Felt Butterfly Clip Magnets - Tutorial

More butterflies. Ah yes, more. This time in fuzzy felt in some uplifting spring colors. These are easy and quick to make. And in this household they are very much needed.

For years we've had kiddie magnets on the fridge. And some random magnetized cars that "crawl" up anything metal too. These kiddie magnets migrate around the house. They become walking hazards, wined up in the wash, and like-wise lost in this abyss we call home. So, I felt a need in my inner-being for some grown-up, crafty, magnets for my portion of the fridge/freezer that no small hands can touch.

The other problem, besides the juvenile nature of our message keeping, is that the magnets available don't always stick well. A take-out menu sometimes requires two or three magnets to keep it safe from the floor and the mouth of my 10-month-old-paper-eating-mischief-maker. These actually stick and they hold paper in their cute little clip. And I am proud to say, these are a bit more "elegant", if you would, than the I-Iguana magnet I am staring at right now.

Materials:

• Felt in varying complementary colors (I used 100% felt here. But the poly kind will do just fine too.)
• Sharp fabric scissors (and a pair of sharp smaller scissors is useful, though not necessary)
• Regular scissors (to cut through the magnetic tape...never, never, use your precious fabric shears on things other than fabric, like, say, fritos bags, like my husband does.)
• Pen (ball point will do)
• Butterfly pattern - download here
• (2) kinds of glue (Use Elmers or something else runny for the felt-to-felt part. Fabri-tac will do too. And use something creamy for felt-to-wood.)
• A small dish
• An old paint brush (for the glue)
• Small clothespins (these are 1 3/4 inch)
• Magnetic tape (or you can use round magnets too, or any other type of magnet strong enough to hold up the clip, the felt and some paper.)

How To:

1. Print out and cut out the butterfly pattern. (I transferred mine to a piece of cardboard for durability, but this step isn't necessary.)



2. Choose two contrasting colors of felt and trace around the butterfly pattern onto each piece of felt. Use the fabric scissors and cut around each tracing.



3. With a pen, draw in the lines on the wings onto the felt butterfly that will be applied on top. (I just eye-balled this. You can too...alter the pattern if you want.)


4. Use the fabric scissors and carefully cut out each pen line. Bend each wing piece and used the tip of the fabric shears to snip a small slit along the pen line. Open the wing back up and insert the tip of the fabric shears into the slit and cut out the pen line.


5. Decant about 1 teaspoon of runny glue and add 1/2 teaspoon of water to the small dish and mix to combine with the paint brush. Brush the entire surface of the felt butterfly with no holes with glue. Apply the other felt butterfly piece on top and press gently to adhere. (The glue here will help the felt stiffen a bit, which will help durability.)

6. Add a dab of craft glue (the more creamy stuff) to the middle of the clothespin and press the felt butterfly on top to adhere.


7. With the regular scissors, cut a 1 1/2 inch length of magnetic tape and cut it again in half lengthwise. Remove protective paper and adhere to the back of the clothespin. (If you are working with regular magnets, the craft glue will come in handy here.)

8. Let the piece air dry and then hang it on your fridge and clip your latest and greatest note!

Baby Bunny Stencil - Free Download

This weekend was a whirl wind of crafting, drafting, and computer complications. It was busy inside and beautiful weather outside. I wished I had spent more time enjoying the weather, but when my mind is able, and the kids are otherwise occupied, there is no stopping these crafting fingers.

Working hard on this blog, this creating, building these tutorials is a new intentional commitment for me. I've been blogging for a few years now. Sometimes with fervor and exuberance and sometimes not. The need to express my creative side, connect with others, and build a new revenue stream for our family are the currents that pushed my blogging hobby along. I know that the act of creating, and the discipline to keep creating, can lead to some of the goals I'd love to achieve in the this lifetime. All these thoughts and feelings have led me to the brink of choosing to a path. But fear is holding me back from stepping off and committing.

Lately I've been praying a lot and asking for guidance. Which way should I go? How much should I be concentrating on my family? How much should I be concentrating on my creative talents? What should I be giving and how much? What is it that I am meant to do?

