Think Crafts Blog – Craft Ideas and Projects – CreateForLess

By Sewing Contributor Jessica, from the blog “Life Sew Good”.  

My friend Summer lost her dad a little over a year ago to cancer.  After she heard about a program that is trying to collect 1 million pillowcases to be donated to various hospitals, she jumped on board.  Patients like to have pillowcases that are their own when they are in the hospital for long stays.  I definitely wanted to be a part of this, and I thought it would be a fabulous idea to have our ThinkCrafts.com friends join in!  Summer’s blog, has all the info you need on where to send pillowcases, as well as the story behind her motivation for doing this.  All the pillow cases collected will be sent to St. Jude’s, a children’s hospital.   I’ve provided you with a simple tutorial to make a sweet standard pillowcase.  Please send pictures of the pillow cases you make and I can include them on a future post.

You’ll need:

1- 1 1/3 yd. main fabric—flannel or cotton
¼ yd. coordinating fabric—flannel or cotton
Measuring tape/ruler
Fabric Pen (optional)
Scissors
Thread
Pins

Preshrink your fabric using HOT WATER ONLY (no soap!).  This is important if you are making the pillowcase to send to children in the hospital.

1. Cut  1 piece 27” x 42” main fabric  (piece “A”)
2. Cut 1 piece 8 ½” x 42” main fabric  (piece “B”)
3. Cut 1 piece 5” x 42” coordinating fabric  (piece “C”)
4. Take piece B & C, fold in ½” length-wise and press.
5. Lie piece C on top of piece B, raw edges together

6.  Lie piece A on top of piece C, lining up the raw edges and pin in place.

7. Sew ½” seam along raw edges.  Back track on each end.

8. Serge or zigzag edge. Open so that you can see all right sides.  Press piece C so that it lies on top of piece A.  Turn the case over to the wrong side & press seam up toward piece B.  Top stitch.

9. Fold pillowcase in half, right sides together, finished edges together.  Sew ½ seam along all raw edges.  Sew ½” seam along raw edges.  Back track on each end.

10. Serge or zigzag edge. Open so that you can see all right sides.  Press piece C so that it lies on top of piece A. 

11. Turn the case over to the wrong side & press seam up toward piece B.  Top stitch.

12. Fold pillowcase in ½, right sides together, finished edges together.  Sew ½ seam along all raw edges. 

13. Serge or zigzag edge.

14. Turn right side out.

You did it!!!  Now make a few more & send them to Summer, along with a personal note with a prayer or special message for the unknown recipient.  You will be part of a huge effort to bring specially made pillowcases to children at St. Jude’s!

By Sewing Contributor Jessica, from the blog “Life Sew Good”.  

First off, you should know that I am under no obligation nor do I get paid to write anything for these companies, but love to give you some product review so that you can enjoy the little pleasures in life that I have discovered! 

Valori Wells is not only a fabulous fabric designer, she also creates beautiful patterns.  I ran across the Little Wallet pattern at her store in Sisters, Oregon,  Stitchin’ Post, when I was there in May.  The pattern was so simple and fit on a card the size of greeting card.  Easy to read, easy to follow directions made this pattern so fun that I decided that more people needed to know. 

Last week, I taught a class on how to make the Little Wallet to a group of 17 women, ranging in age from middle school girls to middle-aged moms.  There are literally 5 seams to be sewn, so it is a very simple project for beginners.  In fact, if you don’t own a sewing machine, it would be simple enough to sew by hand. 

One of the best things about the Little Wallet is that you can use your scraps!  Although it indicates using a main fabric and coordinating fabric, you could easily use 5-8 different fabrics and end up with a super cute product.  It’s also a short enough project that you can make quite a few on both little time.  I love that!  Finally, although it doesn’t say so on the pattern, you could embellish your Little Wallet with buttons, flowers, yo-yos , or whatever fits your fancy. 

What would I do if I were you?  Get a pattern for yourself, make a bunch to give away as gifts, and get a bunch of the pattern cards to stick in birthday cards!  I also think it would make a unique and functional gift card holder. 

I would love to see links to wallets you make!

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

Aside from my wedding ring and my grandmother’s screw on (i.e. can’t fall off) diamond earrings, the only jewelry that I wear on any kind of regular basis are bracelets. I love necklaces, but about a week after my first child was born I realized that kids and necklaces don’t mix. Or at least my kids and necklaces don’t mix. Although now that they are 4 and 8 I’m probably safe to wear them again. But I’m out of practice. My jewelry box is full of bracelets.

