Fields Of Heather: Crafts

Showing posts with label Crafts. Show all posts

Dollar Tree Cookie Sheet Metal Flowers

This Flower made from Dollar Tree cookie sheets held up for nearly three years outdoors - one year on the porch, and two out in the open on a fence, before a storm blew it down and it was mangled under the trampoline. I hadn't really expected it to hold up that well - I was impressed!

A Steelers Quilt

This was my husbands Christmas gift back in 2012. Each year when the kids were young, we'd go out to Steelers Traning Camp, camping at nearby Keystone State Park. We have albums full of photos of the kids with the players, and half a wall of autographed items. In the early 2000s, the players signed everything after they came off the field - especially for young kids holding footballs!

There was no plan for this, no pattern, no instructions - I simply printed photos from our trips out to training camp on Avery Iron On Photo Paper. (Always use the paper for darks, even on white fabric - it makes a more vibrant transfer) Then I ironed the transfers onto white blocks, sewing them on top of the other blocks of fabric, and bordering it all with Steelers print fabric. I used a thin old blanket as the "batting" in the center, and machine quilted around the photos and around the edges of each piece of fabric.

We were right after Ben signed as a Steeler. Remember, he was pretty much unknown then, so when he walked out of the trailer after giving a press conference, he wasn't even in a jersey - just a red and white striped button down shirt. There were not many people around, most were down closer to the field. Ben signed his autograph for each of our kids, on footballs, a sign, a terrible towel...

My favorite though, was Troy Palomalu. Our daughter was 7 at the time, in a training camp t-shirt that fit her like a dress, waiting by the ropes for an autograph. Some teenager boys shoved her out out of the way, trying to get to Troy. He stopped, signed for Meg, posed for a photo with her, and walked on without signing for those boys. :-)

This blanket was used hard, but finally, after many washes, simply wore out. Dan has been asking me to make him a new one, and it might be a project for later this year.

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An Index Of My Craft Related Posts Can Be Found Here

https://fieldsofhether.blogspot.com/p/crafts.html

Creative & Fun Easter Egg Dying Techniques For Kids

Rice, Shaving Cream, Bingo Daubers & Temporary Tattoos -

Creative Easter Egg Dying Techniques - For Kids

Shaving Cream Easter Eggs

https://www.craftymorning.com/shaving-cream-dyed-easter-eggs
Rice Shake Easter Eggs
https://www.craftymorning.com/rice-shake-easter-eggs-ziploc-bags/

From https://www.brit.co/

Temporary Tattoos are a quick and easy way to decorate eggs!

Unicorn Eggs
Made with a sharpie, some glue & craft flowers
https://publiclivessecretrecipes.com/2017/03/diy-unicorn-easter-eggs-tutorial.html

For vibrant dye colors, mix a pack of kool aid with 2/3 a cup of water

After dying eggs, paint glue over the egg and apply confetti
https://ohjoy.blogs.com/my_weblog/2016/03/confetti-easter-eggs.html

Or swirl on designs in rubber cement before dying a second color
https://www.craftymorning.com/swirly-rubber-cement-easter-eggs/

Let toddlers dab on color with dot markers, or bingo daubers
https://www.craftymorning.com/dot-easter-eggs-toddlers/

Spin Art Eggs
Using paint & A Salad Spinner
https://www.hellowonderful.co/post/SPIN-ART-EASTER-EGGS/

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How To Sew Simple Envelope Pillow Cases

The covers are so easy to sew, this is a great project for a beginner.

The Cliff Notes:

I use a 20 year old singer machine. Very basic, nothing fancy. (My favorite machine is actually an old metal 1940's model, but it's too hard to get replacement parts now...)
I like to use a lightweight canvas /heavy muslin material. I often buy it at Wal-Mart!
Cut your fabric the width of the pillow, and the length x 2 + 4. So for an 18 x 18 pillow, your fabric should be 18 x 40.
I get my inserts at Wal-mart too - they are super cheap there.
HTV. It has to be HTV on fabric. Always. :-)
Where To Find Free SVGS

The Material:

I have access to a local discount fabric store, and can often find great cheap fabric there. But I still also buy a heavy muslin/light canvas material at Wal-mart. Regular thin muslin wrinkles a bit too easily for me, I prefer a thicker fabric. Wal-mart usually has an entire row, with heavier options as well as the super light. You don't need it to be as heavy as a paint drop cloth (although you could use those too!) but you want it to be heavier than a regular cotton fat quarter. Although regular cotton will work just fine - it will wrinkle a lot more.

