September 2, 2010
Gillian
closeAuthor: Gillian
Name: Gillian Grimm
Site: http://driedfigsandwoodenspools.blogspot.com/
About: Gillian Grimm lives in Charlottesville, Virginia where she balances writing, cooking and crafts with eight chickens, two kids, a dog, a cat and a husband. As the daughter of a Journalist, she grew up all over the United States, switching schools, towns and newspapers every few years and loved every minute of it! She now works as a freelance writer, primarily in the craft industry but with a few forays into travel writing, narrative non-fiction and educational matters. Gillian was recently published in the literary journal the “The Northville Review”. You can find more of Gillian’s work at “Dried Figs and Wooden Spools”.See Authors Posts (75)
Crafts, Kid's Crafts, Projects, Techniques and Mediums
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By Kid’s Craft Contributor, Gillian from the blog “Dried Figs and Wooden Spools”.
If your kids, like mine, love to play house for hours and hours, play food, you’ll know by now, figures largely into this imaginary world. My daughter loves to make tea and lunch for her babies and herself, and sometimes if I’m lucky, I’ll get a plate as well. This play pasta is easy enough to create that most kids can help out and the result will bring hours of play time fun.
If you can’t find beige felt, try soaking a few pieces of white felt in coffee or tea and allowing it to dry!
Here’s what you need
Tan or beige felt sheets
Pinking shears
Sewing Scissors
Needle and matching thread
Ruler and pencil
Batting
Tortellini
1. Cut 3-inch diameter circles from your felt.
2. Lay a quarter sized lump of batting in the center of your circle and fold over into a half-circle. Stitch a few stitches at the point to hold the shape in place.
3. Bring the two sides of the half-circle together and cross over, stitching them in place.
4. Fold the rounded edge over to finish the tortellini shape.
Ravioli
1. Cut 2 2-inch squares using your pinking shears.
2. Sand which a quarter sized piece of batting between the two layers of felt.
3. Stitch a square 1/2 inch in from the sides around the square, sealing the batting in place.
Linguini
1. Using your ruler, mark out 1/2 inch wide strips along the length of your felt.
2. Cut out the strips to make long noodles
(if you want you can also cut a wobbly shape out of red felt to make a blob of spaghetti sauce to set over the linguini!)
September 1, 2010
GilliancloseAuthor: Gillian
Name: Gillian Grimm
Site: http://driedfigsandwoodenspools.blogspot.com/
About: Gillian Grimm lives in Charlottesville, Virginia where she balances writing, cooking and crafts with eight chickens, two kids, a dog, a cat and a husband. As the daughter of a Journalist, she grew up all over the United States, switching schools, towns and newspapers every few years and loved every minute of it! She now works as a freelance writer, primarily in the craft industry but with a few forays into travel writing, narrative non-fiction and educational matters. Gillian was recently published in the literary journal the “The Northville Review”. You can find more of Gillian’s work at “Dried Figs and Wooden Spools”.See Authors Posts (75)
Crafts, Floral Crafts, Green Crafting, Holidays & Seasons, Home Decor, Projects
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By Kid’s Craft Contributor, Gillian from the blog “Dried Figs and Wooden Spools”.
In the last few weeks, my summer flowers have begun to fade and the mums are starting to make a showing in my garden. Fall is on the way. From one of the windows of our house we have been watching tiny, bright yellow birds feast of the shriveling heads from our row of sunflowers. It’s been so much fun watching them flit and fly around the plants that I decided to spread the wealth around the house so that we had a view form every window with these sunflower head feeders.
If you don’t have sunflowers growing in your yard, you can sometimes find them through crafts stores, florists or even your local farmers market.
Here’s what you need:
Two sunflower heads per feeder
Floral wire
Ribbon
Needle-nose pliers
Wire cutters
Embroidery needle
1. Use the wire cutters to trim the stalk of the flowers back as far as you can.
2. Cut a 12 inch piece of wire and thread it through the back of one of the flowers. If the wire is bending, use the needle to make a hole in the flower before you push the wire through. Use your pliers to pull it out the front side of the flower and then thread it back through to the back about 1/4 of an inch over from where the first hole is.
3. Using the same wire, repeat the process with the other head so that the two flowers lie back to back.
4. Pull the wired tightly and twist together to secure. Trim ends.
5. Thread the ribbon between the two heads below where the wire connects them. Bring the two ends of the ribbon up over the top of the flowers and tie a knot just at the edge of the flower heads. Tie another knot in the ribbon about 8 inches up, leaving a loop in between knots.
6. Hang from a tree near a window and watch the birds flock!
August 30, 2010
GilliancloseAuthor: Gillian
Name: Gillian Grimm
Site: http://driedfigsandwoodenspools.blogspot.com/
About: Gillian Grimm lives in Charlottesville, Virginia where she balances writing, cooking and crafts with eight chickens, two kids, a dog, a cat and a husband. As the daughter of a Journalist, she grew up all over the United States, switching schools, towns and newspapers every few years and loved every minute of it! She now works as a freelance writer, primarily in the craft industry but with a few forays into travel writing, narrative non-fiction and educational matters. Gillian was recently published in the literary journal the “The Northville Review”. You can find more of Gillian’s work at “Dried Figs and Wooden Spools”.See Authors Posts (75)
Crafts, Jewelry Making, Kid's Crafts, Projects
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By Kid’s Craft Contributor, Gillian from the blog “Dried Figs and Wooden Spools”.
