Airplane knitting

I don't really like travelling but I figured if I had to be on a plane all day then I might as well knit. So I wanted to find a project that would be pretty simple and not too big. I had bought this yarn awhile ago at Michael's on clearance because I liked the color but it was the only one so I figured I'd make a hat or something out of it. Then I noticed the pattern on the label and I thought why not make these wrist warmers instead of yet another hat (note, I am also crocheting another hat anyway!) These were really simple and quick- I finished one on a 5 hour flight! I started the other one on my next flight but that didn't work out so well- I'll just say the turbulence was bad and leave it at that! After a night of rest (and recovery from awful travel!) I managed to finish the second one today, and I have to say I really love them! They'll be great for keeping warm and being able to use my phone. Just think, I can wear them while blogging! You can find the pattern on Bernat's website, just search for wrist warmers- its the one that uses Bernat jacquards. I have to say that this experience gave new meaning to "adventures in crafting"! Well until next time...Happy Crafting!!!

Best book ever!

This week I finally got a copy of Martha's new Holiday Crafts book, and I am LOVING it! There are so many projects in there that I want to make- the biggest question is where to begin! I really like that the projects in the book aren't too intensive- most are only a paragraph long!- and you can find most of the supplies at Michael's or Joann's since they sell a lot of the Martha craft lines there.

There's a few Halloween crafts that I'd like to make but don't think I'll have time. Lately I've been wanting to make something in paper mache (it might have to do with the paper mache bat pinata that Martha made a few weeks ago!) I really like these jack-o-lanterns but I was thinking about just making it into a plain pumpkin instead. Maybe I'll paint it white or glitter it, or cut the top off and fill it with some fall flowers. Again, the possibilities are endless! But first, I must finish up a few of my other projects. Until next time... Happy Crafting!!!

my Missoni

I've always been a fan of bright (and slightly wacky!) prints and designs, so of course, when Target released their Missoni line, I immediately fell in love! While I think some of the clothes were a bit much (too much zig-zagging for most sizes!), I loved their accessories. Note: I have a slight addiction to accessories (scarves, hats, bags, etc. etc). So of course, as a knitter I immediately thought, I could so make my own- and in the colors that I wanted! So here's what I came up with: The first pic is a hat I made and loved the colors so much (and had leftover yarn still!) so I decided to make some matching gloves. I cheated a little by knitting only the cuffs and attaching them to store-bought gloves (from where else, but the dollar store!) The really great thing about these projects is that since there's a lot of striping going on, they're a great way to use up your yarn stash. I love any project where I can use what I already have and resist the temptation of another trip to the craft store! The next pic is of the first hat that I made. I used similar colors to the real Missoni hat that I saw at Target (pic on the right). I think I like mine better (less pink!)

I saw the pattern for this vase cozy on the Caron newsletter. They too, decided to get in on the Missoni craze. I decided to make mine a little more autumn-ish, and to add a few felt flowers that I made. I already had the vase, the branches, the wire stems for the flowers, and lots of leftover felt, so this was another thrifty project!  The last pic is of some pillows that I made.I found this great fabric and I only needed 1/2 yard of fabric to make two pillow covers (for, of course, pillows that I already had!). I had seen similar Missoni pillows at Target for $30 each (mine cost under $1 each!) Being crafty rocks!! I've had a blast making my own Missoni accessories and now find myself looking around the house for other things that I can Missoni-ize! Until next time... Happy Crafting!!!



Halloween blocks tutorial

I've been seeing these decorative blocks all over the place so I thought, how can I make these an upcycled craft instead of having to cut wood blocks. Here's what I came up with using what I had around the house. The only thing I bought was the Halloween paper- which was on sale at Michael's last week- and only cost me $1! I love super bargain crafting!! I'm pretty new to doing tutorials so I hope this makes sense. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask!

Step 1: Gather your supplies. You'll need some Halloween paper, 2 sheets of solid paper (for back), boxes (i used frozen dinner boxes because they seemed to be a good size), mod podge (or glue), a paintbrush, scissors, a jack-o-lantern picture, and some letters

Step 2: I placed the box in the center of one of the sheets of paper (which will be the background) and cut out the corners. I covered the front of the box with mod podge (watered-down a little), smoothed out any air bubbles, and then did the same for the sides of the box. The picture on the right is what the front of the block should look like.

