wind-up paper butterflies are my fave (guest post from amelia) I had a baby so I’ve invited some fave guests to take over for me while I spend time with the little guy. Today’s post is from super crafter and cute mom, Amelia of The Homebook. Growing up, I had an aunt who lived in Canada. Every year for my birthday she’d send me a card and a fancy little gift. I made my butterflies into Monarchs, but you could use different materials to create any sort of colorful butterfly. Materials: You’ll need heavy cardstock, 24 gauge wire, silicone rubber bands (I found mine in the hair aisle at Walgreens) needle-nose pliers, scissors, tape, a paintbrush, a black marker, and a white ink pen. Step 1: Measure and cut your wire. Step 2: Find the center of the longer wire. Step 5: Find the center of the shorter wire, and wrap it around the base of the paintbrush. Step 8: Draw the shape of your wings and cut them out. Step 11: Tape each wing to the body of the butterfly. Thanks for the chance to finally figure out how these darned things are made, Melanie!
Polly Want A Crafter?: Beautiful Handmade Butterfly Mobile from Patterned Paper Beautiful Handmade Butterfly Mobile from Patterned Paper **This is so beautiful I had to share it. Also, since the story behind the mobile is so touching I hope you will check out Cassie's blog and find out if there is anything exciting at her Etsy shop that might be worth buying for a great cause!
Quilters Haven Online - Patchwork and Quilting Shop Almond Roca Recipe Use an inexpensive chocolate such as Hershey's. It has low cocoa butter content. If you use a premium chocolate with a high cocoa butter content, unless you temper the chocolate first (look up directions online), the cocoa butter may separate into white streaks as the melted chocolate cools. Method Do not attempt to make this on a humid or rainy day. Do not double the recipe, make one batch at a time. 1 Melt butter with sugar, syrup and water in a pan (such as a large non-stick frying pan) on medium to medium-high temperature. 2 When mixture comes to a rolling boil, set your timer for a minimum of 10 minutes and keep stirring (no more than 15 minutes). Elise's note: I have found it very hard to distinguish between the boiling sound and the crackling sound in this recipe. If you try to make this, please read all the comments listed below. 3 When the mixture crackles, pour the mixture out onto a large cookie sheet and spread it as thin as possible with a fork.
30 Tage 30 Dinge When ever your bored by the naked light switches on the wall you can pimp them with Elaines idea. Elaine says: “I use the lid from a cookie tin or popcorn tin, cut it out and form it into a cover the the light switches. I have a series of jigs to help me properly place the holes and form the metal to the correct shape. ann wood I’m working on several new ships – it’s been ages and I especially love to make boats in the spring. The first is made from tattered antique gowns, layers of silk, tulle satin, lace and sheer cotton – stitched and stitched in a meandering way – inspired by the eccentric mending and layers of boro textiles. The 2 below are paper mache. I start with a layer of brown paper, torn up paper grocery bags (very old lady of me to save them) for the first layer over the cardboard armature and then layers of newsprint. I usually let some or all of the newsprint show so I divide it according to type size and style and I have a box of clipped out words saved (also very old lady of me). The next is a translucent paper mache ship – a big one – in its beginning stage when it looks like a cocoon. And my rat problem has gotten worse…… You could win your very own crepe paper bunnies! good luck! I’m working on some new owls – a new smaller owl shape for me with some new details. Happy spring! I love March.
organic baby playmat quilted nautical / XL handmade by SewnNatural Peppermint Bark Recipe A traditional and quintessential Christmas treat, peppermint bark is ridiculously easy to prepare and can be done in a few minutes. Sweet white or dark chocolate holds in place broken chunks of peppermint candy. Eat it straight, place it in a bag or tin and make it a gift, or break it up into chocolate cupcakes or chocolate cookies. Ingredients 12 oz. of high-quality white chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips5 regular sized candy canes, crushed up1/2 teaspoon of peppermint extract Method 1 Break up peppermint candy into little pieces. 2 Pour the melted chocolate out onto a cookie sheet lined with wax paper and spread out with a spatula or wooden spoon. 3 Place in the freezer for 5 minutes or until hardened. Hello!
