Tutorial - How to Make Chalkboard Paint

Create your own trendy message boards

Tutorial at Homemade Hooplah Blog

"Chalkboard surfaces are so trendy right now, and I can see why – it’s a classy effect and so amazingly useful. If left to my own devices I would probably cover every surface in this house in chalkboard paint. Seriously, I’m not even kidding. It would save me so much money on post-it notes (and yes, I still use those). After researching a couple different ways to make chalkboard paint, I decided to go with the recipe that uses Plaster of Paris".... Read more

Tutorial - Recycle Book Pages into a Flower Wreath

Hang your pretty wreath with some jute twine

Tutorial at Borei by Design Blog

"Got some plastic grocery bags, leftover fabric, a cardboard box and an old book ready for recycle? Once again I'm up to crafting using only materials found around my home. My latest project involves upcycling these items to make a new wall hanging/wreath. I drew inspiration from some of the felt flower barrettes I've made for my daughter".... Read more

Tutorial - How to Make a No-Sew Sock Snowman

You need two socks and a few other supplies for this project

Tutorial at Coloured Buttons Blog

"As most of my recent tutorials  have been sewing projects, I thought it might be a nice change to make a crafty no sew project. This little sock snowman makes a great "desk friend" or paper weight and because he's filled with rice he's nice and squishy to hold too".... Read more

Tutorial - How to Make Homemade Deodorant

Scroll down page for directions in English

Tutorial at Sol Da Eira Blog

"I know it may be a strange idea. I also had many doubts until I tried it. And the fact is that it really works. Better than the others, believe me. The secret is in the baking soda. The other ingredients are there to keep the skin healthy and smooth.  When I started this adventure of making homemade deodorant, because of the components that are bad for one’s health, I read lots of recipes and opinions. Finally, I summed everything in my head and gave it a try. And it was a really good surprise! It was perfect all day long! And believe me, Timor-Leste is really hot".... Read more

Tutorial - Knit a Braided Cable Headband

Makes a great gift, or cold weather accessory for yourself

Tutorial at Fan of Stuff Blog

"This quick knit headband provides some sparkle for the holidays or parties. It also doubles as an ear warmer for the cold. The pattern suggests two yarns used in the pictures, but any two worsted weight yarns held together should work. Experiment with bulky and super-bulky too".... Read more

Tutorial - Doughnut with Cheese Filling

Hungarian wrapped doughnut makes a good snack, or a main meal

Tutorial at The Seaman Mom Blog

"Lángos  is a Hungarian food specialty, usually a deep fried flat bread made of a dough with flour, yeast, salt and water. Adding additional ingredients is optional but it gives the langos recipe a special twist, like in this case where I added cheese. I love cheese and thought why not mix the two together and make a more nutritious recipe".... Read more

Tutorial - Crocheted Chunky Scarf with Leather

Add or remove stitches to make the size you want

Tutorial at Sisters, What Blog

"I absolutely love scarfs, which is no secret. Unfortunately, in the Northwest it doesn't get quite cold enough for really thick scarfs, but I have found that this chunky crocheted scarf is the perfect warmth and comfort a Northwest winter. I made it into an infinity and added leather as an accent just like my other leather bound scarfs that I made (my second leather bound scarf). I used a really big hook and got the thickest yarn I could find. I really do love it. See below for free pattern".... Read more

Tutorial - How to Make a Pom-Pom Bouquet

Use your handmade pom-poms to make a bouquet

Tutorial at Little Treasures Blog

"To continue my play with the pom-poms I made a bouquet. It is such an inexpensive and easy project and it also gives so much warmth and beauty as a décor. This is in fact a short how-to  - not that there aren't any on the internet - but this is the way I did it.  For the project I used fabric yarn, yarn".... Read more

Tutorial - How to Care for Vintage Lace

Washing, storing, and how to tell the right side from the wrong side

Tutorial at Fleur de Lis Quilts Blog

"I decided to add some vintage laces to the bolster.  These are laces that belonged to my mom and grandmother.  Some are quite old and most are pieces of lace salvaged from clothing now long gone.  Both Momma and Ma-ma were great stashers and saved bits and pieces for years.  There's no telling how old some of this lace is.Much of it has yellowed with age and most of it has been sitting in paper or plastic bags with a multitude of other things for years and years".... Read more

