Wow. I first posted about these muffins over three years ago. They have really stood the test of time. If my daughter had her way, we’d make a batch every week. With a seal of approval like that, I figured they would make good “in-a-jar” gifts.

Originally, I had planned to [...]]]>

Wow. I first posted about these muffins over three years ago. They have really stood the test of time. If my daughter had her way, we’d make a batch every week. With a seal of approval like that, I figured they would make good “in-a-jar” gifts.

Originally, I had planned to give each mix with the recipe printed on a little card. But after attending a local craft retreat, I was inspired to print the recipe on a potholder instead. (Thanks for the idea, Kaitlyn!) A few things:

• I bought the Santa jars on clearance the year before. They were the perfect size for the muffin mix and a little bag of mini chips.
• I made an oven-mitt style potholder using fabric and thermal batting from my stash.
• I ordered special transfer paper for this project. Because it will be used near an oven, I chose a kind that can withstand the heat of an iron after it’s been transferred to fabric.

This was a fun gift to make and give. If you ever do in-a-jar gifts that go in the oven, a potholder is a great way to share the recipe.

project notes: Insul-Bright insulated lining, SuperSoft inket transfer paper, original muffin post, in-a-jar gift ideas

Yes. The woman crocheting dishcloths in the line waiting to see Santa is me. Who knew rows and rows of half double crochet could be so calming during the holiday rush. I think they’ll go nicely with the soaps.

What last minute projects are you finishing up?

Over the weekend I made glycerin soap a la Martha Stewart. I had only planned to make lemon, but on a whim I made some peppermint, too. I can’t believe how nice they turned out — and how easy it was. I’ll be posting pics of the final soaps with materials [...]]]>

Over the weekend I made glycerin soap a la Martha Stewart. I had only planned to make lemon, but on a whim I made some peppermint, too. I can’t believe how nice they turned out — and how easy it was. I’ll be posting pics of the final soaps with materials and tips soon.

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Congratulations to Lawana on winning the sewing book!

Last month I posted about my daughter’s suncatcher. Today, I’ve got another kid-approved creative gift idea: Create Your Own Pop-Up Books. The day after my daughter received this she was tearing into the box before I was even awake. She actually had a lot finished before she woke me up for [...]]]>

Last month I posted about my daughter’s suncatcher. Today, I’ve got another kid-approved creative gift idea: Create Your Own Pop-Up Books. The day after my daughter received this she was tearing into the box before I was even awake. She actually had a lot finished before she woke me up for help.

I was thinking we would actually plan a story before working on this, but her enthusiasm could not be contained. Each page is it’s own story decorated with markers, pop-ups and stickers. “The clams are happy. Mr. Owl is mad.”

There’s lots of potential here for kids of all ages. It literally kept her occupied all day long, with breaks only for meals. I’ve you have children in your life who like books and art, I’m guessing they’ll love it.

creative birthday gifts: You can find my first post about the suncatcher here.

p.s. I’m writing about these books because I think they are cool and my daughter loved them. I have no affiliation with pop-up anything. I’m just spreading some creative love.

I’m on a roll finishing scarves. This one turned out a little longer than I planned. I just kept joining motifs and forgot that each one is a little bit bigger after blocking.

This has got to be one of my favorite yarn projects. I love the [...]]]>

I’m on a roll finishing scarves. This one turned out a little longer than I planned. I just kept joining motifs and forgot that each one is a little bit bigger after blocking.

This has got to be one of my favorite yarn projects. I love the colors and the pattern, plus it has amazing drape. Who would have thought a few thrifted balls of sock yarn could be transformed into something so lovely?

details: Pattern from 201 Crochet Motifs, Blocks, Projects and Ideas. Yarn is Knit Picks Parade (ravelry link). I used 2 1/2 skeins for the scarf and I’m crocheting the leftover bits into bookmarks.