My youngest child is headed off to school this fall and, being the girly girl she is, she has a whole closet full of new dresses and skirts that she deemed school worthy. And since she has changed her clothing color palate from red and pale pink to Hot pink and lime green, we are in need of some new hair bobbles to go with her back to school outfits. Knitted flowers look complicated but are really fairly simple little projects that can be completed in a sitting, or carted around with you to work on here and there. They are also a great way to use up leftover yarn, that is, if you happen to have hot pink and lime green yarn just hanging around in your stash!
Here’s what you need
2 colors of worsted weight yarn
Size US 5 knitting needles
Yarn needle
Hair Clips
For Each Petal:
Cast on 4 sts
Row 1: Knit into front and back of first st, Knit 3 sts (5 sts)
Row 2: Purl into front and back of first st, purl 4 (6 sts)
Row 3: Knit first two sts together, knit two, knit last two sts together (4 sts)
Row 4: Purl first two sts together, purl last 2 sts together (2 sts)
Break Yarn, weave ends in and tie off, slid to the end of the needle
Knit five petals in this manner, casting each on to the same needle where the last petal is stored. On the fifth needle, do not break yarn, instead use it to knit across all 10 sts then thread the yarn onto the needle and run it back through the loop of each sts as you pull it off the knitting needle. Pull tightly to draw together the petals, forming a flower. Tie yarn off and weave in ends.
Thread the yarn needle with the contrasting yarn and whip stitch around the edges of each petal. Stitch a few loops up from the center of the flower to accent the core. Tie off and weave in ends. Press the flower with a hot, steam iron and sew or glue the back onto a hair clip.
August 21, 2010
GilliancloseAuthor: Gillian
Name: Gillian Grimm
Site: http://driedfigsandwoodenspools.blogspot.com/
About: Gillian Grimm lives in Charlottesville, Virginia where she balances writing, cooking and crafts with eight chickens, two kids, a dog, a cat and a husband. As the daughter of a Journalist, she grew up all over the United States, switching schools, towns and newspapers every few years and loved every minute of it! She now works as a freelance writer, primarily in the craft industry but with a few forays into travel writing, narrative non-fiction and educational matters. Gillian was recently published in the literary journal the “The Northville Review”. You can find more of Gillian’s work at “Dried Figs and Wooden Spools”.See Authors Posts (75)
Crafts, Jewelry Making, Projects, Techniques and Mediums, Trends
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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!
August 18, 2010
Anitra
closeAuthor: Anitra
Name: Anitra Cameron
Site: http://coffee-pot-people.blogspot.com/
About: Anitra Cameron had the good fortune to be born into a family where creativity ran rampant. Her father has authored several books and worked as a photographer and her mother hand-painted portraits. Anitra’s favorite crafts to make are: Jewelry (especially using buttons), collaged book marks, miniature cake stands, all from recycled materials. Anitra’s moto: “Use it up. Wear it out. Make it do, or do without.” Live with that long enough and you’ll never want to throw anything away, so best to turn it into art! Anitra lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband, where their combined family’s total seven children, and (so far) seventeen grandchildren. Recently Anitra became a great-grandmother of a darling little boy! You can find more of Anitra’s work at “Coffee Pot People”.See Authors Posts (44)
Crafts, Floral Crafts, Green Crafting, Home Decor, Projects
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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?
August 17, 2010
GilliancloseAuthor: Gillian
Name: Gillian Grimm
Site: http://driedfigsandwoodenspools.blogspot.com/
About: Gillian Grimm lives in Charlottesville, Virginia where she balances writing, cooking and crafts with eight chickens, two kids, a dog, a cat and a husband. As the daughter of a Journalist, she grew up all over the United States, switching schools, towns and newspapers every few years and loved every minute of it! She now works as a freelance writer, primarily in the craft industry but with a few forays into travel writing, narrative non-fiction and educational matters. Gillian was recently published in the literary journal the “The Northville Review”. You can find more of Gillian’s work at “Dried Figs and Wooden Spools”.See Authors Posts (75)
Crafts, Green Crafting, Kid's Crafts, Projects
1 Comment
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!
August 12, 2010
GilliancloseAuthor: Gillian
Name: Gillian Grimm
Site: http://driedfigsandwoodenspools.blogspot.com/
About: Gillian Grimm lives in Charlottesville, Virginia where she balances writing, cooking and crafts with eight chickens, two kids, a dog, a cat and a husband. As the daughter of a Journalist, she grew up all over the United States, switching schools, towns and newspapers every few years and loved every minute of it! She now works as a freelance writer, primarily in the craft industry but with a few forays into travel writing, narrative non-fiction and educational matters. Gillian was recently published in the literary journal the “The Northville Review”. You can find more of Gillian’s work at “Dried Figs and Wooden Spools”.See Authors Posts (75)
Crafts, Jewelry Making, Projects
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By Kid’s Craft Contributor, Gillian from the blog “Dried Figs and Wooden Spools”.
Here’s the perfect project for your fashionista tween. These button bobby pins are fast, easy and infinitely customizable. And bonus! They require no sewing! You need very (VERY) little fabric for this so instead of buying new, have your tween search through your scrap bag or even harvest some fabric from favorite worn-out clothing. You can also vary the style by changing the button size. Look for variety packs for button kits so they can create all kinds of styles and looks.
Here’s what you need:
Fabric scraps
Covered Button Kit
Fabric Scissors
Bobby Pins
1. Cut circles of fabric about the size indicated on the back of the button package. Pay attention to what is centered on the fabric, this will be what’s on your button.
2. Center the circle of fabric on your button holder and press the button top in so that the fabric is pulled tight over the front.
3. Fold down the edges and place the button backing on top, pressing it into place with the presser piece.
4. Pop out your button and thread the shank of the button onto the bobby pin. Pop them in your hair and your ready to go!
