Mummy Jar Candle Holder

This first Halloween project is really easy. After looking at pictures on Wednesday to get ideas I found some mummy jars and love the look of them. (I know it’s Sept. 30 but it’s never too soon to start making Halloween decorations)

All you need is a glass jar, cheesecloth, white glue or ModPodge, either wiggly eyes or acrylic paint in black and white. You need a paper plate, (one of those coated ones that won’t absorb the glue).  I used ModPodge that I had added a little water to. It’s very thick and sticky so I wanted it to be a little bit lighter.

Wash your glass jar and remove the label. It won’t matter if some of the label glue remains because it will be covered.

I only made one, for now, because I only had one jar. But I will probably make more before Halloween. They are so cute. My jar is a smaller one so it took less cheesecloth. A large jar will need more. So cut pieces as you need them.

For the eyes you can buy some of those wiggly eyes. I didn’t have any and couldn’t get to town so I improvised. I took my black paint and poured two round dots the size I wanted of the eyes. Then I let it dry. I did a second layer since it was too thin with just one. Once it was just about dry I added small white dots in the center and let that dry.

 

Cut the cheesecloth into pieces about one foot long (or about the circumference of the jar) and about four inches wide. Pour some glue on a scrunched up piece of cloth and mush it around until you get it completely soaked, but not drippy. Squeeze out any excess into the glue bottle so the cloth isn’t dripping as you put it on the jar.

Starting at the bottom of the jar, wrap the cheesecloth around and adjust it as you work. You want it to look like bandages but you don’t want it so thick that the candle light won’t show through. As you wrap it around the jar let some ridges show, don’t make it smooth. It should be rough and unkempt looking. After all, it is supposed to be a mummy that is thousands of years old. I only used four strips of cheesecloth.

For the eyes you can either, let the cloth dry and glue the eyes on, or you can glue them in as you wrap. I decided to put them in as I wrapped the cloth so they would lay under the edge of the last (top) layer and look scarier.

Work your way up the jar wrapping and adjusting. When you get to the top of the jar bring the cheesecloth just over the edge but not into the inside of the jar. You don’t want the heat from the candle singeing the edges of your cheesecloth. Leave this to dry overnight. It will most likely take that long for the glue to dry completely.

If you are using the wiggle eyes you can glue them now. You can use white glue but I recommend either E6000, Craft Goop, or a hot glue gun. If you use white glue you will have to lay the jar on its side to keep the eyes from slipping until the glue dries.

This is a messy project. You will get glue on your hands and your work surface. But it’s fun and the kids will love it. It only took me about fifteen minutes to complete it. So making a bunch of them would only take a couple hours. This would be great for a rainy afternoon project. Though the moisture in the air might make the glue take longer to dry. But that just allows longer working time.

You could line your walk with them or put them into your windows. These would be great along the center of a table for a party.

Another idea would be to wrap wire around the rim before you put on the cheesecloth. Create a wire handle that lets you hang the mummy from a tree branch. It would look really cool with a bunch of them. You could let a piece of the cloth wrap up one side of the wire and look like he is coming unwrapped.

Til next time. J

Terri

Just added to my Etsy shop, fabric wrist cuffs and some new jewelry pieces.  www.etsy.com/shop/1krazyrtist  New items every week

Halloween Ideas to check out

Are you dressing up for Halloween? Are you decorating the house and yard? Are you throwing a party for the kids? Or a group of adults?

I just love Halloween and all the decorations you can create. So….  I thought I would do a few Halloween crafts for the next few weeks. Just to give you some ideas for your own decorating. To get some ideas I surfed the web for a while. So many ideas, wow.

I decided to start by sharing these websites that have some very cool stuff.

