Tutorialllsssss

Here are 10 Awesome Tutorials you HAVE to try!!!!

So my college courses turned out to be quite consuming, so here is a quick post to keep all you readers busy :)

#1.) Foam Print Making (Ps I thought this was just the last picture but Heres the tutorial too!)

Make sure to check out the blog as well :)

#2.)Perfect Duct Tape Wallet!

#3.) Milk Jug Lunch Box

#4.) Cool, Easy Bracelets

#5.)Wall Art!

#6.) Gnarly Jellyfish

#7.) Wire Ring

#8.) Lamp Shade

#9.) Hola Hoop Rug

And Last but not least....

#10.) Light Box

Im going to make that last one tomorrow so I can take more amazing pictures for my etsy shop!!! Let me know if you guys make any of these!

Book Preview

Here's another tutorial that will be in the book! Easy wreath that looks good all year long!!

Wax Resist Card

This is perfect if you want to make something cool yet be able to do it  in 5 minutes... This is also great for the young ones to do as a card for grandma or maybe just for a craft. There is soo much you can do with this and can take it up to so  many levels. I am no artist. I cannot draw to save my life. This is why I craft and do pottery....

Moving on:

You will need:
-A white crayon
-Paper (preferably watercolor paper)
-Watercolor paint
-Brushes

Step 1) Cut (or rip) your paper to the desired size. Also consider available envelopes so send off letters as you cut the paper.

Step2) Begin drawing with the white crayon. You may need to look at the paper from different angles in order to actually see what you are drawing. (Ignore the swimsuit, we made this by the pool)

Step 3) Pick out your colors and paint away!

Step 4) Let it dry. Now if the paper was too thin, you may not write on the other side, just take another paper and cut it to the right size. Then use a glue stick to attach it!

Step 5) Write your heart out to Grandma!

My little buddy Nikki made this one!

Here is a couple others I made to get you inspired...

Now for some craft talk!  Craft wars... what do you think about that one? I think its interesting and my friend wants us to go on it, however the judges are waaayyy to harsh for the amount of time the contestants are given.  I would not stand up well under that kind of pressure! Other than that I think as a crafting community, we should support it as much as we can!

Dog Gate

My mom and my sister looooovvvveee my dog. Me and my dad... not so much. He poops and pees in the living room and we have a DOG DOOR! Why not just go out side? Anyway my dad and I got sick of it so we decided to buy a fence. Well, those run about $80 to $120. No way were we gonna pay that so for about $40, we were able to make our own buying all new supplies at Lowes. If you are really resourceful about it, you may be able to make it even cheaper!\

Supplies:
-Plastic Lattice
-Cap Strip for the lattice
-2 Steel Angle brackets (The heavier the better)
- Bolts:
        Use 8 - 10-24X1
        Use 4- 10-24X3/4
- Hack Saw
- Drill
- Ruler
-Zipties

Step 1: Measure the width of the space you want to gate off. Time for MATH!
              - Subract 2 inches and that will be the size of the Lattice
              - The Cap strip needs to be 1/2in longer then the Lattice X2
              - The side cap strips can be determined by just eyeing it and marking it out. X2

Once you calculate the correct sizes for your space, cut them out using a hack saw!

Step 2:  Place cap strips on all sides of the lattice and zip tie them so they will stay in place to make the bolting easier.

Step 3: Drill holes about 3 inches from the ends in each cap strip. Then install the bolts. You will be using the longer bolts (10-24X1) for this step as to get through the 3 layers of plastic.

Step 4: You may now cut off the zip ties...

Step 5: Measure and mark where you want your heavy angle brackets. The design we came up with requires one bracket on each side about 4 inches from the edge.

Step 6: Drill the holes and install the smaller bolts (10-24X3/4). Use washers to spread the force out so that the plastic doesn't crack!

Now your done! No more dog going through my bedroom trash cans!! 

Heres what ours turned out to look like.

Crafting Tips

So lately I have done a lot of thinking about future tutorials to do and things to make, and the big thing that I need to start doing is SAVING a lot of certain items. So in this quick post I am going to tell you what to save and post up a couple links to blogs that have tutorials using those items! Lets begin...

#1. Paper Towel and Toilet Paper Rolls
Everyone has them then just throws them away!! Well I say NO! No more throwing away precious craft items! It is time we take a stand and create beauty from something that would otherwise rot at the dump!

