Crafters Craft

Jo-Ann National Craft Month Photo Contest Winners Revealed

Tue, 8 May 2012 17:00:00 EST

Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores has revealed the winners of its 2012 National Craft Month Photo Contest. Crafters were encouraged to submit photos through Jo-Ann's Facebook page of their favorite handcrafted items throughout the month of March. Over 1,000 entries were submitted.

The winner of the popular vote, cast by Jo-Ann Facebook fans, is Kim Butler of Newburyport, Mass. who submitted a river rock hand-painted to look like a bunny. She won a $250 Jo-Ann gift card.

The second grand prize winner, chosen by a panel of judges from Jo-Ann, is Allison Hoffman of Austin, Texas. Hoffman, who also earned a $250 Jo-Ann gift card, created an amigurumi Bob Ross doll. Amigurumi is a Japanese method of knitting or sewing stuffed animals. Hoffman's work can be found at craftyiscool.com.

Photo: Jo-Ann/Business Wire

Permalink | Our News Feeds

How to Build Tiny World Terrariums

Wed, 2 May 2012 21:00:00 EST

Michelle Inciarrano and Katy Maslow, owners of Twig Terrariums, introduce the concept behind their tiny world terrariums in this short clips from The Daily. They have also written a how-to book about the process, called Tiny World Terrariums: A Step-by-Step Guide to Easily Contained Life. Some of the materials you need include a clear glass bowl, moss, rock, twigs and little plastic figures. Take a look:

Photo: Abrams

Permalink | Our News Feeds

Crafters Craft Joins Pinterest

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 15:00:00 EST

Crafters Craft is now on Pinterest. Pinterest is a virtual pinboard that lets users create pinboards for their favorite topics, such as "Dinosaur Crafts" or "Yarn." You can find us on Pinterest here.

You can also find Crafters Craft on Facebook, Google+ and Twitter.

Permalink | Our News Feeds

Artist Transforms Old Books Into Landscapes

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 20:14:00 EST

Canadian artist Guy Laramee turn old books into landscapes. The transformation from old books into amazing landscapes, such as mountains, caves and valleys, is pretty amazing. CBS This Morning special correspondent Jeff Glor reports on the unique artwork. Take a look:

Permalink | Our News Feeds

Deadline to Enter 2012 Scotch Off The Roll Tape Sculpture Contest is March 24

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 15:00:00 EST

The deadline to enter the 2012 Scotch Off The Roll Tape Sculpture Contest is rapidly approaching. The entry deadline is March 24. You can find the rules here and the entry form here. The top prize is $5,000. Last year's winner created a life-sized sculpture of a brother and sister on a fishing trip. You can see all of this year's entryies so far here. Take a look:

Permalink | Our News Feeds

How to Draw a Wooly Mammoth

Sat, 10 Mar 2012 21:00:00 EST

Bob Shea, the illustrator of Me Want Pet, shows you how to draw a wooly mammoth in this video. The mammoth initially looks like an elephant before Shea gives it lots of hair. Shea draws a Sabertooth tiger named Toothy in the second clip. Take a look:

Permalink | Our News Feeds

How to Make Animatronic Kitty Ears

Sat, 25 Feb 2012 18:00:00 EST

Animatronic Cat Ears are something every human wants. The creator of this fun button input controlled animatronic cat ears was inspired by the amazing brainwave controlled Necomimi ears. Here is a demo of the animatronic cat ears. They are pretty cool. You can find out how to make them here. Take a look:

Permalink | Our News Feeds

Teen Vogue's Laurel Pantin Shows How to Add Glitter to Clothes

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:00:00 EST

Teen Vogue assistant beauty editor Laurel Pantin shows how to add glitter to clothes in this video from The Daily. Laurel says she is both a "sparkle enthusiast" and a "glitter freak." She says Martha Stewart makes the best glitters. Take a look:

You can find more of Laurel's glitter projects on Teen Vogue here, here and here.

Permalink | Our News Feeds

The Originals Machine: A Painting Robot

Thu, 2 Feb 2012 15:00:00 EST

The Originals Machine is a painting robot developed by Liat Segal, of Sweet Tech Studio, and Assaf Talmudi of Haifa University and Musrara college of art. The computer system uses real time video input to control motor movement and pump actions to release paint drops on the canvas. Take a look:

Permalink | Our News Feeds

Crafters Craft is Now on Google+

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:00:00 EST

Crafters Craft now has a Google+ page. Google+ is a new social network from Google. You can follow us on Google+ by clicking on the Google+ button below and adding us to one of your circles.

