Think Crafts Blog - Craft Ideas and Projects - CreateForLess

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

There’s a chill in the air, but there’s fun on my hands!  We’re talking darling fleece wrist warmers here, and a quick-as-a-wink gift to make.  Here’s what you’ll need:

• A scrap of fleece, about 12″ X 18″
• Buttons, bows, or other low-profile furbelows
• Thread

Begin by cutting two rectangles from the fleece, each 6″ X 8″. Before you cut, check for stretch. You want to have stretch across the 8″ side, which will wrap around your hand.

Fold each rectangle in half the long way, right sides together, using a ½” seam allowance. You should have two tubes now, each 3″ X 6″.

Slip one of the tubes over your hand so that one edge of it just covers your knuckles, and the seam is at the outside edge of your hand. Feel for the bone at the base of your thumb, and for the first knuckle of that thumb, and draw a line between the one and the other.

Slip the wrist warmer off and flatten it so that the line you’ve drawn is right on the edge of the fold. Notice that the seam will NOT be on the other edge, but will be turned to the underside. This is important, because it allows for the thickness of your hand. After you’ve cut the thumbhole and put the warmer on, the seam will have magically moved to the edge of the warmer.

Cut a sliver of fabric out where you’ve drawn the line. Don’t worry about making the cut too narrow. You can always enlarge it if you need to.

Cool! Now you can decorate them! Use buttons, or little appliqués, or a bit of embroidery, near the knuckles, roughly centered.

When you know what you want to use, slip the warmers on, lay the adornments in place, and mark. Doing it that way is important, because I promise you, when you take the wrist warmer off and look at where the mark is, you’re going to think you’ve got it wrong! Centered will not look centered, but that’s an illusion.

Sew your trims on, and you’re done.

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

I don’t know about you, but this is the coldest winter I can remember. I mean, seriously, I live in the south and we have piles of snow sitting, unmelted, in yards, on street corners and pushed up against buildings two weeks after our big winter storm. Brrrrr. And because I seem to be freezing all the time, most of my thoughts these days seem to lean toward all things cozy and warm, which is how this scarf came to be.

There are three things about this scarflette that make it fantastic. First, it’s really warm, and warm without being bulky so you can wear it in the house or under a coat without it getting in the way. Second, you don’t need a sewing machine, you don’t really even need to be a great sewer, as long as you can do a basic whip stitch and attach a button. And third (and this is the best part) you probably have everything you need sitting in the bottom of your closet or donations bag.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 out grown, too small, moths got at it, husband shrank it or otherwise unwearable, wool sweater
• Scissors (they need to be sharp!)
• Pencil and straight edge
• Thread and needle
• 2 buttons (shank buttons off an old blazer work great but look through your old sweaters and spare button stash - chunky buttons work best)

If your sweater isn’t already felted (that is, washed in hot water until you cant see the stitching anymore) go ahead and felt it then allow it to dry. Cut it off just under the armpits and parallel to the bottom so that you have a rectangle of sweater. Next, split one of the side seams so that you have a very long rectangle. A women’s medium sweater, felted and cut open, should yield a rectangle about 28 inches long and 12 inches wide. If yours is larger you may want to cut it down to this size but you can always leave it and have a slightly longer scarflette.

Lay the wool out on a flat surface with the remaining seam up. Measure and mark 5 inches in from each in and four inches up from each long edge. Using your ruler draw vertical lines inside the marked rectangle every 1/2 inch, just like you did back in elementary school making paper lanterns.

Carefully cut along each line, making sure the cuts are even and begin and end evenly.

Fold the short ends of the scarf over 1/2 inch and whip stitch closed to create a smooth edge

Now, with the right side out, bring the long edges together, overlapping about 1/2 inch so that the original knitted hem of the sweater is on top and stitch closed. If you use thread close to the color of the scarf the stitches will virtually disappear, but try to use a fairly even whip stitch, just in case.

At this point you will have a long tube with slits along the middle of one side. All thats left is the fasteners.

Drape the scarf around your neck to find the best location for the buttons. I chose to have the ends meet in a perpendicular, but even fashion. You could have them overlap or have an overhang, depending on the finished length, the size of your neck and the style you want. Sew buttons on the end that will go underneath and mark for button hole slits. You have two choices here. If you want to see the buttons, cut the button hole slits (no need to sew, the wool wont unravel) through both layers of the top piece so that the buttons pull all the way through. If you want the buttons not to be seen, cut the slits only through the bottom layer so that the buttons will sit inside the scarf when you are wearing it.

