"Lines Across": September 2012

Sunday, September 30, 2012

The Cure for the Common Monday #57

Welcome!

Thank you all for taking the time each week to link up here. I love seeing all of your projects, and I KNOW how time consuming sharing at link parties can be. To help make sharing here more worth your time, I'm going to start having daily features on Facebook Monday through Friday. I'm also going to stumble and pin all of the main features each week. It's also important that you all help out the other bloggers who have taken time to link up. Instead of linking up to 40 parties each week where you don't have the time to stop and comment and share other projects, pick only one or two a night, and really take the time to do it right. I think that you will get more out of the link party experience this way.

I'm also going to start each link party off with a quick blogging tip... something important I've learned that I want to share with you, as another way to thank you all for your time and support.

Blogging Tip 1 - Stumble Upon

Do you all use stumble upon? Lately I've been trying to figure it out, plus I've found a TON of great websites from clicking the stumble button. Follow me here if you have an account. I'll follow you back.

Here are a few quick stumble tips that I've recently learned:

1. It's okay to stumble your own posts, but you should only stumble (or like/submit) one of your posts for every 10 other posts you like/submit. If you are only submitting content from the same site, your submissions are discounted. That's why it's important to network on stumble upon and help stumble each others' posts.

2. The more active you are on stumble upon, the more valuable your likes/submissions will be. The more pages you have liked, commented on, and added, the better. That being said, make sure that you are only stumbling content that you think other users will also like. Don't stumble ads, giveaways, or link parties.

3. Install and use the stumble upon toolbar. It makes stumbling so easy.

4. If you are the first person to like a page with stumble upon, you will be taken to another page and asked to add and categorize the post. It is really important that you put the post in the best possible category. It's also important to leave a comment, even if it's short. This makes it more likely that this post will be seen by others. Even if you aren't the first person to stumble a post, it's easy (and beneficial) to comment on a post you like by clicking the comment bubble icon in the stumble upon toolbar.

I'm not sure that there will be any/much interest, but this week I'm going to have a little stumble upon hop on my Facebook page. Link up your profile, and follow the other profiles that are linked up in the comments. If anyone is interested in learning more, or in having a stumble upon link party, send me an email.

1. Reclaimed Wood Animal Silhouettes from Painted Therapy (I just LOVE this little hedgehog!)

2. Monogrammed Wreath from Turtles and Tails

3. Faux Metallic Monogram from The Winthrop Chronicles

4. Felt Bookmarks from Who Says You Can't

5. Important Dates Wall Art from A. Steed's Life

1. Fabric Covered Pumpkins from Alderberry Hill

2. Felt Leaf Garland from This is Happiness

3. Caramel Apple Dip from Crafty Scrappy Happy

4. Pine Cone Flowers from The Bounty Earth

Everyone is welcome to join this link party. Share something crafty or creative. Share a recipe or a household tip. There are three simple rules.

1. Follow Lines Across (I also will be sharing some of my favorites throughout the week through Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest).
2. Post the Cure for the Common Monday button somewhere on your blog (or link back to Lines Across).
3. Visit and comment on at least one link for every post you share.

Remember...

Friday, September 28, 2012

Beaded Hemp Bracelet (and 15 tutorials to add beads to friendship bracelets)

I love making friendship bracelets, whether they are done with macrame, braiding, or something else. This first tutorial is a bracelet I made with little silver rose beads and navy blue hemp. Just add beads to both outside strands as you make the bracelet. Make sure that there are the same number of knots between each set of beads.

BTW, do you follow my DIY Jewelry Board on Pinterest?

1. Bolts and Bows

2. How to Make Jewelry

3. Happy Hour Projects

4. Blog a la Carte

5. Honestly WTF

6. Honestly WTF

7. Maggie Makes

8. Refinery 29

9. Saved By Love's Creations

10. Gleeful Things

11. Leslie Unfinished

12. The Quiet Lion

13. Make It and Fake It

14. Show Tell Share

15. Lines Across

DIY Caterpillar Bracelet

Lately, I've been making a lot of jewelry for the Etsy shop my cousin and I are opening. My kids love the beads and want me to make them bracelets. I wanted to make a fun bracelet for my 3 year old son, that wasn't too girly, and I thought of one of his favorite books, The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

There are two different versions for this bracelet. I like the result of the first one more, plus you have a lot more options for what material to use. However, it requires a few common jewelry making tools and knowledge that a lot of people don't have. The second version is very simple, and anyone could easily make it.