I was reading this passage in the Catholic Herald today and it really hit home for me. In her March 8-14, 2012 Opinion piece, Elizabeth Foss wrote, "St. Isaac of Stella wrote, 'If you desire to know yourself and possess yourself, go into yourself, and do not search for yourself outside. Distinguish between what is around you, what belongs to you, and yourself! Return then, transgressor, to your heart within, where you are truly yourself.' So much of what we believe about ourselves and the way we see ourselves is a reflection of the interactions we have with other people. Moment after moment, day after day, we store up a lifetime of impressions from without. The opinions and the attitudes of other people can shape us, nearly to our very core.

But those impressions cannot touch the innermost reality of who we are. It is only the Holy Spirit in whose likeness we are created who can truly shine a light on who we are intended by our Creator to be, who we become if we are fully united to Christ. A quiet intimacy with God is the truest way to know ourselves."

Many things I've been reading lately are subtly pointing me to this creative outlet, this blog. I love creating new things. I adore working with my hands and designing. God has a funny way giving me tiny hints and pointing me in the right direction just when I think I can't stand it any longer to not know.

I very much enjoy working on these posts and sharing my creative work with others. I hope that you also enjoy what I am posting here and it is useful for you. Stay tuned for more soon!

Today, it is just a quick post. I am working on something a bit more complex for later this week.


This is the a little baby bunny stencil pattern. Downloadable here. Click here for the tutorial about how to create a sweet stenciled little baby tee..

I couldn't for the life of me get a good shot of the finished tee. This crawling baby can cruise at 9 months!! Yikes. And my 4 year old is a little shy about modeling. *sigh* So these funny ones are the ones I get.

Spring Chick Stenciled Baby Tee - Tutorial

Cute round tummies deserve a little spring time adornment. Like say, a cute t-shirt motif that when stretched in the horizontal direction becomes even more cute.

Spring time is on my mind as winter wanes in these parts. Tornadoes in the mid-west, and 70 degree weather here has me wondering what happened to the snowy days of winters past. Lent is here and it is a time for reflection, prayer and penance inside this spirit of mine. I am thinking of Easter and how glad I'll be to see the end of this 40 day ritual of intense personal scrutiny. Not a season I love really. But truly I feel better at the end of it all. Refreshed. Renewed. And ready to meet what is next with hope and openness. I guess that is what Lent, and spring, are about. A new beginning.

And so, I was daydreaming of what reminds me of spring and I thought of little chicks hatching. We had that incubator when I was in grade school. The heat lamp hung low kept those little eggs warm nested in that fresh bed of piney wood shavings. My classmates and I were equally delighted when those tiny new beings finally poked their beaks through their shells and came out into our world. Wet, frumpy, matted, and perhaps not quite as round as the one I pictured above, those tiny little chicks were so very adorably cute.

As I sat in front of the TV watching the Food Network last night, I sketched a couple of chicks. And I've uploaded my favorite draft here.

I turned the sketch into a stencil and created a baby tee for Pie Pie. In all truth, Little Miss can wear this one too with her petite stature. It is for a 24 month-old after-all. It is a bit big on Pie Pie and he kept on moving away from the shot, so these are the best modeled poses I got.

This stencil craft is super easy to create, pretty economical, and very cute. Though, maybe not as cute as the chubby baby cheeks pictured below.

Materials

• (1) Baby t-shirt (can also be a onesie, or a long-sleeved t-shirt. What ever you desire. The one pictured here is a 24 month size, but you can size yours to fit.)
• Fabric paint (I used Folk Art Fabric Paint in #4419 Thicket)
• Small sponge (you can use a regular stencil "brush" or a small sponge. I just took a scissors and snipped a regular dish sponge in quarters and used that.)
• Freezer paper
• Iron + ironing board
• Piece of cardboard large enough to fit inside the body of the shirt
• Pencil
• X-acto knife + old magazine to cut on
• Chick picture download here and scroll down

How To


1. Download and print on regular computer paper this chick sketch. Yes, it is for you, and it's for free.


2. Overlay a piece of freezer paper on top of the sketch print and trace the image onto the paper side with a pencil. (Place freezer paper plastic side down on the print.)


