The Craft

No, this isn't a post about a creepy movie, but another catch up of some crafts I've made lately. So without further ado...

First up, is something I've been making for the past three years. No, it hasn't taken me three years, but it's a Christmas gift that I've made each year, for the family I have that year through our rotation. So now that all of my siblings and their families have received them, I can post it. I can't believe the three times I made these T-shirt pillows, that I never took pictures of the process, just the final products. Oh well. I'll try and explain it as best I can. It's not too hard.

First, a list of supplies you will need: t-shirts for every family member, string, needles, letter stencils, fading marker (see description below), sewing machine (or access to one) and stuffing.

First, I buy everyone a shirt in one of their favorite colors. Then I buy string in another one of their favorite colors. I wash the shirts and then the prep begins. You will need your letter stencils and marker to trace. I found a marker at Michael's that fades after just a couple days and sometimes within hours. You don't want to see the marker once the pillow is done.

 

Trace the name onto the shirt. I only do one name at a time since like I mentioned, the marker fades. Then I thread a needle and start stitching the names onto the shirts. This is the most time consuming part. It is always such a relief when I finish that last name. 

Using a sewing machine, sew up the top, bottom, and ONE sleeve of the shirt. I stuff the stuffing through the open sleeve and once it's the desired thickness, I hand stitch the sleeve closed and voila, you're done with a cute T-shirt pillow.

Next up, is another Christmas gift. I made both my mom and dad wood signs.

Here's a list of supplies: wood, paint, paint brush, vinyl (or a friend who can make it for you), wall hanging hardware, eye hooks, jump rings, wood circles, fine tip permanent marker, and a drill.

I bought a 6" x 6' board from Lowe's and had a friend who has a saw, cut it into three equal sections. Sometimes Lowe's will cut for you and apparently sometimes not.  I think it depends on the worker you ask.

For my dad, I made a "Man Cave" sign. I painted it blue and had a friend cut out the vinyl for me and then I stuck the vinyl to the board. Then I put in some hardware on the back so it can be hung on the wall.

For my mom, I made a family birthday board. I painted her sign maroon and again had a friend cut out the vinyl. I need to get a vinyl machine. I'm trying to convince my husband. :) Anyway, I bought the eye hooks from Lowe's and the wood circles and jump rings from Michael's. After I put the vinyl on the board then I was able to figure out where the eye hooks go so they lined up with the month. I had to hammer in small holes first and then twist in the hooks.  Then I had my husband drill small holes into the top and bottom of the wood circles.  Then I wrote all of our family birthdays on the wood circles with a fine tip permanent marker (it did bleed a little so be careful) and then used the rings to connect them together and then attached the rings to the eye hooks. Again, I put some hardware on the back so it could be hung.  And you're done.  I love how it turned out.

Now, onto a couple Valentine's Day crafts. I made a dry erase "I love you because..." picture frame. This was super easy.  Here's a list of the supplies you will need: cute paper (not too busy), paper cutter, letter stickers, a frame, and a dry erase marker.

First, cut your paper down to your frame size. I had a 5" x 7" frame (I bought a cheap one from Dollar Tree).

 

Then I used some black glitter sticker letters to spell out the phrase "I love you because..."

Then I put the paper in the frame and you're done. Each day you can write on the glass, with a dry erase marker, why you love your special someone.

Last up is a canvas button sign.  The supplies you will need are: 12" x 12" canvas board (just google Michael's coupons and they usually have a 40% off one you can use), tape measure (or ruler), pencil, painter's tape, black paint, white paint (if you have to do touch ups like me), paint brush, paper, pen, hot glue gun, red felt, red buttons, scissors, and red letter stickers. 

First, I used a measuring tape and pencil to mark the board into 6 equal rows. I used painter's tape so I wouldn't have to try and paint in the lines (as you can see from the finished product, the rows are not the same width.  I tried eyeballing it at first but the lines didn't come out straight so I had to redo the black sections using the tape, but I kind of like that they are a little wider.). Then I painted every other row black. I did have to use some white paint to do some touch ups.

Then I traced and cut out a heart on some paper. I had to keep trimming it down to the size I wanted.

Then I used the paper heart and a pen to trace a heart on some red felt and cut it out.

 

 

 And then I hot glue gunned the felt to the canvas.

Next, is the tedious part. I hot glue gunned red buttons onto the felt. I originally was just going to go around and around the heart until I just had the middle to fill but then I realized I could end up with a gap so I did it in sections. Even doing it in sections, I still had some small gaps. So I made the heart more 3D and glued some buttons onto the buttons to cover the gaps.

Last, I used red glitter sticker letters to spell out, on the bottom white row, the words "ME+YOU". Ta Da!