Tutorial - Alice in Wonderland Inspired Cookies

For Valentines Day, or for anyone, anytime

Tutorial at Cute Simple Stuff Blog

"I love Alice in Wonderland, the cartoon, and the other day I was watching it and I totally got inspired to recreate the cookies she takes out of a cookie container: Now, that scene was pretty damn fast but I could pause it on time (sort of) take a screenshot and tried to recreate what I saw. To make these I used".... Read more

Tutorial - Refashion a Pullover into a Cardigan

Convert an old sweater to a kimono cardi. Super easy!

Tutorial at Makery Blog

"So I mentioned in my last post (aka "that time I turned a cardigan into a sweater") that I would most likely do the same in reverse at some point. Welllllll....Pretty straightforward this peops. Take a long baggy sweater and cut the panel out of the front like so. Round the back up close to the neckline ribbing, then straight down the front perpendicular to the neckline".... Read more

Tutorial - How to Make a Geometric Prism Necklace

Give this necklace a try with step-by-step video tutorial

Tutorial at Curly Made Blog

"This time I decided to make this geometric necklace with those tube beads from the earpins project, they are so versatile, I'm sure there will be much more ways to use them in the future.  For this necklace all you need is:  Metalic Tube Beads or Bugle Beads; Nylon Cord;  Needle;   Jump rings;   30inches or 75 cm Chain".... Read more

Tutorial - How to Make Fashion Dangle Earrings

Use any size beads and colors to make your own design

Tutorial at Mency's Place Blog

"We are here today and I am about to show you how to make this unique design. I came with this idea, one day sitting in my living room looking at the colors of my beads and trying to decide which earrings I could make on my own that will look nice and wearable. So, I read books about making jewelry and most of them showed that it is very important to choose at least one or at least two colors the max but if the colors are out to be many then matching them is crucial for a finished product that will definitely looks awesome".... Read more

Tutorial - How to Read a Crochet Chart

Visual tutorial explaining how to read a Granny Square crochet chart

Tutorial at Little Treasures Blog

"Here's the second part of how to read crochet charts, and for this time I chose a basic granny square pattern I have in my pinterest board. This is it. A fairly easy granny - not complicated at all. It consists of 4 rounds each marked with a different color. The symbols (for you beginners) are given below. So, let's start".... Read more

Tutorial - How to Sew Crazy Socks Leg Warmers

Sew with a stretchy knit with good recovery

Tutorial at Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom

"My little missy had her very first and oh-so exciting Girl Scout event last weekend.  It was a sleepover/cookie kick off. The sleepover party was held at our local event center/arena, so all the troops from the area were there.  (Lots of girls- so much fun!)  Part of the festivities was a crazy sock contest.  I figured she could wear the legwarmers I made last year, but after hunting all over, I could only find one of the rainbow sweater legwarmers! I really wanted her to win, so I knew it would be really quick and easy to make her another pair".... Read more

Tutorial - How to Make a Zippered Bow Clutch

Large enough to hold an e-pad or book

Tutorial at Joy's, Jots, Shots, & Whatnots

"Cut 2 pieces each of outer & lining fabricto size you desire. Your electronic pad might determine this? Depending on your dimensions for cutting the pieces above, Cut 2 pieces of fabric for bow slightly wider,  but tall enough to go to what will be fold line on purse. Sew the 2 pieces right sides together along long edges. Center of bow is 1½ inches X 3 inches, folded right sides together,  stitched long edge, turned, whip stitch ends together turning under raw edges, slide on bow hiding the seam in the back. Tack stitch to bow so it won't slip. (or cut and make bow however you like. A tube of fabric, with the seam in back, would also do".... Read more

