Looking to save money on this year’s Halloween costumes? Someone need a cape? Maybe you have an old jacket in your closet that would work for free! When one of my kids expressed an interest in a witch’s cape, I found this thrift store jacket for $5. I cut off the sleeves, then sewed a […]
Tag Archives | craft
Eco-Friendly Holiday Crafting at Ijams Nature Center
Looking for more frugal and eco-friendly ways to keep kids crafting? Ijams Nature Center’s recent holiday workshop proved once again that the best decorations can be low-cost and green. Several parents brought children and even created ornaments alongside them. Twigs and yarn provided materials for handcrafted decorations. Ijams Volunteer Jonathan Lightbulbs got decoupaged into colorful ornaments. Matt […]
Work by Hand: Green Tea Lights
Planning on decorating your breakfast nook with a sense of character? How about a tea set that illuminates? Alice Chandler Velker and her husband, Glen Velker, are handcrafting chandeliers from tea cups and saucers. They scour antique stores and estate sales for serving sets, occasionally buying new for pieces like the harder-to-find teapots. Alice Chanler […]
Blanketeers Handcraft Hugs for Hurting Children
Deb Miller said it was a rare treat when a family stopped her in a store parking lot after seeing the logo on her vehicle. A father rolled down the window of his car to let her meet the little boy who’d been toting along a special blanket for two years since he’d first been […]
Easy Blanket Craft Warms Hearts
Special blankets are a favorite keepsake for both of my children.They’ve loved every last one that was hand quilted or knitted or bought from a store, gifted from various loved ones. In the warmer months I’ve had to continually put them back up in the closet as they get out one after another and pile […]
Enterprising Women Paint Heirloom Furniture
Ever fallen in love with a piece of estate sale furniture but thought the finish was damaged beyond repair? What about those pieces already in our families that have received too much wear? Two East Tennessee women are finding a fresh way to refurbish heirloom decor. “We’re looking for pieces that need a little bit […]
Mountain Hollow Farm Visit
Not far off the four-lane highway north of Tazewell, Tennessee, down a tree-lined gravel road, a once forgotten family farm and business is slowly coming back to life. It took a move of faith and a twist on farming to make it happen. A mission trip once took Beth Bohnert away from her comfort zone in […]
Wreath-Inspired Treadle-Stitched Christmas Ornament
The girls helped me stuff another homemade Christmas ornament today, for their aunt. The nostalgic cotton print we were using contained small wreaths, which inspired our circular design. We chose vintage buttons to stitch into the middle of the lightly stuffed circle. A bit of grosgrain ribbon completed our wreath with a red bow. We […]
Homemade Fabric Trick-or-Treat Bag Tutorial
It took less than a yard left over from last year’s party tablecloth fabrics to create a new trick-or-treat bag. My daughter chose her two favorite prints and I cut them to use together. I cut four pieces of fabric that were 16-inches square. I also cut two 16 by 2 1/4-inch strips to use as handles. I […]
Super Girly Homemade Cape Costume
Want to try sewing an easy homemade costume It doesn’t get much simpler than a cape. My preschooler recently gave me the opportunity by announcing her intention to be Supergirl this Halloween! So we made a super girly homemade cape costume. I searched my collection of leftover fabrics to find a solid pink polyester/cotton blend […]