Crafty Crafty

GALLERY: Pumpkin stencils get election fever!

AbiSilvester — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 06:35:03 -0500

No prizes for guessing what the overwhelming theme of this year's newest crop of pumpkin stencils might be: halloween's got political. There are even stencil sites keeping track of which candidates are the most popular for pumpkinization. Somehow I can't see this trend taking off here in the UK...a Gordon Brown or David Cameron pumpkin, anyone? Click on Obama to see the full set!

Halloween craft: crocheted spider webs

AbiSilvester — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 14:00:52 -0500

Crochet is a perfect medium for creating spiderweb-like shapes, and halloween is the perfect time of year for making spiderwebs. So why not try you hand at making some spooky webs to drape around the house? There are plenty of doily patterns like this one at crochetdoilies.com, and even some fantastic ones you can wear, like this one from Monster Crochet. Perhaps spiders were the first true crochet-fans? Related:

Pick of the best fingerless gloves

AbiSilvester — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 06:08:54 -0500

You don't need me to tell you how, um, handy a pair of fingerless gloves is at this time of year. Practical and cosy, they're great fun and quick to knit. You can even wear them around the house it you're trying to cut down on heating bills but still want the full use of your fingers! Fingerless gloves rock, and this pattern by Vickie Howell is great if you want something that doesn't look too grannyish. This is a fairly basic design, but you can make your gloves as decorative as you want. Follow the jump for our roundup of fingerless glove patterns to suit all tastes and abilities

Halloween Geek Craft: 'Mac O' Lanterns'

AbiSilvester — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 09:10:47 -0500

OK, so you'll need some fairly specific raw materials to make this fabulous, geeky take on the traditional pumpkin lantern: a working Mac Classic, for starters, but most importantly the willingness to paint your soon-to-be very valuable bit of kit a shade of lurid orange. But it'll be worth it, of course, when you put your friends to shame with your wizardry.

How to make your own natural moisturiser

AbiSilvester — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 06:32:47 -0500

We're used to skincare being presented as a complex science, so at first glance, making your own potions and lotions sounds like a daunting idea. But skincare is really very simple, and you can make a very versatile day to day moisturiser using just three ingredients. In an age of ruinously expensive skincare products and obscure additives, there's no surer way to avoid putting unneccesary junk on you skin than going down the homemade route, so here's a basic 'recipe' to get you started.

How to: make vintage doily shopping bags

AbiSilvester — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 09:56:19 -0500

Indie Fixx featured a great idea for making shopping bags from recycled materials this week: they've used old doilies, fresh from granny's table, and sewn them to a basic drawstring bag top made from vintage fabric.This gives you a really cute, folksy looking bag that would be perfect for grocery store visits in true, eco-friendly style. The tutorial is here, with detailed step-by-step instructions.

How to: make vegan Halloween cupcakes

AbiSilvester — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 07:45:55 -0500

Admit it -- we've all got a friend who is craftier, more talented in the kitchen and better able to work within limitations than we are. And in my case, that friend is a very gifted, amazingly arty and very creative...vegan.

Celebrate National Chocolate Week with some gorgeous Godiva recipes...

Gemma — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:35:15 -0500

I know most of us need absolutely no excuse to eat chocolate, but if your willpower is stronger than mine and you need a really good reason to indulge, next week (13th - 19th October) is National Chocolate Week. That means loads of offers on the sweet stuff, but it also means a great excuse to get crafty with some chocolate recipes. I've got my eye on the ones from swish chocolatiers Godiva, which include a white chocolate and apricot pizza (I kid ye not) and the most divine sounding mimosa truffles.

Re-use, recycle and re-purpose: beat the credit crunch with some Junk Market Style

Shinykatie — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:19:40 -0500

I love finding a websites to inspire and excite me, and nothing gets my creative juices going like a spot of thrifty household styling.

Halloween: how to make crocheted ghost ornaments

AbiSilvester — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 06:37:05 -0500

If you're looking for spooky ideas for your halloween bash that are a bit less obvious than spider cupcakes and jack o' lanterns, here's something to fill your guests with halloween spirit! Vickie Howell's free pattern of the week makes these cute but creepy crocheted ghosts, which are easy to make for beginners. All you'll need is your usual crochet gear and a few syrofoam balls, and you can make these ghoulish guys that will haunt your table for many halloweens to come.