3. Place freezer paper on top of the old magazine and with an X-acto knife cut out the image along the traced lines. Go slow and pay attention to detail. After, erase the extra pencil lines.


4. Place a piece of cardboard inside the body of the shirt. Insert the cardboard from the waist end and make sure the cardboard is wide enough to stretch the fabric of the shirt horizontally just slightly. With a hot dry iron (I set mine on the polyester setting and turned off the steam) iron the freezer paper onto the front of the shirt. Pay particular attention to the edges and make sure these are firmly ironed on. If you'd like, cut a very small circle of freezer paper and iron this on to the shirt to place the eye of the chick.


5. With a just damp sponge (not wet here), apply the fabric paint to the t-shirt through the stencil. Dab the sponge in the paint and then dab the t-shirt fabric firmly to push the paint into the fabric. Make sure that the entire surface is covered. Do not remove the freezer paper stencil and set the shirt aside to dry completely.


6. When the paint is dry, carefully remove the paper stencil and set the fabric paint according to the directions on the bottle. Put the tee on your little guy or gal, and start trying to snap those photos!

Outtakes


Can't see the front of the shirt!


Really can't see the front of the shirt.


Okay, can't even see the model now. Photo shoot, that's a wrap.

Inspiration
The Snooty Bird Walk by Vintage Green Creations
Goody Bags for Spring Chickens by Country Living

Polka Dot Dyed Easter Eggs - Tutorial

I didn't grow up celebrating Easter. We didn't dye eggs, go hunting for them later in the grass outside, or receive baskets of sweets. I remember eyeing with great envy my friend's plastic yellow baskets filled with trinkets, sweets, and plastic green grass. My parents are of Jewish descent.

In 2005 I converted to Catholicism. I did it for me. I did it because it felt right. It just fit. And now, as a wife and mother I am beginning to create family traditions that make the Lenten season and Easter meaningful and beautiful to our young family.

This simple colorful craft project actually didn't include the children. I just slipped into the kitchen and let my crafty fingers fly around a bit and came up with these polka dot dyed Easter eggs.

Materials

• Eggs (raw and intact, and at room temperature.)
• Food coloring (just the regular kind from the supermarket) (Goodness, does calling the grocery store a "supermarket" date me a bit I wonder?)
• White vinegar
• Paper towels (or a rag you don't mind turning a couple of other colors)
• Plastic disposable, or rubber gloves (optional if you don't mind getting your fingers a bit dyed)
• Contact paper (about a 6"x6" piece or so.)
• X-acto knife
• Hole punch

How To



1. Use the hole punch to punch out dots from the contact paper. Separate the dots from their backing and stick them to the eggs. (An X-acto knife helps here. I held the dot between my forefinger and thumb and then carefully "sliced" the side of the dot with the X-acto knife to separate the two layers.) Firmly press the edges of each dots to adhere. Be a bit random here with your sticking pattern. Or not and create a geometric pattern if you wish.



2. Mix dyes according to package directions:
1/2 C boiling water + 1 teaspoon white vinegar and 10-20 drops of food coloring (I used teal, dusty rose and yellow.

3. Submerge the egg covered with sticky dots in the hot liquid colors and let them sit for as long as you'd like. The longer you let them sit the more intense the color will be in the end. Mine were in the liquid for only a minute or so. I used plastic gloves to protect my fingers from the dye.

4. Remove the dyed egg and rinse the excess dye off and pat dry with a paper towel. Let dry for 20 minutes or so, before removing the circle stickers. (An X-acto knife helps here.)

5. If you intend to display these, poke holes in the ends and blow them out. I used mine for breakfast the next morning.



Outtakes

• If you don't firmly adhere the dots to the egg shell, they come off.
• Blue seems to seep into the little craters in the egg making a speckled effect.

