Make a Mosaic Table
By: Laura Evans
A mosaic table project may be perfect for you if you'd like to add to the beauty of your home without spending a lot of money. You can change the appearance of a table that you already own or buy an inexpensive table and tile away.
Mosaic Art Supplies
First, you need a table. There are two requirements for a good mosaic table: the table needs to be sturdy (as the mosaics will add to the table's overall weight) and the surface of the table has to be flat. Shape really doesn't matter. You can add mosaics to a coffee table, make a mosaic bistro table or spruce up end tables, whether the table is oval, round or square.
In addition to a table, you will use a sander and 18-grit sandpaper to add roughness to the surface of your table. Tiles adhere better to a lightly abraded surface.
You will need an adhesive. You can try a construction adhesive or ask for input when you purchase your tiles. Buy grout as well.
If you don't have a pattern or design in mind, you can find free patterns online or buy them online or at your local craft store.
You will be faced with a myriad of colors when looking at tiles. Choosing your colors is part of the fun of any tiling project. If you like, you can substitute plates for tiles, break them into small pieces and sand down any rough edges. This is a terrific way to recycle older plates that have cracks or imperfections.
You will need sponges, a towel, a trowel or putty knife and a mixing bucket. You might consider getting a tile cutter if you decide to break plates or to break tiles into unusual shapes. A level can come in handy to make sure that the surface of your table is even. If you like, you can also add a sealant to protect your grout from stains.
Creating a Mosaic Table
Draw your pattern on the surface of your table. Then trace the design onto a piece of paper. Next, fill in the design on the tracing paper with your tiles. After you have finished, pick up a piece of tile, dab some of your adhesive on the back of the tile and place the tile on the table. Repeat until your table is complete, leaving about a 1/8 inch space between each tile. Let your mosaic dry.
Mix your grout according to instructions and then spread the grout back and forth over the surface of your table using a trowel or putty knife. After all of the spaces are filled, wipe off the surface of the table with a damp sponge. Wait about 20 minutes and then wipe down the surface again with a clean, damp sponge. Let your table dry according to instructions.
Unusual Macrame Projects
By: Rebecca Mikulin
Macrame is one of the most versatile techniques in the crafting world, but it fell into disuse for many years. Since its resurgence, macrame has been largely pigeonholed into 1960s-era hemp jewelry, rough plant holders and decorative owls. The beauty of macrame is that it can be done with practically anything in which someone can tie knots. Some materials may require a little more skill and comfort with the knots used, but macrame can be used to make anything from book covers to bikinis with just a little bit of practice and a few knots in your repertoire.
Jewelry and clothes
Unusual macrame projects can begin with the wide world of wearables. Jewelry can be made using micro-macrame techniques with embroidery floss, silk cord, cotton crochet thread and even jewelry wire. Add in beads, buttons or other embellishments for an even more unique look.
Macrame clothes can be created from yarn, wool or even Spandex blends for skin-tight looks or swimsuits. While patterns for macrame clothing can be difficult to come by, experimenting with various knots in sizes comparable to knitting or crochet stitches will allow you to use stitch counts from those types of patterns and adapt them to macrame. Alternatively, take some body measurements and just let your imagination run wild with freehand macrame projects.
For very unusual macrame projects, try turning it into a recycling project at the same time. Use plastic grocery bags to create macrame hats, purses and beach bags. Hemp cord or even baling twine offers an excellent medium for creating decorative sandal tops or water bottle carriers for a day at the beach, and even some types of long tough grass or other vegetation can be used for decorative carryalls.
Home decor
Love the look of doilies, lacy curtains, handmade afghans or braided rugs? These are all time-consuming projects that, done in a traditional way, require very different techniques and skills to make each one. With macrame, all it takes is different materials; though the knots used are the same, the overall effect is very different with each new material.
Experiment with strips of leftover fabric to create rugs or throw pillow covers, or even use a soft fleece to create cozy blankets and lap covers. The same crochet cotton used in traditional doilies can also be applied to macrame projects, and macrame curtains may be a great use of that organza that's just been hanging around the craft room for ages.
Stiff cords can be knotted into macrame baskets, bowls, potpourri holders and all other manner of home container. Short on shelf space or have other organizational challenges? Use macrame to create that new toy net for your child's room, a mesh hanging basket to hold fresh produce or even a crafty place to put magazines. The sky truly is the limit with unusual macrame projects, and it may be surprising to discover just how many different uses can be found for this age-old technique.
Sew the Fabric, Not Your Finger
By: Jackson Tremont
The sewing machine is the centerpiece of any sewer's workshop. Whether you are sewing your first project or your thousandth, the sewing machine is the purring beast that hems your hems and stitches your stitches. But, used incorrectly, the sewing machine can go from easing your burden to sending you to the emergency room. That's why sewing machine safety is essential at any level of sewing experience.
It starts with the cords. Make sure that your sewing machine has a reliable electric cord that's free of frays and that connects correctly to the machine. This is a special concern for those working with older or vintage sewing machines, especially ones that were acquired at garage sales or over the Internet. Inspect the cord carefully before plugging it in. You don't want to die over a pair of pants.
Never use a sewing machine in unorthodox ways. The sewing machine is a power tool, designed to do one thing: sew. If you misuse that power, you might find yourself with a handful of bloody fingers.
Before you start sewing, inspect the needle. Is it bent? Dented? A needle that isn't straight and true poses a greater injury risk to you. If your needle looks beat up, replace it with a new one. Never sew across a pin, which can break your needle, leading to the same danger.
On the same theme, never try to cram a needle into your sewing machine. Only use needles that are the correct size for your machine and application.
When using the machine, make sure you keep at least an inch between your fingers and the presser foot. Sewing machines make it hard to sew through your fingers, but it happens to thousands of people each year. By the same token, if you are lucky enough to be wielding a serger, keep your fingers at least an inch away from its blades. They can slice the tips off of your fingers, which will make detail work all the more difficult. And, if you can't judge where your fingers are going to be, stop sewing until you can. Never sew while intoxicated.
Simple Christmas Sewing Projects
By: Laura Evans
Why not try some Christmas sewing projects to spiff up your house or to give as personalized gifts?
Simple Christmas Sewing Projects: Scented Hot Pads
These hot pads not only look pretty, they smell good, too.
