Monday Mini Project!

I am always misplacing my big-eyed plastic needles and my mini scissors! This is half the reason a lot of my crochet projects sit unfinished. I decided once in a while to do something about it. The solution: a sort of 'chatelaine'!

You need:

Ribbon--18 to 20 inches or so.
A sewing machine, needle and thread or glue
Your big plastic needles and a mini scissors.

This is so easy! Just fold up one end of the ribbon to make a pocket for the needles. Sew or glue it (keep your glue line very thin if you do it that way. I used a machine.) and tuck in the needles.

Tie the other end of the ribbon around the scissors.

I don't have a picture, but I folded the ribbon in half and put a knot a little bit from the top to make a 'loop' for hanging.

All I have to do now is always remember to hang it up.

Editing to link to:
http://www.thegirlcreative.com/2011/04/just-something-i-whipped-up_24.html

Check it out: over 300 creative links!

Toy Stove Top Template

I saw this idea on some site or other but could not download it, so I made my own. I'm not sure you can use this, but try right-clicking it and doing a 'save picture as.'

Basically, you just keep making circles in black and red and pile them on top of each other to make 'burners.' The dials are simply black circles with a white rectangle.

I printed this on photo paper because I don't have any cardstock handy. I will cut everything out and laminate it. You could cover the pieces with sticky vinyl, too. Or you could just print it right onto sticker paper.

Then what I'll do is find a box for the 'stove.' I'll glue the pieces on accordingly. I think a big shoebox would do. Then I'll pick up an inexpensive cooking set at the dollar store. The pieces can go right in the box! I think the kids at work will love this. I even have some plastic food bought on clearance a while back to 'cook.'

Just a simple little idea. I hope you like it! Makes me want to look around and see what other household appliances I can make out of little boxes!

Finished wallets

Here are two little finished wallets. Please scroll down two previous posts to see how these were made.

If you already read them, then at this point all you do is sew on the button and sew up the sides of the 'pocket.' I used the topstitching as a guide so I wouldn't accidentally sew over a button.

I hope you have enjoyed this simple little tutorial! We will return to our regularly scheduled programming (ie, my 17,000 unfinished crochet projects) shortly!

Cute wallet, PT. 2

First, sorry these posts are backwards. I don't know how to rearrange them.

Last time around you folded the wallet in thirds and marked the folds with pins.

Use these pins as a guide to how large you want your applique to be.

I used a regular stitch to sew this down before decorating it. Can you guess what it's going to be?




A Bee! She is friendly and doesn't even have a stinger. Hmmm...looking at the photo, I might add another black stripe.

I leave it up to you how to make your appliques. You could use safety eyes but I happened to have googly eyes on hand. They are simply glued in place but everything else is sewn.

Sorry to do this, but I can't do any more on this until the glue dries. I shall return...

Super Cute, Super Easy Kid Wallet PT. 1

I'm designing some wallets for a friend's little girls. I'm all for easy, and want to share how I'm making them with you. This would be a great beginner's project!

First, you need 2 strips of material (one lining, one outer) measuring about 3.5" by 8.5". Fudge it--this ain't rocket science.

Then you need something to give the wallet 'body,' so you can use iron-in interfacing or maybe even a piece of felt the same size as the fabric pieces.

Iron in the interfacing if using it.

Now put the pieces wrong sides together. Yes, I said wrong sides. If you're using felt, sandwich it in between.

Now sew all four sides about 1/4" from the edge. Then use your pinking shears (you do have pinking shears, right?) to trim away the excess.

If you have a serger, knock yourself out.

Okay, see? Cute finished edges and no turning inside out!


Next, find a cute button and make a button hole.















Fold the wallet in 3rds, and mark the top and bottom folds with pins.

Please come back again for part two. Trying to cut and paste photos between my text is a pain.

Valentine Scrubbie & Tutorial

Here is a quick project. It measures about 5 x 4 inches.

I used an "H" hook here.