Fabric Pendant Long-time friend of CRAFT, Ellen Baker of The Long Thread, has a new fabric collection for Moda Fabrics called Quilt Blocks. Inspired by traditional quilt designs, there are nine prints in the collection in three different colorways: shade, marine and spectrum. The prints are delightful, charming and bold, and perfect for summer sewing projects. Fabric Pendant by Ellen Baker I’ve been loving all the fabric and embroidered jewelry that I see these days, so I decided to make my own using a bit of my new fabric collection for Moda, Quilt Blocks. Materials: Pendant frame Fabric scrap Embroidery thread or pearl cotton Embroidery needle Scissors Tape Chain necklace Directions: Step 1: STITCH. About the Author: Ellen Luckett Baker is author of The Long Thread, where she writes about her adventures with sewing, crafting, and kids. Related
Instant Comfort Boxes For those days when you or a friend need some cheering up there might be nothing better than an Instant Comfort Box. How adorable and sweet are these little things? The petite size means you can carry it around in your pocket for a little pick-me-up in the middle of the day. instant comfort boxes by Kim's Little Monsters Sweet Softies: Playtime Mat Lay it down for a clean, soft play area. Roll it up to tote to your next destination. Our quick and easy plat mat is perfect for the baby on the go. We combine the snugly texture of chenille with the beautiful retro-inspired cotton of Heather Bailey's Nicey Jane collection from Free Spirit Fabrics. Our appealing combination of cotton and chenille is a good example of design in action. Any Sewing Machine (we recommend the Janome 3160QDC) Cut one 42" x 3" strip from the binding fabric for the optional tie (Tangerine Pocketbook in our sample ). Create the mat Sandwich the front fabric, the batting, and the back fabric. If necessary, trim your raw edges to insure all layers are neat and flush. Topstitching Measure 13" from the top of the playmat and mark with a pin or make a small dot with a fabric pencil or pen. Create and attach the binding Collect all four 44" x 8" binding strips. Fold again along your first crease, right sides together, so your two folded edges are together. Contributors
Spiced Chai Concentrate I've had this recipe for homemade spiced chai concentrate bookmarked since January, but I finally got around to making up a batch this morning. The verdict? Delicious. Spiced Chai Concentrate 4 1/2 cups water 1 stick cinnamon 1 3-inch piece of fresh ginger, chopped 7 whole cardamom pods 2 whole star anise pods 10 whole cloves 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg 1 teaspoon orange zest 10 bags of black tea 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 tablespoon honey 1 tablespoon vanilla Prepare the spices and the tea, and set aside. Strain the mixture into a 4-cup glass measuring cup or large bowl, discarding the spices. To serve, mix 1 part concentrate with 1 part milk. From TheCatNipCat's recipe on the Tasty Kitchen Blog.
Cupcake Flower Lights May 24 By Steph Hung May flowers have arrived! These lights were inspired by all the beautiful blooms I’ve been seeing around town. I wanted to bring the summer indoors, but they could make for some colourful outdoor lighting too: Making these floral garlands couldn’t be faster – all you need are cupcake papers and string lights, and you’re on your way to some simple summer lighting. Materials you will need: cupcake papers (large and small), string lights, scissors, and an exacto knife. Step 1: To make leaves – fold a small cupcake paper in half 2 times, and with the folded point at the bottom cut a leaf shape. Step 2: To make an 8-petal flower – fold a small cupcake paper in half 3 times, and with the folded point at the bottom cut around the top. Step 3: To make a 16-petal flower – fold a large cupcake paper in half 4 times, and with the folded point at the bottom cut around the top. Step 4: Cut a small X in the center of each paper. Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
paper-bead tassels For this project, a mix of ethnic patterns and bold colors inspired me. John Robshaw comes to mind when I think of the perfect pattern mix; his block-printed linens and patterned textiles display a fantastic combination of intricate and bold shapes and forms. My abundance of saved magazines constantly call me to reuse them for something creative. And their glossy pages certainly deserve to be repurposed. So the project: ethnic-inspired beads created from leftover magazines. Read the full how-to after the jump! Materials magazine clippingstoothpickscissorsglueembroidery thread or twinelarge wooden beadsmall beadssewing needle Instructions 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.