Make. Candy Cane Hearts

I think I've found the most inexpensive valentine treat ever. I made 43 candy cane hearts for under $1. Total. These will be just perfect for all of the cute kids in class with my kids.

I found the mini candy canes on clearance at CVS for $.19 a box. I bought two boxes of 50 candy canes each. Some of the candy canes were broken and or not quite the right shape so I ended up with 43 favors.

In addition to the candy canes, I used some gingham ribbon, white and red cardstock, and a heart stamp. A scallop punch and some smaller circle punches came in handy while making the tag.

This wasn't the most ideal craft to make with the kids. It uses a glue gun which isn't exactly kid friendly.

You glue the candy canes together to form a heart shape and let cool for a minute. Then, they are ready to embellish. The kids helped me punch put the scallops and they wrote their names on the back of the tags.

I've seen projects like this before where you just glue directly onto the candy cane to make a heart but then you can't eat it. With these individually wrapped candy canes, they will be a treat that the kids can enjoy later!

Share your finished projects here at my flickr group!

January Craft Challenge Winner

It is my pleasure to announce that the winner of the very first Christy's Craft Challenge, is Lisa of Chimera Crochet.


The voting went back and forth and you all sent more people to this site than I ever imagined. Over 375 votes were cast. I'm just glad I don't have to compete against you guys. I'm amazed at the items you all came up with. I can't wait until next month!

Lisa won a $20 gift card to a craft store of her choice and also a free month of the craft challenge.

We have 13 crafters signed up for next month (most of them new participants!) and I'm not limiting the number of sign ups. HOWEVER...if you want to get in on the challenge, you need to order by the end of the day today, 1/30. You can find the packets at my shop.

And now, I have one more prize to award. This is honorable mention. I don't have any criteria for choosing this winner except that they had to blog about the challenge. When going through the posts to find a winner, I was going to award it to the first one I found that had my blog button on their site. Guess what? None of them did. Oh, the shame. Let this be a lesson to next month's participants. Instead I numbered them and went to random.org to get a winner. And that person is....

Maren from Like Karen with an "M".

Maren, you don't have to do anything except wait for the challenge packet to show up on your doorstep. If for some reason you'd like to skip February and use your free month some other time, let me know. I'm easy like that.

Congratulations!

Learn. How to Increase (kfb) Knitting School Lesson 5

If you're knitting along with us for the cowl, you should have accomplished the following:

Cast on 40 stitches.
Join to knit in the round.
Knit 11 rounds.

Now you're ready for the next step in the instructions. You're going to knit 8 and then make 1 stitch. The following video shows you how to make a stitch by knitting in the front and back of your stitch. My video is for the right handed knitters.





This next video is for left handed knitters.



You will knit 8 and make 1 stitch. Do that five times total. Then, you should be at the end of the round.

Knit 12 more rounds and then you'll have one more row of increases. This time you'll knit 9 and then make 1 stitch another five times. Knit 6 more rounds.

Once you've accomplished this much, you'll be ready for our next lesson-- Binding Off.

Let the Voting Begin!

voting is now closed

It has been a great month of crafting! The craft challenge entries are rolling in. We've got a few that haven't finished or sent me their pictures yet so check back later for those. I'll post them as soon as I get them but they just won't have as much time to gather votes.

There was some flickr confusion so to make it easier on challenge participants and potential voters, I've made this poll. You can direct all voters to this link
(http://christynelson.net/challenge.php) via your blog, twitter, email, etc...

You can vote as many times as your computer will let you. Voting will stay open until Jan 30th at 5pm (central time). I'll post the winner on Jan 31st.

If you would like to participate in the challenge for February, those packets are on sale until Jan 30th.

The winner of this month's craft challenge will receive a $20 gift certificate to a craft store (actual store dependent on location of winner) and the next month's challenge free.

Learn. How to Knit and Knit in the Round Knitting School Lesson 4

By this time you should have your supplies. You may have even cast on. This lesson is probably the most important one. You will learn how to knit and how to knit in the round on circular needles.

