Creative Mom Cafe

Today is National Left Handers Day. If you are left handed, then you have probably had to adapt to the right-handed world as it seems everything is made for us. Sorry about that. Here are some helpful links to left handed products and instructions to help making crafting easier for southpaws.

Scissors are at the heart of crafting. There isn’t too many projects that you can do that don’t require scissors at some point. Left handed scissors are designed so that lefties can actually see the cut line when cutting an object. There are so left handed pencil sharpeners and pencils that can make simple tasks easier for lefties.

You can also learn how to crochet left handed and how to knit left handed.

I’m Lynn and I’m the new Creative Mom Cafe blogger. I’m very excited to share with you craft projects, ideas, and anything else craft related. I blog at two other 451 Press blogs, WiiRally.com and MsState-College.com.

My favorite craft to do lately is crochet. I’ve been buying yarn like crazy and now understand my husband a little bit better when it comes to his Legend of the Five Rings cards and Dungeons and Dragons books. I’ve also rediscovered scrapbooking and have a lot of pages to do that will probably keep me busy the rest of the year.

I also enjoy recycled crafts that reuse t-shirts, plastic bags, or other items that would have been tossed into something useful again.

Give me a few days to get my bearings around this new blog. I will do my best to fill the big blogging shoes left by Summer.

So, what great creative ideas have you found this week?

• Make your own hand/body cream - This luscious, rich hand and body cream looks like it is just dying to put on. And hey, moms deserve some pampering too! Here a great recipe to make your own cream and pamper yourself whenever you want.
• What I do with my scraps - Make something of course! Check out this total free form quilt pieced together with scraps of fabric. You don’t need to spend money buying enough fabric to make a fancy quilt, just create something funky with what you already have.
• Show your sketchbook! - Do you carry around a sketch book where you work out ideas before making them? If so Cyndi at Jewelry And Beading wants to see it! Share a photo of what you plan out your projects in.
• Bagsket Tutorial - A great tutorial on making a bag basket. This is another great project for using up your scraps, and this bagsket is incredibly useful too. Make several as you will need them this summer for everything from visiting your local farmer’s market to visiting the beach with your kids.

Know a guy who is into the latest fashion of the brimmed beanie? ThreadBanger has a great tutorial video on turning an old sweater into a stylish hat that any guy would love to wear. There are always lots of great videos there for you to browse through, definitely one to check out.

crafts, creative

Over at Craftzine you can get a sneak peek into the latest Craft magazine issue. One of the tidbits they shared online is this fun idea for making little monsters. I instantly fell in love, and not just because I refer to my boys as “little monsters” from time to time. Though they don’t share the entire article, of course, I still wanted to try and make one. I was not about to try hand-sewing the entire thing like the writer does, but I was sure I could still make a cute little guy for my boys to play with. Here’s my little experiment with making a monster toy. This is definitely something for everyone to try. Come on moms, what kind of monster can you make?

I started with a basic shape. I did not want to try anything too extreme for my first monster so I stayed simple. After finally drawing what I wanted I cut it out of paper to use as a pattern. I also cut out some felt pieces for eyes, claws, and a tummy to rub. I wanted a happy little monster with some personality of his own.

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If you haven’t had a chance to check it out yet the Make It From Scratch carnival is up today over at Life Lessons of a Military Mom. There are a lot of great ideas being shared by some very creative moms. Go see what you can inspired to make.

The Carnival of Etsybloggers is up as well over at TuLips Talking.  If you want to get April Fooled in a creative way this is the carnival for you.

It’s not up yet, but the Carnival of All Things Crafty is scheduled to be up today over at Creatively Me!  Check back later to see if the carnival is up.

blogging, blog carnivals, crafts, creative

A young girl standing in line in front of me Saturday was wearing the cutest tank top. It was a simple boxy top, almost nothing more than a flowing rectangle with straps. It had a very 60s feel to it that I loved and the looseness of it looked like it would be perfect on hot summer days.

I looked for a pattern online to use but the closest I could find was one from Simplicity #3882. Look at the third top on the top row. Unfortunately I never found a good free pattern. Still, I was determined to make a tank top like this so I improvised a little.

