I made heart shaped coasters, but you could switch out the shape with whatever you like. You could give THESE away as Valentines! They’re fairly quick to complete and easy peasy.

Materials embroidery floss a needle double-sided tape 4″ x 4″ cork coaster (I bought 12″ x 12″ tiles and cut them [Read More...]]]>

I made heart shaped coasters, but you could switch out the shape with whatever you like. You could give THESE away as Valentines! They’re fairly quick to complete and easy peasy.

Materials
embroidery floss
a needle
double-sided tape
4″ x 4″ cork coaster (I bought 12″ x 12″ tiles and cut them up. 9 per tile!)
heart shape to fit your tile

not shown:
ruler, pencil

If you run out of floss, follow steps 6-7:

Like I said above, use them as coasters or little pieces of art! You could use this same method to embroider on cardstock to make a lovely Valentine’s Day card. I’m going to make some for my boys!

[Cupcake containers]

[Heart crayons]

[Amigurumi heart friend]

[Heart pins]

My husband has been in Las Vegas 4 out of the past 5 Valentine’s Days. He works for an apparel company and so he’s there for the men’s fashion convention, MAGIC (ha). The first few years it really bummed me out, but [Read More...]]]>

[Knit heart, thrifted garland]

[Cupcake containers]

[Heart crayons]

[Amigurumi heart friend]

[Heart pins]

My husband has been in Las Vegas 4 out of the past 5 Valentine’s Days. He works for an apparel company and so he’s there for the men’s fashion convention, MAGIC (ha). The first few years it really bummed me out, but now I’m used to it. These days, I consider it more of a kid’s holiday. We get to play with pinks! Reds! Whites! Hearts! Cupcakes! It’s a crafty holiday and so I really dig it. How about you?

Do you like Valentine’s Day or do you ditch it? Is it more of a romantic or fun holiday for you?

I’ll be back soon with a super simple under-five-minutes crochet heart pattern.

Are you receiving Christmas cards yet? We got our first a few days ago and it’s been hanging out on my shelf since then. This morning, I decided it needed a new home. I wanted something small, but still cute. ALSO, I wanted something I could hang on to past Christmas. Perhaps something to [Read More...]]]>

Are you receiving Christmas cards yet? We got our first a few days ago and it’s been hanging out on my shelf since then. This morning, I decided it needed a new home. I wanted something small, but still cute. ALSO, I wanted something I could hang on to past Christmas. Perhaps something to hang my Instax photos from? Mmmhmmm!

Supplies:
random thin tree branch (this one is about 11″ long)
yarn (I used regular worsted weight for stick-wrapping and some fine weight cotton for hanging)
tiny clothespins
cards! and/or photos!
other: scissors, pin or nail to hang the holder from

Make another string of clothespins and tie around your branch as well. Hang and enjoy!

Hello, Goodknits readers!

I’m Kate from, Otillie’s Closet and I’m thrilled to be posting on one of my favorite knitting blogs. Lisa is such an inspiration [Read More...]]]> Another November sponsor is here with a SUPER adorable DIY! My son is on Thanksgiving break and I think we’ll be making a few of these this week!
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Hello, Goodknits readers!

I’m Kate from, Otillie’s Closet and I’m thrilled to be posting on one of my favorite knitting blogs. Lisa is such an inspiration by balancing an active knitting and crochet life all while keeping track of her two adorable boys. Because of that, I thought her readers (you!) might enjoy a fun holiday DIY that involves yarn and is kid-friendly. I remember making these as a kid and in fact I still have a few hidden away in a box that I put on my tree every year. These simple Winter Hat Ornaments are perfect to make while digesting your Thanksgiving turkey.

1. Scissors
2. Toilet paper or paper towel tube
3. Sharpie
4. Measuring tape or ruler
5. Scraps of yarn! Grab any size and any colors you have in your stash.

Flatten your paper tube. Don’t worry about bending it.

Measure sections that are 3/4 of an inch wide. Use your sharpie to mark and then cut.

With a regular toilet paper tube I got five rings.

Cut yarn strands roughly 14 inches long. Don’t worry about being too exact! Fold each piece in half and cut as many as you possibly can.

Slip the loop from one strand of yarn through a paper tube. Loop it around the two ends and pull tight.

Keep going all the way around the tube. Make sure you have enough strands to cover the paper but don’t squash the yarn too closely together.

Now squish all those strands through the tube….you’ve just formed the brim of the hat!

Using one of your spare strands of yarn tie a double knot about an inch from the brim. I also used this strand to tie a little loop which I will use to hang the ornaments.

