The Crafts Dept. » Kristin St. Clair

Dip Dye & Make Art!

Kristin St. Clair — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 13:00:25 +0000

Before our Holiday break, you might have seen me on the show with Martha demoing a fairly simple project— felt animal art. Materials needed are minimal—RIT dye, white wool felt, an embroidery hoop and imagination. For this winter series I chose Evening Blue so it would resemble the the deep blue ocean or a cold night sky against the frozen earth. The project was inspired by Jude's Arctic tapestry from last winter season. I took that project down a notch to make it more approachable and affordable. A yard of 100% wool felt is available online at Aetna Felt for half the price it sells for locally here in NYC. With just a yard of felt and a single dye bath, you can create multiple pieces to display on a wall. Embroidery hoops are sold in most craft stores, but sometimes you can find a good lot of them on Ebay for even less!

Back Next

1 of 9

1 Wall with collage of embroidery hoop felt winter animals.

2 Sitting polar bear.

3 The polar bear that Martha demoed.

4 One of many little penguins.

5 Did you know that you will never find a polar bear living with a penguin because they are from opposite sides of the earth!

6 Seals and sea lions live in both Antarctica and the Arctic.

7 hi seal.

8 After watching "A LIfe Among Whales" (http://www.alifeamongwhales.com/index.php) the gigantic creatures were on my mind daily—I demoed the Sperm Whale.

9 Displayed on the yellow wall in the Martha's set craft room.

This project doesn't stop here— dip dye white felt in an orange ombre for African Sahara animals or a green ombre for jungle animals.

Stay tuned for photos of the big book I made for baby Jude!!

Rope Bangles

Kristin St. Clair — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 13:40:17 +0000

Back Next

1 of 7

2 Bangle set painted with metallic gold paint.

3 Bangle set painted with metallic silver paint.

4 Bangle set painted with Martha Stewart Crafts Gross Black Paint.

5 Single rope strands stacked together, painted with a metallic gold, brass and silver paint.

6 Wear your diy rope bangles with your other bracelets!

7 Fun!

Looking for a clever, inexpensive DIY Holiday gift for your friends? I think I've got you covered. Spend an afternoon making unique bangles from what other than... rope! Take a trip to your local Michael's, where you will find all the supplies to keep you crafting all day long. Look for the Martha Stewart Crafts aisle to find the key supplies; water-resistant fabric stiffener and metallic paint!

Click through the photos to see how to get crafting:

Back Next

1 of 16

1 I purchased rope from the hardware store, nothing fancy. Basically any rope 1/8" or thicker will work. With thinner ropes, use multiply strands in your design.

2 Squirt a dime-size amount of hot glue onto glue pad. Line up ends of thin cotton rope and press into hot glue. Let cool.

3 Twist, braid or knot rope in the design you prefer. Loop your design to make sure the inside diameter measures about 2 1/2 inches (small), 2 5/8 inches (medium), or 2 3/4 inches (large).

4 Mark end point with finger. Squirt another dime-size amount of hot glue onto glue pad; press rope into glue where your finger is holding the end. Let cool to secure. Trim excess glue with scissors after it cools.

5 To get a seamless connection between ends, add hot glue on the back side of the start end of the design, if necessary. Let cool.

6 Snip through the middle of the glue...

7 ...so that the end is straight.

8 Your design should be the proper length now...

9 ... and both ends should be straight.

10 Use a dab of hot glue to connect the ends to each other.

11 Pour fabric stiffener into bowl; submerge rope bracelet.

12 Remove bracelet from stiffener and use fingers to remove excess.

13 Place bracelet over cup and push down to form into a circle; keep in place for one minute.

14 Remove and place bracelet on a flat surface and press down to level it. Make sure you don't disturb your circle shape. Let dry 2 to 12 hours (use a fan to speed up drying time).

15 Paint with metallic paint.

16 Create a bunch of different bangles that you can wear together.

You can also watch the how-to video from Martha's show!

Clay Mushrooms!!

Kristin St. Clair — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 14:39:14 +0000

I picked up a box of Laguna Dry-Hard Clay about a year ago at Michael's Craft Store on the Upper East Side here in New York City (as available at Amazon.com). Since I lack access to a kiln, I've felt deterred to spend the time sculpting with ceramic fire clay. I was particularly drawn to Laguna clay for it's familiar ceramic clay-like qualities that can captured without firing it but rather just air drying it!

