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Monthly Archives: June 2008

Furniture

We have a great discount furniture store not to far from my house that I love to shop at! I have my eye on a three piece living room set that would look really nice in my house. I wish they had a lay a way department, so I could pay a little each week on it, as by the time I get enough saved they will no longer have it in stock. We also need a new entertainment center, so I have been checking it out, but nothing so far has caught my eye yet.

Who would have thought??

I was talking with a friend the other day and she said she went through all of her gold jewelry and sold it for some quick cash. I have a few gold chains and rings that are just sitting around collecting dust. I think I am going to sell some of mine off to see if I can make some quick cash. There are a few craft projects I want to make, so I need to have the funds to support my habit!  Then in turn I can sell those to continue to make some money, to help contribute to our family income, without me having to go out and get a job right now.  Wish me luck!

A couple fun ideas to do with the kids

A recyled tote bag

 

Fuse a stack of plastic shopping bags into a durable, water-resistant carryall, great for toting sleepover gear, wet bathing suits, or sandy beach treasures.

CRAFT MATERIALS:
9*?10?plastic shopping bags (use only those labeled No. 2 HDPE)
Scissors
Parchment paper
Iron
Ironing board
Colored duct dtape

Time needed: Under 1 Hour

1. Cut the handles and bottoms from 8 shopping bags. Arrange the bags into two equal stacks. Make sure any printing on the top and bottom bags faces inward.

Step 2. Sandwich one of the stacks between two pieces of parchment paper, making sure the plastic is entirely covered. Beginning with the iron on a low setting, such as synthetics, move it steadily over the stack until the bags shrink and fuse together. If the bags do not fuse after 2 or 3 minutes, increase the iron?s temperature. You may need to experiment to get the heat just right. Avoid touching the plastic directly with the hot iron. Set the fused sheet aside and repeat with the other stack.

Step 3. To create one long sheet of plastic, lay the two sheets end-to-end, overlapping by one inch. Then iron the overlap between layers of parchment paper to fuse the sheets together.

Step 4. Have your child choose colored plastic bag strips to decorate the outside of the sheet. Iron these plastic pieces to the sheet between parchment paper, as in step 2.

Step 5. Lay the sheet decorated-side down. Fold it so that the short ends match up, and tape the sides of the bag together. Trim the top of the bag to even the edges. For each handle, lay a 9-inch-long piece of tape in the center of an 18-inch-long piece, sticky sides together, then tape the handles to the inside of the bag.

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Sunglass case

 
Fit to be Tied

For Father's Day this year, update Dad's wardrobe with a fashionable new tie and recycle an outmoded one into a stylish sunglass sling.

CRAFT MATERIALS:
An old tie
Scissors
Waxed paper
Tacky glue
Self-adhesive Velcro-dot fastener
Time needed: Under 1 Hour

1. Cut the tie as shown (A) so that it?s 16 inches long.

2. Slip a piece of waxed paper into the wide opening. Then, run lines of glue around the edges of one half of the tie, as shown.

3. Fold the tie in half and curl the cut edge inside the opening at the opposite end (B).

4. Glue the cord ends in place and add a Velcro-dot fastener. Set a book on top of the tie to press it flat while the glue dries.

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Waterproof Beach Bag

This colorful, rinseable carryall is the perfect beach bag for kids — great for packing up gear, collecting sandy treasures, or toting wet suits and towels.

CRAFT MATERIALS:
13-gallon garbage bag
Scissors
Colored duct tape (we used red and white)
Marker or pen
Yardstick or measuring tape
4 (2-foot) pieces of white cotton cording

Time needed: About 2 to 3 Hours
1. Turn the garbage bag into a large sheet by cutting along one side seam and the bottom seam. Tape the sheet flat to your workspace and draw a 16- by 30-inch rectangle on it. Cover the rectangle with slightly overlapping strips of red and white tape.

2. Cut out the tape rectangle and flip it tape-side down.

3. Lay 2 pieces of cording across the rectangle about an inch from one of the shorter ends. Fold that end over the cording and tape it down to make a casing. Repeat this at the opposite end with the other pieces of cording.

4. Fold the rectangle in half and tape the sides together to form the bag.

5. To make the drawstring, pair up one cord from each casing and knot them together at both ends. Repeat with the remaining 2 cords, then pull one knot at each side to cinch the bag.

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Jean Pocket Purse


Jean Pocket Purse

Recycle a pair of pockets into a hip tote bag.
CRAFT MATERIALS:
A pair of old blue jeans (for the purse's pockets)
Scissors
Fabric glue
4-foot long thick cotton cord
Needle and thread
2 Velcro tabs
Time needed: About 1 to 2 Hours

1. Start by cutting a pair of matching back pockets from old jeans, leaving at least 1 inch of material around the pockets.

2. Place one cutout pocket side up on your work surface. Line both sides and the bottom edge with fabric glue (we used Crafter's Pick), then carefully lay the second cutout pocket side down directly on top of it, securing them together.

3. Fold down the fabric at the tops of the pockets and glue in place. Allow the glue to dry.

4. When the glue is dry, turn the bag inside out.

5. For a strap, tie a knot at each end of a 4-foot length of thick cotton cord. With needle and thread, sew one end of the cord along each side of the bag.