Step 3: Now it's time to cut out any shapes or borders that you want to decorate your blocks with. I cut apart the striped Halloween paper and used the different stripes for borders and as a background for my letters. I found the template for the jack-o-lantern online (try googling pumpkin templates or clip art for one). I traced the template onto some printed paper and cut it out. I originally printed out letters to use but they were too small to cut out, so I improvised by cutting letters out of an old magazine to spell out happy halloween. I actually like the way these letters look a lot better than my original idea!

Step 4: Here's where it all comes together! I brushed the mod podge on the back of the borders, the letters, and the jack-o-lantern pieces and placed them on the blocks. I let them dry for a little bit and then brushed two more coats over the entire front and side surfaces of the block.

Step 5: To finish the back (and cover the part of the box that the patterned paper didn't cover) I cut out a piece of solid paper that was about a little smaller than the box (about a 1/2" less on all sides than the size of the box). I attached it with mod podge, let it dry, and then brushed another coat over the back of the box.

Step 6: Ta-da! They're finished! All that's left is to find a place for them, and maybe add a pumpkin or two! Here's a link to make this little pumpkin- it's super cute and only took about 5 minutes to make!
http://eastcoastmommyblog.blogspot.com/2011/09/5-minute-felt-pumpkin.html
I really love the way these blocks turned out, and the best part is that they're lightweight and small- perfect or storing! Well, actually the best part about them is that they were an upcycled craft. Really, who would ever guess that these were made from frozen dinner boxes! Hope you enjoyed my tutorial and it inspires you to make your own. These would be great for any holiday, kids' names, favorite sports teams, etc., etc. The possibilities are endless! Until next time...Happy Crafting!!!

catching up

Sorry I haven't posted anything in a while, but I've been working on a million different projects (as usual) which I'm finally finishing up on. Here's a couple for today.  The first pic is of these adorable little skeleton guys- I'm loving them!! Note, I made two different sizes-the joys of enlarging patterns! The most difficult/ time consuming part of this project was cutting out all the little bones. There was only minimal hand sewing, and the rest was glued. I did sew the edges on the sewing machine though (much quicker!) I found the pattern in a free download from http://www.babylock.com/. You have to sign up for their newsletter in order to get the download, but he was too cute to pass up! There were some other fun patterns in there too, but since I'm not great with the sewing... lol.

I also finished the Halloween garland that I had started a while ago. I saw this idea on several different sites, but you can customize it however you want. I found shapes to use as templates by doing a google search (ex. bat, ghost, pumpkin, candy corn, etc). Just print, cut, sew (and stuff them a little), glue to the ribbon, add some bows, and you have your very own Halloween garland! This craft could also be adapted for kids by using paper instead of felt.

The last pic is of these cutie little owls! I actually bought the kit at Michael's. I fully admit it was in with the kids crafts, but I find it hard to resist anything with super cute owls!- especially when they have googly eyes! lol. Just an FYI to any other owl-lovers out there, Target has some pretty cute and funky owl stuff in their dollar section right now, and yes, I did buy some! So much crafting, so little time! I'm working on some upcycled Halloween crafts that I will do tutorials for (or at least try my best to- and I promise pics this time!) I will also be posting some other fun projects this week inspired by a recent craze over a certain designer. Hmmm, any guesses? That's it for now, so until next time... Happy Crafting!!

snowmen!!- and they're ready for some football!!

I found this pattern for these little crocheted snowmen in a craft magazine and thought they were too cute so of course, I had to make one- which turned into a few, and then a few more!lol. I love snowmen, and they are one of the few things that I collect (along with owls), but I am by no means an obsessed collector! I like to 'collect' snowmen that I make myself- but sometimes I can't resist those cute little faces on the store-bought ones. So here's some of the snowmen that I made- I did one Xmas-y and the other more snowy. After I made the first few I thought, how can I make this little guy even more adorable? So I looked over and saw Gio's Jets blanket and decided that was it, these snowmen would be football fans! Perfect! Here's my first one that I made, Jets of course!- but I did make a few other teams too since not everyone shares my love of the best team in football! Until next time, Happy Crafting!!!

