Crafts and Bread Money

2014-07-14T21:10:00.000-05:00

My Etsy Shop, Hutson Hollow Rugs

Picking a name for my shop was hard. Hutson Hollow Rugs, takes up most of the space allowed for your shop name on, Etsy. I wanted to use my last name and the word hollow since I work from my home, which sits in the woods. That left few spaces to describe my shop products.

I design and sell crochet rag rugs made from recycled fabric. Recently, I added crocheted rag baskets and hot pads. The process for making these are the same as that of rag rugs, with single crochet stitches for strength and resilience. So, I am going to leave the name of my shop as is. My niche market should appreciate other items that are rag crochet.

Some appealing aspects with rag crochet is that using upcycled fabrics is eco-friendly. Rag crochet or fabric crochet items are long lasting and tough. They often bring back nostalgic memories of grandma's house.

Easy fabric yarn from t-shirts

2014-03-05T18:48:00.001-06:00

I must share this tutorial with you. It's not mine but I will give you the link to Callaloo Soup. Francine gives simple, easy to follow directions on making t-shirt strips. It is a fast method to make fabric yarn from t-shirts. Just follow the link below. Thank you, Francine!

Callaloo Soup

Crochet a Round Rag Rug

2013-09-12T20:37:00.002-05:00

Of all the rugs I have crocheted the one in the photo to the right, is one of my favorites. I made it for my niece. She machine washes it and hangs it over her deck railing to air dry. It lays just as flat today as it did when I gave it to her. I love crocheting rag rugs. Round ones are my favorite to do. The following instructions represent how I do rag rugs. Others may have a different technique. As long as the rug comes out, round and lays flat, it is right.

Making the Strips and Tying Them Together

Begin cutting at the top of your sheet. Cut down about 3 inches. Move the scissors over 1.75 inches to create strip width. Tear one side of the strip down the length of the sheet. Tear the next side down the sheet. This makes a strip 1.75 inches wide, the length of your sheet. Continue this process across the width of the sheet. Tip: This is a great way to vent your frustrations. Grab hold, let out a roar and tear it! I suggest doing this when no one else is at home:)

Place two pieces one on top the other.

Fold the ends and cut a quarter inch slit across the fold in both pieces. Notice the black line in the middle of the fold.

Open the fold.

Peel the strips apart and fold one end lengthwise.

Insert the folded end through the slit on the other strip.

Take the top end, fold length wise, pull it back to insert the end into the opposite strip.

Pull each end until the strip forms a knot. Fold each side of the strip holding the excess ends to hold them in place. Tie all of your strips end-to-end. When you are finished, roll into a ball.

I wrap my ball so that the strip will pull from the inside out. The way you would make a ball of yarn from a skein of yarn. You can roll them into a ball so that the strip is pulled from the outside of the ball, also. You need a heavy round bowl or planter to hold the ball in place so that it will not roll around.

Crocheting the Rag Rug

Chain 4 stitches to form a small ring. You can use anywhere from 3 to 6 chains. If the material weave is tight you may have to use 5 or 6 chains. The loops are pretty tight at this point.

Join the chain with a slip stitch.

Insert the hook into the center of the circle. Hook the strip to pull back through the circle and form a single crochet.

Single crochet through the circle for 7 single crochets. When you get back to the beginning join with a *single crochet, add a second crochet in the same stitch. Repeat from * for the whole round. You should have 16 stitches on your round.

At the beginning of your next round, *single crochet in one stitch adding two single crochets in the next stitch. Repeat from * for the entire round. Row 1

I added safety pins so that I don't have to count. I end up counting anyway. It must be instinctive. The safety pins are placed on each increase (where there are 2 single crochets in one stitch.

Continue this pattern, increasing 8 times, on each row. In this picture you can tell that you are on row 2. You can tell that you are on row 2 by the number of single crochets between the increases (the stitches with two single crochets). There will be two single crochets between the increases.

At the beginning of row 9 single crochet past each increase. Make your new increase three stitches past the increase. Continue this way until the rug is finished.

Finish the last row of the rug with single stitch round, tie off and hide the ends pulling them through the loops on the back.

Sometimes You Must Modify Your Increases

If your rug starts cupping, this means you need make more increases. Just try to keep the increases at even intervals.

If the rug starts to ripple or wave then you have too many increases. To stop this, crochet single stitches without increasing, until the wave stops.

Sometimes you may have to pull the rows out until you get back to where the rug lay flat and begin again.

Fabric Crochet

2012-12-16T00:22:00.003-06:00

Recycling old clothes, fabric scraps, or gently worn bed sheets can result in a charming throw rug for your home or as a gift for someone else. Examples of fabric crocheted rugs in the United States date back to the1930s and 1800s. These rugs are durable and last for years. They can be machine washed and dried. I prefer laying them out flat and letting them air dry.

