Easter Basket

Decorator Basket from Gifts Kids Can Make by Sheila McGraw

What you need: 0.5 m fabric (linen) I used an old pair of pajamas, Masking tape, 6 m medium weight rope (I used nylon lightweight rope, so I had to use more to make the same size basket), Craft glue (I didn’t end up using this), Scissors, Ruler, Measuring type, Pen, For a handle, use extra fabric, robe and wire (I used more masking tape and a needle and thread)

1. Tear 5 to 10 strips of fabric about 4 cm wide.

2. Wrap masking tape around ends of the rope to prevent fraying. Measure and mark, but do not cut the rope.

3. Lay the end of one fabric strip onto the rope so that it hangs over the end on an angle. Tape in place.

4. Begin wrapping the fabric around the rope, keeping it angled so it overlaps.

5. When you come near the end of one stip (10 cm) tuck in the next strip so they overlap.

6. Keep wrapping till you get you your measured mark, tape fabric in place, but do not cut the rope.

7. Go back to the beginning of the rope, tuck and fold the overhanging end of fabric around the rope, glue into place( I skipped this step). Tear 8 narrow strips of fabric about 60 cm long (I used yarn). 8. Tie the center on one narrow strip (or yarn) to the finished end of the rope. Bend the covered end of the rope over, using the yarn to tie in place. Tie the seven more strips to the rope with equal spaces in between.

9. Begin to coil the rope. When you come to a strip, tie it around the rope, continue till the spiral is 18 cm across.

10. To make the sides of the basket, continue to coil the rope, but instead of placing the rope beside the last, place it on top, then tie. Continue till you get to the end on your fabric wrapping rope. If the basket is not high enough, just wrap more fabric around the rope (that’s why you didn’t cut it yet!). At this point I decided I wanted more pieces of yarn to hold the basket together because I founf there was to much space between the yarn. I added in pieces by going back to the bottom of the side of the basket, and tieing up to the top.

11. When you’re happy with the size of your basket, cut the rope and finish the end like you did the other end. Trim the lose ends of the strips or yarn then tuck them between the coils, or tie in decorative bows. 12 If you want a handle, cut a length of rope the size on the handle you want, and wrap in wire or masking tape, so it will stand on its own. To attach to the basket, bend the wire or fabric around the top coil. Wrap the handle in fabric, and attach to the other side the same way.

Now you have a lovely basket for Easter, holding keys, soaps, fruit, bread, the list is endless! Try using ribbon instead of yarn or fabric to tie the basket together. These would also be great for gift baskets. Enjoy!

Magazine Page Bows

I love making these fun bows out of magazine pages, they’re so easy to make, and add that unique finishing touch to your gifts!

1.You will need Scissors, a craft brad and, one magazine page, try to find one with lots of colour and minimal words (like a full page add) the colour it the first thing you will see!
2.Cut the page vertically into 2 cm strips, I just eyeball it and I get 7-8 strips. You can make these thinner for a different look.
3.Like the picture, hold one strip in the middle with the ‘wrong’ side facing you. Curve the top of the paper and hold in the middle. The ‘wrong’ side should be showing on the end of the strip.
4.Repeat with the bottom end. It should look like a figure 8.

1.Poke the brad through the 3 layers of paper.
2.It should look like this on the back.
3.Fold another strip the same way.
4.Put the new figure 8 on the bottom of the first, and poke the brad through.
5.Repeat for the rest of the strips, and spread the brad ‘legs’ out to hold.
6.Now you’ve made a beautiful environmentally friendly bow to put on your gifts!

Make a bunch so you’re ready for the next birthday or holiday!

Top 5 Hand Made Valentines

I've seen so many amazing handmade Valentine goodness around for the last month, and I've narrowed down my favourite in 5 categories. When I think of Valentine’s Day, I don't think of store bought cards, flowers and chocolate for all the romantic relationships. I think Valentines is for everybody you love, your children, friends, family, co-workers, it’s a time to appreciate all your friendships. I love making things by hand, so homemade cards, food, gifts and decorations are the things I look for when a holiday comes around.

Favourite Card:

LandofNod

Favourite Decoration:

OhHappyDay

Favourite Vintage:

TwoCrazyCrafters

Favourite Gift:

Pitterandglink

Favoutie Food:

Bakerella

DIY Paper Curtain

These beautiful paper curtains are so easy to make, and look great in a window with the sun behind them.

