Recipe Card Holder

One thing that drives me crazy when I'm cooking is digging for my recipe cards amidst the clutter of ingredients on my counter!  I was at my grandma's house this past weekend and she had a wooden recipe card holder.  Unfortunately, it was from 1974!  They just don't make things like they used to!  With the help of Hobby Lobby I decided to make my own!  I just love the way it turned out!

Here's how I did it:

Hobby Lobby has all sorts off fun Wood Shoppe products!  For this project I used a jumbo paper clip, one wooden nickel, a candlestick and a base.  You can either get these on sale or wait until they have a 40% coupon and they are super inexpensive!

First I used the Dremel to grind the candlestick to the angle I needed it.

Then I glued the candlestick, base and paperclip together.

I spray painted with Rustoleum Heirloom White.  Rustoleum has better covereage than other spray paints I've used.  You can find this at Home Depot.  Tip: I actually used a clip while I painted the paper clip to get the inside!

I thought it looked a little dull so I painted a wooden nickel with green acrylic paint and stenciled on an "m".  This is where a Silhouette machine would come in very handy!  I actually had to paint this a few times with the stencil before it came out the way I wanted! I wrapped a little jute around it and called it a day!

I think this little guy will get a lot of use!

By: http://lifessweeterwithchocolate.blogspot.com/

Turn Old Jeans into Pot Holders

Turn the seat of an old pair of jeans into potholders. The jean pockets, already ready for slipping in your hands, make this sewing project a breeze.

1. Find a pair of old jeans. Perhaps you have an unsightly hole that is beyond mending like me?
    
2. Cut two 10 inch squares around each pocket, with the pocket as close to the center of the square as possible.
    
3. Cut out two 10 inch squares in fabric to match the denim squares.
    
4. For the insulation layer, use two layers of thick wool batting cut to equal squares, or use several layers of denim squares cut from the jean legs.
    
5. For each potholder, assemble the three square layers of denim, insulation, fabric. Align the insulation squares with the fabric square, with the wrong side of the fabric touching the insulation. Pin in place. Align this pinned piece with the denim square, with the right side of the denim touching the fabric piece. Pin in place.
    
6. With a ½ inch seam allowance, stitch three sides of each pot holder.
    
7. Turn inside out and press. Topstitch the remaining side closed. Repeat for other potholder.

Happy baking with your homemade potholders!

Funky Jeans Bag

Recycle an old pair of jeans into a funky bag with this tutorial by Stefi Luca. Use a bright fabric like the red fabric pictured for the lining and embellishments.

Materials:

• 1 pair of worn out jeans
• some cute linen for lining
• matching thread
• imagination

Instructions:

When you have all the materials at hand, we can proceed to the next step.

Level the top edges of the waistband and pin them together. Cut the jeans a few inches under the crotch point. Then separate the front and back sides at the crotch area.

Sew the front legs (as to cover what used to be crotch area), which will make your short jeans look like a skirt.

Turn the jeans inside out, pin again the top edges of the waistband on the wrong side and sew the bottom. Cut out the remaining fabric, after sewing.

Lay the jeans on the folded linen and cut it along the line of the jeans: 1 inch exceeding the waistline. Sew the linen on the wrong side. Before sewing you can add some inner pockets if you wish, if not – no biggie as there are plenty of outside pockets.

I applied two inner pockets, one regular and one phone pocket to which I added a lid. I followed my dad’s suggestion when seeing my green bag: “What if you turn your bag upside down looking for something inside, your phone may drop down”.

Cut two strips out of the jeans legs and two out of the linen. I wanted really long straps so I created one strap from one strip and a half. Sew them and get two lined straps.

Place the straps between the jeans and the lining and sew them all together. Add a fastening device. I have first thought of sew-on snaps but finally gave in for an easier solution.

It’s time now to use the last ingredient, your imagination, to give the bag the last really nice touch into the funky spirit.

Here we have a funky scrap bag.

Easter Potpourri

Materials:

• 4 Lemons
  4 Oranges
  1/2 cup Whole cloves
  1/2 cup Whole allspice
  10 Cinnamon Sticks
  10 Bay leaves
  Decorative jars with lids

This free Easter craft project shows you how to make Easter Potpourri.
Using a vegetable peeler, peel the fruit carefully. Remove only the peel, try not to remove any of the white pith.
Next chop into or tear into one inch pieces.
Spread the peel on paper towel and place it on a metal pan.
Stick it in preheated oven to 175 deg F'.
Dry in the oven for 1 1/2 hours and turning it over in stages. The peel should be slightly crunchy or hard.
Spread the peels on dry paper towels and let air dry for a day.
Mix with remaining ingredients and fill jars with the mixture.
Pour into open Easter baskets when ready to use.

Potpourri Easter Chicken

This Easter chicken is filled with potpourri for a fancy alternative to a simple Easter chick.

Materials:

• various felt colors, Pink, Green,Yellow, Orange
  Stuffing/toy wadding
  potpourri
  needle and thread
  feather
  2 small beads for eyes.

Start by printing out the following pattern and cutting out the pieces from appropriate colors of felt .


Start by stitching the sides of the rectangle together to form the body. Then stitch the base onto the body of the chicken.


Cut 2 feet out of felt.