Tutorial - How to Make Decoupage Medium

Nontoxic and kid friendly

Tutorial at Homemade Hooplah Blog

"My cabinet woes brings me to my first DIY project since my self-imposed hiatus: making my own Homemade Mod Podge. On the surface those two might not seem related, but I plan to use a lot of Mod Podge for the custom storage boxes I’m creating to organize the terror that is my “baking shelf.” I’ll be posting about how to make those as well as I get everything together. But for now, back to the Mod Podge. For those that don’t know, Mod Podge is decoupage, and decoupage is used to adhere paper or fabric to just about any surface. In some cases it’s even used as a finish. In a nutshell, Mod Podge makes upcycling possible by allowing us to decorate and cover our crafts in the stylish designs we’d prefer".... Read more

Tutorial - Repurpose a Basket into a Serving Tray

Paint, fabric, and a stencil transform a basket into an attractive tray

Tutorial at Borei by Design Blog

"I'm all about upcycling.  I was upcycling & repurposing WAY before upcycling & repurposing was cool. There's all kinds of diamonds in the rough out there just waiting to be discovered at yard sales and thrift stores. There is nothing I enjoy more than the challenge of taking someone's castoff and turning it into a unique and cherished treasure.  Serving trays make a fantastic decorative item. You can top a tray with a stack of vintage books, figurines, small vase with flower or wherever your imagination takes you to make an interesting coffee table or other display. I've been wanting to do a decorative tray for a while".... Read more

Tutorial - How to Crochet an Ombre Afghan

Keep the cold out with this beautifully warm crochet ombre afghan

Tutorial at Oomanoot Blog

"The weather outside is frightful, at least by my mediterranean standards. The wind is howling and my feet are cold. And all I wanna do is cuddle inside a warm blanket, eat cookies and drink hot tea. Unfortunately, I made this afghan as a gift. But on the bright side, once I got past the first few rows I could actually crochet and cuddle inside it at the same time.  This afghan is quite easy to make, though I this one is quite large and it took me a couple of months to finish. There were weeks when I only crocheted two rows the entire week… life – it really gets in the way of crocheting.  So, let’s get all silly distractions like cooking and dishes out of the way, and make an afghan".... Read more

Tutorial - How to Make a Flat Front Skirt

Pattern for a girls flat front skirt sizes 2 to 10

Tutorial at Scattered thoughts of a Crafty Mom

"New pattern alert!!  Remember my Flat Front Skirt from last week?  I have the pattern and tutorial ready to share with you today!I'm loving how the skirt turned out, the fit is perfect!  The skirt has a flat front, so it looks good with a tucked in shirt and elastic in the back, for easy on/off (and easy construction.)  I definitely prefer the ease of elastic-waist bottoms, and the look of the flat front really makes it look more structured.  It's a bit difficult to see in these photos, but the fabric is corduroy.   I had spotted the floral corduroy on the clearance table at Joann's, and the pink fabric and ribbon were from my stash".... Read more

Tutorial - Upcycle Pickle Jar for Food Storage

Attractive containers made with recycled jars

Tutorial at Borei by Design Blog

"Don't you just love glass food jars? You can make them into a gazillion things. I'm in love with pickles jars.  They come in nice large sizes that beg to be repurposed.  I'm currently in the process of replacing various food storage containers in my kitchen with upcycled pickle jars. The only problem with using glass jars from store bought food is that the smell of the previously stored product often lingers even after cleaning.  This is particularly the case with with pickle jars".... Read more

Tutorial - Upcycle a Watch into a Charm Bracelet

Gather old watches and family photos

Tutorial at Upcycled Design Lab Blog

"It all started with this watch bracelet that I made a couple of years ago.  I have had a lot of folks comment on it when I wear it so I thought that I would make a few more to give as gifts and sell in my Etsy shop and Ebay store. But if you are here I know you want to know how to make your own. So scroll down to the bottom for the video tutorial".... Read more

Tutorial - How to Make a Men's Neck Tie

Make one for a special guy in your life

Tutorial at Sweet Shop Sewing Blog

"I love making Easter ties for my boys (including Jon). Last year, I picked out what I thought was some awesome striped fabric for their ties. The fabric had some purple stripes in it and I made me a top out of the same color of purple so that we matched. Jon wasn’t a fan of the purple and so after Easter was over he never wore it again. So this year, I told Jon to pick out the tie fabric because I didn’t want to make another useless tie. I think he picked out some awesome fabric, even if it’s not all that Eastery".... Read more

