Category Archives: Hand Crafts

DIY: Consternating The Squirrel

I love gardening and I love feeding the birds. I don’t mind sharing with the squirrels, but the squirrels don’t want to share with the birds.

Being in need of a new bird feeder this year, I picked up an inexpensive two-part plastic feeder that was held together with a piece of cording. It wasn’t in my garden two hours before a squirrel had chewed through the cord and dumped the whole thing on the ground.

Being forever optimistic, I threaded a new cord through the feeder, reloaded, and had the whole thing happen again. Well, I just couldn’t have that.

Fast forward a few days, and you find me in the local DIY shop, considering my crafty options to keep the squirrels from hogging (squirreling!) all the seed.

Here’s what I did…

You’ll need:

2 bolt-on d-rings (also used for hanging mirrors)
a threaded rod long enough to go through your bird feeder (the one I bought was 12″)
2 wing-nuts (the same diameter as the threaded rod)
3 hex nuts (also same diamter)
a piece of chain (I used some I had left from another project)
pliers
squirrel compromised bird feeder

bolt on D-Rings

Connect in this order on the threaded rod:

hex nut
2 d-rings
hex nut
wing nut (with flat side away from d-rings)
feeder lid
feeder body
wing nut (with flat side facing feeder body)

After the rod is threaded, open the end link on the chain with the pliers and attach to the d-rings. I used two with them facing each other so the feeder will hang balanced.

wing nut on the bottom

view through the feeder

With the wing nuts still loose, fill the feeder.

Tighten top wing nut while holding on to the bottom one so it doesn’t come unthreaded.

Hang in the garden!

It’s been several weeks now and the birds continue to enjoy their food with occasional visits from squirrels, who have been totally stymied by the new set up. Like I said before, I don’t mind sharing the the furry beasts, but they can’t have ALL the food!

Remember, if you make any pattern or craft from sewhooked, I’d love to see a photo. Email me or add it to the Friends of sewhooked flickr group.

Happy crafting

Craft: Stampin’ on Stained Jeans

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I found these fabulous unfinished kitchen chairs at the thrift store for $3 each. A little wood stain and some clear coat later, and they are fabulous and in-use.

Unfortunately, I managed to forget to not put my knees down on the tarp I had covering the garage floor and got matching brown spots on both of my knees. Did I mention I was wearing one of my favorite pairs of jeans? You might remember them from the Hem Extension post.

I wore them once with the stained spots and it drove me crazy, so I had to think of something else.

My first thought was applique patches, but I’m really busy lately and that would take a bit longer than I have to invest. I have loads of paint and a lot of stamps, so, hey, why not? They were already in bad shape and I couldn’t possibly make it worse.

You’ll Need:

Acrylic Fabric Paint a shade or two darker than the spot you want to cover
stamp big enough to cover the spots
small paper plate or piece of freezer (or wax) paper
foam brush

Smooth jeans out, with spots facing up and easy to reach.

Place a small amount of paint on the plate or paper. Use the sponge brush to add paint to the stamp. Don’t dip the stamp in the paint or you’ll end up with a blob of paint on the fabric.

Place the stamp on top of the stain and gently press.

Repeat.

I added a few more stamps to give a sort of pattern and now my favorite jeans have a bit more wear!

As always, if you make any pattern or craft from sewhooked, I’d love to see a photo. Email me or add it to the Friends of sewhooked flickr group.

Happy crafting

How To: Repair a Broken Seam Ripper

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In case you haven’t heard, March is Mending Month. I do a lot of mending both on clothes and on items around the house, but nothing terribly exciting has popped up recently that seemed worth sharing.

Then I broke the little red tip off the head of my seam ripper and proceeded to stab myself in the thumb. Ouch! Now, a seam ripper is a super cheap tool and I have dulled my fair share of them. This particular one is fairly new and I hated to buy a new one when it’s still in fine stitch-picking shape. While casting my mind around for a solution to this problem, my eyes landed on my tray of ball head straight pins.