Crocheting from fabric is different from crocheting with yarn or thread. To keep from putting too much pressure on your wrist and fingers, you need to make loose stitches. I broke an acrylic crochet hook in two by applying too much pressure. It takes practice on getting the stitches loose enough for the fabric to move in and out of the loops smoothly. I developed calluses but as time went on the calluses went away and I crochet just about every day. I'm not trying to scare you away from trying fabric crochet. It is good to remember that forcing the stitches could result in a repetitive stress injury to your wrists and hands.

Prepare the fabric by cutting or tearing the cloth into 0.75-inch to 2-inch wide strips. Connect the strips by sewing the ends together or tying them together. To keep the strips from tangling, wrap them to form a ball.

Keep the strips uniform for each rug you do. If the measurements are close to the same, the width difference shouldn’t matter much. On the other hand using a 0.75-inch width with a 1 1/2- inch to 2-inch width can make some of the rows look loose and weak in comparison to the other rows.

A single stitch crochet is usually used to form fabric rugs that are round, rectangular and oval.

The colors used is your preference and depends on how much fabric of the color you have. They can be floral or solids or mix of both, including stripes, polka dots, and plaids. The pattern will look different after the piece is crocheted. The multiple colors formed in the oval rug (above) was made from two twin size children's sheets, depicting animal characters. You wouldn't know that after the strips are crocheted.

Rag rugs are great for adding color to a dark or plain area in a room. Place them in doorways or in front of a chair. You can even make a wall hanging as my sister did with the rug I made for her.

To complete a rag rug, it may take as many as three or four full-size bed sheets depending on the size. This is one reason for using old clothes and gently used linens. It would be cost prohibitive to use new fabric pieces. Look for fabric and sheets in yard sales and stores that take donated items to sell to make money for their programs, such as, Goodwill or the Salvation Army. You may find that your town has a local donation store that gives back to the community. Our town has a one called, Solve. I made some extra space on their shelves the day I went in looking for used sheets.

Happy Holidays!

2012-12-14T12:05:00.000-06:00

This is our Christmas tree, 2012! I'm excited because my husband paid $5 for it at a yard sale this summer. This is probably one of the prettiest trees we have owned. The branches are full and it stands six-feet tall. The photo doesn't do the tree justice. Since my blog deals with recycling and conserving our environment, I wanted to share this find with you.

The stand at the bottom of the tree was broke but my handy man hubby fixed it with E-6000 glue and a 35-year caulk. Actually, he fixed it too well. Originally, the tree came in sections. It now comes in one section and requires two people to carry it from storage.

A couple of years ago, I bought a white Christmas tree. My husband prefers a green tree. He was excited when he spotted this tree. I did an eye-roll as he crammed it into the back of our van. In other words, he was going to have a green tree this year.

Thanks for letting me share our yard sale find with you and Merry Christmas!

Grungy Hang Tags

2011-11-08T11:07:00.000-06:00

Grungy tags fit any occasion through out the year. Hang them on dolls and doll furniture or use as bowl fillers during Halloween. Add them to the Christmas tree to blend in with the other ornaments or use them as gift tags. Typically dipped in a coffee-and-vanilla extract blend, grungy hang tags emit a light aroma reminiscent of homemade fudge cooking on the stove and cookies baking in the oven. Cinnamon can be sprinkled over hang tags before they dry or added directly to the coffee-and-vanilla mix. Use tea in place of coffee for a lighter stain.

Materials
Card stock paper
Coffee or tea
Vanilla extract
Cotton string
Scissors or paper cutter
Cookie sheet and wax paper
Hole puncher with a grip handle
Reinforcement labels

Instructions
1. Cut tags 2" x 4" (or any size you choose). Punch a hole in the top center of each tag. Place a reinforcement label over each hole--front and back.
2. Measure and cut sections of string about 12 inches long for a 2" x 4" tag. If the tags are smaller, the tags may not require as much string. Loop the string through the punched hole and tie off the open end. Trim the string above the knot in even lengths.
3. Line the cookie sheet(s) with wax paper.
4. Make an 8 oz. mixture of hot coffee or tea and add about 2 tablespoons of vanilla extract.
5. Dip the tags, including the strings, into the mixture. Place them on the cookie sheet side-by-side and not touching.
6. Bake the tags for 10-15 minutes at 250 to 275 degrees. The tags curl in the oven but flatten out as they cool.

