Category: Craft

  • Bronwyn’s Handmade Christmas July 2018: Twirly Baubles

    Bronwyn’s Handmade Christmas July 2018: Twirly Baubles

    Happy Thread the Needle Day! The origin of this special day (July 25) is unknown, but as a crafter, I naturally think of sewing. This month’s project for Bronwyn’s Handmade Christmas uses the simplest sewing ever, so this one would be great for getting older kids involved.

    I was immediately drawn to the paper snowflake-inspired Felt Ogee Ornaments made by Betz White. I found this project a while ago, and I’m so happy that I finally got around to making one. Betz recommended 3 mm felt because it is stiff enough to hold its shape. I couldn’t find it locally, so I bought a wool/rayon blend on Amazon. I thought mine was a tad too thick because it wrinkled a little as it bent around. I’m wondering if 2.5 mm or 2 mm felt would work better. The biggest drawback is that the thick felt is not typically sold in stores. I think the results are definitely worth the online shopping trip.

    I used sewing thread to sew the overlapping edges and tied surgeon’s knots to secure. I used invisible quilting thread for hanging.

    I made my own felt beads for this. Yep. With plain ol’ wool yarn. (more…)

  • Summer Stock Shawlette

    Summer Stock Shawlette

    Summer Stock Shawlette is a fluttery little thing—easy-breezy and perfect for cool nights or over-air-conditioned spaces. I love my version in Nettle Grove by Plymouth Yarn (a blend of cotton, linen, silk, and nettle in a sport weight yarn), but it’ll look great in all sorts of yarn. Go ahead and stash dive on this one! The pattern includes alternative stitch counts that will work for the border, so you can make this as small or as large as you want.

    The inspiration first came from the yarn. My friend Britni and I had been talking about summery shawls when I ran across this Nettle Grove. It’s way out of my comfort zone, but that’s what I wanted. First of all, I don’t work with a lot of cotton, let alone linen or nettle (nettle?). It’s not too scratchy to work with, and as everyone says, it softens up so much. And then orange? Orange is SO not a good color for me, but somehow, this muted orange works. It looks great with gray, blue, purple, raspberry—all my cool-colored t-shirts. The color wheel in action! (more…)

  • Bronwyn’s Handmade Christmas June 2018: Crocheted Bowl Cozies

    Bronwyn’s Handmade Christmas June 2018: Crocheted Bowl Cozies

    Here we go again! It’s time to start planning our handmade Christmas gifts! With six months to go, we can surely get it done without working up to the last minute, right? Well, we can at least try.

    For our first project of 2018, I thought I’d pull out the trusty crochet hook and some kitchen cotton. When my friend Pam posted some bowl cozies on Instagram a few weeks ago, I knew they’d make great gifts. These can be used to protect your hands and lap from bowls of hot soup or cold ice cream. My 10-year-old son, Grady, has already tested and approved their use for ice cream! Thanks, buddy!

    With a price tag of a couple of dollars per ball of yarn, you can afford to make several per recipient. One cozy used just a hair over two ounces of Peaches & Cream. Keep in mind that solid colorways come in bigger balls than the variegated (2.5 oz. vs. 2.0 oz., generally). And while vibrant colors are fun, they tend to bleed when washed, so that’s something to be mindful of, especially when giving them away.  (more…)

  • Bronwyn’s Handmade Christmas November 2017: Quick Knits

    Bronwyn’s Handmade Christmas November 2017: Quick Knits

    It’s time for the final push! We only have one month until Christmas! Can you believe it?

    Every time I write about a new craft I’ve made, I feel a slight pang of guilt. I’ve always dabbled in all sorts of crafts, so it’s not like I’m a monogamous crafter or anything. Knitting is my main squeeze, though, so that is my go-to when I want to make a handmade gift. But wait a second. Wouldn’t it have made more sense to blog about knitting in, say, June when we still had several months ahead of us? Well, my favorite things to knit are accessories because they are quick and make a big impact with only a small amount of time and effort. I’m a procrastinator, and I know many of you are, too, so quick and easy are key features when you’re on a deadline.

