Making: Hair tie and bobby pins.

February 15, 2012March 16, 20183 Comments

Well those were fun.

There is something addictive about covering buttons. And when you have bobby pins, rings, and hair ties to attach them to it's that much more obsessive.

For whatever reason it is oddly satisfying to take a tiny 1" scrap of fabric and turning it into something useful/adorable. We can't stop. I think we've made them everyday since the supplies came home.

The kids and I got our supplies from this lovely little shop on Etsy . And while yes, you can pick up covered button kits at the fabric store, Sunbeam Button's prices might even beat Hancock for the button parts, plus Sherry offers simple tutorials to go with her kits (which, believe it or not, I actually needed for our first project).

The hair-tie/bobby pin sweatshop that is our kitchen table hasn't let up for days. Lupine – with a bit of help from me to cover the button – has made pairs of ties for most of her friends (and to match most of her own outfits). Sage has been making them too, thought not wearing any of course. Too girlie. Ahem. (Ooh, unless we make some in his favorite color – camouflage.)

We've all been at it until our hands ache. It's that kind of satisfying. I expect we'll stop exactly when we run out of supplies. And then we might just need to get some more.

~ * ~ * ~

And as a postscript, I wanted to show you the matchbox babies from yesterday's craft madness at my table. (You did see my "Hey girl" on that post, right? It keeps cracking me up.) This year we made one needle felted cloud baby (Sage's), one heart baby (Lupine's), and a wee garden beet baby (for me).

The kids and I decided that they are "dream babies" this year and should live on our night stands to help us with good dreams.

I'm in.

A Tiny Sweater.

February 12, 2012March 16, 20188 Comments

This weekend was time for putting away the to-do list and finding our center again as a family. I decided to put the Man Sweater away (again) and dig into something tiny and satisfying. (I've had Pete's sweater on the needles since November. 2010. I should have probably been casting that one off, but somehow this tiny sweater seemed to take precedence.)

I'm slowly working my way through my yarn stash and this was the third quick stash-buster of the week. (The others, two very different cowls for the kids, I'll be sure to show you some day soon.)

As for this little sweater for Lupine's friend Mimi-Mama, I had help picking out the yarn. And wow. Who knew I had such punchy colors in my stash? Lupine did, evidently. In hindsight I'd have chosen something a bit more mellow, but who cares. It's a doll sweater. (Incidentally the pants Mimi Mama is sporting are made out of some sort of stretchy polyester circa 1977. They must have been for one of my dolls. Amazingly, they match the sweater perfectly. Whoa.)

I think the usual button stand-off has ended, and Mimi and Lupine have picked some bright pink buttons to sew on in the morning. And then Lupine says in a very squeaky voice (that of Mimi Mama), "I love my new sweater so much!" And the doll proceeds to kiss me like two million times.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Some Notes~

The sweater pattern: I used the Poppy Cardigan, a free pattern on Ravelry. My notes are here, the pattern is here.

The doll pattern: Mimi Mama is my own design. Her nose is made using the technique I mentioned here. (Yes, the nose makes her technically not a Waldorf Doll but I'm all about the noses.) I blogged about making here here.

Doll hair technique: Her hair is a mix of thrifted and hand-spun wool yarn, attached by a brilliant/simple method explained in this book. (And oh, my. Why that book is listed at $280 on Amazon I can not say. I paid $2 at a rummage sale for it two years ago. So sorry. If you need me to paraphrase the technique let me know. I'll save you the hundreds.)

Happy crafting, friends!

Lupine’s Birthday Sweater.

February 2, 2012March 16, 20189 Comments

I saw Lupine coming through the living room with tea cups for a celebration she was organizing in the other room. She was wearing a party dress and the sweater I made her this fall. The sweater!

And I realized that I haven't shared any recent knitting projects with you for ages. There has been a lot of casting off happening around here, including Lupine's birthday sweater. (Yes, from November.) I cast it off the evening before her birthday but never photographed it. Something about that hotel lighting…

And as with all the other finished-but-not-yet-shared projects, finding time to photograph them when both the clothing and the wearer are clean has been, um, challenging. Ahem.

