Projects

Men's Shirt into Cute Summer Dress

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 12:46:17 EDT

Carly sent in a link to her blog "Chic Steals" where she posted this adorable dress she made out of a men's shirt. It is still pretty darn hot outside so give this little number a try and be sure to send in some pictures!

The best places to find fabric

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 10:00:00 EDT

I'm not easily inspired walking through the walls of fabric bolts at JoAnns, but when I see great prints in the forums and on Etsy, I begin to wonder, where are the best places to find fabric? Here are some great resources for finding interesting goods:

ReproDepot offers a wide selection of fabrics that are either replicated or inspired by vintage fabric. Here are some of my favorites from their very large selection:

Warm Biscuit also has an array of vintage inspired fabrics available online. My favorites include:

If you don't want reproductions, but the real genuine fabric from back in the day, try out Sharon's Antiques. She has plenty of fabrics from different eras for sale, and she guarantees they're not replications. Try these:

There are also plenty of Etsy sellers with fabric in there stores. Some of them have a yard or two - something they found in their grandma's basement perhaps - while others carry yards and yards and yards, like FabricSupplies, a seller that carries 30,00 sales. A small sampling of their very, very large offerings:

Where do you find fabric that inspires new projects? How do chain craft stores compare?

Embroider Killer Wall Decorations

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 10:00:00 EDT

Earlier this week, I stumbled upon the wonderful work of Nea on Etsy. She uses spectacular vintage embroidery hoops and rich linens to make wall decorations that are, if I do say so myself, way more fetch than usual Grandma faire. In fact, I was so inspired I thought I'd find out how to do similar pieces myself.

First, of course, you have to learn how to embroider. The Threadbanger lesson will certainly help.

Once you've got the basics down, you have to keep track of your supplies. I love how Nea goes beyond white fabric and uses alternative pieces for her canvas. Try using large pieces of scrap lying around, or buying fat quarters. Most embroidery crafters choose linen or wool as their canvas, but any sturdy fabric where you can easily see the grain will work. For hoops, use vintage or decorate a new one from a craft store.

With simple stitches, you can design your own patterns. Here are come images I found that I might use.

If you want to do some more advanced embroidery, check out these free patterns.

Rose pattern

1920s woman

Snowflake

Now get to it!

Instructables Round-Up

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 11:08:49 EDT

Did you know that Threadbanger has an enormous presence on Instructables? Of course Instructables is a great place to find just about any craft project, and step-by-step guides with pictures. Here are some great projects with really excellent instructions.

How to Make a Manly Bracelet

How to Cover an Old Bicycle Seat

How to Make a Recycled T-Shirt Necklace

How to Make Your Own Paper

How to Make a Chainmail Shirt

How to Make Ping Pong Lights

Generation-T Contest Details!

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 14:33:37 EDT

To enter the contest, send in a video tutorial or a step-by-step still picture tutorial of your favorite t-shirt reconstruction! Upload your videos or pictures HERE!

First Place:
Generation-T transform it kit, punk pin poetry set, pin cushion wristband, craft tool belt, 4 packs of iron on letters, fabric cutter, marking tool, a Threadbanger t-shirt and a copy of Generation T: Beyond Fashion, 120 New Ways to Transform a T-shirt.

Second Place:
Generation-T patch set, pin cushion cuff, fix-it kit, iron on letters, seam ripper, a Threadbanger t-shirt and a copy of Generation-T: Beyond Fashion, 120 New Ways to Transform a T-shirt.

Third Place:
Generation-T magnetic pin tag, patch set, iron on letters, fix-it kit, magnetic pins and needles case a Threadbanger t-shirt and a copy of Generation-T: Beyond Fashion, 120 New Ways to Transform a T-shirt.

Everyone who submits a video will get a Generation-T fix-it kit and Threadbanger shwag so get your videos in!!

All entries must be submitted by July 31st, 2009 at 11:59 am est.

Dyeing Fabrics Naturally

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EDT

In honor of National Blueberry Month (oh what the internets teach me) I was inspired to learn how to dye fabric naturally. Now, Threadbanger has already done an episode on how to dye jeans using coffee grounds but there are lots of other natural dyes out there too. Here are some tips and instructions to help you start experimenting with your own pigments.

Pioneer Thinking has this great page, detailing not only how to dye fabrics, but listing the variety of materials you could use to achieve different colors. Like blueberries giving you a blue shade, or more surprising, dandelion roots turn fabrics a red shade. Here are their instructions for dye making:

To Make the Dye Solution
Chop plant material into small pieces and place in a pot. Double the amount of water to plant material. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about an hour. Strain, Now you can add your fabric to be dyed. For a stronger shade, allow material to soak in the dye overnight.

Getting the Fabric ready for the Dye Bath
You will have to soak the fabric in a color fixative before the dye process. This will make the color set in the fabric.

Color Fixatives
Salt Fixative (for berry dyes) 1/2 cup salt to 8 cups cold water
Plant Fixatives (for plant dyes) 4 parts cold water to 1 part vinegar
Add fabric to the fixative and simmer for an hour. Rinse the material and squeeze out excess. Rinse in cool water until water runs clear.

