22 Crafting Tutorials and How Tos You Might Have Missed: Part 2

November 28, 2016 by FaveCrafts

In our last crafting tutorials post, “24 Crafting Tutorials and How Tos You Might Have Missed,” we put together an extensive list of articles to help beginners learn new skills, tips, and tricks. We built an exhaustive post that was devoted to sharing all sorts of neat techniques and great ideas with the crafting world. The list was our own library catalog of all of the fascinating tricks and tips we had collected. It was our magnum opus, and it was a popular resource among our greater crafting family — that means you.

The original crafting tutorials post went live months ago. A lot of things can happen between then (July) and now. One of the changes we’re eager to tell you about is our new list filled with all of the cool skills we’ve picked up in the last few months. Whether you’re completely new to crafting or are here to pick up a few new techniques, these crafting tutorials are super helpful and fun. We hope they’ll inspire all sorts of fantastic and unexpected projects!

22 Crafting Tutorials and How Tos You Might Have Missed: Part 2

What Crafting Tutorials are You Most Excited to Try?

Fancy Frames: How to Make a Bezel Setting

December 3, 2013 by AllFreeJewelryMaking

Just as you give your favorite paintings a frame, give your stunning stones a setting. Bezels allow you to turn anything into wearable art, making for incredibly unique jewelry. Earrings, necklaces, rings, and bracelets can all thank bezels for allowing them to frame a gorgeous gem or eye-catching clay. I absolutely love how versatile these techniques are. All you have to do is learn how to make your favorite look and then you can apply it to anything. From metal to beads, bezels can be made with tons of materials and lots of different methods. These beautiful bezeled pieces make perfect gifts for any occasion.

Beaded Bezel Beauties

Beaded bezels are my favorite look. Tiny seed beads make a delicate frame for the show-stopping centerpiece; the result is intricate yet classic, and any of these pieces can be worn daily. My blue-ribbon winners are the Wire-Wrapped Beaded Stud Earrings. The vintage feel they have is uber trendy currently, and they’re a cinch to create. All of the patterns below have a similar heirloom sense that is highly demanded. Give these as presents for a priceless reaction. They may not cost much to make, but they look like a million bucks.

Magnificent Metal Bezels

Though all of these bezels can fit under the metal category, the variety amongst them is great. That’s good news for you because each of the free bezel patterns featured below will garner an incredibly exclusive outcome. Make one of each for a jewelry box with range. You absolutely cannot miss the Stone-Filled Metal Bracelet. It’s earthy yet chic, colorful yet subtle. I am in love with this piece, and it is incredibly simple to make. Gift one to each of your best friends for jewelry that unites you while celebrating your differences (each one will be delightfully unique). Metal allows you to show off more than just stones, though— feature charms, clay, paint, and photos too.

Fabulous Fiber Bezels

While metal and beaded bezels are more prominent, we can’t forget about the delightfully fun fiber bezels. If you love your hooks or needles, then you’ll adore these crocheted and knitted bezels. Keep things fresh and light with bezels that breathe. These designs are gorgeous as summer pieces, but with darker colors they can work in colder months as well. Variety is the spice of life, and having a jewelry collection that covers both ends of the spectrum and everywhere in between ensures you’ll have a piece for every occasion. My favorite design is the Crochet Bezel Charm Necklace. It’s actually stunning. For real. It’s followed closely behind by the Little Urchin Crochet Stones and the Encompassed Agate.

BONUS – Make Bezels for Free!

Enter to win the Bezel Effects Kit from ImpressArt and you can make gorgeous bezeled jewelry to wear or gift. This fun giveaway ends December 16th, and you can enter once a day!

What is your favorite way to make bezels?

How to: Knitting for Beginners

March 18, 2012 by AllFreeKnitting

Lately it seems like everyone is taking a ride on the knitting bandwagon. From famous people, like actress Amanda Seyfried, to male and female friends and family members — everyone wants to learn how to knit! If you’re reading this because you’ve decided that today is the day you’re going to finally learn how to do this addictive hobby, then you’re in luck! Together, we’ll unravel the tangled mystery that is knitting, and by the end of this post, you’ll be well on your way to creating your first knit scarf! Are you ready for a few “purls” of wisdom? (Please forgive my knitting puns). Let’s get started!

How to Knit: Basic Materials

Many people who have been knitting for years have tons of supplies. We’re talking 40+ different types of yarn, plus every size of knitting needles imaginable. While you’ll eventually need to familiarize yourself with all the different types of needles – straight, circular and double pointed – for now, let’s just stick to the basics. To get started practicing, you’ll need three main things:

Straight single point knitting needles (the larger you can get, the easier it will be)
Yarn (thicker yarn is good for beginners)
Scissors

Basic Knitting Tutorials and Techniques

Because you’re learning something new, you’re going to need to grasp a few basic techniques before starting complicated projects. For your convenience, we’ve rounded up some of our top knitting tutorials, so you can get started learning a new hobby today!

