Embedded Files
"Creativity is contagious. Pass it on." -Albert Einstein
How it's going: Knitting
How it's going: Knitting
My latest craze as a knitter has been embroidering baby names on the front of my sweaters! Finding a font you like is easy. Finding a way to cast the image of their name onto the sweater without reversing it (!) so that you can write their name on the front with water-soluble ink is not easy. But you need to write it so that you have something to follow as you stitch. Tricky, but worth it!
How it's going: Kokedama
How it's going: Kokedama
Over the past two years, my Kokedama balls have been thriving! Some have gotten so big I decided to take them down from the ceiling hooks and put them on clay saucers around the house. I also decided to make loads of baby ones, which are also on baby clay saucers around the house. They love the sun and the shade-so easy-peasy! Ands only need to be soaked about once every two weeks.
Handmade Victorian Ornaments
Handmade Victorian Ornaments
This year (2024) I wanted to try my hand at making Victorian-inspired ornaments. I found an easy recipe for drying oranges and an easy recipe for homemade air-dried clay and got straight to work! You'll need an embroidery needle, ribbon (I loved velvet ribbon and ribbon with raw/frayed edges), twine, dried oranges, lemons, or limes, the air-dried ornament of your choice (use a cookie cutter to make the shapes and use a straw to poke the hole at the top) and anything else you feel might be sweet. These were easy to make and look so charming on our tree.
Origami Christmas Stars
Origami Christmas Stars
Christmas gifts are typically handmade in my home! It's a way of managing expenses while maximizing the thoughtfulness and significance of our gifts for one another. This year, I decided to try my hand at making paper stars to adorn our tree. I won't lie....it took a LOT of patience and numerous failed attempts before it finally started to come together for me. But it was so worth it! I love how our stars look amidst the twinkling lights on the tree. Their simplicity is what makes them so lovely. Wishing you and yours a season of simple blessings as well...cooking, baking, making, and sharing all the gifts of this holiday season. Interested in giving it a go yourself? Here's the video I used to guide my hands.
Handmade Seed Paper
Handmade Seed Paper
So this is my latest hobby! I have been making my own seed paper for a couple of months now. The idea is to take scrap paper, tear it up, add warm water to create a slurry, add wildflower seeds (and anything else you want, like flower petals), then send it through a mold and deckle. Lay your strips on a cheese clothe, let them dry, then press them under a stack of books to make sure they're nice and flat. Your results can be enjoyed as thank-you notes, bookmarks, gift tags...but ultimately, they should be planted, watered daily, until they sprout! Wildflowers will bloom, bees will arrive to check out what's new in your yard and then they'll take over from there, as nature does her wonderful work! It's easy, relaxing, and honestly, it's fun seeing how various additives change the overall look of each batch. And hopefully, it means less paper piles up in your recycle bin!
No-Soil Gardening
No-Soil Gardening
Because Dirt is Dirty.
Because Dirt is Dirty.
Lately, I've been doing more and more planting in water. It's an easy way to propagate plant babies; but mostly, I love being able to see the roots. They're so intricate! I also love that I no longer have to worry about overwatering my plants. I've always struggled to know just how moist the soil should be for various plants varieties. Of course, without soil, the plants aren't really getting all the nutrients they need, so if this is how you want to grow plants, it's best to add a liquid fertilizer occasionally. And I also recommend using filtered water. If you want to give this a try, start with a Pothos plant or a Spider Plant. They grow beautifully in water, are easy-peasy to keep alive, and are beautiful. I love the way these plants look when the sun 's rays filter through the cut glass. One day I hope the sunlight will cast a rainbow on my counter and walls. I'll be sure to capture a photo if so!
Spring has Sprung!
Spring has Sprung!
For years I was afraid to buy an orchid, thinking, 'How could I possibly keep something that delicate alive?!' Luckily, I have Pinterest, where thousands of incredibly knowledge and generous people happily share everything they know in short, free video clips! Thanks to them, I have learned a lot about orchids and I am here to tell you that they are NOT hard to keep alive! They love to bask in indirect light. They need a good watering once a week and really good drainage. And when their buds fall off, you just cut the stem to the base and let the whole cycle start all over again! Their roots need some trimming at times...but that's about it! Several of my orchids have shot up new stems this month, which is so exciting! They know spring is just around the corner and they're here just in time--regardless of what Punxsutawney Phil says.
When I bought our home in St. Johns three years ago, I fell in love with the tiny screened-in back porch. Even though it was nothing more than a slab of cement, I could already picture the lush, shaded indoor garden space of my dreams. After the kitchen, it was the first room I outfitted! Somehow I knew, even then, how important it was for me to have a serene space, where I could let go of the day's weight. If you step onto my little lanai you will quickly notice that there isn't a square inch of available shelf space to be found. Plants are everywhere. Perhaps that's why I got so excited when, mindlessly scrolling through Pinterest one day, I suddenly stumbled across my newest fascination: The Art of Kokedama!
