Homemade Gift Tags

I'm getting crafty this Christmas and making my own gift tags. I normally buy the big packs of cute gift tags at Costco and I still even  have a bunch left from last year, but this time I wanted to put my own touch on them.

Painting: Abstract and Colorful

Those who know me, know that I'm very much into art - creating and observing. It's always been "my thing", ever since I was a little girl. I took all kinds of art classes growing up and continued in high school and college. Art is very much a part of my life in present day as well. I express myself through it.

Whimseybox Review

I've been subscribed to Whimseybox (a monthly craft box) for a few months. I actually cancelled my subscription for a number of reasons, which I will explain. First, I'll give a rundown of the service and boxes.

Whimseybox - Feb 2013

Whimseybox is a monthly craft box. You get a box for $15, mailed to you every month with a project inside (as long as you're subscribed to the service). Keep reading to find out more.

How I Organized My Yarn

This year my aim is to organize and use space effectively. One area that desperately needed some cleaning up was my yarn stash. I have a plastic drawer unit that I keep all of my yarn in, but it was a mess from the beginning. At first, it was just a place to throw my leftovers. Now that I'm trying to use up my extra yarn, I want to be able to pick one out without having to dig through a tangled mess.

Holiday Gifts: Handmade Scarves

Scarf season is upon us. The weather has become colder and my shop has gotten busier. Scarves are what I sell the most of in fall and winter. They make great gifts and can be made in every color imaginable. I wanted to share a few scarves that sold recently as gifts for the holidays.

I made this scarf for a custom order. It was a Christmas gift for a guy. 

I love the colors. It's definitely a suitable accessory for men. I would describe the colors as rustic. It came out flat, tightly knit, and fairly lightweight. I wish I had 5 more of these scarves on hand to sell. I plan to make more though.

Another great scarf for men that I sold recently is this brown and red striped scarf. 

It's also flat and knit tightly. It was the first striped scarf I made and I think it came out really well.

This next scarf I knew would not be available for long. It's a deep purple scarf with little confetti pieces throughout. It didn't sell on my Etsy shop, but instead in person. It's a gorgeous scarf. The pictures don't do it enough justice. It was also one of my more pricey scarves. 

It was flat and long. This one was a lot more weighty than others but very soft and silky.  I would consider this scarf as more of a fashion scarf. I want to make a few more of these as well.

I love scarves. Even if you aren't giving them as gifts, they're a great cold weather accessory to have in your own wardrobe. 

Check out my current scarves for sale

DIY: Melted Crayon Art

Who doesn't love a fun and easy art project? I love to paint and draw but this project is something anyone can do. You really don't need any artistic abilities whatsoever. As long as you can handle a hot glue gun and a hairdryer, you're good to go!

Materials

• Canvas (I used 18x24 Stretched Canvas)
• Crayons (I bought 2 64-packs. The amount depends on your size of canvas)
• Hot glue gun + glue
• Hair dryer

Make sure to protect the surface you're working on. Mine splattered a little here and there. Also you'll want to use something to hold the canvas upright. I have an easel but you could even find something to lean it against.

For the crayons, I picked out the browns, grays, blacks, etc. and doubled up most of the other colors. I didn't use all of them. 

To Create Your Masterpiece:

There are really only two steps to this project once you have everything set up. 

1. Glue the crayons to the top of the canvas pointing down. You might want to line them up before you start and in the color scheme you want them to be.

Ready to go!

2. Use a hair dryer to melt the crayons. 

That's how simple it is! It might take awhile to melt the crayons enough to achieve the effect you want. For mine it took about 30 minutes. There isn't a specific way to use the hair dryer - just point it downward!

I love how this turned out and I'll be hanging it up on my wall immediately!

DIY Craft Storage

I have quite a bit of supplies I actively use for my Etsy shop. I have a plastic drawer set to hold most of them but the important part of my storage solution is the organization within it. There are all kinds of drawer organizers you can buy, but the best option is to use something you already have. 

Shoe boxes happen to be something everyone has lying around because they are useful for many things. For this project I chose a narrow shoebox to house ribbon, hemp cord, and small pattern booklets.

This plain shoebox wasn't very attractive so I used some gift wrap, scissors, and tape to dress it up a little. 

I didn't make it look perfect but I'm okay with that. They are tons of ways to decorate a shoebox. You can use glue, tape, ribbon, gift wrap, wallpaper, shelf paper, construction paper, fabric, washi tape, tissue paper, stickers, etc. You can really get creative with it or just keep it simple but it adds a little something to your storage area inexpensively (minus the shoes it came with!).