First I measured around my bust. I wanted a straight, flowing top coming down so I decided to make it as wide as the widest part. Then I measured from my chest down to the top of my hip for length. I added a few inches for seam allowance and cut two rectangles by those detentions for the front and back. For the top panel and straps I used a different material rather than all one style. I cut two long pieces as wide as the front and back panels and 5 inches wide. Each was folded in half to create a 2 1/5 inch double panel around the top. For the straps I measured from across my shoulders for length and from shoulder to shoulder to determine how far apart to put the straps.

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Who has time to craft with all this beautiful weather? OK, so some of you are still stuck under a pile of snow. And some moms might be looking for something to do to spend their hours sitting on the park bench. So here is this week’s fun round up of creative posts that you should check out. As always, if you know of any awesome ones that I’ve missed be sure to let me know!

• Star Stitch Headband pattern -  This cute little knit headband will keep the hair out of your eyes and make you look cool. Perfect for all you hot mamas out there.
• Recycled Bike Inner Tube Jewelry - It’s creative and good for the environment. Two things that score perfect tens for me. Check out the tutorial on how to do it yourself.
• Twelve New Monsters - I know some kids who would love these kind of stuffed friends over the typical dogs, cats, and rabbits.
• Vintage Pillowcase Lunchbox Tutorial - This is a great idea for using an old pillowcase. Of course it doesn’t just have to be a lunchbox. This would also be a cute little bag for carrying almost anything.
• What You’re Reading in Craft:06! - Check out all the links here for some great project ideas. And then hurry and subscribe this the magazine to get your hands on all the great articles and ideas.
• The Crafty Crow - A new craft site full of children’s craft ideas. This is definitely one to bookmark!
• Bias Tape Tutorial - If sewing on bias tape is a little tricky to you here is a great video for how to do it right.

crafts, creative

Another week has passed us by. This one has been beautiful here. We started off with nonstop rain, but once the sun came out it was all worth it. Flowers are in bloom everywhere, meaning there’s almost no time for crafting. We’re outside playing as much as possible and soaking up the rays before the heat of summer ruins it for us. If you’re one of the people still stuck somewhere waiting for spring to really show up here are this week’s crafty ideas. They’re perfect for keeping yourself busy and entertained.

• T-shirt Handbag - Got an old shirt stuffed in the back of your closet that you can’t wear anymore but don’t want to give up? Here’s a great idea to reuse it into something new!
• Craft project and eating your vegetables - Crafts and healthy food, a combination almost every mom loves. These cute little labels will give your kids a big smile every time they go into the kitchen.
• Baking Pan Wall Art - This is a great project for reusing those old baking pans you no longer use.
• Starting up your Craft business - If you’re hemming and hawing about doing it here’s the kick you might need to finally jump in.
• Mini I Spy Quilts - Perfect for all those scraps of fabric you might have laying around. You could make several of these and save them for Baby and toddler gifts.
• Moving into the Video Age - A great tutorial video for transfers with acrylic paint.
• Simple Simon - Check out these awesome apple pies - baked inside tiny glass jars! Shows you how fun going outside the norm can be.
• Monster iPod Cozies - I love these furry little bags. Of course they don’t have to be just for iPods. Little kids might enjoy using them to carry toy cars or crayons around in.

As always if you have a creative post up or know of one that deserves mention leave a comment and I’ll add it to the list. With so many great blogs it’s hard to get to them all, especially with this warm weather beckoning.

crafts, creative, art

For many people this week is Holy Week, the build up to Easter. Which means lots of bunnies, eggs, and pastel colors are being tossed around. I thought it would be great to start the week with a quick round up of some the latest Easter themed craft projects going on. I already spotlighted several on Saturday’s Creative Speedlinking, but if you are interested in more here are some to check out.

