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And yes, I am also a sucker for Advent calendars. Even though I tried very, very hard to chill out this year, I still somehow ended up with a cheese calendar, wine calendar, hard cider calendar, and, of all things, a DOG TREAT calendar. Seriously, a dog treat Advent calendar. My dog does not care about the Advent season! To get myself away from buying up the rest of World Market this month, I am making a commitment to refocus on handmade and DIY....

And what I’ve been wanting to make lately is STORAGE SOLUTIONS! You can DIY quite a lot of storage solutions using stash or scrap fabric as a base. You can make drawstring bags and floppy baskets, sure, but also boxes, bins, cubbies, and all sorts of other handy ways to organize and neatly store your stuff. Here are some of my favorites! Fabric Baskets and Trays fabric baskets. Sew up a single basket in a colorway that matches your decor (leftover fabric from hemming curtains is PERFECT for this, I’ve learned!...

Pom pom crafts are my new thing. I’m pretty new to the whole thing, as my kids and I had our Great Pom Pom Experience only last week, but it was an eye-opener, and now those eyes are wide to the wonderful possibilities of pom pom crafts! Seriously, how could you not love making pom poms? You can make them out of organic cotton or wool or so many upcycled materials, you can make them anywhere from teensy-tiny to freaking HUGE, and what you can do with them is basically endless....

You have junk mail and catalogs, magazines and newspapers. You have your kid’s schoolwork and artwork and filled-out notebook paper. You have all the handouts, flyers, and brochures that you were forced to take at your last meeting or doctor’s appointment. You have wrapping paper, brown paper bags, and big manila envelopes. And if you’re crafty, you KNOW you’ve got so much more than that! Paper crafting isn’t even my main jam, and yet I’ve got tons of scrapbook paper, cardstock, tissue paper, origami paper, wallpaper samples, and I don’t even know what else....

Do you have any mismatched silverware at home? Perhaps you’ve found some beautiful silverware at a thrift store before. Put all that beautiful silverware to good use with these amazing and unique projects: 1. Silverware Starburst Mirror by Flamingo Toes I am absolutely amazed by Bev at Flamingo Toes’ creativity! This starburst mirror is made out of silverware, a plate, and a mirror that Bev bought at the craft store....

Handmade Home: Simple Ways to Repurpose Old Materials into New Family Treasures by Amanda Blake Soule is the green craft book for those of you who love the shabby chic type of decor that not only feels comfortable but is almost necessary when you have small children. The book is full of wonderful ways to use everyday discarded items and make them into heartfelt treasures, shabby chic decor, and fun family memories....

As expected, the folks working at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia’s Blueprint Magazine have assembled a nice collection of ideas on how to revise those silk taffeta nightmares into something you would actually be excited to wear on a nice night out or a casual weekend. If the thought of wearing that bridesmaid “beauty” again gives you cold chills, there are other options. Author Cindy Walker published an amazingly tongue-in-cheek book called 101 Uses for a Bridesmaid Dress in 1999, and the tips are still relevant....

The Green Lodge focused on eco-crafting by using products that can be recycled, upcycled and restyled. Celebrities including KayCee Stroh of High School Musical cast, Aubrey O’Day from Making of the Band 3, actress Anya Monzikova from Tropic Thunder and a Deal or No Deal alumna, and Alice Greczyn from Privileged and Lincoln Heights, were were inspired to create eco-chic and sustainably stylish projects and gifts alongside the expert crafter and designer....

I’m really short, y’all. And I have really big breasts. Bra makers don’t like that about me. If their shoulder straps are short enough, then they don’t make my cup size. And if they make my cup size, then their shoulder straps are waaaaaay too long. If there’s anything non-standard about you, then you know that it can be ridiculous trying to find off-the-rack clothing that fits you just right....

Want to give traumatized or hospitalized children something secure and soft to cuddle? Check out Project Linus, which provides handmade quilts and blankets to children in need across the country. Since its founding in 1995, Project Linus has delivered well over 6 million handmade quilts and blankets to children in need. Because it works through local chapters, with chapters in all 50 states, the blankets and quilts that you make are guaranteed to go to children in your area....

