Think Crafts Blog – Craft Ideas and Projects – CreateForLess

By Recycled Crafts Contributor, Anitra from the blog Coffee Pot People.

I’ve been working very hard at finding an upside to the cold weather, which to me has always been primarily an announcement of cold months coming, not my favorite thing. This year, though, I’m enjoying the beautiful colors and scarves. Oh my. What’s not to love about scarves? They have the power to make me glad of chill opportunities to wrap one around my neck!

The scarf above was made from a pair of worn-out jeans, and was a hit with its recipient, who plans to wear it with her denim jacket.

Here’s how to make your own:

Take one pair of men’s jeans (or two pair of smaller sizes), and rip the leg fronts and backs into strips. To do that, just cut the hems off, snip into the bottom of the leg, and tear. Don’t go narrower with your strips than about ¼”, or they’ll break. (I did try cutting, but I liked the rough edge ripping gives better. You may prefer a clean edge, though.)

When you’ve ripped as many strips as you can get from your jeans, tie them together to make one long one, and wind into a ball. Another option, of course, would be to sew the ends together, right side to wrong side for smoothness. I left the ends of the knots free, though, and they created a thicker texture, rather like an interior fringe.

Now take a nice big crochet hook, whatever feels comfortable to you for working this very wide “yarn”, and crochet a chain as long as you want your scarf to be. Don’t worry about the knots in the denim—just crochet around them, and let them add their character.

ROW 2: When you’ve got the chain as long as you want, turn, and double crochet in the fourth chain from your hook. *Chain one, skip one stitch, double crochet in the next stitch*, and repeat that sequence until you reach the end of the chain. Crochet three, and turn.

ROW 3: Skip one stitch, and double crochet in the next one. *Chain one, skip one stitch, double crochet in the next stitch*, and repeat that sequence until you reach the end of the chain. Tie off, leaving a long tail for a fringe piece.

The pattern will look like this:

Now cut about a dozen 10″ to 12″ lengths of the denim “yarn”, and tie half of them to each end of the scarf for fringe.

You’re done, and I don’t know you’re like me or not, but I can’t help thinking it’s just a tiny bit funny to be wearing a pair of jeans around the neck!

By Recycled Crafts Contributor, Anitra from the blog Coffee Pot People.

What’s not to love about scarves? They have the power to make me glad of chilly opportunities to wrap one around my neck! Here’s a project that yields a big, fluffy, dramatic scarf with a minimum of effort and materials. To make it you’ll need a few yards of bulky yarn, such as the chenille I used, and about ¼ yard of matching fleece.

Cut a strip of fleece 8″ wide across the width of your fabric, so that you have a piece 8″x50″ (or whatever the width of your yardage is). Cutting the short way, cut strips ½” x 8″. If your fabric was 50″ wide, you”ll end up with 100 little strips. Don’t obsess about the number or exact width, though. If you’re off a wee bit, it really won’t make a difference.

Take up your yarn and a crochet hook that’s big enough to give you a nice stitch tension (I used a Boye H, if I recall correctly), and begin a chain. Crochet one chain stitch, and then just lay one of the fleece strips across the yarn, next to the hook, and chain stitch right over the top of it, “capturing” the strip in the stitch.

*Chain one, and capture a strip in the next chain.* Repeat until your scarf is as long as you like, and finish off.

You now have something rather like a big boa, great fun to wear or give, and you’ve done it on the quick. Go forth, and collect your compliments and smiles!

By Recycled Crafts Contributor, Anitra from the blog “Coffee Pot People”.

This is a very easy redo for a tote bag. All you’ll need for it is a t-shirt with a front or back you like, and a tote bag you’d like to dress up a bit. Your t-shirt front needs to be a little larger than the front of the tote.

First, flatten your tote bag so you can either draw around it to make a pattern, or cut around it, if you’re not worried about snipping an edge.

Now, lay your t-shirt out nice and flat. Put the pattern or tote on top of the tee, and cut, leaving ¼” to ½” extra all the way around to turn under. Turn under the edges to make the tee piece exactly the same size as your tote.

Most tote side edges are top-stitched or bound in seam binding. This makes them kind of separate from the body of the tote itself, which is why this is such an easy refurb. Starting at one upper corner of your tote bag, pin the tee piece right to that edge, and do a tight, close zigzag stitch all the way around.

That’s all there is to it–easy peasy, lemon squeezy!

(Note: My tee shirt front, as you may have noticed, was actually a bit short, so I let the hemmed lower edge be the upper edge, and blind stitched it across the top, rather than zigzagging. If you’re going to do that, make sure the shirt’’s design looks okay upside down!)

By Kid’s Craft Contributor, Gillian from the blog “Dried Figs and Wooden Spools”.