Now there’s a thought!

It took about 5 minutes, and that’s including the time it took for me to run and grab my camera!

You’ll need:

Seam Ripper
ball head straight pin (You could also use a bead, though the centers of all the ones I tried were much too large.)
two pairs of jewelers pliers
glue (optional)

seam ripper with broken head

Using the jeweler’s pliers, remove the pin from the ball head.

ball head with pin removed

If the opening in the ball head is too small to fit, place the pin on the point of the seam ripper and gently turn to enlarge the existing hole.

Place the ball head on the broken part of the seam ripper head. Use the pliers to apply enough pressure to secure the head in place. Be very careful, the seam ripper point is sharp!

If the ball head you’re using doesn’t seem secure, use a tiny dot of Super, Tacky or hot melt glue.

Wallah! Repaired!

As always, if you make any pattern or craft from sewhooked, I’d love to see a photo. Email me or add it to the Friends of sewhooked flickr group.

Happy crafting

also available on cut out + keep

Strawberry Ice Cream Baby Blanket

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Mmm, luscious pink strawberry ice cream. Soft pink with bits of brighter yumminess. That’s what I had in mind when working up this baby blanket pattern.

add to your ravelry queue

Printable Pattern

This pattern is also available on Knit Picks!

You’ll need:

6 ounces Caron Simply Soft Watermelon (Color A)
8 ounces Caron Simply Soft Soft Pink (Color B)
8 ounces Caron Simply Soft Raspberry (Color C)
H hook

Finishes approximately 36″

Note: Ch 3 counts as first dc throughout

hole-free center made using magic loop technique

Instructions:

Row 1: With Color A, use the magic loop* (also called magic ring) technique. [3 dc, 2 ch] four times on loop, join at the top of first dc with a sl st. Pull loop tight.

*you can also start this like a traditional granny square: ch 3 , 2dc, [ch 2, 3 dc], rep [ to ] 2 times, ch 2, join to the top of ch 3 with a sl st.

Row 2: Ch 3, turn, dc in each dc across, [2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc in corner], continue to dc across, repeating [ ] for corners, join with a sl st in the top of ch 3.

Row 3: Repeat row 2, join Color B at sl st.

Rows 4-6: Repeat Row 2, join Color C at sl st, end of row 6.

Rows 7-9: Repeat Row 2, join Color A at sl st, end of row 9.

Row 10 – 31: Repeat pattern (1 row of Color A, 3 rows of Color B, 3 colors of C) through row 31 (the last row will be Color A). At the end of row 31, join Color B in sl st. ch 1.

Note: Do not turn ch 32 or 33

Row 32: ch 1, sc in back loop of each dc. 3 sc in corner ch. Repeat around, joining Color C in sl st.

Row 33: ch 1, sc in back loop of each sc, in corner [sc, 2 sc, sc]. Continue sc in back loop around, repeating [ ] in corners, join with a sl st and finish off.

back loop sc edging

More free crochet patterns from sewhooked

Join the Sewhooked Facebook Group for community, support & prizes! I’ll be there, as will my awesome pattern tester Amber along with many other friends of Sewhooked. We’ll answer your questions and nudge you along if you need it. Joining the group is never required, but it is fun!

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Harry Potter Party Revisit 3 – Classes

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The bulk of our Harry Potter party all those years ago was the classes. Once the kids were in the house and had their uniforms, we were ready to go!

Charms – do homework like Harry!

feathers with angled points (a utility knife works for this)
India ink*
parchment paper (available in craft stores)
plastic tablecloth (to protect work area)

Dip quills into ink to write on parchment. They used india ink to dip their quills and wrote on parchment. While the kids write, discuss the place of quills in history and what it means to “blot” your paper, a phrase seen in the Harry Potter books. More information on quills.

*India ink stains, so make sure the kids are aware and being careful. Younger kids may need aprons or old shirts to protect their clothing.