Christmas crochet

Today I decided to switch it up a little and work on some Xmas crochet. I found the pattern for these ornaments in a magazine (Holiday Crafting by Better Homes & Gardens) that has a million fun holiday crafts for fall and Xmas. The pattern was pretty simple (a ball) with the hanger on top. I think that these would be great in a bunch of colors and sizes. They're also great for using up scraps from your yarn stash since they don't rake much to make. These were made with a size E crochet hook but if you follow the pattern and just use different size hooks then you can make a variety of ornaments. These would also be great for a kids Xmas tree since they're pretty kid/pet-proof (unbreakable and no small parts to eat)! I also found a pattern in the magazine for a snowman that is super cute- that just might be tomorrow's project! Until then... Happy Crafting!!

fabric flowers

I've been wanting to try and make some fabric flowers- the kind with the melted edges- for a while now. So, the other day I was at the fabric store and I happened to find some remnants that were on clearance that I thought would be perfect to try it out. There's a lot of tutorials out there on how to make these, but it's really pretty basic. If you can cut circles (or random circle-like shapes) and light a candle, then you too can make these! I should've taken pictures of the steps as I was making the flowers but I forgot, so here's what I did.

1. Cut circles  (or other random shapes) out of fabric. The circles should vary in size by 1/2", for example, my largest circle was 4" diameter, and each circle was decreased by a 1/2" down to the center petal which was 1" diameter. You can make them any size, as this is just a suggestion.The fabric has to be satin, organza, or something similar. You can get creative here and either mix colors or types of fabrics.
2. Light a candle, and start to move the circles around the flame to singe and melt the edges of the petals. Some fabrics melt and curl quicker so I recommend trying it out first on a scrap piece of your fabric before curling your actual petals.
3. Stack the petals up with the larger ones on the bottom and the smallest in the center.

4. Sew the petals together in the middle with small stitches (so that they don't show later when finishing). I took about 4 or 5 stitches just to hold the petals in place.
5. Cut out a small circle of felt and glue to the back using craft glue. This will give the flower a little stability and give you a place to attach a pin or clip.
6. To finish, I hot glued a small rhinstone to the center to cover up the stitches where the petals are attached. You can use beads, pearls, buttons, or any other smal embellishment. I also hot glued a pin to the felt circle on the back.
7. Wear your fabulous new pin! I like mine on my bag, but they would look great on a tshirt or cardigan too.

If you would like to see the steps in pictures, check out this site. Their flower is a little different than mine but it's the same basic idea: http://www.holiday-crafts-and-creations.com/how-to-make-fabric-flowers.html
Until next time, Happy Crafting!!

super cute felt banners

Today I finally finished my felt banners- one Halloween, and the other one is fall-themed. I LOVE the way they turned out! Of course, I had to make a few changes since I had to work with what I had. The fall one has been done for a while now, I just had to make the buttons and attach the ribbon. I found another template on the same website for a Halloween banner too, and I just had to make it. There's a Christmas one too that I haven't started yet but I'll get to it eventually! There's also a couple of other banners and wall hangings on the site for other holidays too. What I love about these banners, is that the background is a 9x12 sheet of felt so they're small, and you can use up your scraps for all the different shapes. This is a great project for crafters of any skill level since you can get a little creative with the instructions. I don't see any reason why you couldn't glue the shapes on the banner instead of hand sewing. Even if you don't have any felt at home, you could easily make this project for about $1 - $2 (it just depends on if the felt squares are on sale- and they are at Michael's this week!) If you want to make your own banner, here's the link for the Halloween banner: http://www.holiday-crafts-and-creations.com/homemade-halloween-decorations-banner.html  And here's the link to the fall/harvest banner: http://www.holiday-crafts-and-creations.com/thanksgiving-crafts-to-make-banner.html  Remember, be creative, use what you have, and have fun! BTW- the fall/harvest banner would make a great hostess gift if you're visiting family and friends for Thanksgiving. Until next time, Happy Crafting!!

football crafts

In honor of the first weekend of football, I wanted to share some of my football-themed crafts. In case you can't tell, I'm a Jets fan! lol.  I made this bag many years ago- when I still had patience for sewing! lol. I try to use it only on game days so I can keep it in good condition. I still have some of the lining fabric that I'd like to make something out of but not sure what. hmmm- I think I might have to search around for some ideas. I did add some felt flower pins though since I thought it needed a little makeover.  Last year I made this blanket for my little Gio's wagon. It's one of those fleece no-sew blankies where you cut and tie the ends. It was super easy and the best part- no sewing!! Although I did sew a little cover for his pillow. It's not perfect but he doesn't seem to mind! Here's a pic of my little man Gio watching the game- nothing crafty, but too cute to not post!

