Necklace Remake

This is an original craft! I found this cute necklace broken by its lonesome at a reduced priced, so I have taken it upon myself to turn it into a treasure!

I'm guessing the middle bead in the center of the necklace was supposed to have a little ball on both sides, but, as you can see, there is only one on the right.

 

 

...So I removed the middle bead. In my personal opinion, the necklace look a little bit bulky anyhow.
 

 

 

To streamline the necklace some more, I removed the big bead on each side of the middle bead. (They are in the bottom left corner).
 

 

I added hooks to these two bead and made a matching earring set for the necklace.
 

 

Viola!! The finished product.
 

 

Tell me what you think! Comment for any thoughts or ideas, and happy crafting!

Lego my Sugar Cookies

 

 So today I decided to whip up some Lego themed sugar cookies. I began by mixing my regular "homemade" sugar cookie dough (complement of Betty Crocker).

 

 

I next used a knife to cut the dough into squares with small rectangles left on top.

 

I made icing using a combination of powdered sugar, corn syrup, and  milk. While I commonly use around one tablespoon of corn syrup, the other two ingredients vary based on the amount I am making. I start with two cups of powdered sugar and add the milk by tablespoons until I have the proper consistency.

 

The "sweet spot" for icing consistency is usually found when you drag your spoon through the mixture (scraping the bottom) and you can see the bottom of the bowl for a second or two before it is covered by the mixture. I add the powdered sugar by the cup and milk by the tablespoon until I have the right amount with the right consistency.

 

I then cover all of the cookies with a sheet of yellow icing. I fill about one third of the spoon with icing and then I put this icing on the cookie while spreading across the surface with the back of the spoon. I use very small amounts on the spoon if more is needed, or I use a toothpick in a like manner as the spoon, especially to get the edges.

 

 

I whip up a smaller amount of black icing and use a toothpick to apply the faces.

 

 

I then configure them on a platter and share the smiles with all of my friends!

 

 

What are some cookies decorations you would like to see? Happy crafting (baking)! 

Wool Dryer Balls

Like nearly every single project I've done, thus far, this idea comes straight from Pinterest.

 

I read a post talking about saving money by using dryer balls instead of sheets. They are quick, efficient, and last so much longer than a dryer sheet. Added bonus: you get to choose the scent!! (I went with lavender because it's gorgeous). You can find the complete instructions here.

 

I started off by looking for some lovely wool yarn, and bought two skeins for an excellent price at www.knitpicks.com.

 

After the yarn arrived, I simply took each skein and wound it into a ball (described in more detail in the complete instructions up above).

 

The next step is prepping the balls for their duty by drying them inside a pair of panty hose. I used a pair of knee-high hose that I purchased from Wal-Mart for $0.33. They are commonly found in a little hanging basket attached to the shelf at the end of one of the hosiery aisles. I only used one for this project since both of my balls fit into a single hose.

 

 

For your information: No panty hose was hurt in the making of this craft.
 

 

After they came out of the dryer I rolled them in a bowl of vinegar (to soften clothes) and lavender essential oil (for a fresh scent).
 

 

I let them air dry on a plate, moving them around from time to time to allow all of the sides to dry well.
 

 

Once dried they are ready to toss back into the dryer to lessen drying time and pamper my clothes! Happy crafting!

Crowder Coasters

 

I made these coasters in honor of my Alma mater, Crowder College. I started by making a simple three round coaster; more detailed instructions here.

 

 

I used the contrast color idea from the doily coasters I made last week; directions for how to add the contrast color here.

 



 

The directions for the 'C':

 

I created the 'C' using three rounds.

 

Round One- Stitch 10 along the top of the second round. Stitch over the top slightly toward the left, then stitch into the middle of the dc on the left. Stitch out of the dc, then back into the top of the second round. These stitches should create the '<' shape. Stitch 10 along the top of the second row.

 

 

Round Two- Stitch into the space where you ended the last stitch. Stitch 9, heading toward the '<' shape. When you get there, stitch toward the bottom half of the shape, the stitch outward toward the right. This rounds out the gap left from the '<'. Stitch 10.

 

 

Round Three- Stitch into the space where you ended the last stitch. Stitch 17. Cut the yarn with 4" to spare, and pull the yarn through the loop. The tail should now be on top with the 'C'.

 

 

From the bottom, pull the tail through to make the last loop before weaving in.

Viola!

 

 

What are your favorite sports teams or logos? Happy crafting!

Watermelon Coasters

I originally spotted the idea on Pinterest, but I did not have all the necessary colors. I used red, green, and black to create this coaster.

 

Round One- I started by making a magic circle, ch 3 (counts as one dc), then I did 9 dc into the chain before pulling it taut and ss into the top of the 3 ch. This first round should have 10 stitches total.

Round Two- Start by ch 3, dc into bottom of chain. *2 dc into every stitch* to end. Lastly, ss into the top of the 3 ch.

Round Three- Start by ch 3, dc into bottom of chain. *1 dc, 1 dc, 2dc* to end. Finally, ss into the top of the 3 ch.

 

Rounds one and two I used red, and then I changed to green for round three. After I weaved in the ends, I added the seeds sporadically.

 

What is your favorite summer fruit? Happy crafting!

Doily Coasters

 

Again, I found the idea for this on Pinterest, and you can get the free pattern here.

 

Because I used a thicker yarn, I did three rounds instead of five. Due to this, I added the contrast color stitch in the second round once the coaster was crocheted.

 

 

After weaving in the ends, the coasters were done. I was very impressed with the ease and speed of this project.

 

 

 I made a set of four, and was quite happy about the results.

 

What is your favorite material for coasters? Happy crafting! 

Play with Clay

Scrolling through Pinterest one day I spotted a neat necklace made from polymer clay beads.

I pulled out my old clay stash, mainly FIMO brand, and started shaping different sizes of simple circles. After shaping, I used a toothpick to create the holes.

 

 

Next came bead backing, done according to the package directions.

 

 

For the painting, I strung the beads on a toothpick which I balanced over an old yogurt container (which I recommend you keep--they have so many uses!), allowing me to paint the beads on all sides while letting them air out.

 

 

As expected, the beads had a matte quality, so I finished them with Mod Podge to make them slightly shiny while also protecting the paint..

Lastly, I strung the beads to create the finished piece. Viola!

 

Happy crafting!