KRAFTS AND MORE!

Contents of this blog: Original hand crafted wood items, crochet, sewing, knitting, painting, drawing and also some How to's and craft tips thrown in! Enjoy!

Monday, December 30, 2013

How to make Paper Ballerinas...

I hope you love this share as much as I do!! 

This was graciously shared today on Facebook by "Handimania" and I cannot wait to make some of these beautiful Paper Ballerinas!  (Shared by Karina Haczek)

Paper Ballerinas

Whether you dreamed about being a ballerina as a child, are a mom of a girl who’s into ballet or simply like delicate, handmade decorations, we think you’ll like this adorable Paper Ballerinas project. It’s a great idea for moms and daughters that can make a lovely decoration for girls’ bedrooms.

To prepare these tiny paper figurines, you’ll need some flexible wire, white paper napkins and diluted glue. Forming the wire may be a bit difficult for little hands but crafty moms will manage for sure. This cute idea comes from Stariy Chemodan’s blog, but since the original post is in Russian, we’ve decided to present the whole tutorial with our description of steps.

Already looking for supplies? ;) We hope you’ll have a lot fun while making them! Do send us some photos when you finish and tell us how it went on our fan page :) We’re always there for you!
paper ballerinas fb

What you need:

Tools:
  • a fine needle
  • scissors
  • pliers
Supplies/Ingredients:
  • wire
  • white napkin
  • diluted potato starch or PVA adhesive
  • transparent fishing line
  • thread
1
First, bend the wire into a “skeleton” of the figurine. Don’t worry – it doesn’t have to be detailed.
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2
Divide the napkin into layers. If the napkin is patterned, use only plain layers. Remember to leave some single-layer napkins for later.
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3
Tear the rest of napkins into 1.5 inch wide strips (don’t use scissors). Now, take your wire outline and wrap it with paper strips, then cover it with the diluted starch or glue. You can also dip it into the solution.
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4
Fold the napkin as if you were going to cut out a snowflake.
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5
Now, take the whole napkins. Choose the right length of the dress for you ballerina and cut the napkin. The hemline should be rounded.
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6
Curl the “dress” in two directions for the best folds.
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7
Prepare at least two dresses for one ballerina.
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8
Make a little hole at the top of a dress and put it on a figurine.
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9
Take a thread and wind it around the waist of the ballerina.
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10

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Thank you Karina!!

Friday, December 6, 2013

CANDY CANE WREATH

I love this idea and had to share.  Melanie Landau Kerwin was kind enough to share this on Face Book.
This is a wonderful conversation starter as well as a gift!!

20 candy canes ...

Arranged as above
Tie them two by two facing each other,
You can hot glue a decoration to the center to keep the ends together

Glue small round ornaments to each set you tied.
Hang with ribbon.


One more:


I would love it if someone gave me one of the cane wreaths and I love the ribbon wreath idea! Ha!  I want to make some for gifts for sure!
If you have time to visit my Kerrie's Korner blog, you can see all the ideas for my handmade ornaments.  Thanks and come again!

My Krafty heart to yours...

 

 

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Cutest Easy Sock Snowman

How cute are these to make with the little ones?!!!!!!!!!!!

For this craft, you'll need a pair of old socks that are crew length, or longer, rice, rubber bands, map pins with heads, buttons, any left over fabric if you want for a scarf.  First, cut off the top of the sock from the foot.  Turn the sock inside out and attach a rubber band tightly to the top of the sock. Then turn the sock right-side out again.  Fill the sock with rice. Make sure to pack it down as you go so the sock gets a nice round base.  Rubber band the top of the sock closed and put another rubber band 3/4 of the way to the top for the head of your snowman.  Now, decorate! Tie a scarf around your snowman's neck and add eyes, nose, and buttons.  Use the toe of your cut socks to fashion a stocking cap. Or you could use colored argyle socks to create hats and sweaters for your snowman.  You can either sew or glue on your buttons, and add embellishments - twine, bows, ribbons, etc - as needed.  This is such a quick and easy craft - 10 minutes tops - that it would be simple to create a whole family of snowmen for your mantle!
 
How cute are these to make with the little ones?!!!!!!!!!!! For this craft, you'll need a pair of old socks that are crew length, or longer, rice, rubber bands, map pins with heads, buttons, any left over fabric if you want for a scarf. 
 
First, cut off the top of the sock from the foot. Turn the sock inside out and attach a rubber band tightly to the top of the sock. Then turn the sock right-side out again. Fill the sock with rice. Make sure to pack it down as you go so the sock gets a nice round base. Rubber band the top of the sock closed and put another rubber band 3/4 of the way to the top for the head of your snowman. 
 
Now, decorate! Tie a scarf around your snowman's neck and add eyes, nose, and buttons. Use the toe of your cut socks to fashion a stocking cap. Or you could use colored argyle socks to create hats and sweaters for your snowman. You can either sew or glue on your buttons, and add embellishments - twine, bows, ribbons, etc - as needed. This is such a quick and easy craft - 10 minutes tops - that it would be simple to create a whole family of snowmen for your mantle!
 
