If you are looking to make some fabric toppers for some of your kitchen hand towels, I think you will be pleased with this easy to make project. You can find inexpensive nice kitchen towels at your local dollar type of store.

Here is what you will need to make this project:

1 cotton kitchen hand towel
2 pieces of 6″ square cotton fabric
5″ square of cotton batting
large 1″ diameter button
8″ piece of cording or twine
Sewing Machine & Basic Sewing Supplies
Scissors

Place your two 6″ fabric squares right sides together with the 5″ piece of cotton batting sandwiched in between them. Using a 1/2″ seam allowance, sew around 3 1/2 of the sides. Turn the square right side out and hand sew the turning hole shut with a needle and thread. Set aside.

Find the center of your kitchen towel and mark the center with a straight pin. Using your sewing machine, run a gathering stitch down the center width of your towel. Pull the threads up so that your gathered towel will fit the width of your fabric square. Pin your fabric square onto the gathered edge (center edge) of your towel and pin into place. NOTE: Your square should be diagonal on the fabric and not placed up and down (diamond shape). Use your sewing machine and run a straight stitch down the center of your diagonal from corner to corner. Make sure you back stitch to ensure its attachment.

Finish your towel by hand sewing on a 1″ diameter button onto one corner of the fabric square and by sewing on hanging loop on the back corner.

Shelly Hill is a mother and grandmother living in Pennsylvania who enjoys quick and easy crafts. You can visit Shelly’s online craft site at http://passionateaboutcrafting.blogspot.com/ for free craft and sewing projects. You can find a photo of the completed project at http://passionateaboutcrafting.blogspot.com/2010/01/how-to-make-kitchen-towel-fabric-topper.html

Article Source: WAHM Articles

As a work at home mother and grandmother, I often don’t have a lot of time to mend clothing when the need arises here in our home. When I did find the time, I often didn’t have the supplies on hand that I needed so I would end up delaying the mending of the clothing item(s) that needed to be repaired.

To solve this problem, I sat down one Saturday afternoon and went through my sewing box. I then made a list of everything that I felt I needed to have on hand to handle all of those mending emergencies. On Sunday, I headed out to our local fabric store and picked up everything on my list. Once I got back home, I sorted through everything and organized it.

The very first thing you need is a good sewing box that has organizational features. The one that I own is heavy duty plastic and inside is four lift-out trays. These trays all have removable dividers so I can customize them to suit my own needs.

Here is a list of the basic sewing items you will need to complete your sewing box.

1. Sewing Thread (Basic Colors) – white, black, brown, red, green, yellow, orange, tan
2. Needles – various lengths and tips
3. Straight Pins – one box of pins (I prefer rust-proof pins)
4. Measuring Tape
5. Scissors – I recommend a high quality pair of fabric scissors
6. Buttons – You will want to stay stocked with various colors and sizes of buttons
7. Safety Pins – I recommend various sizes in both silver tone and gold tone metals
8. Seam Ripper – Every good sewing box needs a great seam ripper tool.
9. Needle Threader – Even if you have great eye sight, a needle threader can save you precious time when you are in a hurry.
10. Iron-on Patches – I keep white, black, denim, navy, tan and brown iron-on patches in my sewing box at all times.
11. Fabric Glue – If you are in a hurry and need a quick fix, you can hem a pair of pants or fix a seam with a few dabs of fabric glue.
12. Thimble – Protect your fingertips and invest in a good thimble.

Now, if you are a seamstress, you should also keep on hand various colored zippers, zipper pulls, elastic (various widths and lengths), buckles, etc.

Once you sit down and go through your sewing supplies and organize them, you will find that you will tackle those home mending projects more quickly. Keeping a well stocked sewing box saves time and energy and your family will thank you for keeping their favorite clothing hanging in their closets instead of on your mending pile.

Shelly Hill is a mother and grandmother living in Central Pennsylvania who enjoys cooking, crafting and sewing. You can visit Shelly online at http://passionateaboutcrafting.blogspot.com for free craft and sewing project ideas or her recipe and cooking site at http://wahmshelly.blogspot.com for free recipes and cooking tips.

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

Coffee Filter Easter Eggs

What You’ll Need:
Cone-shaped Paper Coffee Filters
Food Coloring
Eye Droppers and Straws

Cut out egg shapes from coffee filters (Cone shaped filters will give you 2 good sized eggs). Mix water and food coloring in a baby food jar, or small bowl. Do this for each color you have. Let the children use eyedroppers or straws to drip colors on the filter shape. The colors will run together and make beautiful eggs.

A variation of this is to speckle the eggs by having your child blow through the straw after it’s been dipped in the colored water. This method could be a little messier, so you’ll want to make sure you’ve laid newspaper or paper towels down first.

