Archive for the ‘Simple Craft’ Category

Fierce Feather Earrings – A Tutorial

September 20th, 2011

Happy Tuesday, my friends! Today I am going to show you how to make a FIERCE pair of feather earrings, like these!

Supplies:

  • 4 feathers – 2 medium length, 2 short length
  • 4 seed beads
  • 2 large silver beads
  • 2 hook ear-wires
  • 2 eye pins
  • 2 cord tip terminators (mine were a medium size)
  • flat nose pliers
  • wire wrapping or round nose pliers (not shown)
  • side cutting pliers (not shown)

Step 1: Place your small feather face down on your work area and then the larger feather on top, also face down. Line up their stem edges and place in the terminator.

Step 2: Using your flat nose pliers, firmly close the terminator around the stems of the feather. Be sure to secure it tightly. Repeat with second set of feathers and terminator.

Step 3: Slide one seed bead onto an eye pin, followed by your silver bead, and another seed bead.

Step 4: Now we want to create a loop on the other side of the eye pin. To do so, bend the eye pin wire at top seed beat to a 90 degree angle.

Step 5: Trim the tail of the eye pin to about 1/4″ long with your side cutting pliers. Then, using your wire wrapping (or round nose) pliers create a second loop on the end of the eye pin.

Step 6: Take the open end of the eye pin that you just created, slip it onto the end loop of your ear-wires, and shut the loop with your wire wrapping pliers. Then use your wire wrapping pliers to slightly open the other loop of the eye pin, slip on the feathers, shut the loop, and your done!

These feathers come in all sorts of FIERCE colors, I’m totally digging these magenta ones.

Or how about these colors?

Like them? Lucky for you they’re available in my Etsy shop for just $5! Get em while they’re hot – or should I say FIERCE!

See you all soon!

Comments ( 0 )

, , , ,

The Irene Wreath – A Tutorial

September 1st, 2011

Last weekend, I came home to find that hurricane Irene had taken my wreath.  Bummer.

I’m sort of a wreath freak, and I didn’t last 3 days before it drove me insane and I made a new one.  I really like this one because it has a summer feel to it with a vintage vibe.

I’ve made a handful of wreaths before, like this one for Steeler’s season (so glad football is back!).

Or this one for Halloween – I can’t wait to bust this one out!

My Irene Wreath was really simple to make, and cost less than $5!  Here’s a quick tutorial on how to make your own.  And check out these clearance aisle fabrics I picked up at Joann’s yesterday – SO excited to make some new tops!

Moving along, you’ll need a 14″ straw wreath, a 3″ wide x 144″ long strip of fabric (I sewed together 4 strips of 32″ long fabric), 2 sheets of 3 coordinating felt colors (6 total), and sewing pins that match your felt (or will blend well).

First, you want to anchor the end of fabric to your wreath.  I angled mine slightly and secured it with 3 pins.

Wrap your fabric around your wreath until it is totally covered.  Secure with pins.

Next, using some paper, cut out 2 different sized leaf templates, and 3 flower templates.  I completely freehanded these.  Use these to cut out your felt flowers and leaves.

I used the brown for the leaves, and the cream and tan for the flowers.

Next, we’re going to make the flowers.  First, fold your flower petal in half.

Fold in half again, and you get this:

The top will look like this:

Now, pin to your wreath.

Repeat these steps to assemble your flower.

Again, I just assembled these randomly, rearranging until I was satisfied.  Add some leaves and  you’re done!

Isn’t she purty :)

Tonight  I’m gonna start playing around with the new fabrics I picked up yesterday.  I’m so excited to have some new duds for the holiday weekend!  See you all next week!

Comments ( 6 )

, , ,

Jewelry Dish Tutorial

June 22nd, 2011

For Mother’s Day this year, I made my Mom a cute little jewelry dish for her dresser.  And when I was perusing through my digital camera I found pics for the tutorial and realized that I never got the chance to share it with you!  This craft is really simple, and would be great to do with younger kids too.  And you can make any size bowl or dish you like, so skies the limit!

Supplies:

  • 1 Package of Fimo Air Dry Modeling Clay
  • Cutting Board
  • Rolling Pin
  • Saran Wrap
  • Acrylic Paint in your choice of color
  • A piece of lace
  • A bowl for modeling
  • A piece of sandpaper

Assembly:

Cover your cutting board and rolling pin with saran wrap – this will make it so the clay won’t stick to it.

Roll your clay out flat, so that it is about 1/4 inch thick.

Using a bowl like a cookie cutter, cut your clay into a circle.

Using your piece of lace, press into the clay so that it leaves an impression and then remove.

Then take your clay circle and press into a bowl.  You’ll want to leave this in the bowl over night to dry.  Once it’s dry it should slide right out.

Once dry, sand down the rough edges, add a couple layers of paint, and you’re done!

So cute, and so simple!

In the future I think I’ll add a glaze to it!

Next time, I’ll be back with another low carb recipe – really eager to try this new one out!

Comments ( 0 )

, ,

Easy Headband Tutorial with a Side of Awkward

June 14th, 2011

Alright people, after writing yesterday how I lost interest in crafting for a hot second, something happened and I got motivated!  Ok, well not like super motivated, but enough so that I was able to put together this easy tutorial for you!  Here we go.

