Sew a Zippered Pouch

Here's another sewing project for you to try! I created a zippered pouch that has almost entirely hidden seams so there's no reason to be afraid to give it a try. Don't worry if you haven't had a lot of sewing experience. The best way to learn is to try!

What you'll need:

• 2 pieces of outer fabric, I used 100% cotton, 8" wide by 6" tall (for a final pouch size of 7" x 5"), ironed
• 2 pieces of coordinating inside liner fabric, same dimensions as above, ironed
• 2 pieces of your liner fabric at 2" x 2"
• 2 pieces fusible interfacing, which can be purchased by the yard at craft stores. I got a yard from Hobby Lobby for $2.99. Fusible interfacing adheres to the fabric by heat, instead of being sewn in. I cut my interfacing to 7.5" by 5.5". You can do some research if you have more questions about it!
• A 7" polyester zipper of coordinating color to your fabric choice. In my experience, polyester zippers always work better than invisible ones.
• Thread you don't mind being visible for two small parts
• Mod Podge and glitter + paint brush (optional)
• Sewing machine + basic sewing tools; ruler, pencil, fabric scissors
• Iron and ironing board 

Crafts I'm Excited For 11/6

Hi everyone! So if you know me and my Pinterest, I'm on it quite a bit and I'm always pinning new crafts. Here's some sewing crafts that I can't wait to try. The title of each is a link to the blog, so go check them out!

Microwaveable Heat Packs

Photo by Life as a Mom blog

It's getting colder out, and heat packs are a great way to warm yourself up. I haven't really used them before but I imagine them being pretty nice for my hands when I go out to class in a blizzard, or warming up my bed at night. Plus, you can pick any pattern of fabric and that makes it so fun! Find the DIY here.

Cable Cozy

Picture from Live it. Love it. Make it. blog

As a college student, I travel a lot to go home and to my boyfriend's. I always just knot up my cables and throw them in a pocket. I know this would be a better way to care for them. Plus, it's so cute! I have lots of colored elastic from making my own hairties so I know what that's going to be used for!

Fat Quarter Fabric Trays

Photo by craftinessisnotoptional.com

Face it- you have fabric scraps laying around. And that's ok, because we all do. This super cute tutorial shows you how to use those fabric scraps to make a fabric tray! Isn't that so awesome? I can't wait to make some so then I stop randomly throwing things down on my desk (and losing them). You'd better go check this tutorial out!

Easy Pillow Cover

My first sewing project for my blog, but don't worry, it's an easy one! My sister lives in the dorms and the pillows on her futon happen to be a plain and worn shade of green. Because the pillows are otherwise usable (so there's no point in buying new ones), I decided to cover them with some fabric. This is a simple sewing project as it doesn't require any special fasteners such as zippers or buttons, because overlapping fabric on the back of the pillow holds the cover securely on.

What you'll need:

• Cotton fabric, amount depends on the size of your pillow, so read more below
• Sewing machine + matching thread
• Other sewing basics: pins, fabric scissors, thread trimmer
• Ruler or measuring tool, and fabric marking tool

Kids Craft: Homemade Pumpkin Garland

I was a busy bee this weekend and came up with two Halloween crafts for you all! This second one is a little bit more complicated but still not very difficult. I hope you'll give it a try!

Pumpkin Garland

This project will keep your kids busy for a while making their own mini jack-o-lanterns but they'll need your help with the hooks and overall garland making!

Supplies needed:

• Styrofoam balls, I got a pack of 12 for $3.79 at Hobby Lobby. They're small and perfect for the project!
• Paintbrushes and paint: I used orange, black, and metallic silver. If you have multiple kids on this project, feel free to involve more styrofoam balls or have them all be pumpkins! My plan was to have alternating jack-o-lanterns and silver balls.
• Little jewelry pins, found in the jewelry aisle at Hobby Lobby. Check out the later photos for a better image of them. $1.99 for the pack, and I didn't use them all.
• Wire bending tools
• Cord for your garland, and make sure it can fit through the loops on the jewelry pins. I just picked an affordable black one.
• Egg carton (not pictured, but it's nice to have it)
• LOTS of newspapers

Kids Halloween Canvas Craft

One of the best things about Halloween, besides the costumes and candy, is carving a pumpkin to put out and enjoy until it, well, rots. Why not help your kids make a pumpkin that's going to last and can be enjoyed year after year?