Tutorial - How to Make a Fabric Bat

Use scraps and make your bat in any fabric

Tutorial at Wesens Art Blog

"Cutie is a sweet bat, easy to sew and also good for beginners! It will not be just kids that love it!And remember bats are not just for Halloween. This free eBook is available in English or German!(This eBook contains the pattern, instructions - 30 steps with photos on 16 pages".... Read more

Tutorial - Nail Polish and Fabric Clutch Retouch

Easy and inexpensive way to update a clutch

Tutorial at Bisozozo Blog

"I have 2 black and silver clutches in my closet, which I rarely use. So I decided to give a small retouch to one of them. All I used was a coral nail polish and an old green blouse.  I took the clutch apart and painted the metal with the nail polish first. Using spray paint would have been much easier, but I loved the coral".... Read more

Tutorial - How to Crochet a Scarf

Crochet in stripes or as a solid scarf

Tutorial at Simply Shoe Boxes Blog

"I read a good average for a scarf is the height of the person wearing it.  Since I don't know the individual receiving my scarves I use the following average lengths. And since I am tucking them in shoe boxes I need to err on the side of shorter rather than longer so more items can fit in the box".... Read more

Tutorial - Refashion a Sports Jersey into Shorts

Draft pattern pieces from recipients own clothes

Tutorial at Green Issues by Agy Blog

"I decided to refashion all these football jerseys into shorts for my growing boy. At the same time, I thought why not draft a pattern based on my son's existing shorts so that I don't have to keep poking needles through them each time I want to make a pair of shorts.  This pattern would form the basis to upcycling the jerseys. Most of the jerseys are made of polyester, which is more durable than cotton".... Read more

Tutorial - Photography Tips for Beginners

Improve photography with a little effort

Tutorial at Creative Mind Khadija Blog

"You may notice one thing while stumbling random blogs, Every successful blog is sharing some good content with attractive photography clicks. While sharing DIY ideas & creativity, it’s really important to share better photographs. Keep one thing in mind before reading this article, I am not a Pro in photography, some of my blog archives pictures are shamefully worst.haha. but now I am trying. Taking better pictures for blog is not a difficult task though, Just keep a few things in mind".... Read more

Tutorial - How to Make a Fabric Necklace

Scroll down in tutorial for English

Tutorial at Sol Da Eira Blog

"The first step is to sew the strap on the longest side of the fabric to make a tube. Then, we have to put one ball at the time inside the tube and use the string to hold the ball in place. We do the same with the rest of the balls. To hold the two ends of the necklace together, I used a metallic crimp but we can also sew the two edges".... Read more

Tutorial - Make a Shredded Heart T-Shirt

Shiny fabric underneath shows through

Tutorial at Roonie Ranching Blog

"I know Valentine's Day is still a month away, but I couldn't resist making Charlotte (my six-year-old) a new shredded heart t-shirt to replace the one she has just about worn to death over the past two years".... Read more

Tutorial - Resize Varsity Letter Sweater for a Toddler

Easy to sew this cute refashion idea

Tutorial at XOXO Grandma Blog

"Fold that sweater in half.  Lay on top of that sweater, a sweater or jacket that fits the child you're making this for. Using sharp scissors, cut around that article of clothing to size making sure you add at least 1/4" for seam allowances. When I cut the sweater for my granddaughter, I left as much of the ribbing of the original sweater, plus all of the bottom ribbing intact".... Read more

Tutorial - Traveling Tic-Tac-Toe Game

Circle draws up into a bag to hold tokens

Tutorial at Simply Shoe Boxes Blog

"Finding reasonably priced quality toys for my Operation Christmas Child shoe box gifts is becoming harder and harder each year.  I am on a quest to craft my own. This Travel Tic-Tac-Toe Game is the first I have designed.  On the "how to play" instruction sheet I am calling it Three In A Row.  It may make more sense to children in other countries -- either with limited English or when translated.   I put poker chips on my Christmas wish list because I have had this design in my mind for several months".... Read more