For this pattern, you cast on 40 stitches. When you have all of your stitches on your needle, you want to make sure they aren't twisted. This just means that you want all of the loops to be on top all the way around with no spiraling. Then you're going to scoot all your stitches around evenly on your needle and place needle with the yarn ball attached in your right hand (or left, if you're a lefty).

Add a stitch marker. You can buy fancy stitch markers on etsy or you can just use a piece of yarn in a different color tied in a slip knot. Basically, you just need something that will fit around your needle and you can just slip around each time you start another row. You'll want to place the stitch marker on your working needle (the one with the yarn ball attached).

All of these steps are probably the hardest you will encounter on this project. If you can get through that, you're home free.

Now it is time to learn how to knit. Because I still don't have a way to film my own tutorials, I went to find some online. You'll want to start knitting using the working needle and inserting it into the stitch on your other needle. You'll keep knitting around and around. You'll get lots of practice with the knit stitch.

Right Handed Knit Stitch Video
This video includes another type of cast on. If you'd like to skip that and go straight to the knit stitch, go to the 2 minute mark. It also shows you how to turn around but since we are knitting on circular needles, you won't ever do that on this project. You'll just slip the stitch marker and keep knitting.



Left Handed Knit Stitch Video
This video also includes the cast on. If you'd like to skip that and go straight to the knit stitch, go to the 2 minute mark. It also shows you how to turn around but since we are knitting on circular needles, you won't ever do that on this project. You'll just slip the stitch marker and keep knitting.



Continental Method
This is a popular way to knit, as well. You are doing the same thing--just using a different method.



Left-handed Continental

Every time you come to your stitch marker, just slip it from one needle to the next. Don't knit it!

You'll want to keep knitting until you've gone around 11 times. The next lesson will be about increasing the number of stitches and you'll get the rest of the pattern.

If you feel you need a little more help knitting in the round, check out this video.

Learn. How to Cast On Knitting School Lesson 3

Know that you have your yarn and needles for our project, you should be ready to cast on.

I thought I would be able to make video tutorials of me making the project along with you but I haven't had another person at home with me to film and my little flip on a tripod wasn't going to cut it. Instead, I found some great videos online that I can share with you.

There are all types of cast ons in knitting. If you already know how to cast on, by all means, cast on how you were taught. For this project, I found the easiest cast on videos I could find for both right handed knitters and left handed knitters.

For the cowl, you'll want to cast on 40 stitches.

How to Cast On Knitting Right-Handed



How to Cast on Knitting Left-Handed




Once you have cast on your 40 stitches, set it aside. I'll be posting the next lesson (the knit stitch and knitting in the round) soon.

Learn. How to Make Baby Legs Legwarmers

Leg warmers for kids and babies make sense. Do you really enjoy struggling with pulling up tights or pants every time you have to change a diaper or help a little one go to the bathroom? Plus, who can resist all the cute patterns and colors you can choose from?

This is one of the quickest projects I've ever done. I went over to Kelly's house so I could try out her serger. Kelly, of refibered, is an amazing seamstress that just happens to be doing some giveaways this week. Go over and take a look. She also has an Etsy Shop full of cute kid clothes, hats, etc...mostly made from reclaimed fabric. Thanks for all your help!

On to the tutorial.

Gather your supplies:

Knee high socks (I bought mine at Target in a pack of 3 for around $6)
scissors
sewing machine or serger

You'll be making three cuts. The first one is right above the heel. Make sure to cut both socks.

The next two cuts take place on the foot. One right about the toe and the other right before the heel. You won't need the toe or heel pieces. Save them to use in another project or toss them.

Next you'll want to take the foot piece and fold it in on itself in half. The picture is a little blurry but I hope you can get the idea.

Place the knee high (right side out) inside the cuff you just made. You'll want all three cut edges to line up.

Next you'll sew it all together. I made one pair with a serger and the other pair with a sewing machine. It was just as easy to sew on either one. The serger makes them look a little more professionally finished.

It was my first time to use a serger and I messed up a little bit and didn't catch all the layers. Oops! No big deal. I just put it back in there and stitched it up again making sure to get through all the layers.