I’m not an embroiderer. Sure I pick up the odd assortment of embroidery floss now and again to add some pizzazz to knee patches or little boy ties, but on the whole, I don’t get around to a whole lot of embroidery. Which means that I don’t have a very good way of storing the thread. Instead, I tend to toss the leftovers from projects in with my ribbon and by the time I need it again, it’s such an unholy mess that I usually have to toss it out and buy more. My kids are seriously into friendship bracelets this summer and that means that, once again, I’ve had to go out and stock up on embroidery thread, but this time, I’m prepared for the onslaught of little colorful bundles of string. I’ve got clothespins. This method of storing embroidery thread is so simple and useful, you’ll wonder what you ever did without it!

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Clothespins
• Embroidery floss

1. Open the clothespin and then close it with the end of the thread on the inner part of the top, near (but not in) the smallest holes.

2. Start winding. Wrap the entire length of thread around the clothespin, keeping the thread between the spring and the large hole.

3. When you have reached the end, tug it through the end of the clothespin toward the larger hole. You can open the pin slightly iff necessary but you should be able to pull the string into place without opening the pin in most cases. The pin will hold the end in place until needed. When you want a section of thread simple pull it out from the end of the pin and unwind the length you need before refastening the new end!

By Crafts-a lot Contributor, Mable who is an avid reader of craft blogs & magazines and has aspirations to improve her crafting skills. Join Mable on Facebook to socialize and share with other crafters!

I’ve always been a fan of Clover’s bamboo knitting needles. In fact that was my first pair! Now many knitting and crocheting needles later, Clover is still my first choice and have made some of my other favorite things! They make some of the most ingenious products that makes craft projects look professional, even for a beginner.

Have you ever tried to make a yo-yo by hand? I have, and refuse to ever do it that way again! Watch this video on the Clover Yo-Yo makers and you’ll see why. The Clover Yo-Yo Makers come in small, medium, large and x-large in numerous shapes – butterfly, heart, flower, oval and more.

PS. I also refuse to make pom-poms by hand now too! Thank you Clover!

I recently got a Flower Frill template too. It’s a plastic template where you flip & fold fabric or paper to make a flower! This is what Clover made with the Flower Frill template, just imagine the possibilities!

By Craft Trends Contributor, Trent Jaxon.

Red Heart Boutique Changes

Hello again crafters! Let’s talk yarn! Knitting is one of my favorite activities. And ever since “The Great Yarn Comeback of 2001″ knit, crochet and stitchery crafts have really kept pace with today’s fashions.

2011 will continue this great trend. Yarn manufacturers are getting more innovative than ever in bringing us products that look and feel great and make knitting a breeze.

Sugar N’ Cream yarn is the gold standard when it comes to 100% cotton. These yarns combine softness, durability and great colors that make them good for everything from baby clothes to pot holders and dish scrubbers. This year we have their new Scents line. This fun yarn is also a dose of aromatherapy for the crafter using it. As you work with the yarn a light fragrance is released. Sugar N’ Cream chose smells that are calming and relaxing. Sure to make even the worst dropped stitches stress free!

Red Heart, the leader in yarn crafts has come out with a plethora of new lines in the last year for all styles. Their new Boutique lines are my favorite. Boutique Swirls are wonderfully soft variegated yarns with just a touch of lash that create projects that feel great against your skin while still knitting up easily. Boutique Changes is a truly awesome product! This yarn combines acrylic, wool, alpaca and even metallic yarns to help you create projects that look great and of course trendy. The yarns transition perfectly so while your project looks like you have used 5 different yarns it has actually only been a single skein!

Besides these wonderful specialty yarns there are also some great new classic yarns. Sugar N’ Cream has some awesome new variegated colors as does Red Heart in both their Super Saver and Classic Lines. And for those kid and baby projects make you check out the Soft line and both the Pomp-a-Doodle and Spark-a-Doodle lines.

I hope you all have a (knit) and pearly week! Until next time crafters,

Keep it Trenty!

By Web Design Schools Guide

Amigurumi is the Japanese art of crafting stuffed crochet or knit toys that are usually made into animals, dolls and inanimate objects. These stuffed dolls are known for having oversized spherical heads on an undersized body and expressional faces. Whether you’re a beginner or an expert at amigurumi, you always need a pattern to reference and guide you along the way. Thankfully, the Web has tons of free patterns and instructions on how to make these darling toys for less.

Here are 50 free and adorable amigurumi patterns to get you going:

Animals

Animals are the most common type of amigurumi made, and these are the cutest of the creatures.

