Think Crafts Blog – Craft Ideas and Projects – CreateForLess

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!)

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!

By Scrapbook & Paper Crafts Contributor Jennifer, from the blog “So Many Products, So Little Time”.

I love to go green whenever possible, so I try to find ways to reuse objects around the house.  One of my favorite items to reuse is an empty plastic juice container.  I use the Welch’s brand – they are very sturdy and you can even run them through the dishwasher before decorating.  In the past I have decorated quite a few for my scrap room to hold supplies.  My son recently got a new desk for his room so I decorated this can to hold his pencils.  He also loves to write notes to his friends, so I created a matching mini notebook.

Supplies used:

K & Company – Actopus Collection

• 12×12 Paper Pad
• Rub-ons
• Grand Adhesion Sticker

Ribbon
Plastic Juice Container
Composition Notebook (small)
Strong Adhesive

To cover the juice can:

* Cut a strip of paper to cover the entire side of the can and adhere.  You will need to use use a strong tape such as Therm O Web Zips Craft Adhesive Lines.

* Cut a small strip of paper and adhere to the top edge of the can using the same adhesive.

To cover the notebook.

* Cut a piece of paper to cover the notebook and adhere using a strong adhesive

* Apply rub-ons (see picture) to the notebook.

* Affix 3 Dimensional sticker to center of the notebook.

* Adhere piece of ribbon to edge of the notebook.  You can also tie a bow if desired.

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.

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

We’re just weeks away from back to school. From backpacks and library books and school supplies. But that doesn’t mean we cant have just a little bit more crafty fun before school starts up again. This project is a great one to take to school that first day to help keep your place in all those books you are going to read this year. And yes, I did say toilet paper. But never fear, no one will know your cool bookmark really started out in the bathroom!

Here’s what you need:

10 sheets of toilet paper
Water
Stamp of your choice
Craft Glue
Cardstock
Scissors

1. Fold the sheets of toilet paper up on each other until you have a thick square. Run briefly under water and then wring out gently until you have a damp but not dripping pile.

2. Center the toilet paper stack onto your stamp. Stamps with a raised edge work better than those that are carved in, but you can get a good result out of both. Press firmly onto the stamp with your fingers trying to work it around the edges and into any grooves. If the stamp has raised edges leave the paper on while it dries. If it is an carved in stamp, gently pull the paper off the stamp and flip over onto a flat surface.

3. Allow the paper to dry completely. Trim the edges so taht you have a neat square with an impression centered inside it.

4. Cut the card stock into a 2×5 strip and glue the stamped paper just down from the top of the bookmark. Allow the glue to dry.