• Easter Crafts with Pictures - Seasonal Kids Activities has this fun Easter craft post for photos of your little ones.
• 34 Free Easter Crafts, Projects & Tips - Just like the title says here is a collection of ideas that you will love.
• Easter Crafts - 4KraftyKidz also has a great collection of crafts and coloring pages for kids this Easter.
• Spring Inspiration - Mommy’s Crating has a photo collection of Easter goodies that should get your creative juices flowing. I love seeing what other creative people are doing to get me in the mood to create.
• Easter Peek-A-Boo Treat Holder - I am absolutely mad about this fun little card! If you plan to have an Easter party for your kids this could be a perfect treat to make for each of them.
• Easter is coming - These marbleized Easter eggs are so beautiful you’ll want to keep them out long after Easter is over.
• Tiny Chalkboard Eggs - This is such a great idea I’m sad I didn’t think of it first. Slip a few of these in everyone’s basket along with a small package of chalk and you’ll have some very excited kids this Easter.

I will be sharing my own Easter craft ideas too this week, including sharing a fun Easter scrapbook page from when my oldest was little. I haven’t shared much scrapbooking ideas lately, but there’s nothing like a holiday that involves lots of photos to get everyone in the mood to cut and glue.

crafts, Easter

St. Patrick’s day

Here’s another great edition of Creative Speedlinking. I’m taking off for the weekend so I hope this list will sustain you with creative ideas for moms and kids.

• This Chick is Easy - An adorable little felted chick that is so easy to make. Perfect for a fun spring craft project with your kids!
• Rub a Dub Dub; Six Kids and Some Felted Eggs - Want another easy yet fun felted project for Spring? Make these cute felted eggs!
• Easter Bunny - Want to knit up a cute little bunny? Here is a great pattern for you to use!
• The Basics - information & tutorials to get you started - Ever thought about making jewelry yourself? Here is collection of the best tips, tricks, and advice out there. You should definitely bookmark this page.
• making magnets - OK, so I’m a sucker for cute magnets. But when they’re this easy to make and adorable to use it’s hard not to get suckered in.
• Spring Treat: How To Make Golden Chocolate Easter Eggs - These eggs are beautiful! The golden color is just amazing and will light up anyone’s eyes when they see them. Of course the best part is the chocolate surprise inside.

Are there any great creative posts out there that I missed? With so many crafty and creative people blogging it is hard to round up the best of the best. But hopefully these will inspire you to get a little more creative with and for your kids.

crafts, creative, blogs

Potatoes are the vegetable most associated with Ireland. So why not use them to stamp designs on your own St. Patrick’s day cards to give out? Potato stamping is a simple craft that kids of any age can do, and they work well enough to make beautiful designs you would be proud to show off. All you need are a few potatoes, a sharp knife, and a stencil or cookie cutter.

Cut your potatoes in half and lay your stencil or cookie cutter across the center of the cut edge. Then using your knife you cut away the potato from the design about a half an inch deep. What you have left is a perfect potato stamp that you can use to create anything from cards to shirts. Depending on what you are creating you will need different types of ink or paint. Poster paint or fabric paint can work very well, but you should experiment and see what you like to use the best. You can either paint directly onto your potato stamp or use a sponge or felt pad to dip your stamp onto.

Cut shamrocks, small pots, or rainbows into your potatoes for stamping fun. If you’re not sure what kind of card to make here are a few great St. Patrick’s Day ideas.

• St. Patrick’s Day Shamrock card
• Self Mailing St. Patrick’s day card
• Simple St. Patrick’s Day Cards
• Shamrock Design St. Patrick’s day card

Or you can just pull out a large sheet of paper and let your kids have fun with their new stamps. You might create some fun new wrapping paper for the next birthday party you have to send gifts to. Potato stamps will last 1-2 days if stored in a bowl of cold water in your fridge.

St. Patrick’s day, potatoes, stamping, cards, crafts

Here is this week’s roundup of creative links that I loved. I think the funnest part of digging up links like this is seeing all the cool things people are crafting. Though I admit it is extremely hard to narrow the list down to just a handful each week, and I do get a bit jealous when I see some of the amazing crafts that people can do. But it is still a treat to make a note of the things that caught my eye.