Note

If your coffee or tea stains your counter top, try spreading a thin layer of fresh coffee or tea over the tabletop scrubbing or wiping with a wet cloth. Then wipe counter or table down as you normally would when cleaning them off.
Soak fingertips in 3% Hydrogen Peroxide mixed with warm water (1 part peroxide to 2 parts water) to remove any stains from fingernails.

Bread Money
Make a batch of tags (25 to 100 groupings) and sell them on line, at craft shows, or in local craft shops. Search the internet by typing in grungy hang tags or primitive hang tags to get an idea of current prices.

Some Ideas
Hang tag designs include hand-painted primitive scenes of crows, stars, saltbox houses, grazing sheep. During the holiday seasons, they include stamping, stenciling or free-hand work depicting Halloween characters and Christmas scenes or create seed-packet tags reminiscent of days gone by. Whatever you decide to do with your hang tags, enjoy! If you enjoy, grungy hang tags, you might like this project: Grungy Dolls

Threading Grungy Tags
Cut the thread to the length you want for your grungy tag.

Fold it in half and insert the cut ends through the tag hole.

Pull the thread through the hole, leaving a loop on the opposite side.

Grasp the cut ends of the thread and lay it back over top of the tag.

Insert the ends through the looped end and pull taunt.

Tie off the cut ends and snip loose ends even.

Build a Garden Gate

2011-08-27T04:09:00.000-05:00

Wood gates add country charm to yards and gardens. Colorful flowers standing in front of a wood gate or fence makes a lovely combination. In winter, gates break the monotony of snow-covered ground. This gate has stood in my small flower garden for over 10 years now.

Materials and tools

1 x 4 lumber, 8-feet long

Nails

Hammer

Saw

Saw horses

Work Table
Two 36" steel stakes
Wire
Tape measure

Instructions

Cut nine, 42-inch boards and two, 39-inch boards.
Measure down from the top of each 42-inch board, 6-1/2 inches. Mark the spot by drawing a straight line across each board. Turn the boards and repeat this process at the opposite ends.
Lay two 42-inch boards on the worktable vertically. Lay them about 39 inches apart with the marked lines facing up.
Place a 39-inch board across the two boards horizontally. Align the bottom edge of the board with the marked lines. Make the ends flush with the long edge of the vertical board. Nail the boards together.
Repeat this process at the opposite ends of the vertical boards. The vertical boards will extend 3 1/2-inches above and below the two horizontal boards.
Align six of the remaining 42-inch boards along the horizontal boards at 2-inch intervals. Nail in place at both ends.
Lay the remaining board between the two horizontal boards diagonally. Nail the board to each of the vertical boards.
Hammer the steel stakes into the ground. Leave about 2 feet above the ground.
Stand the gate in front of the stakes. Use guide wire to secure the gate to the stakes.

Make a Back Yard Bird Bath

2011-08-27T00:03:00.000-05:00

Birds are fun to watch when they are bathing in the back yard birdbath. They love to flutter their wings splashing a flurry of water. Sometimes they just sit on the rim dipping their beaks for a drink of water. Birdbaths differ in size and materials: stone, concrete, ceramic, galvanized metal, fiberglass, or Terracotta. Birdbaths can be an extravagant fountain or an ordinary earthen bowl filled with water. this bird bath is made from concrete.

Supplies

Shovel

Gravel

Wire mesh

Large trash can lid

Vegetable oil

Wheelbarrow

Hoe for mixing

Concrete mix (two, 90-pound bags)

Instructions

Choose an area easily seen from a favorite window or sliding glass door. Place the bath near bushes and trees, giving the birds a safe place to fly to quickly.

Lay a large trash can lid on the bath site. Use yard paint to spray around the perimeter of the lid, marking the area to dig.

Dig out a circle about six inches deep and two or three inches larger than the lid.

Save any sod to cover bare areas around the edge of the birdbath.

Place a two-inch layer of gravel in the bottom of the circle.

Cut a piece wire mesh the size of the inside circle, and place it on top the gravel.

Spread some vegetable oil over the outside surface of the lid and its rim. This keeps the concrete from adhering to the trash can lid.

Mix the concrete according to package directions.

Pour the concrete into the circle up to the circle’s rim.

Press the lid, upside down, into the concrete. Use enough pressure to push the concrete outwardly toward the edges to form the rim.

Leave the lid in place. Allow the concrete to dry and remove the lid.

Scrub and rinse the inside of the concrete to remove any residue from the bath.

Primitive Wooden Box Project

2011-08-26T19:42:00.000-05:00

Primitive Recipe Box

Recipe Box

Many people enjoy collecting older items to use in their home decor. It is difficult to find an affordable, authentic piece from the colonial period to fit into a decorating scheme. Early colonists made many of their items from wood including kitchen utensils, scoops, spoon stirrers, mallets and other small wooden items called, Treenware. An alternative to purchasing a distressed piece is a do-it-yourself project. You can distress anything made from wood such as tables, chairs, chests, recipe boxes, and trays.

