What would you do with this idea?
Showing posts with label craft. Show all posts
Showing posts with label craft. Show all posts
Thursday
Ready for Spring - You're Own Little Flower Box
Vintage craft magazines can be such great sources of inspiration! McCall's Needlework and Crafts magazine from 1967 is the source for this charming little project.
It's a trinket box, but what I like about it is the technique can be adapted to so many materials end uses. They suggest you use felt for the flowers and leaves, but you could also use different types and colors of paper, fabric, leather or even rolled fondant! Here's the template for the flowers:
Just right click, or command click on the image above and choose save to download them for your own use. You can resize them as needed in photo editing software.
I did a needlework project based in part on this idea. Instead of glue I used french knots to embroider the felt flowers to the surface. Here's the end result:
What would you do with this idea?
What would you do with this idea?
Wednesday
Faded Faux Finery - Vintage Artificial Flowers
I've always been enchanted by vintage artificial flowers. They have a subtle, faded beauty to them that has a very nostalgic quality.
These beautiful roses are made of cotton tinted pink. They have fuzzy chenille stems! These and the other that I have are called millinery flowers. They're made of paper or fabric, have flexible stems that were wire or bias tubing and were sold in dime stores for use in hat making and other crafts.
I was very lucky to run across a large stash of them years ago at a thrift shop. I snatched them up and stored them away for future use and we found the perfect opportunity for them in the Shower episode of my show.
We used them to create a charming party room for the fictional guest of honor for our shower.
The art department created a nosegays like these...
...to use for trimming the banquet table and decorating gifts.
They also trimmed up some darling decorative umbrella frames I had found at a thrift shop as well to use as a centerpiece.
These lovely little decorative objects can be found on eBay and Etsy. Search for "millinery flowers" and all sorts of options come up. Right after the war they were made in occupied Japan and some of the ones I have still bear that label. They're not outrageously expensive and are perfect for little accents in your craft projects. You can even find them new at floral supply houses, though I don't think they're quite as charming. Do you use artificial flowers in your crafting? If so, how do you use them? I'd love to see some pictures!
I was very lucky to run across a large stash of them years ago at a thrift shop. I snatched them up and stored them away for future use and we found the perfect opportunity for them in the Shower episode of my show.
These lovely little decorative objects can be found on eBay and Etsy. Search for "millinery flowers" and all sorts of options come up. Right after the war they were made in occupied Japan and some of the ones I have still bear that label. They're not outrageously expensive and are perfect for little accents in your craft projects. You can even find them new at floral supply houses, though I don't think they're quite as charming. Do you use artificial flowers in your crafting? If so, how do you use them? I'd love to see some pictures!
Trim and Tubing - A Match Made in Heaven
A few months ago I featured a craft project from Conso Trimming's 1001 Decorating Ideas Magazine. While leafing through another issue I came across this project which is reminiscent of both that project and the Mexican style terry cloth mirror from a few weeks ago. This project has so many possible applications and is such fun to make!
These columns are perfect for framing a window or doorway, but they can also be used as posts for a headboard, table legs or on a smaller scale as accents in a centerpiece or even candle holders! They're made with heavy weight paper tubing - the kind carpets are rolled on. You can usually get the carpet cores from carpet and rug stores, stop by and ask.
Once you've gotten your tubes, test them out for height. If you want them to be a specific length you may have to cut them down to fit. This can be done with a saw. This project is great if you have lots of trims left over from other projects. It doesn't take a lot of trim to encircle the tube. Keep in mind that if you want two tubes that match you need to have twice as much trim. The trimming used in the above picture is all about bright colors, but imagine how beautiful it would be done in monochromatic white or even all black!
Wrap your tubing with the trims and glue them in place with Aileen's Fast Grab Tacky Glue, then stand them up in place and you have an instant statement! As shown in the picture, when put at a window they can dramatically increase the height and add some drama to your architecture. I like the table leg idea also though. If you have a table with 4 ordinary legs just sheath the legs in the trimmed tubing for a festive touch for a Mexican dinner, or for good!
