New Crafts Are on the Way...

Sorry I haven't posted in a few days but weather and life have kept me busy.  Don't worry, I have been faithfully crafting but haven't been able to post yet.  More to come soon!

Beat Winter's Chill with a Warm Heart...

Today's craft is inspired by the never-ending snow the East Coast has been getting and, of course, Valentine's Day.  It's an adorable combo of winter and romance...Love's Snowflake :)

These are super-easy to make and require only a few materials:  paper, pencil, scissors, and glue.

How to Make It:

STEP 1:  Cut out a paper circle at least 4 inches in diameter (the larger the circle, the easier to work with).

STEP 2:  Fold circle in half.

STEP 3:  Fold in half again.

STEP 4:  Fold in half again.

STEP 5:  Draw this template onto your triangle.  Cut shaded areas with scissors.

STEP 6:  Unfold and voila!

                             

Glue to card stock or construction paper to make a card, attach to a gift bag, or string together a whole bunch for a pretty Valentine's Day garland.

Kids will love this project because it's quick and easy.  Parent's will love this because there is very little mess ( just a few paper shavings).  HAVE FUN!

Quote of the Day

So true!

Perfect Valentine's Day Gift...

Not only a great Valentine's Day gift but also ideal as a wedding present :)

Lady & The Tramp Silhouette Set

Valentine Envelope (Yesterday's Craft O' The Day)

Just in time for Valentine's Day, this is a cute little craft that can be finished in no time and is perfect for gift-giving...  

The Valentine Envelope:

This is a straight single crochet pattern so it is great for beginners.  You basically crochet an 8-inch square, fold and sew it together, and finish the edges.  

I found the free pattern on Lion Brand's website and used some spare yarn I had in the house.  Red and white yarns are always handy to have because you can use them for Christmas and Valentine's Day :)

I think these envelopes are great for giving to a child with a little surprise in it- candy, toys, money, or an origami heart ;)

Very easy, very sweet!  ENJOY!

Mittens for the Whole Family

Sorry there was no new posting yesterday but our house was without power for about 10 hours.  I did, however, make a craft to share :)  Some cute little mittens for my daughter:

You can find the pattern at Lion Brand's website.  I used a different brand of yarn than Homespun but it worked just as nicely.  I'm still trying to get the whole thumb thing down but it'll do for now :)

HAVE FUN!

Quote of the Day

So Cheesy, It's Cute!

In my search for quick and easy crafts, I stumbled across this little gem...it's both adorable and cheesy :)  It's called the Soapy Apron.  Yes, it's an apron for your dish soap (commence eye rolling)...I still love it!

This uses one of my favorite yarns- Lily Sugar n' Cream.  The pattern can be found here.  I took liberties with the color choices and used what I had in the house.  My edging needs a little work but I think it looks pretty good.

Lovingly placed on my kitchen windowsill above the sink :)

 If you're good at crocheting, you can probably knock this out in an hour.  Not bad, right?  And, if anything, it's a great conversation piece.  

A Couple Side Notes:

1.  I showed this to my husband today and he promptly asked me, "Um, did you mean to make that?"...implying, of course, that this was an unfortunate accident.  Yes, I was really trying to crochet an afghan but wound up with this so I went with it *LOL*.

2.  After seeing this craft, my husband asked me if I was becoming one of those people that makes "cozies" for everything in the house.  No, I'm not that crazy!

HAVE FUN!

Craft O' The Snow Day- Crocheted Flower Coaster

February 3, 2014

Well, it's another snow day in Pennsylvania!  Much to our chagrin the snow that melted away yesterday has come back with a vengeance.  Today's Craft O' The Day is great for snow days because it's quick and easy.  It's a cute crocheted flower coaster that is a perfect accessory to your favorite warm beverage on a day like this.

Here's the pattern:

Flower Coaster By: Doni Speigle     

Materials: (for one coaster): Worsted Weight Cotton Yarn: - 3 yards Yellow (center circle of flower) - 13 yards Flower Color Size G (4.25mm) Crochet Hook Yarn Needle  

Stitches Used/Abbreviations: ch = chain sl st = slip stitch sc = single crochet dc = double crochet sk = skip beg = beginning  

Finished Size:  4 ¼” across  

Note:  Coaster is worked in continuous rounds without joining at the end of each round (with the exception of round 3, which IS joined at the end of the round).  It’s helpful to use a stitch marker to mark the first stitch of each round.

Flower Coaster: 

Round 1) with yellow, ch 2, 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook, do not join round (6 sc) 

Round 2) 2 sc in each st around, do not join round (12 sc) 

Round 3) *2 sc in next st, sc in next st*, repeat from * to * around, join with a sl st to first st, end off yellow. (18 sc) 

Round 4) With flower color, join with a sl st in any st, ch 1, 2 sc in same st, sc in next 2 sts, *2 sc in next st, sc in next 2 sts*, repeat from * to * around. Do not join round. (24 sc) 

Round 5) * 2 sc in next st, sc in next 3 sts*, repeat from * to * around. Do not join round (30 sc) 

Round 6) *2 sc in next st, sc in next 4 sts*, repeat from * to * around. Do not join round (36 sc) 

Round 7) *sl st in next st, skip next st, 5 dc in next st, sk next st *, repeat from * to * around, ending with a sl st in beg sl st (9 petals) End off, weave in all ends.  

