National Craft Month 2018: a new tutorial every day in March!

March 1, 2018 by FaveCrafts

National Craft Month 2018 is here! Every year, we celebrate the craftiest month of the year by releasing a new craft project each day in March. These crafts cover a wide range of hobbies, from crochet and knitting to recycled crafts, paper crafts, and more!

National Craft Month 2018

Visit our hub page on FaveCrafts.com to get a sneak preview of all the beautiful projects we’re featuring this year! Bookmark this National Craft Month page to make sure you don’t miss each new project!

Today, our friends at Therm O Web have a darling new bobbin necklace tutorial they’re sharing:

No-Sew Bobbin DIY Necklace Pendant

This darling bobbin necklace is such an easy jewelry making project, and you can customize the different bobbins with various threads and fabric scraps to create unique designs each time. The star charm is an elegant finishing touch. Long necklaces make beautiful accessories for so many outfits, and this is a particularly crafty one!

Check back tomorrow to see our next project, an Interwoven Cabled Chic Shawl crochet pattern from Red Heart:

Interwoven Cabled Chic Shawl

This gorgeous shawl features stacked double crochet stitches and an amazing cable border. Cables aren’t just for knitting! The height of this shawl makes it ideal for wrapping so many ways for a cozy yet chic accessory.

Get a sneak peek of so many more projects to come!

More National Craft Month Projects

Plus, we’re giving away a grand prize giveaway! The National Craft Month Extravagant Grand Prize Giveaway lasts throughout the entire month of March, and there are so many ways to win! Enter to win on the giveaway page, and you can get BONUS giveaways by commenting on the different craft projects! Make sure you use the hashtag #NationalCraftMonth2018 to qualify for the bonus entry.

National Craft Month Extravagant Grand Prize Giveaway

What is a new craft you’d like to try? Maybe it’s something you’ve always wanted to learn but haven’t done yet! Let us know in the comments.

Happy Birthday to You! Card Make n’ Take with Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L

December 6, 2017 by FaveCrafts

Here at Prime Publishing, we love it when we get to try new projects with some of the brands we work with! Last week, our friends from Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L came by our Northbrook, IL office to teach us how to make a darling birthday card.

Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L likes to promote “wearing adhesive on the outside”, which is showcased beautifully in this birthday card with the photo corners! Several of our editors signed up to make this fun card.

Editors hard at work putting together their cards!

Media Director Beth Pingry showed us how to use their E-Z Runner® Grand to adhere the layers of paper. We also used 3D foam adhesive between some layers to give the card more dimension.

Did you know it’s easier to place all the photo corners on the card before pressing it down? For some reason I thought positioning the paper first would be better, but not so! It’s much easier to get the photo corners in place before pressing it down.

Margie and Beth trimmed the photo corners down ahead of time for us, which made them easier to work with! They come packaged on a larger sheet.

Aren’t those foil shapes darling? Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L sells foil that works with their adhesive shapes for an easy and pretty embellishment.

Here’s what some of our editors had to say:

“I was amazed how quick and easy the project was! When I saw what we would be making, I thought it looked so beautiful and complex that it would take at least an hour – but the whole project only took 30 minutes! The photo corners are so fun to work with, and I love the vintage touch that they gave to the final card.”- Chelsea Scarnegie, AllFreeHolidayCrafts.com Editor
“I’ve done a decent amount of scrapbooking, and these were my favorite photo corners. I loved how the back portion extended out an extra long distance, providing more stability for the paper. And the ability to make cards that were three-dimensional was so much fun—it was like something out of the pretty card section at a store.” – Jessica Thelander, 103 Recipe Cookbooks Editor
“I really enjoyed using the products from Scrapbook Adhesives to create a beautiful birthday card. Specifically, the photo corners we used made the design pop and provided a fun retro vibe. I also loved using different layering techniques and adhesives to add dimension to the card. I haven’t decided who will be the lucky recipient of the card, but I’m sure he or she will be very impressed!” – Kathryn Abrams, AllFreeKnitting.com Editor
“I really enjoyed how easy making this particular card was! You could easily make a lot for say, Christmas, in no time at all. I thought the creative possibilities with the photo corners (especially when they showed us the other colors they came in) were amazing!” – Jamie Garcia, RecipeLion.com Editor
“I really liked the card that we made. It was easy to construct, and the finished product was lovely. I was also impressed by how many different ways you can use the photo corners. I never would have guessed how versatile they are!” – Kristin Anderson, TheWineBuyingGuide.com Editor
“I really enjoyed the make and take with 3L! The photo corners were easy to use and added a lot of character. I especially liked the foil accent – it was so simple but added sparkle without creating a mess like glitter sometimes does. I’m going to give this card to my mom for her birthday!” Natalie Taylor, AllFreeCasseroleRecipes.com Editor

Check out another finished product on the FaveCrafts Instagram!

