Crafts | Bead Happily Ever After

Elf Wanted!

Posted on December 10, 2009 by crystal

With only 15 days until Christmas, things are really getting busy now.

I’m beginning to think Santa has the right idea though . . . I need an elf! 😉

You know – just to help with a few things on my list. Maybe he could do the laundry and the grocery shopping, so that I could concentrate on all of the fun holiday stuff. Yes! That would be perfect.

In the midst of the bustle and merriment of the Christmas preparations here, I still like to have a moment to make something – just for the fun of it. It keeps me calm! LOL

Consequently, I’m always on the lookout for a quick and easy project, and when I saw Donna’s version of a sweet but tiny purse, I wanted to make one, too! She very kindly included a link to the directions!

Here’s mine. I put the business card with it to give you an idea of the size.

Wouldn’t it be just the thing to give with a gift card tucked inside?

I used some leftover wool yarn scraps and then crocheted the button as per the directions. I added a Swarovski crystal for a little pizzazz. (You can click on the photo to enlarge it.)

Although I didn’t have a real button on hand that would coordinate with this purse, I do think a vintage or new button would be lovely on the next one I make. Some glitzy yarn and a jeweled button would be gorgeous for an evening bag – when all you might want to carry is a lipstick and maybe a credit/debit card.

Ok, back to decking the halls for me.

‘Til next time,

12 Ornaments of Christmas – Part 7

Posted on November 18, 2009 by crystal

I have a riddle for you! 🙂

What do you get when you take this . . .

And add it to this?

Answer: A unique handmade Christmas ornament! 😉

The 7th ornament in this series is a little wooden sled that I’ve decorated with a small piece of cross stitch – but you could choose any number of other ways to embellish it including a crocheted motif, or embroidery, sewing, pieced felt, papercrafts, or even decorative painting. The idea is to use a winter or holiday item, like the sled, and decorate it in an unusual way to create a very special ornament!

Supplies:

small wooden sled (available at craft stores)
tiny cross stitched design of your choice
scrap of felt for hat
small beads (seed beads for hat, 4mm bead for pom pom)
glittered ribbon cord for hanger and bow
small piece of decorative braid or trim
tacky glue

Directions:

You’ll notice my sled has been stained and painted – which is NOT necessary. Leaving it natural is perfectly fine, or you may decide to paint your sled a bright color.

Stitch the design of your choice in cross stitch.

Lay the finished stitching on the table face-up. Place the sled (seat side down) on top of the stitching. Be sure it is centered and trace around the sled (directly onto the fabric) so that you will have the traced outline as a cutting guide.

Cut on the line and after placing a thin layer of tacky glue on the top of the sled, attach the stitching to it. Press firmly and allow to dry.

Use a piece of cord to make a “pulling rope” for the sled.

Optional:

I made a hat for the penguin by cutting a small triangle of felt and sewing it in place. I folded the top corner over and attached a crystal pom pom and a few seed beads for sparkle!

I decided that the cross stitch design could use a border of some kind. Since I didn’t have any suitable decorative trim on hand, I took a piece of the glittered ribbon cord and crocheted a “chain” to glue around the edges of the sled. A small bow in the lower left corner was the finishing touch.

You’ll have lots of your own ideas, of course, but I hope this will inspire you to look around for something you have there right now, that could be used to make a unique ornament. 😀

12 Ornaments of Christmas – Part 6

Posted on November 6, 2009 by crystal

Part 6 in this series is technically not an ornament but an ornament hanger! Actually, they’re so pretty; they could almost stand alone as ornaments if you wish. 🙂

But imagine how dazzling your tree would look if you used a bunch of these little sparklers to hang your ornaments!

And talk about quick and easy! I made them in just a few minutes.

Supplies Needed:

1. A few pretty beads!

2. Medium gauge wire

3. Pliers

4. Wire cutters.

Directions:

1. Use wire cutters to cut a 5″ piece of wire. (You may decide you want your finished piece to be smaller. In that case, experiment with shorter lengths of wire until you arrive at the size you like best.)