I buy my inserts at Wal-Mart too. They are cheap there!

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Fairfield-Crafter-s-Choice-16-x16-Pillow-Insert-Pack-of-2/250244273

I bought 2 yards of lightweight canvas fabric (right beside the muslin in the fabric aisle at wal-mart) and that made two 18x18 covers, 2 16x16 covers, and enough leftover for a dust cover for my cricut, with more to spare...

The Measurements

Width, by length x 2 + 4 inches for seam allowance
This is not normal - if you are a sewer, you are probably thinking if it's a 16 inch pillow, you need to add a seam allowance. But that is NOT the case for throw pillow covers. You want them to fit snug so that the pillow looks full, so you will cut your fabric the same width as the pillow insert.

For a 16x16 pillow - Cut a piece 16 x 36

For an 18x18 pillow - Cut a piece 18 X 40
For a 20x20 pillow - Cut a piece 20 x 44

Throw pillows are the only time you want the exact width with no seam allowance - because you want them to be snug around the pillow so the pillow "fluffs" a bit, and doesn't look too flat.

The Sewing

You're going to sew a total of 4 straight seams. Quick and easy.

Hem the short sides. Two straight seams.

I do this as a rolled hem, so that they are less likely to fray.

Just roll the edge under, and sew through 3 layers of fabric.

Then fold - but more than in half. For a 16 inch pillow, try something like 7 inches on one side, 9 inches on the other.

You want one hemmed side to overlap the other hemmed side, to form an envelope.

Place the "right sides" of the fabric together - you are sewing on what will be the inside of the fabric once you are finished.

Once folded, pin in place, then sew the sides.

Remove the pins, turn right side out, and that's it - you have an envelope pillow case!

Iron on your vinyl (I use a silicone baking sheet inside of mine - when adding htv)

Then add your insert.

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Making Christmas Throw Pillows - and all the free svgs & designs -

https://fieldsofhether.blogspot.com/2018/12/making-christmas-throw-pillows.html

Some of my very first pillow covers after getting my cricut
https://fieldsofhether.blogspot.com/2017/11/pillows-curtains-sewing-cricut.html

A Simple Step By Step How to Layer htv on a Pillow
https://fieldsofhether.blogspot.com/2017/12/christmas-pillows-layering-htv.html

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Where To Buy Pre-Made Pillow Cases & Supplies:
Set Of 4 8x18 Pillow Covers for around $16

4 linen covers for $24

18x18 inserts (I buy mine at Wal-mart)

$15 for TEN FEET of my favorite black htv

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https://www.facebook.com/fieldsofheathercrafts/

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My Cricut Craft Space

I keep promising myself I'll get better pics of this area, but I never do, so this is what I already had, in answer to a popular question on facebook groups about small space craft organization. This is my space, how I organize it, and the tools I use.

This area is part of my laundry room. I'm standing with my back against the washer and dryer to take this photo.

The ironing board is where I iron on all of my htv, and I often use this as a table/work space for other projects as well. Yes, I know everyone says you cannot use an ironing board. I don't know what to tell them - I do. No problems. I use that iron sitting there, a silicone baking sheet inside/or under the item, parchment paper on top of the transfer sheet, and I iron. I've done at least 100 projects this way now - and none of them have peeled. I don't wash them special either - everything goes right in the regular laundry here, washer & dryer, unless it's nice enough to hang the laundry outside.

Before I got a cricut, I had a much larger sewing desk here. I had this old sewing machine cabinet (there's a sewing machine IN that stand, that I never use, as well as the one on top that I do use often) in the attic, and it replaced the desk so I had room to add the dresser for my cricut craft supplies. I use my sewing machine so much more now that I have a cricut! Pillow cases, curtains, tissue covers, key fobs...

The cabinet over the sewing machine is full of blanks. I do not sell - we just have a large family. On the inside of the door are sticky notes with project notes. Usually lists of things I am currently making, with measurements. I now have two command strip hooks under the cabinet, holding all of my cricut mats. (only one hook is shown here)

See that yellow fabric tape measure with the scissors, under the cabinet? Hands down, my most used tool with the cricut. I measure everything before designing, there's never a project where I don't use that tape measure!