The sweater pattern is Kina, and my project details are here. I knit the size 6-7 (she's a solid 5) because I couldn't make myself knit a size 4-5 (fear of smallness) so it's a bit big still, but I think she'll get at least a year or two out of it. The yarn was silky cotton, something I never knit with. So dreamy. (I normally knit with wool.)

I plan to share more of the completed projects in the coming weeks. There are many. (Oh, and if someone would call Pete and ask him to photograph my hat, cowl, and sweater that would be awesome. This bathroom mirror camera trick just ain't cutting it.)

And thank you to my mom who is responsible for Lupine's unusually clean hair. Hooray for Nanny. She insists of baths and improves my photographs.

How to Make Beeswax Luminaries

December 30, 2011March 16, 201824 Comments

Welcome! Make yourself cozy and have a look around. Crafy tutorials, fabulous eats, natural parenting musings (like this favorite), and other inspiration abounds. Peace, Rachel

Glowing beeswax luminaries. Magical? Heck yeah. Add to that easy, affordable, natural, and DIY and that's my kind of decorating.

It all started with Pinterest. I saw this tutorial for making luminaries with paraffin wax and balloons. And I though: how about beeswax? Beeswax would be warm and sweet and wonderful. So much more alive than paraffin and more "me". Oh, yes. That sounds exceptionally nice.

So with a goal of warm golden globes scattered around our home on New Year's Eve, glowing warmly and scenting the room with the sweetness of summer I dug in. We're having friends over this weekend. Ambiance, anyone? I'm in.

I jotted down a quick tutorial for you, too. If you have some beeswax and balloons you're pretty much set.

DIY Beeswax Luminaries

Supplies

9" balloons

Beeswax (2 lbs or so with plenty left for other projects…)

Double-boiler, slow cooker, or stainless pot

Parchment paper

Process

Fill balloons with warm water. (Or if the only faucet in your house that will take a balloon is cold water only, fill a basin with warmish-hot water and soak your cold balloon's for a while.) Fill them to the size that you want your luminary to be.

Your balloons should be full enough that they are plump/taught. If you want smaller luminaries, simply knot them off as tightly as possible like the balloon above (note the long "tail"). I say this because I had trouble with under-filled balloon's. The luminary cracked when I set them down to cool, an issue I did not have with full or tied-with-a-long-tail balloons.

Heat your beeswax. Ideally you want it around 160-170F. I do this in a slow cooker that I picked up at a thrift store just for this job. If you don't have a slow cooker you can simply use a cooking pot on low heat or fashion a double boiler out of two pots. (Be prepared to donate the wax pot to wax forever more. Though it is possible – and a bit of a headache – to clean out.)

Melt the wax on high, then turn it to low before you set to work. I only checked the temp twice during a 40 minutes of luminary making and it held temp well. No thermometer? No worries.

Troubleshooting Temperature

If you don't have a thermometer, wing it. Here's how you know you have the right temp:

Is the wax sticking smoothly to your balloon? Then it's your temp is good! Dip.
Is the wax lumpy? Too cool! Heat it up.
Is the wax melting the previous layer off when you re-dip? Too hot! Allow to cool.

Dip your balloon repeatedly. Do not dip beyond the water/air line on your balloon. If you wonder why and decide to try it your balloon will dramatically explode, filling your wax pot with water and causing you much grief. (Ask me how I know…)

Every six dips or so gently place the balloon on a piece of parchment paper to flatten the bottom. Let it sit for a bit to cool. Between every dip allow 5-10 seconds for the wax to cool before you immerse it in the wax another time. (I like to do two balloons at a time, alternating between them.)

Random sidebar to answer the question you are asking: that's my dry erase board in the background above. The tutorial for making that is over here.)

After approximately 20-30 dips, gently place your balloon on the parchment and allow to cool. Your goal is a luminary that is thick enough to hold up to use, yet thin enough to let the light through. Once it feels firm to the touch (though still warm) take your balloon to the sink and pop it! It will startle you every time. I promise. And you will likely get a little wet if your aim is off. Peel away and discard the balloon.

Trim any ragged edges with a pair of sharp scissors while the luminary is still warm. Then place a tea light or votive (in a cup) inside and enjoy. (The brighter your candle the warmer the glow.)