Make about 20 chains. This will be the width of your scrubbie from corner to corner, so make it as big as you like. You can do single crochets if you want, but HDCs are faster.(BTW, there's a name for this type of crochet, but I'm darned if I know what to call it.)

Half Double Crochet (HDC) in the 3rd chain from the hook, then all the way to the end.

Now, instead of going back in the other direction, continue around the back of the chain.

Keep going around and around like this. As you work, you will see little triangular 'pockets' forming at each end.

Once the 'pockets' meet each other, fasten off the yarn, leaving a long tail.

I save mesh bags from produce, and cut lengths of this for the heart. I actually sewed the pad shut before doing the heart, but I'd recommend doing it first because then you won't have a weird-looking back.

The cool thing is that you have diagonal rows that you can use as a guide for sewing the heart. You can use either a hook to pull the netting through, or one of those plastic needles with a gigunza eye.

After you embroider the heart (remember, it's a scrubbie, not haute couture. Nobody says you have to be a talented needleworker!), sew the pad shut with that long tail.

Now you have a little Valentine Scrubbie!

Tiny Potholder & Tutorial

Here is a little potholder I made last night. It took me about a half hour. As you can see, it is only about 4 inches square! It will be part of a set I'm designing for a child's gift. (Today I'm going to try an oven mitt.)

Here is the basic pattern, but please don't hold me to the numbers. Just wing it if you want to make it--I wing things all the time, LOL!

I chained about 15 stitches using cotton yarn (Sugar N Cream, for example) and a size G hook.

Then I did a half-double crochet (HDC from here on) in the second chain from the hook.

Then I skipped a stitch and did a single crochet (SC) and a HDC together in the next stitch.

Keep going across like that: skip a stitch, then SC and HDC in the next. You might have to do a single crochet in the end to even it out depending on how many chains you started with.

On the next row (row 2), you will start with a chain 2, then you'll do an SC and HDC in all the single crochets across. Frankly, I just looked for the biggest gap and used that. You won't be skipping any stitches now, btw.

Keep on repeating row 2 until you get a square, then fasten it off.

Now take a coordinating color and do a single crochet all around the square. Make 2 SCs at each corner to make it 'bend' easier.

You make the ruffle like this: slip stitch in one SC then do 3 double crochets in the next stitch. Keep alternating like this until you are done.

I think if I had started the ruffle at a corner, then ended there, my loop would have worked out better. As it happened, I had to make it separate.

I will post more 'tiny kitchen' projects as I make them! Meantime, of course I'm still working on all my other projects! Not much else to do with all that snow outside. If I don't have to go out (and I don't) I'm not going to!

Easy Wallet Notepad

How many times have you been in a store and suddenly had the thought there was something you were supposed to get, but you just can't remember what it was? Here is a little tutorial for a super easy notepad to keep in your wallet at all times. I plan to use this one to list things I need to finish Christmas gift crafts. That way, if there's a good sale on something I need at Joanne's or Michael's, I won't forget to get it.
First, you need a few sheets of notepad paper (or cut some up). You could even use those last few pages from the little spiral assignment pads your kids have left over from school. You know, the ones you have trouble ditching because there are 3 blank pages inside? Just cut off the raggy edges.


You also need a scrap of nice paper, like this Christmas paper I had left over from a few years ago.

Take a sheet of pad paper and use it to mark off the length and width.


Cut out the cover paper. You could trace it all around and cut with scissors, of course, but I love this thing.
Stack the papers up and clamp them together.


Stitch the pages together. I used a saddle stitch. Then, decorate the front any way you want--another good way to use leftovers from scrapbooking projects!

Now you have a little notebook that will fit nicely in your wallet (in case you are like me and don't like lugging a pocketbook around) and you'll always have your 'needs' list on hand!

I am linking to "It's Sew Stinking Cute" for Craft Thursday. Head on over there and check out all the great projects from our fellow bloggers!

http://itssewstinkincute.blogspot.com/2010/11/its-stinkin-cute-craft-thursday-28.html