sutton087

Easy way to add a special touch to your sewing Tutorial at Easy Sewing for Beginners Blog "Here is my tried and tested method for how to make fabric labels at home! I have tested the best method for making fabric labels and this was the most washable and durable method that I tested and the most professional looking, too!  This method uses heat transfer paper and is great for making labels for handmade clothing or just for your handmade items in general. You can also use this method for creating custom clothing labels. This method is very cost effective if you are starting your own little handmade sewing business or t-shirt business, as you can customise the labels to have anything you want on them".... Read more

Show your colors with these Stars and Stripes eggs this summer Tutorial at Happier than a Pig in Mud Blog "How about jazzing up the backyard BBQ with some Stars and Stripes Deviled Eggs. Instead of dying the whites, this time I colored them with food writing markers, it was easy and fun. You're only limited by your imagination and um, patience.  Cut the hard boiled eggs in half and pop the yolks into a bowl, mix up your favorite deviled egg recipe, set aside".... Read more

Sew a cute, double-sided bunting banner Tutorial at Apple Green Cottage Blog "Hello crafting friends! Another beginner sewing tutorial is waiting for you today. I'm excited to show you how to sew an easy fabric bunting banner. It's double-sided and so cute!  Make your own fabric bunting to hang as decoration. It's a great use of your fabric scraps".... Read more

Cover ends with hot glue to prevent unraveling Tutorial at Mary Martha Mama Blog "Some of you are probably sick of me and the headbands.  But for me 2016 is the year of the headbands.  Well, at least it’s the year of beefing up my headband collection.  My hair accessories tend to grow legs, walk away, and hide around here.  So I’ve been busy making a few styles- knotted, ruffle flower, braided, and now a rope headband.  This one is so so simple to make.  I cannot over-exaggerate that.  And it’s inexpensive to boot.  Here’s what you need".... Read more

Get creative styling your DIY cape Tutorial at AKI 1 a.m. Blog "Today’s DIY is an easy dupatta design in the trending cape style, inspired by the likes of Tarun Tahiliani and Pratyusha Garimella. I converted a basic off-white hand-loom dupatta into a edge dye (natural dyeing) dupatta cape with placement embroidery. You could use net dupatta with ready embroidery, printed Georgette dupatta, multi-colored silk dupatta or any fabric of 2.5 mtr of your choice. I will be showing a step-by-step tutorial of the dupatta cape – from neckline shaping, embroidery attaching to edge dyeing".... Read more

Jewelry adaption to create a cord necklace in 10 minutes Tutorial at Jewels of Sayuri Blog " As a mixed media artist, whenever I come across a labor intensive technique exclusive to a particular medium, I look for ways to simplify the process by which I can combine it with another material or technique. I try to come up with alternate methods that might imitate or bring about the concept or simply the look of the piece but from a different perspective. By doing this, I mean no offense to the original craft, artisan or the process. Instead, I try to establish a new, previously unsought route to practicing a familiar craft. In this case, I thought, why not adapt the concept of  'capturing a focal using a cord bezel' from Soutache jewelry and morph it into something modern by using round cords and wire wrapping ".... Read more

Make an upcycled dancing belt from silk scarves Tutorial at Flash Fit Trainer Blog "I love the idea of Zumba belts. I love the idea of wearing jingly Zumba belts for other dance programs too. I also have a stack of silk scarves that I’ve collected from thrift stores over the years. They’re usually something like 50 cents, so it’s hard to resist their ornate designs. Problem is, it’s hard to know what to do with them. I’ve seen neat curtains and skirts made out of them, but that’s about it. Well, you marry your love of Zumba belts and your love of thrifted silk scarves, and you’ve got yourself an upcycled dancing belt".... Read more

Bring nature into your bathroom decor Tutorial at A Crafty Mix Blog "You don’t need to spend a lot of money on a towel rack, it’s easy to make one from an old branch. Here’s how we made this one. All you need is a sturdy curved branch and some curtain accessories similar to the one shown in the picture below. It’s the bits you screw into the wall that keep the curtain rod up.  We cut the branch down a little and removed the side growths".... Read more