Cut two pieces of cotton fabric to the size that you want your hot pad to be, keeping in mind that you will have a ½" seam. Put the two pieces of fabric together with the wrong sides facing out. Sew three of the sides closed. Insert a "cut-to-size" piece of quilt wadding. Turn the open edges inside and start to sew the top together. Just before you finish sewing the hot pad together, pour in about a teaspoon of your favorite ground spice, such as cinnamon or cloves, and then sew the pad shut. Gently shake the pad to disperse the spice.
Your final step is to sew the quilt batting in place. You can be as simple, such as sewing an "X" over the pad, or as complex as you like. The purpose of this final step is twofold, to keep the batting from moving around and to add to the eye appeal of the hot pad.
Simple Christmas Sewing Projects: Heating Pads
Admit it. Christmas sometimes gives you aches and pains, not to mention headaches. These microwaveable heating pads may do the trick for you and your friends.
Cut two pieces of cotton fabric the same size. Some people like squares while others like rectangles for heating pads. Just remember to give yourself and extra one-half inch for your seams. You might try seven and a half inches by ten and a half inches for your first project.
Lay the pieces together with the wrong sides facing out. Sew together the two long sides and one of the short sides.
What would you like to fill your heating bag with? You might try:
Oatmeal
Uncooked rice
Wheat
Dry beans
Flax seeds
If you want to have a scented heating bag, put the filler of your choice and the scent of your choice, such as cinnamon, lavender, nutmeg or rosemary, into a sealed jar a few days and shake or stir occasionally. This will help the scent be more evenly distributed.
Pour the filler into your bag. Most people prefer their bags to be one-half to three-quarters of the way filled. Turn the top fabric one-half of an inch in and sew the bag shut.
These bags can be microwaved for between one and three minutes to heat. If you are giving this as a gift, make sure that the recipient knows that the bag shouldn't be left unattended when in the microwave.
Weaving Methods
By: Lauren Bove
Weaving is one of the oldest forms of art and industry. Many weaving methods employ the basic over-under intertwining of fibers. The weaving methods used determine the textile that is created. Weaving methods are as diverse as the weaver themselves.
Finger weaving
This non-loom weaving process is one of the oldest weaving methods. It is commonly used to create long thin textiles for belts, straps and other types of sashes. Developed and still used in the Native American culture, finger weaving creates patterns to denote anything from clan status to social class. The most basic of the finger weaves is called diagonal weave, though more complicated patterns like chevrons, arrowheads and lightning bolts can also be created.
Tablet weaving
Tablet or card weaving is a simple method that requires a piece of cardboard or other board. Threads are wound around the board as the warp. Weft string, thread or other fiber is then woven over under pattern via a needle and thread. The tablet weaving method is the simplest way to get the feel of weaving and is often taught to children. You can produce many forms of woven textile from plain weave to the fluffy rya style of weaving with this method.
Loom weaving
Thanks to advances in technology, the frame loom was made faster and simpler by the invention of the flying shuttle. This eliminated the need for the weaver to bend back and forth over the loom. Textiles could be created more quickly and easily. There are a vast number of loom types these days that can create a variety of weaving methods.
Whether you are finger weaving a simple sash or reviving the ancient art of chilkat weaving, there is weaving methods to suit you. Weaving is one of the most satisfying art forms as the creations are not only beautiful but also useful.
Basic Tatting Instructions
By: L. Lee Scott
Following a few basic tatting instructions will have you creating beautiful pieces of art before you know it. Tatting is a fiber art that commonly uses a shuttle and cotton thread to make lace. It uses a knot called a double stitch made on a single thread. The knots are drawn into rings and chains that are then made into increasingly larger motifs that become a unique style of lace. The origins of tatting can be traced to 16th century Venice, and can even be found in earlier times. The art of knotted fiber originated as macrame, and examples have been found in ancient Egyptian tombs.
Tatting as we know it today reached its height of popularity in the mid 19th century, when women used the technique to make lace for collars and cuffs, as well as household decor. It continued to be popular until the 1930s, when affordable manufactured lace became widely available. Since the 1990s, there's been a resurgence of interest in fiber arts. While knitting remains the most popular, tatting is coming into its own again.
Basic Tatting Supplies
Basic tatting supplies include a ball or spool of thread and a tatting shuttle. Tatting shuttles range in size from about 2 ¾ inches, suitable for fine thread, to nearly seven inches for coarser thread, such as the thread used in cotton crochet. The thread must have a firm twist.
Most tatting is done with cotton, but linen can also be used. Tatting shuttles are made from a variety of materials, including bone, wood and ivory, but plastic and metal shuttles are the most widely used. The shuttle is formed from two elongated ovals joined at each end. In the center of the shuttle is a post or a removable bobbin to hold the working thread. The working tip of the shuttle has a hook or a tapered point used for joining.
Other tatting supplies can include a small steel crochet hook for joining threads, a needle for finishing loose ends of thread in a completed project and a second shuttle to hold a different color thread for two-color tatting.
Tatting Terms and Abbreviations
Like knitting and crochet, tatting has its own language. In order to read even basic tatting instructions, you must learn the terms. The following are the most common terms and their abbreviations:
Beginning: beg
Chain: ch
Close: cl
Double stitch: ds
Ring: r
Picot: p
Join: j
Slip join: sj
Lock join: lj
Reverse work: rw
Skip: sk
Space: sp
* * Repeat the directions inside the asterisks for the specified number of times
Some Basic Tatting Instructions
Tatting has been called the hardest craft to learn and the easiest to do. It involves all of your fingers on both hands, so some degree of coordination is required. Once you've learned the basics, following tatting instructions is easy.
The only stitch in tatting is the double stitch (ds). Made in two steps or stages, it's actually a type of clove hitch knot. (The following instructions are for right-handed people. Reverse them if you are left-handed).
Creating a Double Stitch
Wind the bobbin or post until it is evenly filled. Pull out a length of thread about 12 to 16 inches long. Hold the shuttle horizontally in your right hand, with your thumb on the bottom and your forefinger on the top, with the next two fingers beside it. The thread should come out from the right side of the bobbin, go over your raised little finger (which will support it as you work) and then go over the top of the rest of the fingers on your right hand.
In your left hand, hold the thread near its end between your thumb and forefinger. Spread out the rest of the fingers of your left hand, wrap the thread over the top of your forefinger and the rest of your fingers, then under your little finger and back up to the thumb. Hold it along with the end of the thread, making a large loop.