Happy New Year to you. I'll be back her next week with more treats in store.

Love,
Rachel

Handcrafting Gifts.

December 19, 2011March 16, 201828 Comments

First, a note to my family. Mom, Dad, Titi, Pete: LOOK AWAY! In fact, any close friends and family should avert their eyes lest they spoil the surprise of what's coming.

Seriously.

Anonymous blog readers only.

Okay?

Okay.

I mean it.

Oh, the crafting that has gone on around here in the past few weeks. There has been so much baking and sewing and painting and mod podging… we've been busy. Pete, the kids, and I.

A few trips to the thrift store (and one to the craft store) and we had all the supplies we needed. Many of these projects were surprisingly quick, so there's still time for some handcrafting if you are inspired!

What have we been up to? Here's a sampling…

Inspired by this, he kids each decorated a thrift store coffee cup for my dad.

Using upcycled coffee bags from our local roastery and lining fabric from my stash, I quickly sewed up some buckets for my mom's onions, potatoes, and other kitchen produce. I didn't use a pattern, but simply traced a salad plate for the bottom and then measured it around for the length of the sides. Simple, rustic, and sweet.

By modifying my zip bag tutorial and using the sides and lining for the buttercup bag instead, I made my sis a sweet little zip purse. Oh my I love this pattern. If time permits she might just get a little matching coin purse too.

This is one of my favorite, most simple gifts. Its for Pete. 12 envelopes, one fore each month. Inside is a "coupon" for a date (something we normally make time for just once or twice a year). They are season-specific, and include dates like snowshoeing, canoeing, picnicking, dinner, hiking, and cross country skiing. I'm looking forward to these myself.

For my boy, the chef, I made him a refined new apron. Hemp on one side, green oh the other with bias tape ties made of an elegant geometric pattern (and a pocket to match). He's a serious one, so it's very grown up. Because, well, he is too.

And for my girl, I thrifted a (rather ugly Disney) music box and covered the outside with origami paper and mod podge. I removed the plastic little mermaid from inside the box and painted a few peg girls/fairies. The baby will go inside, twirling away where the mermaid was, and I think one of the ladies will be attached to the top of the box, just for cuteness. Another one will become a necklace for Lu with a piece of cording and a screw eye.

Edited to say: I changed my plans a bit tonight on the jewelery box. The baby became the necklace (more size appropraite for a 5 year old) and one of the big peg girls became the dancer. I caked the whole thing in glitter, which is almost always a good idea in my opinion, inside and out. So the blue fairy girl above who is now dancing inside the box. She's crooked, but that makes it cuter in my non-perfectionist opinion. (So much cuter than that plastic mermaid, if I do say so myself.)

There has also been a lot of knitting (socks for my dad) that needs to be finished, but we're in the home-stretch. Happy crafting everyone!

xo Rachel

P.S. This was all very budget-friendly too. The total cost of items above: $1.00 per mug; $.50 for the awesome Lotta Jansdotter stationary set (thrift store score!); $12 for three porcelain markers; $1 zipper; $3 for the music box; and about $1.75 for peg people. The rest was in my stash. Total holiday budget: $20.25 (8.25 if you don't count the pens.)

P.P.S. I'm experimenting with setting comments to post only after approval. If you don't see your comment right away, please be patient! I'll get them up as soon as I can. Thanks for understanding!

The Meditation of Making.

November 22, 2011March 16, 201810 Comments

Sometimes the busier things get the more I need to nudge myself into the quiet space of handcrafting. I love to make things. It quiets my mind fully, in a way that others find through yoga or meditation. Knitting. Sewing. Doll-making… it is my meditation.

I opened myself up to a few custom orders for my Waldorf toddler dolls last week on my Facebook page, so this week each evening I find myself with needle and thread, bringing dolls to life. Six sweet babies, being made for six sweet children for holiday gifts.

Such fun.

Oh yes, I love the simple work of making something magical form from fabric and thread.

What about you? What is your meditation these days?

Homemade Dry Erase Board.

October 6, 2011March 16, 201810 Comments

You've seen glimpses of my homemade dry-erase board over the last couple of months, made with a vintage plastic fru-fru mirror and some pretty fabric. I wanted to share with you how I made it, in case you wanted to put one together for your space. The project was inspired by something I happened upon on Pinterest (I misplaced that specific link but I'll share it when I find it again.) Edited: I Found it!

I have a serious weak spot for gaudy decorative mirrors. These came from second hand stores for just a couple of dollars each. They are plastic. But fancy plastic. As you can imagine, Lupine loves them too. The gold mirror is the one that now hangs in my kitchen, and the small red one will become a bulletin board soon.

Here is how I did it:

I removed the mirrors and painted the frames a glossy white. (I suggest you give your frames a strong blast with the garden hose to remove any dust and hair before painting, then allow to dry. I did not and wished I had. So many crannies for dust to hide.)

Coat with a few light layers of paint. I used spray paint on these because of the amount of detail on the frame, but since hace also painted a couple with a brush and had great results. If you are spray-painting just go at it from a few different angles so you get good coverage, and dry thorougly between coats.

When the paint was dry I wrapped the original backing (the hard board behind the mirror) with fabric and secured it with staples and/or tape, depending on the thickness of the board. I measured the mirror and cut a piece of glass to fit the frame (from a discarded cracked window) and assembled it.

Because I fell in love with a dark fabric I had to figure out a light-colored dry erase pen and after some searching came up with wet erase chalk markers. (I think they are made for black light boards at restaurants.) And that was it. Done! You can also choose a light colored fabric and use a regular dry-erase marker, but know that it will act like a permanent on a light-colored frame. (Ask me how I know.)

And now, somehow, my to-do list seems so much fancier.

P.S. If you like this you might also love this. Another recent late-night-craft bender.

Leaf Art.

September 30, 2011March 17, 20181 Comment

One last Kid Craft post before the weekend sweeps me away from the computer for a while. This one was inspired by a simple afternoon with my people. I hadn't even planned to post about it. It was so simple. But really, that's the point. Spending creative, quality time with the small (and big) people that you love need not be complicated. (And not everyone lets their kids paint with acrylic paint or had a bucket of wooden peg people on hand, as per yesterday's post so I wanted to share something more accessable to all.)

This one is easy. And almost free. Because everyone has leaves. And most of us have beautiful fall leaves right about now. (Not all of us, but most.) So go out and gather great baskets of gorgeous leaves. (The walk and gathering is half of the magic.) Then come home, grab your glue, glue sticks, pencils, and colored paper and have at it. Make what you ever comes into your head. No rules. You can even follow Lupine's lead and make a "Bye Fishie" piece, inspired by the end of trout season. A-dorable.

You can also create gorgeous sun catchers with clear contact paper and fall leaves. Simple allow your kids to press leaves onto one sheet of contact paper, then top with a second one. (Leaf sandwich style.) Punch a hole in the top and hang up in a sunny window.

Wishing you a creative, simple, joy-filled weekend.

Love,
Rachel

Edited to tell you that I found a wonderful leaf dress that Lupine made while I was cleaning up. She had glued two leaves together (top and skirt) and then cut them into the shape of a fancy dress. The possibilities are endless! Have fun this weekend, friends. xo

A Tiny Tea Leaves for My Girl.

September 15, 2011March 17, 201820 Comments

I set a goal to knit four sweaters this fall. One for each of us. (Thank goodness my family is small!) I started with the smallest and quickest knit to ease myself in to this process with a fast one. Also, Lupine is the only person in the family without a sweater that fits for these first cool days.

She chose the yarn (sparkles!) from our local yarn shop and we picked the pattern together off of Ravelry. It was quick and satisfying to knit up, and was technically my first sweater (with sleeves anyway). I enjoyed every stitch.

The buttons are antique mother of pearl from my stash. They belonged to my great-grandmother. There was something magical about sewing on the buttons that belonged my grandma's mom. (My grandma was the one who taught me to knit and kept me – and eventually my kids – warm with her prolific knitting.)

Lupine's mother's mother's mother's mother's buttons. On my first little sweater.

It warms my heart.

As for Lupine, she loves it. She's worn it everyday since I cast it off. It doesn't get better than that.

Project details can be found here.