Missed our story yesterday? Check out the final project made by one of the FaveCrafts editors! Thanks again for stopping by @scrapbookadhesivesby3l . . . . . #papercut #cardmaking #scrapbooking #handmade #crafty #crafting #papercrafts #diy #workinghard #primelife
A post shared by FaveCrafts (@favecrafts) on Nov 29, 2017 at 12:17pm PST

Find more projects from Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L on FaveCrafts.

Tell us: have you used photo corners in a unique way like this? What did you make?

April is Stress Awareness Month! Unwind with Knitting and Crochet

April 3, 2017 by FaveCrafts

I am a huge proponent of knitting and crocheting to destress. I learned how to crochet about three years ago, and I’ve been knitting for two years. While I still consider myself a beginner in both of these crafts, I do love to unwind with knitting and crochet.

Doing a generative activity like writing, drawing, or even reading can be overwhelming when stressed. The idea of coming up with something new to write or journal about does not seem relaxing if stress levels are already high! Same goes with deciding on an image to draw, and even taking in information from something as light as a novel can go right over my head if I’m distracted and panicked. I’ve found that my favorite things to do when stressed include crocheting, knitting, and playing piano. Not learning a new pattern or song—that is too generative when stressed—but working on an easy pattern or playing a song I’m already familiar with. It’s a beautiful distraction and, in the case of knitting and crochet, I am still making something!

April is stress awareness month, and our friends at the Craft Yarn Council have a lineup of wonderful opportunities and learning experiences to help you destress. Share your story and learn more about what April has to offer when you want to unwind with knitting and crochet.

Next month, during April Stress Awareness Month, Craft Yarn Council (CYC) is encouraging knitters and crocheters to UNWIND and Stitch Away Stress. CYC will use social media to create a space where followers can breath easy and to facilitate conversation about trending topics within the wellness community. Each week we will center conversations around the following themes and how knitters and crocheters use yarn crafting to heal within each of the categories.

How to Get Involved

Use your social platforms to encourage your audience to join the discussion by sharing their own photos and stories using #StitchAwayStress.
Download and share CYC’s graphics, animations and the Unwind press release.
Host your own Unwind contests and giveaways.
On your blog, share your story of why you knit or crochet and how it has benefitted you.

Assets: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0BwRV-Rzs6k5BeFdocHB2bHFkbVE?usp=sharing

CYC’s UNWIND Giveaways

Invite your followers to join the Craft Yarn Council all month long for April Stress Awareness month giveaways!

Contest Details:

Share any of CYC’s Stress Awareness Month posts or images on Facebook or Instagram and tell your story to your friends as it relates to the topic of that post. You must use the #stitchawaystress for a chance to win one of four UNWIND prizes. Each prize is valued at $50. Contest runs April 1-30. Winners will be chosen at random and will be announced week of May 8th.

If you are planning to participate in our Unwind Campaign, please shoot us an email at info@craftyarncouncil.com. We would love to hear from you! Thank you and with your help we will make this April Stress Awareness Month the best one yet!

What is your favorite way to relieve stress?

Let It Snow! Make n’ Take Fun with Therm O Web

December 10, 2016 by FaveCrafts

On December 8th, we had the lovely opportunity to learn how to make a foiled card with Dawn from Therm O Web! If you’re not sure you’ve heard of Therm O Web, you’re probably familiar with their Deco Foil sheets (among other adhesive products)! We had a wonderful time playing with this Deco Foil on our cards.

Dawn brought a lovely package of materials for us to do our make and take, and the card was so fun and easy to put together. See that circle with “Let it snow” written on it? That was printed with a laser printer, and laser ink works with Deco Foil. Note: you must use laser ink. Foils do not work with an inkjet printer.

Behold! All you need to adhere the foil to the ink is a laminator machine. Run it through…

It came out perfectly!

You can also stick the foil to glue from Therm O Web’s Deco Foil adhesive pens. We drew stars and snowflakes inside the cards, added the foil, and boom:

Easy as pie! Using the adhesive pens and bits of foil is such a great way to add a bit of interest to any blank spot on a card, scrapbook layout, or any paper craft.