Free Easy Knitting Patterns

Shifting Colors Dishcloth Scarf – This fast knitting pattern is ideal for a beginner. In this pattern, you’ll get plenty of practice using the knit stitch by whipping up five basic squares. Once your squares are complete, seam them together to make a trendy scarf!

Easy Beginner Knitted Hat – Made with straight knitting needles, this project will allow a beginner to practice several techniques including the knit stitch, knitting with two strands of yarn at the same time, and basic seaming methods. Once your baby hat is seamed up, embellish it with a fun, homemade pom pom!

Simple Cotton Dishcloth – Get practice knitting by creating something practical for the kitchen! This easy knit dishcloth is the perfect beginner pattern to work on while watching some T.V. It’s small, fast to finish and it’s extremely portable.

How to: Knitting Videos

If you’re like me, then you’re more of a visual learner. If reading the articles above just isn’t making sense, you won’t want to miss this collection of knitting videos below. Whether you’re completely new to the hobby, or you just need a little refresher, these videos will help you pick up your needles and start knitting!

I hope that all of these free tutorials have helped you get started, and that you’re already halfway finished with your first scarf! Remember, knitting really isn’t that complicated. There are just two stitches to learn: the knit stitch and the purl stitch. Every other special stitch is just a combination of those two stitches. That doesn’t sound all that bad, right?

And while you’re picking up a new hobby, why not check out a new project and giveaway every day in March? We’re celebrating National Craft Month in a big way. Check out today’s post for your chance to win an awesome prize!

What’s the one tip or technique you wished you knew about as a beginner knitter?

Photos for Flickr

February 17, 2012 by FaveCrafts

Do you love taking pictures? Do you enjoy showing off your finished craft projects to your friends and family? You should keep reading!

With the myriad of websites out there that allow you to share your information with the world, it can sometimes be entirely intimidating to dive into yet another one. But there is a great site out there for crafters and bloggers who love taking and sharing photos! This article will walk you through how to use Flickr and show you exactly how not intimidating it is to set up and account and start posting your pictures!

What is Flickr?

Never heard of it? That’s okay! Flickr is an online photo album that allows you to share and organize your photos in one easy place. You can search for photos and even join groups that fit your interests where you can see and share photos on a specified topic like quilting, crochet, or just general crafts!

Why Use Flickr?

Flickr is a great way to share and organize your photos in one place where you can easily share them with all your family and friends. It allows you to share photos you upload to multiple social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, or a blog at once. Friends and family can also find you on Flickr and see all your new craft projects and family photos instantly!

How to Start a Flickr Account?

Registering for a Flickr account is very easy. If you already have an account with Yahoo! you can sign in using that information on the home page, if not just click the Sign Up button and a screen like this should appear:

As you can see it gives you several easy options to sign in. You will need to create an account with Yahoo! if you do not have or would not like to sign in using Facebook or Google. Once you’ve signed into Flickr, just follow the easy on-screen prompts to upload your profile image, fill in the information you want to share with everyone, and choose a username.

Once you’ve filled out all this information you should get a confirmation email and you’re ready to start uploading photos!

Uploading Photos to Flickr

Flickr walks you through uploading photos with step-by-step on screen prompts, making it really easy for you to add your photos.

To get started click the “upload” button that will always be located at the top of any Flickr page. You will be taken to a screen that outlines all the steps you will need to take. It looks like this:

Click “Choose photos and videos” to open your photo folder and simply select the photo you would like to share. You can upload more than one photo at a time and you have the option of making your photos public to everyone on Flickr or private so that only the people you choose can see them.

If you have more photos to upload simply click “add more” and chose the next photos you would like to share. When you are done, make sure you select the privacy level you would like and click “upload photos and videos”.

Once your photos are done uploading Flickr will prompt you to add a description. Adding descriptions and tags to your photos helps other users find them so adding good descriptions and tags is key here.

Flickr will import the title of your picture as the image title on your computer. For example, these heart earrings were called Earrings-7.jpg on my computer and that was imported into the title box before I changed it to something that’s easier to find.

In this screen you will also have the option to add this photo to a set. Sets are a great way to organize your photos by categories.

To create a set and add your photo to it right away click the “create new set” link and the box will expand so that you can name your set and give is a description. Same as with the photo descriptions, if you want other Flickr users to find your sets you will have to really describe what kind of photos you will be including in this set.

