hand-carved stamps: 50 of my favorite I’ve been thinking about written letters a lot lately and how much I love them as an excuse to use stamps. I’m a bit of a stamp hoarder (thankfully I can hide them at my office now), so I thought it would be fun to round up my favorite hand-carved examples on Etsy. There are some pretty decent stamp sellers on Etsy right now, so there is a TON to choose from here (organized into groups: love, symbols and shapes, nature and random). My favorites are kinda quirky, but hopefully there will be something here for everyone. Who doesn’t love getting real mail with a little stamp on the seal? It’s the best. Two images above: Memi The Rainbow at Etsy Image above: TC Witchcraft Factory at Etsy Image above: Doodlebug Design on Etsy 46 more favorite stamps continue after the jump . . . Both stamps above: Doodlebug Design on Etsy Image above: Happie Stamps at Etsy Image above: This Is Just To Say at Etsy Three images above: Creatiate at Etsy Three images above: This Is Just To Say at Etsy Wa! great post!
DIY Fabric Prints: Inkodye I played with Inkodye again—a photo-sensitive dye that uses the sun to develop prints on natural materials like wood and fabric. One nice thing about using this dye instead of fabric paint is that fabric stays soft and flexible, instead of stiffening like it does with paint. Plus watching prints develop is always fun! I made a simple cloud design this time, since I knew that achieving perfectly crisp edges is tricky due to shadows that might occur. And clouds can have soft edges, so if that's what happened, all the better. To make your own cloud print, you'll need Inkodye, fabric, a foam brush, a large piece of cardboard wrapped in plastic for your work surface, masking tape, cardboard for cutting out shapes, a pencil and scissors. Sketch clouds onto cardboard. Cut out the clouds. Tape the edges of the fabric to your work surface to keep it in place while you brush on dye. Mix up your Inkodye solution. Then blot up any excess dye until the surface feels barely damp.
belt- Autumn Bloom Belt As I mentioned yesterday, I LOVE autumn. Yesterday autumn got its own wreath and today it's getting its own belt. I'm going to show you how to make this belt and these fun flowers. When I made it I envisioned wearing it with a cute brown tunic, but I still haven't found or made one yet. Until then this dress will give you the idea. Let's get started. Cut your grograin ribbon to be the correct length. Find the center of the ribbon. To make the flower cut the felt lengthwise in about a one inch strip. Cut slits in the strip as shown. Do this down the entire length of the strip. Start rolling the strips like a cinnamon roll. When you're done your flower will look like this, front and back. On to the petal. Fold one part over the other (as shown) and glue it. Head into your closet and see what matches your new belt! Thank you to all of you who have been enjoying our Loopdeeou headband blow out sale. Have a lovely day.
The Next Bird: Bleach-ness Tere is nothing more disappointing than "ruining" a good article of clothing with something like bleach. There is also nothing more satisfying than finding a crafty solution! Unfortunately for my favorite leggings they got a splash of bleach on them. My Solution - more bleach and a little awesomeness. I used a bleach pen that you can find in the cleaning aisle at the grocery store or Target. Place a piece of foil, paper bag, or something thick between the layers of your piece. Then just throw them in the wash and you have your one-of-a-kind finished product! I also did a shirt even though it didn't have any bleach on it before. The possibilities are endless, think about how many things you can bleach. ** Something to note: I've had a bunch of questions about this project where the material is "bleached" but the stain doesn't stay. Have anything in mind to bleach?
