This project is a great one for summer, or any other season really. I made mine in shades of blue using beads I had in my stash so that they will be perfect to wear at the beach or pool. Choose any colors you would like to match any fun summer outfit you love.

Tools:

Round Nose Pliers
Wire Cutters

Materials:

4 Pairs of Beads
2 Kidney Ear Wires
6 Eye Pins

Gather your materials.  I chose different sizes of beads to use so that they would hang in a nice cluster. You can find the kidney shaped ear wires at your local bead store. I usually find them sold in sets of two.

Start by slipping one of your beads onto one of your eye pins. Make sure the hole is not too big so that the bead doesn’t slip off the pin.

Bend the pin at the top of the bead at a 90 degree angle as shown. Using the wire cutters clip off the end of the pin, leaving about a half an inch to use to make a loop.

Start making your loop with your round nose pliers by grabbing the end of the pin and twisting.

Keep twisting until you have a closed loop at the top of your bead.  This may take some practice if you’ve never done it before. Don’t worry, it gets easier.

Repeat this process for each of your 8 beads, creating a loop for each one. You will end up with 4 pairs of beads to use on two earrings.

Slip the beads onto the earring wires by squeezing the wires to open them. These hooks really are simple to use, and it’s easy to switch out whichever beads you may want to. Have fun with these!

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One of my good friends is pregnant with her first child and she’s due the beginning of July. I’ve been keeping my eye out for fun baby items I could make for her that are also useful and cute. These definitely caught my attention.  I love the vibrant colors that were used in these and how adaptable they could be for a baby boy or girl.

Sew She Sews

Craftiness is Not Optional

Made by Rae

Elm Street Life

Noodle Head

iCandy Handmade

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While looking for some fun things to make for an upcoming trip to the Caribbean I came across a lot of bag tutorials.  Knowing I would need a big bag for the beach that will hold everything from towels to sunscreen to books, I knew I would need a big bag.  Instead of the traditional beach bags I found these tutorials to use to create a great big bag to take with me.

Sweet Verbena

Very Purple Person

KoJo Designs

Say Yes to Hoboken

This Big Oak Tree

Noodlehead

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Today I have another dose of color inspiration for you. Every once in a while, when I feel inspired to do so or have a photo featuring colors I particularly love, I will post a photo here on Simple Crafter along with a palette of five colors picked from the photo.

Today’s photo features a hand full of my vintage wooden spools of thread I picked up at an estate sale.  I picked blues and one green to feature because these colors remind me of the ocean. I’m going to be spending some time in the Caribbean soon so I have the beach on my mind.  Blue skies and blue water just can’t be beat.

Do you also love colors, especially those you see in the photos you take?  Feel free to use any of the palettes I post here in your crafts, whether it be scrapbooking, home decor, crocheting, or anything else you are inspired to create.

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Summer will (hopefully!) be here before we know it. I know all of us want to be prepared by making fun things to wear while the weather is warmer. These simple skirt tutorials are super easy to sew, even for beginners, and they make great additions to your summer wardrobe.

Sewing in No Man’s Land

Elle Apparel

iCandy Handmade

Knitty Bitties

Noodle Head

Sew Much Ado

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Mother’s Day is right around the corner and our new printable subway art would make a perfect gift.  Print, frame, and wrap for a quick, meaningful gift to give Mom.  Don’t forget that Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 13th!  Sign up using the form below to download it today.

Download the zip file and either print the included PDF on your home printer or upload the JPEG file to your local photo printer. Enjoy!

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Below are some articles I thought I would share with you today.  I’ve found them very inspiring, all in very different ways.

How to Shop for Fabric Online via Whipstitch Fabrics
Tips on How to Live a Creative Life via Gussy Sews
50 Ways to Say “You’re Awesome” via Unicorns for Socialism
Paint Chips from Photos via Crafty Staci
Tips for Fun Everyday Photos via Elise Blaha

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Mother’s Day is May 13th. It will be here before we know it, and if you’re planning on creating something special for your Mother, Grandmother, Mother-in-Law, or another special Mother in your life, you’ll want to start thinking about what you’re going to be making soon. Below are a few simple tutorials perfect to make in time to give Mom that she’s sure to love.

Deliciously Organized

Sarah Ortega

I Am Baker

Deliberately Domestic

Elm Street Life

Crochet in Color

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Occasionally, you find some crafty inspiration that requires no additional information, other than the photo that strikes the inspiration. Buttons are such a simple supply that they often are included as a small step in a larger tutorial, but in this case, the buttons are the main ingredient in a few very simple crafty recipes.

[Sources, clockwise from top: Bobby Pins, Magnets, Necklace, Earrings]

Many of us may have button jars that we’ve been adding to over the years, or even some from our grandmother’s stash that are waiting for the perfect project. What better way to use up your pretty stash of buttons than to be able to display or wear them daily? This weekend I have big plans to raid my buttons stash to whip up these projects. They are quick and easy and would make great gifts too!

If you don’t have them on hand, all you will need to make these projects are some bobby pins with flat heads which allow you to glue anything onto them, small round magnets, thin chain, flat earring backs, and hot glue.

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With the first day of Spring and even Easter behind us, it’s time to start celebrating the warmer weather and longer days (whether or not you have been experiencing warmer weather or not!)  Try these fun Spring decor tutorials to bring the feeling of Spring to your home.

All in a Day

Minimoz

Our Life in a Click

Oopsey Daisy

Little Birdie Secrets

Infarrantly Creative

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