Adding an Accent Flower

I just finished listing my newest bag and on this particular bag I added something a little extra....

A flower!!

The placement of the flower gave me a little grief but I think it totally adds a cute finishing touch. I think flowers are great additions to just about anything. It was pretty simple and fairly fast on a small loom so I'm sure I'll be adding more to future bags. 

To see the detailed listing and more pictures go here:

Taupe and Burgundy Knitted Tote with Accent Flower

Recently Completed Bags

I've completed two bags recently that I wanted to share. They were both knitted on a round loom.

The first one, a bright blue bag with a lime green stripe, was an experimental project. I use a pattern for these bags but I like to change it up with different types of stitches, sizes, and color combos. I used multiple stitches and alternating colors and this is how it turned out...

Cute. don't ya think? The green stripe came out looking like a ribbon, in my opinion, and I really like it! It came out much nicer than I expected. Isn't it great when you try something on a whim and it actually works out?

The second bag was made for a custom order. I made a large bag with alternating red and purple colors. 

Here it is (minus the handles).

Later, I added drawstring type handles and sent it out immediately for a customer. The great part of this bag is that it will stretch to fit anything you need it to. 

The blue and green bag is listed in my shop for $27 (free shipping). It can be found here:

Loom Knit Cotton Tote Bag

DIY Hemp Coasters

I made these coasters last December after finding a tutorial for them online. They required few supplies and I love how they turned out.

Supplies:

1. Hemp cord
2. Cork circles or cork sheet
3. Glue gun (hot glue)
4. Scissors
5. Ribbon (optional)

I bought a sheet of cork because I couldn't find the pre-cut circles anywhere. To make circles I used a candle jar and a utility knife to cut the cork into the right size and shape. If you can find the cork circles this project will be easier and faster (and will look neater and more clean in the end).

Once I had my circles done, I took my hemp cord and started to glue it down in small sections starting from the outer edge of the circle and working my way to the middle. Once I got to the middle I snipped the cord with scissors and tucked that last piece in.

Since I had to cut the circles myself, the edges looked a little rough so I glued down some ribbon to make a more finished look. (I didn't get a picture of the completed coasters unfortunately)

This is a very simple project that can be completed in an afternoon. Make sure to cover your surface before starting this project. Take your time and lay the cord onto the cork neatly and tightly so that you don't see the glue or any gaps.

Happy Crafting!

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Twitter: @Sparkleknitshop

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Cotton Knitted Loom Knit Necklace

I've been making different things, figuring out what I want to offer in my shop for the Spring and Summer seasons. I've made scarves, headbands, coasters, bags, and now I'm making necklaces. Knitted necklaces! They're so fun and perfect for springtime. Here's my first one...

Since we're all starting to put away our scarves and winter wear, I thought it would be nice to still offer some sort of bold accessory so I came up with this! I would wear this year round, even on cool summer nights and as you can see in the picture on the right, it really dresses up my outfit. 

Here's the listing:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/96803648/knitted-multicolor-long-spring-necklace

Loom Knit Mesh Market Bag

I found a pattern for this market bag awhile ago and I really wanted to make it.  I was unsure of my abilities but I decided to dive in and do it.  As I got going I realized I underestimated myself and I could actually knit more difficult things on my looms now. I'm impressed with how well it came out and I already bought yarn to make a few more.

The bag is great for groceries or the beach. The straps are adjustable and can be pulled like a drawstring to close the bag. It's 100% cotton and knitted loosely to make a mesh fabric, so it has some stretch. 

Where I found the pattern:

Loom Knit Mesh Bag by Kristen at GoodKnit Kisses

Create an Inspiration Board

I saw a goal list of Post-Its on Pinterest and it inspired me to make my own, which then inspired me to make a whole board of creative and inspiring things. 

I already had the cork board and colorful paper so I found things online, printed them out, made them look pretty and tacked them up on the board. 

For mine I included supplies I need (or just want), an organizational idea, a pattern I want to learn, and the goal list I made. 

There are so many ways to make an inspiration board. You can include anything you want: use magazine clippings, add photos you took, print out pictures online, make lists, add goals and current projects, etc. This is a great way to express your creativity and you can even use it as decoration! 

Do you have an inspiration board? I'd love to see it!