The sale continues on eBay. New listings go up tonight (7/21/10) at 9 eastern! Be sure and have a look!
Once you've gotten your tubes, test them out for height. If you want them to be a specific length you may have to cut them down to fit. This can be done with a saw. This project is great if you have lots of trims left over from other projects. It doesn't take a lot of trim to encircle the tube. Keep in mind that if you want two tubes that match you need to have twice as much trim. The trimming used in the above picture is all about bright colors, but imagine how beautiful it would be done in monochromatic white or even all black!
Wrap your tubing with the trims and glue them in place with Aileen's Fast Grab Tacky Glue, then stand them up in place and you have an instant statement! As shown in the picture, when put at a window they can dramatically increase the height and add some drama to your architecture. I like the table leg idea also though. If you have a table with 4 ordinary legs just sheath the legs in the trimmed tubing for a festive touch for a Mexican dinner, or for good!
The sale continues on eBay. New listings go up tonight (7/21/10) at 9 eastern! Be sure and have a look!
Summer Fun With Terry
No, I don't mean Terry Bradshaw, or Terry Garr, or Tarrytown - This terry is cloth! Something about terry cloth just makes me think of summer. It's a great fabric for easy living and has had it's place in beach and poolside entertaining for many years.
While looking for a project for my post today, I was leafing through a McCall's 1968 You-Do-It Home Decorating magazine and came across some fun terry projects. One of them reminded me of a project we did on my television show - terry cloth pillows!
These pillows from the magazine are made with Pucci washcloths and tea towels and they said you could find them for between $2 and $5. Good luck with that. You can still find fun printed towels at thrift shops and bright solids, which can be found anywhere, can be fun too. The process to make them is super simple. Just stitch them together around all the edges with wrong sides together. If you're feeling ambitious you can make them a little more special by stitching them together with right sides in and putting a velvet welt in the seam as shown above. Leave a 5 - 6" opening at the bottom for stuffing and when stuffed, just stitch the opening up. You can stuff them with polyfill or if you'd like to be frugal, do what we did on the show and use old nylons that have been laundered. The nylons won't rot if they get wet by the pool.
Another charming project is a terry cloth tea cozy.
It's made from two printed washcloths and backed with batting and lightweight cotton. You can use an insulating fabric for more heat retention, if you prefer. Stitch around the pattern for a trapunto effect.
The piece de resistance of these projects from 1968 is the terry cloth covered mirror frame.
This one is a little more complicated. It's made up of 7 different brightly colored wash cloths that have been cut into rectangles and wrapped around a plywood frame. I just love how it looks, don't you?
You'll need:
7 washcloths, each in different bright colors
2 18" square pieces of 3/4" plywood
12 decorative nails with 3/4" heads
8 1 1/4" finishing nails
1 8x8" mirror
12 large head tacks
Aileen's tacky glue
18" of decorative chain to coordinate with your decorative nails
2 3/4" round head wood screws and washers
Draw lines 3" in from the edge of one of the plywood pieces and then cut out the resulting 12" hole. On the second piece draw a line 6" in and cut out the resulting 6" hole. On bottom frame, draw a line 2" in from edges. this designates where the fabric will end. Extend the inner edges of the cuts with lines drawn out to the outer edges of the bottom and top frames. On the top frame, draw lines bisecting the center of each side.
The corners of the bottom frame will take 4" squares of terry. The sides will take 6" squares. Mix and match your colors for a pleasing effect. It's best to plan the arrangement out in advance to avoid having colors overlap between the top and bottom frames. Cut the squares of terry out carefully making sure the edges are straight. The fabric is too thick to seam in place, so the raw edges will be exposed. Using the tacky glue, glue down the corners on the bottom frame first, following the guide lines you drew on the wood. Then move on to the edge pieces and carefully glue them down and wrap the edges around to the back of the frame. Set the bottom frame aside to dry and move on to the top frame. The corners of the top frame will be 6" squares, the edges of the bottom frame will be 6x8" pieces. Repeat the process of glueing the pieces down to the face of the frame, but only wrap the fabric around the inner opening edges, don't wrap the fabric around to the back on the outer edge.
