Think Crafts Blog – Craft Ideas and Projects – CreateForLess

By Yarn Crafts Contributor Joselyn

Finding your dream pair of gloves, mittens, or arm warmers is very tough. With all of the patterns out there, you’d think there would be at least one that fits all of your needs. Don’t feel alone if you haven’t found the right pair or even knitting pattern yet, the same thing happened to me. I invented this pattern  to be adaptable and something I could do while watching TV without too much counting. I’ve made tons of versions of these since I wrote up the pattern, some shorter, some with different cables, but always with the stretchy ribbing on the parts without a cable.

Here’s What You Need:

• 2 skeins Red Heart Soft Yarn

• Size 8 Double Pointed Knitting Needles

• Cable Needle

• Stitch Holders or Safety Pins

Here’s the Pattern…

Read the rest…

By Kid’s Crafts Contributor Stephanie, from the blog A Geek In Glasses.

Do you get tons of junk mail? I get envelopes flooding my house every day, and they are going to be the base of the project today. Recycling the junk mail envelopes into cute Valentines will make this February a little greener.

Supplies:

old envelopes

scrapbooking paper

scissors

glue

Read the Full How-to After the Jump…

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Josh Wagner beautifully crafts vintage watches into unique, industrial and rustic jewelry that will be sure to garner a lot of attention. His aesthetic and attention to detail give each of his pieces a distinctive quality that is surprisingly both vintage and modern at the same time.

I am a Ceramic Sculptor who also really enjoys mixed media so the jewelry stems from that. I have my MFA from the School for American Crafts at the Rochester Institute of Technology.

The idea for my jewelry is really inspired from my grandfather. He was an avid antique collector and dealer, and much of my aesthetic comes from the many trips I took as a child to his warehouse observing the extremely interesting compositions that would organically created by the stacks and stacks of antiques. One of the many objects I received from the the warehouse was a huge box full of watch faces. After years and years of trying to think of what to do with the faces I finally started to create jewelry for family and friends, through those family and friends I started to get lots of requests and the Watch Face Jewelry Line was born.

My work can be viewed at my personal site: http://www.josh-wagner.com/jewelry
and purchased at my Etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/jwagner213

Interested in being a “Featured Crafter”? We want to hear from our crafty friends about what they like to create. Share with us what you put your energy into, whether it is your passion, your business, or simply something you enjoy doing. Do you have your own blog, Etsy store or craft products? Tell us about it!

Click here to submit a “Featured Crafter”!

By Crafts for Learning Contributor, Danielle from the blog Crayonbox Learning.

I approached this particular book review from the perspective of a beginner. I do not have any practical experience knitting or crocheting, except for maybe the one row chains that my Mom taught me to make as a child.

The book is set up similarly to a cook book.  Each page features simplistic drawings of the project. Each project is detailed with a list of instruments, and supplies needed to complete the project.  I particularly liked the aspect that each project also included measurements of the finished piece, and how much yarn would be needed.  For people who are more visual like myself, this was a bonus!

Some of the projects utilized instructions from other projects contained in the book.  I am not sure why this was done because there would have been space to provide the instructions on the page.  It appeared more as a space filler than practical.

There is a lot of open space in this book because of the layout.  If this was any other kind of book, it would be a waste of space.  In this particular book, the space on the margins and pages separating each section can be used to write notes in.

There are nice, full color pictures in the center of the book that align with each project. In my opinion, the photos should have been placed on each project page.  The manner in which the book is formatted; the user will need to flip through the book to find some of the directions, and to find the corresponding photo so that the crafter will know how the finished product should look when complete.  This may be a challenge for some that prefer their instructions and photos to be on the same page, or being able to keep the book open to one place while working on the project.

The back of the book contains a directory of all of the contributors that were featured in the book including names, locations and a brief blurb as to what each shop has to offer.  A glossary of terms is also featured with knitting terms and illustrations of the various techniques. This particular feature is very helpful for a beginner to learn from.

Overall, the book is simplistic enough for a beginner and may also be a good find for a more seasoned knitter.  The idea that you can make a complete hat, scarf, or sweater from one skein of yarn is appealing.

By Guest Blogger Cara

Every time I leave the office to get the mail, I wish I had a bag. we usually have a pile of outgoing letters and even more incoming. The P.O. box is usually stuffed with catalogs and magazines, and I tend to drop ten things before I get back to my car, and I usually misplace the box key. I’ve been known to take it home for a long weekend every once in a while, wash it in my jeans, etc… well, no more! Behold, the mail bag.

I made it with a super easy stenciling method.

You’ll Need:

• Freezer Paper

• X- acto Knife

• Cutting Mat

• Fabric Paint

• Stencil Brush

• Canvas Tote Bag

By Crafts for Learning Contributor, Danielle from the blog Crayonbox Learning.

© Danielle Westvang – Crayonbox Learning

Materials Needed:

• Cardstock
• Scissors
• Lamination
• Snowman Math  Mat Template and Snowflake Counters (blue) (grey)
• Permanent Marker
• Ziplock Bag (for storage)

Read the Full How-To After the Jump…

Read the rest…

I discovered ceramic painting in 2009. All I wanted to do from that point onward was paint. It wasn’t long before I had more stuff than my cupboards could hold. That’s when it dawned on me that maybe, just maybe, I could earn a modest living selling my creations.

I was on sabbatical from my workplace and living off of my savings. Although it scared me [nearly] to death, I used most of my money to set up a home studio. After nearly two months of preparation, Beautifully Practical was launched on November 8, 2010.

Why the name “Beautifully Practical”?

Being a typical Taurus, I’m pretty down-to-earth and practical by nature. Unfortunately [???] I L-O-V-E luxury and am hard pressed to use anything plain. Put it this way, if I need a spatula, I’ll buy the prettiest and best quality spatula I can afford. As far as I’m concerned, if we need to be practical, why not be beautifully practical?

Why an avatar with a sunflower and butterfly?

I have always been drawn to sunflowers. Their bright shades of yellow, rich chocolate brown, and deep green appeal to me. I admire the balance of delicateness and hardiness. The butterfly, for me, represents metamorphosis. It starts as a cute furry little guy and grows into a glorious winged creature flitting from flower to flower. Together the sunflower and the butterfly depict the beauty of life, the ability to endure, and the capacity to evolve.

So…now you know what makes me tick, what tickles my fancy, and why I chose the name Beautifully Practical. I think I’ll keep the rest to myself! ;^)

To see more of my creations, visit: www.etsy.com/shop/beautifullypractical

Let’s connect…
~ on Facebook: www.facebook.com/beautifullypractical
~ on Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/beautifullyprac

Interested in being a “Featured Crafter”? We want to hear from our crafty friends about what they like to create. Share with us what you put your energy into, whether it is your passion, your business, or simply something you enjoy doing. Do you have your own blog, Etsy store or craft products? Tell us about it!

Click here to submit a “Featured Crafter”!