Make 2 each of hats, scarves, and neckwarmers Tutorial at Cheryl Lynch Quilts Blog "Did you know that you don't have to finish the edges because polar fleece doesn't fray? Have you seen all of the bright and fun prints? I am sharing my method/pattern for making polar fleece hats, scarves and neck warmers en masse. Whether you choose to make these as gifts for your friends and family or use this tutorial to make them for the needy, you'll find this a quick and fun method. I designed this a few years ago for my quilt guild's community outreach to make the hat/scarf sets to distribute to the local homeless shelters. It is also a wonderful kids sewing project and a wonderful charity sewing project".... Read more

Step by step photo tutorial along with a downloadable PDF Tutorial at Easy Sewing for Beginners Blog "If you’re short like me chances are you are going to need to take up new pants before you can ever wear them. Booo! In this tutorial I’m going to show you an easy way to take up your pants using a straight stitch on the sewing machine. I’ve include all the steps from working out what the new length is going to be all the way to sewing the new hem on your sewing machine. This method can be easily used for skirts and dresses as well. I hope you find this video useful! It will save you tons of money since you won’t need to pay someone to take up all your new pants for you".... Read more

Wallet has inner plastic window for card viewing Tutorial at Le Stitch en Folie Blog "Choose your fabric and iron it so that it lies flat. Cut two rectangular pieces with the following dimensions: Outer face: 10 cm x 23 cm, Inner face: 8 cm x 21 cm.  Lay the front of the inner face on the revert side of the outer face. Centre. Glue (just a few dots of glue to hold the fabrics in place".... Read more

Design has subtle visual cues for glass and napkin placement Tutorial at The Inspired Wren Blog "As a family we don't dine out often, but we make dinners special by eating together and listening to music while we eat. And in the Summer we do it outside! Of course The Peanut sets the table for us and she still needs cues where to place the glass, the napkin, the fork and knife. So I created these happy, Summer-ready placemats with subtle cues for table setting. Now you can, too".... Read more

Appliqued hexies add a nice touch Tutorial at Threading My Way Blog "Today I'm going to show you how to repurpose a pair of jeans and turn one of the legs into a drawstring bag. Pop a gift inside, and there's no need for wrapping. The bag becomes both a present and the wrapping. Read on for the tutorial.  I'll give measurements for the bag I made, but you can, of course make the bag any size you want, as long as you can find a pair of pre-loved jeans that is the required size".... Read more

A lovely necklace to wear with summer outfits Tutorial at Happy Girly Crafty Blog "Lately I have a thing for necklaces, I like to keep my outfits simple and add a touch of drama with necklaces! But, I don't always want huge dramatic pieces - that's why I love dainty necklaces that are cute and easy-to-wear! Especially if you add geometric elements! So today I'm showing you how to make a (recycled) geometric dainty beaded necklace".... Read more

Hard-wearing and practical storage Tutorial at Bonjour Handmade Blog "I got this idea when I was operating a home kindergarten. Laundry detergent bottles are so sturdy!! It’s a shame to throw them away!! We’ve also used them in the sand, to carry objects outside, etc. The handle makes it quite handy for children, and you can use them for anything you wish! So you will need an empty plastic laundry detergent bottle (liquid soap for cleaning clothes). The hardest part in this project is to remove the label! With some warm water, a small knife or a spoon, and lots of patience, you will have terrific results".... Read more

Cute, easy pouch is a cool craft idea for kids Tutorial at Stylenrich Blog "Getting your hands on DIY Easy Kid’s Craft is a fun art and craft activity for kids. In the process of learning how to make a Peppa Pig Pencil Pouch kids can make a smart and systematic storage idea of school supplies. A cool craft, this Peppa Pig Pencil Pouch is an enjoyable activity and is an absolute Do It Yourself at home craft, that kid’s can enjoy making with parents. Learn how to make a cute no sew DIY Peppa Pig Pencil Pouch   because it is one easy handmade craft that is very useful".... Read more

These are a great beginning sewers project Tutorial at Nina Makes Blog "Things are finally cooling off around here, and some hats are definitely going to be needed!  This is a very quick and easy baby hat that can be worn for a long time as baby grows by adjusting the size of the fold.  In this tutorial I will give you all the instructions you need to make this hat in any size you like.  This hat is sewn in stretchy knit fabric (don’t be scared…knits are so much fun once you try!) this one is upcycled from a jersey, you only need two rectangles of fabric.  This little hat also has no seams against the baby’s head, so no uncomfortable scratchy seams leaving marks on those precious little heads".... Read more

