Sarah's friends have just written a sweet book where all the projects are miniature, but don't underestimate the punch of these pint-size crafts. That would be a big mistake. Big. Huge.

"Hi Everyone!

I'm so excited to have a few projects featured in Microcrafts (where every craft is smaller than a spool of thread!) from Quirk Books. The book features 25 art and craft projects compiled by Alicia Kachmar, Margaret McGuire, Katie Hatz, and friends. One of the projects featured in the book are my mini owls! And guess what? Now you can make your own:

Don’t let pretty scraps of fabric go to waste. Dainty owlies can be made out of any three-inch cotton square.

Supplies

• tracing paper
• disappearing fabric marker
• two 3-inch square scraps of fabric (one print and one solid)
• scissors
• sewing machine or needle and thread
• bamboo skewer (optional)
• embroidery thread and needle
• polyester fiberfill

Back Next

1 of 9

1 Trace the owl pattern onto tracing paper and cut out the shape. Then trace the pattern twice onto the wrong side of the fabric (for the front and back). Cut out the fabric pieces.

2 With right sides facing, sew together the fabric pieces using a 1/8 -inch seam allowance. Leave the opening unsewn as marked on the pattern.

3 Turn right-side out through the opening; use a pointed object like a bamboo skewer to push out the corners.

4 Make the beak by folding down the triangle. Use 2 straight stitches of embroidery thread to secure it to the front, sewing through the tip of the triangle and 1 layer of the body fabric. Knot the thread on the inside of the beak.

5 Mark spots for the eyes using the fabric marker. Use embroidery thread and small straight stitches to make the eyes; knot the thread on the inside.

6 Stuff the body and fold in the bottom edge. Double thread a needle and sew a running stitch along the bottom. Gather the ends and secure with a knot.

7 Sew on a loop of embroidery thread to make owls into ornaments you can hang around the house or tie onto gift packages.

8

9

P.S. If you're in New York City this Saturday, October 22, head over to the Microcrafts event at Pins & Needles for some snack and crafts from 3-5 PM."

Thanks, Sarah!

After rounding up some of the best-looking staff pets, pulling together simple costumes—both handmade and store-bought—and gathering handfuls of tasty treats (after all, every trick has its price), we rallied together for a very hands-on photo shoot.

Who knew wrangling animals all day could be so exhausting? Here are some behind-the-scenes photos of the shoot in progress:

Back Next

1 of 16

1 Mickey was such a bashful bat.

2

3 Lucy didn't want to wear the hood and antennae that came with her bee costume.

4

5 But she certainly played the part!

6 Here's Suki giving her fiercest dinosaur poses.

7 And a little "Blue Steel" for good measure.

8

9 Our photographer Bryan does double duty as Attila's handler.

10

11 Will the real jack-o'-lantern please stand up?

12 Shy at first, Rhoda quickly grew into her flower costume.

13

14

15 C'mere's coloring made him the perfect sunflower.

16

For more instructions and pet costume ideas, click here.

Also, be sure to watch the show next Wednesday, when Martha will demonstrate how to make the Dino Tank.

Just in time, too—Halloween is just around the corner. After that, it's a whirlwind of celebrations: Thanksgiving, Hannukah, and then Christmas!

If you are inspired to make something for the holidays, we've got you covered from A to Z—or rather, from New Year's Eve to Christmas Day. No more worrying about how to decorate the house, what to give as a gift, how to prepare your dining table, or even how to achieve that perfect candlelit glow:

Back Next

1 of 26

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

What's your favorite holiday? Do you make something special to commemorate the occasion?

Take this curtain, for instance. We gave it a decorative detail by adding smocking—a traditional sewing technique in which fabric is gathered so it can stretch.

The squares in the gingham pattern act as sewing guides so you can make perfectly spaced stitches. As the thread makes knots in the front, it floats between the squares in the back of the fabric. (For the template and more instructions, click here.)

"My nephew, J, adores the NYC subway. His 5th birthday party is tomorrow, and here is something I made for him. I love to make my nephews special gifts for their birthdays. For J's 3rd birthday, I made him a personalized subway map. For his little brother's bagel-themed party last year I made bagel favors, and for another nephew's first birthday I made him his very own board book.

J is obsessed with all things subway and can tell you about every subway line (even the Z and the G!) and which are his favorite stops and where you can transfer to get to where you need to go.

I wanted to give him a set of personalized wooden blocks that featured on the faces: 1. all the subway lines, 2. drawings of his family, 3. his favorite stops, and 4. a drawing of a subway train. I used nine wooden blocks, and you can purchase a set of 10 1 1/2" wooden cubes at www.craftparts.com for less than $5. All you need, really, in addition to these blocks are some paint, paintbrushes, a permanent-ink marker, and a little imagination, and you are set to create something special.

Supplies you will need:

• painters' tape
• paintbrushes (make sure you have a small one for detail painting)
• scissors
• permanent-ink marker
• nontoxic gouache or acrylic paint."

Back Next

1 of 14

1 Start with nine 1 1/2-inch wooden cubes (from http://www.craftparts.com).

2 I started with a rough sketch and list to sort out which subway lines and images would go on each cube face.

3 Cut strips of painters' tape and adhere to the sides of the cubes so you can paint a clean edge onto each cube face.

4 I painted several of the sides of the wooden cubes the color of the NYC subway lines.

5 Once I had the subway colors on the cubes, I used the small detail brush to draw the letters of the subway lines in white and black.

6 I wanted some of the faces of the cubes to work as a stackable puzzle. I painted the faces of my nephew's family (J and his little brother, his mom and dad) on four cubes, then shirts and bottoms for each person on other cubes.

