Tutorial: A recycled cardboard box

Today lets make a recycled box out of a cereal box.

A Comically Small Chef Hat (Mini Toque)

So, a local English school is doing cooking workshops for children. Two teachers are going to lead the workshop, both in costume. While one teacher went for a comically large costume (large chef hat, big Santa Claus belly), the second teacher (my SO) wants to go for comically small (mini chef hat). So I made a small chef hat.

If you want to make one for decorative or costume purposes, I show you how.

The Recycled Paper Basket Tutorial

In this lengthy tutorial I am going to show you how to make this basket out of newspaper:

The Felt Babushka Pin Step-by-Step

Following the post earlier this week, I a, going to show you step by step how the Felt Babushka Pin was made.

Firstly you need 3 templates for body, head scarf and face.

Using different colors for the 3 components, cut out felt pieces. You need two for the body.

Arranging face, head scarf and front body piece, sew the face on with white thread.

Cut two pieces of black zigzag ribbon.

Sew the two ribbons on the body, tugging the ribbon ends under the head scarf part.

Using red thread, sew on the head scarf bottom edge. While you're at it you can embroider a mouth with the red thread.

Embroider the eyes and, using green thread embroider a flower stem on the belly. As a blossom you can add a small glass bead.

Now you can start to sew the back on. When you are 2/3 around the perimeter, you can fill cotton into the plush pin.

Finish off the seam.

Now you can add the pin on the back.

And you are done!

Watercolor Wednesday: Artichoke Step-by-Step

Today I am going to show you the steps of making a watercolor painting. First of all I start off deciding what to paint. Here I will paint an artichoke. I decided to use yellow, different shades of green, green-blue, violet and grey-blue.

Taking my favorite artichoke, I do a rough pencil sketch.

The basic color is going to be yellow.

Adding light green I start to define a bit more the structure.

Adding darker tones of green I define the plasticity of the leaves.

Additionally I added violet at the bottom leaves of the artichokes and a red background.

Using a mix of black and blue I add the shadows to the artichoke.

Done!

A Didgeridoo Drawstring Bag How-To

Her is a short tutorial for a didgeridoo bag. We recently purchased a bamboo didgeridoo without an appropriate transport bag. Crafters to the rescue! Lets make an awesome bag that no one else has.

Step 1: Cutting the fabric

Here I cut a fabric piece of 132x32 cm for a 120 cm long didgeridoo. A heavy fabric does just fine.

Step 2: Add some loops

Later we want to attach some kind of handle or shoulder strap. So we add two 10 cm strap parts which are doubled to make some loops. One loop is near the bottom and one a good bit lower than the top.

The looped part is pointing to the inside of the fabric. Later when sewed and turned inside-out the loop will be on the outside.

Step 3: Double the fabric and pin it down

Just double the fabric and pin it in place, so you can go on sewing.

Step 4: Sew, baby, sew

OK, this might seem difficult, but it really is easy to do. Sew with 1 cm tolerance the bottom and the side, leaving about 5 cm on top unsewn.

Double the top side you left free to the inside and then down. Sew it in place. This will be the tunnel for the drawstring.

If this step is confusing, I am referring you to the Purl Bee, where you can see the technique in another project. To all stitches I added a second zigzag stitch to keep the fabric from frilling.

Step 5: Turn the bag inside-out and add the shoulder strap and drawstring

Well … turn the bag inside-out and add the shoulder strap and drawstring.

Step 6: Put the didgeridoo in it

That’s it. Have fun!

Zipper Brooch Tutorial

Lets make a Zipper Brooch today.

1. You will need:

• a zipper (I used a 20cm long one.)
• a button
• a sewing needle (If you are not comfortable with sewing you can use a hot glue gun...)
• sewing yarn
• a safety pin

2. Open your zipper.

3. Make your first pair of loops. First on one side...

... then the other side.

4. Sew one stitch to hold the loops in place.

5. Now make your second set of loops. First on one side....

....then the other side.

Again, sew one point to hold your loops in place.

6. Now you are ready to form the last pair of loops. One side....

...then the other.

Sew another point to hold everything in place.

7. Sew on your button now.

8. Now turn your brooch over and insert the safety pin.

9. Fix the safety pin by sewing right and left.

Fin