You can also find Crafters Craft on Facebook and Twitter.

Permalink | Our News Feeds

Marshmallow Peeps Runs Deck the Peeps Holiday Art Contest

Sat, 17 Dec 2011 14:00:00 EST

Just Born's Marshmallow Peeps is holding a Deck the Peeps Holiday Art Contest. Entries to the contest must be photographs uploaded in jpeg, jpg or gif file format. More than one project per contestant may be submitted but only one image per entry. Entries may include houses/structures, wall art, crafts, art for consumption, apparel and more. Entries must use at least two different kinds of Peeps. Entries will be accepted until January 5, 2012. You can enter the contest and view the rules and prizes here.

Photo: PRNewsFoto/Just Born, Inc., Dan Engongor

Permalink | Our News Feeds

Dina Manzo Blings Up Pumpkins

Sun, 30 Oct 2011 18:00:00 EST

Dina Manzo from HGTV's Dina's Party loves pumpkins but she doesn't like the pumpkin carving mess. Instead of carving, Dina blings up her pumpkins with rhinestones, spiders, tacks, decals and more. Take a look:

Permalink | Our News Feeds

PBS Arts Covers Etsy Arts and Culture

Sat, 22 Oct 2011 15:00:00 EST

The Off Book web series from PBS Arts looks at Etsy art and culture in this video. PBS says, "Now in the age of the internet, these local craft cultures and artists have found a unifying online community, Etsy, that provides a platform for communication and sales to appreciative fans and customers, as well as a medium to connect with each other and share ideas across the globe."

The video features an interview with Vanessa Bertozzi, Etsy's director of community and education. There are also interviews with Alyssa Zygmunt (BROOKLYNrehab), Allison Patrick (Zipper 8 Lighting) and Katherine Rasmussen (reiter8). Take a look:

Permalink | Our News Feeds

Mark Montano Returns With Another Big Ass Book of Crafts

Sat, 15 Oct 2011 16:00:00 EST

Mark Montano is the author of two big ass books of crafts. Montano says you can make the craft projects in The Big-Ass Book of Crafts 2 using objects available in your home. Masks, pillows and scarves are some of the craft projects found in the book. Montano also has ideas for reinventing old pairs of shoes and cargo pants. Take a look:

Photo: Simon & Schuster

Permalink | Our News Feeds

Carol Endler Sterbenz Shows How to Make Decoupage Plates

Mon, 3 Oct 2011 15:00:00 EST

Carol Endler Sterbenz, author of Homemade: The Heart and Science of Handcrafts , shows how to make decoupage plates in this how-to video. Sterbenz says to make sure your plate is scrupulously clean before you begin. You want to get the image stuck on perfectly so paint will not seep in under the image later. Take a look:

Permalink | Our News Feeds

Duck Tape Launches Halloween Contest

Mon, 5 Sep 2011 15:00:00 EST

Duck Tape brand duct tape has launched a Halloween contest. Duck Tape is looking for the best pumpkin decorated with their tape. The winner of the Stick or Treat Jack-O-Lantern contest will win a $1,000 grand prize. A second place winner will receive $500 and the third place winner will receive $250.

The Stick or Treat Jack-O-Lantern Contest starts September 2, 2011. You can enter by submitting a photograph to StickorTreat.com. The contest ends on November 1, 2011 and the winners will be announced on or around November 11, 2011.

Photo: Business Wire

Permalink | Our News Feeds

Yarn Bombing Spreading Around Cities

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 21:00:00 EST

Yarn bombing is a trend spreading around cities around the world. The practice involves covering objects in yarn. The objects covered in yarn are typically objects that can easily be seen by a lot of people, such as street sings. It can certainly make urban settings much more colorful and cheery. Here are a few yarn bombing videos. Take a look:

Permalink | Our News Feeds

Graphic Design Artist Creates Large Papercraft Audi A7 Model

Sun, 7 Aug 2011 11:00:00 EST

Graphic design artist Taras Lesko created a large paper model of the Audi A7. Lesko stared with 285 clean sheets of paper. He used photos and drawings of the A7 to Create 750 model pieces out of card stock. Lesko then printed, folded and glued the model pieces together. The project took a total of 245 hours. Here is a timelapse video of Lesko making the papercraft Audi. Take a look:

Permalink | Our News Feeds

Follow Crafters Craft on Facebook and Twitter

Sun, 10 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST

You can get the latest crafts news by following Crafters Craft on Facebook and Twitter. Our Facebook page is located here and our Twitter page is @crafts.

