Rena's Hemp Bracelets

Cooool.....


In addition to the tacky friendship bracelet, my lifeguard bud Rena makes hippie-like hemp bracelets that add chillness to any wrist. After teaching me how to do the simple "hemp knot," I went to town, and am now making my own bracelets!

Thanks, Rena :o)


Difficulty Level: Easy

Materials

-Wax cotton cord/"hemp" from your local craft store.
(Comes in packs of 6 colors for approx.5 bucks)
- Scissors
- Tape

Directions:

1. Select three colors of hemp: one color for the base (usually a beige or white), one color for the inside, and one for the outside.

2. Cut the hemp - you need six strings total: four of the base and one of each of colors. The color threads should be about two feet long each, while the base threads only need to be about a foot long.

3. Knot all of the threads together.

4. Tape the knot to a flat surface so you can braid freely.

5. Select one color to be your lead color. In this example, the lead color is purple. Make a triangle so the purple string makes a number 4, and lead the thread OVER the base color (in this case, the beige).

6. Make the same triangle with the other color (white). Go OVER the purple thread, and UNDER the beige base.

7. Pull Through.



8. FOLLOW your lead string - the purple! Make the triangle, and go OVER, OVER, UNDER.

9. When long enough to make your bracelet, anklet, necklace, etc, knot end.

10. Tie onto wrist.

Don't be frustrated - learning the knot can be a little confusing at first, but once you get the knot down, you're totally fine - smooth sailing 'til the finish.



New TWIST on the Hemp Knot: Instead of following one color, do the standard hemp knot, but stay on one side. Colors will switch back and forth if you keep doing the knot on one side, making a funky twist. You can alternate from straight knot to twisted knot if you want!

Sweetheart Baby Hat

I was tired of knitting scarves - one of the simpler items to knit, just knitting row after row of solid color yarn back and forth.

Luckily my Mom is a super-knitter and helped me cure my scarf woes by giving me circular needles to replace my straight bamboo pair.

How to solve the solid color problem? Bernat Baby Jacquards yarn is adorable and self-striping.

Difficulty Level: Hard

Materials

- Self-striping yarn = $1.75 (available at your local craft store).
- 16'' size 5 circular needle
- Double-pointed size 5 bamboo needles.
- Scissors



Directions
This is way easier to make than it looks! The directions for this project are a bit lengthy though, so click here for the full deets!

Don't know how to cast on? Get started with this video.


I gave the finished project to my stepsister @ her baby shower! It made a great gift.

Twitter

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http://twitter.com/craft_chic

Iphone Case

I was so excited when I got my Iphone this summer - but simultaneously petrified that I would drop it/lose it.



If I do, it's back to TO-GO phones for me. Ugh.

Therefore, I decided it would be a good idea to get a Iphone case. Too bad they're like 45 bucks! Yeah right. I'll just make one instead.

Difficulty Level: Medium

Materials

- Small-ish piece of fabric. (From Wal-Mart craft bin. 79 cents.
- Sewing Needle
- Scissors
- Ribbon
- Hot Glue Gun(per usual)
- Embroidery Thread


Directions

1. Fold piece of fabric in half two times to make it thicker for Iphone protection!

2. Wrap piece of fabric around your phone to make sure it fits!

3. Hand-sew the sides to connect the edges of the fabric, as well as the bottom of case.

4. Spread hot glue onto the backside of a ribbon.

5. Quickly place the ribbon onto the fabric and wrap it around - make sure it's straight!

6. Tie a bow, and glue down the ends (for a fray-free ribbon end, burn the end of the ribbon with a lighter for 1/2 seconds.

Etsy

Sometimes I get tired of thinking up things to make... I'm itching to craft right now, actually. Look on http://www.etsy.com for ideas, like I'm doing! Or use it to buy and sell handmade items. I am especially into the Hair Accessories page right now. I kind of want to make one of the feather headbands...

Tacky Friendship Bracelets

Strangely enough, tacky can sometimes be chic. I'm in an a capella group at UVa, and last year one of the girls in the group made us all fun friendship bracelets out of craft beads. Unfortunately, I lost mine in the ocean at Beach Week this past summer, and I was devastated. So when I was at the craft store the other day, I saw some beads, and decided to continue the tradition of these fun little bracelets for the mew girls in the singing group. Paired with cool bangles, these tacky friendship bracelets look hippie-chic. I like.

Difficulty Level: Easy


Materials

- Beads
- "Stretch Magic" bead & jewelry cord.
- Scissors

= about five bucks. Plus, with the supplies you can probably make about twenty bracelets or so, plus add to your craft supplies!

Directions

1. Cut cord to desired length - leave about two or three inches extra to knot.

2. Tie a double knot about two inches in from the end of the cord so the beads won't slide when you string them.

3. String Beads

4. Keep measuring the beads when you're threading them so you have the desired length for your wrist.

5. Tie double knot at the end of the beading.

6. Tie ends together. The elastic cord is slippery so you might have to play with it to get it to stay together - triple/quadruple knont it!

7. Give to all your friends and be hippie-tacky-chic.

Quirky Hair Pins

Ok, last of the button crafts for awhile, I swear. However, this could be a good way to utilize the buttons purchased for the Antique Button Frame. Super easy and chic. I actually got this idea from an accessorized hair pin in an In Style spread. The hair clip was going for about $140.

Ha! That's enough money to get groceries for a week and a half. Instead, try this perhaps 20 cent version:

Difficulty Level: Easy

Materials

- Buttons
- Plyers
- Hot Glue Gun
- Bobby Pins

Directions

1. Pick a cool looking Button

2. Use plyers to rid the button of the hook on the back - in order to make the back of the button a flat surface.

3. Hot Glue button on end of bobby pin.

Antique Button Frame

This is one of my absolutely favorite crafts - and super easy to do! Since I'm slightly obsessed with frames and pictures, and therefore obsessed with making frames this is one of my many, and arguably, the best. The button frame is super chic with the mix-and-match type of antique buttons. It's a perfect frame to set on a bedside table or give as a gift.

Difficulty Level: Medium

Materials:
- 1 Wooden Frame
- Buttons - Glue Gun
- Acrylic Paint/Paintbrushes
- Plyers
(Thanks for the typo correction, Malinda!)






The wooden frame can be found at your local craft store (Michael's, etc). for $1! Buttons are in the sewing aisle - they have tons of different packets. Choose whatever suits your taste and style (though the antique packets are chic in my opinion.) These packets consist of all the buttons you'll need for the project (about 100 per packet, you'll only need 60ish) and are approximately $5.

Directions
1. Paint the frame a fun chic color. My choices include purple or cream!

2. Pick out the buttons you want to use. Vary them in color, size, shape,texture for
extra chic-ness.

3. Take plyers and use your strength to rip the holey part off the back of the buttons. You can do it! You want the backside of the button to be flat so that you can glue it on to the frame later.

4. After the paint on the frame is dry, heat up your glue gun (I have a cute mini-sized one) and artistically pile and glue the buttons on the wooden frame in layers.


Beautiful!

Cozy Saturday

Yes, it's Saturday.... I have an excuse for not going out, though! I'm getting over a cold - so I'm trying to be productive and get a bit of school work done. So I snuggled up in my shabby chic pj's. I haven't crafted for awhile, since I've been so busy lately. So I'll start by posting some of my fav oldies but goodies. Get excited....