Knitting and crochet

Now that I've been able to get a little crafty again recently by hand-knotting lanyards, I find my appetite whetted to expand to other practical projects, such as knitting and crochet. I did some knitting years ago, but I never learned how to crochet properly. My daughter Mika is pretty much a self-taught crocheter, so maybe she will give me some guidance.

Anyway, I discovered a Freedomblogging blog today called "Fiber Lust Confessional," and there I found a link to a booklet of free patterns available as a PDF download from Berroco yarns. Hopefully, I can find the time to try some of these!

Lanyards

For a while now, I've been wanting to craft some hand-knotted/beaded lanyards on which to wear my credentials to work. There's a great site called BooJee Beads where I could buy some really cool handmade lanyards, but I think it would be a lot more satisfying (and a lot less expensive) to make them myself.

So I finally got my thoughts organized and found a great site - Free-Macrame-Patterns.com - with free macramé instructions and patterns, including detailed instructions for how to craft jewelry and related items out of small cords (like 1 mm hemp or embroidery floss), which is the size I had in mind for making my lanyards.

I first wanted to make a lanyard with a spiral pattern. This page at Free-Macrame-Patterns has simple, detailed instructions for how to create the spiral effect. I wasn't able to find embroidery floss at Walmart to begin my project, so I settled for 1 mm hemp, which is probably a lot easier to work with because it's less slippery than the floss, so it holds the knots much better.

Step 1: Mount two cords to a ring or holding cord. This will give you four strands to work with. Using the two outside cords as your working cords, tie the first half of a square knot (i.e., a half knot).

Step 2: Repeat the half knot over and over. Make sure you tie each of the knots exactly the same way. The cords will twist to form an attractive spiral chain.

 

 

Here's a photo of my first work in progress. I started with blue and yellow strands.

And here's the finished lanyard:

 

Here's the second lanyard:

 

 

 

Door hanger/organizer craft project

I love these craft project ideas from Disney FamilyFun magazine that I find on the wire service at work! Here's another one worth sharing because it's an item that is not only easy to make, but it just might come in handy – and not only for families with children.

DOOR HANGER/ORGANIZER

Craft time: Make a handy door organizer

Disney FamilyFun magazine

Hang this organizer on your front door and never lose your keys, sunglasses, or other essentials again. Sticky notes help remind family members of more ephemeral matters.

From a 12- by 18-inch sheet of craft foam, cut out the pieces as shown in the diagram. Line up the tops of the front and back panels and stick them together with double-sided tape. Stack the inner pocket on top so that it aligns with the bottom edge of the back panel, as shown. Align a strip of duct tape with the top edge of the pocket and wrap the tape around the stack.

Fold the bottom section of the front panel over the inner pocket and secure the sides with duct tape. Roll up the spacer piece and tape it closed, then tape it near the bottom of the back of the organizer. (This will help the organizer hang flat.)

Punch two holes in the outer pocket and link a short length of ball chain through them. Add a small carabiner to the chain. Use double-sided tape to attach a pad of sticky notes above the doorknob hole.

Super-easy kid's cape project idea made from an old T-shirt

A cape is super easy to make out of an old T-shirt, and kids will love it.

Here's a great idea for anyone who knows a wannabe superhero, princess, king, queen, prince (or other royalty), knight, red riding hood, robin hood, musketeer, villain, traveling minstrel ... the list goes on and on!!!

Not only is this craft super easy and requires NO sewing, but it has the added benefit of recycling (repurposing, really) old T-shirts that might otherwise end up being thrown away.

These instructions come from a story that will appear in Sunday's Lifestyles section in the Appeal-Democrat. The story originally ran in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Project 1: Kid’s cape
Number of steps necessary to make: Two
Difficulty: Super-duper easy
Time: About five minutes
Tools: Sharp scissors
Basic instructions: 1) Lay the shirt flat, with the portion you want on the cape facing up. 2) Cut, starting at one far end of the bottom, up diagonally to the collar. Repeat on the other side, and then cut around the collar of the shirt.
Observations: This was easier than I would have thought possible.

Ocean in a bottle craft

Here's a great craft to use some of those shells you or your kids pick up at the beach, courtesy of Disney FamilyFun magazine.

"This mini ocean made major waves with our kid testers, who loved to send the shells, sand, and water tossing and tumbling. The project starts with a clean plastic bottle (ours is an 18-ounce beverage container). Pour in a cup of sand and add a handful of small shells (we used 10). Mix a drop of green and a drop of blue food coloring into 6 cups of water, then use the tinted water to fill the bottle halfway. Add a pinch of silver glitter. Fill the rest of the bottle with mineral or baby oil, leaving as little air space at the top as possible. Run a line of hot glue around the inside of the bottle cap, then quickly screw on the cap to create a spill-proof seal."

Make your own beach using shells, sand and a plastic bottle.