Necessary Items

Wooden box

Fine to course sandpaper

Cloth

Flat black acrylic paint or color of choice

Paintbrush

Sealer

Soap and water clean-up

Instructions

1. Wipe finished or unfinished box clean using a clean, soft cloth.

2. Sand the box lightly with fine-grit sandpaper.

3. Paint the whole box and allow drying time. Acrylic paint dries within a few hours.

4. Apply a second coat of paint. Allow to dry overnight.

5. Follow the grain of the wood and sand the edges down to the wood.

6. Pick random areas on the box and sand these to the wood. This gives the box a rubbed appearance.

7. Wipe the wood clean with a soft cloth to remove sawdust.

8. Apply a water based acrylic or polyurethane sealer.

How to Make Metal Leaves from a Coffee Can

2011-06-21T22:36:00.000-05:00

Refashion metal from a coffee can to create decorative trinkets. Hang them from neck chains and bracelets or use them to embellish crafts. Cut the shapes using scissors that cut metal. Mine are inexpensive scissors used by emergency medical technicians. Secondly, all you need is a simple candle flame to darken the metal.

Instructions

1) Cut through the rim of the can. This is the hardest part to cut. The single layer beyond the rim cuts much easier.
2) Cut several squares sized to how large you want the leaf.
3) Draw the outline of a tear shaped leaf on the square, using a marker, or cut the leaf freehand.
4) Cut out the leaf following the contours of the outline with the utility-scissors.
5) Tap a hole into the top of the leaf using a finishing nail and hammer.
6) Turn the leaf over and tap the nail through the opening a second time.
7) Flatten any rough edges with pliers or place a nail head over the spot and tap the bottom of the nail to flatten jagged edges.

8) Set up the water and lit candle.
9) Hold the metal leaf over the candle flame using the needle nose pliers. Move the leaf around the flame discoloring the whole leaf. Soot will build up over the leaf as it heats in the flame.
10) Once the metal darkens immerse the leaf into the water.
11) Wipe off any remaining soot. Repeat this process if the leaf needs more discoloration.

Gather these things:
Utility scissors
Coffee can
Candle
Needle nose pliers
Finishing nail
Hammer
Cup of water

How to Dress Up Christmas Ornament Wire Hooks and Jingle Bells

2011-06-21T21:09:00.000-05:00

Ornaments

Flimsy over-sized ornament hooks take away from the beauty of smaller ornaments. Wrapping the wire into the shape of a spring gives the hook an aesthetic appeal and shortens the wire length to match the size of the ornament. Use jewelry wire to create a wire ribbon and run it through a jingle bell.

Needed Items
Ornament wire hooks
Jewelry craft wire
Wire cutters
Pencil or an orange stick
Instructions
1) Straighten the hook wire and wrap it around a pencil or orange stick.
2) Wrap the wire to the end.
3) Remove the wire by gripping the top end of the wire.
4) Slide the wire off the pencil.

6) Pull the kink at each end of the wire to form a hook.

Jingle Bells

1) Make a wire ribbon for jingle bells by using the wrapping technique in the previous steps.
2) Remove the wire from the pencil and gently pull widen the loops.
3) Use the wire-cutters to cut off half the end loop at either end.
4) Insert one end into the bell loop and turn the wire toward you until the loop hangs evenly on either side. (If you need to remove the wire, turn the wire in the opposite direction until it twists off.)
5) Fold the wire down on either side of the bell to hang like a ribbon.
6) Make another wire ribbon or looped wire.
7) Hook the wire to the bell's loop and hang on the tree.

Chandelier Prisms

Recycle
1) Insert the craft wire into the icicle hole about one half inch or so.
2) Loop the wire around the inserted wire and the icicle.
3) Leave a half-inch length at the end and wrap it around the bottom, snugging it to the icicle. I think these are plastic prisms from a chandelier.

Updated June 21, 2011

A Water Fairy

2011-01-24T01:44:00.000-06:00

Here, is a picture of a water fairy bathing in a stream at night. It does not resemble the inspiration for the piece at all. How it started, and the way it ended are markedly different. Before marriage and children, I dabbled in sketching and oil painting but never developed any natural ability that I might have. Last year, I decided to start painting again. Folk art and fairies are favorites of mine so I thought this might be a good place to start painting again.

This spooky fairy is painted in acrylic paint. Acrylic paint is different from using oil paints. With oils, an artist has more time to correct mistakes or make changes before the paint dries. With acrylic paint, the artist must work faster and learn to paint layer on layer.