Move the shuttle towards your left hand, under the right hand thread, and under the top thread in the left hand's loop. Keep the shuttle horizontal and slide it backward over that top thread. Let the shuttle thread glide off your right hand and pull it tight while relaxing the fingers of your left hand so the loop forms around the shuttle thread (Part one).
Next, make the left hand loop again and, keeping the shuttle horizontal, push the shuttle thread down with the last three fingers of your right hand. Pass it over the top of the left hand loop, then bring it back out under that thread. Again, pull the shuttle thread tight so that the new loop slides onto it and next to the first part (Part two). You've just completed your first double stitch. Practice the double stitch with a thick thread until the movements become comfortable to you.
The basic shapes in tatting are chains, rings and picots. A chain is a group of double stitches snugged into a line. A ring joins one end of a chain to the other with a slip join. A picot is a loop of thread put into the space between two double stitches. The picot can be purely decorative, or it can be used to join two rings.
Other Kinds of Tatting
Traditional shuttle tatting is the most popular form of tatting, but two other methods-- needle tatting and crochet tatting-- can also make tatted lace-style items. Needle tatting uses a long tatting needle and tatting thread to make the double stitch and picot. The only real difference is that the stitches remain on the needle until they're ready to be joined into a ring.
Crochet tatting, sometimes called cro-tatting, requires a regular crochet hook or a special hook designed just for tatting. This form of tatting uses crochet loop techniques to make the double stitch chains, rings and picots. The advantage of the hook is that other crochet stitches can be added to your work.
Needlepoint and Needle Art
By: Laura Evans
If you think of needle arts in terms of needlepoint pillows only, think again. Although needlepoint was traditionally done by threading wool through canvas with a specific stitch, according to the American Needlepoint Guild, needlepoint is now defined as "any counted or free stitchery worked by hand with a threaded needle on a readily countable ground." However needlework goes beyond canvas and thread; needle felting allows you to create sculptural pieces from unspun wool that are only as limited as your imagination.
Needlepoint
When most of us hear the term needlepoint, it calls to mind images of elaborate pillows, samplers and tapestries. The durability of the canvas and woolen threads used to execute the designs-traditional needlepoint uses variations of only one stitch type, called tent stitch-is what fueled its popularity as a needlework craft.
Today's needle and fiber artists incorporate various materials into their work as well as an almost endless array of stitches, but one thing holds true: needlepoint is a skill easily learned by beginners that requires a minimal investment in simple needlework tools (needle, threads, canvas and canvas frames, and scissors).
Like most needle arts, beginners should consider purchasing a needlework kit, preferably with a painted or printed canvas to guide them as they develop their skill sets. Look for small projects with few colors and stick with tent stitches until you feel comfortable moving on.
Cross-Stitch
Cross-stitching is kind of embroidery that finds its popular roots in folk art. This needlework technique can be adapted to both simple and complex designs and the flexibility of the medium is what accounts for its popularity today. Like needlepoint, cross-stitch is easy to learn and the wide availability of beginner projects available make it accessible to almost anyone.
There are two types of cross-stitching: counted and stamped. Stamped cross-stitch is easier for beginners to learn as the stitch placement is stamped on the cloth with Xs-the cross stitches-in the thread color to be used for that stitch.
With counted cross-stitch, there is no visual guide on the cloth. Instead, the pattern is printed on a reference chart however, the stitch placements are printed in the thread color to be used for that stitch. Most people prefer counted cross-stitch, although stamped cross-stitch still has a following for certain projects, like table linens (and it's a good way for beginners to learn before they move onto counted cross-stitch).
Basic cross-stitch materials include cross-stitching cloth, a hoop or frame to help keep the cloth taut, needle and the thread colors used for the project (kits may include some or all of these for you).
Embroidery
Machine embroidery has become increasingly popular, but purists still opt to embroider by hand. How is it different from needlepoint or cross-stitching? It's really not-embroidery is simply another word used to describe the act of applying a design to some kind of fabric using a needle, thread and various stitches, ranging from simple tent or cross stitches to complex stitches like the Turkish rug.
With embroidery, the key to turning out beautiful designs comes down to stitch choice and to some degree, color. The stitches you choose are what give the finished product depth while the colors you work with help provide visual contrast.
As with other needlework, you need only a few materials to get started, but an embroidery hoop is a must. Taut cloth is easier to work with and helps ensure your stitches are even in size, shape and tension.
Needle Felting
Needle felting involves working with unspun wool, typically called roving and a specially, burred needle. You start by forming the wool into the general shape you'd like to create, then use the needle to punch through the wool to fuse the fibers together, which allows it to take a more structured shape. The burrs on the needle are what create the agitation needed to felt the wool (if you've ever washed a wool sweater in the washing machine with hot water, you know how agitation works to fuse fibers).
You need only a few materials to get started with needle felting: a felting needle, a piece of foam, a design and carded wool. Place the wool on the foam and punch it with the needle in quick, up and down strokes to form the desired pattern or design. The foam serves to protect the surface of your working area and helps keep the needle from breaking.
There are two main tricks to needle felting. The first is to keep the needle straight when you are punching the wool. If you try to punch at an angle, your needle may break. The second trick is to prevent injury-you're using quick motions to manipulate a very sharp needle. Use this technique to create toys, clothing embellishments, holiday ornaments and three-dimensional sculptures.
Choosing Your Crochet Yarn
By: L. Lee Scott
Crochet yarn used to come in just three types of fiber: wool, acrylic and cotton. Wool came in three basic weights: fine, worsted and bulky, and was often combined with acrylic for a washable product with some of the feel of wool. Acrylic yarn was the cheap yarn, often in both price and quality. Cotton yarn, in a variety of weights, from fine thread for crocheted lace to a medium weight for baby items, was mostly marketed for crochet and tatting. But times have changed, and so have the kinds of yarn available to crochet hobbyists and addicts.
Crochet Yarns aren't Just Sheepish
The most common and least expensive animal yarn is still sheep's wool. The highest quality wools are Merino and Wensleydale, valued for their long staple and soft finish. Wool may be blended with acrylic, cotton or other animal fibers, and comes in at least eight weights, from the very fine lace weight to a very bulky weight for sweaters and outdoor wear.