DIY Air-Dried Porcelain Anything that is quick, affordable and makes beautiful things is a craft winner for me . But…I often find myself uninspired for something new and different. I’ve found it in air dried porcelain (aka Porcelana Fria). What will someone make with 3 cups of white glue (PVA) 3 cups of cornstarch (Corn flour) one tablespoon of white vinegar one tablespoon of glycerin (health food or hobby shop), and 2 tablespoons of canola oil? The beautiful mouse and necklace pictured (compliments of Espirit ) is the answer! Amazingly simple and a GREAT school holiday project, get the kids into the kitchen to cook up some home made, air dried, porcelain. Let’s make it: In a mixing bowl (or non-stick pan) mix 3 cups of white glue and 3 cups of cornstarch. For microwave heating : Cook in a microwave-compatible recipient for 2 to 3 minutes on high (for a 800W oven; longer for a less powerful oven). Stove top : Cook in a saucepan over low heat for about 15 minutes. This one’s a big thumbs up from me.
shirt- restyle hip cinched I saw this: And I made this: All you need is: a shirt(t-shirt would even work), a piece of fabric, a ribbon, and a sewing machine. 1. find a shirt and turn it inside out. 2. lay your ribbon down, then cut a piece of fabric big enough to cover your ribbon. 3. pin the piece of fabric over the ribbon. 4. sew on the fabric, making three long stitches, between the ribbon and on each side. 5. cinch and tie and your all done! Transfer Images Using Freezer Paper It was purely by accident that I figured out this method of transferring a printed image. It is simple to do and you don't need any special paper or products! If you can print it from your computer then you can transfer it to a fabric or wood surface. Now, this project I am about to show you is not very exciting, but it will give you the idea of how the transfer is done...so here it goes. I decided to cover my old and dirty mouse pad that looked like this: I used canvas and cut a piece a bit larger that than the mouse pad. Then I cut a piece of "Heat n Bond" the same size as the canvas and, following the instructions, adhered it to the back of my fabric. I then centered the mouse pad onto the back of the canvas and, again, using my iron, adhered the canvas to the top of the mouse pad. I cut a piece of macramae jute and secured it to the edge of the pad using hot glue. So, now you know how I covered the mouse pad...onto how to do the transfer. Trim the excess freezer paper using sissors. Lesa
Craft Tips I love sharing ideas and tips to make my “crafty” life easier in any way! You might be surprised to find so many items on this list that you use daily around the house… …let’s get started! Make sure to read the comments, too…many readers have shared AMAZING tips! Use a cookie sheet w/ newspaper or wax paper for a portable craft surface…super easy cleanup! Sharpen your scissors by cutting sand paper. Place a little bit of Vaseline to the end of your glue gun to get rid of those long glue strings. Soak your paint brushes in fabric softener or hair conditioner for 10 min…cleans right off! Recycle large plastic lids by using them for a painter’s palette or cutting them up for stencils. Need to create a large pattern? Keeping a magnet close by makes picking up those sewing pins a cinch! Use cereal boxes for sewing pattern templates. Break up some styrofoam to create snow for craft projects. Keep those cardboard boxes! Use cereal boxes as fabric bolts. Get rid of stray threads by using a bristle brush.
Hanging Chains Headband DIY « THE YESSTYLIST – Asian Fashion Blog – brought to you by YesStyle.com While browsing Topshop last week, I came across this fun hanging chains headband and thought that with Coachella right around the corner, an easy DIY for something similar would be fun. I used an old plastic zig zag stretch comb headband I’ve had for years because it was the most logical choice to hang chains from but you can use an elastic band in a similar way. The chains disappear a little in my blonde hair but they would stand out nicely against brunette locks {they would also look great on a shorter cut as well}. If you’re super crafty, add a feather or bead/charm to the bottom of a few chains. What You’ll Need… * Circular headband * Chains: fine, thick, gold, silver, rose gold… use a variety of colors and sizes or all the same… choose chains that are lighter in weight. * Jump rings {for small chains only} * Beading pliers Steps… * Prepare your chains. * Using the extra loose chain links or jump rings for small chains, attach one chain to each section of your plastic headband. Voila!
Swirl Tie-Dye Technique from Tulip [ Close Privacy Policy ] Privacy Policy / Your California Privacy Rights Revised and posted as of March 4, 2013 Prime Publishing, LLC ("Company," "we" or "us") reserves the right to revise this Privacy Policy at any time simply by posting such revision, so we encourage you to review it periodically. This Privacy Policy will tell you, among other things: Your California privacy rights. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT/YOUR AGREEMENT Company websites are not intended for use by individuals under the age of 18 or those who are not legal residents of the United States. HOW DO WE COLLECT INFORMATION AND WHAT INFORMATION DO WE COLLECT? Distribution Partners Website operators that license our ad serving technology pass information to us so that we may serve advertisements to you. Offer Forms We also collect information about you when you complete a survey or offer form on one of our websites or web pages. Website Registration Forms We collect information about you when you register on one of our websites.
