Category: 1

Playing with wire and beads

Easy Saint Nicholas Craft

12/05/2011

What you need:
-Foam sheets in red and yellow, you can also use sturdy construction paper or card stock
-Glue
-Stapler

- Cut foam sheets (mine are 8.5X5.5 inches) into Miter shapes

Glue on yellow crosses (note to self: buy more sticky foam shapes after Easter)

Fold bottom up (backside) about 2 inches

Fold in half and staple the 2 bottom corners together. Done!

Fleece Skirt Tutorial

10/18/2011

You need:

Fleece fabric

Elastic I prefer 1in No-Roll (measure waist then Minus 2 for example if the waist is 21 inches you will cut 19 inches elastic)

-          Measure the length and the widest part of the skirt; those are the measurements for your rectangle.
            (My measurements: 14 inches length, 19 inches wide)

-          Cut 2 rectangles with the measurements

-          Cut several strips of fleece about 2 inches wide, I had only short pieces left, so I sewed several small strips in 1 row.

-          Sew a long running stitch down the middle of the strip, gather to form ruffles

-          Sew strips to skirt however you like

-          Lay the skirt pieces right sides together, and stitch up the sides of the skirt, making certain the tops are matched up

-          Fold top part down about 2 inches to create a casing for the elastic, stitch along edge leaving an opening for the        elastic

-          Loop elastic through the casing, sew ends together and sew the opening shut

-          Done

Halloween Upcycle

10/14/2011

Top: 50 cents Yard Sale
Fabric Scraps: leftover from a project

Primitive Fall Fabric Leaves Garland

09/29/2011

What you need:

-Fabric Scraps
- Black Felt (I buy felt by the yard, not the individual little sheets)
- Ribbon

Trace (or have the little ones) leave shapes onto the felt with chalk.

Cut out leaves and pin to fabric.
I love to use homespun fabric for these projects.

Stitch around the edges of the leaves using a tight zig-zag stitch

Cut out leaves as close as possible to stitching .
Optional: Add "veins" to the leaves

Decide where to hang your garland and measure ribbon
(I used bias tape instead of ribbon)
Stitch leaves to your ribbon.

Hang
Done :)

Salt Dough

09/19/2011

What you need:

Dough:
- 1 part salt
- 1 part water
- 2 parts flour

For example I usually use: 1c salt, 1c water and 2c flour

Other:
- Rolling Pin
- Cookie Cutters
- Cookie Sheet or Dehydrator

What to do:
I get the best dough results by using a kitchen mixer with a dough hook or mixing the dough in my breadmaker on the Dough Cycle for about 1-15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
Mix together, salt, flour, and water until dough is formed.
Knead the dough on a floured surface until the mixture is elastic and smooth. If dough is too sticky, sprinkle with flour, continue to do so until stickiness is gone. Do not add too much flour, this will dry out the dough and will cause it to crack before you get a chance to bake it.
Roll out the dough to about ¼” thick with a rolling pin that has been dusted with flour.
Use cookie cutters to cut out your shapes
Use a toothpick to make a hole toward the top of the shape.
Place all shapes onto an ungreased cookie sheet and place into the preheated oven.
Bake for 2 hours.
Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

Alternative Drying Methods:
Dehydrator or Air-Drying

Decoration Option:
Before Baking lightly stamp the ornaments

More Upcycles

09/09/2011

Upcycled 2 tops that are now a little short into tunic tops and an old tee from hubby into a ruffle skirt

Pumpkins and Skirts oh my

09/09/2011

A few more finished projects and orders