The next set I made using the sewing machine. Make sure you choose a stitch that is stretchy. We used a 3 stitch zig zag and that worked just fine. When sewing knits, you'll just want to make sure to hold the fabric in the front and the back while you're sewing. It really wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be.

We also thought that it would be even easier if you eliminated the cuff altogether and just cut above the heel and stitched a little hem at the bottom.

As soon as I came home and showed my daughter what I made, she wanted to put them on immediately--no matter that she was wearing pants.

Share your finished projects at my flickr group!

Learn. How to Make Fusible Applique Letters

Here is a quick and easy way to add a little something extra to your clothing, tote bags, etc...

Gather your supplies:

Heat n Bond (or other iron on adhesive)-one package goes a long way.
fabric (large enough for your image)
pencil
iron
whatever you want to applique on

The first step is to apply the iron on adhesive to your fabric. I cut a square of fabric large enough for my letter and a few extra cut outs. Follow the instructions on the iron on adhesive.

Next, trace your designs onto the fabric. I just free-handed the letter "e".

Cut out your designs. I chose to applique on a shirt of my daughter's. It has paint stains all on the front. I cut out a few little designs from the fabric to cover those stains as well.

You'll want to iron on your pieces according to the iron on adhesive instructions. This particular adhesive is machine washable and I haven't had any problems with it coming up.

The last step is optional if you use a good iron on adhesive but guarantees a good finish. Stitch around the edges of your appliqued pieces. I use a zig zag or blanket stitch. You could also hand stitch them on.

Share your finished projects at our flickr group.

January Craft Challenge Reminders

Just a reminder that your craft challenge pictures are due to me by Monday, January 26th (sooner, if possible). You can email them to me at christy at christynelson dot net or you can upload them yourself to the flickr group. Make sure you tag your photo "craft challenge". You've got a few more days to work on them if you need to.

Starting on Monday, I'll have the voting open. The item receiving the most votes will receive a $20 gift card to a craft store and next month's craft challenge for free. I'll also choose a winner based on my favorite blog post about the challenge and that person will receive a free month.

If you'd like to join in on the fun in February, you can purchase your challenge packet at my etsy shop. Should you purchase a packet and then win one of the challenges, I'll either refund your fee or send you the next one for free.

Happy crafting!

Make. Simplicity Pattern 4206 Skirt

I realized last week that my daughter was getting too tall for most of her dresses. I looked at a few stores and couldn't find any dresses! So, I decided to get down with my crafty self and make some. Sewing is a skill I'm working on. I wouldn't say I'm proficient by any means. But, I get by. I'm not scared to try new things.



Last week I bought the Simplicity Pattern 4206. They were on sale for $.99 and it is a Simplicity Sewing Pattern for Dummies. Each item takes less than 1 yard of fabric and I knew I had some stash I could use.

The pattern for the three tiered skirt was super simple to follow. I'm sure that sewers more intuitive and experienced than I probably could have made this skirt without a pattern. I was glad to have the guidance.

Including the cost of the pattern, this outfit cost under $6. Trying to convince my daughter that she needs to take off her new favorite outfit to go to bed? Priceless.

Tomorrow I'll post the information for doing the fusible letter on the shirt.

Learn. All About Knitting Needles Knitting School Lesson 2

Very few tools are needed in order to knit. It makes it a great hobby to start because you can start with just a couple of sticks and some string. I don't expect all of you to become obsessed with knitting like I did, but you should have at least a basic knowledge of the different types of needles out there and what they are used for. It will help if you plan to expand your knitting to include other projects.

Sizes

Needles come in all sizes, lengths, and varieties. The sizes are all rather standard. The US has a numbering system, which like our measurements, are totally not intuitive. The rest of the world measures the needles by millimeters. Many knitting patterns are written by non US designers so you'll want to double check that you're getting the correct needle size.

You can get needles as small as size 0 (and smaller) and they can go up to size 50 and beyond. The smaller the number, the smaller the needle. For worsted weight yarns, a needle size of around 8 is recommended.

