Crafty Manolo

I love it when someone comes up with a way to use an ancient technique for a new purpose. In a lot of ways, I guess this naalbinding iPhone case isn’t that new a concept. After all, naalbinding has been used to make bags to carry various things for thousands of years. But the iPhone is a relatively modern thing, and the bag is a simple project the beginning naalbinder can accomplish quickly.

To find out how, just go to this page of instructions on All Fiber Arts, get your iPhone ready, and have fun.

It’s that time of the year when people who wouldn’t put a wreath on their door at any other time… put one up. There’s something about the winter holidays that does that to people.

But of course the thing I like about it is that it’s easy to get creative and come up with something rather fabulous with a minimum of funding, time, and even effort.

For instance, that gorgeous pinecone wreath up there? Made with found pinecones, an oven,  a glue gun, some spray paint, and a ribbon fashioned out of burlap. Chances are that if you’re crafty, you’ve already got at least a couple of those things lying around your home. The rest? Won’t cost much and are easy to find.

To get the skinny on how to do it, head on over to Twigg Studios and simply follow the simple instructions. Start in the morning, and I’m betting it could be on your door or hanging over your mantelpiece either in the evening, or the following morning.

Oh, and keep in mind that the oven setting of 180C comes out to roughly 350F.

Last night our Thanksgiving plans fell through.

Usually we go have dinner with a good friend. She cooks the turkey and the stuffing and the gravy. I make the rest of the meal. After Thanksgiving dinner, Mr. Twistie goes home and I spend the weekend with our friend hanging out, doing media marathons, and stuffing ourselves silly with leftover Thanksgiving goodies.

Today, I’m scrambling to come up with a turkey dish and clean up the table for a formal dinner for two. I don’t have a lot of time to make things pretty… but there are some easy things I can do. If you’re scrambling at the last minute to make your table pretty for the holiday, whether it’s because plans changed or you didn’t happen to come up with something yet, then I suggest you hie yourself over to Casa Sugar for a couple great and ridiculously simple ideas based on things you probably already have in your kitchen.

Tomorrow, I’ll come up with a long list of things to be thankful for… but today, I’m thankful for Casa Sugar’s great last-minute ideas!

There’s still just over a week to go before Halloween, so there’s just time to create a zombie grave or two to set the mood. So get out your crochet hooks and head over to visit Croshame because that’s where you’ll find this awesome free pattern to bump some gooses in your own home.

Of course, I tend to think of it as Buffy’s grave.

Then again, that leads to the badness of seasons six and seven… and that really does give me the wig!

Have you ever checked out Mike Doyle’s Snap? It’s the blog of Lego artist Mike Doyle in which he shares his amazing creations with us all.

Recently, he’s done a series of crumbling Victorian houses, again all in Legos. Learn all about how he created this haunted house on a mudpile in these two entries.

I don’t know about you, but I am not worthy.

I love a good low-budget, high-impact crafts project. If it’s also ridiculously easy and fun to do, well, that’s my idea of gravy!

Krafty Kat came up with just such a simple, inexpensive, hyper-adorable idea recently. I’m not quite sure how I missed this charming wreath of yarn pumpkins, but I’m seriously considering making one myself, now… and I’m not a wreath person!

Oh, and if the bright orange is too cheerful or gaudy for your taste and you’re still looking for a Halloween theme wreath, check out her instructions for this Black Crow wreath made of a wire coat hanger and garbage bags.

Very crafty, Kat.

I love Halloween. I love jack o lanterns. Unfortunately, they’re kind of a mess to make what with the cutting and the disposing of the pumpkin guts and all of that. Plus I’ve never gotten very good at carving, so most of them turn out looking like that first one I did by myself when I was eight… which looks like most of the jack o lanterns down the block.

On the other hand, I always have a ready supply of odd, ends, and general detritus I figure will be useful for something someday, and plenty of imagination.

That’s why I love the inspiration  of this article at Better Homes and Gardens on using that random junk to decorate your pumpkins.

Upholstery tacks, keys, gears, washers, bits of chain and wire… whatever you can think of has the potential to make a unique statement on your porch this Halloween.

Check out the gallery, gather up your goodies, get a pumpkin, and go to town!

Let’s face it. Nearly everyone has a time in life when they have more creativity and will to decorate than they have cold, hard cash with which to buy supplies (not even from Viking Direct). Sometimes we just have an urge to see how little we can spend on a project.

What to do? What to do?

I, for one, would go browse the projects at Dollar Store Crafts. After all, that’s where I found instructions for making this cool origami crane tree out of junk mail and fallen twigs. It was in the One Dollar and Free section.

There’s also a Five Dollar and Under category, and one for Ten Dollars and Beyond.

Whether you’re looking for a fast, inexpensive way to spruce up your home, a project to keep the kids quiet that won’t bust your budget, or some general inspiration for what you can do with your latest craft store find, Dollar Store Crafts probably has something for you to play with.

Are you planning a spooky centerpiece for Halloween? A bountiful one for Thanksgiving? Looking for a pretty decoration for a fall wedding? Just into either pumpkins or cake decorating?

Well then, head on over to King Arthur Flour for the step by step instructions on making these winsome fondant pumpkins.

But wait! First you’ll need the fondant. Not to panic. KAF carries pre-made fondant, or you can check out the instructions for making your own basic rolled fondant at Wilton.com.

Hello.

My name is Twistie and I’m a biblioholic.

I am also a huge Whovian.

What’s more, I’m a crafty person.

Because of these three things, I want to run right out and make this bookcase:

Want to join me in placing your books (or adventures in time and space) in a TARDIS? Find out how at alantronics.

Now, one question: do I need a sonic screwdriver to put it together? I’m just asking.