Love is in the Hair

I wanted to come up with a way to create a Valentine accessory that wasn't your typical brooch, bracelet or earring. I started with a red headband and added the pink rick-rack for the foundation. Next I designed the bird silhouette and wing pieces and cut them out of wool felt. I love the idea of incorporating the heart shape between the two open wings. I joined both sides with the pink contrasting embroidery floss. Once the bird was slightly stuffed and ready to attach to the base, I decided it needed more texture and another element to frame it. I cut some additional felt in feather-like shapes and also attached it with the pink floss. Download the pattern to make your own Lovebird Headband!

Get Your Heart On...

Valentine's Day is just around the corner and I can already feel my sweet tooth calling. I wanted to find a craft that was cheap, unique, fun and something my preschooler could help out with. Craftzine.com recently featured an article on molded crayon hearts and immediately I knew this was the very project I was looking for. 

One rainy Saturday we took a trip to S.C.R.A.P. and loaded up a bag full of broken, misfit crayons. The challenging part was stripping all of the paper off the crayons. I still have multi-colored remnants beneath my nails. Target was selling the mini heart silicone muffin pans (which get pretty wrecked after this craft,  I must say). We spent quite some time sorting the crayon bits by color, then chopping them into pea-size bits and filling the muffin pan. It took 15 minutes per batch at an oven temp of 275°F. DON'T try to transport the pan before the melted crayon is set. I spent another afternoon tediously scraping dripped red crayon off the linoleum floor. Oops!

The colored cardstock paper was also found at S.C.R.A.P. ($3.00 for the bag 'o crayons and a thick stack of cardstock!). I designed the type and graphics in Illustrator and then ran the cards through my home printer. Note the "I'm a crayon!" detail. Didn't want her classmates to think they were getting a swirly, tasty treat and take a little bite. The bottom edge was cut with scallop-edge scissors for the finishing touch.

Personalize It

Christmas with two kids means LOTS of "thank you" cards to write. Buying cards can really add up and who needs that when your funds were all spent during the holidays? I opted to make some personalized cards this year utilizing the blank cards and envelopes we had leftover from Cooper's birth announcements. I chose a picture of each of the kids with the best side profiles. In Photoshop, I traced their faces using paths, then saved the paths as Illustrator files. In Illustrator I finished the design by adding the flourish design and simple type. To my surprise, the quality came out quite nice when ran through my home printer. The biggest obstacle was centering the design which took a few tries and adjustments. It would be fun to repeat the concept every year as the kids got older!

The Perfect Match

On first glance, this is nothing more than a pretty book of matches. Once opened, the accordian-fold coupons come bursting out. This miniature project has endless possibilities. You can use the panels to showcase pictures, poems or just sappy sayings to your loved one. The matchbook was constructed from medium-weight scrapbooking pages. Score the folds lightly with a craft knife, then staple the front of the bottom panel close to the fold. The "coupons" were designed in Illustrator then printed on my home computer. Sometimes the best gifts come in the smallest packages.

Sweet Seats

At some point all kids need a table and chair sized for their miniature bodies. I'm sort of a snob when it comes to kid's furniture & clothes. I am not satisfied with the common Ikea variety. While strolling through a local thrift store, I spotted these adorable chrome chairs buried in the back of the furniture section. The chrome was in decent condition and the seats just needed to be repadded and covered. I absolutely love this cotton print and I only had about 1 yard left - just enough for the project. I unscrewed the seats from the frame, stripped the original torn vinyl cover and toxic padding. Next, I used an iron-on vinyl adhesive on the new fabric to make it more durable and easy to clean. With the new padding in place, I simply wrapped the fabric around the seat, placed a square of red oilcloth over that and stapled completely around all the edges.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year - Halloween!

For many Craft-0-holics such as myself, Halloween is truly is the most wonderful time of the year. The sweet treats are great, but nothing can top the satisfaction of completing a truly original costume.
Before my son was even born, I had already decided that my boy was going to dress up as Popeye. In doing the research, there were a few variations on the look depending on what era of Popeye you found. I started with a simple black onesie and then sewed the nude arms to the cuffs, tipped in red elastic for easy on-and-off functionality. I stuffed cotton balls between the 2 layers and drew the anchors directly onto the fabric. The hat & collar I simply designed on paper before cutting the fabric. The collar has a snap-front so that I wouldn't have to stretch it over his head. The hat is secured with a thin elastic strap. I wanted to play with scale which is why I made it purposely small & tipped to one side.
My daughter is obsessed with Mary Had a Little Lamb, so naturally I found this store-bought pattern to follow and picked a cotton print that looked somewhat vintage. The hat was purchased at a second-hand store and I added the large ribbon to finish it off. The lamb is secured in her trick-or-treat bucket by the yellow ribbon around it's neck.

Ladies Choice

Recently our classic car club, Hell's Belles, had it's annual Pinewood Derby & Silent Art Auction. I'm not quite the wood whittler, so I opted to make a piece to donate for the auction. Rather than a painting or photograph, I wanted to embroider an "illustration". Keep in mind that the final size of this piece was only 4" x 4". Tedious, but a fun challenge.
I started with a layout in Illustrator combining line art, type and a bitmapped photograph. Next I printed the image in black onto iron-on transfer paper (this time NOT reversed, as you usually do for iron-ons). I ironed the image onto the backside of the cotton fabric to be embroidered.
With the right side facing up, the image is ghosted on the fabric surface which makes a perfect guideline for the embroidery. Secondly, the iron-on transfer paper provides a natural stabilizer once applied to the fabric, making it sturdier to work with.

Back-to-Cool Labels

When asked to add name labels to my daughter's clothes in preparation for preschool, I imagined a smudged black marker name written sloppily across the back neck. There must be a way to do it better! Then I came up with the idea of combining iron-0n graphics along with an iron-on self-adhesive. I designed the following 2 versions and was quite happy with the results.

I started with a simple design I created in Illustrator. The overall size came out to be approx. 1.5" inches around. Don't forget to REVERSE THE GRAPHICS before you print them out on fabric transfer paper.

I ironed the graphics onto a piece of smooth, soft 100% cotton fabric. Next I ironed a sheet of self-adhesive backing. Cut out the labels in any shape you wish. Finally, I ironed the labels into my daughter's sweatshirts & jackets. I would recommend using a zig-zag or straight stitch to secure the edges. We all know these garments will be washed often.

Applique hooray!

My son Cooper having a "whale of a time" in his embellished onesie.

Between feedings and naps, I like to find quick and easy crafts for baby. I found this great article on Cookie Magazine's site called DIY Iron-On Onsies. The idea is so simple and it really jazzes up a plain onesie or tee. Great use of leftover fabric scraps too!

Car Craft Caddy

Check out my most recent Car Craft Caddy project on Craft Magazine's blog. This step-by-step sewing project will help you organize your projects while you're on the go! It's easy, fun and totally customizable for your creative needs. Read my tips on adjusting the pattern for kid's crafts or airplane travel.