How to sun dye fabric Directions Step 1: Prepare a work surface by securely wrapping a sturdy sheet of cardboard with a garbage bag or other waterproof plastic. Place the fabric you're dyeing on the wrapped board and tape down the edges with masking tape. Step 2: In a cup, mix Inkodye with water in a one-to-one ratio. The dye is concentrated and can be used straight from the bottle, but equally vibrant results can be achieved while conserving dye. In a dim room away from direct sunlight, brush the dye evenly over the surface of the fabric. Step 3: Layer leaves, grasses and stems in a pleasing arrangement on the fabric. Step 4: Place the board in direct sunlight for eight minutes, being very careful not to disturb the leaves or turn the board. Step 5: Remove the board from the sun, slide off the leaves and immediately wash the dyed fabric in hot, soapy water. Step 6: Air or machine dry, iron and consider framing your print, sewing it into a pillow or bag or upholstering a chair seat. More craft articles
Tutorials | Studiodax's Blog Like many women, I loooove hoops! I make quite a few, in different shapes and weights, and although some designs can get a bit complex, the basic “one piece of wire” hoop style is quite easy to make. It’s been a while since I posted a new tutorial (sorry!) How to grasp the wire First, we cut 2 pieces of 20g dead soft round wire, each 3 1/4 inch long, and file/sand the ends flus. TECHNIQUE TIP: The closer the wire is to the tip of the pliers, the smaller the loop. Rotate the wire - create the loop Now, while holding the pliers firm, rotate the wire around one of the jaws to create a loop. Centering the loop Now we need to center the loop over the wire. Flatten the loops.... a little bit! Wire is pretty malleable, and we need to harden the loops up a bit to keep them from opening. Shaping the hoops Now comes the part where they actually start to look like earrings! Hardening the hoops We’re almost done! Finishing them up Final touches Have fun…!
DIY Candle Holders | Decorating Your Small Space It is that time of year when we all start pulling out the candles, and while it’s fine to just set them in a plain old crystal candle-holder, why not get creative? We have a bunch of great tutorials on DIY candle-holder projects for you. Use them for the holidays, for your dinner table, or to decorate your mantels and tables with. The Excited Bride (no, you don’t have to be planning a wedding to use this idea!) The Special Mom’s World has these great DIY candle holders made with nothing but a few rubber bands and some spray paint. Monsters Circus has a very cool tutorial on concrete votive holders, and we LOVE these. Four Generations has a great idea for using rope to make ordinary hurricanes look a.m.a.z.i.n.g. Finally we have these really fun balloon luminaries. Image Credits: Four Generations, teabeyond, Excited Bride, Special Mom's World, Monsters Circus, Candle Tech You might also like: