Recently I found an instruction on how to make a two-coloured crocheted cord – so easy, but I’d never have thought of it!
Sure, the simplest ideas are the best ;-)
Tray from Picture Frame
I found an instruction on how to turn an old picture frame into a tray (German).
They painted everything, but I thought: Why not ‘using up’ my crochet stars lying around and make something really kitschy for once? ;-)
I didn’t hammer together anything yet, but I may.
That is to say I’m not sure how much kitsch I really can bear ;-))
They use a new orange glass panel from the glazier and some paint on the frame. Additionally they hammered a wooden board to the backside to give it some hold.
Links:
Tray from Picture Frame (Alte Sachen – neuer Look) (German)
Scarf and Tie Holder
If you have a lot of scarves or ties (and don’t craft with the latter ;-)), you want to keep them tidy.
I found an instruction on how to make a really nice scarf and tie holder (German). You can make it match your home very easily.
The holder on the photo is faked using my preferred gift wrapping paper, because I owe no more than the three scarves and I think that I will ‘craft‘ my ties ;-)
The making of the holder consists mainly of using a narrow plank, painting it white, glueing the clothespins on (e.g. with PVA glue) and then decorating the item with the printed layer of napkins (decoupage). Best if you check their pictures.
Links:
Scarf and Tie Holder (Tücher- und Krawattenhalter) (German)
Here at unikatissima: Entries with the tag ‘tie’
Needle Felted Bracelet
I found a good tutorial again, this time about how to make a needle felted bracelet.
I put it directly on my list, because I think it is great as a base that can be embellished e.g. with bead embroidered Paisleys or bead picots but also with ‘just-embroidery’ like the cross stitch heart, the freeform embroidery or the Embroidery Crust.
Additionally you can make matching earrings and a pendant for a necklace.
Links:
Needle Felted Loop Bracelet
Here at unikatissima:
Bead embroidered Paisleys
Bead Picots
Freeform Bead Embroidery
Entries with the tag ’embroidery’
Cross Stitch Heart
Freeform Embroidery
Embroidery Crust
Patchwork Knitting
I find it hard to crochet or knit large items. It’s easier for me if I can assemble them from separate items.
Therefore I really like Patchwork knitting: You knit one piece at a time.
You can see easily how much you knitted already, easier than when knitting in endless rows.
On the photo you see a scarf I begun. In my case I work ‘fast’ squares from three colours that I rearrange at every square.
Simply try it, it’s fun!
Links:
Basic Garter Welt Module Pillow (English)
(via Das Web als Online Handarbeitsbuch)
Different Patches (Mitres – aka Dominoes or Patchwork Knitting)
Patchworkstricken (German)
Here at unikatissima: Clothes From Crocheted Medaillons
Ugandan Weaving
A long time ago I found a tutorial on how to make bookmarks with Ugandan Weaving, but the site doesn’t exist any more and I couldn’t find it in internet.
Therefore I wrote something myself.
That’s what you do:
First of all you must cut the paper stripes.
Take two coloured DIN A4 sheets and cut them in stripes of 1 cm.
Slit them in the middle, but let at one side a little piece (0,5 cm) unslit so that the stripes don’t fall apart.
You can see this best on diagram 1 (click to enlarge).
Then lay the stripes side by side and weave them as seen in diagram 2 (click to enlarge).
I sketched it as if there were 4 colours, that looks also nice.
When all stripes are woven fold the outer stripes back and weave on (see diagram 3, click to enlarge).
Continue until you’re satisfied.
You can see on the photo on top that I haven’t read the instruction thoroughly: I didn’t take stripes of 1 cm but much broader ones, although I slit them every 0,5 cm, too.
The disadvantage is, that the stripes are pushed apart and therefore the beginning (left of picture) doesn’t look very nice (although I took the photo so that it’s not to be seen ;-)).
When you take the 1 cm stripes which are slit once this effect doesn’t occur.
I taped the ends together with clear tape.
And I made the coloured papers by glueing two Christmas gift wrap papers together :)
While writing this entry I noticed that my straw hat (that I only use as decoration now) is made in a quite similar way. They wove a long strip in a kind of Ugandan weaving and sewed this strip together in spairals.
Very easy ;-)
Very easy ;-)
Links:
Original site where I found the tutorial for Ugandan Weaving. When I tried it, it didn’t exist any more.
The site has been saved by webarchive.org, but without the (important!) diagrams: site without diagrams (note: very long loading time).
Kumihimo Cord with Heart Pattern
No, today we won’t use the heart template from the last days ;-))
But we’re talking again about hearts for Valentine’s Day ;-)
This time in combination with Kumihimo: Check out the Kumihimo cord with a heart pattern. Cute, isn’t it?
I didn’t start yet to make this cord, it’s still time until Valentine’s Day ;-)))
Links:
Kumihimo Cord with Heart Pattern
Here at unikatissima:
Entries with the tag ‘Kumihimo’, especially the entry Kumihimo where you can find a template for a cardboard Kumihimo disk
Intarsia Knitting
I’ve not yet done with the heart template from the Beaded Square Stitch Heart and the Cross Stitch Heart ;-)
Today you can see that the template can easily be used for some Intarsia Knitting.
How about some wristwarmers or a headband (possibly even fringed ;-)) for someone you love for Valentine’s Day?
I simply knit a piece to be glued on a greeting card, I like this, too ;-)
Click picture to enlarge and then simply print.
Links:
Learn Intarsia Knitting
Here at unikatissima:
Beaded Square Stitch Heart
Cross Stitch Heart
Calorimetry Headband
Knitting fringes at Actinia
Cross Stitch Heart
Valentine’s Day makes everything more heart-ily somehow ;-))
Besides I wanted to show what you can do else with the heart template of the day before yesterday (Beaded Square Stitch Heart), viz. a really nice cross stitch heart.
I didn’t have any Aida fabric or similar, besides I always prefer to embroider on paper or fine cardboard ;-)
I therefore glued some plain gift wrap paper on fine cardboard, pre-pricked the holes (which you should always do when embroidering on paper) and embroidered my heart with metallic sewing threads (instructions on how to embroider the cross stitch see links below).
Subsequently I connected the border holes, cut the cardboard into a nicer shape and glued it on a greeting card.
I really like it ;-)
Click picture to enlarge and then simply print.
Links:
Kids Stitch Diagrams and Instructions Part I
Tutorial moved to: Kids Stitch Diagrams and Instructions Part I => scroll down
At Embroiderers’ Guild: Cross Stitch
What else you can do with cross stitches (at Embroiderers’ Guild also):
Pattern Making with Cross Stitch
Flinkhands Kreuzstichanleitung (German)
At crossstitch.about.com: About Aida fabric
At Wikipedia: Stramin (German)
Here at unikatissima: entries with the words ’embroidery on paper’,
especially the Paper Crazy Quilt and the Crazy Quilt Photo Frame
Squiggly Hearts
I found an instruction for really cute Squiggly Hearts cards and ‘squiggled’ one myself.
That’s fun! :))
A little bit like the Zentangles, but better fitting for Valentine’s Day ;-)
Links:
Squiggly Hearts
Here at unikatissima: Zentangles