This enchantress comes out at night and bathes by the glow of a moonstone. Initially, the painting had pink colors and a lunar moth looking down on the fairy from a tree branch. I did not like it and removed both. I like the way her hair floats on the water and how her hair falls down her face, across her nose and mouth, as if she just came up from beneath the water.

Noses are not easy to for me. I was concentrating so much on the nose I forgot that I was using paper and not canvas. Before I knew it, I had peeled the paper off. Determined not to lose the whole painting, I made the hair longer around the nose and mouth. The darker paint helps conceal my mistake. The mistake also introduced an ominous presence to the picture. If you look at the face from the side of the painting, the face looks like a skull. My grand-daughter will not let me hang it up when she is here. She isn't old enough to appreciate a night-time fairy yet. Ironically, she loves her Monster dolls. LOL

Rustic Bookshelves

2011-01-16T20:00:00.000-06:00

My mom made the shelves shown in this photo. She used bricks to support the boards.

This project doesn't require a hammer or nails to create this easy rustic looking bookshelf.

Instructions:

1) Select the type of board you prefer for your shelves (pine, oak,..).

2) Cut to length.

3) Paint or stain the wood to your preference of color.

4) Allow the wood to dry.

5) Stack four to five bricks on opposite ends, estimating where the board will lay on the bricks. You can make adjustments as you go.

6) Repeat for the second tier.

Note: Use concrete blocks as an alternative to the bricks if you prefer.

A Few Words on Primitive Decorating

2011-01-13T00:23:00.000-06:00

Primitive decor conforms to basic, straightforward style. Pieces are usually made from basic materials without fancy design. Primitive decorating is diverse and blends with rustic, country, or cottage trends. Primitive art and style includes cultural preferences, such as, Black folk art, Americana, and Colonial.

Craft persons create new pieces of work resembling original designs and employ techniques to obtain an aged appearance. Methods involve staining and sanding, burning, scratching, and denting pieces. Earth colors typically used in aging items are acrylic flat paint, dark wood stains, coffee and tea. These colors include flat finishes in black, dark blue, sage, mustard yellow, antique white, burgundy and brown. Stone, clay, wood, cloth, and paper are most often used in primitive crafts.

Recycled Cutting Board

2011-01-12T22:57:00.000-06:00

Old cutting board up-cycled.

Recycle old cutting boards for wall decorations or turn them into game boards. Sit them on your counter to use as a hot pad or glue wood ball knobs on the bottom to make a wooden trivet. You can pick up used cutting boards for under a dollar in yard sales or check out the local $1 Shop.

Instructions

Sand the board smooth to take off any old paint, smudges or knife marks. Wipe away sawdust with a soft, dry cloth.
Paint the board with acrylic paint in any color of your choice.
Draw the lines and squares using a straight edge ruler and pencil. Instead of drawing the squares you can check with a craft supply store for checkerboard stencils.
Find a checkerboard or photo of one, and use it as a guide for your checkerboard rows. This board should have one more row.
Choose alternate colors for the squares. For example, alternate squares in red and white.
Allow the paint to dry each time you finish painting the divisions of the board.
Sand the edges and random places on the board, back to the wood, giving it a used worn look. Sanding is a preference. You do not have to sand the wood.

Broken China Mosaic Tiles (Pique Assiette)

2011-01-10T03:00:00.000-06:00


Created from an old Oxford and USA plate.

It is unfortunate whenever a favorite piece of china accidentally breaks. The dish is less desirable and appears inadequate. Save cracked and chipped dishes instead of tossing them into the trash. Use them to create beautiful and potentially profitable projects.
Broken china mosaics range from complex intricate pieces of art to practical items. Another name for broken china mosaic art is Pique Assiette. If you plan on creating broken china projects, especially, if you mean to break the dishes yourself prepare a work area first. Read more about preparation here, How to Plan for Making China Mosaic Tiles.

Breaking China

It is not necessary to use tile nippers when breaking the dishes into workable pieces. Striking the china with a hammer, produces random sizes and shapes. Many china mosaic artists prefer random shapes and sizes to symmetrical shapes. Always enclose the plate in a towel or sturdy fabric to contain flying pieces.

Take precautions when doing any project no matter how straightforward it may seem. Be sure to wear safety glasses or goggles when using nippers or a hammer to crack or break dishes. Pieces fly much like gravel shooting into a car’s windshield and could easily injure your eye. Avoid cutting your hands and fingers when handling the pieces. Do not grip the pieces tightly or slide your fingers along the shards.