• Credit-Card Flower Box (Fridge Magnet) - This was just too cute not to share. What a great way to get rid of old credit cards, or to keep yourself from using the ones you have.
• Recycled Photo Collage - I am a huge fan of recycling, so anything that reuses things everyday items is perfect for me. You will need quite a bit of creativity for this one.
• The Ponoko 10-day Jewelry Design Challenge - Think you have what it takes to design jewelry? Enter this contest for a chance to win $10,000
• Book Review: Country Living: Crafting a Business - A great book review with photos straight from the pages. This is a definite must-read for anyone interested in running their own craft business.
• Face Cloth Bunny & Chick Tutorials - This tutorial is perfect for Easter. What a great way to make simple toys for little ones to love.
• Artist Profile: Karen Paust - These amazing pieces just scream Spring! This is a great example of creativity at work.
• Gotta Make It: Terra Cotta Pot Easter Bunny - Awww, what a cute little bunny. And it seems simple to make. This could be a great Spring time decoration to have sitting out.

That’s it for this week. I plan to do a full week of St. Patrick’s Day ideas next week for anyone looking for something fun and last minute to do. If you have any suggestions or have a post up on your site featuring a St. Patty’s Day craft let me know. I’ll be sure to share a link here to you.

crafts, blogs

Have you ever made an Easter egg tree? This fun yet easy to make decoration is one that most young children love making, and most moms love displaying. One of the best parts is that you can easily change out the Easter eggs for other things and let this tree sit out all year long. It also makes a great gift idea for grandparents to show off their favorite little one’s talents.

You will need:

• A small pot, any style that you want
• paints, glue, other things for decorating your pot
• Plaster of Paris
• A small twig, one that has lots of little branches coming off to make a good tree

It is easiest to decorate your pot first. If you are making this an Easter egg tree only you might want to paint on rabbit faces or small Easter eggs. Or just let your kids go wild with their designs. If you plan to use this tree all year long you could separate it into four sections and paint a different seasonal theme in each.

Once your pot is decorated and dry it is time to plant your little tree. Fill the decorated pot with the prepared plaster of Paris. Be sure to use the instructions that are included with the plaster. You will need to stick your tree in the center of the pot and keep it held up straight while the plaster dries. Some people wait until the plaster is already beginning to harden before sticking in their tree. This will work, but only if you can get the timing right. Too late and your tree will not go in. One of the easiest things I have seen some use is four flat pieces of wood, such as popcycle sticks, surrounding the twig on all sides to hold it into place. As long as you have not filled the pot with plaster all the way to the top this will work to keep your twig in place.

While the plaster dries you can start making your decorations. Using plastic easter eggs is the simplest thing to do. You can use a sharp needle to thread string through one end of the egg. The decorate the eggs and hang them by the string. You can also look for small Easter figurines, often found at dollar stores and craft shops, that can be hung up as well. Or let your kids create their own decorations out of paper, wood, clay, or salt dough.

Once the plaster is dried hang up the ornaments and set your tree out on display.

Is there a little faerie princess in your life? There is an image in my mind that comes back every spring. It is of the little girl, giant wings on her back, dancing through the grass pretending to be a butterfly or faerie. After all, who wouldn’t love to be a faerie princess for just one day?

If you have a little girl who would love to get dressed up and dance around the yard you can easily help her. All you need is a little creativity and some basic supplies. With just a printer and paper you can print off an adorable magic fairy wand from The Toymaker. The Toymaker is one of my favorite creative sites for moms. The entire site is full of print outs and instructions for making beautiful yet simple paper crafts. Search through the free toys and see what fun creative ideas you can get.

Once you have the magic wand you will need a set of wings. You can most likely buy a set of faerie/butterfly wings, but making one is always more fun. There is a great how-to over at HGTV for making wire Faerie wings. The instructions are for those who can crochet, but even if you can’t you can use these instructions to create just a basic frame for the wings. Then use nylon hose stretched over the frames, colorful silk scarves, or even thin paper to create any style of wings you want.

If your little one also wants a special faerie dress to make you can make something simple yet cute out of scarves. My personal favorite is to use silk scarves, sewn partially together. They give a light and flowy look that is perfect for butterflies and faeries. If you cannot find scarves that you like you should try silk painting some plain white scarves. This is a simple way to get beautiful scarves for your little faerie to use. And the best part is that beautifully painted silk scarves can be used in hundreds of ways. From dress up to play areas a few simple painted silk scarves can be one of the best creative outlets a child can have.

crafts, girls, faeries, butterflies, dress up, fun