Cotton Ball Easter Eggs

What You’ll Need:
8.5 x 11 in. white construction paper
Pastel colored cotton balls
Child safe scissors
Stick glue

Fold the construction paper in half length wise. Cut out a half oval shape along the non-folded edge, making sure that one end is cut a little flat (pointed/oval at the top, flat/rounded on the bottom). You can draw it out with a pencil first to help with the cutting. Open your paper and it should look like an egg (this is similar to cutting out a valentine heart).

To decorate: Spread a thin layer of glue on sections of the egg and apply various colored cotton balls, continue until the entire egg is covered. Try putting the colored cotton balls on in some type of pattern.
Let dry and hang on wall or refrigerator for all to see!

Easter Egg Collage

What You’ll Need:
8.5×11 in. white, or pastel construction paper
crayons, markers, water colors
glitter and more

Give each child a large egg shape cut from construction paper. Have the children decorate with anything (glitter, sequins, scrap fabric, foil, buttons, crayons, markers).

1. Take advantage of all of the fonts within word processing programs, as well as any photo editing, or scrapbooking software. Use them for journaling, or enlarge letters for page titles. Paper scrapbookers can them print and cut them out, while digital scrapbookers can place them within their layouts there on the computer.
2. Use photo editing software to fix or enhance photos, switch them to black and white, add special effects or captioning (with the above tip) to put more of a personal touch right into the pictures.
3. Resize, and crop pictures on the computer before printing them out. Pictures can be arranged on a blank page, grouped, or collaged and then printed out as one image to be cropped into a paper scrapbook page layout.
4. Clipart is everywhere! Printable digital elements can be used to embellish paper scrapbook layouts. Even printed digital layouts can be embellished with separately printed clipart to add dimension and depth to scrapbook pages.
5. Digital layouts can be found online. Once downloaded, digital photos can be placed in the layout. Create a CD to keep a digital album, or print out the layout at home, or through a printing service. Design a pre-made layout to print out, and adhere developed, or printed photos for placement into a scrapbook album.

Digital photography is here to stay, and technology is making it easier everyday to store, organize and preserve our pictures, and our memories. Whether with a specific computer scrapbooking software package, or individual clipart elements, using a computer to assist in scrapbooking can add a unique personal touch to page layouts without taking away from the traditional paper craft artistry of scrapbook albums.

For more helpful scrapbooking tips and tricks, check out…

Read my review of this book!

1. Holiday cards are always a great craft. Provide the kids supplies like construction paper, card stock, scissors, glue, glitter (the bottles of glitter/glue in one package are a very nice low-mess way to dress up a project), pencils, crayons or markers and old Christmas cards. Let the kids use their creative energy to make wonderful handmade cards that can be shared with family and friends. By cutting pictures out of old cards, even the younger children can make something really nice (and recycle at the same time).

2. Snow globes are a favorite. If you want to make your own, gather glass or clear plastic containers, like baby food jars or mustard or mayonnaise jars. Wash and dry them completely. Gather small plastic Christmas or winter decorations. Try to find some that float. Winter themed stickers or small foam cutouts are also nice. Decorate the outside of the jar with stickers or glue a few of the foam pieces on it. Attach a couple of the floating pieces (things like snowflakes or stars work well) to string and glue a figure to the inside with the string underneath the figure to anchor it (which will become the base). Fill the jar with water and some glitter. Carefully glue the lid in place using waterproof glue and let dry. Once dry, shake it, set it lid down and watch the glitter swirl around.

3. Candy crafts can be fun, as well as a tasty gift. A train can be a quick craft that can be used as a decoration or gift. Use a roll of hard candy (like Lifesavers) for the main part of the train. Use individually wrapped round candy, like peppermints for the wheels. For the front, glue a square candy, such as a caramel or a Starburst with a Hershey kiss on top. If you add a string, they can be used as a tree decoration. Experiment with other kinds of candy to create other things, like robots, animals or even angels.

4. Garland trees can be a great project for the kids, especially if there is limited room for a Christmas tree. Take a large piece of green poster board and cut a circle, with a slit out to make a cone. Tape it with clear packing tape. Take an artificial pine garland and wrap it around the cone, completely covering it to create a small tree. Fasten the ends in place so it doesn’t unwrap. The tree can be decorated with lightweight paper ornaments that the children can also make.

5. A cozy fireplace can warm up any room but not everyone has one. Let the kids make one. Find a large cardboard box and cut an opening in the one side for the fireplace. Using sponges, paint bricks on the box, leaving space in between to be the mortar. Paint the inside black if you want. Paint flames on the inside back section of the box. Use paper towel rolls to stack up in the fireplace as logs. Decorate the top to look like a mantel.

