Think Crafts Blog – Craft Ideas and Projects – CreateForLess

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

She’s done it again!  Besides making beautiful fabric, Valori Wells scores a “10″ on this note card pattern on making placemats and napkins. 

Although I was very uncreative by using the same fabrics she used on the cover of the pattern, the fabric was so fantastic, I simply had to make it.  When I was making this, my sister walked in, hoping I was making these for her.  Sorry, sister. 

The true beauty of this pattern is the simplicity.  You have no paper pattern, just a little card with instruction with the piece dimensions to cut.  When it’s rectangles, it’s a breeze!  My recommendation:  make sure you have a rotary cutter and mat; this will make your life much easier!

Once you have your pieces cut, it’s a matter of 7 seams, including top-stitching.  I did not do the optional embroidery stitching, but in the picture, it’s beautiful and really adds a nice decorative touch.  Make sure you’re prepared to make the entire pattern by buying embroidery floss ahead of time. 

As with all the sewing card patterns, they are really a card size, which are perfect to giveaway.  As someone who spends way too much on fabric and patterns, I would LOVE to receive a pattern with the fabric to make it for gift.  In fact, I think that’s going to be Christmas gifts for a few fellow crafty friends! 

For an inexpensive, super simple, perfectly sized pattern, this is a perfect one.  With Thanksgiving just around the corner, making a few new placemats and napkins would be such a nice touch for your dinner table.

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

I’m always on the lookout for cute hair-clips for my daughter. She likes to have something on each of her pigtails every day or at least adorning one of the stretchy headbands that are a new addition to her mounting pile of accessories. These felt circle flowers are cute and easy and fit the bill perfectly, plus I can make them in any color combination, which is good, because we’re very into matching these days, right down to the hair bobbles.

Here’s what you need:

Felt in two colors plus a scrap of a third

Fabric pencil

Fabric Scissors

Hair Clips

Needle and thread

Hot glue gun and glue sticks

1. Draw two circles on each of the colors of felt, alternating the sizes so that each is slightly smaller than the last. Draw a slightly smaller still circle on the scrap of the third color. They don’t need to be perfect circles, just as close as you can.

2. Cut out all the circles and stack them so that they alternate in color and go down in size as the pile stacks up with the odd color out last.

3. Using the running stitch, sew just inside the edge of the smallest circle and through all the layers to create the flower. If you want, you can also add a few green leaves to the back and sew them into place at this point as well.

4. Add a generous drop of hot glue to the topside of your hair-clip, making sure that you aren’t gluing the two parts of the clip together, and press the flower into place so that the clip is completely hidden. Hold for a few seconds until the glue is set.

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

I’ve got a lot of pumpkins around my house. Part of it is that we host a pumpkin carving party every year, so with each Halloween season we seem to end up with a few more pumpkin themed decorations. But I can’t help it, it’s my favorite season and I love pumpkins and gourds in all shapes and sizes. So make room for just one more with this rustic wool and/or felt pumpkin!

Here’s what you need:

Felt and/or wool scraps – at least ten 4×10 inch pieces
Template
Fabric Scissors
Sewing machine and thread
Poly Fil

1. Cut 5  template pieces from your felt and wool. Retain scraps to make stem later.

2. Lay two fabric pieces wrong sides together and sew up one side from one point almost to the next. (if you are doing this without a machine, use embroidery thread and a running stitch)

3. Open up the two pieces and lay a third one in against one. Stitch up one side in the same manner. You’ll want the seams to face out for this project.

4. Continue until you have created a pumpkin shape. Trim all seams with pinking shears.

5. Stuff the pumpkin with polyfil.

6. Use the scraps to shape a short stem, twisting the fabric and stitching it into shape.

7. Insert one end of the stem into the opening at the top of the pumpkin and stitch closed.

* Hint * This could also make a cute paper weight if filled 1/3 of the way with beans before finishing it off with the stuffing.

By Guest Blogger Aimee, from the blog “Supermom Moments”.  

Supermom Moments evolved after many discussions with each other sharing our best insights on homemaking, parenting, planning, teaching, playing, and sometimes simply surviving. We soon discovered that although we can’t claim to be super all the time, we each had our moments. By sharing our successes (and some of the funny moments when we fell flat on our faces), we hope to inspire others to find their inner superhero a little more often. 

Throughout the year I buy my kids various holiday shirts. They get so excited to wear them, and it helps us celebrate the holiday all month long. So, this year Liam and Harrison requested mummy shirts for Halloween. Yesterday I made their mummy shirts. Ready to make your own? Download our free pattern and directions. If you want a little more help, the directions below include pictures.

Supplies you’ll need:
Black shirt
White knit fabric
Black knit fabric 
Orange knit fabric scraps
Fusible webbing (such as Pellon Wonder Under)
White thread
Black thread
Scissors
Iron 
Sewing machine
Mummy pattern 

1. Wash and dry the shirt and fabric. 

2. Cut out a white circle, black stripes and black circles. Also, cut yourself a large black square to appliqué the face onto. 

3. Cut out a circle of fusible webbing just smaller than the white mummy face circle. According to manufacturer directions, adhere the white circle to the black square. 

5. Using a tight straight stitch, sew down the middle of each black stripe beginning and ending on the edge of the white fabric. Be sure to double stitch the ends carefully, as you don’t want to accidentally sew the stripes onto the black background fabric.

6. Add the eyes and mouth stripes. Straight-stitch large zig zags across the eyes for added texture.

7.  Once all the pieces are sewn onto the mummy face, carefully trim the black stripes to match the white circle. Also, trim the black square into a circle about ½” larger than the mummy’s face, all around.

