Crafts Articles

Article / Updated 04-27-2023

Whether you want to change items that you already own or desperately need some budget-conscious ways to begin defining your holiday style, you can start by repurposing, reusing, recycling, and restyling what you already have. Give your things a new purpose Repurposing means to use an item that’s normally used for one thing (like a throw or painter’s drop cloth made of cotton canvas) and change it into something else for another function, like turning it into pillows or a slipcover. Repurposing items can mean simply looking at new retail items in a different light. A copper kettle can become a fireplace accent by holding mounds of scented pinecones that are ready to be tossed into the fire. Think about transforming items from their usual purpose into something else. Repurposing is one of the more creative ways of turning new and previously owned items into works of art. Reusing items can save you big bucks when decorating for the holidays. Items that are reusable for decorating, such as menorahs, wreaths, bows, and twinkle lights, can save you money. The idea here is to invest once and then use many times for many holidays. White lights, for example, are heavily used at Christmas. But couldn’t you warm up a romantic Valentine’s Day night by stringing some up on a balcony or porch for a chilly, snuggly nightcap? Use your lights on fences, rope off festivity parameters that may be hard to see in the dark, or wind them around tree limbs for lighting your evening from above. You can take individual items from one holiday into the next in many ways if you just plan in advance. Recycling for creative decoration Recycling means taking an item that’s meant for the trash and turning it into a decorative item. For example, connect clean, empty jars (vintage or hodgepodge) together with aluminum wire, making them into sparkling tealight holders. A roadside chair, with the caning busted out of the seat, turns into a Thanksgiving decorating treasure by placing a large potted mum inside the opening for a welcoming autumnal feel at Thanksgiving. Yes, you have to be somewhat crafty, and you can’t be afraid of cleaning things. Most of all, you have to be daring enough to dive into a pile of rubble to get to that section of picket fencing in order to recycle it into a Halloween vignette. Freshen up items for restyled décor Restyling makes ready-made items better. Take a slipcover and embellish it! Have an old wreath? Take out faded flowers or ornaments and add new items or a fresh bow. What about old ornaments? Embellish your heart out. Restyling takes items to a new, personalized level. You can breathe new life into an item by updating it or giving it a whole new look. Restyling is perfect for you if you’re the type of person who never accepts things as they are and says, “But wait till I get my hands on it!”

Cheat Sheet / Updated 02-14-2023

Woodworking brings together nature, humans, and technology to produce long-lasting pieces of functional art. A great woodworking project begins with knowing how to choose the right type and piece of wood. Then, following a step-by-step process helps you craft a successful piece every time.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 01-11-2023

You can read and understand knitting patterns easily when you're familiar with common knitting terms and abbreviations. When the knitting patterns use metric measurements, you'll need to know some simple conversion formulas. Keep charts handy of your body measurements and yardage estimates of commonly knitted items so that you're ready to start a knitting project at anytime.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 01-11-2023

If you love to crochet, this Cheat Sheet is a handy reference to keep nearby. It includes standardized yarn weights, international crochet symbols, and a metrics conversion table.