I didn't get any crafting done today since football took over my day- and a little trip to Michael's earlier to stock up on some sale craft stuff! I have a few projects that need some finishing touches and some others that are in the works (mostly Halloween and fall-themed). Back to crafting tomorrow, but until then... Happy Crafting!!

fall WIP's

I've been working on so many different projects lately but haven't completely finished any. I've learned when working with felt, it's easiest to cut out everything first, then do any hand sewing and details and finally, glue and finish! I'm used to having a lot of WIP's (works in progress) when I'm knitting and crocheting, since I get bored with one project and have to switch back and forth.

The felt harvest banner is almost done, it just needs a few finishing touches. I think that I'm past the hardest part- all the cutting and hand stitching so it's almost there. I forgot how long hand sewing really takes! Here's the link to the original project: http://www.holiday-crafts-and-creations.com/thanksgiving-crafts-to-make-banner.html Of course, I made a few changes, color wise mostly, to use up felt scraps that I already had. The banner background is a 9 x 12" felt sheet so it's a relatively small project.

The other project that I'm working on now is a Halloween garland. I saw the idea on this site: http://ahappycircus.blogspot.com/2010/10/halloween-felt-banner.html 

Of course, I made a few changes like hand sewing the shapes since the sewing machine and I don't always get along so well! lol. Also, the site didn't have any templates so I had to search on google for shapes and adjust them to fit. All the shapes are cut, sewn and stuffed, and all that's left is to attach them to a piece of ribbon for hanging- and maybe attach some little bows to each critter. Pictures to follow of the finished products,but until then...
Happy Crafting!!

Halloween

I'm back! - and with some Halloween goodies! I spent the weekend finishing up some gifts that I'll be sending out tomorrow (pics to follow!) I did get around to starting on some Halloween-themed crafts (see pics) that I thought were fun. The felt lollipops were actually a Xmas craft that I found on Better Homes and Gardens site. I thought they would be cute in Halloween colors- and would go well with the Halloween candy that I crocheted last year.

I also made some flower pins and barrettes in black and orange- a fun way to have a little Halloween spirit without going too crazy!

And finally, the pins are by far my favorite that I 
worked on all weekend.I found the pattern for the
owl pin at  http://bugsandfishes.blogspot.com/2010/01/how-to-felt-owl-  I decided to do mine in some fun bright colors to give them a little character. Then i decided to make the little candy corn pin (my own creation!) since what is more Halloween than candy corn? I have a bunch more Halloween and fall crafts still to work on-  But for now, it's off to sleepy-land for me! HappyCrafting!                                           

More hats!

Not too much crafting here today, but I did finish two more hats for Operation Gratitude- and I have another one on my needles now that I'll finish tomorrow. That should bring my total to 8! Yay!

I also went to JoAnn today and got a bunch of felt, fabric and other craft supplies (all of which were on my shopping list!)  And thanks to coupons and sales I saved a ton- which just translates into extra supplies! Lol. Back to crafting tomorrow- need to finish a few gifts and send them on their way. And also there's a get together at the Knit Addiction for Operation Gratitude. Busy day!
Happy Crafting!

what a cutie hootie!

While I wouldn't consider myself a collector ( i am not a fan of knick knacks!) I will admit that I love all things owl- more of the cute cartoon-y type and not realistic looking. So when I happened upon this tutorial and pattern for a felt owl from http://bugsandfishes.blogspot.com/2011/08/how-to-felt-owl.html ,   I just had to make one! This felt cutie will join the other owls on my bookshelf- what better place for a wise owl to hang out? lol. So here's a pic of my little owl. 

Here's some pics of some of my other little owl creations that I've made over the years. I love to use crystal glazes on my ceramic owls- it makes
them so much groovier! There's a few knitted and crocheted owlies in there too- I'm always finding patterns for cute owls that I can't resist making! I'm addicted to owls! Now I want to search around for some other owl crafts- but I do still have a few that I haven't gotten to yet- there's always tomorrow for some more owl crafting fun! lol

Happy Crafting!

little boo and his haunted hut- and some festive wreaths

I've been working on this little guy for a few days now- I can only handle so much hand sewing at a time! I love, love, love how Little Boo ghost turned out- he's so cute!! I didn't do all the embroidery detail on his haunted hut though. I decided to keep it simple and I was very pleased with the end result. Of course, this was all made from felt- my new favorite thing! lol. I also made another set for my sister since she's a big Halloween fan.

Earlier I made the mistake of scrolling through a bunch of posts on craftgossip.com (this is definitely one of my new favorite sites!). I happened to find endless patterns for new felt projects- and a lot of others too. Oh, where to begin!