First project, clay mushrooms of course! I guess you could say I am a bit crazy about the whimsy world of gnomes and toadstools, since they do seem to appear in quite a few of my craft projects... oops. I hope you all like mushrooms too and will follow the picture tutorial below.

Back Next

1 of 13

1 1. Start by preparing a bunch of 16 gauge hard wire stems about 7 inches long with one bend end. Roll clay in a quarter size ball and insert wire through the center.

2 2. Between your hands, roll the ball into a mushroom stem about 2 1/2" long. To smooth out any imperfections, use a wet paintbrush. Let the stems completely harden and dry.

3 3. Roll another ball of clay for the mushroom cap.

4 4. Insert the wire bend of the stem into the ball of clay.

5 5. Use your finger to create the annulus of the mushroom while securing the cap to the stem as well.

6 6. Place the mushroom upside down on a flat surface.

7 7. Flatten the ball out creating a disc (cap).

8 8. Use your fingers to curve the edges of the disc down.

9 9. Use a pencil or a pointy clay tool to make the giles on the under side of the mushroom cap.

10 10. Smooth the cap out with a paintbrush and water.

11 11. Let dry over night. Use styrofoam or potting soil to hold the mushrooms upright while drying.

12 12. Paint the dry mushrooms with diluted acrylic paint. For a base, drill holes in a piece of wood to hold up the wire. They can also be displayed in the soil of house plants.

13 13. Cover the top of the wood with white glue and preserved moss for final touches. It helps to stick screwers in the holes to remember exactly where they are. Remove them when glue is dry and place mushrooms on the grassy knoll.

Paint your mushrooms with a red cap and white dots and you have yourself a toadstool!

For more information about this how-to visit MarthaStewart.com for the on-air demo. If you are interested in the mushrooms but don't have time to make them yourself, visit my etsy store to purchase a set of mushrooms or toadstools.

Pearl Eyeballs

Kristin St. Clair — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 13:24:46 +0000

Here's a fun little craft to do before Halloween rolls around—eyeball jewelry!—using inexpensive, faux pearls, a few basic paint colors, and a fine-tip permanent red marker. LOOK through the photo gallery to SEE how it's done:

Back Next

1 of 6

1 Secure pearl bead to the top of a skewer.

2 Slightly water down green paint (I like the Martha Stewart Crafts paint because it adheres to all surfaces permanently). Using a mini foam pouncer, pounce on pearl.

3 Create a pupil with a dot of black paint.

4 Don't forget the glint in the eye to make it more realistic.

5 A fine tip red permanent-ink pen makes perfect bloodshot eyes.

6 String your eyeballs on embroidery floss or string.

While you're at it, make some eyeball pinheads for your pincushion. You'll giggle (or gasp!) every time you open your sewing kit.

See you later.

White Wedding Wonders

Kristin St. Clair — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 13:03:04 +0000

I never expected my wedding would consume me, but now I realize that was a silly assumption. It has, and I guess I am just going with it. It's around the corner now, about a week and a half away, and there are still things to do. My decorating theme is crystals, and it's transformed to a wonder world of white—collections of milk glass, candlesticks painted white, white branches, glitter, white candles (votive, tea, pillar and stick), crystal votive holders, crystal quartz rocks, and crystal balls.

I've been staring at all the white "things" for the past couple weeks trying to imagine exactly how everything will look scattered down the long long tables. Here's what I've been looking at:

Back Next

1 of 12

1 Everything white

2 Collection of milk glass planters

3 Candlesticks and candelabras spray-painted white

4 white beads

5 stained white tree truck disc

6 crystals wired for ornaments

7 crystals in a bowl with seed pearls

8 lots and lots of quartz crystals

9 painted white branches, glittered and crystalized

10 crystal ball

11 beautiful phantom crystals

12 Viva Terra crystal tea light holder on left and dripping candle http://www.vivaterra.com/

I hope it all turns out the way I imagine.

Oh, side note:

I went on a wild search for white candles that drip and they were so hard to find. They are all drip-less! I must be the only one who loves when candle wax runs down the sides of the candlestick and piles up making organic shapes. I just love that. I found candles that drip here.

