I have been needing some containers for my craft table to store my rulers, scissors, paint brushes and other tall stuff in. I decided to make my own for She’s Crafty using stuff I already had—some Trader Joe’s coffee cans and some wrapping paper from Jessica Pilar.
They were super easy to make. I just measured the height and circumference of the can and used a rotary cutter and self healing mat to cut the paper to size. I then used spray adhesive to attach the paper to the can and decorated them with some ribbon and little pompoms I had lying around. They look pretty awesome on my craft table!
I just love the bold designs of the wrapping paper from Jessica Pilar. Jessica is a graphic designer turned pattern designer and she creates the loveliest patterns on tote bags, cards, pillows, tees as well as on wrapping paper. You can see more on her website and in her Etsy Shop.
Oh, I’ve been having so much fun creating for the She’s Crafty feature. My latest project involved making a necklace and earrings with some ceramic beads and buttons from Panopoly Creations.
Panopoly Creations is the work of ceramist Lynae Straw and I’ve long admired her creations, especially her beads and buttons. I love the textures and the colorful glazes of her work and I had this idea to string some of her buttons on some sterling chain with bead accents. I’m so happy with how it turned out…see my creation below.
All the buttons and beads are from Panopoly Creations and I used some sterling silver wire, chain and findings I already had on hand (probably sourced from Fire Mountain). I also used some carnelian accents on the earrings.
Lynae’s beads and buttons can be used for all types of projects, not just jewelry. I’d love to use some as an accent on a fabric bag & on this scarflette I am making. Custom requests are also available, so if you have something specific in mind for one of your projects, just contact Lynae.
Look at what I made for She’s Crafty! I call it the Indie ‘Foxx’ Garland and I made it using Smock’s double-sided wrapping papers.
I love woodland creatures and that’s why the Indie Fixx design is filled with them. Plus, the fox is one of my totem animals (I have several). That’s why I decided to make myself a fun foxy garland to hang over my desk in my office/studio. You can make your own as well using my template and my easy directions.
Materials:
1. Decorative card stock or other heavyweight paper like the wrapping papers from Smock.
2. Pencil
3. Ruler
4. Scissors
5. Hemp cord
6. Small hole punch
How-to:
- Print out the Foxx Template.pdf and cut is out to make a stencil.
- Trace the stencil onto your decorative papers as many times as you want foxes.
- Cut out your cute little foxes.
- Use a hole punch (one of the smaller sized ones) to punch holes on either end of your fox. I did one fox and then used that as a guide with the other ones, so my holes lined up.
- String your foxes onto some hemp cord and tie knots on the back (although if you use Smock paper there is no back since it’s double sided) to keep them from sliding around. I started in the middle and worked my way out the edges.
- Voila! Isn’t it cute?
* Please note that the Foxx Template.pdf is for personal use only and the image cannot be changes of altered in any way. I retain the copyright to this image.
When she heard about my the new She’s Crafty feature, Jan of Daisy Janie asked if I’d like to receive some Daisy Janie fabric scraps. I said , “Heck, yea!” I think Jan’s line of fabrics are just dreamy and I was looking forward to playing.
After getting my crafty loot, I was sitting at my kitchen table thinking about what I wanted to do and my eye came upon these 3 Ikea bud vases that I’ve been keeping filled with stuff from my yard (mostly marigolds, black-eyed susans & chamomile). Then I remembered about that pile of sticks Mr. Indie Fixx picked up the other day and I thought I’d make some fabric flowers to fill my vases with.
These were super easy to make. Just use some leftover fabric you have already have or buy some Daisy Janie fabric for another fun project (get around to that chair that needs covering, sew a few throw pillows, make a lovely quilt) and use the scraps.
Fabric Scrap Buds
Materials:
Fabric strips
Scissors
Ribbon
Sticks
How-to
- Use your fabric strips from other projects or cut some fabric into strips approximately 6″ long by 3″wide.
- Start at one corner and roll the fabric diagonally towards the opposite corner. Then about halfway switch directions the other corner. Roll fairly loosely, but keep the bottom of the ‘bud’ pinched. Leave enough room for the stick.