Now that we’re all nice and cozy in our new scarflette, tell me, what cozy projects are you working on these days?

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

Once upon a time I wore jewelry. Long, beady necklaces, dangly earrings, funky retro brooches. Then I had kids. Kids who wanted to be carried all the time and who loved to pull on earring (yowser!) strangle me with my necklace (gasp) or jab themselves with my brooch (Band-Aids anyone?) So these days I stick to bracelets and flower pins. Because, really, it’s hard to poke anyone’s eye out with a corduroy flower. 

And flower pins are easy to make. Which means that if I get bored of the one I’m currently sporting, or, say, someone small decides to repurpose it into a dollhouse decoration, another one is just a few snips away. 

The newest addition to my flower pin collection accomplishes two things, both of which needed to happen in my house. First, it finally puts to good use one of the (many) wool sweaters that I have accidentally washed in hot water but can’t bring myself to throw away. And second, being made of wool, make a nice, wintry compliment to my wardrobe, just in time for the cool weather to hit. 

If you don’t have a felted sweater handy (lucky you!) grab one at your favorite thrift shop next time you are passing. The size, shape and really condition don’t matter as long as you like the color. Bring it home and wash it on the hottest setting your machine has a few times until you can’t see the individual stitches anymore. Once it’s dry, your ready to start.

First, cut out a cardstock circle roughly the size you want the finished flower to be. Sketch petals inside the circle until you have a pattern that you like and carefully cut them out. Using the paper flower as a guide cut three (or more!) layers from your sweater.

If the sweater has a pattern, make sure you take that into consideration. The sweater I used had stripes that gradually darkened so I chose to cut the flowers out along the gradient so I would have different hued layers.

Because of the nature of the felted wool, the fabric won’t fray so you can cut very fine petals without the need for hemming. It also means that, other than a few stitches to tie the whole thing together, this is a no-sew project, always great in my book.

Stack the layers, adjusting their position to your preference and tack them together at the center with a few stitches. You can also put a few stitches into the backs of the top layer of petals to give the flower some extra dimension. Add a button on the top and a pin on the back and your set for winter. 

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

I’m told the average woman tries on sixteen pairs of jeans to find a single pair that fit properly. I’ve lived that, and a whole lot of other women I know have, too. So when my favorite jeans sprang an air leak across the knee, it was nothing short of a disaster.

I sat and looked at the raggedy tear, and sighed. Looks like a great big old mouth, I thought. And then I smiled. I couldn’t wait to get busy patching them.

Here’s what you’ll need to do the same:

• Buttons
• Beads
• Scrap of red fabric
• Thread

Do you see faces? I’ve been playing with my buttons and beads! Buttons with beads in their centers for eyes, a triangular bead for a nose, ring beads and metal spacers as another eye option–raid your sewing and bead boxes, use your imagination, and have fun!

Then you can get down to business. Measure the tear you’re going to patch.

Cut a piece of red fabric that’s about 1/2″ larger all around than the tear in the jeans. If it looks like the fabric will fray, finish the edge with a row of stitching, or use something like Fray-check on the raw edges. Then turn the jeans leg inside-out, and pin the patch in place.

Make sure you haven’t pinned through both layers of the jeans leg, and sew all the way around the patch. (Optional: Blow mental kisses and hugs in the general direction of whoever invented free-arm sewing machines!) Again, make sure you’re sewing through just the patch and the torn jeans layer.

Now, ordinarily, you’d want to sew as close to the tear as you could, and you’d want to make it as invisible as possible, but don’t do that this time. You’re creating a mouth, and you want the red to show, and even gape open a bit when the knee bends, so sew near the edge of the patch.

Turn the jeans right side out, and play some more. Lay them flat and arrange your selection of beads and buttons to create a monster face. When you’ve decided on one you look, lightly mark the placement with a pencil, and sew in place by hand, using sturdy thread.

I haven’t actually finished my jeans yet. I can’t decide which face to use!

Please welcome guest blogger Tracey from “Imagine That Quilts” and the blog “Peppermint Patcher”.

Have you ever considered using photographs as a means to personalize a quilt?

