Dont you hate it when, every year, your child loses one of his winter gloves? Its a good thing those one-size-fits-all, stretch knit gloves are so cheap! Since youre stuck with that one glove that has no mate you might as well take a lemon and make lemonade. Use that single glove to create the cutest little person who is all set and ready for a snowball fight! Make a whole family of Christmas people by using gloves of different colors.
Take the knit glove and push the thumb inside. Stuff the four fingers and palm of the glove with cotton batting. Dont overstuff the fingers but try to make the two middle fingers a little fatter than the other two. Cut a piece of scrap fabric or ribbon to make a scarf. Cut little fringe at the ends of the piece then tie it around the cuff area of the glove. Position the tied scarf so that the ends help conceal the thumb area of the glove. Tie it down far enough so that you can turn the cuff down over it. When you turn the cuff down you create the neck of a turtleneck sweater.
Glue a wooden ball onto the turtleneck. The size of the ball can vary but should be proportionate to the glove. Glue on wiggly eyes, use sticker eyes, or even draw them on freehand. Draw a mouth on with a marker. Dab a little pink lipstick on the cheeks of the kid. Make a hat by cutting the cuff off a baby sock. Slide the cuff area over the wooden ball and leave the cut area sticking up. Fold the cuff up to make a brim for the knit cap. Cut tiny slits all around the cut area to make fringe. Now tie a piece of skinny ribbon or cord around the top area of the hat so that the fringe sticks up above it. Leave the two middle fingers of the glove as they are and bring the other two around to the front of the "body". Glue the ends of these two fingers together with hot glue. Now begin gluing tiny, white pom-poms on top of the hands. Glue them on in a pyramid shape or randomly glue them to the hands, stacking them up in front of the chest. To help the Christmas kid stand on his own, and to further conceal the area where the thumb was tucked in, attach the finished kid to an artificial tree branch, wired garland, a small tree branch or something similar. It should appear that the kid is standing right in front of it with some of the limbs or pine needles sticking out around the thumb area of the glove. The cute little Christmas kid is ready for a snowball fight and hell need some partners. Use different colors of gloves to make other people to join in on the fun!
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Friday, December 7, 2012
Toilet Paper Cake
Diaper cakes, towel cakes - isnt it amazing the different types of craft cakes people invent? The cakes arent edible; they are made from stacks of gifts for a wedding, birthday, baby shower or other occasion. When you think of cakes which are decorations and not food you might not normally think of toilet paper. However, when you make a tiered cake from rolls of bathroom tissue youll create a gorgeous table decoration thats made from something we all need and use. With the price of toilet paper nowadays its a nice gift! You can make a plate or tray for the cake by cutting a circle of cardboard and covering it with cloth or paper. Make sure the tray will be large enough by arranging eight rolls of toilet paper in a tight circle. The tray should be slightly larger than the circle of toilet paper.
To assemble the easy party cake take those eight rolls of toilet paper and arrange them in a circle on the tray. Cut a piece of ribbon to wrap around them. The ribbon can be as narrow as an inch or as wide as three inches. A narrow ribbon will show more of the toilet paper but a wide ribbon will nearly cover the rolls. You can instantly give the toilet paper cake a theme for a wedding, birthday or other event just by the type of ribbon you use. Craft and fabric stores carry ribbon with all sorts of designs and images. Wrap the ribbon around the entire circle of toilet paper then tape or glue the ends so that one barely overlaps the other.
Stack five rolls of bathroom tissue on the eight rolls so that they form a slightly smaller circle than the eight rolls. Center these on the eight. Tie another ribbon around these five rolls and tape or glue the ends. Now set a single roll on top and wrap a ribbon around it. If you look down at the stack youll notice that you can see the entire opening of the cardboard tube in the top toilet paper roll and partial openings on all the other rolls. Use these to place the embellishments on the cake. If youre making the cake for a baby shower you can set rattles, pacifiers and small toys in the holes. If the cake is for a wedding slide the stem of an artificial flower into each hole. The cake can hold small stuffed animals, wrapped candies and many other things. Set something on top of the single toilet paper roll as the centerpiece for the cake. It can be a few more flowers, placed in the cardboard tube, a stuffed animal or even a candle in a glass container. The finished cake is humorous, useful, and actually does look really pretty!
To assemble the easy party cake take those eight rolls of toilet paper and arrange them in a circle on the tray. Cut a piece of ribbon to wrap around them. The ribbon can be as narrow as an inch or as wide as three inches. A narrow ribbon will show more of the toilet paper but a wide ribbon will nearly cover the rolls. You can instantly give the toilet paper cake a theme for a wedding, birthday or other event just by the type of ribbon you use. Craft and fabric stores carry ribbon with all sorts of designs and images. Wrap the ribbon around the entire circle of toilet paper then tape or glue the ends so that one barely overlaps the other.
