Cold-Weather Cuteness #2: Cozy Fleece Scarf… WITH POCKETS

Posted by Jackie on Oct 14, 2009 in Accessories, Craft Presents

My friend Rosalie is PROBABLY my blog’s biggest fan - both of my blogs actually. She pestered me to get back on crafting because she was running out of things to read when she’s bored. She is also a lover of the craft making, and has asked me repeatedly to invite her over when I craft. I don’t think she’d be too keen on coming over at 3 a.m. when I can’t sleep and have a weird jolt of inspiration. So, because she’s a really great girl, and because I like her and think she’s awesome, I made her a teensy little present - that actually kills two birds with a stone - because it’s both a wearable craft AND a recycled household objects craft! Wow!

In my house, we are apparent lovers of the glorious fabric that is FLEECE. Back in my summer camp days, I gave the same gift for the gift game two summers in a row: a fleece QUILLOW lovingly handmade by myself - or my mother if I ran out of time/got lazy. My mom once made me a fleece bed cover thing, that attracted both stray hair and sweat. My sister had giant hot pink fleece throw pillows. I made MYSELF a hot pink fleece QUILLOW. See a trend?

So, using all this excess FLEECE we happen to have lying around (I have since put the fleece cover into storage and my sister outgrew the need for HOT PINK FLEECE), I thought nothing would be cozier than a great fleece scarf for Rosalie. And hey, IT’S NO-SEW.

Things You Need:

A ton of leftover fleece - like old throw blankets, even old fleece bathrobes
Scissors
Glue gun
Heart template - or whatever shape you want your pockets to be
Optional: embroidery floss & a needle

Now, I know I said it’s NO SEW, but I made mine LOOK like it was sewn but it’s really not. A sew trompe-l’oeil!

How To:

Decide how thick and long you’d like your scarf to be, and cut it as evenly as possible to your desired length/width. Make sure it’s wide enough for pockets!
In an alternating color (or the same, however you wish), trace & cut out 2 patch shapes for your pockets, large enough to fit most of your hand.
OPTIONAL: sew stitches around the pocket shapes to look like seams.
Glue the patches to the near bottom of your scarf, leaving a wide opening at the top. Put glue ONLY on the edges, you’re making a pocket, silly!
Wrap around your neck, sneak some candy into your pocket and go out for an Autumn walk!

Stuff I used

Cut fleece

Tracing a shape

Cut hearts!

Glue the hearts on!

Finished scarf

Rosalie's package!

Estimated Time: 20 minutes, add 15 if you’re faux-sewing the pockets.
Craft Level: Easy - cut & glue!

Tags: cute, diy, easy, no-sew, presents, recycling, scarf

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Cold-Weather Cuteness #1: Hat

Posted by Jackie on Oct 13, 2009 in Accessories

There once was a time where I’d buy things just to get a present out of my parents. Example: a baby blue cable knit RALPH LAUREN hat with a YELLOW polo person thing. I NEVER wore it. I’m pretty sure I got it on a trip to North Conway, Maine - which dates this chapeau to EASILY 1998. Which makes it okay for me to decorate it and make it wearable. I mean, I AM preppy, but not THAT preppy. Plus, that yellow horse-guy really ellewoodshat just doesn’t match anything.

Enter inspirational Elle Woods, of Legally Blonde. This hat is one of her cuter accessories from the movie [okay, ALL her accessories are fab], and I never really got over giant flowers. SJP as Carrie Bradshaw as dressed by Patricia Field? I’m talking to you.

ANYWAYS, onto the craft. I wanted to make this idiotic looking plain hat look more charming.

Things You Need:

1 old knit hat that can use some SPUNK
1 big flower brooch OR any large brooch OR 1 fake flower [but if it's not a pin, be prepared to use the glue gun]
T-shirt sleeve scraps [think the pieces leftover from the vest below]
Safety pins
Scissors
Glue gun & glue - optional

How To:

Cut the sleeve off of the t-shirt scraps, and trim the seams off and open it so it’s long.
Cut 3 approximately equal width strips from the sleeve - and pull them to stretch them out, so they’re long and skinny.
Using a safety pin to hold the 3 strips together, make a braid.
Cut evenly spaced out small slits around the edge of the hat, where you’d like to weave your braided fabric through - for a weaved ribbon look. Be careful and cut your slits small and fairly spaced out but not too close to the bottom - knits rip easily!!
Weave the braid through - using a glue gun, glue the ends to the hat (weave it so the ends are on the inside!).
Attach brooch/pin/flower over the point where the ends of the braid meet.
Braid your hair, clean your smart-girl glasses, and be Elle Woods for a day!

Some things I used

3 "even" strips of fabric

Pulled strips

Braided pieces

Almost ready!

Done & ready for wearing!!

Craft Level: Easy
Estimated Time: 15-20 minutes, including internet research time on Patricia Field.

Stay tuned for some more cold weather cuteness! Up next: Cozy Fleece Scarf with Pockets!

Tags: brooch, cute, elle woods, hat, recycled

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Anniversary Crafts

Posted by Jackie on Oct 12, 2009 in Craft Presents

My man and I recently celebrated our one-year anniversary (OKAY, I know 1 year of dating ISN’T SUCH A BIG DEAL ANYMORE, but to me it was so deal with it!) and in addition to man-made/store bought presents, I knew that I had to MAKE him something. Apparently sending pictures and captions to Bureau en Gros to be made into a calendar didn’t count so much.

I did sell my soul to the scrapbooking gods to make him a great looking corny/stereotypical scrapbook, but the real craft that I made has its own background story:

My aunt’s parents have these giant fish sculptures at their place that kiss. If at any time, you should visit them and the fish aren’t kissing, the couple are NOT happy with each other. But if you visit, and the fish are kissing, you know it’s - as we say in Hebrew - “Shalom Bait” (literally: peace in the home, figuratively: things are koooooool). I wanted to recreate this idea - complete with the undertones.

So, a DIY sculpture kissing couple? EASY AS PIE.

I bought 2 identical and inexpensive glass figurines, and decorated them - one male & one female. Using a heavy duty adhesive [Well-Bond], I gave them lips, a necklace/bow-tie. For the female, I recycled trimmed edges from a set of false eyelashes to make her eyes lashilicious.

Check out pictures below!