Brown eggs aren’t better for you than white eggs, but you’re much more likely to find brown eggs than white eggs in your local grocery co-op, farmer’s market, or backyard chicken coop. So don’t think that you have to go buy a flat of conventional, battery-caged, white chicken eggs from that giant grocery store chain just because Easter is on its way! We dye brown eggs, since that’s what our two VERY spoiled hens, Fluffball and Arrow, lay for us....
Craft show season is getting close, and that means all of you green crafty biz owners are probably working overtime to get merch ready for the upcoming fall shows! Any sort of repetitive action is tough on your body, and crafting is no different. Rather than pop an over the counter pain medication, why not take some time to relax and stretch the soreness away with some yoga poses targeted at the places that take the most abuse?...
Well, I’m sure it fits someone. I guess I can kind of say that it fits me, if I don’t mind this collar that’s too tight, and that collar that’s too loose, those sleeves that are too long, those other sleeves that are too short, that one waistband that gaps at the back, that other waistband that pinches just enough to give me a muffin top, etc. Tailored Clothes Just Fit Better It’s an open secret by now that one of the reasons why many people in the past looked absolutely amazing in their clothes is that those clothes were sewn to their own custom measurements by a trained expert, whether that expert was a professional in a shop or a home-sewist in their drawing room....
Seriously, there’s a neighborhood fox that makes its living picking off my backyard chickens one-by-one and I STILL think foxes are awesome! That’s how awesome foxes are! If you, too, love foxes so much that one could eat somebody you love and you’d still forgive it, then I have your next Halloween project. Or convention cosplay. Or, you know, just dress-up outfit–I’m not here to judge you. What I AM here to do is show you this list that I made of lots and lots of DIY fox masks, perfect for your dress-up and cosplay fun....
Ever since planning a joint superhero birthday party for my son and his almost-birthday-twin, I’ve had superhero crafts on the brain. You could consider the list below a decorating and favor list for a superhero birthday party or just choose your favorite superhero crafts on this list to do yourself or with your kids on a rainy day. We’ve got superhero crafts for pretty much any skill- and age-level. Some of these craft ideas do call for cutting up old comic books, which I know might upset some folks....
Also, wine bottles are made of EXCELLENT glass, nice and sturdy and lovely. There are tons of ways to reuse empty wine bottles that utilize that strength and show off that beauty–check out the list below to find your next favorite project! How To Cut A Wine Bottle I review a few ways that don’t work great, and then I show you THE way that does! How To Flatten A Glass Bottle Find a friend with a kiln!...
Independence day is next week. Get crafty with the kiddos and make these fun DIY rockets – the perfect upcycled 4th of July craft! Got some paper tubes in your stash? Upcycle them, along with a reclaimed paper bag and a handful of scrap fabric, into cute little DIY rockets that you and the kids can make together! You probably have all of the supplies you need to make these rockets right in your crafty stash, so this is a great last-minute activity to keep the kids busy – and happy!...
No matter the special occasion (or even no occasion at all!), I guarantee that there is a perfect bunting for you to make for that event. Maybe it’s a teeny-tiny bunting made of vintage sheet music for the top of a birthday cake or a denim and burlap Christmas bunting. It could be vintage doilies for a wedding or fabric scraps for a reading nook. Honestly, it could be anything, as long as it makes you happy!...
I too am a small business owner and I have balked at creating a business plan. I have flat out avoided it. I love designing promo materials, bookmarks, business cards, postcards, custom logos, t-shirts and all that. Just don’t ask me to type up a business plan. It sounds odd considering I am a writer and a crafter. Writing a business plan should be no big deal for me. But it is....
In celebration of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, a few of us crafties decided to pull together and do something to celebrate! Did you know that we spend $4.2 billion per year on art supplies (!) (pdf) and many of them are toxic and harmful to the environment. Instead of buying new, let’s pledge to make April a Craft Destash Month! Together, we can have a really big impact on the environment and on our own wallets....