Angora and mohair yarns come from goats. Because of the comparative scarcity of goats, as well as the labor-intensive process of producing yarn from their fur, mohair and Angora yarns tend to cost more than wool. They're often blended with wool to make them more affordable. The textures of both mohair and angora yarns is fuzzy, from the short staples (fibers) they contain. While this makes for a softer finished product, it also can make it more difficult to work with, which is another reason to choose a blend. (Savvy crocheters may be aware that yarn combed from "Angora rabbits" also is marketed as "Angora yarn." Current marketing laws don't require that yarn manufacturers be specific about the Angora source, although better companies are.)
Another group of animals whose fleece is used for knitting and crochet yarn are the camelids. Alpaca yarn is the most commonly available and probably the most popular type, and it comes in every yarn weight from very fine fingering or lace weight to bulky. It's softer than most wool yarns, but, like wool, alpaca yarn should be hand washed and air dried, or dry cleaned, unless label instructions specify otherwise. Llama yarn is another camelid variety. It comes mainly from Peru, but more and more Americans are raising llamas and alpacas for their wool. The vicuna is the smallest of the camelids, and vicuna yarn is rare. Baby camel yarn, however, is available, for a higher price than alpaca or llama. Llama yarn is almost always blended with wool, usually in a worsted or bulky weight, but alpaca yarns, especially the lace weight, may be 100 percent alpaca.
Yarns You Can Eat?
Yarn manufacturers are increasingly turning to plants for new kinds of yarn. Cotton, silk and linen fibers have been used since the times of the ancient Egyptians and Chinese, but corn, soy and bamboo fibers are the 21st century alternatives.
For the ecologically minded crocheter, many plants are carefully grown, made into fiber and dyed without the use of chemicals, so that they can be marketed as organic yarn. Labeling, again, may be a problem when you try to go green, especially with bamboo yarns. Most bamboo yarns are made with harsh chemicals and come from China, where labeling laws are even more lax than here. If the label doesn't say "organic yarn" or "100% organic," you should assume that it isn't.
Most soy yarn is made in China from the waste left over from tofu processing, and most is imported by the South West Trading Co. On its own, soy yarn is a fine tube, making a lightweight and flexible fiber. Soy yarn is frequently combined with wool, silk, cotton, or a combination of the three.
For an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional cotton yarn, crocheters can turn to corn. The Kollage company makes Corntastic, a 100% corn yarn in a DK weight (lighter than worsted, but heavier than lace). It has a soft texture and is machine washable, making it an ideal choice for baby clothes, socks or summer sweaters. Kollage makes another interesting yarn called Creamy. It's 80% milk-yes, milk-and 20% cotton. It's an exceptionally soft yarn, dyed with organic dyes, but at $19 for a 50 gram fingering weight skein, it may not be the best choice for an everyday project.
Mixing it Up
A look through a yarn supply store or Web site will show you that a lot of yarns still contain acrylic, nylon, and/or rayon, but they're not your grandmother's yarns. One of the most interesting and fun yarn types using artificial and natural blends is ribbon yarn. Ribbon yarns come in a rainbow of colors, often all in a single ball, and a host of textures, but can be crocheted just like any other yarn.
With all of these new yarns to choose from, why stick with yarns you've used for years? Run your fingers through mohair, alpaca, soy or bamboo, and you might decide it's time to try something new.
Choosing and Using Weaving Looms
By: Sophia Sanchez
Choosing weaving looms is a very important and personal decision. You will spend a lot of time working on it.
How you weave will determine which loom you should buy. Nonetheless, there are some basic things to consider.
At the most basic level, make sure that you can work around your loom. Nothing is worse than a loom that is too tall or wider than you are able to comfortably handle. Whatever the type of loom you are buying, it is important to sit down and try it out while it is set up.
In the case of a bead loom, the size and style you decide on depends on what beaded items you will be weaving. Bead looms can be used to create jewelry, tapestries or small beaded pieces for embellishing clothing or house linens. Because of the general size of most woven bead projects, small table or hand looms work best. Simple or complex beading looms can be hand warped without difficulty in a few minutes. Once you have warped the loom, you need to establish a weft and the threads that you will be using to frame your beading project.
To create home furnishings or pieces of clothing, you will require either a table or a floor loom. Each of these works in a different way, and works better with different materials to create individual pieces.
Table looms are usually less sturdy than larger, bulkier floor models. You only need to purchase a table loom if you are going to be weaving smaller pieces from thinner material, as that is all they are capable of handling. An added benefit of using a table loom is that it is semi-portable and can be moved around or taken with you. A floor loom is much harder to move.
Floor looms are the most complicated and personalized looms. There are several key things you should look for when deciding on a floor loom including a sturdy frame, an adjustable beater, adjustable treadles, detachable shafts and an adjustable and sturdy bench.
The more adjustable and detachable parts your loom has, the better it will accommodate a variety of projects. On the other hand, if you only intend on weaving one piece using the same material repeatedly, then you won't need the adjustable parts. Most weavers opt for a pretty standard loom with detachable shafts that still allow them to adjust their loom as needed, even when working on the same project.
What you will be weaving will determine how you dress your loom, or warp it. The warp will have to go through several tension dowels; the number and arrangement of the group will decide the arrangement of the weave. Even when you are making the same woven piece (such as a rug), it is possible to make one that is created with a tight weave and another with a loose weave.
What is most important in choosing a loom is a combination of personal preference, comfort and usability.
Punch Embroidery How To
By: Helen Polaski
Punch embroidery is so beautiful that from a distance it can actually resemble an oil painting. If you already know how to create punch embroidery, you know how easy and versatile this type of needlework can be. If you don't know how to embroider using a punch needle, it's time to learn.
What Is Punch Embroidery?
Punch embroidery, popular in the 1960s and 1970s, is making a big comeback. Though many believe punch embroidery originated in Sweden, this early form of needle artwork was being used by the ancient Egyptians as early as the 1700s. Egyptians are the ones credited with using hollow bones from the wings of birds as the first punch embroidery needles.
In its heyday, punch embroidery gained popularity as a form of decoration for clothing, especially religious garments. Today, punch embroidery is used to embellish many things, including clothing, tablecloths and household accessories.
Getting Started with Punch Embroidery
Punch embroidery is created by using a special tool or needle that is beveled or angled at the eye end and pointed at the opposite end. A punch embroidery needle is unique in that the shaft of the needle is hollow. This type of embroidery or needlework is very similar to rug-hooking, but can be created using any type of thread.
