DIY Crochet Headband/Ear Warmer

I am sure most of you remember my knitted headband, right?

Well, I'm back but with a crochet

 pattern instead, yay!

I think I actually like the crochet better, 

however it does take a little longer.

 But that's mainly because I'm a slow crocheter.

So lets begin!

You will need a Size H Hook...

First chain 64 links.

Then with your chains facing the same direction join to form a circle.

Slip stitch to join the circle.

Chain two and crochet a half double crochet into each chain.

Continue on and slip stitch at

 the end of each round.

Crochet a total of 10 rows.

After 10 rows, chain 1 and slip stitch 

into each chain for a finished look.

Now for the flower..

I love making crochet flowers, eek!

Ok, so start off with a magic ring 

using your H hook.

Crochet 8 half double crochets into the ring.

Then pull your starting string.

Then slip stitch into the first half double crochet.

Chain 1 and crochet a single crochet 

into the next chain.

In the same chain crochet two half double crochets and then one more single crochet.

Skip one chain, and then repeat: one single,

 two half doubles and then a single.

Continue skipping one chain and repeat the pedal pattern. You will want only 5 pedals.

Slip stitch to join the flower into the 1st chain.

Chain 1, and flip over to the back side. Find the post from the first 8

 half double crochets that you did into the magic ring. Crochet a single crochet going behind each post. Chain two and repeat on each of the 8 posts.

Slip Stitch to the first chain 1 to join.

Flip it back over and chain 1, and crochet 1 single into the first opening

 (the chain two in between each post).

In the same opening, crochet three double crochets and another single.

Repeat 7 more times on each opening:

One single, three half doubles and another single.

Slip stitch into the 1st chain to join.

Chain 2 and flip it back over to the back side. 

Crochet a half double crochet

 into the previous 8 posts. 

Like you did in the first time,

 but this time you will

 use the new 8 posts.

Chain 2 and repeat half double, then 2 chains for the next 7 posts.

Slip stitch into the 2nd chain, to join.

Chain 1 flip it back over to the front, 

and crochet a single, 4 half doubles and another single into each 8 of the posts.

 And slip stitch into the 1st chain to join.

Chain 3, flip it back over to the back side and this time you will crochet a double crochet into each 8 of the new posts, and chain 2 in between each post.

Slip stitch into the  3rd chain to join.

Chain 1, and flip it back over.

Now the pattern will be, a single, 5 half double crochets and another single.

Repeat pattern into all 8 openings,  and slip stitch into 1st chain.

Cut a long (about 2 feet) and pull 

your yarn through to knot it.

Now that your flower is done, you can attach it to your headband either by a clip or by sewing it on.

There are two ways to sew it on:

1) By using a yarn needle

2) Or use the crochet hook to weave it in out and out all the way around.

Note: I picked up the 3rd layer when sewing it, every other pedal to minimize movement.

Thanks so much for tuning in!

Until Next Time...

Worthwhile Wednesdays #56

Welcome, Welcome all to the 56th
Worthwhile Wednesdays Link Party!

Thank you so much for partying with me!


Happy Fat Tuesday!

DIY Heart T-Shirt

There's nothing quite like the feeling of 

waiting till the last minute. 

I've had the shirt for 3 weeks, 

and bought the paints last week, 

but yet here I am finally 

finishing my daughters Valentine's Shirt.

I started it on Tuesday, and just now got 

around to taking the pictures of her in it.

Yep, I know, I know I'm a PROCRASTINATOR.

At least I admit right?

Well anyway, this shirt was super easy to do, 

so let me walk you through it.

First, get a color t-shirt of your choice. 

Then, get two similar colors of paint. 

A base color and then a similar matching 

glitter paint. The ones I got were 

Magenta by Craft Smart and 

Turmalina colored Glitter acrylic 

paint by Martha Stewart .

Then on my cricut machine I cut a cute 

heart out using plain clear contact paper.

If you don't have a cutter, you could also print out a heart

 and trace it onto your contact paper.

Place the heart in the center of your shirt about 

2 inches away from the collar. 

First I painted it with the magenta color.

Then I let it dry for about 6 hours, 

it was still ever so slightly damp, 

but dry enough to apply the glitter paint.

I applied 1 coat of the glitter paint.

I let it dry for about 2 more hours and then 

applied one more final coat.

It wasn't fast, but is was super easy, 

and now my daughter 

has a new shirt to wear tomorrow.

She'll be wearing it over a black long 

sleeve shirt so she stays warm, but she 

can still wear it in the spring and 

even the summer as well.

Thanks so much for tuning in!

Until Next Time...

Worthwhile Wednesdays #55

Welcome, Welcome all to the 55th
Worthwhile Wednesdays Link Party!

Thank you so much for partying with me!

Valentines Card with Rainbow Loom Bracelets

Well, hello and Happy Monday, 

I hope your weekend was great!

I got to get out and enjoy some of our warm, sunshine, but windy weather.

We went on a weekend camping getaway 

and boy was it good to be out of this prison, 

I mean house.

Anyway, in my down time this weekend, I got to make some rainbow loom bracelets. I made them to go with my daughters Valentine's card

These bracelets are easy to make 

and they are kind of addicting. 

If you are organized with your colors and have them all out and ready in the order you want them in, then you can make about 3 bracelets and hour.

I watched a few hours worth of Preacher's Daughters, and made quite a few!

I wish I could explain how to make them, but since I can't here's a video 

from DXDutch on You Tube.

I love all the colors!

I also spent a few hours organizing of all my daughters loom bands.

Rainbow looms are cheap if you buy them online, as well as the bands.

Here's a organizer, and lots and lots of bands.

And of course you'll need a loom.

