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I started this crafty blog when my daughter was a tween. It always was a journey of what we were crafting together, and how I could inspire others with fun and simple craft tutorials and inspirations. And for the bulk of her tween years it became so much more for her and me. She was always my willing crafty assistant and model for my craft ideas like this one for St. Patrick’s Day.

I’m thankful for all my years in blogging has given to me. This blog has been a business that I share with my sister Lynnee and a creative outlet for me.

When the teenage years hit, and along with it high school activities and pressures, both of our priorities changed and shifted. I decided to go back to a more corporate job in publishing, and I began to struggle to keep the craftiness alive at home. But I am a true maker and artist at my heart and core!  And I am a true student by nature, and what I learn I love to pass on and share.

I have always loved online learning, but who knew that virtual learning would become so important this year of all years? As my daughter finished her senior year in high school virtually, and my day job turned into remote, and the whole family quarantined together, we all needed projects to keep us busy.

My Skillshare journey began back in 2018. I learned about it from some of my favorite artists and makers that I follow online, and then I even posted a class of my own. The “new normal” for every age group it seems is distance or virtual learning. And I believe you are never too old to learn new things.  That can’t be more true than this year of all years in helping navigate quarantine burnout. Skillshare has been a great way for me to get inspired to learn a new skill, try a new technique, or just artfully release some pandemic anxiety.

So I thought I would give you a glimpse and share a little bit of my learning and creative adventure. I’ve dabbled in some hand lettering techniques from what I learned in Teela Cunningham’s Lettering Layouts class.

And created some fun printables for you all here in this previous post.

Applying hand lettering techniques, I’ve created other things like this fun baby shower gift idea here.

I started my exploration of the Procreate app with some hand lettering here with Peggy Dean’s Procreate Fundamentals class. I started with hand lettering from this Mother’s Day printable I created here, and refined it in Procreate with what I learned.

I played with watercolors with Cat Coquillette’s Modern Watercolor class.

And played some more with Carolyn Wiedeman’s Watercolor Illustration class.

I dabbled in a little paper collage with Lucie Duclos’s class Collage & Go: Explore paper cutouts + Mixed media.

And then went back to some more Procreate practice with Jarom Vogel’s Digital Illustration class.

Check out my time-lapse process video:

And here is even more Procreate exploration with Brooke Glaser’s Intro to Procreate class here.

And my time-lapse process video here:

I even created my own handmade font with Liz Kohler Brown’s Create Fonts on Your iPad with iFont class.

And created a pretty floral centerpiece name plate with Gia Graham’s Fun with Florals class using Procreate using my own handmade font in the middle.

And that is just a glimpse of what keeps me busy creatively!

I’m such a proud mama when I say that my girl is off to college this Fall pursuing her dream in fashion design. Every time I see her create a new one-of-a-kind sewn masterpiece, or even when she decided to start her own handmade jewelry side hustle here, it shows me that I laid the foundation for my daughter to pursue her own creative dreams. Even though the world has changed, we are all trying to adapt and experience the new normal.

And as my daughter’s creative journey continued to grow, so did my curiosity and need for inspiration for my own creative pursuits.

Here is my class that published sharing my best tips and trips on how i take my step-by-step craft photography and create Pinterest ready photo collages.

You can learn too! Get two months of premium membership with Skillshare when you sign up here. Check out there huge range of creative classes from photography, hand lettering, painting in every medium imaginable, animation, creative writing, and so much more!

We can be virtual students together! Try it for two free months and explore!

It’s OK to do nothing.

Give yourself permission to handle quarantine / COVID-19 life in your own way. We have not been through a period like this in our lifetime.

But….many of you could use an outlet for your energy that takes you away from the news cycle.

It’s OK to enjoy life.

Our previous post gave you Crafty Quarantine Bingo as an outlet. My crafty sister Pauline has been totally living out of her craft supply collection to cope. In Crafty Quarantine Bingo, I challenged you to try some of our favorite crafts.

I handle stress differently.

