Crafting: January 2013 Archives

Glitter Twig: To make these clips you will need some small twigs, one package of Martha Stewart Glitter Glue and 2 small hair clips. My inspiration came from this picture I saw in a magazine last year. I loved them instantly and when I heard about our glitter glue I knew it was just the right medium I needed to create my own Twig Hair Clip.

The trick to this hair clip is finding twigs that interest you. Once you have your twigs, clip them into 1'' sections. Cover the twig entirely with 2 coats of glitter glue, allowing time to dry between coats. Once the glue is dry affix the twigs to your hair clips using your glue gun.

 

Pom Pom: These clips may be the easiest of the 3. I used our extra small pom pom makers to create these 2 pom poms from sock weight yarn and glued them on with a glue gun. Bam! So easy. The difficult part is choosing your yarn colors. I used a Snap clip for one and a Pinch clip for the other. I prefer the snap clips for decorating pony tails and buns and pinch clips for keeping hair out of the face.

 

Tassel: To make each of my Tassel Hair Clips you will need 2 skeins of embroidery floss (color A and color B). Wrap the floss around your index and ring finger held together about 10 times; you don't want it to be very thick. You can follow my Tassel making instructions here. Once your tassel is made, glue it using your glue gun to the end of your hair clip (you can find more hair accessories for your tassels in our store).

 

Quick tip for Pom Poms and Tassels: If you want a fun pom pom go for a yarn that runs to the fuzzy side. The fuzzier the yarn that you use for your pom pom the more it will hold the round ball shape and hide the tie holding it together. A smooth yarn tends to be floppy and show the tie, but the fuzzy yarn strands stand straight-out and hold a great ball shape, so look to wools and wool blends.

Tassels are the opposite; you want your strands to be smooth so they hang straight down and have a slight sheen. A fuzzy yarn in tassels will give it a tangled look. An ideal tassel can fall right back into shape after any movement and not require combing.

 

 

The idea of a giant polka dot wall came to me as I was watching one of my favorite HGTV Shows: Sarah's House. One scene is a glimpse of her office which features a wall covered in circular paint chips. Sarah's paint chips are hanging on hooks but the idea of similar feature jumping into my head for my daughters' room. I set out to make it immediately and all it took was a book of scrapbooking paper, my Fiskars Circle Cutter and a box of thumbtacks (Oh and many hours). Here's how to make your own Polka Dot Wall.

Materials:

Fiskars Circle Cutter

Martha Stewart Craft Essentials Paper Pad in Tonals

One box of Silver Thumbtacks (I purchased a box of 200 from Amazon)

First work on all of your paper with the wrong side facing up, it is easier to cut this way and if you are working with glitter paper or shiny paper the cutter slides though it much better with the wrong side up.

Tape down your paper to prevent it from sliding while you cut and draw lines down the center of your paper vertically and horizontally, this will make a grid of 4 on the back of your paper. Set your cutter to 5.5'' and place it in the center of one squares of your grid. Cut your circle following the directions from my previous blog: Notional Notions Circle Cutter. Cut 4 circles from each sheet of paper and continue until all sheets of paper have been cut or you have enough polka dots for your wall (Mine has approx. 140 dots). Cut one final dot from a piece of scrape paper as your thumbtack guide (see pictures below). This will help you place the thumbtack in the center every time. Fold the guide in quarters and then open it back up. The 2 fold lines meet in the middle at the exact center, place a thumb tack there and remove. Cut a small wedge out of the guide, like a piece of pie. To use the guide you will place it over a dot, insert a thumb tack in the center of both the guide and dot then remove the guide by sliding it off the dot and thumb tack.

Next, layout your dots in small stacks of color and pattern so you can easily grab the next dot. You can start either in the center or one of the bottom corners and begin randomly placing your dots allowing at least 1'' between dots and no more than 3'' (this will give you a nice saturated look without looking over-crowded). You can layout your dot on a grid pattern by using a clear quilting ruler and chalk lines. I preferred a random layout because it reminded me of bubbles rising to the surface.

I placed my Polka Dot wall right above our crib to give my newborn an interesting piece of art to study when she is playing or (hopefully) putting herself to sleep in the upcoming months. The scale is much grander than a small mobile and will keep her entertained for hours. The patterns are sophisticated enough to grow with her. My 3 yr old also loves the wall and decides each day which dot is her favorite. This is wall art that can stay with them through the years.

 

Tassels have hit it big this season, though not as big as the chevron or pom-pom, I think they will grow in popularity even more in 2013. Like Pom poms making your own tassels is the key to a hot look this season. Making your own ensures no one else will have your look, color or texture. Tassels are very versatile which is why  they are so hot right now. Their many uses includes necklaces, bracelets, earrings, curtain tie backs, trim, blanket fringe and pillow tassels just to name a few.  

Making and sizing your tassels depends on your tool; for a larger tassel use a glass with a large base (the tassel will be as long as half the circumference. For an even larger tassel you can use a kitchen canister, lamp base or even a bucket (for seriously large tassels). For small tassels you can use a serving fork or a narrow vase. Making your tassel is pretty easy too, just be sure you have plenty of yarn. You can change up the look of your tassels by using a contrasting yarn for the wrap or even a different type of cording like wire, twine or embroidery floss. Making your own tassels gives any project a custom look and adds a finishing detail above readymade tassels. You can make the color and size you need without hours of searching or driving. I love making tassels for fringes, wardrobe accessories and home décor projects.