The key to getting the bracelet to look like Eric Carle's caterpillar is the flat green beads. I found these at both Joann's and Michael's. You could also use yellow and green nail polish to paint eyes on the red bead. I really like the simplicity of the bracelet with just the beads.

Step 1 - Use 22 gauge jewelry wire. Cut off a piece, make a loop at one end (follow this great tutorial) and string the beads. Make a loop at the other end. You now have your caterpillar charm. (You could also turn this into a necklace.)

Step 2 - Choose the other material for your bracelet. I made one with black elastic cord (which is the best for little kids since they can put it on and take it off themselves), and one with red suede cord.

Remember, because of the small parts, you should only make this bracelet for kids ages 3 and up.

This second simple version is also very cute. I would recommend using a slip knot for this bracelet so that the size is adjustable and it's easier to keep secure on the little hand.

I used a thin red leather cord for this bracelet. It has to be thin enough to fit through the narrow holes in the beads. Hem also works well, or very thin elastic.

Step 1 - Tie a simple knot.

Step 2 - String the beads.

Step 3 - Tie another knot.

Step 4 - Secure with slip knots.

These would make great handmade gifts for little ones in your life. They could also be fun party favors for a Hungry Caterpillar birthday party, or even an activity for a little bit older kids. If you're giving them as a gift, try putting them in one of these felt apple gift pouches.

Check out these great "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" products from Amazon.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

The Little Cloud Flower

I realized I haven't posted a new felt flower tutorial in a long time. I love making this type of felt flower. Some people call them pom pom flowers, and there are a few variations. They remind me of little clouds you can hold in your hand, so I named them the Little Cloud flower. Plus, I already did a tutorial for flowers I called pom-pom flowers. I used a hot glue gun, but you could also use a needle and thread.

The Little Cloud flower is very similar to this fabric and felt flower, and is also similar to the yellow flower in this tutorial.

All you need is 10 felt circles and a hot glue gun, It's that easy. I used circles that were about 2.5 inches in diameter. You can make them smaller or larger, but remember that your final flower will be about the same size as one of your circles laid flat.

1. Cut out 9 felt circles all the same size. Mine were 2.5 inches in diameter. I like that they're all slightly different and not perfect circles. Cut out another smaller circle to use as your base.

2. Dab a little hot glue in the center of a circle.

3. Fold the circle in half, dab a little more glue, and fold it in half again. Pinch the end as it dries (but don't burn yourself!) Try to keep the glue at the corner only to keep the flower puffy. Fold 8 of the 9 circles like this.

4. Glue one of the petals on the base like it's a quarter of a pie.

5. Add another. IMPORTANT: Make sure that the petals are all pointing in the same direction. The side with one edge should touch the side of the next petal with two edges, and so on.

6. Continue to glue four petals to the base. This is your first layer.

7. Glue the next four petals in the same way to make the second layer. Stagger the petals.

8. Fold the last circle in half, and then loosely roll it , adding a little glue to secure. Glue this into the center of the flower.

9. Fluff the petals and enjoy!

Monday, September 24, 2012

Yarn Wrapped Candle Holders

I have about 60 of these round glass votive holders that we used on the tables at our wedding. And yet, somehow, this is the first project I've done with them... 4 years later. I already have quite a few more makeovers planned.

I love how these turned out. The yarn wrapped look is perfect for fall, but these are cute year round. They look great during the day when the candles aren't even lit, and they glow beautifully at night. The light from the candles flickers through the rows of yarn.

The first candle holder uses the color-blocked look. The second has a thin stripe. You could play around with lots of colors, stripes, and patterns. If you had enough shades of the same color, an ombre one would be adorable.

What you do:

1. Choose colors of yarn. I found that it looks better if the yarn is the same texture and width.

2. Prepare your glue mixture. I used equal parts Elmer's glue and water. I also added a little corn starch, but this is completely optional to make the final product a little stiffer.

3. Dip pieces of yarn in the glue mixture. Start wrapping it around the glass votive holder from the bottom. This is pretty easy and works well, but it takes a long time to dry.

4. About half way through, flip the candle holder over and keep wrapping. Let it dry on wax paper, or something similar at least overnight.

(When mine dried, they were very study and the yarn was stiff enough that I wasn't worried about it falling off. If you are worried about that, or wanted to give it a little extra finish, you can paint over the whole thing with a thin coat of Mod Podge. Of course, don't put any glue or Mod Podge anywhere inside of the candle holder.)