How to Select the Right Knitting Yarn for Your DIY Project?

Crochet

January 14, 2019

Getting ready to welcome your little bundle of joy? From hats, booties, headscarves, sweaters to blankets – your baby needs a little bit of everything… so you can start DIY knitting project from now on! But how to select the right knitting yarn? To start this project – you need the best quality yarn and right-sized needles! But do you how to pick out the best quality yarn for your knitting project?

What is yarn?

Yarn is a textile usually made of

Natural fibers like silk, cotton or hemp
Animal-based fibers ( mohair, sheep’s wool, angora)
synthetic fibers (rayon, polyester, nylon)

The number of strands (ie, a single-ply yarn or 2-ply yarn) will decide the shape, stitch type, and general look of the yarn.

With all the splendid colors and smooth fiber textures available, you may fall so deeply in love with a colorful yarn and you can’t wait to get started with knitting your next sweater. But will this yarn really give the result what you wished-for? It mainly depends on the yarn you choose. Do you need help in choosing the right yarn? Below we have provided a few tips on choosing the right knitting yarn for your DIY Project…. Keep on reading…

How to Select the Right Knitting Yarn

Yarn Fibers

Usually, a yarn is made up of all sorts of fibers today; from cotton, linen, wool, alpaca, silk to acrylic fibers, the options are endless! When it comes to choosing yarn fibers, make sure to choose the one that’s breathable, durable and also machine-washable.
All types of yarns different properties and are good for different uses. So, the best way to learn about yarn is to experiment with different types of yarn and see what happens.

Read Label Instructions

Luckily, yarn ball labels give much more useful information to knitters that include: fiber content, weight, amount, color dye, care instructions, suggested needle size and gauge.
Do proper research before choosing the yarn and at the end of the day, make sure you have chosen the yarn that best suited to your project.

Yarn Construction

Tight vs. loose, cabled vs. plied yarns, single vs. multiple braids – With so many options available, the construction of the yarn can also affect your masterpiece!
So do your research and try to pick a yarn with a similar construction, if you want your project to look like the pattern picture.

Color Dye

Colors of the yarn you choose can have a big difference in how the finished masterpiece looks!
Even though, choosing color is a matter of your personal preferences, do take the stitch pattern too into your account when making your choice!

These are a few of the important factors you need to consider when it comes to choosing the best yarn for your next project!

Easy Low-Cost Craft Hobbies for Beginners

Design

November 26, 2018

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Are you someone who loves do-it-yourself projects? Want to try out a new low-cost craft but you’re not sure what the right choice is for you? From knitting, sewing, soap/candle making to crocheting, the options available are endless!

Hobby crafting is an extraordinary way to take a break from your normal routine and a fun way to relieve stress and rediscover your creative spark. But unfortunately, DIY craft hobbies can often be very expensive. Luckily, there are still lots of simple craft hobbies for beginners that are fun, rewarding and most importantly pocket-friendly. Here’re the topmost low-cost craft hobbies for beginners you can try:

Knitting

Knitting is not as hard as it looks! With a little practice and handwork, you will learn how these needles go flying through the string and make amazing patterns to create a beautifully knitted scarf, sweater, boot cuffs and so on!

Crocheting

Crochets, the perfect craft idea for beginners! From simple to complex crochet patterns, there is something for everyone who picked up the hook! You can get help from tutorial videos and online guides!

Candle Making

Nowadays, candles can be made at home! This low-cost, handy hobby can help pass the time, make you more money – and they make great presents too!

Calligraphy

Affordable and unique craft hobby for you! To get started with this, all you need is – paper and special ink pens! If you become a pro at it, you could even make a little money by crafting beautiful wedding invitations and logo designs.

Embroidery

This craft will keep you busy and engaged all the time without breaking the bank! Embroidery ideas are perfect for beginners and easy enough for just about anyone to make. Check out the cool embroidered crafts ideas online and make some crafty things this weekend!

Quilling

This craft is so trending now! Use quilling to create pictures to hang, to decorate greeting cards, and invitations. It can even be used to make jewelry, though that requires making the paper waterproof. Great for adults and teens alike!