Dye Bath
Place wet fabric in dye bath. Simmer together until desired color is obtained. The color of the fabric will be lighter when its dry. Also note that all dyed fabric should be laundered in cold water and separately.
Muslin, silk, cotton and wool work best for natural dyes and the lighter the fabric in color, the better. White or pastel colors work the best.

Or wanna watch another how-to? Check out this one from Etsy

Pioneer Thinking does remind us that when picking any ingredients for dying in the wild, don't gather more than 2/3 from a plant. Leave enough so it can grow more beautiful colors next year.

How-to Make a Sunburst Mirror out of Old Magazine Scraps!

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 17:03:10 EDT

When I saw this how-to on Craftster a while back I fell head-over-heels! Check out the full instructions and forum feed here. The author admits:

I've always wanted an antique sunburst mirror. The only ones i've come across that were of decent quality were well over $500.
So when this challenge came up I decided to make one. So with a Jcrew catalog and wood base and mirror I finally have one for cheap.

STEP ONE Roll magazine pages into tight rolls of various length and begin placing and gluing around mirror (Check out this Threadbanger episode for different methods to do this)

When you finish gluing around the mirror it should look like this:

STEP TWO Careful to cover mirror, spray paint it all silver (or desired color)

And now you're done!

I had enough magazine dowels left over that I made a smaller version too, I was thinking about leaving it unpainted but the colors
of the left over dowels weren't as fun. So I think it might end up bronze or maybe a hot pink...

Enjoy!

Anchor Pattern: How to Make a Pin-Up Bathing Suit

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 19:15:54 EDT

Want an anchor for your skirt, jumper, bathing suit, or whatever summer garment you want to sailor-out? Well here it is! It's the same design featured in the How To Make a Rockabilly Summer Swimsuit episode released today (snapshot above). Just ctrl, click for Macs and right click for PC's and save the image on your computer's picture editing program. This is a bit smaller than the one on the dress, just change the viewing size to 138% (this is at 100%). Enjoy mates!

Weekly DIY Roundup: Recipe Organization!

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 15:52:05 EDT

In the Summer months I find myself cooking and baking more than usual - the fresh fruits and veggies paired with the extra sunlight perhaps. I am not at all organized with my recipes, and now that I'm using them more I'm wanting to get them in order, so I've rounded up some great recipe cards, boxes to hold them, and recipe book ideas! Starting with Crafting a Green World's brown paper bag recipe cards - smart!

There are tons of free downloadable recipe card templates out there - TipNut has a roundup of their favorites. I was happy to discover OceanofAwesome's Retro Recipe Cards on craftster, with free pdfs for a total of 16 different card designs!

And then cawfeehowse on craftster designed Retro Recipe Dividers to go with the cards!

Anna Maria Horner has a how-to for this recipe card holder, as well as a downloadable card pdf:

I love the idea of making a recipe card box from an LP sleeve, like KarenLouiseM's on craftster:

Licalee on craftster turned an ugly old recipe box into a cool vintagey one by covering it with thrift store cook book images:

I'm always looking at photos in reuse stores and wondering if there's a way I could use them, so I love askaboutrpickles' idea of reusing photos as recipe cards, writing the recipes on the backs, then storing them in a photo album!

I really like Gentle Quiet's drink recipe ring book, printed with stamps, but you could make the same kind of thing by printing cards off the computer.

And lastly, I also love the idea of handmaking a really great blank recipe book, then filling it with recipes as you find ones you love, like craftster user cassette's hand-bound recipe book:

This was more of an inspiration roundup than a project roundup, so I hope I inspired you to get crafty in your kitchen! Happy summer cooking!

Ravenclaw Wear: From the Forums

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:36:54 EDT

User Ichnal said in a forum post recently...

Getting fed up with never finding Ravenclaw themed clothing anywhere, (that and it's expensive) I decided to make my own outfit for the premier this Tuesday!!

Here's what she came up with, in addition to the front view above!

Ravenclaw pride!

Check out more from the forums here!

Glass Half Full: 7 More Weeks of Summer

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 13:31:35 EDT

Now that the 4th of July 2009 is a waning, week-old memory, retailers want you to believe that back-to-school is right around the corner. Ignore them! Some of the greatest and warmest weeks of summer are still approaching, so here's a few beach-inspired crafts to keep you in the summer mood.

Beach bags: Why buy something for $20 when it's just going to get tossed in the sand and dirt. Martha Stewart, in her infinite wisdom, has a fabulous this how-to beach bag project to share. Another favorite comes from Cut Out and Keep; if you need a bag on the fly, just turn an oversized scarf into a one without cutting or sewing. Otherwise, check out this how-to beach bag using an old beach towel, or crochet your own bag with these instructions from Red Paper Umbrella.

Swimsuit coverups and sundresses: Threadbanger has had two good episodes (Bikini Cover-up and Summer Dress) but also check out BurdaStyle's latest pattern for a summer dress:

I'll also particular to this cute dress from the Crafster Forums:

And finally, keep your feet away from the scorching sand with some homemade sandals! You can use broken sandals to make something new, like these from Cut Out and Keep

Or revisit the oldie but goodie, how to turn an old yoga mat into new flip flops.

...Stay tuned for this Friday's bathing suit episode, and see more from: How to Knit a Bikini Top, How to Sew Your Own Bikini and How to Make board shorts!