I finally finished my wreaths that I've been working on. I think that the Xmas one with the red and green rosettes would be great in so many other color palettes too. On the fall wreath, I didn't have any yarn that I thought was a good match so I decided to instead use some grosgrain ribbon that I already had. I tried to use items that I already had around the house (leftover yarn, ribbon, felt scraps, beads, etc.) The only new item that was used was the foam wreath- which I bought at the dollar store. The red felt was new too but I actually bought that to make poinsettias and other flowers with, so does that count? lol.

Happy Crafting!

a little xmas- and a donut?

Today I finished up a few Xmas-y crafts that I've been working on. These styrofoam trees turned out pretty well, especially since I used what I had already(except for the smaller cone which I bought at the dollar store), making this a bit of a recycled craft. Here's the link to the original project: http://www.favecrafts.com/Christmas-Decorations/Tissue-Paper-and-Yarn-Trees-From-Plaid/ml/1 . I was thinking that if you wanted to make this craft but didn't already have styrofoam cones you could probably use cardboard and form it into cone shapes. Just an idea! FYI- mod podge is impossible to get of your hands! I've washed them at least 20 times (not exaggerating!) and I still have some stuck on my hands. ugh!


Another Xmas craft I finished up today were these felt bird ornaments. Another easy project that you could make out of any shape. These might be cute in bell shapes for Xmas too. The embroidery went pretty quick too since you can be a little creative with it. These would also be a great project to use up felt scraps. Also, a good project for kids- only maybe use fabric paint instead of embroidery? probably safer! lol

So about that donut... I got a little tired of my pins and needles in a bag (since they were falling off the other pincushion I had) so I decided to make a new pincushion. I found this idea when I was searching for a pattern, and alas- a donut pincushion was born! Chocolate with sprinkles too- now I'm hungry!

surprise--more felt !!!

I went craft shopping today and came home with a bunch of new felt and of course some other craft goodies! Then I made these felt Russian nesting dolls. I love how they turned out! I may even try making them in different sizes like the real ones. Even though these were in the holiday craft magazine, I think they're cute for any time of the year. You could probably even make them with different appliques on the body for different holidays. The possibilities are endless!

Of course, since I bought all that new felt, I just had to make some more flowers. I tried the poinsettias in red but I think that I like them better in white. I also did some more flower pins and some more rosette barrettes. I am really loving the barrettes and the different color combos. I also made some other flowers for the yarn wrapped wreaths, but since I didn't get more wreaths the flowers must wait- I'll post pics of those as soon as I get the wreaths.

Happy Crafting!

flower crazy! - and a couple of ornaments

Today I decided to be brave and try making the felt dahlia pin. It took a while to measure and cut out all of the petals but the end result rocks! I have to say that the rotary cutter did help in cutting the squares nice and even but trimming the squares to the petal shapes was a little time consuming. Once that was done, it went pretty quick with only a few minor hot glue burns (thanks to my new mini glue gun!). And voila- here's the finished pin!

I also tried making a few felt roses which it turns out are actually really simple. Instead of making the roses and leaves in typical color combos I decided to mix it up a little and add some gray in as a neutral to balance the bright colors. I'm loving the end result!

I did try making a few felt Christmas ornaments today too. Some turned out better than others and some I just didn't like at all. I learned that cutting snowflakes out of felt is a lot harder than I thought- or maybe I just need a smaller sharp scissor! I'd like to try making a few more but I think I need some more Christmas-y felt colors first. I need to figure out where they get all the cool colors that they use in the magazine though. hmmm.

Happy Crafting!

flowers, flowers, and more flowers!

Today I decided to experiment with some more felt flowers- there are so many out there and they are so addicting! Once you start making them,  its almost impossible to stop (unless you run out of felt in certain

colors!) So I decided to make my flowers useful instead of just pretty by gluing pins to the back of them. Now I can use them on sweaters, bags or even around the house (on pillows, curtains, etc.) The possibilities are endless. As my felt flower fest continued I decided to make a smaller flower into a ring and not surprisingly, I love it!

The other day I got a great new magazine which has so many holiday

craft ideas (felt, crochet, paper, painting, etc.). With so many fabulous projects, the biggest question is where to begin. Since I've been on a felt kick, I decided on the felt pinecone. I liked the color of the one in the magazine better, but being the thrifty crafter that I am, I decided to work with what I had. And you know what- I really like it. I see a trip to Michael's in my future to stock up on some more felt!
Happy Crafting!