I’ve been wanting to make this scarf since I learned how crochet. It worked up fast and I highly recommend it for your gift making/giving this season. This version is a little shorter than the pattern specs because it’s a gift for a little girl. I think she’s going to love it.

I’ve been wanting to make this scarf since I learned how crochet. It worked up fast and I highly recommend it for your gift making/giving this season. This version is a little shorter than the pattern specs because it’s a gift for a little girl. I think she’s going to love it.

details: Yarn was gifted to me by a friend. It’s Katia Mexico (Ravelry link) and leftover from a sweater she made. The pattern is One Skein Scarf from Debbie Stoller’s Stitch ‘N Bitch Crochet and is a free download from joann.com (pdf link).

modification: I made my chain with a hook size larger and I still feel like it’s a little too tight. It gives the scarf a slight bend or curl. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but next time I might chain with a hook two sizes up to see if it lays more flat.

I found some black and red canvas-like fabric in my stash that I thought would be great [...]]]> My daughter’s friend Mason loves Batman. We got him some superhero books for his birthday, but they didn’t seem fun enough. I thought maybe a special cape would make his gift more exciting.

I found some black and red canvas-like fabric in my stash that I thought would be great for this project — wrinkle resistant and durable. Apparently, it’s Ultra Heat’n Bond proof, too. I wound up stitching on the appliques and gunked up my needle in the process. Bah!

The cape is reversible and I toyed with the idea of adding a Husker N or Mason M on the other side. His mom suggested Spiderman. Of course, it wasn’t until after I finished that we both realized Spidey doesn’t wear a cape. Oops! I spent a lot of Saturday mornings watching Super Friends. I should have known that!

Anyway, I’ve always wanted to make a cape and now I have. And of course, after all of that, he was more interested in the books. Kids. Gotta love them!

cape tutorial: I used Georgia Leigh’s free cape tutorial and freehand sketched the pattern onto my fabric. She also has applique stencils available. I traced my own because I wanted the Batman logo to match the new Dark Knight logo that was on one of the books.

First up is this awesome blast-from-the past suncatcher. Do you remember making these when you were [...]]]> I can’t believe it’s the middle of October and I haven’t told you about all of the cool arts and crafts gifts my daughter received for her birthday. I haven’t even blogged about her art party. I’m a slacker.

First up is this awesome blast-from-the past suncatcher. Do you remember making these when you were a kid? It’s a metal frame that you fill with plastic bits and melt in the oven.

I was a little worried about this project because it says 6+ years, but my daughter did pretty good. We made it together: she dumped the bits into the frame and I used tweezers to corral any stragglers into their proper space. She did get a little frustrated toward the end and we had to take a little break, but all in all, it was a fun project.

She’s really proud of it and it’s hanging in her window.

inspiration: I did a search on pinterest and came up with some really fun ideas for suncatchers. I’m thinking we need to make a wax paper one with some autumn leaves and crayon shavings.

p.s. I’m writing about this because I think it’s cool and my daughter loved it. I have no affiliation with any catchers of sun. I’m just spreading some creative love.

This week I crocheted a little flower bookmark for a friend. I mailed it to her “just because.”

I wish I did things like this more often, but I tend to get wrapped up in my own little world. I’m going to try and change that.

What about you?

I am so excited this is finished because I’m really ready for a new project. It turned out just as beautiful as I had imagined the day I found the sweater.

I couldn’t wait for it to dry, so I took pictures while it was blocking. I don’t normally [...]]]>

I am so excited this is finished because I’m really ready for a new project. It turned out just as beautiful as I had imagined the day I found the sweater.

I couldn’t wait for it to dry, so I took pictures while it was blocking. I don’t normally block blankets, but because this is a gift, I wanted all of the squares to look perfect.

Some friends have asked me about my seaming technique on this blanket. I took pics along the way so I can post a tutorial. My next blanket will be joined as I go. Maybe it won’t take so long to finish.

original post: You can see parts of the original sweater in my first post about this project.