Enjoy designing and playing with a DIY maze Tutorial at Frogs and Fairies Blog "Do you or your kids love to play with marbles? Or maybe solving mysterious mazes? What’s even more fun is a maze made especially for marbles! I should probably warn you, building a maze like this might captivate even adults and before you know it, you could all end up playing with it".... Read more

Instruction on adding a V-neck to any top Tutorial at So Sew Easy Blog "Have you ever wanted to apply a bias tape to a v-neck and did not know how?  This quick and easy tutorial will show you how to do this and is appropriate for woven and knit fabrics. This kind of technique can be use when you do not want to sew a collar to your garment, making the garment lighter and easier to style –which is perfect for the warmer days of summer".... Read more

Decorate something special with a decal transfer Tutorial at A Crafty Mix Blog "Decals and stencils are one of the easiest ways to add beautiful detail to furniture but they can be very expensive and 9 times out of 10 I can’t find what I’m looking for anyway so I decided to make my own. I know, I know I could’ve bought a Silhouette or Cricut to make a decal but I don’t have that kind of money and I’m guessing you might not either".... Read more

Simple, inexpensive, space efficient solution   Tutorial at Happier than a Pig in Mud Blog "I've been looking at these flexible hoses for a while now and was even more interested when I saw there is/was(?) a bucket that hangs over the faucet to store it in. The bucket only seems to be on Ebay these days and sells for big bucks. I knew there had to be another idea... Now, in a perfect world this little basket would be white. But this is ~my~ world and sometimes I just have to make do for now".... Read more

Spark conversation at the diner table reminiscing about previous holidays and city trips Tutorial at Pillar Box Blue Blog "Whenever I go on a city break I always come home with a handbag full of free maps. I can’t resist them even on a day trip to Brighton, which I know really well I still put one of the free maps at the station in my handbag. I don’t even need the maps to find my way round a city as there’s an app on my phone for that. But I love the paper maps, I love looking at them working out wherever thing is in relation to each other. Maps are my favourite free souvenir".... Read more

Encourage children to spend less time alone in front of screens and more outside Tutorial at Non Toy GIfts Blog "Starting young sets kids in a good direction and builds up a great connection with nature. Further down the line, it may be more up to parents to maintain this connection alive and help their kids establish a healthy balance between screen time and outdoor time.  A DIY nature explorer kit is a wonderful tool to assist children in engaging with nature. It can be directed to any age and focusing on any nature elements (flowers, trees) or creatures (bugs, butterflies, birds). It can be as simple as putting together just two items (binoculars and an observation notebook) or you can add as many items as you want".... Read more

Use fabric from your stash for this project Tutorial at Mary Martha Mama Blog "For my sister’s birthday I got her a coloring book and some colored pencils.  She travels a lot and I thought it might be a fun distraction for her when she’s flying or on layovers.  She texted me a picture of her coloring and I thought “She needs a pencil pouch!”.  So I decided to make her one and I’m sharing all the details with you".... Read more

This darling apron is a great project for beginners Tutorial at Creative Homemaking Blog "I spend quite a great portion of my time in the kitchen (and I normally don’t look this scary when I hold a whisk; I promise, I’m not trying to beat the heck out of you with my kitchen utensils!). And I realized I never ever owned an apron so I thought it’s time to reward myself for all that hard, delicious work and so I made a vintage apron pattern. I’ve always admired those cute, sweet looking aprons in round-ish shapes and with lots and lots of ruffles so I thought this would be a great time to make my dreams come true".... Read more

Use clip-on earrings backings for shoe clips Tutorial at Strawberry Butterscotch Blog "The next project on my craft list is something I made for Mother’s day as well as for myself. Shoe Clips! I have a set my mom gave me that I love.  I’ve been dying to make more to work with more outfits, and I thought they would make great gifts too.  Which is why my mom found a pair in a cute gift bag on Mother’s day.  And the gift giving continues. These were so easy and fun to make that I decided to make a video tutorial.   Shoe clips for all".... Read more