One of my favorites is the Martha Stewart idea page. Check out all the great home made projects. There are some awesome projects on her site.

http://www.marthastewart.com/856579/last-minute-halloween-ideas/@center/276965/halloween#_

I found these cool Steampunk Pumpkin Treat Tubs on this website

http://www.trendhunter.com/slideshow/diy-halloween-ideas

This is a cool idea with flowerpots, one of my favorite crafting supplies. I want to do this one. I also bookmarked the site because it appears they have lots of different craft ideas and instructions.

http://www.favecrafts.com/Halloween-Crafts/115-DIY-Halloween-Ideas-The-Ultimate-Guide

Here is a cool blog by an event company. They have cool Halloween ideas and probably others for different occasions.

http://blog.eventup.com/diy-halloween-tips-and-tricks/

Here are some commercial sites that are great if you don’t want to make your own decorations

GrandinRoad is a cool site, though more costly than some others   http://www.grandinroad.com/

Oriental Trading Company has lots of inexpensive stuff for decorating as well as some great kits. They are good for any party theme throughout the year

http://www.orientaltrading.com

Some other places are

www.partycity.com/category/halloween

www.spirithalloween.com/decorations/‎

http://www.thehorrordome.com/halloween-decorations.aspx

Grab your paint and supplies and make your home look great for Halloween.

Or grab your credit card and order those fun decorations so they arrive in time.

Til next time. J

Terri

Stop by my Etsy shop for new arrivals www.etsy.com/shop/1krazyrtist

Wall Hanging for Inspiration

This is more a project for the kids than for adults. This is a project that came out of my work with the developmentally disabled adults. I spent four years working for a small non-profit corporation in Las Vegas, NV teaching, planning and designing art and craft projects for a day work program. My clients loved this because it was all about what they liked.

You could actually use this project as a wish board if you wanted. Instead of doing a bunch of small panels you can do one larger piece and use the same techniques.

The first thing to do is grab a bunch of magazines and a pair of scissors. Begin cutting out the things that grab your eye. Words, images, sayings, people, color swatches, etc. For a wish board you would cut out the things that you want in your life, words that describe you or your desires, colors you love, etc.

 

After I cut a bunch of images and words out of the fashion magazines I had, I separated them into categories: words, places, clothing, and miscellaneous images. This made it easier to see what I had to work with. I also grabbed some of my own stamped sheets and my rubber stamps so I could add more if I wanted. I didn’t use most of this stuff. But it’s always nice to have it out in case you want to use it.

 

 For the wall hanging I cut pieces of cardstock in half creating 8 ½”x5 ½” pieces. I made four of them to begin, then had to decide what direction (orientation) I wanted them. They will hang one above the other and I don’t want the hanging to stretch too long.

I used a plain brown cardstock because I knew I would be covering it with glue and stuff. With young children you might want to use colored cardstock since they might want to allow the background to show. They don’t see things the same as adults. It’s really best to let them pick the color of cardstock they want to use. That way they can let it show, or not, as they see fit.

Then it was time to begin playing with the images. I decided to create a wall hanging that represents art. But as I worked, and looked at the words I had cut out, I saw the words inspiration board, illuminated, and power. These became my focus. I started with some large, bright background pieces that would fill up the negative spaces. I worked on all four pieces at the same time so they had a cohesive look.

 

Don’t worry so much about cutting each piece perfectly, or that the glued pieces hang over the edge of your back board. Once it’s done you can turn it over and trim the edges.

After I got my background made I put on a bunch of words to create some inspirational messages.

Then I used a hole punch to create holes ¼” down and one inch in on the corners. Except for the piece going on the bottom. It only needed holes in the top edge. (Unless you want to put ribbons or streamers from the bottom, then you would punch holes there too.

Then I used some hemp cord to tie them together so they hang down the wall. The hemp cord is in a corresponding color to compliment my boards. Measure the cord about three times the length of your four boards. This allows for the knots you tie at each hole to hold them in place.

This project only takes a couple hours. It’s a great project to occupy the kids on a rainy afternoon. It would also be fun at a birthday party or to just let the kids be creative.

I know it’s not great art, but it’s fun and it can inspire you to create some real art projects. You could even turn this into a serious project with canvas, paint and your imagination.

Til next time. J

Terri

Stop by my Etsy shop for new arrivals www.etsy.com/shop/1krazyrtist

Simple Hippie Scarf

Being born in the early 1950’s I was in high school in the 60’s. I had bell bottom jeans and wore
cropped tops. Though I never did drugs or embraced the hippie styles too much, I am still a child of that time period. I love the hippie look and am having fun creating handbags and jewelry that reflect the hippie fashion styles.

Here is a simple head scarf that takes just minutes to make on your sewing machine.

The pattern piece is simple. It is four inches wide on one end and 1 ¼” wide at the other. The piece is 19” long. It sounds too short, right? Well you put the 4” end on a fold and when you cut it you have a 38” piece of fabric. When it’s sewn the scarf will be 37” long.