There are products on the market that allow you to use your own home printer to print directly onto special fabric sheets. You can print any photograph from your computer onto these fabric sheets. Once you’ve done that you can use the fabric like any other and cut it, stitch it into or appliqué it onto a quilt.

There are several points you should consider before printing your photos onto these fabric sheets.

1. Check the size of your photographs. The fabric sheets generally come in the same sizes as paper that can be fed through a printer. Make sure that your photograph is not bigger than this size. You may need to take the photo file into some photo manipulation software to do this.
2. Look at the contrast levels in your photo. If your photo is very dark or very light you may not be able to see it well once it prints onto the fabric sheet. Again using photo manipulation software can help with this. It may also help to make the photograph black and white. This allows you to easily see the contrast.
3. If you plan to stitch the photograph into a patchwork make sure you leave plenty of seam allowance around the photograph. Don’t just leave the traditional quarter inch as this doesn’t leave any room for error. Give yourself at least half an inch, just to be sure.
4. If you are using a fussy, patterned fabric around the photo consider adding a border around your photograph before printing. Most photo manipulation software will allow you to add a border around your photos. You can add a narrow border before printing to give the outline of the photograph definition. It’s easier to do this before printing than it is to stitch a narrow strip of fabric around the photo.

Now don’t just assume that because cameras take rectangular photos that you have to put rectangles into your quilt. Why not think outside the square and unleash your creativity? You can fussy cut around a photo printed onto fabric.  In the same way that you might fussy cut around a print on a quilting fabric to create an appliquéd scene you can create an appliquéd scene around a photo.

I take photos of children’s faces and print those onto fabric. At Imagine That Quilts you can see how I use appliqué those faces onto bodies and create imaginary scenes around them. My nephew becomes a pirate, my niece a fairy. This makes a highly personalized quilt. These quilts are loved and adored by their recipients!

So why not give it a try? Follow the directions provided with the fabric sheets and make some quilts that are truly unique!

Blog Contributor, Crafty Mom and Writer, Gillian, from the Blog “Dried Figs and Wooden Spools”.

When my son went off to school for the first time two years ago, I encountered the whole “lunch packing” thing for the first time as a mom. Aside from the all important cool snacks vs healthy snacks dilemma, I was also concerned about the sheer volume of plastic bags I was set to go through in a single school year. Since I am a) as cheap as they come and b) a sewer, I decided to make a few cloth wraps and bags to hold my sons food though the year, no baggies required. Fast forward two years and one environmental movement that has finally reached the masses and lunch wraps are everywhere these days.

While there are a variety of choices out there from metal tins to canvas wraps, I still prefer to make my own, largely because my son have very specific requests regarding what they look like. Last year it HAD to be dinosaurs but this year they just wouldn’t do, space was the theme of the day (or hopefully the year!) While buying them break the bank (and in fact, you’ll save a bundle over the span of a year from not buying baggies) they are even cheaper to make and can be done in a short afternoon sewing session.

In order to make two sandwich wraps and two snack packets you will need 1/2 yard of fabric, anything non stretch would work but I have found that quilting fabrics are a fun, economical option. 1/2 yard of mid-weight clear vinyl, a package of stick on Velcro and optionally four buttons and some elastic cording.

For the sandwich wraps cut two 12 inch squares out of each of the vinyl and the fabric, out of the remaining materials you should be able to get two six inch square for the snack packs.

With the vinyl on the wrong side of the fabric sew around the edge leaving a half inch seam allowance and a two inch opening for turning. Trim the seams to 1/4 inch, leaving the area around the hold at 1/2. Iron with the fabric side up on your lowest setting to assure sharp edges before topstitching around the edges to close the hole and to help keep the shape during repeated use.

From here, the sandwich wrap can be completed in two ways. The best way to determine where your fasteners need to be is to try it out with some slices of bread. Particularly if you use the same bread week after week, this way the wrappers suit your needs specifically. The first style of closure has the bread sitting in the center of the wrap with the points up and to the sides (so it looks like a diamond) Fold in the sides over the bread and then the top and bottom over the sides to close the wrapper. Mark where the top hits the bottom and stick a Velcro tab or dot in the correct location. For this style I also added a second piece of Velcro two inches closer to the point. This allows for larger or even multiple sandwiches to be packed in the same wrap.