Set Decorating in the 1950s

Kristin St. Clair — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 13:33:11 +0000

You may remember that I worked as a set decorator on a short film project with my best friend, Nicki Manchisi, over the summer. I wanted to share with you some of the set photos from the film. The film is titled Woo Woo, and it is set in 1961 in Astoria, in New York City. I spent most of the summer prop shopping for the proper items that a working-class family would have in that time period. Researching was fun and so was shopping, but being on set and actually seeing all the work come to life was just over-the-top special. The film was shot on super 16 black-and-white film stock, which was recently developed and now in the process of telecine (being transferred to digital for editing purposes). All I have right now are photos, and I am anxiously awaiting for the final motion pictures!

Here are a few photos that I took of the different sets that we shot in.

Back Next

1 of 11

1 Bedroom. The paper doll art on the wall is a antique handmade piece I found on Ebay. They have real human hair! http://lemmemakeit.blogspot.com/2011/04/paper-dolls.html

2 Children in bunk beds in their bedroom.

3 Toys in the girls' bedroom. Some of the objects were actually mine but eBay and Etsy were good sources for vintage items.

4 Bedroom, night scene. Just love this picture with actress Paige Smith.

5 Kitchen. Most of the kitchen props were purchased at Brimfield Antique Market.

6 Mother Beatrice in the kitchen.

7 Kitchen table. We were able to use the table from the location because it was an authentic 1950s table.

8 Louis setting the dinner table. All the elements for this were purchased at New York City local flea markets, Brimfield and some of my personal things.

9 Family having dinner

10 Living room. The curtains really made this room—they looked great in black and white.

11 Living room. The telephone table, purchased at Brimfield, was one of the first props bought. We found the phone afterward.

Here are some photos of the actors, the crew, and the sets all taken by the set photographer, Lisa Weatherbee.

Back Next

1 of 36

1 Photography by Lisa Weatherbee

2 Bedroom scene - Zoey Mae Dillion - Photography by Lisa Weatherbee

3 Bedroom scene - Zoey Mae Dillion - Photography by Lisa Weatherbee

4 Bedroom scene - Zoey Mae Dillion - Photography by Lisa Weatherbee

5 Bedroom scene - Paige Smith - Photography by Lisa Weatherbee

6 Bedroom scene - Paige Smith - Photography by Lisa Weatherbee

7 Bedroom scene - Paige Smith - Photography by Lisa Weatherbee

8 Bedroom scene - Zoey Mae Dillion and Paige Smith - Photography by Lisa Weatherbee

9 Bedroom scene - Paige Smith - Photography by Lisa Weatherbee

10 Woo Woo pacing scene - Martin Pfefferkorn - Photography by Lisa Weatherbee

11 Bedroom scene - Paige Smith - Photography by Lisa Weatherbee

12 Woo Woo pacing scene - Martin Pfefferkorn - Photography by Lisa Weatherbee

13 Nightmare scene

14 Nightmare scene

15 Neighborhood kids playing game scene - Photography by Lisa Weatherbee

16 Neighborhood kids playing game scene - Photography by Lisa Weatherbee

17 Neighborhood kids playing game scene - Photography by Lisa Weatherbee

18 Prepping for close ups - Photography by Lisa Weatherbee

19 Neighborhood kids getting scared by Woo Woo - Photography by Lisa Weatherbee

20 Photography by Lisa Weatherbee

21 One of the neighborhood boys. Photography by Lisa Weatherbee

22 Nicki Manchisi, the director & writer of the film, going over a scene with Zoey. Photography by Lisa Weatherbee

23 Nicki Manchisi, the director & writer of the film, going over a scene with Zoey. Photography by Lisa Weatherbee

24 Eileen with the boys from the block. Photography by Lisa Weatherbee

25 Louis, played by Paige Smith, looking out the window at Woo Woo pacing the street. Photography by Lisa Weatherbee

26 Louis looking out the window at Woo Woo pacing the street. Photography by Lisa Weatherbee

27 The Director, Nicki Manchisi, and the children actors on a break. Photography by Lisa Weatherbee

28 Louis and her sister playing a game under a sheet. Photography by Lisa Weatherbee

29 Running home for dinner. Photography by Lisa Weatherbee

30 Actress Zoey Mae Dillion had the role Louis's older sister, Eileen. Photography by Lisa Weatherbee

31 Martin Pfefferkorn had the role of Woo Woo. Photography by Lisa Weatherbee

32 Breakfast table. Photography by Lisa Weatherbee

33 Actors Giverny Petitmermet and Jason Altman played the parents of the Louis and Eileen. Photography by Lisa Weatherbee

34 Photography by Lisa Weatherbee Kristin St. Clair on set.

35 Tim Hegarty as the local bakery owner. Photography by Lisa Weatherbee

36 Louis, Paige Smith, walking home from the bakery. Photography by Lisa Weatherbee

For more information on Woo Woo the film, please contact the director, Nicki Manchisi.