Writers Write, Inc., the publisher of crafterscraft.com, also runs blogs covering babies, books, games, movies, music, science, shopping and more. Our Facebook and Twitter accounts can be found at wwfeeds.com.

Permalink | Our News Feeds

F+W Media to Launch Martha Pullen Store

Fri, 6 May 2011 15:00:00 EST

F+W Media is reportedly partnering with Hoffman Media and the Martha Pullen Company to launch an online store at store.marthapullen.com. There is already an online store there, but the new site launching on July 1st will also include original content, classes and sewing and cross-stitching products. Martha Pullen is the publisher of Sew Beautiful.

Permalink | Our News Feeds

Time Lapse Video: Building a Lego Ship in a Bottle

Thu, 7 Apr 2011 15:00:00 EST

Julia Morley shows how she built a Lego ship inside of a bottle using long, skiny tools. The ship was built brick by brick using special tools. The process took her three days. The video is sped up 32x. Take a look:

Permalink | Our News Feeds

David Tutera Partners With Jo-Ann for Wedding Accessories Line

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 13:00:00 EST

David Tutera, a celebrity wedding planner, has teamed up with Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores to create Down the Aisle in Style, a line of wedding accessories. Brides can use the accessories and embellishments to create wedding attire, decor and favors. The products also include tips, called Tutera Tips, to assist brides with creative ideas.

David Tutera said, "I'm excited to create a line of wedding products that do not substitute affordability for elegance. Not every bride can afford to hire a personal wedding planner to design her big day; and so many brides enjoy a hands-on approach to their wedding preparations. We're thrilled to provide an alternative to those who still refuse to settle for anything but perfection on a day they have been dreaming of for years."

Tutera's collection is available on Joann.com and at Jo-Ann stores.

Photo: Business Wire

Permalink | Our News Feeds

How to Make a Duct Tape Wallet

Mon, 13 Sep 2010 14:00:00 EST

Here is a video from Duck Brand duct tape about how to make a duct tape wallet. The photograph above is a wallet made using Duck Tape's new Hot Rod color. Take a look:

Permalink | Our News Feeds

Jim Henson Teaches Kids How to Make Puppets in 1969 Video

Thu, 9 Sep 2010 21:00:00 EST

This video shows how amazing Jim Henson was. This is a clip that aired on Iowa Public Television's "Volume See" kids show in 1969. It features Jim Henson and Muppeteers showing kids how to make puppets from simple things like socks. Take a look:

Permalink | Our News Feeds

Bertrand the Air Whale

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 21:00:00 EST

This Air Whale was by Matt Jones using garbage bags. You can see how the garbage bags were taped together to make the whale float here on Booooooom. The whale's name is Bertrand.

Permalink | Our News Feeds

How to Make Sack Boys

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 18:00:00 EST

Nikki at Pig Corner crochets video game dolls based on characters from popular game titles including Little Big Planet, Assassin's Creed and God of War. Below are two of her great sack boy tutorials. You can find all of her tutotrials here. Take a look:

(via Crave)

Permalink | Our News Feeds

Clock Knits Scarf as Times Passes

Sun, 18 Jul 2010 15:00:00 EST

Designboom reports on this clock made by industrial designer Siren Elise Wilhelmsen that knits a scarf as time passes. Designboom says the clock "houses a circular knitting machine with 48 needles, a thread spool, a thread holder and roll of yarn. moving in clockwise direction, one day leads to a complete round, while a year gives users 2 meters of a complete scarf."

Permalink | Our News Feeds

How to Knit Baby Alligators

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 15:00:00 EST

These little knit baby alligators are simply adorable. Anna of Mochimochi Land shared a free pattern for the baby alligators here. The pattern, as well as other cute patterns, can also be found in the book, Knitting Mochimochi: 20 Super-Cute Strange Designs for Knitted Amigurumi. Be sure to knit more than one so your little baby alligator will have a friend.

(via Craftzine)

Photo: Brandi Simons/Mochimochi Land

Permalink | Our News Feeds

Make a Papercraft Mac Trashcan

Sun, 30 May 2010 18:00:00 EST

You can make a papercraft mac trashcan icon for the real world thanks to Codeco. The printable template can be found here (PDF file).

Permalink | Our News Feeds

Adorable Mini Crochet Ewok

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 18:00:00 EST

Lucy Ravenscar makes some adorable Star Wars creatures. You can see a bunch of her mini crochet Star Wars characters here on Flickr. She sells the patterns in her shop on Etsy. The pattern for the Ewok pictured above can be found here.

