DIY -- Woven Pot Holder Baskets

These pretty little baskets are made from strips of t-shirts!

Supplies:

strips of cotton stretchable fabric (like t-shirts) get some here
a coffee can
a round knitting loom (should be close to the same size diameter as your coffee can bottom)
                                       and these tools

First we will make the bottom of the basket using our round loom and cotton strips.

1.  Measure, cut and secure the strand for the first direction on the loom.  Keeping your strand attached to the skein, wrap around the loom twice then tie onto the outside knob on the loom leaving the excess to hang for the moment.  Skipping the first two spots on the loom (ones on each side of the knot) begin stringing fabric strand around each knob on the loom.  Continue until you reach the opposite side not looping around the last two knobs.

tie a knot leaving excess to hang

wrap around loom twice

continue to the opposite side skipping the last two knobs

loop around each knob on the loom

2.  Measure and cut the strand of fabric to begin weaving.  Begin by skipping over the first two knobs on the loom in the opposite direction to cross over the strand already on the loom.  Cut a hole in the middle at the beginning of the strand, hook this end over the first knob we will use, remembering to skip the first two.  Cover each knob as you did with the first strand, skipping the last two directly across from the first two skipped, wrap the strand around the loom twice and cut.  This is your weaving strand. 

cut a whole in the beginning of the strand  

cover each knob skipping the first two

 Remove the strand from the knobs except the end we cut a hole in and begin weaving in and out just like you are making a pot holder with a square loom.  Work the weaving strand over and under the strand on the loom, when you come to a knob, go behind it, come around it, begin weaving again .

begin weaving, under and over and around the knobs

When you reach the opposite side and you have woven around all the knobs except the first two at the beginning and the last two, secure that strand to the loom underneath the woven fabric and let it dangle for now.

3.  Sew to prevent unraveling, secure with a knot and remove from the loom.  Untie the knot we used to secure the bottom strand to the outside knob on the loom.  Thread the strand through the plastic needle and begin sewing pulling the strand through the loops of fabric around the knobs and also catch the strands between the knobs.  Pull each stitch from the bottom upward encasing the edge with the stitching.

sew the edge from underside toward the top going up
through each loop on the knobs and between knobs

As you come to the opposite side where our weaving strand ended tie a knot to your sewing strand and keep on sewing until you come all the way back around.  Tie a knot with your sewing strand to one of the loops to secure.

remove the round pot holder from the loom

Tie knots to the pot holder with any long strands remaining and trim.  You have a round pot holder that would be good for starting a rug, using in the kitchen or use it for the bottom of your woven basket like I did.

tie knots to the pot holder with any remaining strands and trim

Let's weave a basket with cotton strips on a coffee can.

1.  Wrap your can.  With the strand still in tact to the skein begin by wrapping the beginning of your strand around the can and tying a knot to itself, make this one tight.  Then with the long end of the strand begin wrapping round and round the can.  Make sure you don't have any crisscrossed over each other.  Decide how tall you want your basket.  When you come to that point, tie another knot to itself and trim.  Try to make the beginning knot and ending knot even with each other.  You will have one knot at the top of your basket and one at the bottom where we started wrapping around the can.

tie the fabric strip around the coffee can

try to make beginning and ending knots in line with each other

2.  Measure and cut strands for weaving.  Be sure you cut your strand long enough to go up from the bottom of the can to the top twice for the desired height of your basket plus 3".

3.  Attach the bottom of the basket.  Using the strands, loop the middle through an area around the edge of the round pot holder.  That one strand just became two, using those two strands weave over and under the fabric we wrapped the can with.

loop a strand through a hole in the edge of the round potholder

that one strand is now two begin weaving up the side of your basket

Continue attaching strands around the edge of the round potholder and weaving up the side of the basket until you have the bottom attached and your basket is completely woven.

4.  Finish the top of your basket.  Once your weaving is complete, tie a fabric strand around the top edge of the height you'd like your basket to be.  Make sure all the strands are underneath this one we just tied around the can.

tie a strand around the can where the top of your basket will be

 Begin looping each strand around top strand, bringing it back up behind the top strand on the basket.

loop basket strands around top strand on the can

 Once you have looped all the strands around the top basket strand, begin tying knots with two strands at a time.

tie knots with two strands at a time going all the way around the can

Once you have gone all the way around, go back around again using two strands, one from each of the previous knots, tying knots again.

tie knots all the way around the can again using two strands from separate knots on your first row

Take your basket off the coffee can, trim all loose hanging strands and admire your beautiful basket.

DIY Jewelry: Washers and Colorful Thread

 

 

I’m not a jewelry maker, but when I found these washers they just screamed at me to do something with them.  I have just experimented so far and thought this idea would be one a jewelry maker/designer would really enjoy.

These washers come in different sizes.  I’ll be looking for some larger ones to play around with.

Take the washer and wrap it with your choice of embroidery thread.  I tied a knot in the end of the thread and ran the needle between the strands after looping around the washer.

Start at one spot on the washer and go directly down, then back up to the next spot on the washer till you have gone all the way around.

                                     

When you get to the last open spot on the washer don’t go down and loop over the washer again, go directly down and loop over the opening in the thread.

