craft Archives - Eat. Drink. Love.

December 7, 2012 by Stephanie

I’m back with yet another craft for you all today! I started making these yarn wreaths last year and now I can’t stop. They are just too much fun. I want one for every holiday!

Wrapping the yarn can be a little tedious, but I like to do it while I am watching tv or a movie. It’s a relaxing project and they look so cute when you are done! And they are way to cheaper to make than to buy at the store. I spotted some at Target today for $30, these will cost you half of that. And once you stock up on assorted colors of yarn, you only need to buy the wreath each time.

These would also make fun little gifts to give this holiday season!

Ok, here is what you need:

A foam wreath from the craft store. I usually go for the white ones, but my store was out so I just went with a floral green one. The wreaths also come in different sizes. Pick whichever you want. Make sure you get the smooth ones, not the really rough ones. Gosh, I’m so good at explaining this, aren’t I?

Yarn. Lots of yarn. And in lots of colors. Go crazy.

Pins.

Ribbons, felt, or whatever you want to decorate your wreath with! You can also use flowers or buttons. I have also made felt flowers and used buttons for the middle. Get creative!

Ok, so that’s what you need. A foam wreath, yarn, pins, and ribbon.

First, pick your first color and cut a piece of yarn to your desired length. You can do all of the colors the same length, or you can change it up. There is no wrong way to do this. Place one end of the piece of yarn on the inside of the wreath and pin into place.

Now wrap the yarn around the wreath. You want to try to wrap it so there are no gaps where the foam is showing. After I wrap each time, I push the yarn to the side up against the side where I started wrapping and make it nice and tight. Once you reach the other end, pin that side down.

Now it’s time to move onto your next color. Just like the first color, take one end, pin into place, wrap, pin the other end. Rinse and repeat.

If there are any pieces of yarn sticking out, you can just pin it down. Ok, so after you finish wrapping your yarn, it’s time to decorate! Again, there is no wrong way to do this. I like to wrap mine with ribbon and then from there, I do different things.

Here are two Christmas wreaths I have done:

And because I am way too lazy to go break out my Halloween decorations, here is an Instagram pic I posted of one of my Halloween wreaths.

For the Halloween wreath and the snowman wreath, I bought sheets of felt at the craft store. Cut two equal shapes that I wanted (snowman, ghost, spider, pumpkin). Then I hand stitched around each one about 3/4 of the way around the edges, stuffed cotton balls inside, stitched up the rest. Then I made their faces!

For the Santa one, that is also made with felt, but it was a little kit I spotted at Michaels and I just glued it together.

So, the possibilities are endless! Have fun with it!

D.I.Y. Rice Sack Heating Pads

November 29, 2012 by Stephanie

So aside from cooking, I like to get my craft on. I have decided that I will start sharing my little projects with you all. I know, get excited.

I used to have a bunch of these rice sack heating pads years and years ago. I don’t know where they all went, but they are amazing. Perfect for cold nights and aches and pains. You can also toss them in the freezer to use as an ice pack.

Then while surfing the interwebz last month, I came across this post from the totally awesome Bev over at Bev Cooks and then I immediately remembered how wonderful these little rice sacks are. I decided right then that I had to make some A.S.A.P.! If you know how to sew, these D.I.Y. rice sack heating pads are pretty easy to make. And actually, I’m a beginner and so if I can do it, so can you!

So after you read this post, go make a bunch for yourself. Then, go make a bunch for your family and friends to give as gifts this holiday season. They will love you forever.

Ok, let’s get crafty.

Here is what you need:

Materials:
- Fabric – You can buy single pieces of fabric (like fat quarters) from your local fabric store. Buy as many as you need.
- Needle and thread
- Rice. Lots of rice. The exact amount you need will depend on how many and the size of the rice sacks you make. For me, it was about 4 cups for 1.
- Essential oils – This is optional, but I recommend getting some because they smell so good, especially when heat the rice sack! I got a bottle of peppermint oil and grapefruit oil. I got mine at Whole Foods.

Alrighty, so the first step is to decide what size and shape you want your rice sack to be. I was able to cut each piece of fabric in half so I could make two rice sacks per piece of fabric. I made two sizes, some smaller rectangular ones (good for the neck, eyes, arms and legs) and then some larger square ones (perfect for the tummy or back). Cut your fabric in half. And this is the time to iron it all out.

Fold the fabric so the back side is facing up and then fold the edges over and pin like so:

Now it’s time to sew. I used my sewing machine because I wanted a nice and tight stitch, but you can certainly do this by hand. If you decide to sew by hand, I recommend doing a double stitch like Bev did.

After you sew up the edges, turn the rice sack right side out. Fill a bowl with the rice. Drop in about 5 drops of the essential oil and toss with your hands. Then pour it into the sack. If you are making a smaller sized rice sack, it may help to use a funnel to pour the rice in (or make your own with a piece of paper). DO NOT fill the sack up all of the way with the rice. You want to be able to bend the rice sack so it will conform to your body. Fill it up about 3/4 of the way.

Ok, now here is where things get a little tricky. Closing up the top. I wanted to use my sewing machine to do this which probably made this way more difficult. After doing a few, I got the hang of it though. Again though, you can also do this by hand if it is easier.

Fold the edges in like this:

Then, pin along the very edge.

Now, stitch up the top!

And hey, you’re done!! Now go stick it in the microwave for 1-3 minutes and then get all warm and cozy!

Oh, and no, the rice will not cook when you put it in the microwave. When you first remove it, it may smell a little “ricey”, but that will fade after a couple of minutes. And this is where those essential oils will help!

Alright, so there you have it, my first craft post. Stay tuned for next week when I will show you a fun holiday decoration idea!