Trim the loose strands to form a puffball. Make it as fluffy or as short as you want!

And there you have it! Pretty cute, right? It’s pretty fun to get creative with different colors and fibers. I used two worsted weight yarns and one bulky. Little fingers might have more success with bulky yarn.

I hope you have fun with these little guys…they are kind of addicting to make! Thanks to Lisa for letting me do this post – it made me feel like a kid again. If you make any of your own stop on by my blog and let me know!
——————————

Aren’t these the cutest??! I want to grab my whole jar of scraps and start making a bunch. I may have to pass this DIY on to my kiddo’s teach for them to make before Christmas vacation. Go visit Kate’s blog and tell her how awesome she is!

I love the looks of lace covered stones/river rocks/whatever. I thought I would try making one, but I don’t have any flat rocks AND I put away a lot of my crochet cotton. I DO have a few of these pumice stones from some personal care kits and a pile of doilies. And so [Read More...]]]>

I love the looks of lace covered stones/river rocks/whatever. I thought I would try making one, but I don’t have any flat rocks AND I put away a lot of my crochet cotton. I DO have a few of these pumice stones from some personal care kits and a pile of doilies. And so I decided to use it to wrap this stone.

I love the clash of the textures!! The doily I used on this was annoyingly small. All my vases covered it completely and it felt purposeless. Not anymore!

I’m back again to share some more Vintage Craft LOVE! My last post can be found here.

That hanger up there was made using some strips of torn fabric. The original idea came from Family Circle’s Favorite Do-It-Yourself Projects, copyright 1976.

In the book, they say to use old NYLONS. Like, old [Read More...]]]>

I’m back again to share some more Vintage Craft LOVE! My last post can be found here.

That hanger up there was made using some strips of torn fabric. The original idea came from Family Circle’s Favorite Do-It-Yourself Projects, copyright 1976.

In the book, they say to use old NYLONS. Like, old PANTYHOSE that you DYE whatever color you want. Ummmm I don’t wear pantyhose, so…no. I just tore some strips of vintage fabric and got to knotting!

I started on the end of the hook of the hanger and went down and around. If you know how to make a macrame bracelet, then you can do this project! It’s just a bunch of square knots. Imagine the hanger is your center strands and make your knots around it. Easy peasy! My rough estimation had my strip length total at about 11 yards. I had ten 40″ pieces. I knotted two together to start and when those ran out, I knotted two more to their ends. It took less than one episode of Big Love to complete.

Join in on the Vintage Craft fun:

One of the party decorations I knew I HAD to make for my boys party were these ruffled streamers I saw on MADE.

I was a little nervous, because my sewing skills leave something to be desired. I hesitantly bought 5 different colored pack of crepe streamer at Hobby Lobby and tried it [Read More...]]]>

One of the party decorations I knew I HAD to make for my boys party were these ruffled streamers I saw on MADE.

I was a little nervous, because my sewing skills leave something to be desired. I hesitantly bought 5 different colored pack of crepe streamer at Hobby Lobby and tried it out.

EASY PEASY. Like, seriously. I think it’s the perfect project for someone like me who has had problems getting the right tension when sewing. You want the paper to ruffle! I kept my tension at about 6 and everything came out perfectly! My machine was a little hot and bothered by the end of it, though.

The best part, though? The boys like them. AND they make a fantastic backdrop. I took some photos of Andrew on his birthday, yesterday. The streamers will stay up until after Nathan’s birthday on June 2.

You know what those are? FRAPPUCCINO containers! The ones you buy at the drug store when you’re craving Starbucks, though you KNOW they aren’t [Read More...]]]> Bought your madre some flowers (or a shoot of lucky bamboo) for Mother’s Day (TOMORROW!!!)? Don’t have a pretty vase for them? Here’s a quick and painless vase DIY.

You know what those are? FRAPPUCCINO containers! The ones you buy at the drug store when you’re craving Starbucks, though you KNOW they aren’t even close to the real stuff…those! Jason bought me a pack before he left to Vegas (because he’s smarrrrt!) last time and I think I drank all of them in one day. Ooops! I lost one of the containers to smashage AKA the elbow bump to my kitchen floor.

Put them opening down on some newspaper and SPRAY PAINT the heck out of ‘em. Actually, put on a light base coat and let it dry for a few minutes THEN spray paint the heck out of them. Let them chill out for a few more minutes until the paint is no longer sticky/wet and then transfer them to a place to dry overnight. Make sure to inspect the vase for any lighter spots and touch those up before letting it rest.