This one comes with the loom and 2200 rubber bands, wowzer!

And the best part is I'll give you the printable

 that I've designed for free.

Unfortunately, I don't subscribe to Adobe to give you the pdf downloadable form; however simply right click and save as to grab the image.

I printed mine out on card stock and selected 

3.5 inches and put 4 on a page. 

They are the perfect size!

Thanks for tuning in!

Until Next Time...

Worthwhile Wednesdays #54

Welcome, Welcome all to the 54th
Worthwhile Wednesdays Link Party!

Thank you so much for partying with me!

Creating a Sorting Station from an Old Shutter

Hello all, Happy Monday! 

How was your weekend?

Today, I have another wonderful guest blogger 

to give us a cool DIY project.

I am so honored to have 

Melissa Massello 

from

Take it away Melissa!

I love living in small spaces, but they can be incredibly challenging for even the most modern of minimalists. My husband and I learned this firsthand when we lived in a 485-square-foot urban apartment for five years, and even though we've moved on to slightly larger living arrangements, the lessons of designing every square foot to its maximum potential have stayed with us.

Small homes are really trendy right now, especially for their combined benefits of being both economical and environmentally friendly, and with the right storage solutions they can be downright drool-worthy. The key is to look at every nook and cranny as an opportunity to create things that are at once appealing, useful, and organized. Designing for everyday needs, like a place to work or "drop zones" for keeping the detritus of daily life from becoming clutter, is key.

For years, I've been in love with the idea of turning an old shutter into a sorting area for mail and magazines, but couldn't find a good tutorial for how to keep the mail and other papers from sliding through the shutter slats. Motivated by recently becoming a homeowner, I was determined to get ship-shape (can you say housewarming party?) and decided to tackle figuring out the design myself. It worked out beautifully, and (aside from the complicated paint design) was so easy!

You can absolutely use a single color of paint, but given our lack of wall space for art in the common areas of the house, I wanted to create something that was as eye-catching as it was endlessly useful. 

For step-by-step instructions for how I created a riff on a vintage Pendleton blanket ? inspired by the current "colorblock" trend in home décor — head over to ShoestringMag.com.

It's now something that we'll treasure for years to come, keeping important documents filed instead of piled... and from being unintentionally tossed! 

I may even add a small box and some hooks on the front to corral keys, headphones, and other pocket items that seem to end up everywhere. The best part is that you can customize it to what you need for your household, which is rule number 1 of small space living!

MATERIALS

• Window shutter or shuttered closet door, in good condition.
• 5.2 mm 2 ft. x 4 ft. birch plywood, cut to size (Home Depot does this for free onsite)

• ¾ in. wire brads (or finishing nails of similar size)
• Hammer
• Sandpaper
• Primer
• Paint (BEHR Ultra samples are great)
• Assorted small paint brushes, foam sponges & small paint rollers
• Painter's tape (optional)
• Wood putty (optional)
• 

                        First: Prepare the wood

Get your shutter ready by making sure that it's scrubbed clean of any dust or dirt and dried completely. Make sure that any nicks are sanded and nail/screw holes are plugged with putty, if you like. This step is optional and purely for aesthetics—I liked the look of leaving it as-is, so everyone would know that it was re-purposed.

Once clean, measure your shutter door for the custom plywood backing. My shutter measured exactly 1 ft. wide and 79 in. high, so I had a 2 ft. x 4 ft. piece of plywood cut down 2 in. lengthwise (just to be sure it wouldn't show on the edges of the shutter, since the width was exact) and then had one of the lengths cut down to measure the exact height of the shutter, minus 1 in. So, in the end, the single sheet of plywood, originally 2 ft. wide x 4 ft. high, became two pieces: one measured 11 in. wide x 32 in. high, and the other measured 11 in. wide x 46 in. high. I lightly sanded the edges of the plywood, just to make sure there were no splinters.

Next: Prime and paint

Prime your shutter (I used an aerosol primer for even coverage of the shutter slats) and wait about an hour for it to dry. Then, paint your shutter, leaving an hour between coats, until you achieve your desired color coverage. If you're going to create a design, like the stripes on my door, use painter's tape or stencils to create straight, even lines. I found that a small angled shading brush worked best for painting the slats on the shutter door without frustration!

While your shutter is drying, preferably overnight, after your final coat, prime and paint your plywood backing on one side, if desired, using a small paint roller. When everything is coated with paint and completely dry, you're ready to assemble.

Last: Assembly

Turn your shutter over so that the painted side faces down. Place your plywood, also painted side facing down, and it line up evenly against the back of the shutter. There should be about a 1/2 in. to 1 in. allowance on all sides of the shutter. Starting with the corners, secure the plywood to the shutter with the ¾ in. wire brads or finishing nails. When all corners are secured, place a wire brad evenly between the two corners on the top, bottom, and sides. Repeat, spacing the wire brads evenly, until you have a nail about every 2 in. on all sides of the plywood backing to ensure a tight fit and that your mail won't slide through and get stuck between the pieces of wood, even if it warps slightly over time, as plywood is known to do with hot/cold or damp climates.

That's it! Your new mail sorter or "vertical drop zone" is now complete. You can either lean it up against a wall from the floor, or add a picture hanging kit (choose one appropriate for its weight with mail) to secure it to the wall.

Melissa Massello is a DIY'er who writes about her projects for 
The Home Depot. 
Melissa enjoys sharing her upcycling projects like her old-window-shutter-turned-organizer. 



Home Depot's selection of window treatments, 
including shutters, can be found online.

Thank you so much Melissa for your wonderful Shutter Sorter Project.

I will now be on the hunt, for some old shutters!

Thank you all so much for tuning in!
Until Next Time...