Transfiguration-make your own owl

Felt owl bodies, pre-made*
felt face pieces (see above link), pre-cut in a variety of colors
feathers
glue
google eyes

Use the spell Strigiformes (“nocturnal bird of prey”) to transfigure a pile of supplies into an owl. Have the listed supplies out for students to choose from. After gluing owls together, leave to dry overnight.

Potions– Make Butterbeer!

plastic goblets or cups
root beer (½ cup for each student)
butterscotch syrup
vanilla ice cream
cookie scoop

Prepare ahead of time: Scoop ice cream with cookie scoop, placing scoops on cookie sheet. Harden in freezer for at least two hours before party.

Just before you need it, warm root beer in the microwave or stove top, making sure not to get it too hot. Each child receives a goblet approximately 1/2 full of warm root beer. Serve ice cream scoop with tongs, allowing each child to add his or her own. Serve butterscotch syrup in from a “potion bottle” or cruet. Enjoy!

Care of Magical Creatures – You have received special permission from the Ministry of Magic for your students to raise dragon eggs (very important, as it’s against wizarding law to own a dragon!).

Plastic or craft eggs that open
homemade slime
small toy dragons or charms (I like these)
acrylic craft paint, in a variety of colors (authentic colors can be found in Fantastic Beasts & Where To Find Them)
clear acrylic sealant

Prepare ahead of time: Paint eggs using craft paint, covering with sealant once dry. Allow to dry overnight. Fill with a small amount of slime and a small toy dragon. Placed the eggs in a small cauldron filled with polyfil before the guests arrive.

During the party: Explain that you have received special permission from the Ministry of Magic to raise dragon eggs for your Care of Magical Creatures class. Dragon eggs need to be kept warm, so keep near a fireplace if available. When it’s time for the eggs to hatch, have each child reach in a choose an egg. Their eggs then “hatch.”

The important part of this project is the suspense of what’s in the egg. During our party, the kids asked me dozens of times if it was “time.” When I finally announced the dragons were hatching, they were all very excited. They enjoyed the dragons and the slime!

Herbology-grow a magical plant!

small terracotta pot or small plastic cups
Jiffy soil pellets
herb or bean seeds
plastic spoon

Have students add soil to their cup or pot. Add a seed and water gently. Explain to the students that they need to add 1 spoon of water to the plants each day. They then wave their wand and say the spell “Exerceo” (roughly translated means grow or cultivate). Pots should be kept in a warm, sunny place, like a window.

Defense Against the Dark Arts – fight off Dementors using the Patronus Charm!

Long, dark cloak or “death” costume
willing actor to play a dementor
wands (see Diagon Alley from the last post)

Your students will be learning the incredibly advanced Patronus Charm. The Patronus charm creates a Patronus, or protector. A silver-colored being (each is different, according to who does the spell) races out of the wand to ward off Dementors. The charm consists of thinking of a happy memory and the saying the words “Expecto Patronum.”

Have the students think of happy memories. They can do this privately or as a group. Once they start practicing the charm, that’s the cue for the dementor to make it’s appearance. The dementor should back away in fear, eventually fleeing as the students perform their charms. While a very simple “class,” this was the most popular at our party!

Also see
- Part 1, Invitations and Decorations
- Part 2, Diagon Alley

As always, if you make any pattern or craft from Sewhooked you can share your photos by adding them to the Sewhooked flickr group!

Happy crafting

also available on The Leaky Cauldron – Crafts

Harry Potter Party Revisit Part 2 – Diagon Alley

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I’m continuing on with the Harry Potter party revisits today.

For our party, I chose to provide cloaks, hats and wands, all which came from Diagon Alley. Instead of going to Diagon Alley, our student’s packages were delivered “by owl” during the party! The children received a cloak, student hat, and cauldron when they enter the door, all wrapped in brown paper and string, with labels from the appropriate Diagon Alley stores: Ollivander’s, Madam Malkin’s, etc.