Dish materials are hard. They include glass, ceramic, porcelain, and pottery. It takes a strong grip to nip through these materials and calluses form after awhile. Alleviate this problem by wearing fingerless gloves made from leather. Some projects require drilling a hole through the piece. Use a diamond drill bit instead of a masonry bit. Masonry bits work well on softer, chalky dishware but more often than not, you will probably work with the harder substances.

Reclaimed Country Cottage French Blue Candle Holders and Wall Hangings

2011-01-10T02:00:00.000-06:00

Reclaimed flea market find.

This refinishing project took a weekend to do, from start to finish. The work produced lovely wall hangings and pleasant wooden candle holders. I bought items at a flea market and at yard sales. They are repainted in pastel blue and white acrylic paint. Initially, the wood was unfinished and the door glass was ready to fall out. The vent holes looked unappealing and bare. However, the hinged door appeared secure and the piece had potential. Low cost metal Christmas tree ornaments cover the holes nailed in place with gold colored finishing nails. Craft glue and grout holds the front glass in place covering any sharp edges. The heat from the candle-flame, goes up and out the top chimney hole.

Yard Sale frames and prints recycled.

These framed prints, found in yard sales, have soft pastels in pink, blue and green hues reminiscent of the French blue French country cottage style. Although used,
the frames were still tight and secure and the glass wasn't scratched or broken.

Originally, the frame on this print was brown and looked harsh in contrast to the soft pastels. Before painting the frames, I lightly sanded each one so the new paint would adhere. In addition, I applied an undercoat of gesso to the frame before adding the lighter blue and white acrylic colors. My friend, Tammy Frost, liked this print so much that I sent it to her as gift of appreciation for the advice she so graciously gave me when I first started writing for eHow and on my blogs. Check out Tammy's profile at the link provided with her name. She has a lot of good information to share with readers.

Wooden Block Votive Candle Holder

2011-01-09T09:00:00.000-06:00

Use scrap from 2 x 4 pine. Secure the wood with a vise or wood clamps. The wood spins easily if it is not secured with a clamp. The hole-saw drill bit is harder to use than a regular drill bit. The trick
to using a door-hole saw is to drill at a slow even speed and let it do the work.

Place a mark in the center of the wood block.
Drill into the wood with the 1-inch drill bit about 1/2 inch.
Attach the door-hole saw and center it over the previous hole.
Drill to the the depth you choose for your votive candle holder.
Use a flat head screw driver or wood chisel to remove wood from the bottom of the block, and to level the floor of the hole.
Paint the wood in the color of your choice and let it dry.
Sand the edges back to the wood and in random areas on the block.
Add a votive candle holder coordinating candle.
Light the candle and admire your work.

Note
Wear protective eye goggles when cutting and sanding wood.

Doll Seat and Grungy Pillows

2011-01-08T02:54:00.000-06:00

A doll seat painted with acrylic craft paint. The edges are sanded back to the wood. The grungy pillows are made from fabric scraps dipped in coffee and vanilla. A dark brown color and more sanding should make the seat look older. Sit a grungy ghost on the doll seat for Halloween. Click these links to see other grungy projects:
Grungy Dolls and Grungy Hang Tags.

Cloth Cookie Bowl Fillers

2011-01-08T02:33:00.000-06:00

Cloth Cookie Bowl Fillers

These cloth cookies look good all year long. Put them in a clear cookie jar or on a plate. Set them on your kitchen island or on the coffee table. Best of all they are non-toxic. If an unsuspecting child puts one in his mouth the most she will lick off is some cinnamon. Did I mention--no calories.
They are inexpensive to make using scrap pieces of material. This project is similar to making grungy hang tags except the material used is fabric instead of card stock paper. Bowl fillers add warmth and charm to a room. Sit a bowl of them on your hall table.

Materials

Cotton fabric scraps (white or natural)
Scissors
Quilter’s pencil or lead pencil
Round circle template (tin can, bowl, plastic lid, etc.)
Cotton batting
Needle and thread (or sewing machine)
Vanilla flavoring
Cinnamon
Coffee
Cookie sheet lined with paper or wax paper

Instructions

1. Lay your fabric out flat. Double the fabric or fold into four cutting layers to cut more than one circle at once. Trace a circle around a can or lid onto the fabric. Trace the circles in multiples to make the project go faster. The cookie consists of 2 fabric circles and 1 cotton batting circle.Use one of the fabric circles as a template to cut the batting.

2. Stack two fabric circles on top of each other and one batting circle on top of these. Make sure you place them in this order because later you will turn the sewn circle outside in with the batting on the inside of the cookie.

3.Sew the three layers together by hand with a needle and thread or on your sewing machine using a 1/4-inch seam. Do not sew the circle completely shut (see photo below).