Short Film Set in 1961 NYC

Kristin St. Clair — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 16:44:52 +0000

My best friend, Nicki, is in the final steps of earning her MFA in film from San Francisco State. The preparation for her thesis film, Woo Woo, has consumed her the past few months, and up until this point Nicki has done all the work herself. She has really impressed me—I know the amount of work that goes into a daily TV show and it has a staff of about 80 people—she is managing all the parts behind the scenes.

When she started her first year in the graduate program, she asked me if I would art-direct her thesis film. How could I refuse the opportunity to work with my best friend on a project that is the start of her career—I couldn't say no.

It's been fun so far, 1950s image researching, photographing locations, prop shopping at Brimfield flea market... The film takes place in Astoria, Queens, in the early 1960s—a period piece is more challenging then you might think. It is quite difficult to find furniture from that time that is NOT retro or that doesn't have a Danish modern feel. The family isn't 1950s Rockabilly or Lone Ranger style, the mother isn't wearing poodle skirts or cat-eye glasses, the film will not be like a scene out of Madmen or even Leave it to Beaver. The goal is to create something nostalgic and paint a picture of a time that no longer exists of a working class, religious, immigrant family living in the bustling city though one hot summer.

Here's a brief synopsis of the film and some of my photo inspiration...

Woo Woo tells the story of a young girl and her relationship to a brain-damaged war veteran. Woo Woo, the war veteran, lost his ability to communicate after World War I. He now wanders the streets repeating "woo woo" to himself. The neighborhood children mock him. When the little girl's older sister makes up a story about Woo Woo's past, she becomes terrified of him. Her fear only heightens her curiosity as she begins to watch him from her window.

Back Next

1 of 14

1 The actual house in Astoria Queens in 1961 where it all began. Nicki's Nana still lives in the same house, where we will be shooting the majority of the film.

2 Interior inspiration.

3 Interior inspiration

4 Father and daughters

5 Family love

6 1950's school children

7 Interior inspiration

8 Mother bakes coffee cake

9 Mother in kitchen

10 1950's kitchen

11 1950's grocery store

12 1950's candy shop

13 1950's grocery store ad

14 One of the most difficult props we thought would be to find was an official vintage Purple Heart. I can't imagine anyone ever getting rid of one, but we found one at Brimfield!

The first handmade prop I've made is an embroidered Irish Blessing that will hang on the wall where the family gathers for meals.

Back Next

1 of 7

1 An Irish blessing

2 First I ironed freezer paper to a piece of cotton fabric so I could run it through my ink-jet printer. This is a brilliant, easy way to transfer a design onto fabric for embroidery (you can see in the picture above how lovely the print comes out).

3 The small black text on this piece was all done with regular cotton thread. The green Irish Blessing and shamrocks were done with embroidery floss.

4 It feels so good to tie off the last threads and rub your fingers over a finished piece of embroidery. I always love the messiness of the back.

5 I found this lovely, old, crocheted trim with a touch of green at Brimfield. Immediately upon spotting it, I knew it would be perfect for an Irish Blessing. I baste stitched the trim around the blessing and mitered the corners so it looked complete.

6 All that is left is framing. In order to print on the fabric, I was restricted to an 8 1/2" by 11" piece. It was perfect to fit in an 8" by 10" frame but there was not much wiggle room.

7 It wound up just fitting and I was able to pad the back a bit with batting to give the embroidery a soft, cushion feel. Voila!

Hang on Mom!

Kristin St. Clair — Tue, 10 May 2011 17:40:04 +0000

I've been thinking a lot about sloths recently. I've always thought they were fascinating and I've been trying to learn more about them. Ultimately, I would love to spend some time with them—you can actually do that if you visit Costa Rica. So now I am planning a trip!