Next bring the needle back up through the area where all the thread crisscross.

Immediately start going over and under the threads catching the threads in the back.  Continue in a circular pattern until you have the coverage you are happy with.

When you go over the last strand you will cover, slip the needle through some of the threads on the back side and secure with a knot or two, cut thread as close as you can to design.  Since this will be being worn, a touch of glue might be beneficial.

I hope you can create some beautiful jewelry with this idea.  If you do, I’d love to see what you do.  Please join me on facebook and upload a picture of what you create.

Happy crafting!

DIY: Night Light Refrigerator Magnets

 

 

Had a blast coming up with this sweet little craft project.  It doesn’t cost much and doesn’t take much time.  You’ll like this one.

Supplies:

Paper mache’ box, one & a half inches deep (they have to be 1 & 1/2” deep, because the tea lights are 1” tall) My box is 3” x 3” x 1 1/2”.

One battery powered tea light (definitely not a candle!)

Glue

Brown paper bag

Butterfly stencil (optional, you can use a heart or a flower, whatever you prefer)

Screen wire (cheesecloth will also work for this and even lace would be beautiful) this is also optional if your design doesn’t have large open areas.

Two way tape

Magnets

Let’s make a refrigerator magnet night light!

Making the top:

1.  Cut a square of the brown paper bag where it will completely cover the top of the box.

 

2.  Trace your stencil on to the square brown paper.

3.  Using an xacto knife, cut the parts out of the drawn design that you want light to show through.

 

4.  Take the top of the box and cut out a square hole in it leaving just enough to glue the square brown paper cut out onto.

 

5.  Glue the brown paper onto what remains of the top of the box.  (I used a piece of two way tape to hold it in place while I glued to keep the paper in place, then glued right over the top of the tape to finish it off).

6.  When that is dry, turn the top upside down and glue the screen wire into the bottom.  (remember this is an optional step)

We are done with the top, unless you want to paint it.

 

Making the bottom:

1.  Turn the bottom of the box over and glue on the magnets.  I used two strips cut large to be sure it would hold the weight of the tea light and the box.  (I really wanted smaller boxes, but this is all I could find that the tea lights would fit in.

That’s it!  We are done.  When everything is dry, turn your tea light on, put it in the box, put the top on it and put it on the fridge!

I thought this was a sweet project.  I played around with my wood burner to see how it would look and I think I like it better.  If you try this method you won’t need the brown paper bag cut out.  I just burnt the top of the box.   Here’s a pic…

But I did almost catch it on fire!  So I really did light up my refrigerator magnet!

Have fun!

 

If you like this craft tune in to my face book page to see other stuff.  Thanks!

Magnets and Car Scent Holders: DIY

                             
I’m coming up with all kinds of ways to market my art.  One attempt I came up with lately is to shrink them down, print them out and either sew or decoupage them onto these mini canvas’.  It’s a lot of fun.  I thought you might like to try it.

Do you have a favorite picture?  If so, put it on your computer and shrink it down to approximately a 2” x 2”, that would be one of the smallest settings for printing out.  If you don’t have a favorite picture, you could just grab one from a magazine anywhere that you like, flowers,butterflies, an illustrated quote, a soup can label would even do, if that’s your thing.

I found these mini canvas’ at Wal-Mart for 97 cents.  I also got a 10’ long roll of magnetic tape for less than $4 there.  The little easels are 97 cents too, if you’d rather display your masterpiece as a painting.

Here’s what you’ll need:

magnets (if you are making a refrigerator decoration)
paint (optional)
picture or fabric with the section you like cut out
needle, thread and glue

Step one:  Prep your canvas.

     You can either leave the canvas white or brush on some acrylic paint.  Here’s an example of both ways and the initial canvas is covered with lace and then painted. 



You can even cover them with material as I have done here.  Just wrap the material around to the back sides of the canvas and glue to the wood.




Step Two:  Sew on your fabric cut out or decoupage’ your picture on to the covered canvas.

Step Three:  Once the glue has dried turn the mini canvas over and glue on your magnets.




Here is a line up of the different one’s I made.



 Painted canvas with lace decoupage’ over top.


                                                       

                                   Lace covered canvas, painted, with decoupage’ fabric cutout.
                           



Fabric covered canvas with fabric cut out sewn on.


                                                   
                                        Painted, distressed canvas, material cut out sewn on.


Car Scent Holder:
Cut your design out of your fabric, hand sew lace onto the back side slipping a ribbon or sturdy sting into the seam at the center top of your scent holder, being sure to catch it as you sew across it.

Make another one exactly like it or slightly different if you like, attaching the opposite end of your ribbon or cord.  I tied a knot in mine and sewed through it also for extra security.

Clip a small hole in the back of the lace piece, spray a cotton ball with your favorite scent and then place the cotton ball through the hole.  Your done!  Hang it in your car on your rearview mirror on a doorknob inside the house.



I hope you enjoy this craft.  If you’d like to use the apple scene or the beautiful heart you can get it on fabric by visiting my shop at Spoonflower, you can click here.

If you like the verse and the art you can get a poster just go to my store at southern sky reverie.



Here’s one of the small canvas' on the easel:  Paint your easel any way you like.