Thanks niece Kathleen for posting this on Face Book!
 
My Krafty heart to yours!

Friday, October 18, 2013

NEW WATERCOLOR LEAVES AND TABLESCAPE

I am enjoying the Fall here in Central NY so much!  I cannot go out without picking up the wonderful colored leaves and then draw and watercolor them!  Here is a group I finished this morning.

 This is the photo I took first before drawing the leaves.
And this is the drawing with watercolor added:


 Now I have 3 completed, trimmed and ready for framing.

Here is my table with fall leaves allowed to curl up and decorate the lace tablecloth.  Fall colors are just so pleasant to see!  Pls send photos of your creations and thanks so much for visiting!
 
MY KRAFTY HEART TO YOURS...

Saturday, October 5, 2013

OCTOBER

Wow!  Has it really been since May that I last posted???  I sold my home in SC and moved back to my hometown August 6th.  I bought a cute little 2 bedroom with small yard and love being back among friends and family here!  I waited a year and a half after losing my sweet Bill and still wanted to come back, so here I am.  Loving the Fall here in Central NY!  My sis-in-law gave me 2 well-worn, but good wicker chairs and a table to use on my patio.
I bought 2 cans of brown spray paint at the dollar store and spray-painted over their faded brown surfaces. Loved how they came out!


Next, I found 2 chair cushions on sale end of season in Walmart and a vinyl place mat to match and wah-lah! Love it!
 









I really love the way they came out!  I did not notice until taking these pictures that the backs of the chairs do not match-ha!  No matter...
 
And I finally got settled in enough to get out my sketch pad and have been sketching the gorgeous Fall leaves I pick up from the yard!
 
 






This will make a nice seasonal wall hanging when framed.  If you cannot draw, TRACE several leaves onto sketch paper.  You don't even need to put in the veins, just color with crayons or colored pencils like you did in elementary school and you will have a treasure for your wall, too!
 
So many crafts, so little time!!  Come back for more crafting!
 
 

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Painted Doily on Gourd

I finally got around to painting a doily on one of the gourds I raised a few years ago.  I love the way it looks and will finish it off with some flowers around the bottom and top.  So much fun!
 The paint is really black but I enhanced for the photo and made it blue.

Looking down on top of the gourd.  Gourd is about 7 1/2 inches high and 5 inches in width across the largest part.



I will post when I get the flowers painted on.  Fun project!  I thought about really crocheting a doily just to set down over it but I love this look.

Thanks for coming.
My Krafty heart to yours...

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Edging for the dishcloths/napkins

I started the edging with 2 single crochet and then a picot but tore it back out.  I decided to try just a simple shell stitch and it looks much better!  I love the colors of green and blue trim.  Just adds that extra touch.  These are large enough to use as Napkins and would make a lovely housewarming gift.  To see more info go back a couple of posts.
Reject of picot edging. 






Using  size 1 steel hook and # 10 crochet thread. 

So cheerful, just love them!  I am doing the solid color Yellow ones next with white edging.

Thanks for coming and come again soon.  Hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day!

My krafty heart to yours...

Saturday, May 4, 2013

GREAT GRANDDAUGHTERS ARE WONDERFUL!

Bouncing Sofiah on my knee about a week or so ago to a little sing song and she loved it!  You will have to turn the sound way up to hear it and this blog is the only one that it would fit on-LOL!

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Link to post your items for sale

Every Thursday, Beverly at How Sweet the Sound lets you link your blog to the Blog Shop so you can attract more people to your blog and sell your items.  You can add your Etsy Shop if you like, also.  This is a great idea.  Spread the word and link up to sell your hand made items. Thanks!  I will be linking my Kraft Blog and Etsy Shop today. Beverly also has a link to embed a button on any of your blogs sidebar like the one in mine.  Thanks, and happy crafting!
My Krafty Heart to yours...

To get the button link to put on your sidebar.  Copy and paste into your gadgets 3rd party option.  Good luck! 
Button embed can be found on 

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Painting Acrylic Roses and Flowers video share

David Jansen is a very talented artist and he just came out with a new video.  I subscribe to his site and so I am notified when he adds anything new.  I hope you enjoy this share and learn from it.  It is a long video but you can skip through some of the talking by moving the progress bar at the bottom.  ENJOY!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTV61P9lW-Q&feature=em-uploademail-subject1

This is a still shot I took of my computer screen...

I have been crocheting white cotton dishcloths.  I saw one that was a granny square but then only worked on three sides to finish it and I really liked the look.
This was very easy to do:
I made a granny square and added one row of single crochet around it.  Then I added 4 rows of double crochet on 2 sides of the square.  Finished by another row of single crochet around the whole square edge.  (angle of photo does not show the perfect square shape.  The one shown in my previous post was taken by a cousin, the minute she saw it-ha!  I made this one in just a few minutes last night.

Thank you for visiting and do come again soon!  Hugs to all you fellow crafters out there!

My Krafty heart to yours...