Make the Science Fair (or the Biography Fair, or the International Fair…) slightly less of a pain in the butt, AND save yourself a trip to the store to buy a cardboard or foam core display board, because crafting your own display board out of upcycled cardboard is so easy! You can make your DIY project display board exactly the size that you want–just the thing for an event with a little space and a lot of kids–and paint it to match your theme....
This research project began simply: I wanted to write about alternatives to balloon releases. Wait–do you know what a balloon release is? It’s meant as a memorial or celebration, and it involves the release of a bunch of helium balloons. You let them go, watch them rise up and fade away from view, and feel happy or get a sense of closure or whatever it is you’re going for. Anyway… I wanted to write about alternatives, so I Googled “balloon release....
Board games are a fun way to spend time with your friends or family, but what can you do when they’ve outlived their usefulness? Yesterday we showed you how to make a mini board game for the kids, but what about those board games in your cabinet that have seen better days? You know what I mean – they’re missing pieces, or maybe you spilled some coffee or wine on the board....
Sometimes an artist needs some inspiration. If you sew, create from nature, or work with vintage materials, and you’re looking for inspiration, then I highly suggest that you check out the work of Mister Finch, textile artist. Mister Finch works alone, from his imagination, creating a miscellany of flora, fauna, and the stuff of fairy tales out in Yorkshire, the United Kingdom. He works primarily from vintage fabrics–curtains, old cross stitch or embroidery projects, and upcycled clothing are just some of the fabrics that I could identify in the still-life photographs in his recent book, Living in a Fairytale World (which I received free from a publicist)....
Inspire your kid to craft recycled with a craft book or two this year! These craft books for kids have projects that your kids will love and that will encourage them to upcycle in their crafty endeavors. Craft books for Kids Crafting with Cardboard Boxes You know you’re getting lots of boxes in the mail this time of year, so why not give your kids a book packed with ideas for how to reuse them?...
I’ve actually had this Snow White sheet in my fabric stash for a couple of years. I purchased it from a Goodwill Outlet Store for dirt cheap, even though I don’t typically make character-themed crafts, just because the sheet was clearly so awesome. How lucky, then, that the princesses invited us to have breakfast with them one morning during our trip to Walt Disney World! Matching dresses made from the Snow White sheet will be just the thing to let the girls have something special and princessy to wear without actually wearing a princess dress....
Weeks back I highlighted Etsy and their brilliant blog curator spotlights. Now we’re on the topic again with our very own Kelly Rand! Here are some highlights from the exhibit: Shown above is Glue and Glitter’s (another talented CAGW teammate) lovely Spring apron. What a darling color combination. J’aime her taste in reclaimed and recycled metal jewelery from the husband and wife team: Figs and Ginger and Here is the lovely fawn in the forest necklace: Figs and Ginger explains“Each piece is either forged, sawed, or soldered by hand and much of their work is inspired by the simple beauty found in forests, both imaginary & real....
I’ve been mulling over this resolution thing for a few weeks now, and the thing that I keep coming back to is an idea that I saw on my friend’s Facebook page. Rather than write a full-on resolution for the new year, folks choose a word that will be their motto for the coming year. Don’t you kind of love that idea? Resolutions are so hard to keep, but a motto – that’s a work in progress!...
UK ink cartridge company Ink and Media was tired of watching used cartridges heading to the landfill. They wanted to show that empty cartridges are useful after the ink is gone, so they invited artist Faith Pearson to come up with some ink cartridge art. She blew them away. Pearson created amazing scenes using discarded cartridges. I’m a total Star Trek nerd, so of course my favorite is the Starship Enterprise:...
According to people far more style-conscious than myself, window treatments are an easy, inexpensive ways to instantly transform a room. These easy, DIY balloon curtains come together quickly, and you don’t need to know how to sew to make your own. Whether you choose curtains or drapes, sheer or semi-opaque, and brightly patterned or a simple solid color, popping a window decoration on a bare window really does spruce up your space....