Inspiration
Tissue Paper Decoupage Eggs - How To by Martha Stewart
Scrambled Lines and Letters Easter Eggs - How To by Martha Stewart

Puff Stenciled Tile Coaster - Tutorial

 The weather is certainly wacky this year around these parts. It is close to 70 degrees one day and then after an evening of wind advisories a cold-front comes in and whips us back into winter shape with 40 degree temperatures.

I was at my son's Montessori school the other day and the bulbs outside were stretching their green shoots up out of the soggy earth, reaching for that warm sun. I think they are confused. We still have three long weeks until that day marked spring on the calendar. We haven't come in like a lion or gone out like a lamb. And Punxsutawney Phil even predicted more winter weeks. I'd better watch what I say though. At the rate we are going we are sure to have a late March snowstorm when we expect it least.

Nevertheless, my body is yearning for spring time already. Perhaps without real snow, ice, and cold jacket weather, my toes might actually be thinking it might be flip flop time soon. And so, when I think spring, I think flowers. Daffodils and cherry blossoms to be exact.

When I first moved to Washington DC, that spring it started snowing. I remember looking out of my office window and seeing white flakes floating in the air. They were gliding this way and that, where ever the breeze would take them. These white flakes turned out to be cherry blossom pollen. And I turned out to be allergic. But to me those white puffs blowing in the breeze still signal to me that spring has sprung.

Spring also makes me think of color. Brilliant violet crocuses with vibrant orange centers adorn my neighbor's lawn. Fresh dewy green buds that pop out from every branch. And of course pretty Easter pastels come to mind. These painted tiles are inspired by the spring flower puff that takes off and alights on the gentle breezes of spring time. With a modern twist, this pretty design is easy to make and elegant to display.

Materials

• (3) 4"X4" ceramic tiles in white, or what ever color you like. (I found these in the tile/flooring section of my Home Depot and paid 16 cents for each one.)
• Adhesive mailing labels (you'll need less than one sheet, or you can buy dot stickers too, just make sure that their adhesive is good, but not too good. You don't want adhesive residue on your finished project.)
• A hole punch (a standard one will do) 
• Ceramic acrylic paint (I used Folk Art brand here in the following colors: XXXX)
• Medium flat paint brush (the tip should be square not pointy)
• X-acto knife
• An oven (like the big one in your kitchen)
• (12) adhesive felt circles

Stats
Time: about 1 hour to create one tile; 1 hour 15 minutes to bake the tiles; and then I didn't keep track of the time it took to cool. I just left if there and picked them out of the oven some 6 hours later before baking a chicken for dinner.
How to Use: gift these as a set of coasters for a birthday, a hostess gift, or house-warming present. Attach a ribbon to the back of each one and hang these in a group.


How To

1. Clean the tiles with warm soapy water, rinse, and dry well.

 2. Use the hole punch to punch out a million dots from the sheet of adhesive labels. Okay, not a million, but you can see I used a lot. Make your own design and use your own judgement on the number you use. I just stopped when I got tired of sticking dots.

3. Peel off the label backing and stick the dots onto the face of the tile in your design. Use the back of the X-acto knife to smooth the dots onto the tile. Don't use your fingers, or you risk getting oils onto the tile which makes the paint streak. 

4. Paint over the entire tile surface, stickers and all. If you need to, do two coats. Let air dry for about 30 seconds, or until tacky. Mind your brush strokes. Make them light and even and make them all go in one direction. I actually made my first coat go in one direction and then turned the tile 90 degrees and did the second coat. Use as little paint as you can to get good coverage.

5. Use the point of your X-acto knife to remove the stickers before the paint completely dries. Then use the tip of the X-acto knife to clean up any smears or smudges.

6. Follow the drying directions on the paint bottle. Mine said to stick the tiles in a cold oven, set the pre-heat temp to 350 degrees F and then bake for 1 hour. Turn off the heat, and let the tile cool inside the oven. When completely cool, remove the tiles and they are now hand-washable and top-rack-dishwasher safe.


Outtakes:
I did this while watching TV while Pie Pie was sleeping upstairs. This craft project is that easy.