Or I should say it’s full of lots of broken bracelets and a few hearty specimens that have survived where the others failed. I break bracelets all the time. Part of this I can blame on the kids, but most of it is all me. I spend a lot of time at the computer and I am constantly putting on and taking off my bracelets, and eventually, they break. Recently I moved most of the broken but-I’ll-fix-it-someday bracelets to a bead jar on my desk and in the process I realized that in most cases I don’t have all the bits and bobs from the originals, so returning them back to that state is probably not going to happen. Enter Stretch Magic.

If you are a veteran of jewelry making, you know all about this stuff, but I’d never tried it and I was so excited to get my hands on some and start turning my jar-o-beads back into wearable jewelry again.

Before you start, think about the size of the holes on your beads. Stretch Magic comes in a variety of thicknesses and several colors. Most of my beads had larger holes and since breaking has been an issue in the past, I chose the 1mm clear for my projects.

If you don’t have any broken bracelets or necklaces to start with (lucky you!) you can always peruse the many options that are out there just waiting for you to make something from them. I know I could go absolutely overboard buying different beads and charms in the jewelry making section.

Cut a good four inches longer than your wrist is around and start sliding on the beads, thinner Stretch Magic may require a needle but I had no problem using it straight with my larger holed beads. Once you have arranged your beads the way you want, tie the ends together using an overhand knot or two to secure the two pieces together without slippage. Trim the ends and enjoy your new (old) jewelry!

By Sewing Contributor Jessica, from the blog “Life Sew Good”.  

My daughter Bee’s friend Em turned 4 years old last week and it was time to pony up and make a gift!  Her mom informed me that she loved cooking, so an apron would be perfect.  Although I made this apron for a 4 yr. old, you could add 1 more fat quarter, adjust the waist measurement, and have one made for yourself easily!

Here’s what you need:

2 coordinating Fat Quarters
Thread
Scissors
Measuring tape or ruler
Fabric pen

1). First, measure how wide & long you want your apron.  While I was making mine for a little 4 year old, I wanted it to be something she could wear for years to come, so I made it fairly long, with the waist band coming around the sides of her waist.  Measure the front of your waist, wrapping a little around the sides to come up with your finished apron width  measurement.

I decided I wanted the finished apron—after gathering the waist–to be 12″ x 15″.  I added ½” seam allowances to the top and bottom, so I cut my fabric 22″ (normal width of the fat quarter that we will be gathering) x 16″ (length). 

2). Once you decide your measurements, mark & cut your fabric:

Main Fabric:      

22″ x length        [CUT 1 for main apron]

22″ x at least 2″  [CUT 1 for binding bottom]

Coodinating Fabric:

Finished apron width + 2″ (seam allowance) x 4″ [CUT 1 for waistband]

22″ x 4″ for ties  [CUT 2 for ties]

22″ x 5 ¾” for pockets [CUT 1 for pockets]

3). We’re going to work with your coordinating fabric first.  Take your 22” x 5 ¾” piece.  Fold the long side ¼” and press.  Fold again ½” then press again.  Sew seam.

4). Sew seam.

5). Take your main piece of fabric and lay your pocket piece on top as shown.  Make sure that your finished seam is on the top side of the pocket piece.  Don’t worry!  So far, it should be your only finished edge!  Pin pieces together as shown.  Note that both right sides are facing UP. 

6). Baste bottom edge, so your pocket and main piece are attached.  This will make your life easier!

7). Now, take your apron and fold in half, wrong sides together, & press.  Open.   Fold your right edge so that it meets the center fold.  Press the fold.  Open and repeat on left side.  Your fabric should have 3 folds, so your fabric is separated by creases in 4 equal sections.  Use picture below as a reference for what I mean! 

8). Your creases now serve as guides for where to sew seams for the pockets.  Sew seams along each crease only on pocket fabric (ie, in pic, floral fabric).  Make sure to back-tack.  Set that piece aside.

9). Make the binding for the bottom of your apron.  Simply fold & press the piece in half, lengthwise.  Open.  Then, fold both ends in toward center crease.  Press.

10). Attach binding to skirt.  Take  your binding, middle crease open,  just like the picture above.  Line up the center crease with the bottom of the apron, wrapping the folded creases around the bottom of the apron, enclosing the raw edges and pin.  See picture below.

11). Sew binding on close to the top edge. 

12). Take waistband piece and prepare it following the directions from step 9. 

13). Gather your waistband by basting (use a long stitch) 1 seam ¼” from top of apron and 1 seam ½” from top of apron.  Pull bottom  threads, gathering the fabric until it measures your finished apron width + 2” (seam allowance). 

14). Just like you did with the bottom binding, pin your waistband binding to the top of apron. Sew waistband onto apron.  Sew seam close to the bottom of the waistband.             

15). Make the ties.  Again, prepare ties the same you made your bottom binding and waistband binding, following instructions in step #9. 

