Altered Canvases

This is a fun little project I did for Kamille's room.  I saw somthing like this on TV and decided to make my own mini version.  To make the project you need:

Doll Hangers ($3.00 for 4)

Mini Canvas - I actually use one of the $1.00 pre-printed canvases from the dollar section at Michaels/JoAnns or the Dollar Store

Ribbon

Tulle

Flower,

Scrapbook Paper

Paint

The first step is to paint the canvas in a color that coordinates with your theme.  On the right, I painted the canvas black.  On the left, I used a convas that was already painted purple (it had ugly flowers painted on it - from the dollar store).  Once that is dry, I cut a piece of scrapbook paper to fit.  Then I added some title enbellishments from the scrapbook section.  To make the skirt, I gathered a piece of tulle on the sewing machine (But you could just gather with a needle and thread or gather it as you glue).  I hot glued the tulle tutu skirt into the bottom edge of the canvas.  Then, I glued down a piece of ribbon or other decorative trim over the top.  Finally, I added the flower as an embellishment.  

I tacked the straps onto the hanger with a dab of hot glue.  Then, I glue them onto the front of the canvas.  Finally, I covered that up with ribbon bows.

You can put a photo on the scrapbook paper.  I haven't gotten that far yet, but I will probably put a pic of Kamille and a couple of her friends on these little photo frames.  You could make a really huge version of this with a child's hanger.     

Free Fabric Flower Tutorial, Tips, and Tricks

I just thought that I would share this super easy craft Lisa and I make for our shows.  If you do shows, you need to have some smaller, lower priced item that people can pick up as little gifts or stocking stuffers.  You could make these patriotic, Halloween, Christmas, Easter, etc.  This would also make a really great birthday party favor.

I read online that you could cut felt with the cricut if you fused down stabilizer to the back.  Maybe you can with the Expression, but I only have the little Cricut Personal.  It was really a disaster.  It didn't work and I wasted $30.00 on the deep blade housing. 

Plus, I had a couple of yards of felt with fusible stabilizer on the back.  So, instead of giving up hope, I decided to try by die cutter.  Guess what?  It works like a charm. 

I used the Sizzix "Flower Layers 3" Die found here  (I actually buy them in Michael's or Joanns with a coupon). 

I also used the original "Flower Layers" shown below.  I was just on the Sizzix website and they have about 50 different flower dies to choose from.  There are a couple that look like poinsettias which would be so pretty for Christmas.

I don't actually have the Sizzix machine.  I have the small Cricut Die Cutter.  The Sizzix dies work in it. 

I just cut the felt down into 4"x6" pieces. 

Then I placed 2 layers of felt over the die and cranked it through the machine.

You do not need to put stabilizer.  You can use regular or stiffened felt. 

Then, I layered up the flowers in random order.  For the centers, I used a pompom.  You can get a bag of these at most Dollar Stores.  I stitched right through the pompom, wrapped the thread around the pony tail holder (also from the Dollar Store) and then come out the top of the pompom.  Then I tied the thread and left it sticking out. 

I used that string thread that you use for fillet crochet and a big upholstery needle.

These little flowers are about $.05-$.10 a piece to make. 

You could also attach these flowers to pins, hats, headbands, alligator clips, etc. 

Idea 2

Another great project Lisa and I did with felt and die cuts is to make felt dress up dolls for a felt board.  If you have never seen a felt board, the name basically implies what it is.  It is some felt glued onto a board.  The easiest way to make one if to take a piece of foam core board and spray glue down a large piece of felt to cover the board or the glue a piece of felt onto one of those little cork boards you get at the dollar store. 

Anyway little kids love these boards because the pieces of felt stick together and they can make pictures and tell stories. 

In addition to cutting out the basic shapes with my shapes dies, we also used the "Dress Ups" line to cute out people.  The body actually makes a boy or a girl depending on what hair you cut out.  They also have clothing dies.  This ended up being a very fun project and it only took a few minutes.  With my daughter in preschool, I will probably be using this project idea to make b-day gifts in a very affordable way. 

The Sizzix dies also come in animals, letter, and pretty much anything else you can imagine. 