1. Gather your supplies: scraps of colourful paper or paint chips in any shape (triangles, squares, circles, hearts, starts, etc.), and a sewing machine with white tread.
2. To start sewing, make sure you have at least 10 cm of tread pulled behind the needle, this is what you will use to tie your curtains to a curtain rod.
3. Sew through your first piece of paper.
4. When you get to the middle of the paper, line up the next piece.

5. Let the needle run through nothing for about a cm, then let the feet grab the next piece.
6. Once you have sewn through the middle of the 2nd piece, line up the 3rd
7. Continue until your curtain is as long as you want it to be to fit your window, door frame, etc.
8. Tie onto a curtain rod and enjoy!

DIY Bound Book Part 2

Yesterday I posted a DIY Bound Book and today I will show you how to put your own cover on it. You can use any kind of paper and design you want as long as it is at least 2cm bigger around than your book. I used a Cora place mat.

1. Place your book in the middle of a sheet of paper that’s bigger than the book.
2. Glue each cover of the book.
3. Fold the sheet over and rub to secure.
4. Fold in the corners
5. Then fold the sides
6. Fold the middle in as shown, and make a cut in the middle (not shown)

7. Fold the top and bottom edges in.
8. Tuck in the paper in at the middle.
9. Cut a length of card board the same length as the book and width of the spine, glue each side, and slip in.
10. Rub the spine of the book against a desk/floor/your hand.

the Spine should look like this.

Now you have your own personalized bound book!

DIY Bound Book Part 1

I’ve been making bound books for a few years, and wanted to share a tutorial on how to make one! This one uses 25 sheets of paper to make a 50 page book, but you can use more or less if you’d like. You can use any paper you like, loose leaf, graph paper, sationary, moleskin, or your own handmade paper. I like to leave the book with the original cover, but you can wrap the cover with paper aswell, I will post that part in the next post.

1. Gather your supplies. You will need: a cardboard box (I used a cracker box), 25 sheets of paper, scissors, needle, tread/ embroidery floss, and a pencil (not shown).
2. Cut away the sides and ends of the box, you’ll be using the largest front and back panels.
3. Fold 5 sheets of paper in half.

4. Place the 5 sheets of paper inside each other as in the picture; this will make 1 bundle of 5 sheets
5. Make 5 bundles in total.
6. Take one of the card board panels; these will be the covers for the book. Mark 5 dots along the long side of the card board, then line up the bundles and mark the folded edge where they line up with the dots (see picture). Make the same dots on the other cover (not shown).
7. With your sewing needle (I used a small darning needle) poke through the dots all the way through the bundles.
8. Also poke through the covers.
9. Thread your needle and sew through the 2nd hole from the inside of a bundle, coming out the outside.

10. Sew the needle through the 2nd hole of another bundle.
11. Now inside the 2nd bundle, poke the needle through the 1st hole.
12. Bring the needle back into the 1st bundle through the 1st hole.
13. To secure the end of the tread from pulling through, knot the end and pull the needle through the tread as shown.
14. Pull the tread to secure and then pull the needle through the 3rd hole.
15. Pull the needle through the 3rd hole of the second bundle, like before with the 2nd holes.

16. Repeat till you sew through to the 5th hole.
17. To add the next bundle, pull the needle through the 4th hole. You will have already sewn through this hole.
18. in the 3rd bundle, sew through the 5th hole, into the 5th hole of the 2nd bundle (already sewn through) and back up through the 4th hole. You will sew the 4th holes of the 2nd and 3rd bundles together twice.
19. Sew the 3rd, 2nd and 1st holes together. Repeat till for the 4th and 5th bundles. You will sew through the 2nd and 4th holes twice for these as well.

20. When you have sewn all the bundles together, bring the needle through the 1st hole of the 5th bundle
21. Line up the front cover and thread the needle from the front to back. Then bring it back to front through the 2nd hole, and back into the 5th bundle.
22. Continue to the end of the cover, bring the needle through the 5th hole of the 1st bundle to start sewing on the back cover as shown.
23. Bring the needle up through the 4th hole of the 1st bundle and sew front to back through the 4th hole of the back cover.

24. Sew the 5th holes together then the 4th hole again.
25. Continue to the 1st holes, bring the needle back into the 1st bundle.
26. Pull the needle through the tread between the 1st and 2nd holes and tie a knot.
27. Tie a few more knots this way.
28. Cut the tread off.
29. (Optional) if the cover is larger than the pages like in my case, trim the edges.

And now pat yourself on the back; you’ve just bound a book! I hope this tutorial wasn’t too confusing for anyone. Good Luck!