The results are pretty spectacular–they look like colored milk bottles! Spray painting glass containers is nothing new, but I think the frappuccino containers have a beautiful curvy shape! SO…if you need a little vase for your mama’s Mother’s Day flowers, I suggest heading out and picking up a faux-frappuccino at your local drug/convenience store. I used spray paints I had on hand. You don’t need very much!

It’s Saturday, though, so you better get started! ;)

I hung it up, yesterday:

I used the same method I used to [Read More...]]]> This weekend, I finally set about making a painted fabric silhouette for Andrew. I made Nathan’s in late April 2008. He was almost 3. Considering Andrew is that same age, I thought I should get on the ball and make his.

I hung it up, yesterday:

I used the same method I used to make the other: I stretched some fabric over a 12×12 canvas and stapled it on the back. Then, I printed the silhouette onto freezer paper, cut it out, and ironed it onto my fabric. I used acrylic paint and foam brush to paint around the stencil. Let it dry a bit, then peeled off the paper. I coated it all with some glossy mod-podge.

A few things:
–I still got air bubbles! Big boo to that, but you can hardly tell unless you’re right up on it (get off my wall!).
–The orange floral fabric is a little busy, so I’m going to have to outline the silhouette a bit to give it more definition. If I could do it again, I’d probably reverse it–iron down the outside of the stencil and paint inside the silhouette.

Do you have any silhouettes of you or family members?

I have a few more projects to share, this week. I can hardly wait! They include an embroidery project, a knitted pillow, and my adventures in gardening. Stay tuned!

p.s. I am an April sponsor for my girl thursday and I am in fabulous company! You should check out THIS POST for coupon codes to some wonderful shops, including goodknits! Don’t forget: in celebration of Spring and friendship, all orders will ship with a little braided friendship bracelet. :)

Have a great week, everyone!

First, a big thank you to all who have submitted their answers to that survey of sorts in my last post. I hope I can send something to each and every one of you soon! You guys are the best.

Second, look what I’ve been doing! I wanted to make something colorful, so I [Read More...]]]>

First, a big thank you to all who have submitted their answers to that survey of sorts in my last post. I hope I can send something to each and every one of you soon! You guys are the best.

Second, look what I’ve been doing! I wanted to make something colorful, so I thought I should try my hand at some friendship bracelets. I have a ton of embroidery floss! I tried the other style of wrapping and knotting and it was taking me forever and the colors weren’t looking too hot, so I switched over to simple braids and I adore them! So much that I was wearing four at once, today. They’re so cheerful and are a cinch to complete. I strongly suggest making them one of those evenings where you want some instant craft gratification. You know what I’m talking about, right?!

Are you working on any Spring crafts? As much as I love bold colors, I’m finding myself slowly gravitating toward pastels and more muted tones, lately. Tell me I’m not the only one!

Okokok, it’s winter–I get it!

The weatherMEN in this dear city all had snow in their forecast for us, this morning! They closed the school district, declaring a snow day. My son was supremely excited! He even went to bed at his normal time in order to wake up early and frolick in [Read More...]]]>

Okokok, it’s winter–I get it!

The weatherMEN in this dear city all had snow in their forecast for us, this morning! They closed the school district, declaring a snow day. My son was supremely excited! He even went to bed at his normal time in order to wake up early and frolick in the snow.

Alas, there was NO snow, this morning. Nada, zip, zilch. Oh, but don’t you worry your pants off, there was plenty of ice to entertain him for a bit. My sister didn’t have to work on account of the ice on highways, so she took him around the house, picking up frozen leaves and whatnot.

After breakfast, we got to work making Valentines for his classmates. I used the idea found here (via this February round-up of sorts on Smile and Wave) and we made enough for the whole class and his teacher. After we finished, I grabbed a blank sheet and started with lines. He added hearts. I wrote “love” in cursive, so he wrote it twice in his adorable handwriting. He outlined my hearts, I outlined his. It was a collaboration of the best kind.

<3

I’m one of those ladies that picks up doilies at the thrift store for 80 cents and thinks “Are you kidding me?! Those take forever to make!” and I carry them around like store like little treasures. Well, they are!

I also tend to buy groups of embroidery hoops. They’re usually really cheap [Read More...]]]>

I’m one of those ladies that picks up doilies at the thrift store for 80 cents and thinks “Are you kidding me?! Those take forever to make!” and I carry them around like store like little treasures. Well, they are!