Die cutting the circles gave us, of course, perfect circles, and also added some lovely layers to our card.

Here is what some of our staff had to say:

I sent this card to my friend, and she was shocked that I made it myself. This card was easy to make, yet it looked like it was made by a professional. -Beth Ann Morely, Editor
“I’m not the craftiest person, but using the Therm O Web products to create such a beautiful seasonal card was easy! I love the way the finished product looks. The different colors and textures make the card unique and unlike anything you’d see in a greeting card store. The hardest part of the process was deciding who would be the lucky recipient of such a stunning handmade card!” – Kathryn Abrams, Editor
“I love the look of homemade cards, but I hadn’t done much paper crafting before. It was great to learn a new skill while trying out Therm O Web’s products. I especially liked using the Deco Foil – it made the cards look so festive and fun. Plus, I got to take home a beautiful holiday card at the end!” – Natalie Taylor, Editor
“It was so much fun having Therm O Web in the office. Not only was the card that we made beautiful, it was surprisingly easy to create! Even some of our editors with minimal craft experience created something truly stunning. As a company, we welcome any opportunity to step away from our computers for an hour or two and explore our creative side as a group. It’s an added bonus when we get to play around with the products that we write about on a daily basis, and get to know the faces behind the names of our company contacts!” – Jenny Benoit, Managing Editor

Clearly we had a great time!

Want to make your own lovely card using pretty foils? Check out some of our favorite Therm O Web tutorials below:

Mixed Media Wintry Card

Winter Snowflake Home Decor

Rustic Glamour DIY Wall Art

Love Life DIY Pallet Craft

Foil Monogram Notebook

What new project will you add foil to?

Creative Scarves Blog Hop – You Need This Book!

April 17, 2015 by FaveCraftsBlog

I’m obsessed with scarves. Seriously, I have 2 organizers in my closet completely stuffed with scarves in every color that I love. However many store-bought scarves I have, I still favor the scarf that I made myself. I crocheted a scarf that I love to wear in the winter that makes me feel all cozy.

This new book from Tiffany Windsor, Heidi Borchers, and Savannah Starr will be a lovely addition to your crafting books. Just like the scarf I made for myself, you can make your own, completely unique to you, scarf that you’re guaranteed to love.

This book is excellent and full of so many ideas for every season! There is literally something for everyone in this book. Plenty of techniques are new and exciting – I can’t wait to try “painted plastic printing” and the “block print bumblebee” techniques!

Want to win a signed copy of this book and a $100 gift card for Dharma Trading? Enter to win by visiting Tiffany Windsor’s site and check out the rest of the blog hop!

An InLinkz Link-up

Cats in Hats Blog Hop + Giveaway

March 21, 2015 by FaveCraftsBlog

I know what you’re thinking. Cats? Wearing hats? How did they get that cat on the cover to even cooperate to wear that hat? Well, I don’t have an answer for you, but I think we can all agree that putting a hat on a cat makes one cute kitty.

Whether you’re a knitter or a crocheter, Cats in Hats: 30 Knit And Crochet Patterns for Your Kitty is a quirky little book with a variety of hat patterns to suit your needs. Sara Thomas came up with cute and funny hats to match your cat’s personality. Cats do have very unique personalities, as we all know.

Stay tuned! Tomorrow we are sharing a FREE PATTERN from this book!

Join our friends on this fun blog hop!

AUTHOR KICKOFF: 3/16 Scooter Knits

3/17 Yarning 4 A Smile

3/18 Wendy Knits

3/19 In Stitches

3/20 Polka Dot Cottage

3/21 FaveCrafts

3/22 Recycled Crafts

3/23 Lorelei’s Blog

3/24 CraftSanity

3/25 Lori Greenberg

3/26 Crafting a Green World

3/27 Gaea Handmade

3/28 Pretty Things Blog

Want to win a copy of this cute book right here on the blog? All you have to do is answer this question!

What have you knit or crocheted for your pets?

Congrats to Kris! “I’ve made several sweaters for my Min Pin. She loves to dress up!” We’re glad your cat loves to dress up and we hope she enjoys her new hats when you make them from this book!

OFFICIAL RULES FOR GIVEAWAY:

There is a maximum of one entry per person. The entry will be based upon a comment left on this blog post. Duplicate comments will be deleted and are not tallied.
Winners will be selected at random from the comments on this blog post.
Winners will be announced here on this blog post on March 30, 2015 as well as contacted by the email address provided.
You have until, March 29, 2015 at 11:59p EST to leave your comment. Comments posted after that will not be counted.
Contest open to anyone 18+ in US and/or Canada.