Stumbled Upon: Make Your Own Ceiling Cat

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 11:14:42 EDT

I stumbled upon this "Make Your Own Ceiling Cat" craft post this morning on the otherwise unknown (to me anyways) image forum and bookmarking site Yawoot. The post includes a printable cat pattern that takes just a bit of folding and scissor-cutting to complete. The design is originally from tubbypaws; a site that features even more cat-happy art projects...

That said, Threadbanger is on Stumble Upon, and I would've never found this stange, and yet somehow enlightening post had I not taken a second to stumble. If you haven't yet, I suggest experimenting with something simple like "craft" or "knit" and you'll find lots of cool, strange and otherwise entertaining projects and articles. Check out what we like!

Save Old Stockings from the Landfill

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:53:15 EDT

As I was picking out nylons for the episode that we're shooting for Friday, I remembered the "What to do with Old Stockings" episode and began contemplating other ways to use them. I don't know about you, but my tights last only a few wears, so I hunted down other uses. Here are a few:

Flower petals! I found this great how-to at Etsy, who suggested using them for wedding centerpieces, but I think add them to corsages - like Rob's everlasting corsage episode - or bobby-pinning them into your formal up-do would be chic as well.

Tights with interesting patterns or colors can be pulled over flower pots or other containers as an adorable cozy. You can also draw on them to make temporary tattoos or make toy balls for kids.

There are plenty of other uses for old pantyhouse that are more practical, like stuffing the lef portions with news paper to make draft excluders. Threadbangers with kids can use old nylons to plump up a stuffed animal that's lost it's stuff. If you lose an earring or something else small, attach a part of a stocking over vaccuum extension to safely vaccumm it up.

Carrie commented on the stocking necklace episode and suggested using old nylons to cover silk padded hangers to keep them from being too slippery. Over on the forums there has been discussion in the past about what to do with old stockings. Ligeia suggests braiding them into a rug and KathMonkey suggests layering pairs of holey tights or just letting loose with those scissors and making more holes in them.

I also found this site where a women swears by her freezing technique to keep her nylons from ripping....Do you have any other ideas for keeping nylons/tights/stockings from going to waste?

DIY Wedding Pearls, Style Me Pretty

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:57:50 EDT

For the bride, or not, this jewelry project adorns your neckline with a self-determined elegance - you can make it as playful, colorful, or simple as you'd like - and it sends stares up - toward your beautiful face! Fancy up those collar bones with help from the full tutorial from Style Me Pretty, and see the abbreviated version below.

Materials:

Beads of your choice (Everything I used for the necklace above is from the Michael’s store)
Clasps with multiple hooks or loops (for more than one strand of beads)
Clear jewelry string (nylon - not stretchy) or a fishing line

Instructions:

Pick your concept. The one pictured here was meant to be electic, but sweet, sticking with jewels that matched the wedding's color scheme but with a bit of spark added in.
Starting with one layer, add beads as desired.
As you add more, make them slightly longer or slightly shorter to layer them one right on top of the other
After each layer be sure to hold it up to your or the bride's neck to make sure they are falling properly. If you want the necklace a bit fuller- you can add more than one strand of beads to each individual hook.
Add a small chain to the back so that you ca adjust the length of the necklace if desired.

A helpful hint: When you tie knots at the ends when you are attaching the strands from one latch to another- after tying several knots to secure the beading- Cut off the excess clear string and use a lighter to burn the very tip of the string so that it shrivels up and creates a small lump of melted plastic. This helps to secure the knot from slipping loose as well as from creating an itchy point. Don’t get the fire too close (you only need to hold it near -not directly on)- or it will burn more than desired and snap some of the base knots as well.

* * *

If this is a little over your head, Stephanie (she is known as Stevie) would be happy to make you one! Just shoot an email and your request will be forwarded to her! abby {at} style me pretty {dot} com.

Weekly DIY Roundup: Spinning Yarn!

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:03:55 EDT

Last Friday I took a trip down to Eugene, Oregon with some fiber-loving friends to check out Black Sheep Gathering, where my excitement about spinning yarn was refreshed and I couldn't wait to get back to my wheel! One of my friends bought herself a wheel, and another bought some roving to try spinning on a spindle for the first time. With this urge to spin seeming to be hitting my knitting friends left and right lately, I thought a spinning roundup was in order!

I'll start with the website The Joy of Handspinning - with how-to videos for spinning using different kinds of spindles, and tons of other useful info, it's a great place to start.

I recommend reading several spinning how-tos written by different people before trying it, since everyone's experience is different and you may learn one thing from one that another left out. Mielke's Fiber Arts has an illustrated tutorial for spindle spinning.

Knitter's Review has a great tutorial with photos of each step.

You can find another written how-to at handspinning.com, for spinning with a top-whorl drop spindle (though I think a top-whorl and bottom-whorl work pretty much the same way).

A great way to get started is to buy yourself a spindle kit - tons of fiber shops sell sets which include some wool, a drop spindle, and instructions to get you started - perfect! One of these shops is hello yarn, which has a variety of gorgeous fibers that you can get in kit form.

Another fantastic shop with kits is Spunky Eclectic, also with several fiber options.

If you do a search on etsy, or even on google, you'll find tons more spinning kits for sale, like this one by pancake and lulu:

If you want to be even more DIY about it, you can make your own spindle! A common recycled material to use for this project is CDs - you can find a tutorial on Lifestyle Studies and another one on Spindle and Wheel.