4. Grasp one fabric layer with one hand and grasp the other fabric layer and the batting with the other. Turn the cookie outside in like you would turn a sock. The circle will resemble a small coin purse after turning.

5. Fold the open edge inside to close the cookie. Use a hidden or whip stitch to close the edge. When you come to the end, knot off your thread, or gently slide your needle back through the layers. Extend the thread and needle through opposite side. Clip the thread close to the fabric. Do the remaining circles in the same manner.

6. Draw the moon shape by placing your template on the edge of a circle (see following photo) and cut out. Sew the modified circle as you would a full circle. The finished cookies shown here measure 2 1/2 inches diagonally but the beginning circle measured 3 inches. Allow for the 1/4-inch seam for your finished size. The 1/4-inch seam will make the finished piece 1/2 inch smaller than the circle you start with.

7. Make a strong mixture of coffee (about a cup) and (about 2 tablespoons of vanilla flavoring). Dip both sides your cookies in the mixture. Lay the cookies on a baking sheet layered with wax paper. Sprinkle cinnamon and place in the oven at 250-275 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. Bake until dry. If they are turning too dark, remove from the oven and air dry. Yummy, you are done!

Note
You can embellish your fabric cookies with ribbons, buttons, or add loops to hang on the Christmas tree as ornaments.The finished cookies shown here measure 2 1/2 inches across. The beginning circle measured 3 inches. Allow for the 1/4-inch seam for your finished size. The 1/4-inch seam will make the finished piece 1/2 inch smaller than the circle you start with.

More Grungy Projects
Grungy Hang Tags, Grungy Dolls, Grungy Doll Seat Pillows.

Grungy Dolls

2011-01-08T01:09:00.000-06:00

Sister grungy dolls.

All you need for this project is a rag doll and brewed coffee. Making your own doll is an option if you like making projects from beginning to end. My little granddaughter nabbed my grungy angel. She sat it on her little rocking chair.

Instructions

My favorite.

Recall from the Grungy Hang Tags article, to make the coffee two or three times stronger than a regular cup of coffee. Let the coffee cool enough to touch without burning your fingers.
Put the doll in a washbasin or the kitchen sink and rub coffee all over the doll. Sponge coffee on the doll's face and hair, including the extremities, hands and feet. Stain the doll’s clothes, as well.
Allow the doll to air dry or put it in the dryer to set the coffee stains (wipe your dryer out with a damp cloth before using it again).

To get a better look at the dolls in the top photo just click the image and wait for a larger image to appear. The larger photo shows you how the dolls dry differently giving each doll a unique look and personality. For example, the doll's face on the left dried darker than the doll on the right. The doll with the darker face drew my daughter’s attention first and remained her favorite of the two dolls.

If you enjoy sewing, making your own doll is an option for hobbyists who like to make projects from beginning to end. Stores usually keep doll patterns and doll clothing patterns in the regular pattern department of their store. The patterns for cloth dolls are simple unless you do as I did the first time I made a doll. I sewed the the doll legs on backwards. Despite this mishap and corrective measures, I managed to make a cute doll for the Christmas holidays wearing a little outfit inspired by the colonial French Colonial voyageurs.

Bread Money

The two matching dolls shown in this article sold quickly in my online store. Some buyers prefer heavily grunged dolls that look like they were pulled from a fire. Others prefer a lighter grunge look on angelic looking dolls. At any rate, they are fun to look at and are quiet genial.

Inexpensive Winter Emergency Kit

2010-12-06T15:55:00.000-06:00

Emergency winter kit.

As many of us know, winter poses more problems for humans than maneuvering on slick roads and streets. In the winter, even though you are only commuting to work and home, exposure to the cold and the elements pose life-threatening risks to people. Besides keeping the car filled with gas and throwing an extra blanket in the car, make an inexpensive emergency kit to carry with you.

Items to Collect

Two-pound aluminum coffee can w/ lid

4-6 all purpose candles

Wooden matches

Candy, jerky, food bars

Small flashlight

Extra flashlight batteries

Bottled Water

Instructions

Place the items you collected into the coffee can and replace the lid. The bottled water may not fit into the can, but you can keep them together next to each other in the trunk, along with the extra blanket. It might be a good idea to keep the water in a cooler just in case the water freezes and bursts the bottles.

Tips

☺Light a match and hold it under the bottom end of the candle. Let a few drops of candle wax drip on the floor of the can. While the candle bottom is still warm, press the candle bottom into the candle wax. This will hold the candle in place. The candle will give you light and give off some heat.

☺If you can find a couple of old shingles carry them in the trunk. If the tires are spinning on ice, the shingles will give them traction.