I'll be away tomorrow, so have a wonderful weekend, friends! xo Rachel

How to Freezer Paper Stencil (with kid art!).

September 14, 2011March 17, 201813 Comments

Ages ago I told you I'd share a tutorial for how to turn artwork into a tee shirt. And then I spaced it. For oh, I don't know. A year. Sorry!

The tutorial below is edited from an article I wrote for the Saponifier Magazine last year. Since it is a soapmaker's publication, I chose to demonstrate with my soap company logo. But we used the exact process on Lupine's "fairy queen" above. It was Pete's favorite drawing from when she was two and we made the shirt for him for father's day. Sage also made one (but it is in the wash so you don't get to see it.) Found Sage's! Added the truck picture above. At seven Sage cut his own screen so if you trust your child with an X-acto knife it is a big-kid friendly project too.

How to Freezer Paper Stencil

Freezer paper stenciling is a simple way to create an imprint of any simple illustration or text. And it is easier than you many think. You probably have most of what you need on hand already. So go and gather your supplies, and let's get started. The only time consuming part is cutting your stencil (you can reuse them up to three times). If keep your design simple and you can quickly make several shirts or tote bags in an evening.

A Note on Supplies: Most supplies (with the exception of fabric paint) can be found at your local hardware or grocery store. Freezer paper is not the same thing as waxed paper. Freezer paper is a thick white paper used for wrapping meat. It is plain paper on one side and has a thin plastic coating on the other. The plastic coating is the magic part that will adhere to fabric and peel off with ease. As for your shirts, check your own closet before you go shopping. A button down shirt, a tee-shirt, a tote bag or a denim jacket are all great options for this project. You can even screen over some prints. Clothing with a small stain is a great candidate for this project – just place your silk screen to hide the spot!

Materials and Equipment:

Freezer Paper
Craft knife (X-acto or comparable)
Pencil
Iron
Acrylic paint and textile medium (or fabric paint) – Textile medium available through craft stores
Cutting mat or cardboard
Shirt

Instructions:

Create your Stencil

In the example above I began with a computer print out of my company name and part of my logo. For the shirt we made for Pete from Lupine's drawing I took her art and photocopied it, then enlarged it to size. Choose a simple image because you'll be cutting out anything that you want to print and tinly lines can be cumbersome.

Tear off a suitably sized piece of freezer paper. Place the freezer paper coated side down over your illustration. Using a pencil, carefully trace the outlines that will become the inked areas on your shirt.

With your craft knife cut carefully along your pencil lines. Be sure to use a sharp blade and cut on top of a cutting mat or board. If your blade begins to resist the paper replace it with a new one to avoid tearing your stencil.

Set aside any small pieces that you'll need to use during the project. (For example, the inside of a letter "O" or a central piece of your illustration.) I set aside parts of three letters, the duck's body, and the duck's beak.

Attach your Stencil to your Shirt

After your freezer paper stencil has been cut out, trim away some of the excess around your design. This will allow for easier placement on your shirt. Attach to fabric using an iron set to cotton blend (no steam). Center carefully and iron in appropriate location on your shirt with the coated (plastic) side down. Do not slide the iron around or you may tear your stencil. Instead gently place and press with the iron until all areas are well adhered. Carefully place the smaller floating objects and iron into place using the point of your iron. You may want tweezers to place accurately.

Paint!

Insert a piece of cardboard or a thick pad of newspaper into your shirt. Paint your stencil using fabric paints or a blend of textile medium and acrylic paint. I prefer the textile medium and acrylic paint menthod because I can custom blend paint to match my project. Blend more paint than you think you will need.

Using a small, stiff-bristled brush paint your shirt using a stamping motion with the bristles (rather than a swiping motion which can cause paint to sneak under the edges of your stencil). Continue to stamp paint throughout all exposed areas on your stencil. Touch up areas where the paint looks too thick or too thin and strive for even coverage. The fabric should have a solid coating of paint but not a visibly thick layer. A second coat is a great idea if you want a professional looking shirt.

Allow your shirt to dry completely and then remove stencil. If you are in a hurry you can speed up the drying process with a hair dryer. Iron for 30 seconds to set ink, and wear.