Crafting – 16 Creative Ideas For Repurposing Baby Food Jars Into Crafts (By: Shelly Hill)

Check out these great baby food jar repurposing project pics over at repurposeful.wordpress.comWhen it comes to frugal crafting, I like to re-purpose regular household trash into new craft projects. One of the items I like to use are empty baby food jars. These little jars can be re-purposed into many different types of craft projects. You can paint them or leave them plain. One of my quick and easy ways of decorating them is to just glue 1/4″ wide ribbon around the lids rim and then glue a powder puff or fabric pillow on top. You can accent your powder puff with a satin ribbon bow or leave it plain. Here are a few ideas: 1. Bath Salt Containers... [Read more]

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Traveling this Weekend with Eat, Pray, Love – and loving it!

I have a bit of traveling to do this weekend, including picking up my oldest two boys who have been on a long trip with my parents where they went camping, went to Nascar race in Michigan, got a lot of sunburn and had a load of fun. Gosh darn it I miss them bunches! Of course, this means spending a lot of hours sitting in the van without my computer, not working, and being torn between trying to relax, trying to accomplish something (like stitching), or taking a nice nap along the way. I am going to have three things in my tote bag to entertain myself with the next three days ~ my netbook, a cross stitch project (haven’t decided which one... [Read more]

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The Different Styles of Ikebana Explained

Ikebana is a general term that refers to the art of Japanese flower arranging. Within ikebana are different styles, some of which are explained below. It would be impossible to discuss all styles of ikebana in one short article. But there are key styles of ikebana, and within these styles there are variations of design. 1. Moribana means “piled-up flowers.” The base is a low bowl or dish and the arrangements can be upright or slanting. -Upright style moribana is considered the most basic style in ikebana. The low container is suggestive of serving, and is intended to evoke images of serving up a full or plentiful bowl. Metal supportive... [Read more]

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Bonsai Tree Growing Basic Introduction

While most people associate bonsai with Japan, it probably originated in China. The word “bonsai” is a combination of the Chinese word for pot, “bon,” and “sai,” which means to plant. During the 8th century A.D., Chinese culture greatly influenced Japan, and this is probably when the Japanese adopted the art. Bonsai are meant to evoke natural beauty on a small scale, and to mimic the characteristics of a mature tree in miniature. Growing a Bonsai Tree – How to Get Started Bonsai is a blend of horticulture and art. It can be enjoyed by anyone, whether as a hobby or more time-consuming lifestyle. Before... [Read more]

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Ikebana – An Explanation

Ikebana is an ancient form of Japanese flower arrangement that is said to have originated with Buddhist monks about 500 years ago. The monks would arrange flowers to decorate the altars of the temple. From there, ikebana evolved into an art form enjoyed by the royalty and ruling classes. Later, ikebana came to be enjoyed by ordinary people, incorporating Buddhist ideals and expressions of nature. Three basic schools emerged from ikebana’s history: 1. Ikenobo, the oldest school, began in the 15th century. It was enjoyed primarily by the emperor and his court, and mainly involved simple arrangements of evergreen branches and a very few branches... [Read more]

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Ikebana: The Art of Arranging Flowers

Ikebana: The Art of Arranging Flowers includes a lot of useful information and clear instructions on how to create your own basic flower arrangements. I find that Ikebana arrangements look lovely and absolutely stunning in any house and this book gives you a great introduction to this art form. It includes all the necessary step-by-step instructions to make many beautiful looking arrangements to surprise your family and friends. The authors, Shozo Sato and Kasen Yoshimura, provide fascinating facts and easy to use techniques in their book. They give an introduction to the history of Ikebana, from when it started up to the present day. I also like... [Read more]

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Boredom-Busting Craft Activities for Your Preschooler

A bored preschooler is definitely something we want to prevent! So engage your child and get started on some fun craft projects. Here are some ideas. Paper Plate Flowers Bring some springtime inside with this fun project. This is also a good way to recycle old paper towel or toilet paper tubes. Materials: * A variety of paper plates of any size or color * Brown, yellow and green construction paper * Glue * Cardboard tubes such as paper towel, wrapping paper, or toilet paper. Varying heights make a nice effect. * Paints (if using white paper plates) Directions: 1. Wrap the cardboard tubes in green construction paper. Glue the seam. 2. If you are... [Read more]

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Turkish Delight by Ink Circles – Chart of the Week

This week’s chart of the week is one of Ink Circles’ newest releases – Turkish Delight. If you’re a fan of Ink Circles and their intricate monochromatic stitches, you will be thrilled with this new chart. I added it my wishlist already and I’m actually thinking about picking it up next week. I’m ready to start a new project and I just can’t decide what I want to work on. Of course, I’ve got about 10 charts in my to-do-bin that just aren’t screaming at me right now. You know how it goes >> Click here to get Turkish Delight chart by Ink Circles and all the supplies you need to stitch it …... [Read more]

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How to Pick a Chart For a New Cross Stitch Project – Four Things to Consider If You Have a Deadline

Cross stitch is a fun and soothing hobby that anyone can pick up easily. It requires very little equipment and the materials are inexpensive. You can create a unique and impressive work of art or use it to simply embellish small items. All you need to know how to do is count! The following article has been written to help you pick a chart for a new cross stitch project. It assumes that you have a basic understanding of cross stitch vocabulary and are familiar with the standard cross stitch chart layout and terminology. It uses inches because that is the standard of measurement for cross stitch and cross stitch charts worldwide. It is designed... [Read more]

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How to Cross Stitch on Evenweaves and Linens – Free PDF + Pattern Included

One of the most frequent questions I get is how to cross stitch on evenweave instead of aida. I wrote an article on it awhile back with some tutorial images. Well, now we’ve gone a step further and created a Free PDF for you to download, print, share, etc… If you haven’t taken the plunge from aida fabric to evenweave fabric, now is the time to do so. Expand your project options and enjoy something new. This free guide goes through the difference in the fabric types and points you in the right direction. Again, this report is completely free and in PDF format for easy saving, sharing, and printing. You may share it with a friend!... [Read more]

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