16). For each tie, we want to make sure one end looks nice. The other end will be sewn into the apron, so the raw edge is okay.  

17). Fold over  one end ½”. 

18). Fold corners in to make end pointed, like picture below.

19). Fold tie in ½ length-wise.

20). Sew ties closed, starting from point all the way to your raw edge.

21). Prepare side seam by folding side of apron over ½”.  Lay the raw end of your tie on top of the first fold, lining up with the waistband like photo below.

22). Fold side of apron again another ½”, this time folding the tie in with the waistband like photo below.  Pin & Repeat other side.

23). Sew side seams, reinforcing waistband and ties by sewing a square where ties and waistband meet.

24). Top stitch all along from the end of ties and the top of the waist band. 

Viola!  You’re done!

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

I love art in the garden, and for a long time I’ve wanted a gazing ball. Why can’t I make one? I wondered just a day or two ago. I decided to give it at try, and take you along with me!

My materials were few:

• A plain, round light globe, vase, jar, or other clear sphere
• Spray paint in shiny metallic silver or gold

First, true confession: I bought two spherical light globes for this at a thrift store, but they disappeared! They would actually be my first choice for the gazing balls, but I did have a small, round vase and a large, perfectly round, jar—no flat spot anywhere, except for where the lid screwed on. Use what you have; it doesn’t even have to be round, as long as it’s a shape you like.

The instructions are as simple as the list of materials. Make sure your sphere is perfectly clean. Protect your work area, and/or work outside. Choose the color you want for your gazing ball, and spray paint the inside of the sphere. Be patient and don’t spray too much at a time or the paint will run. Just short bursts of paint will do it, overlapping until the glass is completely covered.

My spheres aren’t quite a shiny and mirror-like as I’d hoped they’d be, but I do think they look pretty great in the bird bath against the fence. I added a white light globe to the grouping, and have been enjoying the sight of them.

You could also dazzle them up even more by painting a water-proof glue on the outside of your sphere and sprinkling on glitter, in either a matching or contrasting color. I’m contemplating a swirl of gold glitter on the silver ball…What do you think?

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

I don’t know about you, but where I live, it’s full on farmer’s market season. Something new seems to come into season every few days and the stalls, and my garden, are overflowing with produce. Between the peaches and blackberries and beans and corn, we’re entering into the busy season for preserving. Our pantry is beginning to look like we’re preparing for Y2K.

But rather than prepping for disaster, I like to stock up on homemade goodies every summer  in part to have a ready supply of gifts to give come winter. When the snow is falling and the temperature has dropped below freezing, there’s nothing better than a jar of homemade strawberry jam to cheer everyone up. And to help get my self jam-giving ready, this year I’m making ready to go jam covers so that when the time comes, I don’t even have to wrap. One of the styles of covers I’m working on this summer is this simple, stamped burlap cover. And you can make some too in less time than it takes to sterilize your jars.

Here’s what you need:

Burlap
Fabric Scissors
Foam Letter Stamps
Craft Paint
Foam Brush
Newsprint or scrap paper

1.Using one of the rings from your jars as a guide, cut a circle two inches wider all around out of the burlap.

2. Set the circle onto the scrap paper to catch any paint that seeps through the fabric.

3. Brush a light coat of paint onto each letter and, centering the word on the circle, stamp your letters firmly.

4. Allow the paint to dry before tying on with a colorful string of bulky piece of yarn.

Presto! Gift ready!

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

It was the perfect confluence of habits: I love, collect, and acquire a lot of laces, braids, and other trims, our family of two eats a lot of eggs, and I hate throwing things out that look like they could be useful.

I heard that! You’re scratching your head and saying, “HUH?”

Here’s the deal. I’ve been looking at egg cartons for years, trying to think of an afterlife for them. I also groan every time I open the drawer that holds those laces and trims I’m such a magnet for. Hard as I try to keep that drawer tidy, it always ends up seriously jumbled. Yesterday those two things just sort of collided in my brain, and I had an epiphany, just a little-bitty one, but a good one nonetheless.

Here’s what I did. I took an egg carton, in this case one from a five-dozen pack (told you) but a regular one would work as well, cut off the edges, and started wrapping lace trims around it.

The egg cup rows kept the laces in their places, the texture of the paper carton held onto the trims like gentle Velcro, and the rectangles still had just a bit of that nestling instinct. And they fit perfectly into those shoebox size plastic boxes, of which I had several, with room on the ends for a baggie filled with the short bits and pieces left over from past projects.

Now I can either put those boxes in the lace drawer or on a shelf, and instead of trying to riffle through this:

I can pick up one of these and see exactly what I have, without causing a lace explosion!