6. For a closure tab, glue or stitch 2 Velcro tabs just inside the top of the bag.

Cute socks

 SKILL LEVEL:  Intermediate

SIZE: 24 months (2 yrs), Child 3, Child 5-6
Approximately 2-3 years (4 years, 5 years)
Finished Length Length of foot can be adjusted as desired
Note Pattern is written for smallest size with changes for larger sizes in parentheses. When only one number is given, it applies to all sizes. To follow pattern more easily, circle all numbers pertaining to your size before beginning.
Note: Pattern is written for smallest size with changes for larger sizes in parentheses. When only one number is given, it applies to all sizes. To follow pattern more easily, circle all numbers pertaining to your size before beginning.

 Knit Child's Snake Socks
Lion Brand® Wool-Ease®

GAUGE:

22 sts + 28 rnds = 4 in. (10 cm) in Pattern Stitch.
BE SURE TO CHECK YOUR GAUGE. BE SURE TO CHECK YOUR GAUGE. When you match the gauge in a pattern, your project will be the size specified in the pattern and the materials specified in the pattern will be sufficient. If it takes you less stitches and rows to make a 4 in. [10 cm] square, try using a smaller size hook or needles; if more stitches and rows, try a larger size hook or needles.

STITCH EXPLANATION:

SW (slip and wrap) Bring yarn to front of work, slip next st, turn, wrap yarn around slip st and slip same st back onto right hand needle. On next row, work wrapped st by picking up wrap and working together with st on left hand needle.

ssk (slip, slip, knit) Slip next 2 sts as if to knit, one at a time, to right needle; insert left needle into fronts of these 2 sts and knit them tog.

K1, p1 Rib (Even number of sts)
Rnd 1: *K1, p1; rep from * to end.
Rep Rnd 1 for K1, p1 Rib.

PATTERN STITCH (Multiple 4 sts)
Rnds 1 and 3: Knit.
Rnd 2: *k2, p2tog and leave on left hand needle, insert right hand needle between the sts just purled tog, and purl the first st, sl both sts from needle together; rep from * across.
Rnd 4: *P2tog and purl first st again (as in Rnd 2), k2; rep from * across.
Repeat Rnds 1-4 for Pattern Stitch.

Grafting Holding the 2 needles parallel with wrong sides of fabric together, thread a large-eyed blunt needle with yarn end and work as follows:
Insert needle as if to purl into first stitch on front piece. Insert needle as if to knit into first stitch on back piece. Then follow steps 1-4 as outlined below. 1) Insert needle as if to knit through first st on front needle and let the st drop from needle. 2) Insert needle into 2nd st on front needle as if to purl and pull the yarn through, leaving st on the needle. 3) Insert needle into first st on back needle as if to purl and let it drop from the needle, then 4) insert it as if to knit through 2nd st on back needle and pull the yarn through, leaving st on needle. Rep 1-4 until all sts are grafted. When finished, adjust tension as necessary. Weave in ends.

SOCK
Cast on 32 (36, 40) sts. Divide sts onto 3 double pointed needles.
Join, being careful not to twist sts, and place marker (pm) for beg of rnd.
Work in k1, p1 rib for 1 in. (2.5 cm).
Change to Pattern Stitch and work until piece measures 3 1/2 (4, 4 1/2) in from beg.
Shape Heel
K 15 (17, 19) sts for heel. Leave remaining sts unworked.
Work back and forth in short rows for heel shaping as follows:
Row 1 (WS): P14 (16, 18), SW next st, turn.
Row 2: K13 (15, 17) sts, SW next st, turn.
Row 3: P12 (14, 16), SW next st, turn.
Row 4: K11 (13, 15) sts, SW next st, turn.
Row 5: P10 (12, 14), SW next st, turn.
Continue to rep last 2 rows, having 1 st less before SW on each row, until 8 (9, 10) sts have been worked.
Next Row (RS): K8 (9, 10) sts, SW, turn.
Next Row: P9 (10, 11) sts, SW, turn.
Rep last 2 rows, adding 1 more st before SW on each row until 15 (17, 19) sts have been worked.
Foot
Resume working in Pattern St in the rnd over all sts until foot measures 3 1/2 (4, 4 1/2) in. (9 (10, 11.5 cm) or desired foot length from back heel to base of toes, end last rnd 7 (8, 9) sts before beg of rnd marker and move beg of rnd marker to this point.
Toe
Next Rnd: Work in Pattern St as established over 8 (9, 10) sts, pm for first marker, work in Pattern St over 16 (18, 20) sts, pm for second marker, work in Pattern St over 8 (9, 10) sts.
Next Rnd: Work to 3 sts before first marker, k2tog, k1, sl first marker, k1, ssk, work to 3 sts before second marker, k2tog, k1, sl second marker, k1, ssk, work to beg of rnd marker.
Next Rnd: Work in Pattern St as established.
Rep last 2 rnds until 8 sts remain. Divide sts evenly onto 2 needles, cut yarn leaving a long end. Graft sts together.

FINISHING
Tongue
With pink or purple yarn, pick up and knit 6 sts across end of toe. Work back and forth in Garter St (k every row) for 2 in (5 cm). Bind off.
With green, embroider chain st eyes on top of foot. With navy, embroider straight st pupils. Weave in ends.

I scrapped!!

I actually did a page!!   I plan on getting a frame for this and will be hanging it up on our living room wall by a cross stitch I did.