But what you WON’T have to do is follow a pattern! All of the quilt blocks in my list, below, are ones that you can construct as you go or that are so dead simple that you don’t need a pattern to make them. Even if you’re the most beginning-est of beginners at sewing, I promise that you can hold all the instructions for sewing a nine-patch quilt block or a log cabin quilt block–even a set in circle!...
Camp counselors are the superheroes of easy, fun kid craft projects, no expensive or hard-to-find special materials required. Take a few pages out of the camp counselor handbook and check out my list of my favorite summer camp-style crafts. They’re all highly kid-approved, and you can very likely source all the necessary supplies from around your house, yard, or recycling bin. Summer Camp Crafts from the Recycling Bin embossed aluminum pendants....
Need a new bookshelf? IKEA is NOT the answer. Turns out that a new bookshelf probably isn’t the answer, either, not when there are so many wonderful things to upcycle into bookshelves, and so many ways to decorate thrifted or freshly built bookshelves with upcycled components. If you’re thinking about going bookshelf shopping, first put down your wallet and check out these ideas–you’re probably going to find the bones of your brand-new bookshelf project waiting right here:...
Boo on that! Here are some ways that you can revamp clothing you already have or that you find at the thrift store instead. Small Alterations Maybe you thrifted pants or a skirt that are too long or have a top in your closet that’s a smidge too big or small. Here are some ways that you can make small alterations to fit them just for you! Shorten a Pair of Pants Fix for a Too-Small Shirt Take in a Too-Big tank Top Adding Darts to a Purchased Blouse Lengthen Your Pants with One Easy Alteration Sew a Child’s Skirt from an Adult T-Shirt Embellishments and Dyes Do you have a piece that fits well, but needs a little oomph?...
I know that this former grocery store standard is happily being phased out in many areas, but if you’ve still got a stash under your sink, then check out some of these brown paper bag crafts and get it cleared out before Christmas! 1. book cover. It may be old-school, but it works! 2. candy bowl. This papier mache bowl is Halloween-themed, but just decorate it differently for a different holiday....
It has been positively blustery out there lately, and that chilly weather gets me in the mood to craft with sweaters. Luckily, when the weather gets colder, thrift stores are busting with sweaters, so even if you don’t have any in your stash, you can still find sweaters to upcycle for all sorts of fun, fall-themed projects. If you don’t have sweaters handy but still want to get in on the crafty action, don’t fret!...
It is possible that the people in my family are greedy pillow hogs, but store-bought sheet sets NEVER come with enough pillowcases for us! That’s why, after I bought two new sheet sets for my bed (bringing the total number of sheet sets that I own for this bed up to two… long story), I immediately had to turn around and sew two new handmade pillowcases for it. And if I’m sewing something for myself, then you know that I’m also going to have to sew that same thing for at least one of my kids–the younger one, in this case, because I knew that I had that My Little Pony fabric in my stash for a reason!...
Here are some handmade items that you can make and donate to your favorite animal rescue! Cash is always the best thing to donate to any non-profit, but if you, like me, just love to make things to donate, or if you, like me, have WAY too many craft supplies that you really ought to start using up (ahem…), there are plenty of handmade gifts that animal rescues can really use....
The short version: Buthelezi melts strips of colored plastic from bags and films onto a surface (also made from plastic). But, as you’ll see in the video above, that totally understates his process of creation. His method also makes art creation widely available – while not everyone may be able to afford traditional art materials, we can all gather waste plastic. The only concern I’d have with this method involves the emissions created by melting the plastic: I’m guessing they’re not particularly healthy, and would love to see Buthelezi wearing a mask....
The technique for putting a reverse appliqué into jersey or T-shirt material, however, is a little different from your run-of-the-mill reverse appliqué, and the technique for putting a reverse appliqué into a narrow piece of material, such as a sleeve or a pants leg or even a small child’s T-shirt, is trickier yet. Here, though, is exactly how to go about it: You will need: T-shirt or jersey-knit pants with small stains or holes Cotton or flannel fabric in a desired color or pattern for the appliqué (you can use more jersey fabric for a very small appliqué, but the added stiffness of quilting cotton or flannel will give your appliqué extra sturdiness and support) Matching thread Lots of straight pins Iron set to cotton setting Sewing machine with a ballpoint needle and a freehand stitching presser foot installed (don’t forget to lower your feed dogs!...
