DIY and handmade craft ideas

child_shirt_dress

Looking for a new dress for your favorite little girl this summer? Grab one of her dad’s (or your brother’s or your husband’s) shirts, and follow the suggestions laid out on MADE to make your own version of this adorable dress.…

30

Free Pattern – Cottage Tea Cozy

http://www.craftbits.com/project/tea-cozy-cottage…

1426_main_cottage I know you love your tea cozies! Here’s a really cute one, in the shape of a cottage. Imagination is key here, you could do just about anything with this pattern, and it’s free!

From Craftbits, here:

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Free pattern: Tumbling blocks baby quilt

I love this bright happy quilt! It’s an original design by Jennifer Arey of Baby Breath’s Quilts blog. She uses one peiced block and rotates it four times for each row. Very clever. Go here to download it for free.

Quilting Editor’s note: The Baby Breath’s Quilts blog no longer exists so the pattern is unavailable. My apologies. Posted 8/4/2010.…

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Tropical Nut Milk Bath recipe

Tropical Nut Milk Bath from Make Your Cosmetics
by HTN President Donna Maria

This simple yet refreshing recipe smells heavenly in a soothing bath soak and, since it contains no oil, it does not leave a ring around the tub. The vegetable glycerin and milk combine to soften the skin. You can double this recipe, or even triple it, if …

28

Altoid Tin Candle

tin-candle

Traveling this spring, and want to bring along your favorite scents? Grab an old Altoid tin and revamp it into a candle, using the tutorial from Design Sponge that takes you from revamping the outside to getting your favorite scents into the inside!…

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Stencil 101 Review and Giveaway

9780811864725_norm1 Stencil 101: Make Your Mark with 25 Reusable Stencils and Step-by-Step Instructions
Author: Ed Roth
Publisher: Chronicle Books

Chronicle Books has published another wonderful craft title with Stencil 101. The author, Ed Roth, is a graphic designer based in Brooklyn, where he founded the graffiti art-inspired Stencil1 design company. Stencil 101 is a collection of Roth’s favorite designs, from …

27

Upcycled Clothespin Bag

clothespin-bag

It’s getting warm here in the Northern Hemisphere, which means it’s time for all the eco-conscious crafters out there to start hanging their laundry out to dry in the warm sunshine. And while this is great on the environment (not to mention your clothes), it can be super hard to keep track of all those clothespins you’ll need!

Casa Sugar…

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Baby Bottle Cozy

baby-bottle

With new mommas growing more and more conscious of the types of items they pick up for baby, plastic baby bottles are going the way of the glass bottle. Great for keeping harmful toxins from plastic out of baby’s system, but not so great for clumsy people (like myself) who stand to drop the bottle or grab it while it’s …

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Tutorial: Knee-pad pants for your little ones

by Sewing Editor

kneepadpants Dana from MADE designed these knee-pad pants when her son began crawling. The extra layers at the knees are practical in that they prevent the fabric from wearing out, but they also look pretty darn cool! Get the tutorial.

[tags]sewing, tutorial, pants, knee, pad, toddler, baby[/tags]…

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Tutorial: Pillowcase pattern for beginner sewists

by Sewing Editor

pillowcasecontrastband **Editor’s Note** The links in this post are no longer active. Luckily, you can find tutorials to make similar pillowcases here and here.

Karlee Fuchs shares a free pillowcase pattern that’s perfect for those learning how to sew. Her instructions are geared to the beginner. In addition to very clearly written steps in the construction of the pillowcase, she includes other …

21

Mineral blush recipe

Chic Cheeks Mineral Blush
by Debbie Bilezikian, via MakeYourOwnCosmetics.com

This is a lovely, sheer blush to brighten and enliven the cheeks. It is in the “cool” range, designed for lighter skin tones. In this recipe, a “scoop” is 1/8 level teaspoon.