Craft Roundup - Recycled Record Projects

I was inspired by posting my recycled record project to create this little roundup of recycled record tutorials. 

This photo frame is such a wonderful project.  With everything I have made out of old records, a picture frame never occurred to me.  Click here for the free tutorial on recycled record photo frame from Inspirational Tips, Techniques, and Tutorials.

This project is so simple with the use of the ring to bind everything together.  This idea would be really fun shrunk down to a small, 3"x5" size for a purse notepad. 

Here is the Tata et Moi 

from Cut Out and Keep's

Free Recycled Record Tutorial

I have already made 4 or 5 record clocks.  I just bought the clock kit and used the clock.  But, I liked they way she covered this with fabric.  You could make this for a child's room, kitchen, etc.

From Sew Many Ways

free recycled record clock tutorial

I know lots of people make purses from the records.  I have made a few, but I will say that the records always end up breaking.  I must just be way to hard on purses. 

Have fun with your old records and

HAPPY CRAFTING!

A Fun Little Recycling Project for Old Records

Somehow, I managed to acquire about 200 old records that were warped in a fire, but still in good condition for crafting.  So, I started using them up making all sorts of crafts: records purses, bowls, bracelets, necklaces, etc.

But, then I had all of the covers left over.  I saw an idea for making a tote bag with the covers.  I tried a few versions, but I wasn't really into it. 

So, I came up with another idea.  I used my 2 hole punch  to make a songbook/notebook/sketch book out of the records.  On the right of the paper, because of the big space that is left over, I stitched down a strip of elastic to hold pens/charcoals, etc. 

I did another version where I punched through the side multiple time and laced it up with ribbon. 

Just thought I would share this little idea.  I know it isn't really my normal sewing patterns and tutorials, but like any true crafter, I cannot be pinned down to just one medium.

Craft Show Booth Design

I thought that it might be fun to post some photos from our last craft booth setup.  We had not done a show in a few years, so we needed to come up with a dare I say, cheap, set-up. 

I think that this turned out pretty well and I plan on using the idea again with a few changes.  The basic booth set up is that I used 2 sheets of heavy pegboard (because I have it in the garage) cut to 2 foot x 4 foot panels.  Then, I zip tied them together onsite to make the zigzag walls.  On top we put a 10' long shelf on each side.  When I use this next time, I am going to have laminated poster board where you see the fabric with samples of my items stuck down with velcro and a place to write in the prices with dry erase marker.  We had both scrapbooking and baby/kids crafts showed into the booth.  I actually like to get 2 spots, but this was last minute.  The 1st day everything was mixed together.  The second day we got there early and divided the booth in half.  The 1st day we had the monster hanging on the back of the tent.  We barely sold any.  No one wants to look through things with you sitting there.  On day 2 we put the monsters on the front on the booth.  They sold like hotcakes. 

We also put the radio flyer filled with monsters at the front of the booth so people could really look through.  The front also has the flip flops and bows.  These really brought people into the booth.  I just wish I had made adult sized flip flops, not just kid's.  Behind that I have all of the baby stuff and then doll clothes.   

On the shelf we displayed our felt play houses. 

This is the front of the booth on the scrapbook side.  I actually brought shelves to put art, jewelry boxes and paper bag albums on.  It worked out better than I had hoped.  This side really drew in the tweens and teens. 

The suit case was filled with paperbag albums with themed dividers.  It sounded great, but didn't work well in reality.  Next time I am putting shelves with samples from each theme on an easle with similar albums hanging from bags underneath. 

This was part of the baby stuff I was trying to get rid of.  I used my daughter's old moses basket and people did look through it. 

This is the display for our custom t-shirts for dolls.  I had each design labeled with shirts packaged under the table. 

 On the last day, we used our table to display the felt food, so we did sell more felt food that day. 

All in all it was a decent design for being cheap down and dirty.  I think that we worked out some kinks and got a really good idea for the next show of what worked and did't work.

It actually was more colorful the 1st day as I had giant butterflies hanging up, but they got ruined by the rain.  It was sopping wet the entire time, which made it a little difficult, but that is what you get with outdoor shows.