These altered playing card ornaments are perfect for filling in the last nooks remaining between cinnamon dough toddler handprints and tiny stuffed felt Princess Leia. They’re light and unbreakable (unless embellished with something delicate, of course). They’re also well suited to the crafting skills of everyone from the littlest littles to the grown-est grown-ups. Artistic people will be especially drawn to the level of detail that you can put onto these miniature canvases....
Alcohol ink is the perfect pigment for painting on non-porous surfaces like plastic or metal, but it’s also crazy expensive. Make DIY alcohol ink instead! Fortunately, you can make your own DIY alcohol ink using the rubbing alcohol in your medicine cabinet and that stash of dried-out markers cluttering your art supplies cabinet. The DIY alcohol ink works great, costs basically nothing, and helps recycle those resource-wasteful markers. A little alcohol ink goes a long way, so you’ll want to source out tiny containers with tight-fitting lids for your project....
Do you ever have one of those moments when you look at something store-bought and think, “Hey, I could make that!” That’s what I thought one day when I took a good look at the magnetic mosaic kit that my kid was playing with in the car. Of course, not only did I decide that I could make that, but I also decided that I could make my own DIY magnetic mosaic set WAY larger, AND put it on the giant magnetic memo board that my husband and I put in our kitchen....
“We both finally committed to practicing healthy and ethical habits through vegetarianism and veganism. We began recycling, limiting our consumption of new materials, and making a strong effort to be more environmentally responsible people.” Having a hard time finding affordable vegan and eco-friendly items, the two decided to start a new online store. “Our goal is to provide a shop where you can find a wide assortment of everyday items in one convenient stop....
I’m loving these hand-printed fabrics from Home Sweet! Artist Jennifer Nelson’s nature-inspired designs are totally gorgeous! She block-prints all of her 55% hemp 45% organic cotton fabric by hand using water-based inks. Hemp and organic cotton are both great green fabric options, and blends like the ones from Home Sweet give you the best of both worlds. Hemp uses fewer pesticides to grow than conventional cotton. It also nourishes the soil where it’s planted and is a great oxygen-producing plant....
We’ve talked about organic cotton’s merits before. Conventional cotton uses all sorts of nasty pesticides when it’s grown and chemicals and dyes in its production. Organic is just better for you and for the planet. You can imagine how pumped I was to stumble upon this 100% organic cotton terry cloth from Hart’s Fabric! My first thought when I ran across this was, of course, to make dish towels, so I did a little searching and found some great inspiration....
Please don’t make the hemp jokes. Please. I live in Austin, Texas, which is full of hemp enthusiasts of all types, so I promise that I have heard them all. And truth be told, I didn’t think I would be that impressed by a web page full of hemp fabric. Yes, I was one of those ignoramuses who envisioned only scratchy off-white canvas when I thought of hemp fabric. Victoria has profiled hemp yarns from Lanaknits, Autumn has opened my eyes to the beauty of macrame, and I even profiled a fabric that’s a blend of cotton and hemp....
When I knit, I can become very obsessive/compulsive with my projects. I will just sit and knit and knit and knit, often into the dark wee hours of the morning. I can become all scrunched up, working away, not noticing the dwindling light until I’m squinting to see my project. I also have bad posture when I sew. I don’t have proper lighting or a good sewing table to place my well loved machine....
How amenable is the book to using (or how easy are the instructions to modify to include) natural or recycled materials? How appropriate is the book’s sizing for my body, if it includes adult clothing projects (I have a 42″ chest, a 36″ waist, and I’m 5’2″)? How reader-friendly are the instructions (I have at least the basic skills for any craft, with my best skills being in sewing, probably, but since I’m self-taught in everything there are often huge gaps in my knowledge)?...
I love my job but sewing and handling fabric all day long can be really tough on your skin so I think it might be time to try my hand at something a little more rejuvenating. This tutorial from Jessica Gonacha at Indie Fixx sounds like fun, I’ve never attempted to make my own cosmetics before but it’s certainly the green way to go and for a beginner I’m impressed by how simple this recipe sounds....