I also tend to buy groups of embroidery hoops. They’re usually really cheap and I’ve had great luck in finding them at even greater reduced cost. I don’t embroider much, so it’s pretty ridiculous that I have as many as I do. I’m always keeping an eye out on things to do with my hoops. I’ve made a few little projects here and there, like this photo hoop, but yesterday I decided to put a doily in one.

I married a few more doilies and hoops and liked the look, but it’s winter and I am in hopeless love with COLOR. I wanted it; I needed it; I had to have it. So, I grabbed my ever-growing jar of scrap yarn. I keep anything that’s about 12″ or longer. I wind tiny little scraps around my finger and put them in the jar. I chose a few colors and used a regular yarn needle to weave in and out of the holes of my doilies.

I covered most of the circular doily, but left a lot of the big open spaces in the pineapple doily…well, open. The pineapple turned into a leaf! I was really loving the effect and want to make moremoremore. This is the perfect sit-on-the-couch-with-a-movie project. Like granny squares, these would be absolutely perfect to use even the tiniest scraps of yarn on. Waste not, want not!

love&love

-I bought the foam for 75 cents. -I [Read More...]]]>

-I bought the foam for 75 cents.
-I had 2 sheets of craft felt with no intended purpose. I bought it a few weeks ago; it was on sale and I was drawn to the colors!
-I had these amazing red buttons that I bought a few weeks ago at the same thrift store. They were in a bag with some other old buttons and I knew that one day they’d be called to the altar of pretty-craftiness. That day was Saturday.

And it wasn’t even a day, it was an evening. My oldest was spending the weekend with his grandma and my youngest, bored and alone, fell asleep all on his own in the living room. BEFORE DINNER! What’s a girl to do with so much free time? Make an adorable little tree, of course.

I knew the general steps for the tree, but I was far too lazy to run up the stairs and double check when I was trying to cut the shapes, but foam is so forgiving and I used pins to attach my felt, so I was able to trim, try it on, trim, try it on, and so forth. I think that’s what the directions in the tutorial say to do anyway! It was kind of nerve-wracking, because I only had 1 sheet of felt in each color, but everything turned out ok!

I attached the buttons with floral wire. I just threaded it through the back of the buttons and stabbed the tree with ‘em. Again, foam is forgiving, so it was easy to figure out placement. I could NOT remember how the top went, nor did I even THINK of the bell, so I quickly crocheted a little star, stuck a button with floral wire through the center, and jabbed it into the top. Voila! Tree topper!

You should really, really, reeeally, go check out her post. The trees are SO gorgeous. They’re colorful and trimmed with beautiful vintage findings. I adore them.

SO! Our television has been a pain in the butt the past few months. It’s only 4 years old and is one of dem fancy LCD thingamabobs. Alas. There must be some crossed wires or loose….thingies inside. It WORKS, but sometimes it takes a lot of switch-pushing for it to come on. It’s like [Read More...]]]>

SO! Our television has been a pain in the butt the past few months. It’s only 4 years old and is one of dem fancy LCD thingamabobs. Alas. There must be some crossed wires or loose….thingies inside. It WORKS, but sometimes it takes a lot of switch-pushing for it to come on. It’s like it doesn’t want to make a power connection? ANYWAY. It’s been out for about two days, now and you sure can tell. I finished up a custom order zippidy-doo fast and started in on decking these mighty halls.

I don’t know what’s up with all the adjectives and adverbs I’m throwing in, tonight, but I’m just gonna keep on keepin’ on…

My son went back to school on Monday after a whole NINE days off. GAH! Since then, I have:

-made about 30 of these

-completed and hung our advent garland

wrapping paper, washi tape, a scallop punch, number stamps, and the cuuutest mini clothespins!

-cleared my craft explosion from the dining room table and transferred it to the breakfast room table
-put up the tree! well, technically, my dad did that. BUT! I strung the lights on it and hung a few ornaments. in time, it’ll all get done.
-snapped a Christmas card photo & settled on a design. (I’m most excited about this one.)
-did some Photoshop cross-stitching. I’m going to call it shop-stitching, from now on. Little X’s where the stitches go.

and what have you done?

You can find the most adorable ghost tutorial at merry may handmade!

Isn’t this the scariest little ghostie you ever did see?!

p.s. We’re only 2 away [Read More...]]]>

I made this little ghost with a scrap from a vintage sheet, some ribbon + felt for a headband, and some yarn as a little bow.

You can find the most adorable ghost tutorial at merry may handmade!

Isn’t this the scariest little ghostie you ever did see?!

p.s. We’re only 2 away from 200 followers via Google Friend Connect! Join! Let’s be friends. :)