2. With pliers, make a flat spiral shape on one end of the wire. (See photo for guidance.)

3. Next, thread your beads onto the wire in a pleasing arrangement.

4. Finally, bend the top of the wire to form a small loop, and then wrap the rest of the wire around a pen to form a “hook” shape. (Again, refer to the photo.)

That’s it – all ready for the tree!

Perfect for gifts, too!!! If you’re giving a fancy glass ornament – make a lovely hanger to accompany it, or make a set of them for a teacher, hostess, or that “hard to buy for person” on your list. 🙂

An Extra Hour…

Posted on November 3, 2009 by crystal

So remember on Saturday, when I was suggesting that we all try to do something fun with our extra “fall back” hour? Did you find a little time just for you? I hope so! I decided to make a potholder.

I know! That probably would have been your last guess for how I’d spend my extra hour. Well . . . it happened quite by accident. I was searching for something on the internet. You know how that goes. You begin to google a specific item and before you know it, you are lost in cyberspace – reading all kinds of interesting information! When you eventually come back to consciousness, you realize that you hardly remember what started the whole thing! 😉

Anyway, I bumped into a forum where there was a discussion about crocheting potholders, and how one particular potholder was so much fun and so very quick to make. According to the post, you crochet it in one piece that will fold in on itself as you go along and when complete, you’ll have a square with a double thickness. Needless to say, I was intrigued.

After I had finished several rows, I thought it was looking more like a little clutch purse than a potholder!

Ah, but then the “magic” began – it was starting to turn into a square. More rows would be needed before I could sew a seam to form the last two corners, though.

With a little more patience and several more rows, this potholder was now a square.

After finishing the seam, I added a loop for hanging and Voila! Although I love pretty, decorative potholders, I always hate to use them. This, however, is a “working” potholder. It’s nice and thick and should offer good protection for handling hot items.

I used Lily Sugar ‘n Cream Cotton in “Faded Denim” and a size G crochet hook. You can find the pattern here. I think if you make one – you’ll make another. It’s a great project to work on while watching TV. 😀

12 Ornaments of Christmas – Part 5

Posted on October 30, 2009 by crystal

For Part 5 in my series of quick and easy ornaments, I have a little fabric pinwheel for you. This is a great way to use up any remnants of Christmas fabric in your stash. But even if you have to buy the material, it won’t cost very much because so little is needed. 🙂

Christmas Pinwheel

Supplies:

Fabric Remnants – Two Coordinating Christmas Prints (a 9″ by 9″ piece of each print will be easiest to work with and will make 4 ornaments.)

Fusible webbing (a piece that measures just under 9″ square)

Christmas buttons or decorative buttons – 5/8″ in diameter

Wooden dowel – about the thickness of a lollipop stick – available at most craft stores

Thread, needle, pinking shears, and regular scissors

Gold Cord or fishing line for hanger

Gather your supplies . . .

I found some cute Christmas buttons!

Directions:

Cut a square of fusible webbing (a little less than 9″ by 9″) and sandwich it between your two Christmas prints. Both prints should be wrong sides together with the webbing in between.

Using an iron, press your “sandwich” of fabrics and webbing together, following directions which come with the webbing.

Lightly trace a 4″ square in one corner of your “sandwich”, and cut it out with pinking shears.

At one corner of your square (using regular scissors) snip in towards the center – but do NOT go all the way! Leave about 1/2″ uncut. Repeat this step for the other 3 corners of the square.

Snip corner

Corners can now be easily be turned over.

Using a doubled piece of thread, take a stitch through the center of the square from front to back. Bring the needle back to the front staying very close to the center of the square. Next you will be forming the pinwheel. With the square flat in front of you, pick up the right corner on one side, fold it over so that its point touches the center of the square, and stitch the point down. Turn the square, and take the right corner of the second side, and stitch it to the center on top of the previous corner that you just stitched. Repeat until all four corners are attached to the center of the square.

The pinwheel is taking shape!

Attach a button to the center to hide all your stitching. Cut the dowel to the desired length and whipstitch (or glue) to the back of the pinwheel.

Use a piece of gold cord or fishing line to make a hanger for you new ornament!

All finished 😀