When you are just starting out, I recommend one of three things:

1. Buy the needles called for in the pattern.

2. Buy an assortment of needles. You can get an interchangeable set like these using a 40% off coupon (or wait for a 50% off sale). This can be a bit of an investment and the needles aren't the highest quality. But, for most projects and beginning knitters, this is a good option. In fact, I still use mine for a lot of projects.

3. Check thrift stores, eBay, your grandma's closet, etc... You'd be surprised how easy it is to scrounge up some needles if you just ask around. They might not always be the sizes you need, but stash them away because chances are, you'll have a project that calls for them soon enough.

Styles

Straight Needles

Straight needles are the most common and when you think of knitting needles, this is probably the image that sticks in your mind. You use straight needles for projects like scarves, dishcloths, baby sweaters, and any other small to mid-size project knit back and forth.

Circular Needles



Circular needles are just two needles connected by a tube. Circulars can be used on any project that straight needles can do and they are also used for anything knit in the round. Hats, sleeves, cowls, socks, etc... must be worked on circulars (or DPNs-see below). Because they are so versatile, I work almost exclusively with circular needles. It really is a matter of personal preference, though.

Double Pointed Needles (DPNs)



Double pointed needles are used for working smaller items in the round. Because they have points on both side, you can knit them either way and go around in a circle. I use DPNs for socks. There are techniques for using circulars for socks and other small in the round items. Again, it comes down to personal preference.

Materials

You'll find needles made from plastic, bamboo, aluminum, wood dowels, birch, nickel, etc... There is no way of knowing which material you might prefer. If you shop at a local yarn shop, they may let you try them out. Or, you can decide based on what you think you might enjoy the most.


Remember-- If you want to join the knit a long to make this cowl, you'll need to purchase the following:

1 ball Rowan Big wool, 100% wool, 87 yards per 100g OR yarn to match yardage and gauge
---Chances are you won't find Rowan Big Wool at your local craft store. A good option would be Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick and it is on sale at Hobby Lobby this week (through 1/17). You can also check for coupons online or in the newspapers.

Size 13 (9.0mm) circular needle (16 inch length). This project is worked in the round so you'll need circular needles. If you can't find this particular needle size at your craft store, they are available here. I also found this set on Amazon. I can't vouch for the quality as I have yet to try them, but they are a great deal!

The next Knitting School lesson will be casting on so you'll want to make sure you have your supplies.

Learn. How to Make an Envelope

Making your own envelopes can be a great way to add just a little something extra to cards, invitiations, or even just a handwritten letter. I can assure you that they are easier to make than you might think.

Gather up your supplies. You'll need:
paper
pencil
scissors
bone folder
envelope template
glue
remoistenable glue (optional)

I have plastic templates of some envelope sizes. Plastic templates are nice...but not necessary. You can take apart an old envelope to use or there are also several templates online that you can print out. The first thing you'll want to do is trace around your template. Mine has slots where the folds should be. I use my bone folder to score inside those slots to make my folds and then I cut it out along the traced lines.

Fold up your envelope. This time I decided to use the patterned paper on the outside. It would look cute with the patterned paper on the inside, as well. When you fold your envelop, make sure that the bottom flap goes on top of the sides.

On the sides of the bottom that touch the side flaps, place some glue and adhere it to the side flaps. That is the only place you want the bottom to adhere or you'll have a hard time getting your card to fit in there!

This next step is totally optional but it is one of my favorite things about making my own envelopes. Remoistenable Envelope Glue can be found at craft stores or online. Apply the glue to the top flap and then let it dry. Once it is dry, you can lick it or moisten it like you would any store bought envelope.

Share your homemade envelopes at the flickr group.

Q & A. Envelope and Paper Suppliers

Today's question comes from Kaitlyn of Bright Life in Nebraska. She asked me this question via Facebook and I thought it would make a great Q & A topic.

Q: I wanted to ask you where you buy envelopes from? I usually get my stuff from PaperSource but the envelopes are $5.50 for 10. Any place cheap you know of? Or just paper material for that matter. I love PaperSources colors but not so much the prices.