I like things to do double duty, in this case be reversible. So I cut two pieces of different fabrics so I can wear whichever side suits my fancy for the day.

Pin right sides together and sew one side completely from tip to tip. On the other long side sew from one point to a spot two inches from the center and back stitch. (Seam allowance is approximately ¼”) Then do the same from the other end. This leaves you a four inch opening in the center of that side for turning the band. Trim your corners before turning. This makes smoother corners.

If you want more of a point on the ends just change the taper from the center, or curve your seams toward the center. Still leave space for at least two stitches at the ends. The two stitches will make it easier to turn and give you a nice point. (a lesson I learned when sewing fingers on small doll hands )

Once you have turned it, press the edges and pin. You want to create a nice smooth edge. Then, pin the opening closed.

Topstitch the band all the way around less than a 1/4” from the edge. (You can hand stitch the opening if you want before you top stitch)

You are done. Of course you could make fabric flowers, sew on beads, or embellish however you want.

 

You can also embellish the pieces before you pin them together if you want.

Oh, and here’s a hint. I used two different colored threads to topstitch this scarf. I put black thread in the bobbin and brown thread on top of the machine. Then when I did the top stitching I made sure I had the brown fabric up. It didn’t really matter when sewing the pieces together because the thread would be inside. But I wanted the threads on the outside to match my fabrics.

This is a project where you can get really creative and make fun head bands to go with all your outfits. These would also be fun as gifts for the young ladies in your life. My granddaughters are all 16 to 19 so they are a little too old for the cutesy ones. But they might like some made with satin or velvet and embellished with beads.

  

Til next time. J

Terri

Stop by my Etsy shop for new arrivals www.etsy.com/shop/1krazyrtist

This is the second bonus post on the wrist cuffs.

I tried to post it the other day, but my internet has been acting up.

In the original one on September 2^nd I talked about trying to make a wrist cuff that was a purse. Well, here is my result.

It’s a bit more bulky than the other types because of all the extra layers. But I like how it turned out. It has the smooth back put on by sewing right sides together and turning, then top stitching.

The fabric was a lightweight cotton so I lined everything with muslin. The brown fabric is leftover from making curtains for our motorhome.

The loop clasp in the center is actually a hair band. I walked down to the dollar store this morning (we still don’t have a car) and bought a pack of them. They are perfect for the clasp on the cuffs. When you use them on the end they make the cuffs work for different size wrists because they stretch.

The two pockets are designed to hold money in the zippered one and credit cards and ID card in the other. 

The flaps cover the openings and keep the credit cards from sliding out. 

The metal buttons are actually Canadian coins that someone shaped into domes and soldered loops onto so they could be used as buttons. I have a bag full of coins from all over the world that they turned into buttons. They make perfect clasps for these cuffs.

This has been a fun project and I still have some ideas to develop. 

Now to work on my next project. Check back on Monday.

Til next time. J

Terri

Stop by my Etsy shop for new arrivals www.etsy.com/shop/1krazyrtist

Hippie Wrist Chain Bracelets

In keeping with wrist jewelry, I thought I would show you how I made these fun chain bracelets. If you watch America’s Got Talent you know that Heidi and Mel B have both worn the same type of bracelet in the past few weeks.

These are easy to make and quick if you do just the basic. You can get fancy once you know how they go together.

The first thing to do is measure some chain to go around your middle finger and make a closed loop.

 

Then measure from the loop to your wrist where you want the bracelet to sit. If you are going to put a charm in the middle, measure then deduct the size of the charm plus two jump rings.

Connect all those pieces together. Then measure your wrist at the spot where the bracelet is going to sit. Add about a half an inch for comfort. Cut a piece of chain that length and connect your other piece to the middle link of the chain with a jump ring.

Put a lobster claw clasp on one end of the wrist chain. On the other end put a larger jump ring. You are done.

Now if you want to make it so it can be worn by several people, add a half inch of chain, and another jump ring. You can add several of these extensions depending on how large a wrist you want to accommodate. I could have made my wrist chain on this one about a half inch shorter (I didn’t allow for the ring that attached the clasp). It still works fine and will look okay.

You can also put a charm on the end of the extension chain for decoration.