Student Uniform:

Cloak

1 – 1 ½ yards of inexpensive black fabric per cloak
20” – 24” elastic for each cloak (depending on age of the child)
black or gold decorative button

Hem fabric at each end, making one of the hems wide enough to slide the elastic through. Add a Hogwarts or House crest to the left front of the cloak using the stencil. The crest can be stenciled, made of felt, painted, embroidered, or a printable iron on transfer. Commercially available patches are available from Whimsic Alley.

Pull elastic through one of the hemmed ends, stitch together ends. Tack the two side of the fabric together so they will stay closed. Add decorative button on top.

The children that attended our party were 5 – 10 years old. The cloaks were all approximately the same size, but I did ask for height measurements and made them to measure.

Wizard Hat

Black Felt
hat that fits and holds it’s shape without stretching too much (like a fleece hat)
paper large enough for pattern (freezer paper works well)

On paper, trace around hat. Extend top to a point. Cut out template. Cut out two pieces of felt in the same shape. Stitch, trim & turn inside out. Test the hat first, to make sure it fits before making the rest in case you need to make adjustments.

Wands

12” dowel rods (available pre-cut at craft stores)
sand paper
acrylic craft paint
clear acrylic sealant
foam brush
egg carton

Gently sand the dowels to make sure they’re smooth. Poke a holes into the bottom of the inverted egg carton. Inset the dowels into the holes. Paint each dowel a different color. When dry, flip and paint the other end. Repeat with sealant.

Optional: before sanding, trim dowels to different lengths, sanding the rough edges off of the ends.

Sample Wand Names:

Unicorn Hair, Willow, 10 inches
Unicorn Hair, Yew, 11 inches
Phoenix Feather, Maple, 11 1/2 inches
Dragon Heartstring, Cedar, 11 3/4 inches
Dragon Heartstring, Ash, 10 3/4 inches
Phoenix Feather, Redwood, 12 inches

Include wand names on an Ollivander’s label, printed on parchment and attached by string to the brown paper package. Cut and paste to make your own labels!

Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 BC

Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons or phoenixes are quite the same.You will never get such good results with another wizard’s wand. (from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone)

The kids chose their wrapped wands from a cauldron , or rather their wands chose them! Each wand was unique, which made it easier for them to keep track of during the party.

Cauldrons

You can purchase black plastic cauldrons from your local party store and many grocery stores during Halloween and St. Patrick’s Day. If your party is during a different time of year, try searching online for a party supply store. Cauldrons are great for decorations or party favors. We had one for each child. This is where they stored all their things from the party when it was time for them to leave. They also had a great time using their imaginations making potions once we were done with our “classes.”

Also see: Part 1, Invitations and Decorations

As always, if you make any pattern or craft from Sewhooked you can share your photos by adding them to the Sewhooked flickr group!

Happy crafting

also available on The Leaky Cauldron – Crafts

Harry Potter Party, Revisit Part 1 – Invitations and Decorations

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My darling daughter turns 14 later this week. That’s her, on the front right. She’s next to her little brother. who himself just turned 11 this past December and is now old enough to attend Hogwarts. It was February of 2003; Order of the Phoenix had not yet hit book stores and there were only two HP movies so far.

While I sit and try to absorb these amazing thoughts and all the years my family has loved Harry Potter and the ways we’ve chosen to express that appreciation, it’s easy to remember when birthday parties were much more important than birthday presents.

I thought I’d take this week leading up to my daughter’s next step towards adulthood and relive a little of that young girl fandom love by sharing how we sent our kids and their friends to Hogwarts for a Very Magical Sleepover. Maybe the next time you feel like having a little adventure, you can go to Hogwarts, too!

Invitations

The invitation you use is the best way to get your party started! Create a letter from Hogwarts to the prospective “students” using the format of Harry’s first letter. Be sure to include party time, location, and what to bring (if it’s a sleepover, etc) and where to send reply “by owl” (email, phone number, etc.)

We printed our invitations on yellow parchment (from the local craft store) using the Lumos font and printed in, what else, emerald-green ink! These were rolled into scrolls and sealed with wax. I got the parents of the kids invited involved by hand delivering each invite so the parents could tell the kids an owl had stopped by with a letter for them!