Now if you've learned the basics using a drop spindle, you may be ready to upgrade to a wheel! Exciting! The best way to learn how to use a wheel is to have a real-life person show you, but I've found a couple websites to get you started. Howtospinyarn.com has a fabulous photo series showing every step, from the parts of a wheel, through plying your yarn.

Knitter's Review has a great page on wheel spinning, with lots of photos.

Ask the Bellwether did a detailed post on how to spin a good looking 2-ply yarn.

The yarn wench has a great Navajo plying tutorial, which is a technique for making one single yarn into a 3-ply yarn.

Rosemary Knits show a technique for navajo plying with a drop spindle, complete with a video.

And speaking of video, there are hundreds of spinning videos out there! Just do a search on youtube or google videos for any specific spinning step that you need help with and you're sure to find a video! One example (well 3 actually) is The Art of Megan, who has video tutorials for drafting wool, spinning on a drop spindle, and finishing your yarn, which is an important step!

If you want to get into it, I definitely recommend getting yourself a book or two to help out. A great one that covers all the steps, as well as fiber info and more, is Teach Yourself Visually Handspinning by Judith Mackenzie Mccuin. Another one that looks good (though I don't have it myself) is Start Spinning by Maggie Casey. And then if you want to take it to another level and try making art yarns (so fun!) I highly recommend Pluckyfluff's Intertwined, and Insubordiknit's Sit and Spin DVD! Fabulous!!

Lastly, if you have a spindle or a wheel (with a wheel is much easier!) you can try making spun recycled yarn! I did a tutorial for this over at Craftstylish.

I first taught myself to spin on a spindle using nothing but a starter kit and websites, but if you are the kind of learner who needs to be shown by someone, check with your local yarn shop to see if you can take classes in your area. I hope I've inspired some of you to try the craft; good luck and have fun!!

Weekly DIY Roundup: Pillowcase Projects!

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 10:30:00 EDT

Pillowcases feel like the perfect summer crafting material to me - lightweight, colorful (often flowery) prints, small for quick projects... Betz White has recently posted about her pillowcase inspiration, which led her to design this shirred pillowcase top, and share a tutorial on the Craft blog!

Betz White also shows us how to make a 10 minute pillowcase apron on her own blog:

Aprons are a popular new life for old pillowcases - Craft Chi has a great how-to for a cafe apron from a pillowcase and sheet:

And SewButterfly on Cut Out + Keep made this ruffly apron from multiple pillowcases:

Bags are also a great pillowcase sewing project... Heather Mann, a fabulous Threadbanger blogger, posted a how-to for her (reversible!) Monk's bag over on her Croq Zine blog:

Polkanuts made this different kind of reversible tote bag, using 2 complimentary pillowcases:

Luckypalm on instructables shows us how to make this easy grocery bag shopping tote from 2 pillowcases - I love it!

Oh, Fransson! blog has a downloadable tutorial for this adorable vintage pillowcase lunchbox:

Moving on to clothes! I love pillowcase skirts - so simple and a great way to show off a beautiful vintage pattern. Bella Dia explains how she made this super basic version:

Leah Kramer has a step-by-step how-to for a simple drawstring skirt:

Unlike the author of Fehr Trade blog, I actually love Ikea, but although she claims to hate it, she made this fantastic skirt from an Ikea pillowcase. (You may remember that I have the same pillowcase!)

Juniperl13 on craftster shows us how to make this much more complex version of a pillowcase skirt:

Alison Dahl on BurdaStyle shows us how she made this pillowcase nightie:

If you have little ones, pillowcases are the perfect size for dresses, like these by maya*made:

This adorable smock top by SewButterfly on Cut Out + Keep was made with pillowcase fabric, and some other stash fabrics:

Pretty Pistol on craftster made a how-to for these toddler wrap pants made from a pillowcase:

Jenny Ryan on Craft blog did a how-to Tuesday post for this pillowcase laundry bag:

Back over at Fehr Trade, check out these placemats, with pockets and coasters, made from Ikea pillowcases:

I did a tutorial on Craftstylish for a catnip blanket made from a pillowcase:

Make sure you don't miss the pillowcase projects right here on Threadbanger! There's the pillowcase boxers:

And then there was the pillowcase challenge, with winner soccer_ceo making this hat from a denim pillowcase:

If you want to see many more pillowcase projects, there's a whole book of them! Diane at Craftypod wrote a great review of Craft Challenge: Dozens of Ways to Repurpose a Pillowcase:

Well that's all I've got for you, but you can add more pillowcase project ideas and tutorials in the comments!

Weekly DIY Roundup: Music Projects!

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 18:18:25 EDT

My partner is following his musical dreams and starting a mastering studio here in Portland, so to celebrate that and to inspire other musicians and music lovers, here is a musical roundup for everyone! Make magazine's blog posts and points to tons of music projects for the tech-savvy, like this 1-Bit Groove Box by Noah Vawter, which is designed to be built by musicians:

Brian McNamara's project from issue 13 of the magazine is shared in the Make blog - the R-Tronic 8-Bit Toy Music Sequencer:

Make is way into theremins, and with a kit, you can make anything into a theremin! Check out this video on making your room into a theremin, or these on theremin plants, or check out how the awesome Drawdio can turn almost anything into a theremin - see their instructables page for more details and lots more videos!

