Jewelry Making How-To: Crimping

Did you see some of the jewelry I've made?

This is a key step in making simple necklaces and bracelets. Crimping is how you attach the clasp to both ends of the wire or string. In this example, I used tigertail. I sometimes use fishing line for lighter beads.

You will need needle-nosed pliers (get some especially for jewelry, not the same type electricians use!) , a crimp, clasp and some tigertail.

You will use the pliers to squish the crimp and hold the tigertail together. Thread it in this order: crimp and then the clasp. Then thread the loose end of the tigertail back through the crimp. Squish the crimp with your pliers.

It will look like this:Thread the first bead over the end of the tigertail right up against the crimp.You can buy special 'crimp covers' to cover the crimp, but I usually don't do that.

Ideas for Using Fabric Flowers

Remember all my fabric flowers I made?

Here are some ways to use them:

a wreath! (and I am not really a wreath person!)
here's another wreath.
cute idea for a headband.
tattered flower headband.
a great necklace.

Want to Make: Fabric Flowers

No-Sew version!
cute with a button in the middle.
for a shirt.
a fabric flower broach using scraps.
using wire for the edges
Really love this fabric.
adorable garland idea (looks good from both sides, need interfacing)
No-sew rolled flowers

flowers with fabric stiffener! stiff without interfacing!

Here's a great project that just includes fabric flowers: fabric cased necklace! LOVE this!!

A great idea for how to use fabric flowers on a cuff band!

Handmade Necklaces

I really like to make jewelry. At the request of my mom, I made necklaces for my cousins. She's going to give them as birthday gifts. Strung jewelry is easy to make. Here is an up-close view of the clasp:

Making a Flower Arrangement

We're currently in the process of selling our home. We have had two open houses and three showings. In about seven weeks. That's it. So I tried to do everything I could think of to make it more appealing to potential buyers. While we cleared clutter and put away pictures, I didn't want to make our home seem impersonal or uninviting.

So we bought a fake plant. Also, I wanted a flower arrangement or something for the living room's coffee table. I'm not one usually into flower arrangements...but I decided to make an exception. I didn't want to spend much money. So for $11.75, I made this:

I went to Pat Catan's, a wonderful craft store, and found these things: a tin rectangular bucket, $1 fake flowers (I bought 5 bunches) and a foam brick to hold it all together.

To start, I cut the flowers from their bunches (leaving 4-5" of stem) with wire cutters.

Then my wire cutters got jammed. I guess they're not so great.
Luckily, this was the set of tools my husband allotted me for crafting use, so he won't be upset they are now kaput.
Then I poked the remaining stem into the foam brick. This should be done with the brick inside the container so one knows how far the blooms should protrude. Live and learn.
I tried to make things symmetrical.
I think it looks good. It isn't too "floral-y" for me!

Jewelry Making: Bracelet

I really love beads. I haven't been making much jewelry lately because I'm afraid my 15-month old will eat the beads. But I needed to re-string these beads and did so during his nap yesterday. I love this bracelet now! Should I bother posting a tutorial for jewelry-making? Or is that something that is too self-explanatory?

Mason Jar Pincushion

This was easy. It makes a great gift for a friend who sews yet requires no sewing on your part!

Materials you will need:
Mason Jar (any size) and two part lid
Circle about 6-8" diameter
Polyester stuffing
Stiff cardboard circle, same size as lid
Paper cut from decorative paper, same size as lid
Hot glue gunPlace the stuffing inside the fabric circle. Shove it through the rim.

Now push the flat part of the lid under the stuffing as shown.

Pull the fabric as tight as possible around the flat part of the lid. Fold the extra fabric into the middle and glue it down. (Post-production note: it might have been best to have cut the fabric off. The lid doesn't actually screw down onto the jar if you don't.)

Next, glue down the cardboard and then the decorative paper to cover the fabric.

Replace the lid on the jar!

T-Shirt Yarn Project

Wondering what I made so far with my t-shirt yarn?

A basket for some of our little guy's toys:

I used a very large crochet hook. Size Q? Not sure. It is plastic. The basket doesn't have a lot of body (the sides cave in if it is empty) but it works great if it is full.

This project cost me $0! So excited about that. I asked friends for t-shirts they were giving away (I used 10 t-shirts for this basket) and so it was free. To make this with yarn would have cost a lot.

Making Yarn from T-Shirts

Do you have lots of t-shirts you'd like to repurpose into something fun? If so, this is how to turn them into yarn. You can then use that yarn to make lots of fun projects with your crochet hook.

Maybe knitting needles would work, too, but I don't know how to knit, so it's all crocheting here!

The goal is to have one long piece of t-shirt fabric. Smooth out the shirt on your cutting surface.
I folded mine in half because my cutting mat is tiny. Now cut the bottom part off. (You don't have to use a rotary cutter. In fact, I ended up using scissors to clean up the edges mine left.)Now cut the shirt off below the printing. You can't use the printed part of the shirt for this project, it doesn't curl well.
Flatten it out if you've folded it like me. Cut 1" strips but stop about an inch from the top. If you don't stop you will be sorry!Now, place the strips over your arm. It will look like some crazy '80's style fringe. You are going to cut from the first strip diagonally to beyond the second strip. Then you can disconnect the first strip to start making a long strip. (If you screw up the first one, no big deal. I had a few accidents.)

You will hopefully have one long strip.

Take the strip and pull it between your hands to make the edges curl.

Wind it into a ball and you're ready to start your first crochet project with your t-shirts!

Make Giant Crayons

I love craft projects. I love colors.

It is only natural that I want my 14-month old son to learn to color.

I went to Target to buy him some crayons last week. I was shocked at how much the giant crayons cost. So I bought the skinny kind instead.

Result: He loves to throw them and try to put them in his mouth. He gets upset if I try to make him even tough the paper with one, let alone grab his hand and help him make marks on it!

After conferring with my mom, we've determined that his chubby little hands need the fat crayons. So I decided to make my own.

All you need is an oven, old crayons (or broken, paperless ones), and an old muffin tin.

I went to my favorite grocery store and bought two packages for $0.49 each. (They were on sale with the school supplies.)

I tore the paper off and broke them into pieces. I like things to match, so I grouped them by shade (but you don't have to do that):I put them in the oven at 215 degrees F for about 20 minutes (keep checking them...) They melted completely. Now let them cool and harden. Then dig them out with a knife. I ran a knife around the edges before they got too hard but I don't think I really needed to do that.
I'm not sure this project was worth the trouble. My son tried to eat these, too.

Spring Craft

I wanted to have some sort of spring decorations to celebrate the beautiful April weather we're enjoying here in NE Ohio. This craft cost me $0 because I love love LOVE glass jars and have a zillion in my basement! I also love scrapbook paper. I have a bunch of it and that's what I used for the letters.

I did not free hand the letters! I typed the word "Spring" into Microsoft Word and selected a fun font. Then I printed it out and cut them out. I traced the letters backwards onto the back of the scrapbook paper so that the lines would not show.

Here's a frugal tip for printing: when printing something for a pattern or that doesn't have to be perfect, print in gray instead of black. I think it saves ink! Also, choose 'quick print' for anything you print. This also saves ink. Oh, plus...this was semi-exciting...yet relevant...choosing the 'Century Gothic' font saves ink! See the story here.

Another tip! I found out that Walgreens refills ink cartridges. Usually it is $9.99, far less expensive than buying a new one! They often have coupons in their circular (they come in the Sunday paper). However, on "Earth Day" they are doing it for only $1! Too bad I didn't save all those empty cartridges along the way!

I had to check to see what day "Earth Day" is, too. It is April 22nd.