Yield: 1/2 teaspoon (a lot of blush!)
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Price Category: 2
Difficulty Level: 1
Shelf Life: …

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GREAT Product! You Must Try…..

getagrip Get A Grip hand balm. Have you tried it? It’s seriously awesome! It’s not really sticky, but it’s “grippy”. Enables you to hold your yarn and needles without slippage and actually knit faster. Yes! It does work! And, as a side benefit, it softens and smooths while it’s “gripping” and it smells GREAT!!

I was lucky enough to get a …

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Tutorial: Fancy shaped burp cloths

shapedburpcloth Christy Nelson from ChristyNelson.net shows how to make a fancy-shaped burp cloth. She gave a pair of them for a baby shower gift. I’m sure the mother-to-be loved them! Get the tutorial.

Photo shown is by http://christynelson.net and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Aline 3.0 United States License.

[tags]sewing, tutorial, burp cloth, baby[/tags]…

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DIY Toy Stove

littlestove2

Most little kids love to play kitchen, whipping up their favorite dishes right next to you. But we all can’t afford to get the “big box” type kitchens, or we want something more unique for your kids? Try making your own kitchen stove using a platic container! Croq Zine gives you all the directions!…

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Free Pattern: Grotto Wrap from Knitting Daily

grotto Very pretty! This free wrap pattern from Knitting Daily and designed by Karen D. Kendrick-Hands could very well become a daily item in your wardrobe.

This garment is worked in two halves, each starting at the sleeve cuff and working toward the center of the body. Each sleeve is worked in the round to the armhole. Stitches for the sides …

15

Wedding Cake Slideshow from Martha

by Edible Crafts Editor

Martha Stewart wedding cake slideshow.

13

Homemade deoderant recipe

pict0001 Little House in the Suburbs has a recipe for a homemade deodorant that has natural deodorizers and moisture absorbers, as well as antibacterial properties! The recipe is aluminum free, unlike many commercial deodorants. Give it a try and let me know what you think!…

11

Teacher Appreciation

by Lesson Plans Editor

Teacher Appreciation Week is coming up at the beginning of May (May 4-8th). It’s a wonderful time to express gratuitude to your kids’ teachers for all of the time and energy they put into preparing and teaching. Some of my favorite gifts as a teacher were book store gift cards (to stock up on books for the classroom), thank you …

9

Book review: Patchwork Style

by Quilting Editor

: screen capture by Scarlett

Patchwork and Style CAN be used in the same sentence. Yes, it’s true. Author Suzuko Koseki brings us 35 colorful and cozy projects so fresh I am inspired to make one tonight.

Beautiful photos throughout the book illustrate her stylish take on pillow covers, pot holders, floor mat, purses, minibags, and more. She is a long-time teacher …

9

Tutorial: Child’s dress from a man’s shirt

by Sewing Editor

shirttodress
Dana from MADE offers a tutorial turning a man’s shirt into a child’s dress. It looks like it would be difficult but it’s actually a fairly simple refashion. Get the how-to.

[tags]sewing, tutorial, refashion, shirt, dress[/tags]…

7

Free pattern: Mendocino Sundress from Heather Ross

mendocinosundress
Heather Ross offers a free pattern for the Mendocino Sundress. This is such a flattering dress! The top is sewn with elastic thread, and the skirt is full and includes on-seam pockets. Get the free pattern.

[via FabTalk]

[tags]sewing, tutorial, pattern, sundress, mendocino, heather ross[/tags]…

2

Yarn From Used Kitty Litter? ? ?

purrfect

Clara Parkes of the Knitter’s Review found this for us! Brilliant!! The ultimate in recycling!

Our appetite for exotic fibers knows no bounds. It brought corn, soy, bamboo, and it introduced qiviut, yak, and American bison to our knitting baskets. And it gave us yarns made from jade, laced with copper, and fortified with seaweed extracts.

So it should come …

2

New Book – Spin Control by Amy King