Yesterday, after a stressful and risky visit to the grocery store (where I also scraped up my car for no good reason), I locked myself in the bathroom and scrubbed it down. It was something I could control. For me, organizing clears away my overwhelm. Do you feel the same way?

Let’s make this fun!

I challenge you, if you are feeling inspired, to play along with Declutter Bingo. #DeclutterBingo #QuarantineBingo

Our bingo board has a mixture of activities to clear your physical space as well as your mind. Let’s kick overwhelm to the curb!

Follow me on Instagram (ChicaSimplified) or Facebook (ChicaCircle) to get tips on completing the bingo board.

Side note: I am also converting over our sister site SimplifyandProsper.com to ChicaSimplified, but giving myself permission to publish here while I transition the other site over time.

Be sure to tag us @chicacircle and @chicasimplified along with the hashtags #DeclutterBingo and #QuarantineBingo so we can give you a shout out and surprise many of you.

Stay well.

Stay inside.

Stay positive.

Hugs you all.

Beat the coronavirus blues and declutter today! Share this with others who would appreciate this.

Find and tag us on our social channels:  Facebook, Instagram (Pauline), Instagram (Lynnee), and Pinterest.

Remember to use the hashtags #DeclutterBingo and #QuarantineBingo so we can celebrate your bingo wins!

First, our hearts go out to all of those impacted by COVID-19. Thank you to all of you on the front lines of this pandemic. We appreciate you!

Now for the challenge…

It’s time to step away from the news and rally the family to complete a bingo row (or even a board blackout!). Be sure to read all the way to the bottom of the post.

The rules are simple. First, print the free downloadable bingo board HERE. Each activity is linked within the pdf (and listed below). As you complete an activity, check it off. Once you complete a row (vertical, horizontal, or diagonal), you have BINGO!

Celebrate and do a dance.

Share your progress along the way!

Why do this?

We have seen through past family trauma that “crafty is contagious” and that craft therapy is incredibly powerful.

It’s time to beat the coronavirus blues.

*Bonus*

As you participate in the bingo challenges, be sure to tag us across social media channels @chicacircle with #QuarantineBingo. We will share your posts as good news AND we will surprise many of you with some goodies.

Bingo Activity Links

Bingo Board (with links in each square to suggested activities)

Bake a s’mores pie with heart

Bring silliness to your day

Build your own shadow box

Balance 6 dice on a stick

Button up an Easter egg

Invite a friend to video chat

Inspire your desk space

Ink in 3D form

Imagine (and create) a mustached face

Ignore (after creating) the melted eyeballs watching you

Noodle on the food list challenge (and kick it off with food in your pantry)

Neutralize all technology viewing for 1 day (and tackle the Bingo list)

Notice the beauty of nature (take a walk or gaze out the window)

Nail open spool knitting (an all-time favorite craft)

Go crazy with rock painting

Give paper flowers a twirl

Gift a homemade bath bomb

Gab away on the phone with a relative (pretty please)

Garnish homemade vanilla panna cotta

Owl love to see you draw me

Orange you glad you made a green smoothie

Organize your bedroom closet (and make momma smile :))

Open a card and stitch (perfect for Easter prep)

Observe and smile at the stars at night

It’s Now up to YOU

Beat the coronavirus blues and get crafty! Share this with others who would appreciate this.

Find and tag us on our social channels: Facebook, Instagram (Pauline), Instagram (Lynnee), and Pinterest.

Remember to use the hashtag #QuarantineBingo so we can celebrate your Bingo wins!

Fall weather means windy days and chilly nights. However, Halloween can pose a problem when it comes to staying warm. Costumes are meant to be seen, and the last thing you want to do is cover up with coats and scarves. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways you can have a spectacular costume and still keep warm this Halloween.

One of the best ways to stay cozy this Halloween is by creating your costume out of a plain kids sweatshirt or hoodie. So, here are some easy DIY costumes you can make using the ever-versatile hoodie.