After your glued frames have dried completely you can connect the two with the finishing nails. Nail the frames together in the four inside corners and on the seam lines between the fabrics along the edges. Keep the nails close to the edge. Turn the frames over and carefully wrap the loose edges of the top fabric around both layers of plywood and glue them in place. After they dry you can attach the decorative nails to the front at each inner seam edge covering the finishing nails used to hold the frames together. Place the mirror over the opening in the back and hold it in place with the large head tacks. The last step is to attach the chain using the round head screws and washers. Screw it into the back corners and hang your mirror!
Vicky Howell had a fun terry cloth project on her blog recently. Have a look at that one too!
While looking for a project for my post today, I was leafing through a McCall's 1968 You-Do-It Home Decorating magazine and came across some fun terry projects. One of them reminded me of a project we did on my television show - terry cloth pillows!
Another charming project is a terry cloth tea cozy.
The piece de resistance of these projects from 1968 is the terry cloth covered mirror frame.
You'll need:
7 washcloths, each in different bright colors
2 18" square pieces of 3/4" plywood
12 decorative nails with 3/4" heads
8 1 1/4" finishing nails
1 8x8" mirror
12 large head tacks
Aileen's tacky glue
18" of decorative chain to coordinate with your decorative nails
2 3/4" round head wood screws and washers
Draw lines 3" in from the edge of one of the plywood pieces and then cut out the resulting 12" hole. On the second piece draw a line 6" in and cut out the resulting 6" hole. On bottom frame, draw a line 2" in from edges. this designates where the fabric will end. Extend the inner edges of the cuts with lines drawn out to the outer edges of the bottom and top frames. On the top frame, draw lines bisecting the center of each side.
The corners of the bottom frame will take 4" squares of terry. The sides will take 6" squares. Mix and match your colors for a pleasing effect. It's best to plan the arrangement out in advance to avoid having colors overlap between the top and bottom frames. Cut the squares of terry out carefully making sure the edges are straight. The fabric is too thick to seam in place, so the raw edges will be exposed. Using the tacky glue, glue down the corners on the bottom frame first, following the guide lines you drew on the wood. Then move on to the edge pieces and carefully glue them down and wrap the edges around to the back of the frame. Set the bottom frame aside to dry and move on to the top frame. The corners of the top frame will be 6" squares, the edges of the bottom frame will be 6x8" pieces. Repeat the process of glueing the pieces down to the face of the frame, but only wrap the fabric around the inner opening edges, don't wrap the fabric around to the back on the outer edge.
After your glued frames have dried completely you can connect the two with the finishing nails. Nail the frames together in the four inside corners and on the seam lines between the fabrics along the edges. Keep the nails close to the edge. Turn the frames over and carefully wrap the loose edges of the top fabric around both layers of plywood and glue them in place. After they dry you can attach the decorative nails to the front at each inner seam edge covering the finishing nails used to hold the frames together. Place the mirror over the opening in the back and hold it in place with the large head tacks. The last step is to attach the chain using the round head screws and washers. Screw it into the back corners and hang your mirror!
Vicky Howell had a fun terry cloth project on her blog recently. Have a look at that one too!
Kitschy-Fun Craft Project From Guest Blogger Margot Potter
With me up to my eyeballs in moving and renovation I asked my friend Margot Potter to be a guest blogger this week. She's come up with a fun decoupage project I know you'll enjoy. Thanks Madge!
Hello, people!
I’m Margot Potter, a.k.a. The Impatient Crafter™, but my friends call me Madge. My gal pal Brini is knee deep in renovating her fabulous new flat, so I’m stepping in for her today. What fun!
Brini and I both worship freely at the Temple of Kitsch and as soon as she asked me to create a post I immediately thought of my Donny vs. Bobby purse. It’s a Teen Idol smack down! In one corner, we have the cornfed, baby faced heartthrob from the Midwest, Donny Osmond. In the other, the slightly older and more experienced stud muffin from southern California, Bobby Sherman. Who will emerge victorious? Let the battle begin!