Cut 4 wings out of felt and sew together for each side, do not turn inside out.


Cut 2 head pieces and stitch them together and turn inside out and fill with adding. Stitch the feather on top for hair and add the eyes.


Fill the body with potpourri and draw up the stitches, top with wadding.


Stitch the head into place and secure. Stitch the beak.


Bow tie - stitch across the rectangle piece and draw up in the middle to form the bow, secure with a few stitches.


Stitch the small rectangle into place to cover the gathering on the bow tie.


Stitch the bow tie into place.

Heart Ribbon Pew Bow

These easy ribbon bows make a beautiful wedding decoration. Use them to decorate the church pews, chairs or reception tables. They are easy to make and will help you save money for the rest of your wedding expenses.

Materials:

• STYROFOAM Brand Foam:
  • heart, solid, 3" x 1/2"
• Crystal micro-bead assortment, one bag
• Double-sided tape, 1/2" wide
• White or ivory ribbon: lace/pearl wire-edged, 2-1/2" x 3 yds.
• tulle wire-edged, 5" x 4 yds.
• organdy, 1/2" x 1-1/2 yds.
• Faceted crystal spray
• White or ivory mini rose
• Green reindeer moss, small amount: light; medium
• Fine-gauge floral wire
• Scissors
• Wire cutters
• Low-temp glue gun and glue sticks
• Thick, white craft glue
• T-pins
• Floral shears
• Tape measure or ruler
• Wooden skewer
• Paper plate

Steps:

1. Insert wooden skewer into back of foam heart. Holding skewer, carefully and completely cover front and sides of foam heart with double-sided tape. Avoid touching adhesive with fingers. Remove protective liners.
    
2. Carefully open micro-bead bag and pour onto paper plate; extra beads may be returned to bag upon project completion. Press exposed areas of heart into beads. Use fingers to press beads to any open areas; fill in open areas with smaller beads from package. Gently tap heart against plate to dislodge loose beads. Remove skewer.
    
3. Cut rose from stem and glue to heart center. Glue small pieces of moss to back edges of heart.
    
4. Use wire cutters to cut one two-yard length from wire. Cut tulle into 1- and 3-yd. lengths.
    
5. Bend lace ribbon into six-loop bow with 12" tails; each loop uses 12" of ribbon. Secure bow center with floral wire; do not cut wire. Fluff loops as desired.
    
6. Bend 3-yd. tulle length into four-loop bow with 15" tails. Wire tulle bow to back of lace bow; do not cut wire. Fluff loops as desired.
    
7. For pew ties, knot center of remaining tulle length around center of bow.
    
8. Bend organdy ribbon into loopy bow slightly larger than foam heart. Wire bow to center of lace bow; do not cut wire.
    
9. Trim crystal stem as needed and wire to center of bow as shown. Spot glue to secure. Trim wire.
    
10. Glue heart to center of bow. Secure crystal stem to back of heart with T-pin; spot glue to secure. Glue reindeer moss to exposed glue or wire.

Beaded 3D Spiky Ball Project.

This month's project is a beaded 3D Spiky Ball, made with Japanese glass seed beads and long bugles using right angle weave Beading technique. Can be used both as a Christmas decoration ornament or a phone or bag charm.

The pictorials are illustrated with spaces between beads for a clearer direction, in the actual beading, there should be no spaces.
Beaded Spiky Ball : What you need: 1)   Glass seed beads and long bugles, size 11/0 silver white colour. Seed beads same colour (size 12/0) 2)   Beading string (0.25mm) Always Remember to pull tight on EVERY STEP.
Step 1: Cut a piece string around one meter long. Add four size 11/0 seed beads on the exact center of the string, add crisscross the other end through the last added bead. Make sure this 4 bead ring is centralized at the center of the string.
Step 2: Continue to: Add one size 11/0 seed bead on each side of the string, add one more seed bead to crisscross both strings through. Repeat the above in this step exactly again.

Step 3:

Continue to: Add one size 11/0 seed bead on each side of the string, crisscross both strings back down through one old bead from step 1 (marked A). You should have a beaded cube by now.

Step 4:

Continue to (work only on one side of the string): Add one long bugle, one size 12/0 seed bead and one more long bugle on the right (red) string, continue to pass the same string back through the same bead it exited from (marked A).

Step 5:

Continue to (work only on one side of the string): Add one long bugle, one size 12/0 seed bead and one more long bugle on the left (black) string, continue to pass the same string back through the same bead it exited from (marked A). Continue to pass this same black string up through one more old bead marked B. Continue to pass the other string (red) up through one old bead marked B.

Step 6:

Continue to (work only on one side of the string): Add one long bugle, one size 12/0 seed bead and one more long bugle on the top left (black) string, continue to pass the same string back through the same bead it exited from (marked A).

Step 7:

Continue to (repeat step 6): Add one long bugle, one size 12/0 seed bead and one more long bugle on the top left (black) string, continue to pass the same string back through the same bead it exited from (marked A). Now that you get the idea, you have to do the long bugle step twice on each of the size 11/0 bead that you used to create the beaded cube. Go around passing the thread and beading the spikes all round the cube. When you reached the last spike, simply add on a hook or jump ring to for hanging purpose and tie off.