And for some non-techy music projects posted on Make, check out this video on how to make a willow whistle, or try making some awesome guitar picks! (these are by flickr member Aud1073cH.)

Craft has some good music stuff too, like this awesome Rock 'N' Roll Speakers project! (Originally in issue 7 of the magazine, you can see it now in the digital edition.)

And Craft shows us this amazing wearable toy piano - head over to instructables to see user mikamika's how-to!

And speaking of instructables - that site is a fabulous place to find all kinds of music projects! For more techy-ness, check out pstretz's microcontroller fabric tone generator in C-code:

Geekboxjockey shows us how to make DIY electronic drums:

And jwilson27 made a pretty rad looking altoids tin guitar:

If you are like my guy and into recording music, check out belsey's instructable for building a music studio in an apartment building.

And now onto some projects for music listeners and non-techy crafters.... Scoochmaroo on instructables gives a how-to for these awesome monster speakers!

I knit up a cover for my iPod headphones like these by engrafted on craftster - easy and fun!

Thinking in magenta gives a free knitting pattern for iPod Earbud covers:

Stitch Lounge shows us how to make this simple iPod cord caddy:

Snow Blue on ravelry offers a free pattern for knit covers for bigger headphones that have lost their foam cushions. If you're not a ravelry member, you can see the pattern here.

And if you prefer more attention-grabbing headphones, instructables user WurlitzerGirl shows us how to make these adorable stuffed animal headphones!

Of course there are tons of music-themed craft projects out there - I limited this roundup to usable music projects, that can be used to play or function in some way in listening to music. Hope you enjoyed it, and be sure to add your favorite projects in the comments! (By the way, that top photo was taken by me.)

No need to buy new, recycling old candle wax is simple

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 11:51:51 EDT

Photo Credit: Jenny's Projects

Have lots of old used up candles lying around and don't want to drop a wad at Pier 1 for new ones? Me either. Check out this tutorial on how to recycle the wax remnants of old candles. Once you have the refurbished wax, you have tons of options for making cool candle gifts or new light-ups for yourself.

Photo Credit: Instructables

Try filling odd objects you have around the house or things you can snag at the Salvation Army for cheap, like porcelain tea cups or coconut shells. BUT BE AWARE: not all objects are safe for holding a wax-and-flame! If you're not sure, you can also use the wax to make floating candles with old lightbulbs or egg shells as a mold. Check out this great instructable to learn how.

Weekly DIY Roundup: Rainbow Pride Projects!

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 18:58:27 EDT

In honor of Pride Month, this week I bring you rainbow projects! So much bright rainbowy goodness out there!! Just for fun, I'll start with the food.... Omnomicon has a fabulous, detailed how-to for this awesome rainbow cake! (the above photo is from the same post.)

WikiHow shows us how to make rainbow jello - looks great!

Tolstol78 did an instructable for rainbow cheesecake:

Applesticker on instructables explains how to make skittles vodka - yum!

Now on to some knitting patterns - starting with Spun Magazine's Rainbow Hotpants!

Debbi Spranza designed this great rainbow pride scarf, which is only available as a free ravelry download, but you could also add pride to any plain scarf pattern by giving it rainbow stripes!

Crystal Palace Yarns has a free pattern for this Mini Mochi Rainbow Hat, which makes use of their self-striping rainbowy yarn:

Chasing Rainbows, this blanket design on Adventures of a Rogue Knitter, is super cool looking!

Caron offers a free pattern for this rainbow pooch sweater... Personally, I am not a fan of dog (or cat) sweaters, but I can totally imagine this little guy being adorable in any pride parade!!

Drops Design has this fun looking rainbow jacket pattern:

And of course, like I said with the scarf, you can turn any pattern into a rainbow with some striping, or a self-striping yarn! Like Urmel2607's version of Amy Swenson's Mr. Greenjeans sweater:

And Sandra <3 hearts' stripey socks - the pattern is Jaywalker by Grumperina, available as a free ravelry download.

Now for some crochet - Candypow blog has the pattern for this rainbow+clouds scarf:

Umme Yusuf offers a pattern for this fun rainbow spikes bag - I love that spike stitch!

And again, turn any crochet pattern into a pride project with some striping, like this version of SusanB's easy ripple afghan by Sal the Spider:

If you're a weaver, try weaving a scarf like astormorray's on craftster:

For a non-fibery craft, makelotion.com shows us how to make rainbow melt & pour soap:

Munchkinarooo on craftster made some beautiful safety pin rainbow jewelry:

Also on craftster, ViolentDelights made these sparkle-fabulous painted shoes:

Learn how to make a rainbow-licious tie dye shirt from stinkymum on instructables:

I've already included this one in a skirt roundup, but I have to show it again - Crafty Intentions' amazing rainbow patchwork skirt!

And I'll end with a classic... I made myself a super rainbow friendship bracelet in 6th or 7th grade and loved it like crazy - it was that spiral knot kind, maybe you remember. I can't find a photo how-to for that particular kind anywhere, but I found these patterns on how-to-make-jewelry for a bunch of designs, and wikiHow has a good tutorial for the flat kind, which can definitely be rainbowy:

There are tons more ways to creatively show your pride, this is just a start, so have fun DIYing your rainbows this June, and share any fun tutorials or projects with us in the comments!