Tutorial - Make a Reversible Travel Sewing Bag

Perfect for stitching on the go

Tutorial at Patchwork Posse Blog

"Do you sew on the go?  Are you always digging around in deep bags, looking for your sewing supplies and projects?  This small travel bag might be just what you need! It can hang on your arm– or the arm of an arm chair.  Your hand can slip right in and grab your embroidery thread, scissors, hexagons, templates….you name it.  It even works great for crochet or knitting balls of yarn".... Read more

Tutorial - How to Make No Bake Cookies

Super simple to whip up, easy to find ingredients, and the recipe yields quite a lot

Tutorial at The Woman on the Hill Blog

"Now, before we start, I'd like to thank mom for allowing me to experiment in her kitchen.  It's always been me the one that messes up things; mom is not that into cooking, so I was in charge of things ever since I can remember!  I must also say that I rarely follow recipes - I rarely go to the drawer and take out the measuring spoons because I just do it my old good grandma way - a pinch here, a dash there, a squirt over here and so on and so for yonder and yonder...  OK, I should give mom kuddos for digging up recipes from the darkest corners of the forgotten kitchen book shelf and sticking to them to the T; she's been able to come up with pretty good stuff that kiddos are eating, so they must taste good".... Read more

Tutorial - How to Make a Chinese Button Knot

Traditional Chinese New Year outfit for baby

Tutorial at KR Finger Puppets Blog

"For my son's first Chinese New Year, I decided to make him a traditional Chinese New Year outfit to wear when we visited families during the Chinese New Year holidays. I don't have a pattern/tutorial to work with so I had to learn everything on my own. I could go to Pacific Mall and buy an outfit, but if I did, then I wouldn't have learned how to make and sew bias strips, taught myself the traditional art of Chinese knotting, and sew baby booties".... Read more

Tutorial Exchange - Glamorize a Sweater with Bows

Bowmaker supplied by Bowdabra
as part of our tutorial exchange program

Tutorial at XOXO Grandma Blog

"Do you have an old sweater that needs a little pick-up? For an easy, easy project, take that sweater and glamorize it with some ribbon and a few pearl beads. You'll be impressed with how quick and easy this project is to complete!  (This sweater was refashioned for an older child but this technique would work on any sweater, any size".... Read more

Tutorial - Make Storage Baskets with Selvedges

Choose the shape and size of your container

Tutorial at Sewing the Seasons Blog

"I have been collecting selvedges for quite some time now as you can see from this overflowing basket. Over the years I have struggled when throwing out scraps and selvedges but decided one day - no more - why not keep them and find some creative ways to use them. So, here is a tutorial for using selvedges to make some colourful storage containers".... Read more

Tutorial - How to Sew a Simple Shrug

1 pattern piece, 3 seams and you are done

Tutorial at So Sew Easy Blog

"The free sewing pattern for January is the Sew A So Simple Shrug – try saying that quickly!  It’s a bit of a tongue-twister.  But honestly, that’s the most difficult part right there.  The free shrug pattern looks pretty funky when you look at the pattern.  It’s just one piece and hard to make out what it’s going to become.  But the sewing is really quick and easy and you’ll be carrying this one around with you as Winter turns to Spring".... Read more

Tutorial - Refashion a Cardigan into a Tunic

Look for oversized cardigans on your next trip to the thrift shop

Tutorial at Makery Blog

"I've seen a few tutorials out there for converting sweaters into cardigans. Which I shall no doubt do at some stage. But what if you want to do it the other way round? Turns out it's easy peasy.  I started with this thrifted cardigan. (£2). It's a really nice fine knit but a little too boxy and shapeless as a cardi".... Read more