Get creative and think up your own Holiday crafts as well. Children will love the fun involved in creating these crafts and so will you. You can even give the crafts as a gift which will warm even the scroogiest of hearts.

Turkey wreath – Buy a straw wreath and various Thanksgiving decorations, let your kids glue on the decorations to make a holiday wreath to hang on your front door.

Turkey cups – With the Thanksgiving family dinner coming soon, you’ll probably have a house full of kids, buy small kid-sized plastic cups and craft markers. Give each kid a cup and let them write their name on it and decorate it.

Turkey placemats – Give your kids colored construction paper and let them make turkeys. After they are finished, mount each turkey on a separate sheet of construction paper, then laminate it. Now they have their own special turkey placemat.

Pinecone Turkey – Gather pinecones, then cut out colorful turkey feathers from colored construction paper. Use red felt to cut out the turkey’s comb. Glue your Thanksgiving turkey together, inserting the feathers in between the pine comb leaves.

Thanksgiving flower pots – Buy the smallest red clay pots you can find at your local gardening store (these are super cheap), a bag of potting soil, and packages of various flowers, vegetables, or herb seeds. Let your kids write the name of the seed on the outside of the pot with a magic marker. Next, have them pour potting soil in each pot and plant the seeds. When the seeds begin sprouting in a few weeks, let your kids take their Thanksgiving pots to the local nursing home and give them away as Thanksgiving gifts to the patients.

I’ve put together a collection of 9 other Thanksgiving Craft Ideas – it’s available HERE for download (Right click your mouse and Save to your computer). All of the ideas above, plus the crafts in our collection will keep those little fingers busy from now until Thanksgiving.

These totes can help you keep your photos, tools, stickers, markers, and other supplies from other people’s reach. Buy using this scrapbooking storage, you can store away your scrapbooking stuff in just one place to keep them handy and organized.

Aside from bags and scrapbooking totes, another useful means of scrapbooking storage is the scrapbook cases, which usually come in handy and removable snap cases. Here, you can store your scrapbooking supplies and keep them from being lost or damaged. Usually, scrapbook cases are space savers and can perfectly fit into chest-style storage units with a divided top.

You can use this scrapbook case for holding scrapbook pages, photos, stickers, and other scrap-booking tools. When buying a scrapbook case, make sure that you buy an item which enables you to see the contents inside easy so you can easily identify photos and other materials you wish to use. Since you will be putting photos inside the scrapbook case, make sure that it is acid and PVC free. In the market, there are various scrapbook cases available which enable you to transport, organize, and protect your 12×12 pages or photos.

The scrapbook organizer, on the other hand, is a very practical and sensible scrapbook storage solution. Usually comes in different cases, you can neatly organize your scrapbook papers, stamps, stickers, markers, and other supplies in its handy and easy-to-remove snap cases.

Scrapbook organizers are a must for a scrapbooker who is always on the go because it can help you keep all of your supplies in one place. Scrapbook organizers can be folded into half for easy transport with wide shoulder strap or carrying handle for easy use.

In looking for a scrapbook case or scrapbook organizer, make sure that you look for those that can fit neatly into a chest-style storage unit and those that occupy minimal space in your closet or craft room. Also, look for scrapbooking organizers that are great for storing art projects, office supplies, and other accessories you are using. It is best if you look for those scrapbook organizers that offer top features such as divided areas that are also perfect for drawing utensils such as paintbrushes and many more.

Whether it’s scrapbooking or any other sort of art, looking at the work of professionals can get me very down. Sure, you can find inspiration, but you can also find a lot of frustration because you’re just not good enough to repeat their results. Online, you can see the layouts of thousands of scrapbookers from professionals and people who just started. This way you can get inspiration and support without feeling down about your own work.

In addition to seeing others’ designs, you can also share your own with the world. Showing scrapbooks to your friends is great, but if they don’t scrapbook themselves, they may not be able to give you helpful insights and opinions on your designs. Plus, you only have so many friends to help you out. If you find the right website, you can find thousands of people to give you honest and helpful opinions to get you on your way to successful scrapbooking.

Online, there’s a good change you can find someone who’s used a specific product and can give you an honest opinion. This is great for knowing which products to buy and saves you money by knowing what to avoid. I will also help protect your memories from faulty products that could destroy it years down the road.

Be careful about who you’re getting your product information from. If you talk to someone regularly and they’ve voiced opinions on all kinds of products, you can likely trust what you say. The problem is that many product reviews are written by the manufacturers to boost sales, not by the consumers. Once you’re comfortable with the internet, you should learn to spot these phonies pretty easily. Remember that if a product seems to good to be true, try your best to find a second opinion.

