I needed a flower loom for a crochet project I’m doing, but didn’t have one. I went to three different craft stores and no success of finding one. I could order one off the internet, but that’s more money and time than if I just made one myself. So I headed back to the craft store in search of supplies.

All you’ll need is a 3/16″ wooden dowel, a package of wooden rounds, scissors/small saw, and some glue. I used hot glue for this tutorial, but you may want to use a wood glue or fast-drying epoxy, since the hot glue won’t hold up to a lot of tugging and pulling. And if you can’t find round wooden shapes, you can always use square ones, and make a circle using a compass. You’ll cut (or saw, whichever is easier) your dowell into 1 to 2-inch pieces. For a larger loom, you’ll want 10-12 pieces. First, glue four pieces to the opposite sides. You can mark the center of the circle with a pen so you place the pieces evenly.

Then you’ll position the remainder of the pieces in place.

You can do the same with smaller rounds, making different shape looms. For the large loom I used 12 pegs, for the medium, 8, and for the small, 6.

Now you can embellish anything, using yarn, ribbon, or even twine.

It’s really hard for me to learn something by just reading instructions. If you show me, I will get it quickly and retain it forever. But teaching myself how to do certain crafts is nearly impossible. This is why I tend to stay away from how-to books b/c I feel it’s wasted time and money. However, I’ve recently been intrigued by crocheted items and wanted to move away from knitting and into the arms of crocheting. After flipping through Jen’s copy of Debbie Stoller’s Stitch ‘N Bitch Crochet, I decided to get my own copy and tackle some of the projects. But first thing first – I need to learn how!

I’m a lefty, so naturally I’m already having difficulty as this book is written for righties. But after surfing the internet, I found a video tutorial that was very clear (still for righties, tho) and I was able to do everything backwards and produce a few rows of single crochet. A HUGE step of progress for me. It gave me so much confidence, I can’t wait to do more.

One thing tho: why is my UFO turning into a trapezoid? The ends are decreasing slightly – is this normal? And if anyone knows of any video tutorials for lefties, please let me know and you will be my new BFF.

ETA: For those interested, here is the website I found with the video tutorials. They’re short and to the point – hope you find them helpful!

My brother and I used to make these eggs when we were younger and my mom liked it b/c they didn’t stink up the house after only a few days, like their hard-boiled counterparts. In fact, they’ll keep as long as you can keep from crushing them, since they’re made from real eggs.

They’re super easy, but b/c they take a bit of lung work and a gentle grasp, an adult should do the hollowing, leaving the decorating to the kiddies.

You’ll want to gently cleanse the eggs first. Then you’ll take a pin and puncture the top and the bottom of the egg.

You’ll want to make sure the hole is large enough for air to go into the egg, and for the contents to empty. What I do, is make three pinholes close to each other and then connect them, making a larger hole.

Then you’ll clean off the top of the egg that will touch your mouth. Hold the egg gently in your hands and blow through the hole, blowing the contents into a bowl (sorry, no picture for that, trust me, it’s quite disturbing). To make it easier, take the pin and insert it in the bottom of the egg, moving it around to break up the yolk. If you find you’re having a hard time, try and enlarge the hole some more, or shake the yolk around after you’ve broke it up. Once the egg is empty, run under cold water, and blow any excess water out. Let egg dry on a paper towel and decorate as desired, but be careful with the hollowed eggs – they are extremely fragile.

For those of you who don’t know, I don’t have an actual craft studio. As much as that bums me from time to time, I do have a craft corner which works perfectly for our house and for my crafting needs. I just recently decided to redecorate the dining room (which is where my corner is located) and switched around some of the artwork on the walls. I am now left with a blank spot that is located just above my workspace.

How can I be inspired to create when there is nothing to look up and inspire me? I love this idea from the Purl Bee, but I’m just not a fan of embroidery hoops adorning my dining room walls. I thought about covering canvases of different shapes and sizes of my favorite textiles and then hanging them there. I dont really want shelves, nor do I want just one basic piece of artwork. So I am asking for suggestions. What do you have hanging above your work space that inspires you? What would you like to have there?

I’m in the process of redecorating my dining room. Because I could do some serious financial damage, my husband has put me on a budget. I’m always at a loss for what to do for a centerpiece, but always come back to the trusty candles-option. I found the perfect candle holders, but ofcourse they were totally out of the budget. So I opted for an even better idea that was cheaper and looked better.