Very fine detail and intricate images can be achieved through punch embroidery, so the end result is often detailed and beautiful. To create masterpieces with punch embroidery, a variety of different needle sizes, thread thicknesses and loop lengths can be used.
Much of the punch embroidery being created today uses rubber stamp designs or cross-stitch patterns. Fabric with a looser weave will work best. Start by stamping the design onto the fabric, pressing it to set the ink, and then carefully placing the fabric into an embroidery hoop to stretch it. Start with a 4" hoop, which is easier to control. Once you have the fabric in the embroidery hoop taut, it's time to get your punch needle out and begin working the threads in and out of the fabric over the design.
With punch embroidery, you will be working from the backside of the fabric. You will always hold your needle like a pencil, with the eye at a right angle to the fabric. The beveled side of the needle should always be facing the direction you are moving. If necessary, mark the beveled side so that you can easily see which end is which. Each punch you make should be straight down through the fabric.
To embellish punch embroidery, you can add pearls or beads as you work. While it is not necessary, interfacing can be stitched to the backside of the fabric to make it stiffer and easier to work.
Supplies for punch embroidery can be purchased at most craft stores. To begin your first project, you will need a punch needle, threads, fabric and a pattern or design. Since needles come in a variety of sizes, you may wish to pick up an entire set and experiment with a variety of fabric types and floss thicknesses before you settle on a favorite.
Simple Techniques for Paper Embroidery
By: Cheryl Bowman
Paper embroidery can embellish special letters and other paper projects. Punched paper embroidery is usually done on thicker card stock that can stand up to your stitching.
Some of the things that you will need to do any paper embroidery project include a foam piercing pad (mouse pads are perfect for this), a piercing tool, such as a hat pin or a T pin, removable tape, regular tape and text-weight paper that you can run through a printer.
Preparing the Card Stock
To begin your project, choose a pattern and print it out on the text-weight paper. You can find many patterns online, including some good free ones. Cut any excess paper away, so that the paper matches the size of the card stock. Using the removable tape, attach the pattern to the card stock.
Put the text weight paper and the card stock on the cutting mat. Pierce the pattern through to the card stock with the piercing tool. Hold the tool vertically, so that the holes are straight and the pin will pierce through both the text-weight paper and the card stock in a single motion. Once everything's been punched, remove the text-weight paper with the pattern from the card stock.
Filling in the Design
When you begin embroidering, pull the thread through the card stock slowly and gently. This will help keep the thread from tangling and the card stock from tearing. Use a thin needle and make sure that it's sharp; dull needles will tear the card stock. You'll find that paper embroidery dulls needles faster than fabric embroidery, so be sure to have extra needles on hand.
Make the first stitch from the bottom. Leave a small tail and tape the thread tail to the back of the card stock with removable tape. Sew the pattern, taping off the tail ends as needed. When the pattern is completed, pull off the removable tape and arrange the tail ends so they are flat and not bulky. You can twist two or three tail ends together if they are close enough. You can then tape the tail ends down with permanent tape, or use a thin coating of rubber cement or craft glue to secure the threads in place.
Essential Woodworking Hand Tools for Every Workshop
By: Gene Rodriguez, III
Although power tools have taken over many jobs, woodworking hand tools continue to hold a place of honor in the craftsman's toolbox. Many woodworking hand tools have evolved over centuries and are perfectly suited for their jobs. Hand tools give a cabinet or piece of furniture the "human touch" that power tools can't provide.
Important Woodworking Hand Tools
• Combination square. A machinist's combination square combines accuracy and versatility. The steel head can accurately measure both 90 and 45-degree angles. The adjustable steel blade can be used as a rule, depth gauge and parallel line gauge. While a 12" combination square is versatile, smaller squares can fit into tighter places.
• Marking Tools. The lowly pencil is the most common marking tool. For more accurate marks, try using a No. 4 pencil instead of the more common No. 2. For the ultimate in accuracy, a marking knife will scribe neat, thin lines. Although many marking knives are available commercially, the lowly craft knife (with cheap, replaceable blades) is effective and inexpensive.
• Folding wood rule. There are many ways to measure things, but the classic folding rule is the most versatile available. Neatly stored into a compact package, the folding rule can be extended to any length up to six feet. Unlike steel tapes, the folding rule won't collapse or retract in the middle of a job.
• Chisels. Chisels are essential for removing wood in small chunks or shavings. There are several types of chisels, including bench (shorter chisels for chopping), pairing (long-bladed chisels for removing shavings) and mortise (thick, narrow blade for chopping mortises). While A2 steel chisel blades will hold an edge longer, forged high-carbon steel blades are easier to sharpen to a fine edge.
• Hand saws. Hand saws are used to cut small pieces or delicate cuts that a power saw wouldn't be able to handle. A back saw is particularly useful for cutting dovetails and tennons, while a coping saw is perfect for cutting arcs and for clearing waste from tight corners.
• Hand plane. Used for truing edges and creating flat surfaces, hand planes are vital for furniture, cabinetry and other fine woodworking projects. Look for forged steel blades and handles with a comfortable grip.
• Spokeshave. A type of plane used to shape round or cylindrical pieces of wood, a spokeshave features a blade held between two long handles. The user pulls the spokeshave and the tool removes a fine shaving of wood. Spokeshaves are useful for making turned pieces like chair legs and decorative support rods.
Learn to Build Your Own Kitchen Cabinets
By: Jaceson Maughan
Knowing how to build your own kitchen cabinets can transform your kitchen area from crowded to comfortable. Whether you want to add a cabinet on the wall or on the ground with a countertop, when you learn how to build a kitchen cabinet yourself, you can save lots of money on home improvements. Following this checklist of how to measure, what to buy and how to assemble, you can put in a kitchen cabinet where you need it most.
Measure the space. Using a tape measure, determine the finished height, length and depth of the wood cabinets. TIP: If you have a cabinet you are trying to match, simply measure the finished cabinet.
Get building plans. Intermediate woodworkers can access a variety of construction or building plans for simple kitchen cabinets to extensive kitchen remodel plans. For easy woodworking projects involving a single cabinet or two, larger plans can be customized to fit your needs. TIP: You can find many plans on the Web and customize them.
Gather the tools you'll need. You'll need a jig saw, table saw, router, doweling jig, clamps, sander, drill and screwdrivers. TIP: Rent any power tools you don't already have from a lumber store or home improvement store.