Probably the best part about meeting other scrapbookers online is that you can make friends with people who share the same interests as you. And once you get to talking, you’ll probably find they share other interests as well. Whether they’re from your neighborhood or across the globe, they can still become trusted lifelong friends.

Distressing is a popular trend now in scrapbooking. Whether you like shabby chic or want to go for a more aged/weathered/heritage style, distressing your papers will give you the look you desire. Here are five fun ways to add distressing to your scrapbook pages.

1. Distress by wadding/crumpling your paper. Simply wad up your paper into a ball. You may want to experiment with how much or tightly you wad your paper. Now unfold your paper and flatten with your hands. (You may need to wad again if you haven’t achieved the results you were hoping for). Besides using your hands to flatten out your paper, you may choose to use a brayer or even a warm iron.

2. Achieve a weathered look by sanding with a fine sandpaper, emery board or sanding block (I found some sanding blocks for nails at the dollar store). Gently sand your cardstock/paper where you want it distressed. Continue to sand and alter the surface until you reach your desired look. You can sand the edges or gently sand the entire surface for a more weathered look. Another method is to fold your paper and sand on the fold. When you reopen the paper it leaves a prominent line as in an old document. Do you have some older papers or stickers lying around with a nice slick and shiny surface? Take these outdated products, sand them to remove the shine and give them a whole new look.

3. Easily tear or roll your paper for a vintage look. Tearing away from you or towards you provide different results. Cardstock with a white core will have a white edge shown through. Experiment and find what you like best. If you find your cardstock difficult to tear, try wetting lightly with a paint brush or Qtip first. You can further age the torn edges with ink or chalk. Roll the edges for a fun look as well.
Scrape or use a wire brush to achieve a distressed look.

4. Scrape the edges of your cardstock carefully until you reach the desired look. Check for specialty scrapers made just for paper. A wire brush can be gently brushed over your paper to weather it. Try random brush strokes, or lines and even plaids. Have fun experimenting.

5. Now that you have wadded, crumpled and sanded, add some color back to your paper. You can use chalks, ink, metallic rub-ons or stains. Using your fingertips, Qtips, sponges, tissue or whatever else you want apply using a circular motion until the desired result is reached. You can also apply ink directly to your paper. My favorite technique is to ink the edges by directly brushing ink pad to edge of paper. Stains made especially for scrapbooking can easily be found now including walnut ink, stains, washes, etc. You can also use items found around the house such as coffee, tea and Kool-Aid.

Are you ready to try a distressed look in your next scrapbook layout? Crumple, wad, sand, tear, roll, scrape, ink, chalk and stain to your hearts content. Which technique will you try first? Have fun distressing your next layout!

Need answers to more of your scrapbooking questions? Dawn Stegall povides 102 of them at http://102ScrapbookingIdeas.com.

Article Source: WAHM Articles

What better gift than a brag book for grandma and grandpa? Over the years, I know that my parents have always appreciated photos that have been shared with them of all of their grandchildren.

As parents, we love attending plays, dance recitals, choral performances and graduations, whether from preschool, elementary school or high school. Grandparents are not always in town or available to attend these events. They too enjoy sharing in the pride of these days.

I believe 6×6 albums work great to create these brag books. Often a dozen photos are all you need to complete an album.

So what themes can you use for these brag books?

If you have a toddler, here are some thought starters for albums:

• A day at preschool

• A day at swim lessons

• A day at the park

• A trip to the zoo

For elementary age children often the children are involved in one of many activities:

• Soccer games

• Baseball games

• Ballet lessons

• Gymnastics

Snap some photos. Again, just a dozen will do of your children participating in any of these activities. Both of my kids attended elementary schools that had many photo opportunities. The kids did class presentations. They performed with the music teacher once a year. They did some type of play or presentation once a year. They had a jog a thon once a year. We had just tons and tons of school activities where photos could be taken.

When the kids are high school age, often they too are involved in either chorus or theater or band or sports. I know one mom who created one large album from each football year her son participated in. A mini album from one game would be wonderful. Again, there are so many opportunities for a dozen photos to put into a brag book.

I’ve also always included a school photo in the scrapbooks. Usually a wallet sized photo on the front page of the scrapbook with the year the photo was taken is a great addition to the scrapbook.

Mini albums do not have room for many embellishments, but you can certainly add stickers and a few diecuts to dress up the pages of your brag book.

Try creating a brag book and see if grandma and grandpa’s faces don’t light up with joy!!

Audrey Okaneko has been scrapbooking for several years. She can be reached at audreyoka@cox.net or visited at http://www.scrapping-made-simple.com

Article Source: WAHM Articles