-Wall Flower.) http://blackcatcraft.blogspot.com/2012/06/tp-roll-flower.html
- Gift Boxes.) http://stationery.blogs.com/stationery_scoop/2007/09/index.html
- Owls! )http://www.livinglocurto.com/2012/01/craft-diy-owls/

#2. Corks
If your parents drink a lot of wine (like mine...) then you will be able to get a massive amount of corks in no time! Save some cork trees and make something out of them!!
- Wine Cork Man.) http://www.crafterslovecrafts.com/wine-cork-man.html
- Heart Wreath.) http://www.wineintro.com/products/corks/heart.html
-Coasters.) http://www.designsponge.com/2008/04/diy-project-abigails-cork-trivet-and-coaster-set.html

#3. Dead Candles
You can ALWAYS remelt the wax and reuse it!! I mean why not? I save all my old candles, put the wax in an old folders tin and melt it.
-How to make candles.) http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-Candles!/

Well I am getting tired, I have a quilt tutorial i'm writing up for the book so I better get to it! Check out those tutorials!!

Butterfly Enclosure

The only memory of my 1st grade year was watching caterpillars turn into butterflies through metamorphism. My teacher had this net enclosure which we could watch the caterpillars grow as they each massive amounts of leaves.  My goal this week was to recreate those memories and make a butterfly enclosure out of mesh and metal rings! I want to collect the annoying caterpillars that eat my veggies growing in my garden and throw them into my butterfly chamber. Once they morph I will be able to see which butterfly to be annoyed with!! Oh and also have a cute garden accessory!

So head over to you closest Joann's or nearest fabric store and BRING THOSE COUPONS!! I have saved so much money using coupons! Every Sunday here we get 40 to 50% off coupons to Joanns and Michaels so save them and USE them!

Supplies:
-1 Yard of Tulle
-Sharpie
-Ruler
-Embroidery Floss

Step One: Figure out how large or small you want your enclosure to be.  Mine was a foot so I measured and  marked the lines in the middle of the mesh. In the picture you can kind of see them.

Step Two: Take the embroidery thread and a needle and lay the hoop on the line. Sew one stitch through the tulle then tie each side of the stitch around the hoop.

Step Three: Now make knots that attach the tulle to the loop along the drawn line that you made. Don't worry if it is bunched up, you can just pull it into place once your done tieing.

Step Four: The last knot along the hoop should be through both ends of the tulle. So you are sewing through 2 layers of the tulle. This will keep the enclosure together. 

(The mesh was thin so it was hard to get a good defined picture of what exactly I was doing!)

Step Five: Now attach the other loop to the other line with the same method as steps 2-4. 

Step Six:  Now collect the excess tulle at the bottom and tie it up tightly with extra embroidery floss. Do the same with the top and this is what it looks like:

Step Seven: Now in the middle of the opening, tie two strings so you can tie it shut then open it later and put leaves and caterpillars in. 

Step Eight:  Now tie a string to the top and cut whatever excess you don't want off and your done!

Here's mine!!

\

I'll have another picture with my leaves and pillars soon!!!

If you make this or anything else on this blog, please share it with us and post it into the forums!! You can find the link in the top right corner of the blog!

Thanks for reading, if you have any questions or something isn't clear, let us know so we can fix it!

Sea Glass Headband

Here is a good project if you go to the beach at low tide and collect some sea glass! I was in Laguna Beach with my buddies a while ago and picked up all this and more and I'm finally able to use it!! Its quite easy, there is a part where you need to sew and a sewing machine is the best way to go about it, but by hand works just as well! Anyways, let me know if you make it!!

Supplies:

-Sea glass

- A ribbon about the diameter of your head plus an inch

- SUPER SUPER glue

-A small hair bungee (hair band)

Step One: Start in the middle of the ribbon. Place a small dot of glue on the chosen sea glass and place onto the ribbon.

Step Two: Pick another piece that will fit next to it. Try a couple before you glue it on. Once you find the right one, dab a dot on and place it onto the ribbon. (I decided to go for a mosaic look).

Step Three: Make sure they don't touch or else you wont be able to bend the ribbon at all!!

Step Four: Continue testing and gluing on sea glass. I had 3 different colors and I tried to space them out as well as I could, so keep color in mind!

Step Five: Keep adding sea glass until you have about 5 inches left on each side.

Step Six: Fold 1/4 in of the end of the ribbon down. Fold again and sew. This will keep the ribbon from fraying.

Folded again then sewn:

Step Seven: Guide one side through the hair bungee and sew it back onto the ribbon (it was about 1 in on mine). Sew multiple times so it is strong and wont come undone!

Step Eight: Now this parts a little tricky. We are going to repeat step 6 but now taking in mind the elasticity on our head. Put the remaining ribbon through the bungee and hold it as you try it on. Adjust until you have a good elasticity. Then sew!

Once sewn it should look like this:

Now your done! Wear it to work, the beach, school, anywhere and everywhere, just go show it off!!!