Buy lumber. Since so many colors, finishes and even types of wood are available, choosing the wood has the most impact on the final look of the cabinet. The most popular types of wood used for cabinets are oak, pine, maple, cherry and mahogany. TIP: Consider bamboo veneer as an eco-friendly alternative to more expensive hardwoods.
Purchase hardware. Don't forget the hardware if you are putting pulls, rings or knobs on the front. TIP: Purchase adjustable hinges so it is easier to align the kitchen cupboard door.
Stain the wood. Before assembling, stain all the pieces of wood and allow them plenty of time to dry. That way, if you need to make the stain darker to match existing cabinets, you have the time. TIP: Dark stains tend to make a kitchen look smaller, so go light if your space is limited.
Construct the cabinet. Start to assemble the cabinet according to the plans. Take care to follow the instructions precisely. Building kitchen cabinets is really just assembling a box with a door, so don't let the job intimidate you. TIP: Always wear safety goggles and ear plugs when using power tools.
General Garment-Sewing Advice and Tips
By: Janet Grischy
In general, garment-sewing projects are all alike. A craftsperson chooses a pattern or creates one, and selects fabric and sundries. Then the pattern is pinned on the cloth, carefully following the package chart to align pattern pieces.
The fabric is cut, always an exciting moment, and the garment is pieced together, again carefully following directions. Some projects-say, a gathered skirt or a wall hanging-are simple. It is still important to use care and attention at every step to produce the desired result.
These garment-sewing tips should help:
Choose a simple project The work of great designers shows that the simplest designs can be the most beautiful. Choose a design with few pattern pieces, few seams (none curved if possible) and no fussy details.
Often, pattern manufacturers will signal ease with pattern titles like Very Easy Vogue, Simplicity It's So Easy or McCall's Easy Stitch 'N Save.
Choose the right fabric Select a firmly woven, printed cotton or cotton-like fabric for a first project. (If cloth is all-cotton, make sure it is preshrunk.) The print will hide errors that might show on a smooth, solid-color fabric.
Stripes and plaids are harder to sew, because the patterns have to match where the fabric pieces meet. In a similar way, velvets and corduroys have to be aligned so that each piece catches the light the same way.
One-way designs should be avoided as well. Fold some fabric back on itself, and look to see if some of the design looks upside down. A sales clerk can show you how.
Also avoid limp and see-through fabrics, because they are harder to sew and show mistakes too clearly.
Set aside a sewing area You need space to sew. If you must lay out, pin and cut your fabric on a counter or dining table, allow a generous block of undisturbed time for the work. A special sewing room is wonderful, but you can make a sewing box work if you stay organized.
Press as you go Seams change the shape of the fabric. Iron as you go to integrate the stitches into the cloth, and to shape the fabric to match the seams. Pressing is not optional, even if it's not your favorite task. Press seams flat, and then press them open. Bust darts are pressed down, side seams are pressed open and gathers are seldom pressed, lest they become pleats.
Buy quality fabric and notions Do not waste your time and trouble on materials that are not first-rate. Cheap fabrics that are printed off the grain of the fabric will always look subtly crooked. Some inexpensive fabrics will fade or shred, even if laundered with care. You are making a garment to be proud of, something you will want to enjoy for a long time.
Sewing is fun and relaxing. Sewing advice and tips will help you get the maximum enjoyment from the time you spend sewing and the garments you produce.
How to Make a Crazy Quilt Pillow
By: Lynn H. Castille
If you want to learn how to make a crazy quilt project, try using this easy free quilt pattern to create a crazy pillow for your family or friends.
Materials You Will Need :
• Foundation fabric
• Fabric scraps of any type
• Lace or ribbon (optional)
• Thread
• Needles
• Scissors or rotary cutter
• Thingamabob (optional)
• Batting or a pillow form
• Backing fabric
• Sewing machine
Method 1: Old-fashioned
Cut any size or shape foundation piece. You can try using the bottom cardboard from a very large box of Valentine candy to trace a heart shape onto a piece of muslin for the pillow.
Start in one corner of your foundation and start layering your fabric. Make sure each new addition overlaps the previous fabric piece by at least ½ inch. Fold under the raw, overlapping edge and baste in place.
Continue overlapping, folding the raw edge under and basting until the entire foundation piece is covered with fabric pieces. Trim all excess fabric around the foundation piece.
Sew the decorative stitches directly onto the seams and embellish as desired.
Method 2: Modern
I refer to this method as the sew-and-go of crazy quilting. It's not unlike the string-quilting technique. In this method, start in one corner or on one side of the foundation piece with a piece of fabric, right side up.
Layer a second piece of fabric on the first, right sides together and sew a ¼ inch seam. This can be done on a sewing machine or by hand. Make sure your fabric pieces are of different shapes and sizes to add interest to your project.
Flip the second fabric piece over and finger press the seam flat. I use the edge of my scissors to flatten the seams. Continue layering right sides together, sewing and flipping the fabric until the entire foundation piece is covered. Trim the excess fabric and embellish.
Sew the pillow top to the backing fabric, leaving enough room to stuff the pillow or to insert the pillow form. Whip-stitch the seam opening closed. Stand back and admire.
Best Tips to Make Your Own Jewelry
By: Aysha Schurman
Learning to make your own jewelry can result in beautiful decorations, not to mention a lucrative personal business. Whatever your reasons for creating the ornaments, make things easier by heeding the lessons learned by countless generations of crafters.
Keep It Balanced
Regardless of the style or type of jewelry you intend to create, it should be visually pleasing. It doesn't matter if you're into pink flowers or dead vampires, there are certain combinations that create a pleasing visual effect and ones that to create unpleasing visual effect.
Balancing any piece of art is all about proportions. Jewelry should always pay attention to proportions and the overall shape of the piece. Do the charms for your necklace fit together awkwardly, or do they create a flowing line? Do the beads for your bracelet have matching hues, or is each one a different color?
If you're looking at a piece of jewelry that is considered generally attractive, it probably creates a smooth line and has matching color patterns, even if it's presented in a very abstract manner. You can still have six different styles used in a single piece of jewelry, just a long as you also have one, main theme to tie everything together.
Simplify Your Design
The one mistake almost all beginning jewelry crafters seem to make is over-designing their jewelry. When you add too much to a piece, it appears cluttered and haphazard. It's the underlying theme and flowing lines that create your statement, not the amount of beads you include.