Pretty Birds Blog Hop + Book Giveaway

March 3, 2015 by FaveCraftsBlog

A little birdy told me that there’s a new sewing book out that you don’t want to miss! Pretty Birds: 18 Simple Projects to Sew and Love is a brand new book by Virginia Lindsay from Running Press. We’re in love.

This book includes pattern templates for all 18 birds and amazing illustrations by Jess Herbert. Each bird was beautifully photographed by Ivan Jones and with each page I turn in this book I am itching to sew each and every bird! They are all so whimsical and, just as the described in the book’s title, simple. Sewing patterns don’t have to be complicated to be beautiful and this book is proof.

One neat thing about this book is that each pattern comes with “other ideas to try.” We love this because crafters love options when it comes to creating something. Keep each pattern as is or switch it up a little bit to turn a bird into pencil holder, a gift topper, or a kitten toy (to name a few). Plus, these little birds are great stash-busters and great for using up fabric scraps.

I decided to try my hand at sewing one of these pretty birds. Can you guess which one I am going to try? Come back to the blog tomorrow and you’ll get to see which pattern I tried PLUS get the pattern from the book for free!

Join the fun and follow this blog hop!

2/25 You Go Girl!

2/26 Erica B. DIY Style

2/27 CraftSanity

2/28 Recycled Crafts

3/1 Sew Mama Sew

3/2 Lorelei’s Blog

3/3 FaveCrafts

3/4 S is for Sewing

3/5 Lori Greenberg

3/6 Killing It As A Grown Up

3/8 Pretty Things Blog

3/10 Sweet KM

3/11 Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy Crafts

3/12 Buzzmills

3/13 Girl Like the Sea

3/15 Cut Out + Keep

Want to win a copy of this lovely book? All you have to do is answer this question!

What is your favorite bird and why?

Thank you all for participating in our giveaway! Congratulations to Laura S. who answered, “My favorite bird is the Eastern Bluebird. They are so pretty, especially the males, and they are great just fun to watch. The first set of babies to hatch in the summer will usually hang around with the parents and help them raise a second batch of babies later in the summer!” Get excited to sew your very own little bluebird with your new book!

OFFICIAL RULES FOR GIVEAWAY:

There is a maximum of one entry per person. The entry will be based upon a comment left on this blog post. Duplicate comments will be deleted and are not tallied.
Winners will be selected at random from the comments on this blog post.
Winners will be announced here on this blog post on March 12, 2015 as well as contacted by the email address provided.
You have until March 11, 2015 at 11:59p EST to leave your comment. Comments posted after that will not be counted.
Contest open to anyone 18+ in US and/or Canada.

Creating Connections at the CHA Blogger Networking Event

January 21, 2015 by FaveCrafts

For the past three years at the Craft and Hobby Association’s Winter Trade Show in Anaheim, CA, Prime Publishing has been hosting a hot-ticket event: the annual Blogger Networking Event. Not only do we supply free food and drinks at this event, but also an opportunity for bloggers and companies to meet each other, as well. At such a huge trade show like CHA, it’s often hard for bloggers and companies to connect on a personal level.

This event offers bloggers the opportunity to not only meet with company representatives, but also preview new products and discover exclusive details about new items hitting the shelves in 2015. For blogger Robyn Josephs of Rainbow Weaves, the event was “one of the most useful and best organized” events that she attended at CHA this year. Sue Eldred agrees that “it’s so important to be able to get together with other bloggers and the manufacturers.”

This year, bloggers met brand reps from Clover, Plaid, iLoveToCreate, Sissix, and more. For a closer inside the exclusive event and for a chance to win some CHA swag, check out Fun Times at The 2015 CHA Blogger Event! Be sure to also watch the exclusive video from the event!

What’s your favorite craft supply? Comment below and let us know!

Get Inspired with the June Jamboree from Spellbinders!

June 19, 2014 by AllFreePaperCrafts

This just in: Spellbinders® Paper Arts has announced a brand new expansion to their Die D-Lites and In’spire Product Lines! The expanded line features 19 new Die D-Lites and 8 new In’spire die templates. In order to showcase these new products with a bit of a bang, Spellbinders is hosting the June Jamboree on their blog. Find fabulous paper craft projects featuring the new products every day for ten days in June!

Today is Day 8 of the June Jamboree, and designer Lesley Langdon shares a stunning tri-fold card. The card features the new Dandylion and Celebration Two In’spire die templates, and the finished project is beautiful. Be sure to visit the Spellbinders blog for the full tutorial!