1. Little Red Riding Hood

This Little Red Riding Hood outfit is possibly the simplest costume you can make, and perfect for pulling together at the last minute. Take one red hoodie and add a picnic basket, and people will be asking you for directions to grandma’s house all night. For younger trick-or-treaters, try this easy Little Red Riding Hoodie from Martha Stewart.

2. Big Bad Wolf

Turn Little Red Riding Hood into a cute couple’s costume with this simple DIY Big Bad Wolf hoodie from Lia Griffith. Nearly everyone has a grey or black hoodie in their closet, and this no-sew tutorial lets you whip up a fairy tale villain, ready to prowl the neighborhood searching for treats.

3. Spider

If you are after something a little creepier and less cute, try this creepy spider costume from Pretty Providence. A black hoodie and a couple of pairs of black pantyhose are all you need to scare your friends this Halloween, and best of all, it is completely customizable for both adult and kid’s sizes. For extra “creep” points, add a little fake blood around your mouth.

4. Care Bear Family

What’s more fun than trick-or-treating with the whole family? These easy Care Bear costumes from See Vanessa Craft are fun for kids and adults alike and add a fun retro ‘90s nostalgia to the festivities. To really go the extra mile, try making the Care Bear cloud wagon to transport the littlest Care Bears in the family, or to carry your enormous horde of candy.

5. Shark

Though tamer-looking than the infamous shark from Jaws, this shark hoodie from Make It & Love It is the perfect low-key costume for cold weather trick-or-treating. However, if you want something more grownup and macabre, find some Barbies to hang from the “jaws” to turn your costume from terrific to horrific.

6. Unicorn

With unicorn everything trending right now, this unicorn hoodie from from Craftaholics Anonymous is the perfect costume to keep you looking colorful and cozy this Halloween. This gorgeous glittering costume is great for kids and adults and is so fabulous you may find yourself wearing it long after Halloween is over.

7. Minions

Everyone’s favorite evil yellow sidekicks make great and hilarious costumes. Though this minion hoodie tutorial from Fab Everyday is for kids, you could easily upsize it for adults. Get a group of your friends together and start planning the ultimate Halloween candy heist.

8. Mike and Sully from “Monsters Inc.”

Pixar characters are always some of the most popular costumes at Halloween, and Mike and Sully from “Monsters Inc.” are two of the most-loved animated characters of all time. This inseparable pair makes for a great costume for couples or best friends, and this easy tutorial from The Butler House Blog transforms the simple hoody into a low-key costume that you can wear any day of the year.

9. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Beloved by kids since the ‘90s, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles never go out of style. Get your friends together and celebrate Halloween as your favorite pizza-loving sewer dwellers in these amazing Ninja Turtle hoodies from The Boys Who Lived.

10. Ninja

To complete a stealth candy-collecting operation, you need a silent warrior’s costume. This ninja hoodie from Andrea’s Notebook combination is the perfect costume for covert candy missions, as well as keeping you cozy on a chilly Halloween night.

11. Skeleton

No Halloween party is complete without a skeleton. Skeleton hoodies and jumpsuits have recently become very popular, but don’t panic if you haven’t gotten your hands on one yet. This easy skeleton hoodie from a Yesterday on Tuesday tutorial will have you rattling your bones and scaring candy out of your neighbors. Just add white skull face paint for an extra spooky costume.

12. Totoro

Anime fans will love this easy no-sew Totoro costume from Eva Chung. This cute wood spirit is one of the most recognizable characters from Japanese animated films and has become a cultural icon in recent years. Show some serious fandom by creating this adorable Totoro hoodie to keep you warm while you wander this Halloween.

13. The Lorax

One of the most beloved of Dr. Seuss’s characters, the Lorax, makes a wonderful and unusual Halloween costume for people of all ages. An orange hoodie and some orange felt (or fake orange fur) are all you need to become everyone’s favorite eco-warrior. This DIY Lorax costume from Desert Chica can be completed in minutes, so why not try making a Truffula tree for some added wow-factor.