8. From the fusible webbing, cut a circle just smaller than the black circle the mummy’s face has been appliquéd onto. Follow manufacturer directions to adhere entire mummy face to shirt. Using your white thread, sew 3 circles around the mummy’s face. The first circle should be on the white portion of the face, work your way out onto the black fabric for the remaining circles.

9.  Using orange fabric scraps and your black thread, straight-stitch large zig-zags across the orange fabric to adhere it to the shirt. Repeat on the back center of the shirt, just under the neckline.

10. Carefully clip all the loose threads. Wear.

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

The throw pillows in our house are the most often changed part of our decor. For something small, throw pillows can have a big impact on the style and color scheme of a room. It’s also very easy, and very affordable to change out your pillowcases every season, or even every month, to suit the changing weather or your changing likes and dislikes.

If you’re in the mood for a little pillow switch-up, forget hidden zipper and blind stitching closed seams, this style of pillowcase is simple, quick and easy enough that even novice sewers can feel confident in a great outcome.

Here’s what you need:

Pillow insert (size of your choice) or Poly Fil
Sewing machine
Fabric scissors
Thread
Fabric – you’ll need the height of your pillow + an inch by three times the width of your pillow

1. Fold over and press each of the short ends of the fabric. Fold again, press and pin.

2. Using a zig-zag or decorative stitch, sew across each end to create a finished hem.

3. Center the fabric over your pillow with the right side up. Using the pillow as a size guide. Bring one hemmed end of the fabric over the top.

4. Repeat with the other side. This creates an overlap on the back of the pillowcase. Pin the top and bottom edges

5. Stitch along the sop and bottom edge. Turn right side out and press.

6. Insert your pillow and toss it on the couch or bed for a new pop of color!

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

My daughter loves, LOVES a certain very expensive brand of kids shoes that feature sparkles and beading and flowers. She received a pair as a gift last year and wore them until they were so tight they made her feet blue. Alas we finally had to pass them on before her feet were permanently a size two! Ever since she has asked and asked for more “sparkly beady shoes!” and while I’d love to buy her some, they are a little more than I’m willing to pay for shoes for someone who grows several inches a year. Until her feet stop growing so fast, we had to find another solution. And when I ran across these little flowered shoes on the clearance rack the other day, I knew just what to do to satisfy my girls craving for sparkly beady shoes!

Here’s What You Need:

1 pair of tennis shoes  - preferably printed with flowers
Thin, sharp needle
Seed beads
Thread

Decide how you want to decorate your shoes. You can outline flowers, put beads in the centers of flowers or fill in individual petals or shapes. Stitch in and out through the fabric of the shoe at your starting point and tie off the tail. Slip one or two beads at a time onto the needles and stitch into place. Continue until you have enough of the shoe beaded to satisfy your own little sparkle fanatic (or until they can’t wait any longer to wear them!)

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

Have you made a burlap pillow case yet?!  If not there are instructions here.  But maybe a few ideas will inspire you further.  While the burlap may not be what you cuddle up to, it adds great texture to a room.  In addition, it is so versatile.  I wanted to inspire you with a couple of ways that you could decorate your pillow! 

The look below is attained by making  simple yo-yos.  I’ll give you a brief description how to make them, but honestly, Heather Bailey has put together a wonderful illustrated tutorial here.  I made mine a little different, just because I wanted the raw edges in the middle.

 First, decide how big you want your yo-yo.  You will want to trace a circle onto your fabric using a fabric pen that measures twice the size of the yo-yo you desire, taking into consideration a seam allowance.   I wanted to make different sizes, so I used an 8″ bowl and a 5″ cup.

After you cut your circle, baste about 1/4″ from the edge.  Pull the bobbin thread, gathering the fabric tightly so the raw edges come close together in the center.   Tie off the threads and trim the ends.  Flatten the yo-yo.  That’s it!

To permanently attach them, it would be easiest to sew them on by hand before you sew the side seams of the pillow together.  I decided that I want to be able to remove them, so I simply safety pinned them onto the pillow.

If you want the look of the gathered fabric you saw in the first photo, you will need to do this step before sewing the side seams of the burlap pillow cover.  Simply take a fat quarter of fabric and gather the 22″ sides by using a basting stitch ¼” from the edges (just like you made the yo-yo).  Pull the bobbin thread, gathering the fabric to the dimensions you like on the fabric—probably about 8″.  Tie off the threads once you get to the desired length of gathers.

Press 18″ sides ½”, then ½” again.  Pin fabric to burlap.  Sew 18″ sides first, then sew the side seams of the pillow with a ½” stitch, following these directions here.

The pillow below has several embellishments:  the first and obvious is buttons!  Buttons are awesome because you can find them anywhere and there’s a million different looks you can have using them as an embellishment.  Use a few or many, big or small.  Be creative—perhaps more creative than my square!!! 

Green flower:  Using at least a 1 ¾” ribbon, gather by basting a stitch ¼” from the edge and pull the bobbin thread, gathering one side of the ribbon.  Then wrap the ribbon in circular motion, making a flower.  You can sew the flower on, hot glue gun, or for a less permanent solution, just safety pin it in place.

Blue flower:  Using at least a 1 ¾” ribbon, gather the ribbon by basting through the center of the ribbon, then pulling the bobbin thread.  Simply fold the ribbon over itself in different directions until you get a look you like.  To hold together, hand stitch the flower together through the center of the flower.  Again, sew it to the pillow, or hot glue gun, or safety pin it on! 

Be creative.  If I make another one, I think I’ll dye the burlap.  Add color, dimension, and texture, then send in a pic of YOUR creative pillow!!