Kokedama means "hanging moss ball" and is a traditional Japanese art form. Since that first online encounter, I have made six moss balls so far. In the picture to the right, you can see some of the balls currently hanging in my home. Several others have been given away as gifts. In terms of care--they are easy! I have to take them down from their hooks once a week and let them sit in a couple inches of water so that the roots can get what they need. Then I let them drain and they go right back up again. That's it! You can use all kinds of plants: ivy, pothos, succulents, and even orchids! You can hang them or let them sit on a plate or cutting block. The options are endless!
Happy crafting!
Here you can see how I took an old tin can, which originally contained diced pineapple pieces, and transformed it into a wall pocket. I found numerous tutorials on Pinterest (one of which is linked below the photo) and decided to give it a go. It was easy and fun! I plan to make more to hold our car keys, the mail key, our gym fob and the dog's leash.
I painted mine with some old grey chalk paint and gave it an antiqued look by rubbing some brown and gold stamp ink on a paper towel and smudging the corners of the tin. I personalized mine by tearing out a page from an old book and adding it to the can. Then I drew a fern leaf over that because I love layering and I love plants. If drawing is not for you-don't despair! Napkins with a pretty design on them work beautifully because once you lift off the thin top layer, it adheres easily to the tin with Mod Podge..
Other ideas: You could stuff them with dried flowers, air plants or even succulents. You could also stamp your house number on one, add it to a wreath and hang it on your front door! You could fill one with chalk and hang it on a blackboard! Oh, the possibilities!
Happy crafting!
I have been a knitter my whole life. My grandmother taught my mother and my mother taught me and honestly, it has brought me more joy over the years than words could possibly express. Knitting can be relaxing-a way to unwind, restore my sense of calm and focus and the perfect excuse to snuggle up with a cup of coffee, a plate of cookies and Hallmark movie. It can also be a challenge...requiring close examination of a complex pattern and more math skills than meets the eye! So creating something really intricate can be a great source of pride and accomplishment. But best of all, knitting is about basking in thoughts of the person I am knitting FOR. I always knit for other people (see images below). In fact, I never seem to complete the knitting projects I set out to make for myself. They just don't hold my attention. But the anticipation of making something that is PERFECT for someone else is so intoxicating that I always manage to persevere to its completion. I love knitting for others. I haven't knit as much in Florida. Mostly because I haven't found a kitting circle. Know of one? Let me know! I'd love to find myself in the company of mentors and fellow fiber-lovers!
The blessings of being a Knitter
The blessings of being a Knitter
A sweater for my son, Spencer
A sweater for a friend's baby
A throw blanket for my mom
A throw blanket for my sister-in-law
Christmas Craft & Gift Ideas!
Christmas Craft & Gift Ideas!
I don't know about you...but I spend all year perusing Pinterest, hunting for the perfect homemade craft and gift ideas. I LOVE making gifts for my family, friends, and colleagues! I tend to look for things that are kid-friendly since my daughter always wants to help. And I tend to make things that either can be hung on the tree or can contribute to people's holiday in some way. Some previous crafts I've made include knitted homemade acorn ornaments, cinnamon stick Santa ornaments, gnome ornaments, homemade apple butter, salt dough ornaments, clementine wreaths, and more! Wanna craft with me sometime? Just say the word!
(I made these a couple years ago for everyone at work. They were so easy and so appreciated! The kids had no problem twisting the cellophane, knotting them up and adding the holiday tag, sprig of rosemary and a bow.)
(I made these using this tutorial a couple of years ago and they were so easy and so adorable!)
(I made these last year. I used air clay and cookie cutters. I used a straw to poke the hole. Let them dry, then antiqued them by rubbing them roughly with brown stamp ink, then stamped the words of my choice using a set of ABC stamps.)
Cinnamon Stick Santa Ornaments
Cinnamon Stick Santa Ornaments
(I made these several years ago. Smelled great, was fun to make and so sweet. This craft is better suited to adults due to fine motor demands. Supplies needed, cinnamon sticks, paint, twine and hot glue to add a hanging loop. Textured paint can work for the beard.)
This Year's Christmas Gifts
This Year's Christmas Gifts
A Popcorn Garland!
A Popcorn Garland!
Gracie and I decided to wrap our tree in a homemade garland this year. We've always wanted to try a popcorn and cranberry garland, but we were nervous to try it, thinking it might be hard to work with. I was worried the popcorn would break easily as it was getting threaded. I couldn't have been more wrong! It worked like a charm! Here's a link to a great how-to site. The only downside was that the house smelled like popcorn at a time when I would have preferred an evergreen scent! Special Note: Be sure to use UNbuttered popcorn. ;-)
A Christmas Tree Centerpiece!
A Christmas Tree Centerpiece!
Here's a link to what inspired this year's centerpiece! This craft was so easy and so fun to make! All you need are some foam cones from Michaels, three balls of your favorite yarn and a glue gun. The wooden star on top was a fun finishing touch. You can also wrap them in fairie lights or twine and wooden balls (as seen above). So fun and they make great gifts!
Gnome Ornaments!
Gnome Ornaments!
Every year, we make a new ornament for our tree and we also make ornaments for family and friends. This year's ornament was a sweet little pinecone gnome, complete with a beard and a Santa hat. He was not easy to make, but well worth the ocassional glue gun accidents. Here is a link to the site that inspired this year's craft.
Page updated
Report abuse