Ugh, it was SO hard! Eventually, I went back to the only sure-fire way to get something that is EXACTLY the way I want it: DIY! I modified my go-to DIY journal with a cover made from upcycled cardboard, and filled it with coloring pages downloaded from the interwebs. It’s exactly what I wanted, and here’s how you can make one, too! To make your own DIY coloring book with an upcycled cover, you will need:...

Got an old mason jar hanging around? Turn it into a pretty DIY pendant light with this video tutorial. My favorite part of the tute below is their neat trick for punching a hole in the mason jar lid, so that you can fit the light kit through. No drill required! Check it out: Are you reading this at work, where you can’t really watch the video? Don’t worry! We won’t tell....

It’s super simple – and fun! – to create custom DIY art using old book pages! Before we even knew whether we were having a boy or a girl, my husband and I knew that we wanted a space-themed nursery. We are what you might call “really big nerds,” and of course that means we want to steep this baby in the sci-fi themes that we grew up loving so much....

Do you have e-waste – like old cables, chargers, and cords – laying around? Upcycle it into gorgeous jewelry! I’ll admit it: I am kind of obsessed with this amazing line of recycled jewelry by Marcele Goroy. The artist created this jewelry as a personal project, so it’s not a line for sale. He was just sick of the e-waste all around him as a graduate student. Godoy’s jewelry is a stunning example of craftivism in action!...

One downside to bamboo comes during the production process. Since the plant itself isn’t fibrous, it’s mashed down into sort of a chemical slurry and then pressed into fabric. The process is similar to making rayon. It’s toxic for workers, and it strips the bamboo of its beneficial antimicrobial properties. There’s also the trouble that comes with anything that gets popular. Despite its speedy growth, there is still a threat of overharvesting bamboo....

I originally discovered Karma Kraft through an ad on True Up and now they have a fabulous interview with Karma Kraft founder Susan Lu. With a background in the textile industry and a passion for the craft and design communities, it was only natural for Susan to create Karma Kraft to advance the accessibility of on demand fabric printing. So what sets Karma Kraft apart from the rest? To start with they have a fabulous selection of base fabrics, some of which are not available from other printers....

In a post over this summer, White talked a bit about her partnership with Robert Kaufman. As you probably know, this isn’t her first fabric line, and she explained a bit about how she went from print on demand to having her own line with a major fabric company: It’s so inspiring to see a fabric designer that’s able to pursue her dream without compromising her principles. By teaming up with Robert Kaufman, Betz White will not only be able to offer her fabrics to more people, but the wider distribution means making organic fabrics accessible to more crafters all over the world, even one that might not have been interested in organic fabrics before....

So, you’ve sewn all of your free tops and bottoms. Now you need something to go under them AND something to go over them. That’s why this week is everything underwear and accessories! Everything on this list is from one of my favorite indie pattern companies. The patterns I’m pointing you to are free, but I’ve also included plenty of suggestions for other patterns you can purchase from these companies....

Conventional, store bought finger paints are full of polysyllabic mystery ingredients like mannitol, polyethylene glycol, and sodium benzoate. Some also contain mineral oil, a petroleum product. Rather than letting those kiddos get that stuff all over their hands, clothes, and faces, you can whip up a batch of finger paint in the kitchen! It’s cheaper, easier, and you know exactly what your kids are getting themselves into. Recipe 1 cup cornstarch 3 cups water food coloring In a saucepan, boil the 3 cups of water....

If you liked our review of Crafty Cans and Perplexing Plastic, by Mahe Zehra Husain, then I hope that you entered our giveaway, in which Mahe offered a copy of her e-book, The Christmas Guide to Upcycling, to a whopping 25 winners! Are you one of our lucky winners? Read on to see: The winners of the e-book, The Christmas Guide to Upcycling, are: Beth (the one who loves peanut butter) Muireann Robin Linda Marilyn Laura Kavita Lynn Laura B Marilynn Beth S Cheryl Jo Amy Mxfitzau Shannon Maria Jazz RaDonna Matt Betty Edur Michelle Eve Maria (the one who discovered that our Facebook link was broken)...