Tutorial - How to Make Easy Hot Chocolate

Add nuts, cinnamon, and enjoy

Tutorial at Cute Simple Stuff Blog

"With this post I welcome year 2015 to my blog (still can´t believe how fast was 2014). But because of the weather in some places is still pretty chilly, if not freezing, a good-old-fashion single cup of hot chocolate is the answer to the weather I wanted to share this one. Ingredients Used:  1 cup soy milk. I regularly don´t like soymilk on its own, but with this recipe it tastes good.  1 tablespoon of chocolate powder. ½ tablespoon of light brown sugar. Add more sugar to make it sweeter".... Read more

Tutorial - How to Make Plum Dumplings

Recipe for about 30 dumplings

Tutorial at Ileana-Carmen Blog

"Fry the breadcrumbs with the oil for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly on low heat.  After the composition  having been taken off the heat add remaining ingredients.Boil water in a pot with a pinch of salt and a tablespoon of oil, because we don't want to have  sticked dumplings from the bottom of pot. When the water began to boil put the fire lower for keeping a low process for boiling.Take a spoon with a piece of dough which it will be modeled in hand with a little flour, because we don't want to stick the dumpling of  hands, and put in the dumpling a quarter of plum and a pinch of sugar".... Read more

Tutorial - Crochet a Sock Yarn Swirl Necklace

Necklace is a lovely accent to a v-neck shirt or sweater and can be worn any time of year

Tutorial at The Chilly Dog Blog

"This is a rather unusual pattern for sock yarn, but I think you'll enjoy the fun and quirky style. You may even be able to use up some of the bits of yarn from your stash for this project because you only need about 65 yds (14 g) of sockweight yarn.  The finished necklace is approximately 17 inches".... Read more

Tutorial - How to Make a Toy Tote

Padded drawstring tote stands up on its own

Tutorial at Roonie Ranching Blog

"All kids need a way to carry the myriad toys they insist on bringing everywhere they go.  This toy tote is the perfect size for a half a dozen Rescue Bots, a herd of My Little Ponies, or enough small Beanie Boos to keep a kid entertained for well, at little while at least.  The finished dimensions of the tote are approximately 11" high, 8" wide, and 8" deep".... Read more

Tutorial - How to Make Mixed Media Earrings

Try creating variations with different types of cord or yarn

Tutorial at Jewels of Sayuri Blog

"2015 is here and hopefully its off to a good start for all of you. Keeping up with the Sayuri Tradition of Welcoming the New Year with a tutorial, Here is a tutorial for a simple yet sweet pair of earrings that you can make in 30 mins (which includes 25 minutes of drying time) to shake away all your post holiday stress.I call it Roze en Paars or Pink and purple earrings as those are the colors that I have used to match with some tops that I bought, but you could make them in any color combination to suit your mood".... Read more

Tutorial Exchange - How to Make a Quick Bow

Supplies provided by Bowdabra

Tutorial at Crafty Lawyer Blog

"If you are a crafter of any type the Bowdabra is a handy tool and easy to use.  It basically holds your ribbon for you so you can get a pretty bow very quickly.  Even a small one like I used on my box here. The little box is 2.25 inches square.  The ribbon is 1.5" ribbon".... Read more

Tutorial - Fabric Covered Mini Notebook

Recycle old paper/cereal boxes

Tutorial at Mad for Fabric Blog

"I love these Liberty covered notebooks I saw on the Alice Caroline blog but it was just too costly to ship a notebook all the way from the UK.   Today’s post is a tutorial on how to make your own DIY fabric covered mini notebook. I decided to make my version smaller because I want to carry it around to jot down notes. Of course I used my Liberty scraps for this to get a bigger variety of prints in the notebook cover. You can also check out my other fabric scrap projects here".... Read more

Tutorial - How to Make New Year Cookies

Place cookies in a cellophane bag with a cute ribbon to give as party favors

Tutorial at Cute Simple Stuff Blog

"This is going to be my last idea (for this 2014 year!). It´s super duper easy I promise that and definitely wrapping up the year with one of the best recipes and ingredients I have tried this year. For this we'll need:  Cookie dough recipe, chopped nuts, number cookie cutter, or if you don´t own any, just make them yourself. (In the video below I explain how), water,  brush. Free step-by-step video where I explain how to bake them! Happy New Year´s and Happy baking".... Read more