Soft Toy Making

DIY Soft toy can be a great gift for a special little someone! Soft toy making is fairly easy and inexpensive to make! There are many tutorials and videos online for those of you who want to learn how to sew soft toys!

Jewelry

Start making your own handmade jewelry now! By enjoying this craft idea, you can stay on top of the fashion and look fabulous while earning more!From beading earrings, necklaces, to crystal dew drop earrings, the DIY patterns are endless!

Spark Your Creativity Now!

Hope you loved this collection of craft hobbies for beginners! Most of these craft hobbies are super simple and low-cost to make. Start creating your own DIY projects and have fun!

Do you know any other low-cost hobbies that you have been tried but not included here on this list? Just snap a pic and post it here — we love to see your creations!

Creative Fabric Manipulation Designs and Techniques

July 6, 2017

1

Fabric manipulation is an amazing art that transforms a piece of fabric into a 3-dimensional material. There are several easy techniques to make multi-dimensional patterns on fabric. Often a fabric with embossed patterns draws viewers attention. With a pinch of creativity, you can transform fabric to a unique textile piece. With the evolution of fashion concepts, several manipulation and surface effects were developed.

There are several fabric manipulation techniques including trapunto, shirring, pleating, and smocking.

Trapunto

Trapunto was originated from the Italian word which means ‘quilt’. It uses two layers of fabric to craft a stuffed effect. It starts with an outline on the fabric. Using several stitches, the cloth is stuffed inside the outlined area to give it a 3-D feel.

Shirring

This is a wavy type of fabric manipulation where parallel patterns are used to make wave shapes. This stitching can be done with diverse thread patterns.

Smocking

It was originated from early age peasant dresses. It is a pure artwork which demands patience and creativity. By gathering the fabric in a predetermined form, raised and pressed areas are created. It gives it a sculptural effect. This manipulation method is best suitable for cotton, Silks, and linens.

Pleating

This method involves folding the fabric over itself making it a three-dimensional design. To get sharp edges, these folded pleats can be gently ironed. For a soft and curve shape, it can be left as such.

Fabric Manipulation Techniques

The image below shows beautifully designed and manipulated fabric strips, giving it a new dimension.

Fabric Manipulation technique can be applied on textured and dyed silk. The cloth is suspended to craft a fluid drape using a special manipulation technique called shibori. Here are some of the beautiful selected fabric manipulation designs from famous designers around the globe.

Creative and clever use of fabric results in beautiful designs. Textile manipulation techniques help to make normal cloth to a different level. It requires a lot of ideas and the right methodology to make something like this shown below.

DIY Step By Step Mussel Shell Earrings

Creative

April 2, 2017

2

Mussel shell earrings make a vibrant fashion statement. Recently I thought of buying a set of peacock shade earrings. But one day we bought green mussels for lunch. My mom was about to through away the mussel shells. I just took that whole cover of waste shells and thought I would use it for something. The very first idea that stroked the mind was “mussel shell earrings”. But I had no idea about the method. Just started a creative experiment!

Step By Step Mussel Shell Earrings

Materials Required:

Green mussel shells. Cut the shell apart and clean it well so that the fishy smell goes away.
Acrylic or pearl fabric paints
Brush
Jewelry pliers and a needle.

Procedure

Check out all the shells and select perfectly shaped and sized ones. Thoroughly wash it to remove dirt and smell. Using a needle, slowly make a hole at the top of the shell. It is to keep the earring hooks in position.

Now you can start painting. I prefer pearl paint as it has a shiny appearance. You can choose fabric pearl paints. For the peacock pattern, you need brown, blue, green and yellow pearl color.

First, let us start with a bright blue color at the base. Now paint with green color adding a touch of yellow shade. Draw peacock feather patterns and paint it. The inner most color would be dark blue. Using light blue and brown shade, you can enhance the effect.

Paint the background with matching colors to get a natural look. Once the paint is dry, attach the earring hooks in the holes.

Wow!!! handmade mussel shell earrings are ready to wear!! Hope my shell earring tutorial was helpful. 🙂 Just try out this if you are getting some shells.