But before my holiday planning in the jungle, came Mother's Day. I think I inherited my love and appreciation for animals from my mother. My mom and I get all warm and fuzzy inside when we are around animals. The opening scene in the movie Babe is a moment we always reference—Babe's mom is taken away from her piglets in the factory farm. Unaware that his mother is heading toward her fate, Babe leans his head through the bars of the stall and says in the most endearing voice, "Goodbye, Mom." We always rewind that part so we can hear him say that line over and over again. We say it to each other almost every time we are together.

This year my Mother's Day card wasn't your typical Hallmark staple, but I knew my mom would get a kick out of it. I guess, it's a bit comical to give your mom a sloth card on Mother's Day—especially when your mom is not a sloth at all! But she knows my current obsessions, and I knew she would appreciate my humor.

Back Next

1 of 5

1 I printed a photo of a sloth from Google images, taped the image to a piece of card stock, and cut around the sloth with a craft knife.

2 I decided to make the card monochromatic in all green. I cut a few strips of green paper to simulate tree trunks—of course making one the perfect width for the sloth to hang on to.

3 The trees of the jungle went all around the card.

4 On the inside is a tropical leaf and words to my mom, that is only for her eyes to see.

5 Have you ever seen a sloth Mother's Day card before? I bet you haven't! Happy Mother's Day, Mom! oxox

Happy Birthday Banner Card!

Kristin St. Clair — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 14:27:21 +0000

A while back on my personal blog, lemmemakeit, I shared a card I made for a special someone's birthday. It was fun to make, and I received such a joyous response that I created a template so it could be easily replicated. Click through the photos for the how-to so you too can surprise your friends with a special homemade birthday card!

Back Next

1 of 12

1 Surprise! Happy Birthday!

2 Copy this template to your desktop, and print it on a piece of colored card stock.

3 Score with a ruler and a bone folder on the dashed line of template.

4 Fold on scored lines.

5 Cut out the triangle shape around each letter, through both layers of paper, to create each pennant for the garland.

6 All the letters should be double sided and have a fold on the top edge.

7 Use a glue stick to glue each pennant together, sandwiching a piece of baker's twine along the fold. Do HAPPY on one piece of twine.

8 And BIRTHDAY on another piece of twine.

9 The pennant banner should look similar to this.

10 Temporarily tape your banner in an open card to determine the placement. Mark the corners where the banner will attach. Remove, and tie knots on both ends to join the two banners in the appropriate spot.

11 Use white glue to attach the knot to one corner of the card. You may need to lean the card in a somewhat open position to let the glue dry.

12 Glue the opposite side knot to the corner across, and let dry. Trim the excess twine off.

Back Next

1 of 5

1 Balloon!

2 With a circle cutter, cut a 2.5" circle to make a balloon.

3 Cut a mini triangle out of the same color paper for a balloon knot.

4 Glue the balloon knot and a piece of twine to the back of the circle with white glue. Let dry.

5 Use a glue stick to attach balloon to the front of your card. Tack the twine down in a few spots with dots of white glue.

The card below might be considered a bit over the top. One lonely balloon drifts on the front of the card, but...surprise! I didn't get you just ONE balloon silly! I got you a whole bunch!... on the inside. Click through the photos to learn how to make some of the balloons pop out.

Back Next

1 of 12

1 Balloon explosion card!

2 Start by making a bunch of balloons, and wait for them to dry.

3 I organized my balloons by color.

4 This is an oversize card with a single lonely balloon floating into the air on the front.

5 Attach the banner to the inside of the card.

6 Where should all the balloons go?

7 A bundle of balloons for the Birthday boy or girl.

8 Some of the balloons were glued on flat and others were popping out. I created a paper spring by scoring a strip of paper. It reminds me of frog legs.

9 The frog legs should lie flat when the card is closed.

10 Glue the tabs onto the card with a glue stick.

11 Make sure it will lie flat.

12 Remove your finger and it should bounce up!

Mesh Ombré Necklace Winners

Kristin St. Clair — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 13:39:27 +0000

Congratulations to Patti Lynn Fitzgerald & Melanie Ballard, who won our dazzling necklaces!!!

Thank you to all who commented—I really enjoyed reading all your posts!