Cut out the clutter and use just a few main focal points to design your own jewelry. You can be loud, trendy or even offensive with your creation, as long as you avoid giving a headache to anyone who wears or looks at the object.
Think About Use
For truly great jewelry that gets used, you need to consider comfort and fit for each piece you create. A heavy pair of earrings with nine, bead-covered hoops may be funky, but they'll also be uncomfortable to wear and easy to tangle hair in. Combine comfort and design for fantastic adornments that become heirloom treasures.
How to Make One-of-a-Kind Jewelry Gifts
By: Aysha Schurman
One of the big advantages of learning how to make jewelry is that you can whip up unique gifts. It's always touching to receive a piece of jewelry that was made specifically for you. Jewelry making is also an easy way to guarantee a gift is always one-of-a-kind.
The easiest way to make a personalized jewelry gift is to use a person's name, initials or birthstone. You can place the initials on each side of the birthstone, create fancy script for your recipient's name or just make a fancy setting for the stone. Some other great stand-bys for a gift of homemade jewelry include the recipient's favorite color, animal, sport or hobby.
If you're making jewelry as a gift for someone, remember to take time to consider what your recipient wears. Examine her overall style and consider what kind of jewelry she already wears. A beautiful necklace does little good for someone who never wears necklaces.
When making jewelry as a gift, look for jewelry that the recipient likes, but doesn't own much of. A woman may wear earrings everyday, but if she owns 500 pairs of earrings, it's probably not the best idea for a gift. However, if the same woman frequently wears bracelets, but only owns two, you know you've found the right item to create.
Regardless of the exact type of jewelry you want to make as a gift, fit is going to be your biggest worry. It's terribly disappointing to get all excited about the perfect accessory you've created, only to discover that it doesn't fit the recipient. If possible, you want to take a similar piece of jewelry the person already owns and measure it. This will give you an idea of the correct size.
If you're still not sure if your creation will fit the recipient, remember that making it bigger than your estimated size always works better than making it smaller. A piece of jewelry that is too big can often be adjusted or reworked to the proper size. A piece of jewelry that is too small is almost impossible to adjust to a bigger size.
To truly create the perfect piece of personalized jewelry, try to keep the recipient's general age range in mind. For example, children and senior citizens will have a hard time with small or intricate clasps. Jewelry that slips on and off will work best for them.
Ideas To Make A Collage
By: Helen Polaski
For some fantastic ideas to make a collage, you need only look as far as your own personality and lifestyle. A collage can be created with simple items, such as a dozen candid photos, a few words cut out of a magazine and two or three rubber stamps with colored stamp pads. In fact, sometimes the simpler patterns are the best.
Where To Find Ideas
When looking for ideas, search your heart. What inspires you? What makes you smile? What makes you cry? Where would you travel to if you had the chance? What is your favorite planet or constellation? Whom would you most like to emulate? What makes you feel connected? Whom do you love? Who is your best friend?
These questions should all come to mind when you look for ideas to make a collage that will move you in some way each and every time you look at it. Your answers will then help to inspire a theme that you can use to gather materials.
Sample Collage Themes
Once you have decided on what you want style of collage you'd like to create, it's time to figure out what kind of materials to use.
The Great Outdoors: If you are in tune with the planet, you might want to go for a collage that starts with some photos of you and your family enjoying the great outdoors, and then embellish it with ivy leaves that you rubber stamp onto brown paper bags and fill in with colored pencils. If the collage is being created on a corkboard, you can create daisies out of white paper bags by tracing two circles-one slightly smaller than the first-and snipping them all the way around to create petals. A yellow push pin will make the perfect flower center and also affix the daisy to the collage.
Go Green: Paper bags can also be used to create faux raffia. Cut the bags from top to bottom in strips that are about 4 inches wide. Crumple each strip, and then roll them into tight lengths. When you unroll each length, it can be used to create bows or to make a rustic border around your collage. Use recycled items, such as broken-down egg cartons. Cut several squares or circles from different colors of Styrofoam egg cartons, and glue them onto a background in a pattern.
Old-Fashioned Beauty: Step back in time, and think about how your great-grandmother might have made a kitchen collage. She might have used a few simple photos and added a few words from the few food containers that were purchased at the local store. She may have included phrases from the Bible, and she might also have dried a few fruits and used them as embellishments, along with a special ribbon or two. Slicing oranges, lemons and limes into thin slices, studding the peelings with cloves and then drying them in the oven would have created the perfect old-fashioned gems for her collage. Once the citrus slices have dried, they won't harm the photos, but they will add an old-fashioned touch that will take you back to a simpler place where something like a kitchen collage might have been the talk of the town for days.
Paper Quilt: To make a paper quilt collage, you can start with background scrapbooking papers found in any craft store. Purchase several sheets of contrasting or coordinating sheets, and then begin making you quilt. Start by cutting the sheets into a quilt pattern and placing them on the background. Finish the quilt off by adding a few embellishments you might use when quilting, such as a quilting needle and thread, a seam ripper, a few stick pins and a tape measure. For a nice touch, add a pair of scissors, laid down along the edge as if they were cutting into the fabric.
Capture The Seasons: For a collage that captures a season, suspending it in time, you could use one photo for each season or as many as you like. Purchase one large photo frame for one season or four large, same-size photo frames for all four seasons. Remove the glass from the frame, and then glue the photo on the background. The photos can be to one side or the other and centered or not.
Throughout the year, collect items that depict each season. Seed pods, feathers, small bird's nests, dried flowers, pine cones, boughs, birch twigs, river rocks, beach sand, shells and any other item you feel denotes the changing seasons can be used. (Note: If using three-dimensional items, the glass cannot be returned to the frame.) Let your sense of proportion take over as you place the accessories in and around the photos. Allow the embellishments to trail over the edge of the frame and wander from each season to the next for a meandering look, as if the wind is blowing you from one season to another.
Creative Ways to Make a Collage
By: Laura Evans
If you are looking creative ways to make a collage, put on your right brain thinking cap and cut loose.
There are no rules when creating art collages. So, expand your supplies. For example, if you normally use paper in your collages, why not add different types of paper? Remember, you have a choice between everything from tissue paper to, technically, cardboard. Don't forget that a lot of paper includes printing, which is also considered to be fair game in the paper category.
Why just stick with paper? It's more than okay to use different materials together. Paste some old buttons or ribbons for added contrast and texture. Don't forget feathers that you have found on the beach or twigs from your favorite backyard tree.