This is another pair of shell earrings I tried out after this one. Even though started as an experiment, both earrings sold out quickly in my store. 🙂

DIY Paper Butterfly Wall Decor Ideas

Paper

January 31, 2017

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Butterflies are a sign of love and dreams. Have you ever thought of making paper butterfly wall decor for your home? Empty walls often call for some decorative experiments. Butterfly wall decor is a creative diy project for any craft lover. With paper, you can easily think of a cheap artistic creation.

What about having a beautiful paper butterfly? A colorful butterfly evokes a sense of energy and liveliness. Just imagine having a swarm of colorful butterflies in your living room. How beautiful and vibrant it will be?

We usually call a group of butterflies as “Kaleidoscope”. When kept as a group on the wall, the overall interior effect is often doubled. It helps to bring a positive energy in the room. You can easily make paper butterflies in different shapes and colors.

Today we will go through some of the selected paper butterflies by prominent artists in this field.

DIY Paper Butterfly Wall Decor

Jacqueline Jean

She is a famous paper artist and the brain behind “Hip and Clavicle”. It is a pure expression of her interest in nature. She was inspired by the beauty of nature. She find immense pleasure in discovering novel ideas and materials to experiment with. She is also a photographer when not busy with artistic creations.

Jacqueline’s Etsy store “Hip and Clavicle” is a great success as a paper art store. She is specialized in crafting paper decors that can be readily attached to the wall. Her paper butterflies come in different patterns and types. It is made from quality paper and each item is carefully handmade. The butterflies can be fixed to the wall easily as it have a wall-safe glue. It is a great decorative art for interiors including kid room.

Kelli H

R.J (LoveCreator)

Her creations are characterized with heart shaped patterns. “LoveCreator” is the name of her Etsy store where she sell handcrafted paper butterfly hearts. Like many of us, she was also forced to take an academic career. But she was more inclined towards doing something creative. With her husband’s support she again stepped into the world of art.

BugsLoft

She is a gifted artist from Southern California. Her paper butterfly decor patterns are absolutely lovely. She employs a careful dying method to make double colored and shaded butterflies.

Easy French Knot Embroidery Tutorial and Designs For Beginners

November 22, 2016

2

French knot embroidery is amazingly beautiful and quite easy to do. This stitch can be used creatively to make beautiful designs. It is often used as a filling stitch to cover small patterns and spaces. It can give a woolly look, if it is closely stitched. The stitch creates a three dimensional effect on the fabric. It is also suitable to design on pillow cloths.

Step By Step French Knot Embroidery Tutorial

This french knot embroidery tutorial is specially crafted to help beginners in this art. Let us look at a step by step procedure to do this wonderful stitch.

1.First take needle at the desired position. Bring it up.

2.Now hold the thread end and wrap it around the needle twice.

3.Pull the thread so that the wrapped thread form a dot pattern. Take the needle again through the tied dot and bring it down.

Now you get a nice french knot on the fabric. If you change the wrap number, you get bigger sized knots. Let us experiment with different number of thread strands. With one single strand of thread, you get a small knot. If you have enough patience, you can make creative french knot patterns on the fabric.

French knot embroidery designs

I have selected some beautiful stitch patterns for your inspiration. It is often a great idea to combine contrast color threads to make a pattern. You can easily design three dimensional knot patterns on bags, bed sheets, fabric and pillows.

French knot dandelions are really amazing. It is a great embroidery stitch that recreates a real looking dandelion on the fabric. While doing this stitch, always remember to use contrast colored threads on the fabric. Here is a white dandelion stitch on a black velvet. The color contrast adds to the beauty of the work. The basic idea is to start with thick knots in the middle and disperse it to the ends. Adding a stem with line stitch will make it natural.

Are you creative? Then french knot embroidery is the right stitch for you! It makes it possible to experiment different patterns on the fabric. It is a simple do it yourself project to turn out old fabric to new looking pillow covers. Try it out! 🙂

Check out this video tutorial on How to make a french knot!

When combined with other simple stitches, knots make a perfect design. It can be blended with lines and cross patterns. Do not forget to share your results and ideas with me! Happy knotting time !!