Here is the coaster I completed today :)

© 2011 Doni Speigle.  All rights reserved.  This pattern may not be sold, or posted to any website or electronically transmitted, or copied in any way, without the written consent of the copyright owner.  Finished items may be made from the pattern and sold at local craft fairs, fundraisers, etc., but please do not sell anywhere online. 

Here are my suggestions for the pattern:

1.  Use cotton (kitchen) yarn because it's sturdy and comes in a variety of colors.

2.  Make the coaster a little bigger by doing Round 6 twice.  Otherwise, the coaster is a little on the small side.

3.  Mix & match colors, use one solid color, or choose a yarn with multiple colors in it (like I did).  There are tons of possibilities :)

HAVE FUN AND SEND PICS OF YOUR FLOWERS!

Quote of the Day...

"It's not just about the creativity, it's about the person you're becoming while you're creating."
                                                                                 ---Charlie Peacock

Wishing for an Early Spring...

February 1-2, 2014

Happy Groundhog Day!  In celebration of this obscure holiday, I decided to make one of my favorite crafts that is easy and oh so pretty- The Waldorf Star.  

I chose bright and sunny colors in hopes that we will have an early spring but any color combination will result in a beautiful star that doubles as a sun catcher :)  This is an origami-esque type of craft with a little gluing involved...no big whoop!

Here's What You Need:

1.  Kite paper or tissue paper (colors of your choice).  I've never tried kite paper but it is the preferred material to use because it's thicker and easier to work with.  However, tissue paper works just fine and is probably something you have in your house already.

2.  Scissors

3.  Glue, glue stick or Modge Podge

4.  Foam brush or small paint brush (optional) to spread the glue.

5.  Small hole puncher and/or string (for hanging).

Here's how to make it:

Cut your paper into eight 6" squares (4 of each color or whatever combo you choose).

Take one piece of paper and...

Fold it in half (don't mind the crease that's in the paper shown above).

Unfold the paper and then fold in two parallel corners to the middle crease you've made.

Then fold each side of this piece to the middle crease again (as if you were making a paper airplane).

This is what it should look like.

Now, on the opposite end of your airplane, fold the other two corners down to the middle crease.

This will form a diamond shape.

Here's what it looks like turned over.

Once you've made all of your "diamonds" you'll glue them to each other by placing the lower left edge of each diamond against the middle crease of the diamond before it.

Use a few dots of Elmer's glue, a glue stick or some Modge Podge.  To avoid seeing the dots of glue, spread the glue out a little with a foam brush or small paint brush.

Keep going all the way around...

Ta-da!

Punch a small hole at the top of one of the diamonds for hanging in a sunlit window.

There are may variations of the Waldorf star.  I'll try and post some of these variations in the future.  HAVE FUN AND HAPPY GROUNDHOG/SUPER BOWL DAY!

Quote of the Day...

Project!

1.  I refinished a used Pottery Barn dining room table over the summer.  While I love how it turned out, I'm thinking of painting the top of it because (a) there is a lot of wood going on in our dining room (table, chairs, hutch, and hardwood floors) and (b) the top of the table has a lot of swirly lines going on because I used an electric sander (my faux pas).  

Here are some BEFORE and AFTER pics:

As you can see, the top of the table had a lot of knicks and scratches.

I sanded the finished off the top and sides to the bare wood.  It's a really lovely knotty wood :)

First coat of stain.

Next coat of stain.

Final coat of stain.

You can kinda see the swirly lines in this pic.

Final product???

I'm strongly considering painting just the top of the table with something called chalk paint.  I discovered chalk paint when doing a little online research about refinishing furniture.  The one major selling point for me is the fact that chalk paint contains absolutely no toxic fumes.  So, you can paint inside your house without worrying about any danger to yourself or your family :)  The paint comes in a variety of colors and is perfect for giving your furniture a distressed or antique look.  It is also supposed to cover really well which means you don't have to apply coat after coat.  And it dries fast!  

I haven't decided on a color yet but I'm probably going to go with a soft vintage-looking blue or green to go with the country theme of the dining room.

What do you think???  Should I paint just the top of the table or the whole sha-bang?  What color?  I'd love your input!

2.  I also want to paint this little table that I got off of a nice lady on Facebook.  The wood is just too dark and doesn't go with the rest of the house.  I love it, though, and want to give it a more retro look.

It sits in a cozy corner by our staircase and holds a really cool hurricane lamp and our phone.  The drawer is my daughter's domain (as is every drawer in the downstairs) and at any given time is filled with hair bands, play jewelry, pennies, lip balm, tiny plastic things that go with some toy somewhere, and random pieces of paper.

Any thoughts on color choice???  I think I'd like to replace the knob on the drawer, too.