gift bag resolution

After my daughter was born, we had a huge supply of gift bags. Most of them were pink, but we had our fair share of gender neutral and holiday bags, too. It’s been over three years, but I’m almost finished using them for gifts.
Honestly, it felt like my stash would never be gone. When [...]

reuse-or-recycle package labels

Usually I just handwrite this message on my packages, but sometimes I forget when I’m rushing to get things in the mail. Now I have labels! I printed them on the back of already used paper and just slip them under the packing tape. I suppose you could print stickers, but that’s too involved for [...]

my new laptop bag…and all the details

During the past week, this bag has carried my laptop through the airport, been my purse to a wedding, and toted stuff to the beach. That’s a lot of jobs for one bag. I’m happy to say it performed all of its required duties wonderfully. And it looked pretty darn cute, too. Here’s how I [...]

how to sew a baby quilt in five easy steps

So you’d like to make a quilt, but you’re intimidated by all of those little pieces, right? I am, too. But you can make a quilt without blocks. It’s easy and looks just as nice! Here’s how I did it:
Materials
1 – 36×36″ piece of top fabric
1 – 36×36″ piece of bottom fabric
1 – 36×36″ piece [...]

handmade father’s day bookmarks

I had a hard time coming up with a gift for my dad and father-in-law this year. We did our daughter’s hand print for Mother’s Day and wanted to do something Bella-related for Father’s Day, too. After surfing crafty blogs for inspiration, I decided on a photo booth bookmark. Both of our dads like to [...]

10 garage sale tips for crafters

It’s that time of year! Green grass, budding flowers and garage sales! At below thrift store prices, though, it’s easy to come home with too many potential projects. Here are some tips for productive bargain hunting. I’ve written them from the perspective of a sewer and knitter, but most apply to all types of crafts.
Go [...]

thrifty yarn ideas

Hey all you knitters and crocheters! Vickie Howell has posted some creative ideas on how to keep those needles and hooks going in this crazy economy. My favorite suggestion is recycling sweaters for the yarn. I tried this once, but had a tough time picking the seams. I wound up giving it away to someone [...]