Creative Aboriginal Dot Painting Ideas By Elspeth McLean

Creative

October 31, 2016

1

Aboriginal dot painting is the creative form of pointillism. The use of symbolic patterns helps to create a different look to the work. There are different painting techniques used in this art. Australian dot work uses several artistic methods to create an illusionist effect on the canvas.

Dot Painting

Acrylic paints are used for doing dot art. It is used because of its fast drying capabilities and water soluble properties of the paint. Use of thick paint helps in giving a 3-dimensional effect to the work.

Where to paint?

You can paint dots on canvas, glass, pottery, ceramic items, metal goods, varnished wood, leather, leather, and fabric. It can be used on old household items and it is the best reuse technique.

Today’s featured artist is Australian born Elspeth McLean. She is now residing in Canada and works as a full -artist. Using paintbrush and acrylic paint, she crafts vibrant artworks on canvas. She is a part of the global dot painting community. she has dedicated her life to this artwork. Her interest in bright colors is clearly depicted in her works. She uses a detailed technique to outline the palette of her soul. She experiences her inner world with this artistic journey. Her creations are influenced by traditional concepts, myths and cosmic ideas. According to the artist, colors play a great role in a natural healing process. this thought

She believes in the healing influences of color and art which led her to achieve her Diploma in Art Therapy.

Dot painting technique

Dot painting art emerged in the 1970s in central Australia. The technique was developed by the Papunya art movement when Aboriginal people worked with school art teacher Geoffrey Bardon. The painting process reflected the traditional rituals of the Aboriginals. They used these paintings for story-telling and depicting religious rituals. As a type of camouflage, they painted dots over the painting.

In this art, separate color dots are applied to make a shape. Several layers of dots give a raised 3-dimensional look on the canvas.

Elspeth is an expert in doing mandala stone paintings. Selecting beautifully shaped stones add to the beauty of the finished work. Each stone is naturally collected, cleaned and painted with acrylic paint. It requires thousands of dots to make a single mandala stone. Her technique can be best defined as “dotillism” where she uses dots to create intricate patterns. Here are some of the selected mandala stone and canvas dot paintings by the artist. Enjoy!

Visit the artist website here.

Beautiful Resin Flowers By Kanzashi Artist Sakae

Flower making

August 5, 2016

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Resin flowers are amazingly natural and beautiful. Today’s featured artist is Sakae from Japan. Her dip flower kanzashis (hair pins) are quite popular in the online world. She is a skilled artist from Narita city. She crafts unique hair ornaments that can be used with Kimono. Each kanzashi is delicately handmade using wire and resin. She uses narrow brass wires to outline the shapes of petals. The complexity of the floral pattern defines the time period needed to complete the task. It may take around 3 days to 1 month to complete a specific kanzashi.

She make very limited number of pieces for sale. Hence getting one from her is quite difficult. Resin kanzashi sale is usually through Japanese Yahoo auctions. Her latest sale got 400,000 yen which was a tough auction with 215 buyers.

Apart from crafts, she is a nutritionist who accidently came into this domain. She worked as a nutritionist for five years and later changed her career into kanzashi artist.

Sakae spotted a girl dressed in Kimono who was short of a beautiful hair pin to complete her dress. She searched online to find kanzashis for kimono. She couldn’t find one and decided to make a hair pin herself. It marked the rise of a creative artist!

She uses transparent resin which is liquidized to make petals of flowers. It can be custom made to match with a dress using desired colors. Dip flower making tutorials widely available online. Craft lovers can easily make natural-looking flowers easily. The technique lies in making beautiful wire frames that look exactly like flower petals. Here I have selected some of the best designs for your inspiration. Smaller flowers can be crafted with hours of dedicated work. Mixing the right color pattern is essential to get the desired flower. The flowers can be arranged in a bouquet fashion or can be used as a hair pin!

Resin Flowers

Amazing DIY Photo Frame Ideas

Design

February 11, 2016

0

DIY photo frames are a great craft project that will kick start your imagination. I always loved the idea of creating my own picture frames. My first consideration was to think about recycling something into a new piece of decorative wall hanging. As always, pinterest was my first source of inspiration. It is packed with numerous tutorials and images that will help in the making process. Today, I am showcasing some of the best photo frame ideas from internet.

