A Crafty Kids' Book

As a kid in the 80s, I felt like the lone crafter. Was I the only one sewing teddy bears and knitting doll clothes? It sure felt like it.

Thanks to the internet, it's easier for creative kids today to connect to each other. But crafting -- especially in a small town -- can still feel a little lonely. That's why I couldn't help but feel a tingle when an editor at work passed Crafty Chloe to me.

I wrote a blog post about the book for the Martha Family Room blog, but I plan on recommending this book to every crafty person I know.

When I was a kid, my mom created sweatshirts for my brother and me with a felt Christmas tree and real lights rigged into it. We had to carry a battery pack in our pocket to turn the lights on and off. For every kid who ooohed and aaahed, there was another kid making fun of us. I wonder if life would've been easier for me if a book like this existed during my childhood.

Were you teased for sporting something homemade? Let's pretend we're in therapy and share. "Hi, my name is Ashley and I'm a crafter..."

Invisible Zipper Mistakes

When it comes to sewing, I'm like the ill-behaved child who does things wrong but never learns a lesson from it. You could beat on me, put me in time-out, take away my favorite toy -- and I would repeat my bad behavior again and again.

Take invisible zippers, for example. Take a look at the "invisible" zipper I installed on a pillow last year:

But Ashley, you're thinking, I can totally see that zipper. It's not invisible.

No kidding. But that was a pillow on my couch that I drool on, so who cares? When it came time to install the same zipper on a dress, I really had to get my act together.

I'm working on this Peony dress in owl fabric. I love it, and I want to wear it. So I gotta do this thing right the first time.

I used the Colette Patterns invisible zipper tutorial to help me along. Important lesson: don't skip steps. I know you want to breeze through it so you can watch the Being Elmo documentary on Netflix. But you don't wanna go down that road.

First important invisible zipper step: Iron those zipper teeth. Really push them out of the way.

I originally tried installing the zipper with my regular zipper foot. Slap me on the wrist, because that was a waste of time. I broke down and ordered an invisible zipper foot ($30?! $30 for a little piece of metal?). Look at the difference with those straight stitch seams. One seam is from my regular zipper foot and the other was using the invisible foot. It's quite a difference.

You really gotta roll those teeth back to get in that little ditch with your sewing machine needle.

Sewing with the correct zipper foot:

The dress zipper looks ten times better than the pillow zipper. It's puckering a little, but I'm proud. I think this mean kid finally learned her lesson.

Do you ever skip steps and then regret it? Surely I'm not alone in this. Share an example, and I promise not to slap your wrist.

Quick Valentine Idea: Abstract Rose Prints

One of my favorite Valentine's Day crafts on Martha Stewart.com is this Abstract Rose-Print Valentine's Day Cards and Gift Wrap. This easy card is perfect -- even for my manliest valentine!

Dig through old boxes (or your neighbor's recycling!) to find the cardboard you need to create the rose stamp. If you're not a wine drinker, find a friend who has a spare cork. Grab two ink pads and you're ready to go!

Sequin Headbands

At Christmas dinner, my cousin Keitha was wearing an awesome gold sequin headband. I immediately fell in love with it, so I went to Hobby Lobby and bought some stretchy sequins of my own.

I paid less than $1 for each quarter-yard strand of elasticized sequins. The gold looked amazing with Keitha's black hair, but not so great with my red hair. I went for black and silver instead.

The project was super quick. I measured the sequins against one of my other stretchy headbands, then checked the fit by pinning a safety pin to the band and trying it on.

The final step was sewing a simple seam. I folded the band over twice so that no loose sequins would get lost or tangled in my hair. I would suggest hand sewing because when I tried to run it through my machine, the needle kept puncturing all the sequins. Hand sewing guarantees you really catch hold of the elastic base instead of the sequins.

I'm not so crazy about the silver because it reminds me of my baton-twirling headband from 1st grade. I can't wear it with just anything like I can the black one.

What I liked about this project: It's cheap, fast, and easy -- just like your go-to prostitute.

What I listened to while I made this project: The Bust Magazine Best of 2011 playlist on Spotify (If you have Spotify, get the playlist!)

Modified Stitch n Bitch Hat

There's nothing better than a fellow crafter to appreciate the time that goes into a handmade gift! Every Christmas, my crafty friend and I trade handmade gifts. I knew she needed a hat; she knew I needed a bag for my bike.

I made her this Devil and Kitty Hat from Stitch 'N Bitch: The Knitter's Handbook. This is one of the most useful craft books on my shelf. I've owned the book for about 7 years and still find the patterns useful. The original pattern has the option of kitty ears or devil horns, but we decided those weren't her thing.

I love the garter stitch contrast on the ear flaps. I also highly recommend the yarn! It's super soft alpaca -- warm and soft to work with in winter.

In return, my friend made me a bike bag that velcros to my handlebars. It's made from purple vintage Marimekko fabric! Good thing it's oilcloth because I've been drooling on it.

What I used to make this:
Stitch 'N Bitch Devil and Kitty Hat pattern (minus the ears)
Cascade Yarns Baby Alpaca Chunky in Sapphire Lace, from Purl Soho

What I listened to while I made this: A Charlie Brown Christmas by Vince Guaraldi Trio
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What's the most useful craft book on your shelf?

Knit Mohawk Hat

Every time I make a hat for my niece, my nephew wears it more than she does. Be it pumpkin, watermelon, or cupcake, he loves hats.

For his 3rd birthday, his mom suggested a mohawk hat.

What I used to make the hat: I knitted a basic black hat with wool and knitted a strip of Lion Brand Fun Fur on top.

I wish the mohawk could've been all green (there was some pink in there!), but that's ok. If I made this again, I'd use a Fun Fur that was a little less Easter egg-y in color.

My mom emailed this photo of him wearing the hat at the town Christmas parade. (After the parade, he wore the hat to a petting zoo. Can you imagine what the sheep thought of the hat?)

What's your favorite toddler hat? I'm always looking for new kid hat ideas!

Top Projects from 2011

In case you missed 'em, here are the top 5 posts on my blog from last year!

1. Craft Supply Organizing
2. Faux Prada Chunky Knit Headband

3. Anthropologie-Inspired Bracelet
4. Ruffle Flower Pillow

5. Reusable Sandwich Wrap (I'm still toting this little baby to work! Highly recommend this project.)

What a pretty year in crafting! Here's to this year being even more crafty! Happy New Year!