Article / Updated 12-14-2022

Tablescapes are arrangements of items gathered in a grouping on top of a table. They're sometimes called tabletop arrangements. Typically, you can use anything as a prop for a great mini-arrangement — for example: Accent pillows, throw blankets Baskets, books, candles Fabrics and other linens, ribbons Flowers and foliage Fresh fruit or quality faux fruit Mirrors, photo frames Trays, vases, or bowls A tablescape can include a centerpiece, or it can simply contain an arrangement of your favorite items. Tablescapes refer to the way things are laid out, like in a landscape painting. And they're not just for dinner anymore. They're wonderful to arrange on coffee tables, end tables, or any other occasional piece that lends itself to holiday decorating — even mantels or shelves. Normally, you might have a simple tablescape already arranged on an occasional table. You may have arranged a tall candle set aside a small floral arrangement and a stack of thick coffee-table books. To adapt your everyday décor for the holidays, you can Add a small holiday-themed collection on top of the stacked books. Replace the stack of books with a stack of holiday-specific ones. Be sure that you don't place anything on top of them, so guests are encouraged to leaf through them leisurely. Replace your normal floral arrangement with a seasonal one. Change out the color of your candles. Add a holiday-themed item at the base of your candles, such as an ornament, some greenery, or another token representing the holiday. Remove your regular tablescape items and replace them entirely with snow villages or other holiday collections you may have. Don't forget to take the opportunity at the holidays to dress up other tabletops that you don't normally spruce up. Simple holiday items grouped together are an easy way to add holiday sparkle to any surface. If you want to make your own tablescape, here's a quick formula: Simply gather and arrange the following items, or a combination of them, on no more than one-third of your table surface space to make an instant tablescape: Light source (lamp or candles — sometimes both) Hard line accent (photo frame, book, a collectible item) Botanical element (flower, bowl of fruit, plant or other item) Fabric item (a table topper, runner, ribbon, a tapestry remnant, a napkin) For the holidays: Add only one holiday item to a premade tablescape Making your own tablescapes is easy if you keep these few pointers in mind: Gather interesting items of different textures together. Good items to have are books, decorative plates displayed on stands, bowls filled with fruit or other decorative items, vases, flowers, candles, decorative orbs, and other home décor accessories. Arrange items in staggering heights. Stack a few books and use them underneath items to raise them if needed. If you have a lamp on a table, use that as your tallest height, and work with other smaller items to fill in your tablescape. Take up no more than one-third of your table with a tablescape unless you don't intend to use the table for anything else but display. You want your tablescape to stay intact, so leave room for people to set down drinks or the TV remote without bumping into your lovely arrangement. Use your surfaces wisely. If you set up a gorgeous tablescape on your coffee table but no one has a place to put their dishes, cups, or other items for which that coffee table was intended, you've defeated the purpose of decorating. Decorating is meant to enhance — not to hassle. If you want to place a tablescape on a surface you may need to use unexpectedly, such as an ottoman, try arranging it on a decorative tray so that you can move or shift the display without having to take it down or rearrange it.

Article / Updated 07-28-2022

The double crochet (abbreviated dc) is one of the most common crochet stitches and is about twice as tall as a single crochet. (You can read about single crochet in How to Make a Single Crochet.) A fabric made of all double crochet stitches is fairly solid but not stiff and is great for sweaters, shawls, Afghans, placemats, or any number of other home decor items. You can also combine the double crochet stitch with other stitches to produce many interesting patterns and textures. First things first: Row 1 The following steps set you up to work your first double crochet stitch: 1. Make a foundation chain by doing 15 chain stitches (ch 15). (Check out How to Crochet the Chain Stitch if you need to.) 2. Chain 3 more stitches for the turning chain. (Get the scoop in How to Crochet a Turning Chain.) Now for your first double crochet stitch: 1. Yarn over the hook (yo), which you can read about in How to Yarn Over in Crochet. Remember to yarn over from back to front. 2. Insert your hook between the 2 front loops and under the back bump loop of the fourth chain from the hook (see Figure 1a). Figure 1: Beginning a double crochet stitch. 3. Yarn over the hook. 4. Gently pull the wrapped hook through the center of the chain stitch, carrying the wrapped yarn through the stitch. Now, you should have 3 loops on your hook (refer to Figure 1b). 5. Yarn over the hook. 6. Draw your yarn through the first 2 loops on your hook (see Figure 2a). Figure 2: Drawing your yarn through the loops. 7. Yarn over the hook. 8. Draw your yarn through the last 2 loops on the hook (refer to Figure 2b). One double crochet (dc) stitch is complete. You should have one loop remaining on your hook. To finish your first row of double crochet, work 1 double crochet stitch in each successive chain stitch across the foundation chain, beginning in the next chain of the foundation chain as Figure 3a shows. You should have 16 double crochet stitches in Row 1 (counting the turning chain as the first double crochet). Figure 3: Finishing the first row of double crochet. Take a look at Figure 3b to see what the end of the first row of double crochet looks like. Turn around and begin again: Row 2 To work the second row of double crochet, follow these steps: 1. Turn your work so that the back side is facing you. 2. Chain 3 (ch 3; for the turning chain). 3. Yarn over the hook (yo). 4. Skipping the first stitch of the row directly below the turning chain, insert your hook in the next stitch (see Figure 4a). Figure 4b shows you the wrong place to insert your hook. Figure 4: Inserting hook for the first stitch of second row. 5. Repeat Steps 3 through 8 from the previous section in each of the next 14 double crochet (dc) stitches. Be sure to yarn over before inserting your hook in each stitch. 6. Work 1 double crochet in the top chain of the previous row's turning chain (see Figure 5). You should have 16 double crochet stitches in Row 2 (counting the turning chain as 1 double crochet). Figure 5: Insert the hook in the top chain of the turning chain. Repeat these steps for each additional row of double crochet. Continue until you feel comfortable working this stitch. Figure 6 shows you how rows of double crochet look as a fabric. Figure 6: Several rows of double crochet. Don't work a stitch into the first stitch of the row after the turning chain. Doing so produces an extra stitch, and if you continue to add a stitch in each row, your design gets wider and wider as it gets longer and longer. Be sure to count your stitches frequently to make sure that you haven't inadvertently gained (or lost) any stitches along the way. Sometimes, especially when you're working with bulky yarn or a larger than usual hook, the turning chain on a double crochet row leaves a gap at the beginning of the row. To get a neater edge, try chaining 2 instead of 3 stitches for the turning chain. See also: How to Decrease Double Crochet How to Increase Double Crochet at the Beginning of a Row How to Make a Double Triple Crochet How to Make a Half Double Crochet