7 I used a permanent-ink marker to draw simple details onto the faces.

8 Here are my nephews, J and his little brother, N.

9 And J's mom and dad.

10 Then, I wanted to paint the other sides of the wooden cubes to look like subway cars.

11 It would be cool to make these magnetic so the cubes could connect!

12 On other faces of the wooden cubes, I featured some of my nephew's favorite subway stops.

13 And of course, the rest of the faces of the wooden cubes featured all the letters and numbers of the NYC subway lines.

14 I picked up this denim drawstring bag at a dollar store; it's the perfect pouch for my gift.

Thanks so much, Erin! Who knew the MTA had such enthusiastic fans?

When my dear friend told me she was expecting, I wanted to make her something useful and (relatively) timeless.

Here's the thing: I love knitting but hate following patterns. There's something relaxing about the repetitive motion of my hands clicking away with their own muscle memory, and throwing a pattern into the mix always disrupts that peace—having to check rows, count stitches, switch colors at specific points...not ideal.

Inspired by this cowl and determined to have a simple project, I settled on a garter stitch baby blanket.

Back Next

1 of 5

1 The colors were inspired by an American Indian medicine wheel.

2 Knitting the yarn and Sashiko thread together produces a marled effect.

3

4

5

The blanket was made with the softest Blue Sky worsted cotton yarn and Olympus Sashiko thread.

The only problem: I miscalculated the gauge, so what should have been a blanket just for baby is now for baby +1. Ah well, babies were meant for cuddling anyways.

All you need are a few supplies: painters' tape, spray adhesive, spray paint, and a sheet of caning.

Begin by taping off edges and other areas that you don't want painted. For this bureau, we also used a piece of kraft paper as a mask.

Spray the adhesive on one side of the caning, and stick to your surface. Position your object so the painted surface is facing up. Hold the spray paint about 1 foot from the surface, and spray an even coat. Let dry a few minutes, and remove the caning.

This technique is easy to do and could go just about anywhere. I might even try it on a seat cushion with fabric paint next time.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

Today we have another post from our ever-crafty web producer Ashley Little:

"I bring my lunch to work in a reusable container, stashed in my bag along with my wallet. Why is this a bad idea? Various things leak into my bag – salad dressings, mayonnaise, lemon juice – and wreak havoc on its contents. After paying for coffee one morning using balsamic vinegar-soaked dollar bills, I realized it was time for a lunch bag.

I decided to make an Oilcloth Lunch Bag because it can easily be wiped clean. Instead of making the entire bag from oilcloth, I created two layers: an oilcloth lining and a gingham exterior.

There are a few things you need to know when working with oilcloth:

• If your sewing machine has a special foot for oilcloth, use it!
• When pinning, work as close to the edges as possible since pins will leave holes in the oilcloth.
• Never iron the oilcloth.
• When storing, roll up your oilcloth instead of folding it to avoid permanent creases. (Some creases will disappear if you lay the oilcloth flat in a sunny spot before rolling it up.)

These lunch bags are totally customizable, so they’re also great for kids’ school lunches. Start the school year with a lunch bag like no other – or just put a stop to leaky purse lunches!"

Back Next

1 of 10

1 1. Cut your pieces for the lining and the exterior. Each should have 1 center piece and 2 side panels.

2 2. Lining: Pin the side panels to the center piece, right sides together.

3 3. Make a ¼-inch cut at all 4 corners of the bottom to allow the corner seams to be flexible and smooth.

4 4. Pin the exterior fabric pieces together and clip the corners, just as you did for the lining.

5 5. Sew the side panels to the center pieces for the lining and the exterior.

6 6. Turn the exterior right-side out and place the lining inside it.

7 7. Turn the top edges of the bag under by finger pressing. Pin in place.

8 8. Topstitch around the top edge of the bag.

9 9. Apply Velcro fasteners to the front and back of the bag. I used a Velcro fastener with an adhesive back.

10 10. Pack your lunch, and fold the top over to keep it safe!

One of our most dependable sources for quality, durability, and workmanship—Singer has always been there for us. No job is too small or too big for these mighty machines.

With a story that has both historical (sewing machine production was halted from 1939 to 1944 to focus on making wartime goods) and social (sewing became a popular pastime for housewives in the 1950s) significance, I'm sure many of us also have a personal history with Singer.

I remember my first time: I was 13 years old and my Mumma took me to the sewing store in the mall. I sat down, the shop owner put my hands on the fabric, and I stepped on the pedal. Ten minutes later I was walking away with my new best friend.

Do you remember your first time sewing on a machine? Let Singer know and you might win a new model!

Back Next

1 of 5

1 A few of our many sewing projects

2

3

4

5

Shibori is a Japanese method of tie-dye in which cloth is stitched, folded, and twisted before dipping into dye to create patterns.

Back Next

1 of 9

1 Running stitch is used to create patterns.

2 (Sorry for the grainy pictures; we were basking in the comfort of air-conditioning at this point!)

3 After sewing, the threads are pulled to gather the fabric.

4 Sarah dyes and rinses the fabric.

5 After dyeing, we cut the threads to reveal the patterns.

6 The anticipation...

7 Results!

8 I was too impatient to leave my piece in the dye bath for the full recommended time, but I think it still turned out.

9

It was quite a nail-biter—waiting to cut the threads. Some pieces definitely turned out better than others.

Tips to remember for next time:

• use a strong thread (like quilting thread) so it doesn't snap when pulled
• gather the fabric very tightly so the dye can't seep in
• dye and rinse the fabrics outside when possible (or risk a purple tub!)

I definitely recommend trying Shibori, but if the sewing part seems too intimidating there is always good old-fashioned tie-dye. I think either would make a great weekend activity.