Inspiration:
Here is a couple of the pieces that inspired me to create this craft project. Thanks to all the artist out there who inspire my crafting work every day.
A Windy Day by lauraamiss on Etsy
Dandelion Clocks Pendant Shade by Hannah Nunn

Spring Tissue Paper Wreath - Tutorial

I've never been a fan of money. I like the things you can get with money, sure...like crafting supplies, an education, or a good read. And I don't really mind earning money, though I feel supremely lucky that I don't need to command an income presently. But the way that green stuff just twists you up inside with worry sometimes doesn't feel like very nice at all.

"I want this, but I shouldn't buy it. I would really like this, but I don't need it. Is this worth it? Is this being wasteful? BUT I JUST WANT IT! I deserve it." Then the credit card or the cash comes out and in a flash that light of instant gratification is turned on. A feeling of warm euphoria wraps its arms around me and pushes up my lips into a smile. It teases my brain saying, "you did good." And then the shopper's-high is gone. And so is the money.

So that I don't have buyers remorse, or spenders-withdraw, I like to change it up with a thrifty endeavor sometimes. This craft is pretty inexpensive while being relatively impressive. Tissue paper is pretty cheap, though I'd recommend quality stuff for this project. The really thin stuff just rips too easily. And with a wreath form, a dab of glue, and a bit of ribbon you can make a very pretty spring tissue paper wreath. (A side note, if your wreath form comes shrink wrapped in plastic, don't even take that off. Just glue the tissue paper right to the outside of the plastic. That way when you get tired of this decoration, you can just take off the plastic and start over designing another wreath!)

The butterfly and flower adornment are a recreation of my beloved blue hydrangea but you can use any accent you wish. Store bought or hand-made, either will work fine with this simple wreath. I attached a bit of wire to the back of the butterfly, threaded the flower through and then stuck the wire through the foam wreath form to keep it all in place. Like most of the projects I love, this job takes some patience and a little bit of time. But I believe time well spent, considering the nifty result.

Materials

• Green tissue paper (how much depends upon how big your wreath form is. Mine was 8" and I needed approximately 1/2 a package)
• Scissors
• Ruler
• Pen
• Wreath form (this one is 8" in diameter)
• Craft glue
• Orange ribbon (how long depends upon how long you'd like the loop to be. I used about 24".)
• Chopstick (use one from the take-out bag! You are going to use the non-eating end.)

How To

1. Knot the ends of the ribbon together. Make sure the ribbon isn't twisted. Fold the circle in half, (so you'd get two length of ribbon side-by-side) and loop it around the edge of the wreath form. Pass one loop end through the other loop end and affix it all with a dab of glue to the back of the wreath form.


2. Measure with the ruler, and mark with the pen, 3"x3" squares of tissue paper. Cut them out with a scissors.

3. Take the chop stick and place the larger end at the center of the tissue paper square. Gather up the edges of the tissue paper around the chop stick, and set this aside, with the chop stick still inserted.

 4. Spread a dab of craft glue onto the wreath form and use the flat end of the chopstick to press the tissue paper bunch onto the wreath form. Remove the chop stick and let the tissue paper stand up.

5. Continue folding tissue paper squares around the chopstick and then pressing them into the glue on the wreath form. Of course, spread more glue as necessary. Try not to glue a large area at one time, since the paper bunching takes time and you don't want the glue to dry too much. Bunch the paper together as little or as tightly as you'd like to get a less, or more dense effect.


6. And then you get your basic tissue paper wreath. Adorn it with the accent of your choice and hang it up to admire your work.

*     *     *

Outtakes:

It took me longer to create the butterfly flower accent than it did for me to come up with and shoot the wreath tutorial idea. I dipped newspaper into old coffee to antique it. I did glitter tape and glue glitter. I did beads and wire...and I ended up doing a simple paper motif. Figures.

Inspiration:
Butterfly inspiration from Laeriss from the blog A Heart in Provence
And Sea Mat by Cornflower Blue Studio -- see, inspiration can transcend mediums!