Easy Headband Tutorial

Supplies:

  • Measuring Tape
  • Jersey Knit Material
  • Basic Sewing Supplies

Cutting:

  • Cut 1 – M” x 3″ Band (M= Measurement of your head minus 2 inches – this is where you use the measuring tape)
  • Cut 1 – 3″ x 2″ Binding Strip

As you can see, I made quite a few headbands.

Assembly:

  1. Take your 3″ x 2″ binding strips, fold in half (right sides together) so that it is now 3″ x 1″, and sew in place.
  2. Trim the edge of the binding strip.
  3. Flip inside out.

Take your band and pull it through your binding strip.

Right sides together, set your band shut.  Trim the edges.

Pull your binding strip over the band’s seam – and you’re done!  Yay!

So you’re probably thinking to yourself – that was an easy tutorial, just like she said!  But wait, what’s so awkward about it?

Well here you go folks, the most awkward self-portraits I have EVER taken.  I feel awkward even posting this lol.

Alright, that one isn’t so bad, at least my tan looks good, haha.

Oh, yup, awkward.

I’m so not a model.  And here’s the winner:

Why do I look like I’m in pain, haha.  Well, you guys get the picture, lol.

Ahh, but guess what, the awkward pics aren’t over.  Don’t worry, just a few more!

Like this necklace?

Ok I swear, that was the last one, haha.  ANYWAYS!  The next tutorial I do will show you had to make a necklace just like this one!

I’m going to try and harness some more of that motivation that I found yesterday and get you a tutorial tomorrow.  So stay tuned!

Oh, and I wanted to let you guys in a little secret I’ve been keeping over here.  Recently I’ve jumped onto the Atkins Diet bus, and I’m really liking it.  But sometimes I really want carbs, like REALLY want them.  So to keep me motivated I’ve started exploring new recipes and I figured, why not share them with you?!  I’ll be sharing a new post every week – planning for Wednesday or Thursday – and I’m calling it (drumroll please!):

So excited to get cooking this evening!  And don’t worry, I won’t disappoint, this first recipe is going to knock your carb loving socks off!

See you next time!

Oh and don’t forget about the Blueprint Blowout going on!

Comments ( 5 )

, , , , ,

Good Intentions and a Tutorial

June 13th, 2011

Remember when I said the first two weeks of June were going to be dedicated to tutorials for items used when gardening?  Yeah, I got lazy.  I’ve got the garden apron tutorial here for you, but it’s probably the only one that I will do of the four.  I did end up making gardening gloves and a garden pad, but I wasn’t very pleased with the end result, and couldn’t muster up the energy to redo them.  So therefore, I’ll only be sharing the one tutorial this week.  And if I get to the headband by the end of the week, I’ll share that too.  Good intentions, just no enthusiasm.

Garden Apron Tutorial

Supplies:

  • 1.4 yards of canvas or outdoor decorating fabric at least 45″ wide
  • Coordinating thread
  • Basic sewing supplies

Cutting:

  • Cut 1 – 21″ x 10.5″ (body)
  • Cut 1 – 21″ x 7.5″ (pocket)
  • Cut 2 – 5″ straps the width of your fabric (mine is 45″ x 5″)
  • Cut 1 – 21″ x 5″ (center strap)

Assembly:

First we want to hem the upper edges of the Body and Pocket pieces.  To do so, fold over the top edges 1/4″, press, and repeat. Sew in place.

Lay your Body piece on top of your Pocket piece so that they are aligned at the bottom and right sides facing up for both.  Sew together.

At your ironing board, take your three straps and press in half.

Open and press the right side in so that the edge meets the center fold.

Repeat with the left side.

Press in half again.

Now, open your three pieces, and with right sides together, sew the side straps to either end of the center strap.

At your ironing board, flip the pocket piece over so that it is in front of the body piece.  Press.

Then we want to hem the sides of the body/pocket piece, folding over the side edges 1/4″, pressing, and repeating. Sew in place.

Next we want to sew 2 vertical lines to make the pockets.  I did mine so that all three pockets were the same width.  To make sure they come out straight you can use a soluble marking pen, or if your fabric is like mine, just follow the lines.

Now we want to attach the binding straps.  Start by pinning the binding to your body piece, centered and right sides together.  Edge stitch in place.

Then fold your binding up and over the back side of your body piece, pinning in place.

Edge stitch your binding shut.  *Note – depending on how thick your fabric is, you may want to loosen your sewing machine’s tension so that the stitches are pulled so tight.

And voila!  A perfect apron for your gardening needs.

You can also add extra loops and clips to store pruning sheers or keys!


Remember when I said I had good intentions?  Well I certainly pulled through with this one – and I’ve even got 3 of these aprons to go up in this week’s Blueprint Blowout!  One like from the tutorial above, and 2 with utility loops!  Click here to get to the Blueprint Blowout!

Bidding starts at $5, and shipping is $2.50 flat rate in the United States (no out of country bids, please).  The Blowout will run through Friday at 5 pm, so get to bidding!

See you all on Friday!

Comments ( 6 )

, , , ,

« Previous Entries

RSS Feed

Search

Get Adobe Flash playerPlugin by wpburn.com wordpress themes