To make your own teen idol purse select images of your won personal favorites! Will it be Humperdink vs. Jones? Reynolds vs. Namath? Greg vs. Keith? The mind simply reels! After you’ve settled on a suitable pair, remove the handle and hardware from a blank wooden purse. Apply two layers of acrylic paints in burnt orange on one side and avocado green on the other and let dry. Cut out your images, eyes and text and adhere using a decoupage medium. (I used images and text from vintage magazines.) Don’t fret if the images bubble up, they’ll relax after the paper dries. The final touch is a smattering of crystals applied through a heart shaped stencil.
That’s all you need to have a simply adorable purse in a flash! You can show whichever side tickles your fancy on any given day.
I can’t wait to see the magic Brini is making, can
xoxo,
Madge
(PS: You can find more kitschy ideas at my website www.margotpotter.com and my blog http://margotpottertheimpatientcrafter.blogspot.com/)
Hello, people!
I’m Margot Potter, a.k.a. The Impatient Crafter™, but my friends call me Madge. My gal pal Brini is knee deep in renovating her fabulous new flat, so I’m stepping in for her today. What fun!
Brini and I both worship freely at the Temple of Kitsch and as soon as she asked me to create a post I immediately thought of my Donny vs. Bobby purse. It’s a Teen Idol smack down! In one corner, we have the cornfed, baby faced heartthrob from the Midwest, Donny Osmond. In the other, the slightly older and more experienced stud muffin from southern California, Bobby Sherman. Who will emerge victorious? Let the battle begin!
I can’t wait to see the magic Brini is making, can
xoxo,
Madge
(PS: You can find more kitschy ideas at my website www.margotpotter.com and my blog http://margotpottertheimpatientcrafter.blogspot.com/)
Fabulous Felted Fungi - Needle Felting Mushrooms
Needle felting is a very strange craft. I had a friend over to watch a few episodes of The Loretta Young Show and while he was here I showed him the magic mushrooms I made from the kit I ordered from Fancy Tiger in Denver, where I’ll be doing a public appearance in June. He looked at the fuzzy little toadstools and described his reaction to them as “perplexed”. I demonstrated the technique to him on one of the mushrooms and felt a little absurd, poking this sharp little needle into the diminutive red and white faux fungi. I see what he means… The craft is actually lots of fun to do and yields delightfully fuzzy (albeit strange) little objéts that can grace a mantle or diorama or in some cases be used for jewelry or trimmings on clothing. The kit I bought had everything I needed to make several mushrooms – red and white wool roving (cleaned and carded wool) a felting needle (an extremely sharp, barbed needle that catches and interlocks the fibers) a small piece of foam rubber to use as a work surface and the instructions.
This is what the needle looks like up close:
I began by dividing the red roving into three parts and forming one of the parts into a loose dome. I then placed the dome on the foam rubber and started piercing it with the needle.
It’s really quite remarkable how quickly the dome begins to hold its shape. It becomes more compact and a bit smaller as you work.
Once the dome was pretty well formed I moved on to the stem. I wrapped a small length of white roving around a skewer and slipped it off, then placed it on the foam rubber and started felting it.
The stem was a bit more challenging than the cap because it was a smaller shape. I found myself poking my finger a bit more while working on it. As directed, I turned the stem frequently to make sure it was forming an even cylinder. One end of the stem was left fluffy so it could be easily felted onto the cap. Upon completion of the stem I did just that. It really is clever how the two pieces fuse together with just a few pokes of the needle!
Cleaning up the surface of the work was done by the “drag and drop” method – dragging the needle across the surface of the work and then poking it in. This smoothes over the holes that are created by poking the needle repeatedly into the felt. The last step was to apply the white spots to the surface of the mushroom cap. This was done by taking a small piece of roving and rolling it between my fingers into a ball.
Then apply it to the surface by poking it with the needle to fuse it down. Initially I used too large a piece and had a hard time making it look even, but I soon figured out that you didn’t need much to make a nice sized spot.
