Friday, November 30, 2012

Bottle Cap Ring Snowman


Christmas always seems to be the time for me to create. All the decorations and ornaments just make my mind tick for whatever reason.

Since I am having difficulties in the morning with starting my day, pulling out the hook and yarn seems to give me something to do until my body is ready to get started.


Do I really need to add the eyes, arms and nose?


Saturday, November 24, 2012

Yarn Bowl

It's on my list the ceramic yarn bowl. Then a friend went and posted a teapot as a yarn bowl. I am so confused on what one I want. Yarn bowl, teapot?

In the meantime, I need something to hold my yarn. The dogs think they are balls and they tear this up as tho they have rabies or something. So out came the glass coffee pots, I have been saving. Terrarium is what my plans are with these, but in the meantime if they can be utilized in another way, well, why not.

I am just wondering if I could decoupage the coffee pots and use as a yarn bowl?.....


Monday, November 19, 2012

Glass Christmas Bulb

I bought a set of glass bulbs this year from Michael's with the intention of decoupaging my Daughter's school work to the bulb. I only saved preschool through 12 grade.....lol....I still have the intentions of completing the task, but just haven't gotten to it.

I did accomplish to save all my scraps of yarn this year. I figure there is a lot I can do with it. Put it out for the birds, so they can build a nest, make beads with it, but I found as I was looking at the yarn it was bringing back some memories of what I had crocheted this year.

This year, I decided to place some of the scraps in a glass bulb for a cherished memory. I just need to decide what to put on top to aid in making it pop...


Sunday, November 18, 2012

Merry Berry


I know I have seen this concept somewhere but I just can't seem to find it. There are probably a few concepts out there, but I just like to make sure I give credit, where credit is due. The pattern I did design and I would like to share this with you.

Every year, I give a recycle craft to my co-workers in hopes that they will think before throwing something away.

This year I created a bear ornament made from a plastic bottle ring and plastic grocery bags called plarn.

My projects with plarn are very small. I find that it is really hard on my hands. I have learned how to cut the grocery bag strips a little smaller to avoid to much pressure.


So here is my Merry Berry pattern:

Supplies:

Plastic ring from a plastic bottle
Plastic grocery bags
Wiggle eyes
Red yarn
Yarn scraps of your color choice
F hook

If you don't know how to make plarn, I am sure there are some good tuturiols online to assit you with this.

Plastic bottle rings sometimes have the sharp prongs on the inside, I use fingernail clippers to clip them off.

What you will want to do is attach the plarn to the ring with a slip stitch.

Once attached, here we go:

Chain 3
Double crochet 19 times onto the ring.
Slip stitch to the top of the chain 3, this gives you 20 doubles on the ring.
Skip two of the double crochet and double crochet in the next double crochet 7 times.
Skip two double crochet and slip stitch into the next.
Skip two double crochet and double crochet into the next double crochet 7 times.
Skip two double crochet and slip stitch into next double crochet and fastnen off.

Add two wiggle eye a little below the ears.

I use a small pinch of red yarn and rolled into to a small ball to give a pom pom effect and then glued on.


You could use different colors of plarn or yarn. Different types of embellishments, for Birthday's, Christmas, Bear lover.


In between the ears is where you could add a bow, bells, whatever suit your fancy.






Sunday, November 11, 2012

I know, I know......it's been awhile. Most of my creations these days are repeats, so I really haven't created new. My niece has been making mini crochet stockings. It reminded me of a pattern I received back in the 70's. Crocheted paper clip ice skates. It encouraged me to start making them again. I have modified the pattern over the years to suit my taste. It is a good recycle craft. Some paper clips just don't always work so well on paper when they are just too bent, so what better way to reuse them. When our office moved a few years back, I remember boxes and boxes packed up of the unwanted and I remember the huge bowl of paper clips. How can you not need these, I thought to myself? I should have recovered them, but I am sure they are being reused somewhere else. This year, I am wrapping all my presents in brown paper bags or packing paper. I see packing paper thrown in the trash so much that it just makes me cringe. With all that I have recovered, I don't need to buy Christmas wrap. I can certainly doll up the brown paper. The main reason to collect the brown paper is I plan on laying one of my bedroom floors with the brown paper and epoxy over it for a floor covering. That particular room is what we call the dogs room. Accidents happens and they are good dogs, but at times I feel bad as I clean up and they are watching me with their ears down....Saddens me... My days are so busy this year, that I have committed to find a way to slow down and really enjoy the everyday, Holy, Ordinary and Amazing Grace of this life. I have posted a favorite link A Holy Experience which Ann Voscamp post daily which speaks of this, and I am grateful that I have found her blog..... Until next posting, I wish you health and happiness......