Introducing: the Pumpkin Canvas

*fanfare*

Such a fun craft! Easy for kids to take part in, but there's parts for adults too, so you can work on it together.

What you'll need:

• Canvas- mine is 8x10", I got a pack of two for $3.99 at Hobby Lobby
• Hot glue gun + glue sticks
• Half Styrofoam balls (Hobby Lobby actually sells them like this!) - they are 4.5" half balls and come with 4 in a pack for $4.99
• Paint and paintbrushes (I used orange, black, and green acrylic paint. You might want brown too, for the stem)
• Newspapers to contain the mess

DIY Mini Cards

DIY Mini Cards

A fun and easy new craft for this post: your own mini cards! Put whatever you want on them. These are a great way to save money and personalize your cards for any occasion.

Crafts I'm Excited For 10/15

I'm starting a recurring post, which is all about crafts I'm excited for! As a digital native, I see crafts popping up all over the place online, but some really appeal for me to actually try. Here's the three I'm really excited to try right now:

DIY Printed Phone Pouch

Photo credit to The Lovely Drawer Blog

Ahh, seriously, how cute is this phone pouch? Minimal items and it comes out looking so cute and sophisticated. I'll have to change it to fit my Galaxy, but overall, I'm in love. Check out this blog to make your own!

Plastic Animal Keychains

Photo by rhonda

I loved playing with plastic animals as a kid, and this is such a neat way to keep some of that childish fun with you! I know I'm thinking way ahead, but I think these would be adorable to have for my future children as well. If you're as infatuated with these as I am, make sure you read the DIY!

Elephant Key Hooks

Photo by Creative Soul Spectrum

This one ties into number 2.. for some reason, I'm just feeling like cutting up and changing some plastic animals into craft items! I love elephants and the fact that these are painted gold just makes my heart happy. Also, what better way to hang your keys that already have plastic animals on the ring? ;) Check out this tutorial and make your own!

DIY: Labels for Travel Bottles

 

Hello, travelers! I want to share with you a neat craft that involves reusing those little hand sanitizer bottles that we all have from Bath and Body Works. They are great for holding all kinds of things, and I use mine especially for my facewash and toner when I travel home and elsewhere.

To help keep everything straight, I made my own labels. Follow along to make your own!

About: Basic Papercrafting Tools

Hello readers! This post isn't about a craft, but it does have to do with crafting. As a graphic technology major, I've learned to handmake a lot of things that I design. And now that I know how to handmake a lot of things, I like to make them from my home to save money! So I'm making a post about basic papercrafting tools, such as cutting and scoring tools, that you can use to make a variety of paper items, including notepads, cards, envelopes, and more!

DIY Easy + Cheap Custom Notepads

I don't know about you, but I am a list-maker. And not a technology list maker, because it's a bigger pain in the butt for me to type things into my phone (and have them auto-corrected to the wrong word) than it is for me to scribble it down. I love notepads! And what could be better than a personalized notepad? An obligatory final product photo:

These notepads are seriously so quick and easy. Once you have the process down, you'll be making them for all of your friends! They make great gifts because people will be so amazed when really it took little effort and money :)

DIY: Hand Painted Barn Board Canvas Wall Art

Hey all, I am so excited because this is my official first post on my new blog! And I have a fun project to share. You know that DIY canvas art is all the rage right now, and is rightfully so because it is so much fun and so rewarding to make your own artwork. 

While browsing Pinterest, I found a really cool DIY on A Beautiful Mess where she used a gel medium and instead of just gluing the paper onto the canvas, she gets the ink to be more absorbed and have more texture. Hers was with a personal photo, but I wanted to go a different route. I happen to absolutely love vintage barn board-related art and wanted to give that a try.