15 tips on how to make your first quilt Guess what I did? I made a quilt. My first quilt. And I didn't die. And because I didn't die, I thought I would pass on my new wisdom to you, so that you too can make your first quilt without dying. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. I realize this probably wasn't the "how-to" you expected...but I hope it helps! Notes: The pattern is Buttonholes by Wendi Gratz.
Inspired by Yulia Brodskaya I can't get over how amazing these are. I wouldn't be surprised if Yulia invented quilling. She is a 28 year old artist from Moscow who creates beautiful designs from vertical pieces of thin paper and her website is full of inspiration in color, line, shadow and technique. You don't have to be a fellow quiller to wish you were like this great lady. Even though her pieces would be amazing if they were drawn, it was the fact that they are 3d that caught my attention. When my husband and I were engaged, I bought wooden letters to spell out 'save the date' and covered them with different patterned paper. (I couldn't resist showing our cute picture) The letters were already covered (I know, I didn't post a diy... I picked out 4 colors of paper that went with the colors in the pattern and had them cut into 1/2" strips. It feels great when you know that it takes alot of time and effort, but the end result makes up for all of that. In hindsight, I would choose a letter that had a meaning.
DIY I love having strands of Christmas lights in my room all year round. They give my room a warm golden glow that takes the attention away from the chaotic mess on my floor. But I also wanted to add a little floral flair to my lights, so I came up with this simple 3step mini-project below... *Notes and tips: 1) The strand of lights I bought is actually a little bit daintier and more delicate-looking than the standard Christmas lights. I just had a red garland lying around so I used what I had, but I think you could make some really gorgeous light garlands if you used flowers of different sizes, textures, or colours (flowers made out of tulle or chiffon would be amazing!). -laura :)
Project Pretty: DIY Fabric Boxes & a Link Party! Last week I got the itch. Not a rash. An itch to do something. To DIY. To project. And so I challenged myself along with you, to do some organizing and beautifying. I am pretty gosh darn excited about the outcome of my project! We have this fabulous piece of Craigslist furniture sitting in our playroom. Nope, for this project I didn't paint it, but that is next on the list. Yep, a pair of boxes. Not so much. Here are some of the supplies I used to spruce them up a bit: FabricCraft Knife or ScissorsSpray AdhesiveYard StickCotton CordGrommetsEmpty Boxes I have a bit of a color scheme going in the playroom which is green and turquoise, so to cover the boxes I stuck with fabric in those colors. The boxes I selected were equal size and 15" squares {a super sized bin!}. I used the yard stick to measure A LOT and draw straight lines on the back side of the fabric for all of my cuts: Then I cut two long strips of fabric to wrap along the inside. So now the inside of my box was completely covered:
Build An Olivia’s Doll Crib PDF version A doll crib designed for 18" dolls. Features a bottom drawer. Handmade from this plan >> Dimensions Dimensions: It’s not a little piece. Materials and Tools Shopping List: 1 – 1×12, 8 feet long 1 – 1×6, 6 feet long 2 – 1×2, 8 feet long wood filler, glue, and finishing supplies 1 1/4″ pocket hole screws or 2″ trim screws 2″ wood screws (can use the 2″ trim screws) sand paper Tools: measuring tape square pencil safety glasses hearing protection drill jigsaw sander Cut List Cut List: 2 – 1×12 @ 20″ (Round tops as shown in step 2) 1 – 1×12 @ 21″ (Crib Bottom) 1 – 1×12 @ 20 3/4″ (Drawer Bottom) 2 – 1×6 @ 20 3/4″ (Drawer Front and Back) 2 – 1×6 @ 10″ (Sides of Drawer) 4 – 1×2 @ 21″ (Tops and Bottoms of Crib Rails) 10 – 1×2 @ 7 3/4″ (Crib Rails) Step 1 Rails Mark all of the 1x2s @ 21″ long as shown above. Step 2 Box The most difficult part of this entire project was cutting the tops of the ends the same rounded curve. Step 3 Assembly Now simply attach the rails to the ends and bottom. Step 4 Drawer Step 5
Build A Wood Dress Up Storage Rack PDF version Creating a dress up center for your little princess (or prince) is easy with these straight forward plans. Features a large open base area perfect for accessories and a hanging bar for outfits. Handmade from this plan >> Dimensions Dimensions: 36" x 36" x 12" Materials and Tools Shopping List: 1 – 10 foot 1×12 board 1 – 6 foot 1×10 board 36″ long 1″ diameter dowel 2″ screws wood glue wood filler 120 grit sandpaper primer wood conditioner paint paint brush Tools: measuring tape square pencil safety glasses hearing protection drill circular saw jigsaw sander level countersink drill bit Cut List Cut List: 2 – 1×12 @ 36″ (Sides, round top corners 3″ down with a jigsaw) 1 – 1×12 @ 34 1/2″ (Bottom) 2 – 1×10 @ 34 1/2″ (Sides of Storage Box) 1 – 1″ diameter dowel @ 34 1/2″ (Closet rod) Step 1 Storage Box Predrill holes along the long edges of the bottom with a countersink bit. Step 2 Sides Cut the arch shape from the sides as shown above. Step 3 Closet Rod Step 4 Step 5 Isn't it adorable?