To use the swirly and signature graphics, right-click and save!

You’ll need:

parchment paper
Lumos Font
image – Professor McGonnagall’s signature (from the American editions of Harry Potter)
image – “swirly” (also from the American eds.)

Here’s a sample letter:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY [Lumos Font]

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International confed. of Wizards)

We are pleased to inform you that you are invited to [reason for party], a Very Magical Sleepover [what we called our party]!

The party will be at [location], [location address]. It will take place [day, date & time].
Please bring your sleeping bag, pillow, pjs, toiletries, and any other muggle items you may need.
Student Uniforms will be provided.

We await your owl by no later than [RSVP date] (or you can call [name, phone and/or email]).

Yours Sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress

Decorations

Decorations can be simple and inexpensive. Be creative and use what you have on hand. Look at thrift shop and dollar stores for interesting “magical” items, potions bottles, interesting looking props, out of season Halloween costumes and decorations.

These are some of the decorations we used for our party:
Great Hall Enchanted Ceiling

Navy Blue Plastic Tablecloth
Glow in the Dark Stars
Low Temp Glue Gun
thumbtacks or push pins

Glue stars on plastic tablecloth in a random pattern. Use thumbtacks to hang over the eating area.

Potions Bottles

Empty Spice Bottles
chopped celery (dragon claw)
whole nutmeg (bezoars)
Pop Rocks Candy (fire crystals)
Food coloring (colored water for various potions)

Fill the empty bottles with a variety of contents. These are just suggestions, use what you have on hand for your own variety.

Party favors, class supplies and the feast, all add to the atmosphere. More on that in the next Harry Potter Party revisit!

As always, if you make any pattern or craft from Sewhooked, I’d love to see a photo. Email me or add it to the Sewhooked flickr group!

Happy crafting

also available on potterparties and The Leaky Cauldron – Crafts

Way Back Craft: Gryffindor “Canopy”

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Canopy, approximately 2002

Well, we’re way past due for a Way Back Craft!

So, you want a Harry Potter bedroom? The very first thing I think of when I think of Harry’s dormitory, is the four poster bed with house-colored hangings. Wouldn’t that be fabulous?

It definitely would be.

Unfortunately, not all of us have the means or the space for a four poster bed.

This is the problem I encountered when designing a Harry Potter room for my daughter. Her room has a ceiling fan and the room is just too small for a four poster bed. The Gryffindor canopy was on her Must Have list when the room decoration was being planned. I have the great fortune to have two very DIY parents and the first thing that popped in my head was mounting something lightweight on to the wall.

How about a faux canopy that gives the feeling of those hangings without the actual expense or space requirements of a real four poster?

Then I started thinking price. Cheap would be good. Very good. PVC. PERFECT!

A fun aside on this project – when I was buying the fabric, the woman at the cutting table at the fabric store asked if I was making a dress. When I told her I was making a Gryffindor canopy for a Harry Potter bedroom, she stared with her mouth open. It was the first of many stunned looks directed at my fandom crafting!

Supplies

3 lengths of 1 to 1 1/2” PVC pipe cut into 18” (45.7 cm) pieces (use a hacksaw or have it done at your DIY store)

Note: PVC under 1” is not recommended because it’s too flexible. Make sure the threaded plug & metal flange will work with the pipe you chose. They’re easy to test at the DIY store.