Stack five rolls of bathroom tissue on the eight rolls so that they form a slightly smaller circle than the eight rolls. Center these on the eight. Tie another ribbon around these five rolls and tape or glue the ends. Now set a single roll on top and wrap a ribbon around it. If you look down at the stack youll notice that you can see the entire opening of the cardboard tube in the top toilet paper roll and partial openings on all the other rolls. Use these to place the embellishments on the cake. If youre making the cake for a baby shower you can set rattles, pacifiers and small toys in the holes. If the cake is for a wedding slide the stem of an artificial flower into each hole. The cake can hold small stuffed animals, wrapped candies and many other things. Set something on top of the single toilet paper roll as the centerpiece for the cake. It can be a few more flowers, placed in the cardboard tube, a stuffed animal or even a candle in a glass container. The finished cake is humorous, useful, and actually does look really pretty!
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Denim Flower Fashions and Home Accents
Sneak in there to the box full of things youre going to take to donate to charity and swipe just one pair of those old blue jeans. Youre going to simply adore denim flowers that you can make by cutting up old jeans. And, since the flowers can be used in so many different ways, one pair will give you jewelry, a picture frame embellishment, a belt accent, and much more. Grab the scissors - and the denims - and lets get started.There are different ways to make denim flowers but I love the circle method. Cut a circle of denim to be as large in diameter as you want the flower to be. Use something you have around your house - like a glass or vase - as a pattern for the circles. You could also use a stencil or just draw freehand. Cut another circle to be a bit smaller than the first, then cut more circles, and diminish them in size. Cut as many as you want to create the thickness of the flower that you desire.For each denim disk, use ordinary scissors to fringe the edges. Just cut from the edge, inward, but not all the way to the center. Do this all the way around, spacing the slits evenly apart. Stack the circles so that the largest one is on the bottom and the smallest is on top.You can sew the flower if youll be making something that will be laundered later. If not, just use hot glue. Stack the fringed circles, and if youre sewing, stitch through the stack several times. If you want a bead in the center of the flower, sew from under the flower, up, through the bead, and back down. If youre using hot glue, just glue them all together, then glue the bead in the middle.There are lots of different designs you can create using the denim circles. For example, instead of fringing the edges, you can use a paint marker or fabric paints to draw on petal shapes. Or, cut the fringe wide, and outline each fringe section with the marker or paint. Create something much different when you use one denim petal on the right side, then flip a blue jean circle over, and use the wrong side, to give the next petal a slightly different color. Instead of gluing one bead in the middle you can sprinkle tiny beads all over the center of the top piece.Make a pin by simply attaching the metal backing. Create tiny flower earrings by gluing on a piece of fishing twine to hang the flower on the wire, then a piece of denim over it to conceal. Glue or sew the flower onto a long strip of denim, and you can make a beautiful choker. Attach the flowers to headbands, belts, purses, tennis shoes, hats, zipper pulls, and more.
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
How to Make and Hand-Stitch Ribbon Roses
A simple piece of ribbon or two can sure make a little girls dress look much more elegant! You see them all the time, on Easter dresses or even womens blouses, those tiny roses made from ribbon. Theyre delicate and beautiful and can instantly change the look of many different things. The small roses - or larger versions - are so easy to make its a wonder more people dont use them for their home sewing projects.
The size of the ribbon you use, of course, will determine how large the finished rose will be. Wide ribbon is used to make larger roses; narrow ribbon to make small roses. Ribbon with wire in them are not suitable for making the garment roses. No matter what type of ribbon youre using youll do the same technique to make the desired roses.
Take a length of the ribbon and roll it over on itself a time or two. If youre hand stitching the flowers on, position the rose in its spot. Take a couple of stitches near the bottom of the ribbon and sew it to the dress. Now, fold the ribbon back so that its going around in the opposite direction. Take the ribbon around until it reaches the area near where you started this direction. Stop, fold the ribbon back, then begin taking the ribbon in the opposite direction once again. As you are creating the various rose petals youll be taking small stitches along the bottom edge of the ribbon to hold it next to the garment. Dont twist the ribbon so that its tightly balled; loosely make the wraps, this way and that, until the rose becomes as large as you want. When you get to the very end, fold it over a little, then take a few stitches to secure. To be clear, each time you wrap the ribbon around itself again, you are creating another layer of petals. Each time, youll wrap the ribbon to the area where you started, fold the ribbon back, then begin wrapping it in that direction. If you want to put leaves on the flower simply cut two small lengths of green ribbon. Fold each piece so that you create a point. Position the cut ends of the ribbon under the flower and stitch in place. Leave the point of the ribbon sticking out - one on each side of the flower, or one on the side and one at the top or bottom. If you dont do hand stitching you can still make the roses. Use dots of fabric glue to secure the petals of the rose as you create them. Use the same glue to attach the roses to garments and accessories. Use the stitched or glued roses to embellish clothes, purses, hair accessories, shoes, curtain tie-backs and more!