Video / Updated 06-23-2022

Making slime with glue is a fun, cheap activity that continues to engross small kids and teens alike. According to CNBC, the craze of making slime with glue is so widespread that stores are struggling to keep glue stocked. Ask any teacher and they can tell you, making slime is an easy way to keep kids working with their hands for hours. Some parents report irritation of the skin as a result of the ingredients contained in common slime recipes. However, Snopes.com investigated the dangers associated with popular ingredients in slime. They determined that there is no concern regarding the use of Elmer’s Glue as an ingredient for making slime and little concern when it comes to other common ingredients. Keep in mind that making slime is an experiment. You can add less or more of each ingredient to play with the consistency of your slime. You can start with a small amount or add extra to make a large amount. The point is to play around until you find a recipe that you love. Have fun! How to make slime with glue and Tide For this slime recipe, you will need the following ingredients: Glue Liquid Tide laundry detergent Shaving cream (Optional) Food coloring (Optional) You can use any kind of liquid laundry detergent. However, we like the consistency created by using Tide. Experiment with different kinds to find what you like best. Get out your mixing bowl and spoon and get started by following these steps: Add some glue to your mixing bowl.This does not need to be an exact measurement. Remember, you can experiment with the amounts to achieve your desired consistency. If you prefer a fluffier slime, add shaving cream. For slime with color, add some food coloring when you add the shaving cream. Keep in mind that the shaving cream and food coloring are optional ingredients and are only necessary if you want fluffy slime or color for your concoction. The amount of shaving cream you will add depends on your preference. The more you add, the fluffier your slime will become. Similarly, a little food coloring will result in a lighter color, while adding more will make a deeper colored slime. Put Tide detergent into bowl with glue.You will add less Tide than glue. Start with a ratio of about 1:4 and modify as necessary. Mix ingredients together with spoon until your slime feels and looks how you want it. Looking for more slime recipes? Check out these cornstarch slime recipes and other slime recipes without borax or glue to continue with the experimenting fun!

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-25-2022

You're never too old or too young to discover crochet. The skills you master, the benefits you receive, and the beautiful heirlooms you create can last a lifetime and be passed on to future generations. To get started with crocheting, you need to decode crochet symbols and abbreviations so you can follow patterns with ease, and you need to find out what gauge is (and why it's so important).

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-17-2022

Quilting results in pieces prized for both usefulness and beauty. The long history of quilting offers ages-old tips, and modern technology throws in some shortcuts, if you want to take them. But the lingo hasn’t changed very much and tips for choosing quilting fabric remain practical as well as creative. Knowing how to apply common fabric yardages to quilting is useful, and so is having a list of all the materials that go into a finished quilt.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 02-24-2022

Knitting is a popular craft that can result in functional and decorative art. To get to the point where you're knitting useful garments, you need to know some knitting terms and their abbreviations. You may have to put your math skills to work as well, converting inches to centimeters or vice versa.