Weekly DIY Roundup: Laptop Cases!

Fri, 29 May 2009 19:06:38 EDT

I was trying to think of some kind of graduation-related roundup for this week, and couldn't really find anything, but then I came across a couple of laptop case projects and thought, hey, I got a laptop for my college graduation present, so it loosely fits! Maybe just personally, but still... There are a ton of great cases/sleeves out there, so here we go! First, nikoto on instructables created this amazing cardboard case!

In a flickr set, pt shows off this awesome recycled newspaper bag:

Sambot made a great sleeve from a recycled pants leg:

Craft Chi sewed one from a quilted pillowcase:

Megpi on flickr explains how she made this one from a recycled sweater:

Make magazine had a how-to for a case from a recycled t-shirt, which Voxphoto used to make this version:

Elizabeth on Sew, Mama, Sew! shares a free pdf pattern for this sewn sleeve:

Yoonie-at-home made this great messenger-style laptop bag from gorgeous Ikea fabric:

Mary Ray on Craftstylish shares her pattern for this quilted laptop bag:

I love love love Betz White's wool felt Sketchy MacLaptop! (pictured at the top also)

Design*Sponge featured this great felt design - it's no-sew!

Josh of Sewer-Sewist made this sporty (Portland Trail Blazers themed) case based on a design from the book Fabricate:

Knarx did an instructable for this basic felt pouch:

Also on instructables, radiorental made this interesting case from workbench rubber mat material:

There are some fun duct tape designs out there - instructables has one by zoundsPadang, and this cushioned one by kathleenhenri:

If you want to knit or crochet a case, do a ravelry search to find lots of options! I love this one from Let's Knit (you have to register, but it's free):

Canadian Living has a free pattern for an Aran laptop cover - this version was knit by CelticCoyote on flickr:

Slumberland has a felted laptop sleeve pattern for mac lovers:

And I'll leave you with Tipnut's list of 12 laptop sleeves & cases. Hope I inspired you to cover your computer in crafty style! I know there are many more designs out there, so if there's any you really love, leave a comment!

Weekly DIY Roundup: Summery Knit and Crochet Patterns!

Fri, 22 May 2009 10:03:17 EDT

I knit all year round, but it can get hard sometimes with the sun beating down on my wool, not to mention the pain of not being able to wear my creations for months. So I've rounded up a bunch of free knit and crochet patterns for summery items, that won't heat up your crafting hands, and you can put right on when you're finished! Starting with tops... I love this Smocked Top by Rebecca Hatcher!

The blue blog patterns has a pattern for nothing but a t-shirt - cute!

Weaverknits designed this Something Shiny tunic on knotions:

Knitty has tons of great summery patterns, like Coachella by Fathom Harvill:

And Thira by Beverly S. is also on Knitty:

Crystal Palace Yarns has this free Summer Net Shell pattern:

And the girl from auntie offers this summer funnel sleeveless top:

If you're in the mood for something more complex, Classic Elite yarns has the pattern for Michele Rose Orne’s Summer Set by the Sea Top:

If you're knitting for a little one, this ruffled summer top by Knitting Adventures is super cute:

For a summer day cover up, check out Gudrun Johnston's Shetland Shorty on Knitty:

Moving to garments below the top, momsknitting.com has a pattern for the perfect summer skirt:

And Canadian Living offers this knitted sarong pattern:

Spun Magazine has a set of summer sock patterns (not a fan of flip flops personally, but I like the short socks with the pom pom!):

And one more Knitty pick - Jennifer L. Appleby designed these cute Breeze summery socks:

And now for some head accessories, the Craft Yarn Council of America offers this crocheted kerchief pattern:

I absolutely love this giant floppy hat - Witterings - by Anna Bell on My Fashionable Life:

Tangle has a pattern for this Summer Slouchy Hat, made with bamboo yarn:

And a couple crochet hats... knitomatic.com offers this Flower Pot Sun Hat:

And lastly, Cloudy Crochet has this Fast & Easy crocheted summer brimmed hat:

Hope that keeps you going though the hot months! There are tons out there, so let me know if you want more summer fibery projects and maybe I'll do a part 2 when it gets even hotter! Let us know any of your favorite lightweight patterns, and show off your creations in the forums!

How to Make Cafe Curtains

Thu, 21 May 2009 10:48:34 EDT

Cafe Curtains are the kind of window dressing that leaves a middle section of the glass free and clear of obstruction. They're nice in a kitchen and moreoever, an easy way to change a room that needs to let in some summer sun! Thanks to sew-whats-new for this tutorial. Also, check out Meg's Decor-It-Yourself episode, How to Make Curtains and a Threadbanger post from August 2008 on How to Make Simple Curtains if you want more window-dressing idears.

Measuring instructions

1. First measure your window height. Cafe curtains can cover anywhere from 1/3 to 1/2 of your window. If you want to cover the bottom window casing, include that in your measurement.

2. Measure your window width and include the casing if that is your choice. Your fullness should be twice to three times the measurement. If your fabric is home dec. fabric-it is heavier and maybe twice the fullness is fine. If you are sewing sheers then three times the fullness is what you want.