The dresser was a facebook marketplace find. A little paint was all it needed. This is perfect for me. This is great storage for me - there's room for my phone on it's dock, my laptop, and my cricut. The drawers hold vinyl, projects, paper, and other supplies...
To the left is the counter where we have always kept the cats food dish. It keeps the dogs out of the catfood, but it also means that the cat jumps on this dresser, then on to the counter, to eat. He likes to sleep here a lot, so cat fur and cat foot prints are constantly an issue here. :-)

The top two drawers - on the left are extra tools, projects in progress, and mistake cuts - things that I cut the wrong size, or didn't mirror, and keep thinking I might be able to use some how, so I haven't thrown them out yet.... On the right is cardstock. (there's a basket of patterned paper off to the right, on top of the heater)

I never use the bluetooth option on my cricut. It's so convenient to just plug it in, I just haven't bothered. We use Bluetooth a lot here - Bluetooth speakers, and data transfers.. I notice the connection sometimes drops, especially in this room, so I just don't risk it not working well when using the cord is so convenient.

The middle drawers are my vinyl storage. These are 2-3 rolls deep. 651 & 631 on the left, htv on the right. Baskets for the scraps. I bought large bundles of colors off amazon when I first started. I don't really regret that, but if I had it to do over, I'd buy a LOT of black, white, Navy, and maybe two accent colors. I use so much black and white, I order that at least once a month. (LOVE amazon prime! free shipping!) The other color I have loved is that teal siser glitter htv. I never use much of it, I've only ever bought the one roll, it's an accent color, but it's one of my favorites! I don't really use cricut vinyl. I don't think the htv adheres as well, and I can buy Orcal 651 cheaply on amazon. Siser htv and Orcal 651 are what I use.

On the left is fabric for current or near future projects. Here currently is fabric for dog bandannas, pillow cases, and capes. I have more fabric in a closet in the downstairs bathroom. On the right is the contact paper (for transferring designs), freezer paper (for stencils), wax paper (for storing htv designs that are cut but nor ironed on) and some contact paper and fabric paper that I bought to play with but haven't actually used yet...

This room does not have great lighting. I found a shop light at Sam's club - it is easy to hang, plugs in, and is a great work light. It cost me around $30.
https://www.samsclub.com/sams/linkable-shop-light-honeywell-led/prod20590154.ip

The shelves over the windows hold more blanks and supplies.

To the right of the heater here, are my soap shelves. I use my cricut to make the labels for my soaps now, one of my favorite uses for this machine.

That's my space! I do keep a weeding tool, small scissors, and small garbage can beside my favorite chair in the living room. I do most of my weeding in front of the tv. I tried one of the light tracing pads for weeding, but it really isn't much help for me, I prefer overhead light. I think I'd like an ott overhead light, but I haven't purchased one yet..

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My cricut Projects by type (with tutorials)

http://fieldsofhether.blogspot.com/2018/02/my-cricut-projects-by-type.html

My Cricut Cheat Sheets

http://fieldsofhether.blogspot.com/2018/02/cricut-cheat-sheets.html

More Cricut Resources:

http://fieldsofhether.blogspot.com/2018/02/resources-how-tos-for-cricut.html

About Me & My Cricut

http://fieldsofhether.blogspot.com/p/cricut.html

Cricut & The Dollar Tree

The Dollar Tree is one of my favorite places for "blanks" - items to put cricut vinyl designs on - but it's also where I find some of my basic supplies and tools. These are the the items I buy there, followed by some of my projects with Dollar Tree blanks.

If there is a link with the project, it usually includes the svgs and fonts I used, along with step by step instructions.

Supplies To Buy At Dollar Tree

These are the two items I suggest everyone with a cricut buys first thing.

The clear contact paper ($1 a roll!) is the only transfer tape I use for transfering vinyl. It also works for stencils.

The fabric tape measure I use for every single project. It's my most used tool. That is what I use to figure out how large my design should be. (I found the tape measure in the check out aisle)

These items are a little more craft related than specifically cricut - but I still recommend them! I use those hooks to hold my cricut mats on the wall (storage) and the jute is nice for so many of my projects - either to hang them, decorate them, or wrap them.

Blanks from Dollar Tree Decorated With Vinyl