or other little surprise like a bag of candy, tea or cookies in the pot.  Add some tissue paper and a pretty bow around the rim of the pot and you have a beautiful gift for someone special.   Don’t forget Mother’s Day is coming up; perhaps this would be a good project for Dad to help with! 

Here are the basic supplies you will need:

Terracotta flower pots in your choice of shape and size (we like the little ones)

acrylic paints

polyurethane sealer (if you’re going plant something in the pot)

paintbrushes

When we decorate the pots, we usually start by painting the whole pot inside and out.  Usually we start with white, but you can paint them whatever color you like.  Then once the base coat is dry, use your imagination to embellish to your heart’s desire.  We sometimes paint little flowers, butterflies, etc.  Some have polka dots made with the ends of the paintbrush, sponge painting, even fingerprints are cute!  The craft stores have lots of stencils, rub on transfers, and all sorts of other things you can get to add some neat designs to your pots. 

After ours are painted to our liking, we brush on a top coat to seal the design.  Usually my girls opt for the glittery clear one- must be a girl thing!  Use the polyurethane sealer if your pot will be holding soil and water. 

When your pots are dry, fill them with whatever you wish.  Have fun!

Catherine Love

Posted in Craft Day

Lavender Hearts

These simple decorations are fun to make with children and will make your home smell oh, so good. 

You will need:

Metal heart shaped cookie cutter

Styrofoam 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick

Tacky glue

dried lavender flowers

dried rosebuds, herbs and flowers

2 greening pins or 2 pieces of wire bent into a U shape

1/8 to 1/4 inch wide ribbon

Lavender oil

1.  Cut 2 hearts from the styrofoam with cookie cutter.

2.  Coat hearts with glue, cover with lavender flowers, let dry.

3.  Decorate as desired with dried roses, herbs, etc.

4.  Fasten  one end of ribbon to the top of each heart with the greening pins or wire.  Tie a bow at the center of ribbon.  Add a few drops of lavender oil to each heart.  Hang and enjoy! 

Catherine Love

Posted in Craft Day

Blue Jean Book Bag Part 3

This week we will be the last step for our bags.  We will be making a handle out of fabric. 

This step is optional if you decide to use something else for a belt. You can use a silk type scarf or crochet a belt, or anything else that your creativity thinks up!!  

Cotton Handle (for Blue Jean Book Bag)

What you will need:

Cotton fabric of your choice

Step #1

You will need to determine how long you want your handle to be.  When you have this determined then cut out a strip of fabric that is this long.  If you need to you can cut out shorter strips and then sew them together.  

Your strips will need to be 4 inches wide x your determined length.

Step #2

Now take your strip of fabric and iron it half the longest direction.  On the ends of the strip fold them up so the finished belt will not have any raw edges. 

Step #3

After you iron it open it up and fold each side of the strip to meet the center of the crease left by the iron.  Now refold this and iron the strip again.  

Step #4

Sew the strip closed.  You now have a long belt to thread through the belt loops of your book bag.  You can sew the ends closed by overlapping them and sewing them together.

Crystal Miller

Posted in Craft Day

Blue Jean Book Bag Part 2

Step #1

Take a pair of jeans and zip up the front of them and turn them inside out.  With a tape measure, measure about 3 inches down from the crotch and make a mark.  Using a ruler draw a line across the leg at that mark.  Do the same for the other leg.   Now cut the legs off at the line.

Step #2

Now fold the jeans matching the side seams.  This would be just as if you were going to iron a pleat in them down the front and back.  Sew each leg closed 1 inch from the cut edge.  Trim the seam to about a ½ inch. 

Step #3

Turn the jeans right side out now and you have a little bag!  Now you can thread a scarf or cotton belt through the loops and tie or sew the “handles” together. 

You can also decorate the outside pockets with lace or a hanky in the pocket.  Do any decorating or creating to your bag to make it truly yours! 

Next week I will post the directions for making your handle.

Posted in Craft Day

Blue Jean Book Bag  Part 1

This is a pretty easy sewing project.  It is a cute book bag made from an old pair of blue jeans. 

This week you can gather up the supplies you will need:

A pair of old jeans, any size

A cotton belt for a handle (instructions to make one follow) or a silk type scarf would work too

If you will be making the belt you will need some fabric.  The amount will depend on what size bag you are making and how long you want the handles. But no matter the size I would think ½ yard of less would be fine. 

Next week we will start making our bag!

Crystal Miller