14. Toothless from “How to Train Your Dragon”

When Dreamworks came out with “How to Train Your Dragon,” kids everywhere instantly fell in love with the feisty and fearless dragon, Toothless. Watch your kids zoom around the neighborhood on Halloween, stealthily sneaking candy in this DIY Toothless dragon costume from Suburban Wife City Life.

15. Bat

For something more traditionally spooky, why not try making this simple bat costume from Martha Stewart? This is a great costume for kids who love scary animals, and you’ll love watching your kids zoom around the neighborhood using their super sonar to sense the nearest candy stash.

16. Dinosaur

Channel your kids’ wild spirit into this fun dinosaur costume from Ginger Snap Crafts. This simple and adorable costume will keep your kids warm while they stomp down the sidewalk searching for candy. The template can also be upsized for any grownup dinosaurs.

17. Captain Hook

Creating a swashbuckling costume for your kids doesn’t need to be difficult. This tutorial from Suburban Wife City Life shows you how to take an adult’s sweatshirt and turn it into a fierce (and warm) coat for your littlest pirates. Just add a hat and a hook, and your kids will be ready to plunder every candy bowl in town.

18. Mickey Mouse

Mickey Mouse has long been a classic costume favorite for kids of all ages. This Mickey Mouse ears hoodie tutorial from BritxBrat2Fashion shows you how to make your very own pair of cozy mouse ears (as well as a bow for Minnie Mouse fans).

Wishing you all a fun and safe Happy Halloween!

For more fun DIY ideas, check out these posts.

Painted Rock Pumpkins

Concrete Block Pumpkins

Candy Pumpkin Gift Idea

Happy Crafting!

Summer is in full swing, the sun is shining and the flowers and plants are blooming. This easy craft idea is perfect to just add a little more summery bloom in your decor. And the best part — they never lose their color, never wilt, or die.

With only just a few simple craft supplies, you can make your own paper flowers in minutes.

Here is what you will need:

• colored or patterned scrapbook paper cut to 6″ x 6″
• scissors
• glue gun

That’s it! Check out the easy DIY below.

First, take one 6″ x 6″ square and cut a circle out of it. Cut the biggest one you can. Don’t worry, it doesn’t have to be perfect. Think of it as just rounding off each corner of the square.

Next, starting cutting a spiral inside the circle about 1/2″ thick. Keep cutting the spiral until you get to the center. STOP when you get about a quarter-sized circle in the middle.

Now it is time to twist your paper spiral into a flower. I use a pencil or a chopstick as a guide to start twirling the end of the spiral onto it. I keep wrapping it around my fingers, holding it tightly wound until I get to the center. It’s easiest when you use your thumb and index finger to hold the spiral together. Then, just let it go!

The spiral will unwind a little bit, but what you are left with is a  pretty rose shape.

To finish your paper flower, apply glue from a glue gun on the center and press the spiral into the hot glue to secure.

I promise, once you start, you won’t be able to make just one.

You can make a whole bouquet of colorful rose paper flowers. Try using patterned scrapbook paper too. Whether your paper is a solid color or patterned, the result is the same — GORGEOUS!

You can glue paper flowers on a frame to dress it up. Try gluing a pinback on the back and create a pretty pin.

Here I glued a rainbow colored selection of paper roses onto a 2″ foam ball. I painted a small flower pot, and voilá, I have a beautiful paper topiary.

I love it!

It looks so cute on pretty tray. It’s going to look perfect on my desk!

This is a great craft for all ages.

What will you make with your paper flowers?

If you want to learn how to make some other crafty flower bouquets, check out these posts:

Satin Flower Bouquet

Duct Tape Flowers

Plastic Spoon Flowers

You may have noticed from my latest post that I have caught the hand lettering fever. I have been teaching myself hand lettering by testing out different techniques, playing with a variety of tools and pens, buying a number of handbooks, watching tutorials, and creating a bunch of hand lettered artwork.You are never too old to learn a new skill, am I right?