I decided to style the mushrooms I made into a little mini forest scene. I picked up a log in the floral district (I know, you country folk are going to tell me that it’s absurd to buy a log, but in New York, one does what one must), some moss and some tiny butterflies. To mount the mushrooms I pounded finishing nails into the log and pulled the stems down over them. Then I trimmed them with the moss and a butterfly and Poof! I have a darling spring centerpiece for my table!
If you’re in Denver, I hope you’ll join me on June 17th at Fancy Tiger for a cocktail party, and then at the Denver Public Library on June 18th for a class on tassels and pompons that I’ll be giving and a signing of my book. More information about it all soon!
I was quite pleased with the results of my first foray into needle felting. The kit from Fancy Tiger was the perfect way to start. You can buy it and their other felting kits here. The craft is very easy to learn and the perfect thing to do while spending a quiet evening at home. I have lots of ideas about how to adapt the craft to my own creative ends so you’ll be sure to see some project ideas pop up here for the technique from time to time. I have only one question: how do I dust them?
The stem was a bit more challenging than the cap because it was a smaller shape. I found myself poking my finger a bit more while working on it. As directed, I turned the stem frequently to make sure it was forming an even cylinder. One end of the stem was left fluffy so it could be easily felted onto the cap. Upon completion of the stem I did just that. It really is clever how the two pieces fuse together with just a few pokes of the needle!
Cleaning up the surface of the work was done by the “drag and drop” method – dragging the needle across the surface of the work and then poking it in. This smoothes over the holes that are created by poking the needle repeatedly into the felt. The last step was to apply the white spots to the surface of the mushroom cap. This was done by taking a small piece of roving and rolling it between my fingers into a ball.
I was quite pleased with the results of my first foray into needle felting. The kit from Fancy Tiger was the perfect way to start. You can buy it and their other felting kits here. The craft is very easy to learn and the perfect thing to do while spending a quiet evening at home. I have lots of ideas about how to adapt the craft to my own creative ends so you’ll be sure to see some project ideas pop up here for the technique from time to time. I have only one question: how do I dust them?
Friday
02-11 Give a Little Head for Valentines Day
You'll need:
A paper mache flour pot
Plaster of Paris
An 8" diameter Styrofoam ball
Raffia in black or brown
An 18" wooden dowel
Pink tint floral spray
Craft paint in brown, red or pink and blue or violet
Ribbon in pink and red
Red and white heart shaped paper doilies
Red metallic poster board
Pink poster board
Artificial flowers
Pink or white netting or tulle
Floral wire
Tiny red pompons
A glue gun and glue sticks
Scotch tape
Wire cutters
A paint brush
Scissors
White glue
Start by setting the dowel in the bottom of the flour pot so it stands upright with the plaster of Paris. Then you can create the head. Give the ball a light dusting of the floral spray, concentrating it a little more where you want the cheeks to be. Paint a face on the Styrofoam ball using the craft paint, then use the raffia to create an attractive hairstyle, pinning it to the ball using the floral wire. Use the ribbon to tie the hair into pony or pig tails, or as an attractive headband. Mount the head on the dowel. Next, create a bow for the neck by gathering up a length of tulle and holding it together with a length of floral wire. Leave the tails of the wire sticking up. Attach an artificial rose to the bow with wire or hot glue. Then insert the tails of wire up into the base of the ball to mount your bow at her neck. Now it's time to create the hat. Cut a large heart out of the metallic paper board. The heart should be larger than either of the doilies. Next create a truncated cone of pink paper board. Cut half inch deep tabs into the top edge of the cone and fold them down to create a surface to glue your heart to. Mount the heart on the cone and, once dry, you can glue your doilies, one on top of the other, down to the red heart. Mount a pouf of tulle with an artificial flower on top of the doilies using floral wire through all layers and leave the tails. Use the tails to mount the hat on the head by inserting them into the Styrofoam.Trim the dowel by winding ribbon around it spirally from top to bottom. Tape it to the dowel to secure it in place. Your finishing touch is to fill the flower pot with tulle and stud the tulle with the pompons using your hot glue gun. Congratulations! Your Valentines Day gift is complete!
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