Fliegenpilz

Part of my reuse what I have, and not spend any more money, getting ready for Xmas decor. The sizes are approximate since I never used a pattern. These remind my husband of something from a Mario game- I will make him green and orange one next ;)

Click on the image to enlarge the tutorial (or save to your computer and reopen if the text is hard to read). Takes about one hour each if sewing by hand. You will need:

• red felt
• enough canvas (or any light coloured material)
• scissors
• thread
• beads
• stuffing/fiber fill
  
  

Feather Tree

I love feather trees but not the prices. Shopping in the dollar store, I came across this fuzzy yarn and got excited- I love it when a plan comes together. For this craft you will need:

• one spool 14GA wire


• 1 ball of "furry" yarn


• small wire pliers with wire cutters


• tall can around 5 1/2"


• enough rice to fill the can


• scissors


• optional is one spool ribbon and glue gun


• 2hrs

click on the images to enlarge for tutorial

Things can only get better from here

It's been a bad month- my husband and I were both laid off from work, and my husband's brother was flown into the city in critical condition the last day of work. Good news is that the brother in law is slowly getting better (he's on and off oxygen and antibiotics). Work wise, me and the hubby are joining forces with the other work orphans to start our own company! What is a girl to do going from 13 to zero hours of work a day? Well how about bake 2 pumpkin pies made from the same pumpkin that she grabbed from the kitchen counter at work, as she was heading out the door (even better was that I got to share it with the other ex-employees at our first company meeting!) - it's true what they say- it's best served cold!

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.