Honestly, as my daughter gets older and as we aren’t doing as many crafts together, learning a new skill or craft has been super fulfilling and fun. I’ve always been an artist or creative soul at heart, but when you are teaching yourself a new skill and sharing it with the world, it can be a little scary. I still love crafting. I always will. When I hand letter though, it feels a little more personal and vulnerable.

I hope you all don’t mind me sharing my journey and my hand lettered artwork with you. Today’s post is all about honoring that special lady – MOM! Being a mom is one of the hardest, but also the best job I have had the joy to have. Every day is a new challenge, or a new adventure. My daughter is now 16, and I honestly dread the day she goes off to college. She is such a part of my world, and I have learned so much from my own mother. Having a daughter of my own has given me so much more respect for my mother and what us girls put her through growing up.

So, today, I offer a last minute gift idea or free print that you can give to your mom for Mother’s Day. I created this print to fit an 8″ x 10″ frame.

You can download and print this SWEET Mother’s Day design here: My Mom is sweeter than a mountain of ice cream – Mother’s Day free printable

And if you are feeling especially crafty, check out our roundup of homemade Mother’s Day gifts here:

Enjoy and Happy Mother’s Day to all you lovely chicas!

xoxo

Ok—be truthful—can you relate? I know I definitely can!

Sometimes our worst critic is ourselves! I have to believe that we are all doing the best we can, especially when it comes to raising kids. When we know better, we do better, but until then keep going. It takes a tribe to raise a child, and sometimes it takes a little encouragement. Parenting is a thankless job sometimes, but, in my opinion, one of the most important too!

This hilarious quote that I hand lettered came from here.

One of my favorite social media platforms is Instagram. It’s super visual and so fun to scroll through and get inspiration, see what your friends are up to, or get a peek in world of the people you admire. I follow a variety of people, including family and friends of course, fellow crafters, artists, illustrators and a people that just inspire me. I stumbled upon the LactationLink feed recently when a friend re-posted one of their letter board quotes. Below is just a sampling of some of my favorites from their feed.

Now, I’m not a new mother. My girl is 16 already, but I still remember how challenging breast feeding was when I had her. To this day, I don’t know if I was doing it quite right. I mean, I know my girl was getting nutrition, but I always felt like I couldn’t produce enough milk for her. I always felt like I had to supplement. And breastfeeding was never something I felt like I could ask advice for. I love that there is a safe forum for young mothers to get inspired, laugh, and connect.

Seriously, some of the most real and beautiful pictures of mothers or mothers-to-be I have ever seen!

Ok, so I saw this quote: “Don’t be so hard on yourself—the mom in E.T. had an alien living in her house for days and didn’t notice”.

First of all, the 80’s girl in me loves this reference and I literally laughed out loud. I can totally relate! Can’t you?

Recently, I’ve been toying with and learning some new hand lettering skills. It has been such a stress reliever and a fun creative activity that I can do almost anywhere. With just a fancy pen or marker and some paper, I have been having so much fun learning brush lettering and hand lettering in general. As a designer and artist, I digitally work with so many fun fonts and letter styles and there are plenty of hand drawn looking fonts or typestyles out there. But there is just something to hand lettering and drawing them by hand. Going back to basics with a pencil and a black marker to create something beautiful has honestly been really fulfilling.and fun.

So when I saw this fun quote, it inspired me to try

First I sketched out my concept using a just a pencil and paper. When I create a hand lettered design from a quote, first I decide which words in the quote I want to give the most emphasis on—giving them different levels of importance. In this case, I wanted to give the most emphasis on “yourself”. Let’s call that level A. Then, “don’t” and “so hard” are my level B’s, and “be” and “on” are my level C’s. I wanted to give “yourself” a cursive, brush lettered effect. Then I played around with shape or “Don’t” and how to tuck in the level C words creatively.

I ended up curving the bottom of “Don’t” and drawing a cute ribbon around “on”. I also added an actual E.T. reference with a black line silhouette of the iconic image from the movie poster of them flying through the air. When I saw that scene in theater as a kid, I think I gasped it was so suspenseful.

