Remember the days when the holiday season began with Thanksgiving and ended with New Years resolutions? If not, too bad, because that is an era gone by. Now holiday shoppers start gift wrangling as early as September, with most giving serious thought to what they’ll be gifting in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving.

Holiday parties are my favorite parties. People are just so happy and it’s cold outside, so why not enjoy being crammed into an apartment with a few dozen friends, thanking your lucky stars that the semester is coming to a close. One such party that has become quite a kitsch cult classic is the “Tacky Holiday Sweater Party.”

This year, why not get the party started early, with a tacky holiday sweater crafting party! Holla! There is no doubt we will all be invited to at least one before ringing in the new year and customizing a sweater early could save you a headache when all the other 20- and 30-somethings have ransacked the racks at Goodwill. Read more…

Flashback to an Oklahoma winter: a vicious storm had encased the tires of Dora, my Explorer, in 6 inches of solid ice, leaving me stranded for three days, eight miles from town, bored out of my mind, and stuck indoors. So, what to do? Quite obviously, this was the appropriate time for a crafting marathon.

So I set out to collage every surface I could: lampshade, desk, table, and empty wine bottles I’d collected from my parents. Since the electricity was out I was crafting by firelight when I noticed the interesting shadows being cast through the glass and collage. This prompted me to stuff red Christmas lights into the bottles to make lanterns, and using wire hangers and plant hooks, I hung them from my ceiling.

So to make your lush lanterns, you’ll need to acquire the following (photo 1):

- Glass bottles w/ mouths less than 1″ across. Wine and liquor bottles are great, and I suppose you could use forties if you wanted, either empty some or find them, whichever your age permits
- Water soluble adhesive (Elmer’s or Mod Podge work for me)
- Magazines to cut up, specialty papers, fabric, heavy gauge wire – I use wire hangers because I have them and they’re perfect
ceiling hooks for plants or decorations
- String of small lights, marked down to $2.99 @ Walgreens!
- Scissors
- X-acto knife or box blade
- Paint brush that can handle water soluble glue

Again, do not feel limited to the items listed above. The only stipulation for this project is that the media be translucent or transparent. Cellophane, paint, markers, etc., can be used in this process as well. Read more…

With H1N1 (a.k.a. swine flu) running rampant on a global scale, people are beginning to take more precautions when it comes to their health. Whether it is a 15-time-a-day hand washing routine, cracking open the Emergen-C at the first sign of a sniffle or sporting a big white, “look-at-me-for-all-the-wrong-reasons” medical mask.

To address the lack of fashionable medical masks, we will be transforming them into something a bit more engaging that will give the naysayers a reason to take a second glance. Halloween is swiftly approaching, and at the very least this will add to any costume. So, first, the things we’ll need (photo 1 in the slideshow below):

-masks
-scissors
-embroidery thread
-sewing thread
-sewing/embroidery needle
-sequins
-fabric
-sturdy sculpt-able wire
-awl or punch of some sort
-anything else you wish to embellish with: fancy yarns, embroidery ribbon, non-toxic paint, leather string, rhinestones, jewels, wiggly eyes, non-toxic glue, etc.

(WARNING: Perforating the medical mask for the sake of style may decrease the effectiveness of the mask.)

My first foray in to this project (photo 2) combined these wonderfully rich autumn hued feathers and a pair of tiger eyes I found at the craft store. I sewed the two types of feathers in concentric rings from the outside in. Then marked places for the stuffed animal eyes, punched the markings, cut the holes a bit wider for the eye posts. He reminded me of the lamp from the Brave Little Toaster when I put him on this mirror. Read more…

After finally settling in to my apartment, getting back into my work/school routine, there was only one chore left on my list: curtains to cover the French doors that open into my room. I like things that are multifunctional and include an element of display, so picture frame curtains seemed like just the thing.

After measuring the dimensions of the windows, the most crucial decision of all must be made, fabric choice. Which means the fourth floor at Britex for some cheap, cute remnants: two-and-a-half yards of tangerine & white seersucker and lime green burlap. For embellishment, I was off to the hardware store for:

• curtain rod hooks (two per window, three if the windows are wide)
• hammer
• nails
• two lengths of chain, about 10” longer than window width,
• twine, any thick yarn will work

Other supplies:
• photos
• scissors
• tape measure
• straight pins
• ruler
• pencil
• marker
• darning or tapestry needle

To fix the length of the curtains, hardware must be installed on the door/window frame. Two inches above and two inches outside the top corners of the window is a good rule (photo 2 in the slide show above). Mark these points, start a nail in each (photo 3), put the nail through the top hole of the rod hook, drive a nail through bottom hole of hook. Hang chain between two hooks, adding one in the middle if necessary (photo 4). Read more…