Build Wood Bunk Beds For AG & 18" Doll Today was my daughter's friend's birthday. The Birthday Girl has been talking quite a bit about getting her first American Girl doll, so Grace and I thought we'd make her a bunk bed. Not entirely sure why I waited until Wednesday afternoon to start cutting boards. Well, I DO know why. Because if I'd built it last week, it wouldn't really be new by the time we gifted it. And can you blame them? And I won't put the photos up (my apologies to the sweet Birthday Girl), but I actually caught THREE of them standing on the top bunk. That darn orange crayon! And I know that American Girl dolls now come in different complexions and hair styles to match their owners . . . But I do not recall "Beach Hair" (we'll be sweet) as an option. There's room for two. The top bunk is just the right height for playing. It won't break the bank to build. And most importantly, make this bed because the girls love it!
STANDARD OUTLINE FOR RESEARCH P Not only will this outline help you write, it will help you skim college-level reading. Note: In a group project, each individual’s paper—like chapters-- may follow IV-VII. Later, write I, II, III &, VII-VIII to frame all of the individual sections coherently. This is a guideline, not a Bible!!! Content determines format; write to affect an audience. I. II. III. IV. V. Exploratory: Differences exist between Mt. Argument: Because of the implications of Mt. VI. · compare/contrast (cultures, genders, nations, ethnicities, etc. produce multiple viewpts. to compare) · cause/effect (or correlation) · problem/solution VII. VIII. IX. · It is hard to do all this credibly in less than 10 pages + References + Abstract + Title Page. · You may choose to use subtitles for your sections. · Remember: if what you are saying is complex and would be more easily understood in a graph or other visual, include one!!! · Be very careful with your tone and analyze tone in others' writing.
make a sleeping bag for a stuffed animal *This post originally appeared at U-create.com* My son has a monkey named Jim from Build-a-Bear Workshop, and he wants Jim to have every single accessory that store carries. Since that’s obviously out of the question, I decided to make Jim a sleeping bag complete with a built in pillow that he can snuggle into at night. The sleeping bag rolls up into elastic loops that fit on his shoulders during the day. The sleeping bag is very easy–all you have to do is sew a few straight lines. Gather your supplies: 1/2 yard of fleece (Joann’s has fleece half off just about every other week) 12 inches of sew on velcro 1 yard of 1/2 inch elastic a few handfuls of polyfil (or any stuffing-type material) sewing machine and thread (just about any color will work as the thread doesn’t show much on fleece) Lay out your fleece on a flat surface. Set aside the 3 inch strip (you won’t be using it). Set aside piece D (you won’t be using it). Set piece A aside for now. Pin around all the edges. It’s that simple!
Sewing a wardrobe for Twinkles About a year ago I found this pretty gold makeup/toiletries bag while thrift shopping. It was so sparkly and looked like a mini suitcase (with a mirror inside). I had to buy it. I thought it would make the perfect special Christmas gift for Lucy! So I stashed it away in the closet all year, thinking of a special something to tuck inside. Then on the last day of school before Christmas break Lucy came home with a present from her teacher….a cute little bear she named Twinkles (courtesy of IKEA). Then for the next 2 days she toted that thing around the house, grabbing scraps of fabric and taping it around the bear’s body to create dresses, tying ribbons around her waist etc. And then it all clicked. First a little dress with….yep…1/4 inch bias tape. Then I thought jammies were in order. She’d probably need some blankets and a pillow… And soon I’d drafted a small collection of patterns so I could make the same items over and over with variations. I stuck with simple clothing construction.
Amy Sedaris takes on DIY gifts with 'Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People' "Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People" by Amy Sedaris. Amy Sedaris has a crafting problem. She makes potholders on airplanes. She makes milkmaid and angel costumes, and popsicle-stick trivets. "Don't make anybody a homemade gift," she urges. But if you can't resist the urge, pick up her new book, "Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People," in stores today. As she prepped for her book tour, which includes an appearance at Barnes & Noble Union Square (Thursday, 7 p.m.), she chatted about her crafty habits. In the book there's a picture of you smiling for the camera with a huge burn on your face. When I was younger I did. She's crafty: Amy Sedaris is a do-it-yourself diva. I like the good old glue bottles. What's the worst homemade gift you've been given? They're all bad. Anything you would actually give as a present? I make those potholders.