Recycled Paper Basket

I have this thing for storage, so I was happy to find the newspaper basket on craftstylish.com. Only problem was that it was made out of newspaper, which is messy. Instead I decided to make use of all the garbage printout paper that I've been saving. The final result is great because I folded the print side in resulting in a basket that looks like its made from square marble mosaic tiles. Please click on the demo images for the tutorial. For each basket you will need:

• 20 pieces of scrap paper 8.5"x11"


• scissors


• a heavy book


• paper clips (optional)


• glue (optional, I didn't use any and my baskets are strong)

T-Shirt Flowers

This is a great way to recycle one old t-shirt and at the same time embellish a perfectly good (but boring) shirt. Instruction are below (click for larger view). For this project will need:

• one old t-shirt to cut up
• one new or "good" t-shirt
• matching thread
• 5-10 minutes to complete

Low Sew Sweater Purse

One wash cycle some cutting and three stitches is all this purse needs. The instructions are drawn out below (click on the picture for a larger view). Here is the full supply list:

• one XL 100% wool sweater that has been felted
• scissors
• thread that matches the sweater
• 20 minutes to assemble

To felt a sweater, simply throw the sweater in the wash with some towels (this acts as an abrasive which mashes up the wool) and set the wash cycle to hot, and the rise cycle to cold (this extreme temperate change also forces the natural fibers to expand and shrink, hence more matting) Repeat as needed. Once you are happy with the size, don't worry about cutting the wool, and leaving raw edges, it act just like felt (won't fray) and is surprisingly very strong.

Sunday Brunch

This weekend was Dad's birthday, so I took my parents out to the fanciest brunch in town which is the Sunday brunch at the Fort Garry Hotel. Unfortunately my husband had to work, but don't worry I had enough eggs benedict for the both of us.

Wire Necklace

Here's a fun piece of costume jewelery inspired by Patrick Magoohan (I bet you can't say that every day!). To start, I loosely drew out a very simple outline to follow. Next I rounded up some 20GA wire and my needle nose pliers and did my best to copy the design. The necklace is broken up into 5 workable parts : the bike, 3 words, and the chain. All of the wire parts were finished off on each end with loops, on to which a jump ring can be attached (I just simply attached them together loop to loop). To finish off the necklace I used an old broken chain.

Macrame Scarf

My husband calls these my macrame scarves. They are actually based on Martha Stewart's "no knit scarves" I just added an extra two bunches to make them thicker because it's cold here. Unfortunately this means you need longer strands to start with, but it's worth it. These scarves actually look great and are very functional because they are light weight you can loop it through itself as you tie it around your neck, so it will stay on. Also if you get wool yarn, not only is it very warm, it will slightly felt in the wash- so any bumps or loose knots will even out perfectly. Below I have provided a drawing with instructions for my version of the scarf (click the picture for a larger view) . For this project you will need:

• a ball of thick wool yarn (will yield around 2 medium length scarves)
• 3 safety pins
• a heavy pillow
• 20 minutes
  

Terrarium

Since now is the last chance to bring and greenery from outside, inside for the long winter, I decided to make some terrariums. I didn't do any research until after the fact, but with a bit of common sense, my original plan worked out well (which means they are still alive). By chance I was flipping through an old Martha where she suggests charcoal instead of regular mud (keeps the bacteria level down) she also warns not to let the plants touch the sides of the glass (prone to rot). Mind you, don't be afraid to just get in there and make mistakes, after all, she's using orchids, and I'm using old pickle jars.

For this project you will need:

• one clean jar


• the first layer is gravel


• second, layer in some mud/ dirt or some of that fancy charcoal


• next add your moss

water as needed, if you have a lid for you jar, you can place the lid on, and water less often. Just remember to let the terrarium get some light.

Summer's End Finally Here

Well actually we are well into autumn, but in this part of the world the weather is very cold already (we've already had our first snowfall!). So the cabin is now packed up for the winter, and will await our return in the spring.

Herr Hase

A simple sock animal. I'm not so great at written instructions so I drew them up (click on the image to bring up a larger view). For this craft you will need:

• 2 white adult socks (mid calf in length)
• one black and grey sock for his shirt.
• 2 beads for his eyes (you can embroider eyes with black thread if you choose)
• white and black thread
• stuffing/ fiber fill
• one hour of free time (at most)