I traced over my initial design over and over again with my black markers until I was happy with the final result. You can use tracing paper, or a light box for drawing your work multiple times. Each time I re-drew my quote, I added more and more details or little nuances or flourishes.

Here are the actual materials I used:

• Tombow Dual Brush Pen in black
• Faber-Castell Artist Pen in superfine black
• Tracing paper
• Ultra-thin portable LED light box

When I was happy with my hand lettered design, i scanned it into my computer. I also drew a couple extra flourishes and details to add to the my design and scanned those in as well. I cleaned up my scan a little bit in Photoshop, and then placed it into Adobe Illustrator. I used the Live Trace option in Illustrator to turn my scan into a vector image so that I could manipulate and colorize it.

What do you think? I love how it turned out. I’ve done many free printables like this graduation quote on the site before, but this is the first one that I personally hand lettered vs using fonts and my design software. It feels a bit more personal and definitely handmade. I hope you all get a kick out of the quote as much as I did.

You can download your Don’t Be Hard On Yourself Hand Lettered Quote Free printable here. It is sized to fit an 8″ x 10″ frame. Cut along the edges of the color to fit into a frame. I printed my on high quality photo paper.

I’m also giving you 5×7 free printable hand lettered encouragement card. I formatted in a way that you can print it out on 8.5″ x 11″ colored cardstock, cut out, fold and gift as a homemade encouragement card.

The trick to cutting out your card and getting a straight clean fold line, is to score the center of the card first using the back of an Xacto knife and lightly draggin it along the edge of a ruler. I have provided center crop marks on the printable template to use as a guide.

And the trick to cutting out the card using the crop mark cut guides is to cut along the edge using an Xacto and a straight edge again, but NOT going all the way to the edge of your paper. You want to be able to see the crop marks on each side as you rotate and cut out each edge of the card.

When you are through cutting out your card, it will fit a standard size envelope for a 5″ x 7″ greeting card.

Here is another quick example of how I have been having fun with hand lettering quotes or sayings. We recently had a baby shower in our office, and one of the baby shower activities was to decorate a onesie for the expectant mother. With fabric markers, I hand lettered this cute saying onto one of the onesies. If you knew the mother-to-be, it is a perfect quote for her.

Again, I planned out my design first. This time I used what office pens I had handy. I sketched in my rough design with a ball point pen onto paper, and them went over the basic details with a black Sharpie marker. Then I used this paper as a template that I put in between the layers of the onesie. It both protected the backside of the onesie from getting ink on it and bleeding through from the front, but the Sharpie lines were dark enough to see through the fabric to use as a guide.

So cute! What a fun and creative baby shower idea!

So if you know a mother who could use a little encouragement, and has a sense of humor, grab your Don’t Be Hard On Yourself Hand Lettered Quote Free printable. Print it out and frame it for someone special—even if that someone special is YOU!

And please, please, please, all you wonderful mothers out there—don’t be so hard on yourself. = )

I printed one out for myself. It looks great framed on my bookshelf next to my homemade satin flower bouquet. You can see the full DIY for the satin bouquet here.

Both would make fantastic homemade Mother’s Day presents!

For more homemade Mother’s Day gifts, check our roundup of 20 ideas here:

Enjoy!

Many of you who have been with us over the past 9 years have also been with us for a few major life events. Those of you joining us lately may appreciate some background….

