Free Download: Cardboard Bear

by evie s. on June 26th, 2009

I experimented with using some cereal boxes to create this cute bear with movable arms and legs. I’ve been wanting to create a project with cardboard ever since I saw this post on design sponge. So, I put together this bear pattern for you to try too! Just download this PDF and cut out the pieces and use as your template to trace onto cardboard. Cardboard packaging works perfectly.

Once all the parts are cut, you can use a needle and thread to sew the layers together. You could also use miniature brads to achieve the same mobility, it just wouldn’t look as cute as the buttons. I drew the flower freehand and used a yellow colored pencil to add some interest. I also threaded this together with needle and thread and used a button on top. I think it turned out pretty cute! Not sure what I’ll use it for, but I’m glad I finally got around to doing it.

Have a great weekend everybody! Keep your eyes peeled next week for some exciting posts about my new handcrafted products and a giveaway that you won’t want to miss!

DIY Hair Accessories

by evie s. on June 25th, 2009

I don’t post too much about fashion here (maybe I should start!), but I thought it would be fun to post a couple of the hair accessories I made. The first one is a cheapo plastic headband that I hot glued a feather on. That was easy enough.

The other one is an idea I had to make a braided fabric headband. Then I saw this post with a similar idea, and that was  enough motivation for me to do it. Here is what you need:

• Fabric
• Ruler
• Scissors

Simply cut three strands of fabric about an inch wide from fabric. Then, gather your strands so they are even and tie a knot at the top. Put something heavy on top and start braiding until you get to the end. Then make another knot and tie the finished product around your beautiful head. Sooo easy!

It’s a quick and easy way to add some flair to your look. To see full-size photos, go here.

I Heart Dad Handmade Onesie

by evie s. on June 22nd, 2009

Part of my husband’s Father’s Day present was this handmade onesie which Eli wore throughout the day. I drew the letters freehand onto scrap fabric, then cut, pinned and sewed them on to a plain white onesie. I really love how it turned out, and so did Kent.

What did you all do for your husbands/fathers?

Our Five Year Anniversary

by evie s. on June 15th, 2009

This last Saturday my husband and I celebrated our fifth wedding anniversary. It was a very low-key relaxing day, no work, just play! There were several ideas I had in my head for a card, but I settled on this design.

I drew and colored the “5″ with colored pencil on gray cardstock and cut rounded corners. Then I chose a blue satin ribbon and cut “V’s” at the ends and hot glued the folds to make it look like a banner. I then used an alphabet rubber stamp to create the “Happy Anniversary” message. Soon I’ll post a photo of a carved wooden elephant that he made for me.

In short, we had a great day and we look forward to 5 more years together, and then some! To see a full-size photo, go here.

Cracked Wood Bowl Rescue

by evie s. on June 11th, 2009

I picked up this beautiful solid wood bowl in the FREE pile at an estate sale. Of course I couldn’t resist picking it up and doing something with it to give it a new life. So I had the idea to fill the crack with some homemade clay. I made the clay, squished it into all the cracks, cleaned off all the excess, and then poked little dots into the clay with a toothpick. Put it into the oven, and that’s it!

It’s much more presentable now, and I was lucky that the crack made such a pretty design.

Here is an easy recipe for homemade clay:

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup salt
• 1/4 cup water

Make sure the dough isn’t too stiff or too watery. Knead by hand until smooth. Bake at 250 degrees for about an hour and a half.

So the lesson here is, just because something is damaged doesn’t mean it’s worthless. Be creative and figure out a way to rescue it! To see full-size photos go here.

Father’s Day Gift and Free Download

by evie s. on June 4th, 2009

It’s been awhile since I’ve offered a free download, so hopefully this one will make up for it! This is a free download for a card and a jar label for Father’s Day. This should give you plenty of time to do it since it’s still a couple weeks away.

All you need are the following supplies:

• Glass Jar (I just save my salsa, pasta sauce, etc jars when they are empty and repurpose them)
• Cardstock
• Tape or glue and scissors
• Fabric
• Raffia or ribbon
• Button or other embellishment
• Homemade BBQ sauce (Here is a great recipe.)

Just print out this PDF on cardstock and cut out the label and card. For the label, you can use tape or glue to adhere it to the glass jar. I then filled it with yummy sauce and put the lid on top. I covered the lid with some fabric I had on hand then tied it with raffia and added a button as embellishment. That’s it!

To see a full-size photo, go here.

Crafts Dept Design Submission

by evie s. on May 20th, 2009

So I heard about this contest on the Martha Stewart Crafts Dept blog a few weeks ago, and I made a mental note to enter. I finally submitted my entry today after days of mulling over ideas for the design in my head. My goal was to incorporate a couple different craft techniques, so I settled on embroidery and a couple different paper cutting methods.

Anyway, I transferred my CRAFTS lettering using graphite transfer paper on a vintage linen handkerchief and used embroidery thread to outline the design. Then I used a scalloped rotary cutter to create edges around the design using Martha’s tool from her craft line. I also used her paper and shape punch to create the starburst. Then I put it all together and took a photograph. Once I got a photo I liked, then I went into Photoshop and added some more details.

I’m happy with the result and would be thrilled to win, but I’m not getting my hopes up. It would be cool to win the Encyclopedia of Crafts book though.

You can see full-size photos of the project here. I’d love to know what you think of it!

Mother’s Day 2009

by evie s. on May 11th, 2009

Hope you all had a great Mother’s Day. Being my first as a mom, it was even more special. It seems that every Mother’s Day I end up taking extra time to make my mom something special. So, I saw this post and went out the same day to get the Martha Stewart Screw Punch. Wowee! I love it. I used a dot patterned monogram as my guide (also from Martha) for my mom’s card. It’s very easy to use. The punch comes with three sizes, my only complaint is that I wish it came with a smaller punch to make tiny dots. But, the result was just beautiful. I overlaid the pattern onto my card and punched the lights out of the paper. My mind is already swirling with other ideas to make use of this new tool.

The punch has a tiny reservoir for keeping the paper that’s been punched out. I thought they looked neat in a pile, so I took a photo of that too.

I also had a beautiful bracelet made for my mother that had pictures of all her grandkids on it. She absolutely loved it.

So dear readers, what did you do for your moms?

DIY Coaster Craft

by evie s. on April 27th, 2009

I am a recovering pack rat. There are many things I keep, thinking, “someday I’ll do something with that.” Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t. When my husband picked up these nice leather coasters that a local housing complex was using as a promotional giveaway, I tucked them away in my craft room with the intention of repurposing them. And that I did.

All you need for this craft are some coasters to repurpose, paper, scissors or circle cutter and modge podge.

1. Cut circles out of decorative paper (I used vintage wallpaper) using circle cutter or scissors to fit the face of the coasters.
2. Use modge podge to adhere them to the coasters surface and let dry.
3. Seal the top using a layer of modge podge and let dry.

That’s all there is to it. I may keep these for myself, but they’d also make a great gift.

To see full-size photos, go here.

Chocolate Themed Shower

by evie s. on March 16th, 2009

This last weekend was busy hosting a baby shower at my house for a friend of mine. It was a chocolate themed shower, with a buffet of cookies, fruit, brownies, and other treats to dip into three different types of chocolate. Yum! The invitations and decor were so fun to put together. Here are some highlights:

The Invitation design from an idea I stole from Rebecca Thuss // Strawberries and Donut Holes ready for dipping // Handmade paper flowers on some branches I cut from my tree outside // Chocolate fountain and handmade paper medallions // Small centerpiece with paper flowers and paper covered tins with confetti