Are you expecting an electric looking frame? Just try to find out an old frame, repaint it and add some decorative elements. These frames add uniqueness to a bare wall or a living room. There are different photo options available to decorate walls. You may either choose a mini-gallery model frame or a single frame to hold a photo. But in most of the contemporary house designs, minimalist approach is preferred. So, single photo frames are used without doubt. The arrangement of frame plays a major role in determining the overall interior beauty of the wall. When it comes to picture frames, most of the people use it to show childhood memories.

DIY Photo Frame Ideas

Natalie Shaw(doodlecraftblog.com)Melissa(320sycamoreblog.com)Angie HarbisonFine craft guildJessy TroyBeena VadraStacy Cohen

Without disturbing your wallet, you can easily make a photo frame from your home. DIY picture frames are easy to make and use. It is also a popular gifting idea for your loved ones.

What all materials you need to make a perfect frame? The answer actually varies with your level of imagination. Some use old frames and restructure it, while others make frames out of popsicle sticks! These sticks can be smartly used to craft a unique frame. Twigs or sticks can also be used for making such frames. You can collect some twigs and lash the twigs together with twine. You need to attach the photo behind the twigs. Wooden slats are mostly used for making this craft. Old magazines or papers can be beautifully recycled to make picture frames.

DIY Wine Bottle Succulent Planter Tutorial

DIY

January 29, 2016

0

Hanging wine bottle succulent planter is a perfect pick for home gardening. It is a DIY project for those who are interested to think outside the box. Wine bottle planters are quite common these days.

Recently I thought of making a bottle planter. The first thought that came to my mind was finding the right type of bottle. I think it is better to prefer wine bottles with unique design. When it comes to making a planter using glass bottle, the main concern is cutting the glass.

How to cut the wine bottle?
How to find the right succulent to plant?
Is it possible to set up hanging planters?

Instead of throwing something to trash, why can’t you make something that add a positive look to your garden? I was always inspired by creative craft ideas. Although it takes some patience to make a wine bottle succulent planter, it is worth the effort.You can plant succulents as well as herbs in these bottles.

Wine Bottle Succulent Planter Tutorial

Materials Needed:

Wine bottle
Glass cutter
Sand paper
Candle

The first step is to make a mark on the bottle to identify the portion to cut. After drawing a boundary line, keep the bottle on fire. You can also soak a piece of yarn in nail polish remover and tie around the bottle. Just light the candle and keep the bottle such that the marked area comes over heat. Keep it for sometime and then dip the bottle in cold water. Due to sudden change in temperature, the heated area would tend to break. Apply little pressure to separate the marked portion.

The broken glass may not have fine edges. Now you can use a sand paper to shape the edges. Sometimes it needs little practice to achieve the desired result. After cutting the bottle, it is time to fill it with pebbles, sand and moss. You can easily plant any succulent of your choice in the bottle.

Chcek out this video tutorial to get a clear understanding of the process:

DIY Wine Bottle Succulent Planter Ideas

XSThings (George & Andrea)Rehabulous

BottleGardens (Chase & Denise)Blossom

How To Make Clay Orchid Step By Step

Creative

January 11, 2016

0

Interested to make clay orchid? Here is a step by step clay flower making tutorial by Buday Csilla. Today’s featured artist is Buday from Hungary. She is a gifted artist who makes beautiful flowers from clay. Her website showcases an array of creations.

Clay flower making is an art that demands lot of patience. The selection of right air dry clay is the key to a successful piece of work. She conduct workshops for those interested to study this craft. She takes classes at different places. Her handmade flowers look unique and natural. Her collection includes pansy, lavender, cattleya, euphorbia, fuchsia, petunia etc.

Contact the artist :csilla@csodavirag.hu

How To Make Clay Orchid Step By Step

You need air dry clay, floral wire, oil paint and floral tape.

Tools required: Cutter set, vein stamps, point tools, golf tools, scissors, brushes, pasta machine etc.