When Pauline and I started the blog in 2009, our focus was on crafts and activities that we could share with our tween daughters. This focus became real-life survival in 2011 when my daughter spent the summer in the hospital semi-paralyzed with Guillain-Barré Syndrome (an autoimmune attack on the nervous system). My sister dropped everything to stay with us in the hospital and keep us sane. While my husband and I were extremely sleep-deprived and distraught, Pauline and my niece Maggie kept the calm and distracted our daughter Miranda from the pain by sharing hospital crafts. Here is a flashback to that time: https://club.chicacircle.com/hospital-camp-craft-therapy/

Now the good news story! Our girl recovered and is more fierce than ever. She is currently a high school sophomore and varsity cross country and track runner. *******She captured her journey to inspire others by developing this web page: http://www.guillainbarre.us/

If you are looking for more ideas on how to help someone in the hospital, here is a flashback to a birthday party idea for hospital craft activity bags: https://club.chicacircle.com/a-crafty-tween-birthday-that-gives-back/

THANK YOU for being part of our crafty Chica Circle and THANK YOU to my sister Pauline for always being there for us:

I was recently working on a my daughter’s end-of-year cheer scrapbook and adding some sparkle to it with some jewels. When I was fishing through my craft jewel collection, I came across these gorgeous oval-shaped jewels and with Easter right around the corner, I immediately thought they resembled Easter eggs. And these sparkly Easter eggs needed to be put into a pretty basket. Am I right?

I wanted to craft something that could be a homemade Easter gift, I created these pretty Easter cards. Here is what I used for this fun craft idea:

• oval shaped jewels – you can use self-adhesive jewels or regular rhinestones. I used 13 x 18mm and 18 x 25mm
• colored card stock paper or scrapbook paper that you can run through your printer
• pretty spring colored yarn (embroidery thread would work too) – I bought a multi-pack of colored yarn similar to this
• large eye needle used mainly for knitting or crocheting like these. These needles have blunt end, so they aren’t as sharp at the end.
• double-stick tape or glue (to attach the jewels on the card)

I created this free printable template that you can use to make your own sparkly Easter cards. I know it looks like I made it with the type upside down, but trust me, it’s on purpose. After you stitch your design, and fold the card up, the inside message, “May Your Easter Sparkle”,  will be in the perfect position.

Get your Stitched Easter Card Craft Template here.

STEP 1: download the template and printout onto card stock paper (color of choice).

I created a stitching template for the basket. Every dot on the template is where the needle and yarn go through.

STEP 2: Thread a needle and knot the end. When using a needle with a large eye, it is pretty easy to thread your yarn through it. I cut a long length of yarn, about 36″ long, and thread it through the needle eye. Then I matched up both ends of the yarn, so that the yarn was doubled. An easy trick to knot the end together is to first pull the two ends tight in one hand. I am right handed, so the pictures below show I knot my yarn with my right hand. I pull the ends tight and then wrap the end around my right index finger a 2-3 times. The with my thumb I roll the yarn to the end of my finger and pull. This should create an easy knot at the end.

STEP 3: stitch your card. First push your needle through the BACK of printout in the lower right corner. A trick to being able to find the holes from the back is to first poke all of the holes on the template from the front. The paper is thin enough that the needle will easily go right through. You want the knot to be on the back side of the card, so start on the bottom right dot first. Then to create the basket weave pattern, make your first stitch by going through the middle hole (4th dot from the left). See the step by step stitching guide below. Continue by stitching in from the back of the 2nd hole on the left on the bottom to the next hole to the left of the one you just did. This creates long yarn stripes or stitches. When you have made four long stitches, you can start to go the other direction to create the criss-cross basket weave. Then outline the basket with simple straight stitches.

After I finished the basket pattern, I needed a new length of yarn. I finished with the basket handle with simple back stitches. I also created a numbered template below that you can use as a guide on the exact order I used to create my stitched pattern. Start with the blue number 1 for the basket to make the left diagonal stitches, then move to the pink stitches that start the weave pattern, onto the green and then the orange. Thread a new length of yarn and complete the basket handle with the purple numbers.

STEP 4: Fold the paper. Once you have finished stitching your Easter basket, finish up by folding the card in half (hiding the back side of your stitches) and then half again. This creates the perfect sized homemade card.

STEP 5: Apply the jewels on the front. I used double-stick tape, but glue would work too, unless you have self-adhesive jewels.

I used pretty Spring colored papers and paired each with a contrasting yarn color.

I love how they turned out!

Grab your supplies and have fun making your own hand-stitched Easter cards!