The other option (actually there are many styles, but these are the two I prefer) has the wrap on the table like a square with the sandwich in the middle. Fold the sides in to make a rectangle then the bottom up and the top down marking a spot on each where you will sew a button. Before you stitch the top button on, add a two inch loop of elastic cording that will stretch around both buttons. This style also allows for larger or multiple sandwiches as the elastic make is very adjustable to shape.

The snack pack closes much like the first wrapper with the addition of Velcro on the sides as well as the top and bottom. THis creates a much more secure closure for loose snacks. Again, the best way to determine where your Velcro needs to be is to throw in a handful of snacks and stick a Velcro tab in the best spot.

Once you’ve determineed the positioning of the Velcro, stitch them in place with either parallel lines of stitching or an “x” across the tab.

And as a side note, BPA free vinyl is available to order online, however, these are easily cleaned with a quick wipe down so they don’t really get heated up, which is where the concern with BPA comes from. I have used the BPA free which allows you to just throw the wrap in the washing machine when it needs cleaning but found that I rarely needed to wash the whole wrap.

The average elementary school student produces about 100 pounds of waste per year and while certainly much of this is the food our kids throw out, baggies account for a good deal of that as well. If you replace two bags a day with reusable wraps you’ll save about 400 baggies from going into the landfill each school year!

Click here to read more of Gillian’s blog.

Congratulations to Eileen P. from Albany, CA, who was randomly chosen as the winner of our National Sewing Month Drawing and a $100 CreateForLess Shopping spree!

Eileen’s Sewing project was…

These two panda softies are my original designs. I drew the pattern myself and sewed them with my machine, adding hand sewn details on the embroidered faces. They are made up of a whimsical mix of coordinating cotton prints with wool felt and vintage button details. They have been lovingly stuffed with polyfil.

Our 2009 National Sewing Month Drawing Winner!

A Few of our Favorite Entries:

Grids & Grommets Bag - Uses large grommets (purchased from CreateforLess). Bag is large and would be suitable for a “carry-on” flight bag or also an overnight bag. Created from a pattern but ‘altered’ to use three fabrics (instead of one). With inside pockets, comfortable wide shoulder straps and double batting used in bottom portion of bag. Fun to carry!

Sandy F.  from Roscommon, MI

My 16 year old daughter wanted a nice deep bag she could carry all her dance clothes in as well as pockets for CD’s, keys and personals. Inside this bag I put a zippered pocket. There are inside as well as outside pockets to find things quickly and to protect the CD’s. I quilted my own fabric and embroidered her name so there are not two bags alike anywhere. The handles wrap all around the bag to give added strength. I used standard rotary cutting tools. I made up the pattern

Robin H. from Union, KY

A quilt that was paper pieced with blocks designed from the Harry Potter books. Two are my own design and others were designed from friends. It was machine quilted.

JoAnn M. from New Iberia, LA 

This project is from the heart. It is my daughter’s wedding gown. It is our own design. I started with matte satin, 54 inch lace and a whole lot of beads and rhinestones. I cut out the motifs of lace and hand sewed them on then I sewed silver accents. Then I started the beadwork. A lot of very long nights and sore fingertips!! I started the dress on Feb 9 and finished on Aug 4. I told her as I was making it that if it wasn’t “THE DRESS” that we would buy her one. She shot that down instantly. She said that she had always dreamed of me making her wedding gown. What an honor that she gave me. I couldn’t let her down.

Brenda C. from Charlottesville, IN

This is a fun trendy Hippo which I called ‘Hot Hippo’. She is made from a sock. It is my own design. She is weighted with sand and stuffed with fibre fil. There is very little sewing but still she is a fun character and I could not have had more fun making her. I laughed all the way through it. Supplies: sock, false eyelashes, a few beads from a broken necklace, felt for lips, stuffing and sand.. and a little imagination.

Deb C. from Venice, FL

I made this dress for my niece. It was inspired by the wedding gown on Marie Antoinette. I sized down Simplicity 3635 and 3637 for her size. The dress is made of ivory antique satin and trimmed with bright green satin ribbon, pink satin ribbon, embroidery, gold colored metal buckles, pearl beads, embroidered flower appliqués which I made, and white lace. I made the mask from paper Mache and covered it with ivory satin and decorated it with hand braided silver trim, feathers, and silver and white glitter. The entire ensemble consists of chemise, stays, panniers, petticoat, gown, necklace and mask. The entire ensemble was made following period techniques of construction.

Alexandria H. from Centerville, TN

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