A: The quick answer is, I get my envelopes from Office Depot. For just plain white invitation size envelopes, you can't beat it. You get a pack of 100 for $7.39. I usually wait for a sale or when I have a good coupon (like $10 off a $30 purchase), I stock up. If I want to fancy them up a bit, I cut a piece of decorative paper to line the inside of the flap or stamp on the outside to match the card.

For special sized cards, I make my own envelopes. This is not very difficult and is a quick project. I'll post a tutorial for that tomorrow.

There are a lot of great resources online for envelopes of all sizes.

Paper Presentation offers envelopes, folders, labels, paper, etc...

Jam Paper offers a lot of great office supplies as well.



For paper, I stick with Stampin' UP. Sure, I happen to know how to get it for a good deal (see the link above) but besides that I really love it. The colors are great, it is high quality, and the colors coordinate with all of their other products (including designer paper and stamp pads). Pictured are the Carousel Notes. They are big scallop cards with coordinating envelopes.

The Paper Mill Store has a large variety of paper and matching envelopes. They have cardstock in a variety of sizes (including 12 X 12) and a decent color selection.

I'm sure some of my readers wouldn't mind sharing their favorite paper and/or envelope resource. Where do you buy your favorite?

Learn. How to Choose Yarn Knitting School Lesson 1

In the next few weeks, I'll be rolling out a series that I'm calling "Knitting School". If you've ever thought about learning how to knit, now would be a great time! Over the next few weeks you'll learn all the skills you need to knit this project from start to finish.

Before you even pick up a pair of needles, you'll need yarn. Buying yarn can be a little intimidating if you don't know what you're looking for.

Every skein of yarn will have some standard items on the label. They may be stated a little differently but they should always be there.

Clicking will make the picture bigger but I'll type out what each item says here also. The first thing to look at is the yardage. Yardage is important if you are using a different yarn than the one specified in the pattern. You'll want to make sure that the yarn you choose matches. For example, for the knit cowl project you'll need 1 ball Rowan Big wool, 100% wool, 87 yards per 100g. You'll want to make sure that the yarn you choose has enough yardage.

You also need to match gauge. Gauge refers to how many stitches per inch you should get when you knit a 4" X 4" swatch. For some projects, like scarves, gauge isn't really important. When you're making a sweater, gauge is more critical. For the cowl project, gauge isn't critical but the sample was knit at 2 1/4 stitches per inch.

You'll also want to make sure you buy enough yarn in the same dye lot. It is a good idea to buy enough yarn to finish your project all at once. You never know when a yarn will be discontinued or sell out. Remember to save your receipts. Most stores will accept returns of unused skeins within a set amount of time (usually 30-60 days).

Yarn comes in a few different weights. They are sometimes called different things but here is a good reference:

Lace/Sock/Fingering
gauge 6 1/2-8 stitches per inch

Sport/ DK or Double Knitting
gauge 5-6 stitches per inch

Worsted (the most common weight)
gauge 4-5 stitches per inch

Bulky/Chunky
gauge 2-3 1/2 stitches per inch


Fiber choice should match what is called for in the pattern or at least be tested in a swatch to make sure it will act like you want it to. Making a winter hat out of cotton isn't going to give you the same effect as if it were knit in wool or at least a wool blend.

I'm a little bit of a yarn snob and prefer to knit with all natural fibers. I'm also a bit of a cheapskate so I know that this isn't possible all of the time. There are plenty of acrylic yarns and acrylic blends that are soft and knit up nicely.

Once you have a yarn in mind, look at the label and see what needle size it recommends. If you are just starting to knit, chances are you don't have a stash of needles in various sizes. Needles deserve their own blog post but for now, I'll just give you some homework.

Purchase:

1 ball Rowan Big wool, 100% wool, 87 yards per 100g OR yarn to match yardage and gauge
---Chances are you won't find Rowan Big Wool at your local craft store. A good option would be Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick (check online or your newspaper for coupons).

Size 13 (9.0mm) circular needle (16 inch length). This project is worked in the round so you'll need circular needles. If you can't find this particular needle size at your craft store, they are available here. I also found this set on Amazon. I can't vouch for the quality as I have yet to try them, but they are a great deal!