Some people are always hating on the Ewoks, but we love them.

Permalink | Our News Feeds

C&T Publishing Launches Stash Imprint

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 18:00:00 EST

Publishers Weekly reports that C&T Publishing is launching a new imprint called Stash.

Four titles are set for release this fall under the Stash imprint and five in the fall, Marson said, including one-to-two titles per season in the Design Collective line. The launch list will feature Me and My Sewing Machine, City Quilts, Little Birds and Socks Appeal. C&T handles its own sales to quilt and fabric stores and NBN distributes to bookstores.

C&T Publishing has blogged about Stash here. The book covers above are the first four books from the imprint. Love the cute Little Birds cover.

Permalink | Our News Feeds

Learn How to Draw Mickey Mouse

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 18:00:00 EST

In this instructional video Disney Master Artist John Quinn shows you how to draw Mickey Mouse like an expert. The drawing of Mickey Mouse is broken down into lines, circles and ellipses. Take a look:

Permalink | Our News Feeds

Amazing Giant Hand Sewn Squid

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 15:00:00 EST

The creator of this Amazing Giant Squid says it is over 6 feet tall and that it is completely hand sewn. The creator also says the very big squid "has a secret mouth for storing whatever it is you store in huge squids." We agree. This squid is both amazing and giant.

(via Boing Boing)

Permalink | Our News Feeds

Papercraft Theo Jansen Walker

Sun, 20 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST

Here a cool Theo Jansen inspired paper craft. It was made with paper and a banboo rod. Take a look:

(via Boing Boing)

Permalink | Our News Feeds

Make a Lost Screw Finder

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST

Frank Ford and Make shows you how to use a plastic CD spindle and a PVC pipe to make a lost screw finder. The screw finder hooks up to a shop vac so you can insert it in hard to reach places and suck up any lost screws. Take a look:

Permalink | Our News Feeds

How to Make a Werewolf Costume

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 21:00:00 EST

This instruction video from Howcast teaches you how to make a werewolf costume. This video shows you how to make a werewolf mask. The ingredient list is long but the result looks good. You will need someone to help you make this. The second video in the series can be found here. If you wanted to save time you could make the Werewolf legs and arms described in the second video and wear them with a store bought mask.

Permalink | Our News Feeds

Domino's Halloween Pzza Slice Costume

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EST

Your child could be a slice of Domino's pizza for Halloween. You will need iron-on transfer paper to make these work. Obviously, this is a way to get you to transform your child into a walking billboard for Domino's pizza, but it is kind of clever. You can find the instructions and downloadable Domino's pizza toppings here.

Permalink | Our News Feeds

Turn a T-shirt Into a Halter Top

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 18:00:00 EST

Megan Nicolay, the author of Generation T: Beyond Fashion: 120 New Ways to Transform a T-Shirt, explains how to turn a t-shirt into a halter top with just two cuts and no sewing. Megan also knows how to turn a t-shirt into a pillow.

Permalink | Our News Feeds

How to Make a Mushroom Shelf

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 18:00:00 EST

FinderMaker has provided a Mushroom Shelf Tutorial. The tutorial teaches you how to make a cool little mushroom shelf, like the ones pictured above. You first have to find your shelf - a mushroom that "appears shelf-like and feels solid and woody." Then you have to dry it, trim and mount it. It's not a quick process but the end result is a unique mushroom shelf of your very own.

(via Boing Boing)

Permalink | Our News Feeds

How To Turn a T-Shirt Into a Pillow

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 18:00:00 EST

Megan Nicolay, the author of Generation T: Beyond Fashion: 120 New Ways to Transform a T-Shirt, explains how to turn a t-shirt into a pillow in this video. No sewing is involved. You need a t-shirt, sharp scissors, a chalk marker and a mixing bowl. Take a look:

Permalink | Our News Feeds

How to Make a Sand Hourglass With Plastic Bottles

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 15:00:00 EST

Kelly Pyke shows you how to make an hour glass using two plastic bottles, sand and duct tape. Kelly Pyke suggets using fine-grain sand for the best results. If you clean the bottles or purchased more interesting looking bottles and used something other than ductape your makeshift hour glass might look a little better than this one.

Permalink | Our News Feeds

Legoland Dream Job

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:00:00 EST

Legoland in California recently opened its doors to new applicants. For people who love to build with Lego bricks this is pretty much a dream job. The company needed only six model builders but there were 150 applicants. Things got pretty emotional at the tryouts. Take a look:

Permalink | Our News Feeds