3. To your height measurement add 6" for bottom hem and 4" for heading. This is how much length in total fabric you need.

4. To your width measurement add 4" for side hems. This is the width in total fabric you need.

Cutting instructions

1. Cut your fabric the length you need plus the 6" for hems.

2. Cut a 4" wide strip the finished width of your panel.

3. Cut a 3" wide strip the width of your fabric for loops to hang the panel.

Sewing instructions

1. Take the 3" wide strip and press one long edge under 1/4". Fold the pressed edge over the opposite raw edge and stitch down the entire length. Press, centering seam in the middle of the strip. Cut this strip into 6" pieces.

2. Press under 1" on either side of cafe panel. Turn and press again another 1". Press and stitch down. These are your side hems.

3. Do the same to the 4" strip. This is your cafe heading.

4. Fold 6" loops in half widthwise. Keep seam line on underside. Place one at each end of panel top. Decide how far apart you want the loops. Placing raw edges of loops even with raw edges of panel, pin each loop in place. Make sure they are evenly spaced.

5. Right sides together, pin heading on top of panel and loops.

6. Sew across heading and loops using 1/2" seam allowance.

7. Flip heading to wrong side of panel. Stitch down sides and bottom edge.

8. Turn up bottom hem 3" and press. It is important that your hem be straight. Turn again the width of the first turn and stitch down.

That's it. You have finished your cafe curtain! They can really brighten up any kitchen with lively fabrics and a little effort.

Join the Making Window Treatments group @ SWN! See the original post!

Turn Last Year's Maxi Dress into a Mini with Diana Eng

Tue, 19 May 2009 10:00:00 EDT

Recently Craftzine featured this long-dress to short-dress tutorial from Project Runway alum and Threadbanger guest Diana Eng. She writes, "Summer 2008 was the summer of the maxi dress, sweet and long, with a full, feminine skirt...But now what's a gal to do in summer 2009 when flirty, short skirts and mini dresses are the new trend?" Like any budget-minded crafty girl, she takes to the scissors and sewing machine and shows us how to turn a full length skirt into something more revealing (plus it can be converted back!)

Read the full and easy tutorial here (Above is step 2)! All you need is the long dress, a friend or body form, some pins and that sewing machine!

Weekly DIY Roundup: Funny Knit Patterns!

Fri, 15 May 2009 17:10:07 EDT

It's been a bit of a rough week for me, so when I sat down to do the roundup, I decided I wanted to look at things that would make me laugh. There are tons of silly knit projects out there, and it was hard to decide which ones to include, so my criteria was basically the ones that make me giggle (and have free patterns). Starting with my friends Homero and David of Splendor - first, Homero's ingenious combination of the Bearded Toque and Viking Hat patterns (above), made for a red-headed friend! And then, David's topical Swine-Flu Masque from a couple weeks ago:

Half-Assed Patterns offers the adorable googly eyed Brainmonster pattern:

A few years ago, I used to make hats similar to that one, but with felt teeth and crocheted or embroidered eyes, like this one (my first) and the one below. No pattern for mine, but you basically just knit a hat but with no decreasing, so a big tube, sew it up the top, then add the embellishments. (I made some other funny hats with no patterns as well, like the bloodshot eye.)

If you'd rather your head be eaten by a shark than a monster, Knitting Ninja has got you covered! Shark Hat by Allison MacAlister:

Moving on from hats, knitty has a bunch of funny patterns mixed in, like Marie-Christine Mahe's Vegan Fox:

There are a ton of funny naughty type projects out there (that could be a whole separate roundup) but I just had to include the 302 Calories pattern by Dawn Payne:

Also on knitty, Astor Tsang's Desperate Housefrau is very silly:

Craftster is a great place to find funny projects too - not all of them have patterns, but some do! Like megziewoodles' Fingerstaches! (My friends and I used to do that back in college with Sharpies, haha)

Back to monsters, Bellana made this awesome hat and scarf set! She includes a basic tutorial so you can knit it yourself!

I recently met a crafter who was so into Nannerpuss that his wife embroidered him an amazing shirt featuring the creature, so I laughed when I saw craftycavy's knit Nannerpuss! It's mostly improvised, but is loosely based on Kimberly Chapman's Banana pattern.

A Waste of Valuable Server Space offers a free pattern for the Flying Spaghetti Monster!

Mochimochi designed this adorable Toilet Paper! (I never would have thought I'd use the adjective adorable to describe t-p, haha.)

For science nerd parents, I think the idea of Kimberly Chapman's Baby's First DNA Model is funny and awesome:

Alex of Presents Knits, who works at my favorite local yarn store, designed Ron the Friendly Stash Moth - the only moth you'd actually want in your stash!

If you're on ravelry, here's one for you - offered as a free pdf download there - penispoopcakewaffle socks by Wendy Moreland. (To me, the name is funnier than the socks themselves - not that the socks aren't funny, but really, can you say that name without laughing?)

One last project, on ravelry only, and without a pattern, and it's crocheted, but I have to share - lindamade's glow in the dark gnome beard/brows! Glow in the dark eyebrows are hilarious!

Ok I know there are tons more silly knits out there, so share your personal favorites in the comments! There are several I skipped because I've included them in other pattern roundups and didn't want repeats. Also, I chose only free patterns for the roundup, but support independent designers and be sure to purchase patterns that you love when you find them! I hope I made you laugh!!