A personal favorite is the Day 7 post from Spellblogger Darsie Bruno. This step card format really lends to the garden’s look, and the fairies are made all the more whimsical with glitter! Included are the new Fairy Ariana, Flower Box, and Wrought Iron die templates.

On Day 6, Linda Lucas shows us how to create this beautiful birdhouse with a helpful video tutorial. This project features the Gate Element die template. Find the video here.

On Day 5, Beck Beattie uses the new Row Houses die template to create this charming scrapbook layout. The different colors for the windows in each house are an adorable touch!

Day 4’s June Jamboree post is brought to you by Tina McDonald, and her lovely friends handmade card features the Fancy Label Tags One die template.

I love trees as a central motif for pretty much any project, and this craft from Day 3 of the June Jamboree features the new Delightful Tree die template. Designer Teresa Horner does such a great job with this project!

Show someone that “You make me happy when skies are grey” with the Day 2 project from Marielle LeBlanc. This lovely scrapbook layout features the new Wellies and Umbrella Trio die templates.

Finally, the Day 1 paper project which kicked off the June Jamboree features the beautiful Bird Scroll die. Designer Linda Lucas does such a great job with the design of this card!

Be sure to visit the Spellbinders blog to see the remaining June Jamboree projects and products!

How often do you use die cutting templates in your projects? Always, sometimes, never?

Bead&Button Show 2014: Hot Trends and New Friends

June 14, 2014 by AllFreeHolidayCrafts

This past weekend the editors of FaveCrafts and AllFreeJewelryMaking had a blast touring the Bead&Button Show in Milwaukee, collected a new list of hot trends, and met some amazing designers we can’t wait to introduce you to! From the crazy color combinations to cute little animal beads to fabulous new products, The Bead and Button Show opened our eyes to what’s hot and happening this summer.

If you have never heard of the Bead&Button Show you’re in for a treat, and possibly a new annual tradition! Located up North in Milwaukee, WI, the Bead and Button Show is the largest jewelry and bead show in the world, hosting over 300 talented designers and companies that are dedicated to the crafty world of beading (and buttoning)! These designers and companies each have their own booths that display and sell their patterns, one-of-a-kind jewelry, and products–plus, some of the companies even hosted “Make and Takes!” The show will also hosts over 700 bead and jewelry classes. It doesn’t get more fun for beaders like us than being able to walk through a conference dedicate to tiny, shiny, beads and buttons!

Color Trends

This year, bright colors are all the rage. From shades of sky blue and teal to fuchsia and coral, this summer, the bolder the better. We noticed a great focus on blue, teal, and turquoise which was complemented by an assortment of corals, reds, and oranges. That being said, this summer the focus should clearly be on cheerful beads that add a POP of color to your outfit!

Bead Trends

This year at Bead&Button, we noticed a hot selection of seed beads, rhinestones, and seas glass. These top trends are great jewelry projects for beaders to work on during the summer–especially when it comes to sea glass! Using these different types of beads to create large statement necklaces was spotted at the show, which is another fun option for summer beaders.

Trends from New Friends

We met a lot of talented designers during our stay at Bead&Button, and no one knows the beading world like a designer! Take it from an expert like Hannah Rosner, spikes and skulls are back IN! Also, those amazing double-holed seed beads are in high demand. Another really cool beading trend we saw was the increased popularity of dichroic glass beads, and Karen Bruns’ Designs had an amazing display of them. These glass beads undergoe a color change in certain lighting conditions, which is super-cool!

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What’s your favorite trend from the 2014 Bead&Button Show?

What is a new craft you’d like to try? Maybe it’s something you’ve always wanted to learn but haven’t done yet! Let us know in the comments.

Tell us: have you used photo corners in a unique way like this? What did you make?

Trending Topics

Week One: SELF

Week Two: THE MIND

Week Three: COMMUNITY

Week Four: INSPIRATION

How to Get Involved

CYC’s UNWIND Giveaways

What is your favorite way to relieve stress?

What new project will you add foil to?

What have you knit or crocheted for your pets?

What is your favorite bird and why?

What’s your favorite craft supply? Comment below and let us know!

How often do you use die cutting templates in your projects? Always, sometimes, never?

Color Trends

Bead Trends

Trends from New Friends

What’s your favorite trend from the 2014 Bead&Button Show?

Crochet

Jewelry

Knitting

Paper

Sewing

Thrifty