Make a Paper Cup

2010-03-11T16:18:00.000-06:00

Show your kids how talented you are by making a paper cup with them. For small children, you can precut the eight-inch squares and all you need is a table and the paper, with no worries about them wanting to use the scissors. Use paper with color and designs to match a party theme and put candy in the cups for handouts.

Items to Collect

Scissors

White copy paper sheets

Instructions

1. Cut a sheet of paper into an 8-inch square.

2. Lay the paper on a flat surface.

3. Fold the paper diagonally to form a triangle.

4. Turn the paper with the center point up and the fold at the bottom.

5. Grasp the bottom right corner and fold it over until the point meets the straight edge on the left side.

6. Take the left corner and fold it over until the point meets the straight edge on the right side.

7. At the top center, peel back the paper and fold down on each side of the cup. This holds the cup together.

8. Spread the cup open and you're done.

Updated 12/17/12

Make a Potholder without Binding

2010-02-28T17:34:00.000-06:00

Gloria Hutson

1/28/2010

Even seasoned cooks accidentally burn their fingers on hot pans and skillets while preparing delicious meals for the table. After a few choice words and flailing fingers in the air for a few moments, they may admonish themselves because anyone who cooks should know better than to grab a hot pan or utensil without the aid a hot pad. However, knowing a thing does not mean accidents will not occur. Plenty of potholders within reach may make burning one’s fingers less likely.

A relatively easy alternative to buying potholders is to make your own. The following steps show how to make a hot pad without binding the edges. But still has a loop for hanging. Scrap material or new fabric work well and if you like patchwork quilting create a block of your own design. Things you will need include cotton fabric, cotton batting, scissors, sewing machine, (needle and thread if hand sewing), ruler.

Cut batting and material into eight-inch squares--two material squares and one batting square for each potholder.

Place the material squares together with right sides together and one batting square. You should have two pieces of material together and one batting square. This technique is different from preparing a quilt square with the batting sandwich between two pieces of material.

Place material under the sewing foot sew forward five or six stitches and backstitch three or so, continue forward around the potholder sewing three sides, backstitch at the end of the third side. When you come to a corner stop the machine with your needle down, raise the presser foot and turn to align the next straight seam, lower foot and continue to next corner repeating this step.

With three sides sewn, the potholder resembles a pocket turned wrong side out. Remove from machine and find the two fabric squares turning the pocket right side out. The batting will now be sandwiched between the fabric squares.

Take a pencil or crochet/knitting needle, anything you can use, to push the inside corners outward to make the corners pointed. Fold the open edges of the last side in to make a one-fourth seam. You should still have two sides to sew together. If necessary, pin the seams together with straight pins to keep in place.

When sewing the last side down continue around the entire potholder to match the last seam. When you get back to where you started your seam, sew about a half inch beyond starting point and backstitch four to six stitches.

Lastly, you can either sew a simple x across the potholder to reinforce the material or follow a simple design of your choice. Measures about 7-1/4 inch square finished.

Suggestion: Use cotton batting instead of polyester. Polyester tends to let the heat go through the hot pad. Cotton seems to block the heat much better.
Wash and dry in dryer or spread out flat and air dry.

How to Create a Stylish Vase without Spending Money

2010-02-27T01:34:00.000-06:00

How to Create a Chic Vase without Spending Money
Gloria Hutson
2/23/2010
An empty spot in the house sometimes looks okay but can also look bare. If you need to fill an empty space, make your own chic décor without spending money or very little money. The photo shows a vase painted with a creamy white acrylic paint over an acrylic Gesso base. The small branches are from a hedge bush while in dormancy and most of the leaves have fallen. The following steps show how to create a stylish floor or table home décor on the cheap.

Things to Gather:
Clear glass vase
Acrylic paint
Acrylic Gesso
Paintbrush
Small branches
Floral foam

Take an old vase, clean it up and paint the outside with Gesso. Allow to dry overnight and then paint over the Gesso with your choice of acrylic colors. Allow the top base coat to dry.

Look for a bush or tree with small, thin, tapering branches after the leaves have fallen. Choose branches with buds lining the branch. Cut them to the length you want for your vase. The vase in the photo is 11 inches tall and the longest branch measures about 26 inches with at least three inches inserted into floral foam.

I used foam rubber cut from swimming pool “noodles” and placed it in the narrow top of the vase. Insert the bottom of the branches about three inches or so into the foam placed at angles or straight up. This is your project so you determine how you want the branches to look.

Foam rubber “noodles” are easy to cut with a knife and hold paint well. You can cut it to length for a tall vase or for width of a flower box. I like these over floral foams that fall apart easily and tend to be messy.

© Gloria Hutson 2/23/2010