Sick of halloween craft yet?

AbiSilvester — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 12:04:50 -0500

Personally, I could go on about halloween craft all year round, but I noticed recently that Crafty had become halloween central without me consulting you, the readers, first. So, let me know what you think. Are you happy to continue with a ghost and pumpkin fest for the rest of the month, or do you want me to vary themes a bit more? Read on after the jump to cast your vote...

Sonia Rykiel's Paris Fashion Week Show is a knitting sensation

AbiSilvester — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 06:27:19 -0500

If any more proof was needed that knitting is drop-dead cool, it doesn't get much cooler than the runway at Paris Fashion Week. And that's where this fabulous 'incomplete' garment, with giant knitting needles, went on show last night. It's part of a couture collection by Sonia Rykiel. The designer, who is known for her quirky and whimsical take on style, showed the dress alongside many other pieces a hand-crafted inspiration, including a series of pearl beaded tops. One model even appeared clutching a spooky rag doll as fashion and craft collided on the catwalk.

FOOD CRAFT: Halloween Bento

AbiSilvester — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 12:12:40 -0500

If you look closely at those two little ghosts, nestling among pumpkins, you'll see that they're actually made out of grains of rice; the pumpkins carved carrot.

WIN a set of Sharpie markers for Halloween!

AbiSilvester — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 11:41:40 -0500

Thanks to their ability to write on just about anything, Sharpie markers are 'dead' useful to have around the house, particularly at this time of year when you've got scary masks to make and balloons to decorate...So, we're teaming up with Sharpie to bring you a prize that will work a treat (and a trick) for all your Halloween needs. Follow the jump to find out how to enter

Halloween: how to make spider web balloons

AbiSilvester — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 11:01:07 -0500

If you're planning a halloween party to remember, now's the time to get making props and decorations for the event. One of the coolest ideas I've seen is balloons filled with 'spider webs' (right), which makes for a really spooky effect. You'll need access to some helium, and ideally a substance like hi-float which will allow for the heaviness of the balloon's contents.

Our pick of the "Is it Halloween yet?" crafts

AbiSilvester — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 11:01:07 -0500

OK, so I couldn't even wait until the first day of October to start banging on about Halloween, but let's face it, the festival of spookiness is a crafter's dream, and we're all just as excited as each other about making the best ever monsters, ghosties and pumpkins galore. And it's only a month away now, which means you've just got to get cracking on those more complicated projects. So here's a few I've found that might take a bit of work, but will be well worth the wait..

GALLERY: Crafty Body Art

AbiSilvester — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 12:19:23 -0500

You may love crafting, but is your commitment skin-deep? These devotees certainly take their art seriously, and are proud to show it. Click on the pic below to see some more awe-inspiring crafty body art.

Super tall layered rainbow birthday cake

AbiSilvester — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 05:38:13 -0500

Nothing I can say will do justice to this spectacular, multi-layered and multi-coloured birthday cake, so let us marvel at its towering tiers of goodness and salivate at its fantastic frosting. I can imagine the child whose mother makes such creations gaining sudden popularity in the playground once word got around that this sort of treat was on offer at her kitchen table... But underneath all that icing, the structure of this great edifice is surprisingly simple, and you could even say, disappointing. Read on after the jump to see how it's put together and how to make your own.

Good morning! sizzling crochet by NeedleNoodles

AbiSilvester — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 05:07:00 -0500

It's hangover city in the office today, after a heavy night of bonding over beer and karoke. Now, I'd personally replace the rashers with a nice veggie sausage or two, but for many people there's nothing quite like a BLT to stave off a monster hangover. This tempting looking, calorie free bacon sarnie was spotted on NeedleNoodle's Flickr stream.

Doctor Who Craft: Dalek painted sneakers

AbiSilvester — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 10:55:41 -0500

Knowing how much you guys appreciate a bit of Doctor Who craftiness, I just had to share these fantastic Dalek Sneakers painted by Kelly_Bear, who explains that the original plan was to have a Dalek and a Cyberman on opposite shoes shooting at each other. Defeated by that plan, she plumped for the far simpler (and I think, more effective) Double-dalek motif. I love it. But you have to look at the back of the shoes for the best bit...

How to make a doormat from a tea-towel