- Slide a stick (mine are about 10″ long) through the bottom of the flower bud to about halfway up.
- Tie some ribbon around the bottom to affix it to the stick. Trim ribbon to desired length.
Here are some of my favorite Daisy Janie patterns. They are so fresh, clean and lovely. Plus all the fabrics are organic and are available in cotton sateen (or a cotton linen blend) and for a limited time in canvas. Choose your favorite pattern and your favorite colorway and mix + match!
I have some more Daisy Janie fabric and I am planning another project that I will share, but I haven’t quite decided what I will do yet. You guys will be the 1st to know when I come up with something.
More She’s Crafty crafty goodness for you this fine Tuesday. I tried out the new Stitchable Stationery Kit by Jenny Hart and published by Chronicle Books. As a fan of Jenny Hart’s Sublime Stitching, I was quite excited to get this in the mail to try out. The kit includes 6 folded cards (5 x 7 size + 6 envelopes both with pre-printed patterns on them), 4 skeins of embroidery floss and 2 embroidery needles. The directions were super easy and the kit is suitable for adults and kids (at least those who are old enough to handle needles).
Here’s one the cards I finished. I made it for someone’s birthday, who shall remain nameless for now. I chose the bird design, but it was a toss-up between the Matryoshka doll and the Chinese lanterns as well.
I chose to ’stay in the lines’ but you can add little extra flourishes or even add some embellishments as well.
Here’s a pattern, so you can see what it looks like. You just pop your needle through all the dots to make holes and then you use the backstitch to embroider it.
It’s a good gift idea for someone who is crafty, but has never really embroidered. Or a good investment for a car trip, to keep you occupied while sick in bed or if you are on the phone all day with your customer service rep job. Pretty basic for embroidery pros though…one of whom I am not.
I’ve been crafting up craftaliscious storm, my friends. This week I’ve finished up 3 projects that I will be sharing with you for She’s Crafty in the upcoming weeks.
Today, I am sharing a decoupaged wall plaque that I made using some wallpaper scraps Mr. Indie Fixx bought me from Freshly Blended (Blog) and some of the lovely wallpaper from Smock (Etsy Shop).
If you sell crafty supplies and want to get in on the action, send me an email.
Materials:
1. Decorative papers and/or wallpapers like the ones I used from Freshly Blended & Smock.
2. Mod Podge
3. Paintbrush
4. Ready made plague from the craft store
5. Scissors
6. Blade cutter
7. Ribbon
8. Pencil
9. Ruler
10. 2 thumbtacks—the ‘flat’ kind
11. Acrylic paint (optional)
How-to
- Trace the outline of the wall plague onto your background paper.
- Use a paintbrush to apply the Mod Podge in a thing layer to the back of the background and then affix it to the plague. Make sure to stick it on good. You don’t want it to bubble.
- Wait about 15 minutes for it to dry and then use the razor cutter to trim the paper edges where is overlaps the plague….that is if you didn’t do a good job tracing it like me.
- Apply Mod Podge to the front and make sure to overlap it onto the plague to help it stick. If you have never used Mod Podge, it does dry clear.
- Repeat the Mod Podge application with your detail papers. Making sure to dry in between steps or it may rip the paper.
- Cut a length of ribbon after determining how much ribbon you want to show. Include an extra inch of ribbon when measuring.
- Fold the ribbon ends over onto itself about 1/8″ at least 3 times.
- Measure where to place the thumbtacks, you want them to be even from the ends of the plague. Stick the thumbtack through the ribbon end and stick it all the way into the wood. Do the other side and you are done.
- I plan on painting the frame black, but I didn’t have any black acrylic paint…I will get around to it at some point.
Here are some of the gift wraps that are available from Smock (Etsy Shop). It’s sustainably offset printed on 100% post-consumer recycled heavyweight paper. You get 2 sheets sized 24″ x 36″ for $8. They are double-sided too!
$2 wallpaper scrap packs from Freshly Blended and all the proceeds are donated to the SPCA!