Here is a photo of the small pliers I use in making jewelry. With them you can do most any type of work with wire and chains.

If you want to get a little fancier you can put two, or more, chains from the finger loop to the wrist chain. You just have to measure and cut your chain to fit. The key here is that the distance from your finger loop to the wrist loop will not change. But you can put any type of combination chain and charm design in between. Get creative here.

I am also looking at how I can combine the fabric wrist piece with the chains to create a fun hippie style bracelet.

Til next time. J

Terri

Stop by my Etsy shop for new arrivals www.etsy.com/shop/1krazyrtist

Bonus Wrist Cuff

This is the first of two bonus posts.

I worked on more of the wrist cuffs and wanted to show you what they looked like. So below you will see photos of the fronts and backs of three new ones.

The two with stitching across the back were simply made by sewing pieces onto a back.

The green one has zipper pieces on it and brown grosgrain ribbon.

The blue and tan one is cotton duck, cheesecloth and a blue hemp cord that was stitched on using a zigzag stitch. The buttons on it are set so that it will fit wrists up to seven inches.

The third one has a nice clean back. That one was done by cutting a back piece, sewing the front to the back leaving a turn spot, turning and then top stitching. This type is a little harder to make, but still fairly quick to make.

The fabric I used was cotton and already had the beautiful stripes. I added rickrack between the stripes.

 Til next time. J

Terri

Stop by my Etsy shop for new arrivals www.etsy.com/shop/1krazyrtist

Fabric Wrist Cuffs

So it’s Sunday and I just figured out last night what I wanted to make today. I have been interested in making some fabric wrist cuff bracelets for a while. Why not now?

I looked at a bunch on Google and then went through my scraps for inspiration.

I measured my wrist and then added a about two inches. My wrist is small and I wanted to create a cuff that could fit larger wrists. My piece measures 2 ½ x 8 ½”.  This allows a little fabric to lay under the clasp and lets me put extra buttons on it. (In the photo below it’s 10 ½ but I cut it shorter)

Pinking shears make a great edge design. Then stitching all the way around the edge prevents any fraying that might compromise the structure later.

Then it’s time to layer different fabrics. I like to lay out the fabrics and see what works best together. Then cut pieces out, using the pinking shears again to give all the pieces some commonality.

For the button loop I cut a 1”x 4” strip, folded it in half, then folded the edges in to the center. This gives nice folded edges. Then I just stitched up the edge where the two sides came together. The ends are not finished because they go between two of the layers on the cuff and will be hidden. I went ahead and stitched it to the under side of the one piece of fabric that would be stitched to the end of the cuff. That way when I stitch it down it will be sandwiched between the bottom piece of brown denim and the upper fabrics.

After I got a few pieces of fabric stitched together I pinned this piece to the denim back. Then I continued to sew on pieces. I like the idea of the stitching crossing back and forth on the back of the cuff. It won’t be seen because it will be against the wrist, but the designs would be cool.

 

Then I got the idea to add some trims or something. I found this great yarn and pinned it between the denim and the other fabrics. I stitched it down and then added more fabrics.

Then I did something krazy. I laid a bunch of the yarn all over the cuff and using a zigzag stitch sewed it in place. This flattened the yarn a little, but the cuff came out kind of fluffy.

Then I added three buttons on the end opposite my loop. This allows the cuff to be adjusted to different size wrists. It could even be worn over a sleeve. Hmmmm! Two of the buttons were put on for the loop. The third button was added near the loop as decoration. It creates a cohesive design.  The buttons could have been a little bigger but my button stash has dwindled and I didn’t have a lot of choices.

I went on to make a couple more cuffs. They are so easy and quick to make. I plan on making one that is a mini purse too. I have to work out the design, but will post it when I finally figure it out.

I do think that if the cuffs are any wider than about 2 ½” inches you have to cut them to allow for the taper of the arm as it get wider the higher you go.

I love the look that the cuffs make and plan on making a bunch more. They are fun, easy and can be made to go with any outfit. They also will keep your wrists warm during the winter months.

You can get lots of ideas on Google by typing in ‘fabric wrist cuffs’. There are plenty of them out there and they are all really cool looking.

Til next time. J

Terri

Stop by my Etsy shop for more new arrivals www.etsy.com/shop/1krazyrtist