3 threaded plugs
3 metal floor flanges
3 flat PVC caps
3 decorative wood rosette with a flat back
Epoxy, Liquid Nails or other cement-like glue
Primer spray paint
Gold spray paint (Use silver for Slytherin, bronze or silver for Ravenclaw and black for Hufflepuff)
Pencil
Measuring tape
Screwdriver
Drill (optional)
Screws with anchors
5 1/2 yards (5 meters) of red satiny fabric (Use green for Slytherin, blue for Ravenclaw or yellow for Huffelpuff)
matching thread
sewing machine (optional)

Instructions

Prewash fabric then hem on both ends, set aside.
Following manufacturer’s directions, use epoxy to glue the threaded plugs to one end of each of the PVC pipes. On opposite ends of pipes, use epoxy to attach the PVC caps. Epoxy the wooden rosette onto the cap. Allow epoxy to dry. Screw pipe into metal flange. Stand up on it’s end in a well covered, well ventilated area.
Paint with primer. Allow to dry according to manufacturer’s directions. Paint gold. Allow to dry overnight.
Find the center of your bed, mark a light line on the wall. Depending on the width of your bed and where you want the fabric to reach on the sides, you will need to attach the flanges lower or higher. If you have someone helping you, it’s a good idea to hold the center pipe in place with the fabric, centered, on the pipe. You can then determine how high the center pipe should be and where to place your two side pipes. They can be low or high, depending on your preference. Use measuring tape to assure the three pipes will be symmetrical.
Attach the metal flanges to the wall using screws and anchors, using the drill for pilot holes if necessary.
Screw pipes into each flange. Arrange canopy fabric.

Makes a great window treatment, too!

Also for your Harry Potter room: HP Bookcase Mural

p.s. I made the afghan, too. 😉

As always, if you make any pattern or craft from sewhooked, I’d love to see a photo. Email me or add it to the Friends of sewhooked flickr group.

Happy crafting

also available on The Leaky Cauldron- Crafts

Challenge: Winner!

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Thank you so much to everyone that participated in the first ever Friends of sewhooked Challenge! We had a handful of entries, and I appreciated each and every one!

The only requirement was to make any craft or pattern from sewhooked or the sewhooked blog and then post a photo either on the Friends of sewhooked flickr group or on the sewhooked_talk Livejournal community. I also accepted emailed challenge entries.

The winner was chosen at random. Thanks to my friend Cat for indulging me by choosing a number without any idea what I was up to. 😉

Without further ado, our winner! ferraras on flickr!

ferraras stenciled the back of a black jacket with the Cullen Crest Stencil

A big congrats to ferrars, who will receive a hardback copy of Scrap Basket Crafts: Over 50 Quick and Easy Projects to Make from Fabric Scraps.

Happy crafting!

Make A Mini Valentine

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One of the best things about paper pieced patterns is that they are so easy to scale.

The great majority of the patterns I design finish 5″, which makes the math a bit easier. Want a 10″ block? Print at 200%. Want a 1.5″ block? Print at 30%.

Miniatures have long been a favorite of mine. They work up quickly and are just so darn adorable when you’re done!

Use Scrappy Heart in miniature and some card stock and you’ve got yourself a cute, fast handmade Valentine for your sweetie!

When choosing a paper pieced pattern to miniaturize, the simpler the pattern the better. Choose a pattern that is all one piece or only a few individual pieces. The more paper pieces you have to work with, the trickier your pattern will get and the thicker the seams will be.

For the Valentine’s Card you’ll need:

Scrappy Heart (pattern updated Feb. 2012) or other heart pattern, printed at 30% OR use my 1.5″ heart sets with 12 patterns per page
scrap fabrics in reds, pinks and whites
pink or red thread
a piece of card stock, whatever size pleases you, but big enough to fold in half OR pre-folded blank cards
a sewing machine
scissors
rotary cutter & ruler
wall paper or seam roller (optional)
dry iron

What to do:

Print your scaled pattern (shown here with the original 5″)

OR use the 1.5″ pattern sets created just for this tutorial (added Feb. 2012)

Piece the block like you would any other

Paper Piecing: Step By Step

When piecing in miniature, the smaller your seam allowance, the better. I like a scant 1/8″

This is your block finished from the back and the front.

Follow the stitching line around the block. This will make it possible to remove the paper without stretching the bias edges. Contrasting thread shown.

Remove the paper from the block.

**note – normally, the paper needs to stay on the block until it is pieced in it’s final destination, but because we are appliqueing it, that’s not an option here**