The size of the ribbon you use, of course, will determine how large the finished rose will be. Wide ribbon is used to make larger roses; narrow ribbon to make small roses. Ribbon with wire in them are not suitable for making the garment roses. No matter what type of ribbon youre using youll do the same technique to make the desired roses.
Take a length of the ribbon and roll it over on itself a time or two. If youre hand stitching the flowers on, position the rose in its spot. Take a couple of stitches near the bottom of the ribbon and sew it to the dress. Now, fold the ribbon back so that its going around in the opposite direction. Take the ribbon around until it reaches the area near where you started this direction. Stop, fold the ribbon back, then begin taking the ribbon in the opposite direction once again. As you are creating the various rose petals youll be taking small stitches along the bottom edge of the ribbon to hold it next to the garment. Dont twist the ribbon so that its tightly balled; loosely make the wraps, this way and that, until the rose becomes as large as you want. When you get to the very end, fold it over a little, then take a few stitches to secure. To be clear, each time you wrap the ribbon around itself again, you are creating another layer of petals. Each time, youll wrap the ribbon to the area where you started, fold the ribbon back, then begin wrapping it in that direction. If you want to put leaves on the flower simply cut two small lengths of green ribbon. Fold each piece so that you create a point. Position the cut ends of the ribbon under the flower and stitch in place. Leave the point of the ribbon sticking out - one on each side of the flower, or one on the side and one at the top or bottom. If you dont do hand stitching you can still make the roses. Use dots of fabric glue to secure the petals of the rose as you create them. Use the same glue to attach the roses to garments and accessories. Use the stitched or glued roses to embellish clothes, purses, hair accessories, shoes, curtain tie-backs and more!
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Birthday Party Beanbag Toss Rug
Isnt it fun to do new and exciting things at each birthday party you throw for your kids? Have a cake which looks different than last years; give a different theme to this years party, and come up with new games which youve never played at any previous birthday parties. There are even many games you can make yourself rather than purchase. One is a beanbag game. The ordinary type requires you to sew in netting behind the holes and that can be a big chore. When you make a floor beanbag game you can do so quickly and get on with the fun.
Cut two pieces of cotton to make the beanbag rug. Cut the pieces to be 40"x40". Stack the fabric so that the right sides face each other. Sew almost all the way around the squares but leave an opening in the middle of one side. Turn the squares right-side-out and sew the opening shut. Alternatively, if you dont sew, just use fabric glue. Lay one square so that the wrong side faces upwards, apply the glue around the perimeter of the square, then position the second square on top.
Use paint markers to create different areas on the fabric for points. Start with a star or other shape right in the center, color it in with the markers, then write the number "100" on it. Around the star, draw a circle, and color it in. Write the number "50" on it, several times, around the star. Rather than color in each shape completely - which can take a lot of time and several paint markers - you can use the markers to make each shape look different by just making dots, stripes or other designs. Draw a square around the circle and color it in. Write "25" on it, several times, around the circle. Now, draw another square around the previous square, and if you want, give this one fancy edges so it looks different than the previous square. Write "10" on it, several times, around the square. Now, write "5", several times, on the remaining area of the rug, all the way around each side. Make beanbags by cutting squares to be 4"x4". Stack two squares so that their right sides face, and sew almost all the way around them. Leave an opening so you can turn the bag right-side-out. Fill the bag with rice or beans and sew it shut. At the birthday party, kids can have three tries to throw the beanbags, and the numbers where the bags land will be tallied. The person with the highest score, of course, wins. Even though youll be playing the beanbag rug game at the next birthday party your kids will continue having fun with it long after the guests have gone home.
Cut two pieces of cotton to make the beanbag rug. Cut the pieces to be 40"x40". Stack the fabric so that the right sides face each other. Sew almost all the way around the squares but leave an opening in the middle of one side. Turn the squares right-side-out and sew the opening shut. Alternatively, if you dont sew, just use fabric glue. Lay one square so that the wrong side faces upwards, apply the glue around the perimeter of the square, then position the second square on top.
Use paint markers to create different areas on the fabric for points. Start with a star or other shape right in the center, color it in with the markers, then write the number "100" on it. Around the star, draw a circle, and color it in. Write the number "50" on it, several times, around the star. Rather than color in each shape completely - which can take a lot of time and several paint markers - you can use the markers to make each shape look different by just making dots, stripes or other designs. Draw a square around the circle and color it in. Write "25" on it, several times, around the circle. Now, draw another square around the previous square, and if you want, give this one fancy edges so it looks different than the previous square. Write "10" on it, several times, around the square. Now, write "5", several times, on the remaining area of the rug, all the way around each side. Make beanbags by cutting squares to be 4"x4". Stack two squares so that their right sides face, and sew almost all the way around them. Leave an opening so you can turn the bag right-side-out. Fill the bag with rice or beans and sew it shut. At the birthday party, kids can have three tries to throw the beanbags, and the numbers where the bags land will be tallied. The person with the highest score, of course, wins. Even though youll be playing the beanbag rug game at the next birthday party your kids will continue having fun with it long after the guests have gone home.
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