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General crafts

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The DIY Girl, This is such a cute idea. It’s a daily calendar... Make your own fabric prints using the sun. The folks who make Inkodye sent over a sample the other day. Inkodye is light-sensitive dye for textiles or any natural fibers, including wood and raw leather. It acts like the Sunprint paper you might have used as a kid, only you can brush this dye on anything you want and it comes in lots of colors. Like orange, of course. For my first test of this magical stuff, I planned to make a safety pin print on fabric. Something quick and easy in case it was a flop. I wrapped cardboard with a piece of old plastic tablecloth to make a waterproof surface. Then I poured a little Inkodye onto a paper plate, and with a foam brush, I painted it onto the fabric.

As soon as I was done brushing on the dye, I scrambled to arrange some safety pins on top of the fabric. Outside the back door, I placed the board in direct sunlight. To keep the dye under the pins from developing, I immediately rinsed the fabric under the faucet and then washed it out with laundry detergent. DIY Air-Dried Porcelain. Anything that is quick, affordable and makes beautiful things is a craft winner for me . But…I often find myself uninspired for something new and different.

I’ve found it in air dried porcelain (aka Porcelana Fria). What will someone make with 3 cups of white glue (PVA) 3 cups of cornstarch (Corn flour) one tablespoon of white vinegar one tablespoon of glycerin (health food or hobby shop), and 2 tablespoons of canola oil? The beautiful mouse and necklace pictured (compliments of Espirit ) is the answer! There’s more fantastic ideas on the site of the woman who’s recipe I have used: Libreria Andrea Amazingly simple and a GREAT school holiday project, get the kids into the kitchen to cook up some home made, air dried, porcelain. Let’s make it: In a mixing bowl (or non-stick pan) mix 3 cups of white glue and 3 cups of cornstarch. For microwave heating : Cook in a microwave-compatible recipient for 2 to 3 minutes on high (for a 800W oven; longer for a less powerful oven). DIY Fabric Prints: Inkodye. I played with Inkodye again—a photo-sensitive dye that uses the sun to develop prints on natural materials like wood and fabric.

One nice thing about using this dye instead of fabric paint is that fabric stays soft and flexible, instead of stiffening like it does with paint. Plus watching prints develop is always fun! I made a simple cloud design this time, since I knew that achieving perfectly crisp edges is tricky due to shadows that might occur. And clouds can have soft edges, so if that's what happened, all the better. To make your own cloud print, you'll need Inkodye, fabric, a foam brush, a large piece of cardboard wrapped in plastic for your work surface, masking tape, cardboard for cutting out shapes, a pencil and scissors. Sketch clouds onto cardboard. Cut out the clouds. Tape the edges of the fabric to your work surface to keep it in place while you brush on dye. Mix up your Inkodye solution. Then blot up any excess dye until the surface feels barely damp.

RIT Dye Tutorial. It happens to me every year. The second spring hits, I’m standing in front of my closet going, I am so sick of all my clothes, if I see that shirt again I’ll throw up, but I don’t have any money for new stuff, I’M SO TIRED OF EVERYTHING I OWN. You know that feeling? Let’s kill it with instant-wardrobe-transformer (aka RIT dye). RIT is a brand of clothing dye that’s been around since the 1930s. It turns drab-colored clothes and accessories into bright works of art, and I am obsessed with it. To these! And it’s not even hard. Now, there are other kinds of clothing dye out there, but I chose RIT because it’s got simple instructions on the back of the package, it costs about $3 per box, and you can find it almost everywhere in the U.S.

I’m gonna show you how to do a basic stovetop dye job. But! OK! You will need: So now that we have our materials, let’s dye this elegant-yet-boring purse I found at a garage sale for a dollar! Step One: Fill your pot ¾ full with water. To this! Craft Tips. I love sharing ideas and tips to make my “crafty” life easier in any way! You might be surprised to find so many items on this list that you use daily around the house… …let’s get started! Make sure to read the comments, too…many readers have shared AMAZING tips! Use a cookie sheet w/ newspaper or wax paper for a portable craft surface…super easy cleanup! Sharpen your scissors by cutting sand paper. Place a little bit of Vaseline to the end of your glue gun to get rid of those long glue strings.

Soak your paint brushes in fabric softener or hair conditioner for 10 min…cleans right off! Recycle large plastic lids by using them for a painter’s palette or cutting them up for stencils. Need to create a large pattern? Keeping a magnet close by makes picking up those sewing pins a cinch! Use cereal boxes for sewing pattern templates. Break up some styrofoam to create snow for craft projects. Keep those cardboard boxes! Use cereal boxes as fabric bolts. Get rid of stray threads by using a bristle brush. Templates. Glue Chart.

Soaps // scrubs // general body care

Cards // stationery // journals // etc. Packaging. Bags & cases. Organization. Around the house. Decorative // because it's pretty. Lighting. Technology. Nature. Gifts. Other. Holiday.