    [It just occurred to me that knitting is a little like childbirth. Yeah, of course, you created this thing of beauty and the knitting project is your baby and all that, but I’m thinking about the effort you put in. You always hear moms bragging about how many hours they labored. It seems like the most dramatic stories come at the extremes: “I pushed for FOUR hours!” but also, “I only pushed for 22 MINUTES! I guess he was in a hurry.” (True story. 22 minutes for me. Not bragging at all.) So when it comes to knitting, we’re especially proud when we finally complete a sweater or afghan that took 2 years to complete but also when we whip up a cowl in only a few hours. Or is it just me?] (more…)

  • Sashiko-Embroidered Tea Towels: Bronwyn’s Handmade Christmas October 2017

    Sashiko-Embroidered Tea Towels: Bronwyn’s Handmade Christmas October 2017

    When I was in junior high and high school, I did a lot of counted cross-stitch, but I didn’t do much straight-up embroidery. I haven’t done much needlework (aside from knitting and crochet) since then. Over the past few years, my Pinterest feed has been full of beautiful embroidery. The designs range from cute to fanciful, traditional to modern. I’ve been pinning the gamut with hopes of picking up needle and floss again one day. Lately, I’ve been especially drawn to the Japanese folk embroidery technique called sashiko.

    Traditional sashiko calls for white cotton thread on indigo-dyed cloth, but modern applications can be found in other colors. Literally “little stabs,” sashiko stitching is made by a basic running stitch. You might be used to using an embroidery hoop, but being able to scrunch the fabric and take several running stitches at a time is easier without the hoop. This keeps lines straighter and is less taxing on your arm and shoulder. (more…)

  • Bronwyn’s Handmade Christmas September 2017: Essential Oil-Diffusing Bracelets

    Bronwyn’s Handmade Christmas September 2017: Essential Oil-Diffusing Bracelets

    So many people swear by essential oils nowadays, so I think this month’s Handmade Christmas gift idea is perfect. Make one of these bracelets for the friend who loves her oils and another for the friend who could use a boost but hasn’t tried oils yet. I made this first bracelet for a friend who has been struggling with hormonal emotions. We’d been talking about essential oils, and she said that she hasn’t remembered to use them lately. I thought this might help. The key is using a few lava beads that absorb the essential oil and diffuse the scent throughout the day. (more…)

  • Bronwyn’s Handmade Christmas August 2017: Yarn Ball Ornaments

    Bronwyn’s Handmade Christmas August 2017: Yarn Ball Ornaments

    We only have four months until the big day. Do you have your handmade gift ideas lined up? Today’s craft is a quick and easy one: yarn ball ornaments. We all know and love the look of the iconic yarn ball: you know, the kittens-with-mittens type of yarn ball. Well, now we can share our love of fiber with others at Christmastime.

    I imagine we’ve all wound our yarn scraps into neat little balls at one time or another. These ornaments begin with tiny styrofoam balls as the base (so as not to waste yarn and to also lighten up the overall weight). The styrofoam is also a little “grabby,” making it easier to start wrapping. Neatly wind yarn around the ball, changing directions after five or six wraps, until all of the styrofoam is hidden. Snip the yarn and weave in the end several times using a crochet hook or tapestry needle. If you’re having trouble keeping the yarn in place, a dab of low-temp hot glue will also work. Depending on your color combination, make six or seven yarn balls. (*See note below.) (more…)

  • Bronwyn’s Handmade Christmas in July 2017: Etched Glass Casserole Dishes

    Bronwyn’s Handmade Christmas in July 2017: Etched Glass Casserole Dishes

    I can’t tell you how excited I am about this month’s project — etched glass baking dishes. I have wanted to make these for years, and I’m thrilled with how mine turned out!

    If you’ve ever left your casserole dish at a potluck, you know that getting it back may or may not happen. Even if you do get a pan back, it might not be the same one you brought in. Sure, you can label it with masking tape or an address label, but those can wash off. Etching is permanent and dishwasher safe. (Family potlucks might be a little tricky if everyone has the same last name. If you’re planning to give a pan to every cook in the family, it might be a good idea to vary the design a little from one pan to the next.) (more…)

  • Rope Baskets: Bronwyn’s Handmade Christmas September 2016

    Rope Baskets: Bronwyn’s Handmade Christmas September 2016

    Time is flying! I still haven’t settled on my handmade gift for everyone this year. I just keep collecting ideas and dabbling, but nothing has lit my fire yet. It could be that it’s hard to feel the pressure of Christmas when it’s still 85 degrees, but now that fall is officially here, it’s time to get on the ball. Christmas is only three months away!

    To create a rope basket, I found several methods to choose from. First, using hot glue to adhere the coiled rope to itself. No thanks. That seems like it’s just inviting disaster (while making it or while using it). Second, crocheting the rounds of rope together (like this and this). This method definitely has potential, but it takes longer. Third, and the route I chose, using a sewing machine to zigzag the rounds of rope together. (This one is absolutely gorgeous! If you subscribe to Creativebug, they have a good video tutorial.) A variation of this is to first wrap the rope with scraps of fabric or even yarn just before you zigzag. (I like the look of the baskets shown here.) (more…)