Pickup all needed supplies at your local craft store Tutorial at Borei Design Blog "I love blackberries! Not only do I think blackberries are really yummy, I grew up in the American South.  I have fond memories of picking wild ones with my mother as a kid before she passed away. When I saw this picture of this necklace at Custom Made, I just knew I had to have my own blackberry necklace".... Read more

Reduce thumb pain while still being able to sew Tutorial at Sewing Bee Fabrics Blog "Outside of sewing, I have had a lot of training in hand problems and injuries, and so I'm often asked about which splints are best for sewing. Thumbs and are especially common to struggle with when it comes to sewing, so I thought I would show you today how to make your own neoprene thumb support. This splint is great for adding stability for the base of the thumb".... Read more

Tired of the botanicals - swap them for a different prints Tutorial at The Rugged Rooster Blog "I’ve been seeing these salvaged windows with botanical prints in them everywhere. The thing I love about them is that they’re old, they’re chippy, they’re imperfect. The Free printables I found have that vintage flare that make them look like they were torn from an old book. Read on to find out where I found my salvaged window and where to find these awesome vintage and free printables".... Read more

Give a fresh summer look to your decor Tutorial at Curly Made Blog "I wanted to give a refreshed look to my not so pretty pillows without spending money and using supplies I already had at home, so I grabbed an old white sheet, some acrylic paints and after some tests I managed to recreate the watercolor effect that is such a big decor trend, on the cheap".... Read more

A simple way for kids to use natural materials to make art supplies Tutorial at AppleGreen Cottage Blog "Making your own nature paint brushes is easy, fun and free! It will get you and your kids out in the nature and kids will have a blast collecting natural materials - And pine needles make fantastic brushes! Paintbrushes can be made from a wide variety of different materials, many of which you probably already have in your yard. We used materials from evergreen trees for bristles. Have you ever made a paint brush out of cypress tree leaves? Or spruce needles".... Read more

Alter a girl's pants pattern to make cute shorts Tutorial at Anna's Heirloom Boutique Blog "As I was sewing up the pants, I couldn’t help but think that they would make the cutest bubble shorts. The front panel and the pleats are just too perfect. Not to mention, we’ve been having unseasonably warm weather here in the Pacific Northwest (think 85 degrees in April!) so we are already in need of some warm weather clothes. Anyway, once testing was over I didn’t hesitate to ‘hack’ the Unfancy Pants pattern to make my little Anna a pair of shorts. It was sooo easy and they turned out so well, I couldn’t wait to share it here with you".... Read more

Layer finishing techniques for a beautiful piece Tutorial at The Wood Spa Blog "Last month, one of my customers came to my house to drop off a couple of dressers she wanted me to refinish and when she saw this cabinet she fell in love with its color and finish asked me to do the exact same thing on her fireplace/TV console. This was her piece before. It is made of pressed wood, which I love to paint. The transformation is always for the better, and nobody beats me up for putting paint on some solid mahogany piece, “ruining its value".... Read more

A quick card to enclose with a gift, fast and easy Tutorial at From My Carolina Home Blog "This stamp set is really cute, and just the right idea for the card I needed. I wanted to send my cousin something fun. I also wanted to have some fun with my new embossing machine. It wasn’t a big expensive one, just a small one, but it works really well. So, I got out some blue cardstock and one of the embossing folders".... Read more

Bonus - extra storage for food and doggie treats Tutorial at A Crafty Mix Blog "A friend of ours needed a raised feeder for her gorgeous Great Dane called Brutus. She was worried about his back and didn’t want him to strain every time he ate but all the feeders were either too expensive or impractical so she asked us to make her one. Here’s how we did it".... Read more

Make a tropical-themed skirt for warm summer evenings Tutorial at So Sew Easy Blog "I’ve had so much fun working with Batik fabric since my recent trip to Indonesia.  This is another in the series of projects featuring Batik.  If you missed any of the prior articles, please have a look at The Ancient Art of Batik Printing for an introduction to Batik as well as our first project, a Folded Shopping Bag from Batik Fabric for more background and a neat beginner project.  Given that spring is well and truly on the way now, I thought it would be good to make a tropical-themed skirt for those warm summer evenings out.  I’ve used Batik fabric for both sides of this reversible skirt.  You can, of course, use other fabrics of similar weight and texture, but I like the exotic look of Batik".... Read more