Weekly DIY Roundup: Mother's Day Gifts!

Fri, 08 May 2009 19:04:34 EDT

Mother's Day snuck up on me this year! I didn't even know when it was, and suddenly, bam! It's Sunday! So if the same thing happened to you, here's a roundup of gifts you can quickly craft, or take a little longer for a birthday or other later date. Craft blog has a series of Make It for Mom tutorials, including Diane Gilleland's super clever envelope photo book:

And Katie Goodman's homemade hand scrub looks like it smells fabulous!

And Jenny Ryan did a Mother's Day corsage for her How-To Tuesdays project, also on Craft:

Craftstylish has also had a few Mother's Day projects, like Linda Permann's rickrack brooch, made with giant rickrack!

Tina Hilton shared a free knitting pattern for a beginner's lace sachet bag, for moms or brides:

And I showed how to make greeting cards with recycled materials, including how to print onto paper grocery bag pieces! This is my Mother's Day card example:

Craftster.org has a whole Mother's Day category, so be sure to browse through that! One of my favorites is FairyWings' owl made from shells, for her mom who's "into owls this year"!

Instructables also has a Mother's Day page of tutorials, including linuxmom's dried roses the easy way:

And I love m-art-ina's forget-me-not mug for her mom:

Sew, Mama, Sew! rounded up a bunch of tutorials from their archives that might be perfect for a mother, like this rice heat therapy bag:

I really reeeally love these tree limb coasters on curbly - perfect for a coaster-loving (or tree-loving) mom, or maybe for yourself! (or myself!)

Lastly, Schlosser Designs has two free downloadable cards that you can customize with your own personal message!

I hope some of you thought ahead and made awesome gifts for your moms (and share them in the forums!), but for those of you who have yet to figure it out, I hope this roundup helps! Let us know any great projects I missed in the comments!

Weekly DIY Roundup: More Skirts!

Fri, 01 May 2009 19:27:48 EDT

Last August I did a skirt tutorial roundup, but Spring means skirt-making season for me and there are a bunch of new ones out there now, so I wanted to do another one! I wrote a tutorial on Craftstylish for one of my favorite skirt designs, made with 2 t-shirts - super easy and comfy!

That first roundup mentioned a tutorial I did on my own blog for a different kind of t-shirt skirt; after that roundup I did two more tutorials, first a double wraparound design made with a vintage bedsheet:

Then a simple sweatshirt skirt:

Craftstylish has had several great skirt how-tos, like Jennifer Stern's skirt from a pile of scraps!

And there's Christine Haynes' belted skirt from a men's dress shirt:

And Jennifer Sauer points to a downloadable pdf pattern for this two-hour peasant skirt:

Lenore on Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories made this amazing Missile Command circle skirt:

Kristin of Craft Leftovers has a three part series on altering a skirt pattern, with lots of process photos - here's her finished skirt:

Kadiddlehopper blog has a great tutorial for a circle skirt!

Craftster.org, of course, has tons of great skirt projects, like rufous03's fairytale skirt:

Indiaeden posted a tutorial for maternity skirts:

Pjhamel shows us how to make an elastic waistband skirt:

I love MissJessica's t-shirt skirt with the big pockets!

You can also find lots of skirt how-tos on instructables, like this version of a t-shirt skirt by jubilee:

And sajbrfem's great bias cut skirt with a wide stretch waistband:

Cut Out + Keep is a great source for tutorials and creative crafting, with tons of skirt projects, like this cool asymmetrical skirt by Katerina C:

And I'll leave you with by far the craziest skirt I found in my searching - Ezme's cereal box skirt!

So check out that first roundup for sure, there are several designs there that I love; and there are a couple skirt episodes as well - how to make a jean skirt, and Morgan's paper bag waist skirt. I probably missed some good ones and I'm sure more skirt how-tos will pop up and it gets closer to summer, so add links in the comments, and show us your work in the forums!

How to Make a Feather Fringe, Forum Q+A

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 13:49:33 EDT

Recently, JunctionJess asked a Prom-related feather question in the forums. "I want to make a fancy dress," she says "I want it to have feathers on it...I have no idea where to start..." Along with the answers provided by forum members on the thread, I found this simple feather fringe tutorial from Threads Magazine. Check it out!

This method of adding feathers works very well on lightweight garments that cannot support the tape edging found on most store-bought, feather trims. You can make your trim using any feathers you like and in any color scheme. For a more classic look, try large, fluffy feathers or smaller feathers that match the hue of your garment. First, to determine the amount of trim you need to make, you have to measure the garment. Cut a strip of tissue paper that is at least 1 inch wide and the desired length of the trim.

1. Arrange the feathers. Lay the feathers in a straight line on the tissue paper. Machine-sew across the base of the feathers twice.

2. Tear away the tissue paper. Be careful not to pull apart the stitches or tear the feathers. Lay the feather fringe in place on the garment.

3. Sew the trim to the garment. Machine-sew across the top to secure it. If your garment is very lightweight, try hand-stitching the trim to the fabric.

Thanks for the tips Threads!

Excerpted from "Faniciful Feathers" Threads Issue 141, p.23 by Susan Crane