This tutorial is meant for those who know basics of clay flower making. Orchid is often a tough level flower. To make Cattleya orchid, the first step is to make fine sheet of clay using pasta machine. After making a thin sheet of clay, cut necessary petal shape using the orchid cutter. The veins on the petal are obtained by using vein stamps. The figure shows how each petal looks like.

Insert the floral tape as shown in the figure and make a successful petal. Unique color composition is the major characteristic of this flower.

Now take clay and color it with green to make the stem. Wrap the floral wire with green clay. Make orchid leaves and attach the leaves to the stem.

The Cattleya flowers can be now attached to the stem and leaves.
Roots add to the natural look of the flower. Orchid flowers come with such roots. You can easily make these roots with clay. After making roots, assemble all the parts into a pot. It is fun and worthy to make clay orchids this way.

Visit the artist website to get know about workshops in Budapest.

DIY Tissue Paper Ballerinas By Stariy Chemodan

Paper

January 4, 2016

1

Making tissue paper ballerinas is a cool DIY project to start a crafty day! It is an amazing decorative idea for girl’s parties. The main attraction is you just need only some basic supplies to do this work. With some napkin papers, wire and glue, you can easily craft a paper ballerinas. With the help of a creative mom, kids can easily come up with beautiful figurines.

Today’s featured artist is Stariy Chemodan from liveinternet.ru. She is a talented artist who crafts beautiful objects from simple craft supplies!

Step By Step Tissue Paper Ballerinas

You need some tools like scissors, pliers and a thread. First, take a wire and bend it into the shape of a small ballerina.

Now divide the tissue paper into several layers. Keep some single-layer papers for later use. Without using scissors, tear the papers into 1.5 inch wide strips.Take the wire frame and cover it with paper strips and glue it. Refer the figure here to get a clear idea.

Now decide the dress length of the ballerina and cut the tissue papers accordingly. Be sure to make a rounded hemline. To get beautiful folds, curl the ballerina dress in two different directions. For a single ballerina, you need at least two dresses.

Make a small hole on the dress and put it on the frame. Now you can tie the thread around the waist and adjust the dress.

Polymer Clay Jewelry Making Ideas By Valeria Maslova

December 16, 2015

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Polymer Clay jewelry making is an interesting craft. It is a great medium to make ornaments like necklace, bangles, earrings, bracelets and rings.

Today’s featured artist is Valeria Maslova from Russia. She uses creative techniques to craft her ornaments. She tried to find out an interesting craft to begin her creative journey. She finally ended up with clay. She works with her husband mostly in the evening sessions. Jewelry making with clay is often a challenging task. It involves lot of patience and creativity. She loves to use floral patterns in her works. It is evident that each of the petals are crafted with utmost care and talent. She loves to make earrings, brooches and several other ornaments.

Pink and blue colors are dominant in her creations. The way she make minute details make her a unique artist in this domain. Here are some of the selected works of this artist.

Life Chilli

How to Select the Right Knitting Yarn for Your DIY Project?

How to Select the Right Knitting Yarn

Yarn Fibers

Easy Low-Cost Craft Hobbies for Beginners

Creative Fabric Manipulation Designs and Techniques

Fabric Manipulation Techniques

DIY Step By Step Mussel Shell Earrings

Step By Step Mussel Shell Earrings

DIY Paper Butterfly Wall Decor Ideas

DIY Paper Butterfly Wall Decor

Easy French Knot Embroidery Tutorial and Designs For Beginners

Step By Step French Knot Embroidery Tutorial

French knot embroidery designs

Creative Aboriginal Dot Painting Ideas By Elspeth McLean

Dot Painting

Dot painting technique

Beautiful Resin Flowers By Kanzashi Artist Sakae

Resin Flowers

Amazing DIY Photo Frame Ideas

DIY Photo Frame Ideas

DIY Wine Bottle Succulent Planter Tutorial

Wine Bottle Succulent Planter Tutorial

DIY Wine Bottle Succulent Planter Ideas

How To Make Clay Orchid Step By Step

How To Make Clay Orchid Step By Step

DIY Tissue Paper Ballerinas By Stariy Chemodan

Step By Step Tissue Paper Ballerinas

Polymer Clay Jewelry Making Ideas By Valeria Maslova

Polymer Clay Jewelry Ideas