RIT Dye Tutorial It happens to me every year. The second spring hits, I’m standing in front of my closet going, I am so sick of all my clothes, if I see that shirt again I’ll throw up, but I don’t have any money for new stuff, I’M SO TIRED OF EVERYTHING I OWN. You know that feeling? Let’s kill it with instant-wardrobe-transformer (aka RIT dye). RIT is a brand of clothing dye that’s been around since the 1930s. It turns drab-colored clothes and accessories into bright works of art, and I am obsessed with it. to these! And it’s not even hard. Now, there are other kinds of clothing dye out there, but I chose RIT because it’s got simple instructions on the back of the package, it costs about $3 per box, and you can find it almost everywhere in the U.S. I’m gonna show you how to do a basic stovetop dye job. But! OK! You will need: So now that we have our materials, let’s dye this elegant-yet-boring purse I found at a garage sale for a dollar! Step One: Fill your pot ¾ full with water. to this!
scarf-Slasher Scarf by Jill of Lune Vintage Hi! It's Jill from Lune Vintage. I'm here to share a simple 1970s inspired scarf with you today! Materials & ToolsLength of Jersey Material (with a bit of stretch). A recycled t-shirt will work well if the content is 5% to 10% lycra or spandex. Sharp Fabric Scissors Step 1: Cut your jersey into a long rectangular strip. Step 2: Fold your fabric accordion style, beginning at one end, zig zagging back and forth until you can align the edge of the other end with the stack. Step 3: Firmly hold the folds in place so they don't slip, and cut even slits along one on the long sides of the stack with nice sharp fabric scissors (paper ones won't be sharp enough for this clean cut). Step 4: Here's the fun and important finishing move! Enjoy your Slasher scarf! Thanks so much, Jill!
DIY Stenciled Pillow {with fabric paint and vinyl) After revealing my little boys’ airplane room, I had several inquiries asking for tutorials on various things in the room so I’m going to try to take you through a few of them. I’m going to start with how to stencil a design on a pillow using fabric paint and vinyl. The cool thing is, you can stencil ANYTHING! Pillows, rugs, furniture, wood, canvas, anything! You will need: Item to stencil a design on (I used muslin fabric found at Hobby Lobby) Vinyl cutter (Silhouette or Cricut) Vinyl Fabric paint (I used Tulip brand fabric paint) Stencil brush or sponge brush First, you’ll take your fabric, or whatever you’re stenciling and place a “negative space” vinyl over top. Next, you’ll take a sponge brush and lightly dab fabric paint into the empty space. Repeat until you’ve got the area covered really well. Let it dry and voila! Tada! See the full bedroom reveal post here. I used freezer paper instead of vinyl to stencil the airplane. Happy Stenciling, Related
scarf- Fox Scarf with Free Pattern I’d like to introduce to my little friend here, Frédéric. He took one foggy afternoon to whip up and has been lazily resting on my shoulders ever since. He is made from the finest of flannels and the coziest minky, and boy is he toasty. Want to make a Frédéric of your own? The best thing about this pattern is that you can make a variety of different animal scarves with it: raccoon, wolf, or skunk perhaps? Round out the snout and ears to make it a bear or panda. Keep reading for the full DIY Fox Scarf tutorial and pattern… DIY Fox Scarf with Free Pattern Begin by downloading the Fox Scarf Pattern. You can make the fox scarf body as long as you want, just use the pattern to shape the head and tail. Sew just the face together on the inside and flip right-side out. Cut out the ears, sew and turn right-side out. Place them where the pattern ear line is and zig-zag stitch them down to the flannel fabric only. Here they are popped up. Do the same for the legs. Pin the arms and legs to each other.