Aren’t they great? And if you look closely, they are just bowls and plates glued together. That’s it! Find some bowls and plates that you like, or use ones you already have. Get some apoxy, let them sit over night, and you have fabulous and original candle holders.

.

I decided to make a bag for my mom for her birthday. I found this great fabric and thought what a pretty bag it would make, so with no pattern or ANY clue on how to make a purse, I began cutting, sewing and assembling. The whole thing took about two hours, mainly because I didnt know what I was doing so I was having to stop every few steps and draw a diagram.

I had some trouble attaching the straps because I did them next to last, when I should’ve sewed them to the lining before attacing the lining to the outter piece. But hindsight is 20/20 and my mom loved it anyways.

I had a good time doing this, and I can’t wait to make some more bags. I found this tutorial for quilted patchwork bags and will be attempting this next week, so hopefully it will turn out just as perdy as hers.

I have a new craft crush. It started with Heather Bailey, when her blog single-handedly changed my whole view on crafting. While I tried to remain faithful to her, another crafter caught my eye and I must share my love of her crafts with you all. If you’re not familiar with Manda of Tree Fall Design, you must go over to her blog now. WAIT! Not now, after you’re done here, okay?

She has the cutest toys for kids, but truth be told, they’re great for adults, too. I have been wanting a Scairdy Cat for awhile and when she put a new batch on her etsy shop, I gobbled up Red Astair.

Isnt he adorable? Love him! And for those who remember my sock puppy attempt, I decided to leave it to a professional and I also recieved Bewley, my very own sock pup (the one I wanted, but was already sold, so she made another at my request – how awesome is that?)

Love him, and best of all – he doesn’t shed. These goodies arrived Tuesday and I squealed with delight when the mailman pulled it out of his satchel. It’s one thing to admire someone’s work via the internet, but to actually be holding a finished product in your hands, and that is actually yours is really cool. And the quality is so good, I was really impressed. So go check out Manda’s blog and bookmark her – you’re not going to want to miss what else she’ll be cranking out.

In addition to being a craft-nazi, I also love to bake. So when you love to be in the kitchen and have limited funds, making food gifts is the way to go. With Valentine’s Day just a few days away, you can make some easy and delicious cookies, and package them in boxes and bags perfect for the holiday.

The box is made from posterboard and then covered in scrapbooking paper. The template I used I found here and just made it for how big I needed it. Then I glued scrapbooking paper to the outside once the box was assembled.

The cookies pictured here are sugar cookies and they are the easiest and yummiest cut-outs I’ve ever tried. The icing recipe that follows dries hard and shiny, making it a perfect recipe to stack your cookies. If you’re really not a fan of cooking or labor-intensive items, this cake cookie recipe is super easy, and takes no time and effort at all. Really really not a fan of cooking? Then head to your local bakery and snatch up some goodies and put them in homemade packaging. Your recipients will still thank you.

Cut-Out Sugar Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2 eggs
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla and mix until smooth. Sift together the flour and baking powder and stir into the creamed mixture alternating with the heavy cream. Cover the dough and chill for 2 to 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters and place them 1 inch apart on the baking sheets. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until bottoms and edges of cookies are light brown. Remove from baking sheet and cool on wire racks. Makes approx. 4 dozen cookies.

Sugar Cookie Icing

1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tsp milk
2 tsp light corn syrup
1/4 tsp vanilla or almond extract
food coloring

Combine the sugar and milk until smooth, then add the corn syrup and extract until the icing becomes stiff. Add more sugar to thicken or more milk to thin. Divide into seperate bowls and tint with food coloring. Let dry atleast an hour before stacking.

I’ve been seeing these sock puppies around the internet lately and decided that I would try my hand at making one. I mean, how hard can it be? Pair of socks – check. Fiberfil – check. Matching thread and buttons – check, check. So with all my tools, I began cutting, sewing and filling my sock puppy. The finished product is one that, while it’s not entirely embarrassing, it’s definitely not something I want to put on display. But for your amusement, I shall.

As you can see, it’s hind legs are way too long and his front legs are too short. And uneven.

And it looks like he’s been *fixed* and the doctor didn’t do a very good job sutchering him.

It’s not too bad, but I do feel bad for the poor pup. I did have an overwhelming sense of pride that I completed it. But that faded when my son wouldn’t even play with it. *Sigh* I guess I shall stick with my love affair with felt and leave the sock puppies to a professional.