1. Monkey: This classic sock monkey is designed to be an ornament, but it would make a great handheld toy too.
2. Owl: This adorable wide-eyed owl is easy to crochet and would make a great gift for anyone.
3. Jellyfish: Don’t worry, this soft, purple jellyfish will only sting you with cuteness.
4. Spider: This harmless looking spider is perfect for Halloween decorating or everyday play.
5. Dachshund: Dachshunds make the perfect pups for amigurumi dolls, and this one is by far the cutest.
6. Bunny: You’ll be hoppy, er, happy to crochet this floppy-eared bunny.
7. Cat: This kitty amigurumi will make the purrfect toy for a kid or cat lover.
8. Pig: This precious pink pig is just oinking to be made by you.
9. Beaver: From the buck teeth to the paddle tail, this little beaver is a spitting image of the real thing.
10. Hippo: Challenge yourself by crocheting this happy hippo who is cuter than words.

Video Game Characters

Even your favorite video game characters have amigurumi patterns like these.

1. Kirby: You’ll enjoy crocheting this adorable pink puffball from the Nintendo game Kirby.
2. Pikachu: From the yellow plush body to the lightning bolt tail, this Pikachu doll is a spitting image of the game character.
3. Bomb-omb: This crocheted Bomb-omb from Mario can be a toy or paperweight, but either way it won’t explode.
4. Link: If you’re a Legend of Zelda fan, you’ll love making this adorable Link doll.
5. Invisibility Star: This Super Mario invisibility star is super cool and oh-so-cute with or without a smile.

Holiday/Celebration

Use these amigurumi patterns to decorate for the holidays and for gift giving.

1. Christmas Wreath: Try your hand at crocheting this little Christmas wreath with colorful leaves and a mini snowman.
2. Spring Chicks: These adorable fuzzy chicks would make the perfect Easter decoration or basket surprise.
3. Valentine’s Heart: Give your Valentine your heart, your amigurumi pop heart, that is.
4. Turkey: Everyone will gobble up this amigurumi turkey because it’s just that adorable.
5. Peas in a Pod: Give your newlywed friends something original like these peas in a pod.

Food

These adorable amigurumi foods look good enough to eat, but I don’t recommend trying.

1. Apples: Take a bite at this apple pattern that is cuter than words.
2. Banana: Peel back the layers of this amigurumi banana and you’ll find this sweet face.
3. Cherry Pie Slice: Don’t let this crocheted slice of cherry pie fool you – it’s just for looks.
4. Coffee Cup: Don’t you wish your coffee mug was this cute?
5. Fried Eggs: Fried eggs never looked cuter and more real! Note: Scroll down on the pattern for the English translation.
6. S’more: Just like the campfire version, except for the smiling marshmallow that’s too sweet to eat.
7. Pear: Give this adorable amigurumi pear a try, and don’t forget to add the stem and rosy cheeks as well.
8. Hot Dog: How doggone cute is this hot dog and bun amigurumi pattern? Crochet on some ketchup or relish for added color and taste.
9. Grapes: Try your hand at crocheting these beautiful purple grapes that looks divine.
10. Oreo Cookies: This may be a fat-free version of the real deal, but they are just as much fun to crochet than eat.

Nature

These amigurumi patterns add an adorable twist to nature’s finest.

1. Acorns: These adorable acorns are easy to crochet and make the perfect decoration for fall.
2. Flower Pot: These flowers make a great centerpiece, and, best of all, they won’t ever die!
3. Inchworm: Inch your way through this adorable inchworm amigurumi pattern.
4. Mushroom: You can’t go wrong making this colorful mushroom house.
5. Cactus: There are no spikes on this adorable cactus plant – just a smile and cute bow.

Random

These are the amigurumi patterns that don’t quite fit into any one category.

1. Alien: This googly-eyed alien is too cute not to make.
2. Light Bulb: This light bulb amigurumi pattern is a bright idea and oh-so-cute.
3. Finger: These severed fingers are perfect for Halloween and anytime you want to scare your friends to death.
4. Eyeball: Not only are these eyeballs easy to make, but they are fun to toss around too.
5. Poo: Yep, you read it right. It may be strange, but this is the cutest pile of poo.

Easy

If you’re new to amigurumi, these easy patterns will get you started and improve your skills in no time.

1. Little Miss Peanut: This adorable peanut amigurumi is easy to crochet and can be a plushy toy or a scented sachet.
2. Baubels: These Christmas baubles can be customized for any holiday and look good in any color.
3. Mr. Sour Pickle Man: This sour pickle man is adorable and super easy to crochet since it’s all one shape and color.
4. Mouse: Eek! This not-so-scary mouse is easy to make and plenty adorable.
5. Ghost: This ghoulish ghost can be simplified even further and still look just as adorable.
6. Ball: It doesn’t get much easier than crocheting a perfect sphere in one continuous color like this pattern.
7. Cherry: Check out this simple cherry pattern that even comes with a video tutorial to guide you!
8. Chocolates: These adorable chocolates look just as sweet as the real stuff and are easy to crochet.
9. Tomato: This tomato amigurumi is round, red and easy to make.
10. Beans: These beans come in every flavor and color, but best of all, they’re super easy to crochet!