Q & A. Beginning Card Maker Supplies

This question comes from Melessa at But I Digress.

Q: My 7 year old loves to make cards. What basic supplies should I buy to get her started?

A: Great question! Starting a new hobby can be a little overwhelming with all of the supplies that are available. I hope that in this post I can give you a few ideas on how to get your child started.
This Melissa and Doug Deluxe Stamp Set is a great starter kit for kids. I actually have this kit in my Amazon shopping cart to get for my own daughter. It includes a wide variety of stamps, a few different colors of ink pads, and some colored pencils. Like most Melissa and Doug products, it comes in a wooden storage box so it should be easier to keep the supplies together. Include a pack of cardstock or some pre cut cards and she'll be ready to go!

If you don't know if stamping is the what she'd like to do, you might stock up on some great paper and stickers.




You can usually find good deals on these "stacks" at the big craft stores. I'm still using up paper from a 12 X 12 stack I bought over 2 years ago.

The great thing about making cards is that you really don't many tools. *I can't believe I wrote that as I'm surrounded by lots and lots of tools that I use to make cards* What I should say is that to make most cards, only a few essential tools are necessary. The most important would be scissors and adhesive. As the parent, you'll have the best idea on what kinds of tools are appropriate for your child to handle so I won't go into too much detail on the tools.

If she's ready to take it to the next level, I'd introduce ribbons, buttons, and/or brads. These are fun and easy embellishments that can really add a lot to a card (and make your daughter feel like a craft superstar).


Have a craft question for me? Email me at christy AT christynelson DOT net

Learn. How to Make a Friendship Bracelet

In a video tutorial that should have taken less than a minute, I spend five minutes going on and on about friendship bracelets. Sometimes I can't help myself. Just like I can't help myself from making more and more of these bracelets. Warning: addicting!

Share your finished friendship bracelet pictures at my flickr group.

Learn. How to Make a Felt Barrette Holder and Button Barrettes

This tutorial is a two for one! We'll be making a felt barrette holder and also the button barrettes that you can put inside.

Supplies:

felt cut to 5" X 9", and a couple of pieces cut in shapes for embellishment
buttons, an assortment
embroidery floss
needle (small enough to fit through buttonholes)
mini barrettes (with the pre cut holes for stitching)
sewing machine (optional--small enough project that this could easily be handstitched)

The first thing you'll want to do is cut your felt. I buy my felt in sheets from Hobby Lobby for 5/$1 or less when there is a sale. You can easily make two of these in coordinating colors from 2 sheets of felt.

I chose a flower embellishment. You can really do whatever you want to embellish the front of your barrette holder. You can embroider a name or initial. You could also leave it blank. I cut out two sizes of flower to layer and a button to put on top.

I separated the 6 ply embroidery floss and just used 2 strands for this project. I cut an 18 inch length and it was enough to stitch the embellishment and 4 barrettes.

Secure the embroidery floss to the back of the pink flower and stitch through all three layers. Once it is somewhat secure, you can attach it to your 5" X 9" piece of felt.

Lay your felt out with the 5" side facing you. You will want to place your embellishment between 2" and 4". I centered mine 3 inches up.

Next you will want to fold up the edges. I folded them up 2 inches on each side. This gives enough space if you'd rather accommodate a larger size barrette as well.

Stitch around all edges being careful not to catch your embellishment. This would also be really cute with contrasting thread and a decorative stitch. The barrette holder is finished! This took me about 10 minutes to make.

You'll notice that this barrette has three little holes on the end. For this type of barrette, you'll need those holes. There are a lot of other barrette tutorials out there that show you how to make fabric covered button barrettes and those with ribbons and flowers, etc... This type of barrette is best used for stitching.

I secured my embroidery floss to the barrette using the holes and stitching a knot. I then stitched through the button and the holes tightly with the floss. I went through the holes several times and then secured the floss on the back and trimmed it closely.

This is a great project to do with a group of girls. I can imagine girls age 5-10 would love this project. Grab a big pile of buttons, a stack of felt, and let them get crafty!

Share pictures of your finished project at my flickr group.