You can also create theme collages. Do you have a favorite band? Use concert ticket stubs, pictures from magazines and music sheets to create a collage. If you have stuff from your childhood, like a tattered baby blanket, your old baby shoes and birth announcements, put them together for a memory collage.
You can also think outside of the box by literally placing collage items inside of a box. Try old toy soldiers and pages or covers from an old, worn out copy of War and Peace or All's Quiet on the Western Front. You can make a beach themed box pasting or gluing sand, driftwood, dried seaweed and a piece of a beach towel in the box. You might even like to have a sea monster emerging from that seaweed.
You can use collage techniques to decorate everyday items. Collage the insides and outsides of boxes with paper and trinkets. You can use the box for keepsakes or as a jewelry box.
Remember that anything is fair game when making a collage. This runs from trash that you have found on your sidewalks that you can recycle as part of your artwork to pieces of broken furniture to the insides of a spent-out appliance.
It's all up to you!
Who Invented Calligraphy
By: Rebecca Frank
Who invented calligraphy and why? Calligraphy is commonly known as the art of writing and involves detailed scripting of fonts. Though there is no one specific inventor, the evolution of calligraphy is a very interesting story.
The history of calligraphy can be traced all the way back to cave paintings. At this time, verbal communication was minimal and much more could be shown and described through visual representation.
The ancient Egyptians revolutionized cave paintings with their creation of hieroglyphics. Eventually, hieroglyphics became a beautiful and successful communication technique on everything from papyrus scrolls to the walls of tombs.
Though the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics are impressive, it was the Phoenicians who created the first alphabet and corresponding writing system. In their travels around the world, they brought their new invention with them. It is assumed that the Romans used the Phoenician alphabet and writing system as a beginning step to writing in Latin.
Monks of Middle Age Europe were faced with the daunting task of writing ancient texts into special books used only by royalty and a handful of church members. The monks used a narrow handwriting style known as Gothic in order to fit more words on each page, due to the fact that paper was very costly at the time.
The monks no longer had to handwrite religious scripts once the printing press was invented in the 1440s. However, handwriting was still necessary for letters and formal communication. This allowed the study of calligraphy to flourish. New innovations like copperplate engravings and fountain pens threatened calligraphers. The new pens made calligraphy more difficult and discouraged people from practicing it. However, British poet William Morris helped to bring calligraphy back to life in the 1800s when he reintroduced the art form, and the original flat pen, to the current society.
Over the years, this amazing art form has required talent, dedication and appreciation for the work. Even with the invention of the computer, calligraphy is still extremely popular today and is practiced all over the world.
Calligraphy Around the World
By: Amber Hilton
Calligraphy is an art form that involves creating elegant or stylized lettering using a brush and ink or a pen. The term is thought to derive from the Greek language, a combination of "kallos" (meaning beauty) and "graphein" (meaning to write). Many different calligraphic styles exist, with an emphasis on a harmony of proportions and the correct formation of the different characters. Calligraphy is practiced in many cultures around the world.
In modern day America, calligraphy has been reduced to a hobby or an art form practiced by a select few, replaced in large part by computer-set type. However, some people may hire a calligrapher to create their wedding invitations or place cards. Modern-day advertising also continues to incorporate calligraphy, and many of the typefaces designed for printing can be credited to calligraphers.
American and European calligraphy is largely based on two styles of lettering (roman and italic), which were developed during the 14th and 16th centuries. When modern printing techniques were invented in 1450, calligraphy styles became increasingly more ornamental and elaborate to compensate. In fact, the term "calligraphy" itself wasn't used until the 16th century. While modern printing practices largely replaced the tradition of handwritten manuscripts, some publications -- including manuscript books, musical scores and scientific notations -- continued to be handwritten, often in very decorative script. The 19th and 20th centuries in Great Britain saw a calligraphy revival, thanks in part to artist William Morris.
In other parts of the world, calligraphy has retained its rightful place as a true art form throughout the years. For example, in Chinese and Islamic cultures, the art of calligraphy is just as highly revered as painting or sculpture, and calligraphy is often incorporated into paintings. Nearly every culture around the world has its own form of calligraphy, from early Semitic writing, to Arabic calligraphy, to Indic calligraphy. The alphabets and languages may be different, but the focus on beauty, elegance and harmony is largely the same in calligraphy around the world.
How To Space Calligraphy Letter
By: Vickie Ferguson
The art of writing calligraphy letters requires precision. Even when the most intricate style is used, the height of each letter within a word, except for the beginning letter, is equal. The spacing between each letter is so exact that the letters appear to be joined, as is seen in cursive handwriting.
Each letter in calligraphy is comprised of multiple strokes. For example, using the Italic style and writing in capitals, the letter "A" requires 4 to 5 strokes, and the letter "M" requires 6 strokes. Embellishments and elaborate flourishes at the top or bottom of a letter is part of lettering, and maintaining the spacing between each letter, each word and each line is crucial in order to have a free-flowing, but uniform product.
Tips
There is no set rule for how much space to allow between each letter. It all depends on the style of writing, the amount of text written and the width of the nib. A wide nib will take up more writing space than a smaller nib. If the text is minimal, a large nib will take up the space on the paper whereas a fine-tipped nib allows for more written text in the same amount of space.
When writing, experiment with spacing to determine what works best, but keep all the lettering in proportion. Place straight letters, such as the lowercase "l" or "j" farther apart from each other when placed next to the same letter. Adding extra space prevents the letters from being jammed together. Proper spacing makes the text much easier to read.
Spacing
It is important that the spacing between each word be consistent to maintain harmony and precision of the calligraphy letters. A popular rule of thumb is to use the lowercase letter "o" as a guide to gauge the amount of space between words. By using the same guide, the spacing will be uniform throughout the text.
Vertical spacing is also important. When creating a calligraphy project, a writing grid is useful to determine spacing between lines. For example, a 4-line writing grid breaks down the area where each part of a letter is placed. There are three parts of a letter; the ascender (top portion), body (middle portion) and the descender (bottom portion), each written within the specified area of the grid. This grid ensures that the lettering remains uniform in size and height when written.
When the first line of lettering is in place and a second line is required, you'll need to consider spacing between lines. An easy equation to determine spacing between lines is to mark off the equivalent of three pen widths, one atop the other, and then begin a new line of lettering. The additional space allows for extended ascenders and descenders when embellishing calligraphy letters.
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