Your sets will appear at the right side of your photostream and you can always move photos around to different sets, have one photo in multiple sets, or delete photos from a set by clicking the “edit” button that is right underneath the photo set.

That’s it! Once you’ve completed all the steps your photo will be live on Flickr so that you can easily share it with all your friends and family!

Joining a Flickr Group

Groups on Flickr are a great way to share your photos with people who have the same interests as you. There are many groups on Flickr already and it should be easy to find several on any given topic that you enjoy, however you can also create your own groups. Just like the photos, groups can be either public or private so you can easily create a private group for all your family members to contribute photos of children and grandchildren.

To find already existing groups to join, click on the “groups” tab on the top bar by the “upload” tab. This will take you to a page where you can search for groups. Enter the type of group you are looking for in the search bar and a long list will come up. You can explore these groups and read more about them before deciding to join.

When you decide on a group and click the “join” button you can now add photos to the photo pool, start and join discussions, find other users who have the same interests as you, and even invite friends!

And that’s how you get started with Flickr! Easy right? You can join or build a community around your favorite topics and show off all of your photography skills and craft projects! We’ve started our own Flickr groups for a few of the sites so be sure to check those out and join us in adding photos to the pool!

FaveQuilts Flickr
AllFreeCrochet Flickr
FaveCrafts Flickr
We can’t wait to see your photos!

Meet and Make: Mikey aka Michael Sellick

October 21, 2011 by TheCrochetCrowd

I am Michael Sellick, online I’m known as Mikey. I am totally consumed by the crafting ideas that bounce in my head. I social network most of the day, every day, and end up crafting in bed at night time watching Netflix. I am the creator of The Crochet Crowd . My website is dedicated to giving away free patterns and tutorials on how to create projects.

10 Fun Facts About Me

I’m addicted to two things; spending a lot of time on the computer creating content and crafting. Thus making what I do true passion.
I listen to the same music playlist on YouTube virtually everyday to fill in the white noise of a quiet house as I work.
Kraft dinner is the best meal ever invented.
When teaching live in person, I’m known to “Queen out and break creativity wide open”.
I sometimes go grocery shopping with my Crocs on… please don’t call the fashion police.
I struggle to back a car into a parking space. Ironically, I used to be a truck driver and could do that fine.
The sound of the cat licking itself is a sound that drives me up the wall.
I love dry, sarcastic and witty humour.
If I could start a collection right now, I would collect high heel stilettos.
Netflix is the next best thing to sliced bread.

Here’s Your Project Today

Beanie Hat For Men with Style

A new pattern released by Michael Sellick.

Materials

Size H or 5.5 MM Crochet Hook
2 Ball of Bernat Mosaic Yarn

Notes

I used 2 balls of yarn at the same time to double up the thickness of the yarn to provide better insulation and texture.
When using two yarn at the same time, it’s cooler to not have the yarn shade colours to not match each other. This creates a more interesting and unpredictable look to your beanie hat.

Definitions

sl st – Slip Stitch
beg – beginning
sc – single crochet
rep – repeat
ch – chain

Pattern

Chain 4 and sl st to the beg ch.
R1: Ch 1, work 6 sc in ring, join with sl st in beg ch.
R2: Ch 1, 2 sc in each sc, join with sl st in beg ch, 12 sc.
R3: Ch 1, *sc in next sc, 2 sc in next sc; rep from * around, join with sl st in beg ch, 18 sc.
R4: Ch 1, *sc in each of next 2 sc, 2 sc in next sc; rep from * around, join with sl st in beg ch, 24 sc.
R5: Ch 1, *sc in each of next 3 sc, 2 sc in next sc; rep from * around, join with sl st in beg ch, 30 sc.
R6: Ch 1, *sc in each of next 4 sc, 2 sc in next sc; rep from * around, join with sl st in beg ch, 36 sc.
R7: Ch 1, *sc in each of next 5 sc, 2 sc in next sc; rep from * around, join with sl st in beg ch, 42 sc.
R8: Ch 1, *sc in each of next 6 sc, 2 sc in next sc; rep from * around, join with sl st in beg ch, 48 sc.
R9: Ch 1, *sc in each of next 7 sc, 2 sc in next sc; rep from * around, join with sl st in beg ch, 54 sc.
R10: Ch 1, *sc in next 8 sc, 2 sc in next sc; rep from * around, sl st in beg ch, 60 sc.
R11-22 : Ch 1, sc in each sc around, sl st in beg ch.
Fasten Off. Weave in ends.

How to Knit a Bow

September 30, 2011 by AllFreeKnitting

When I saw this adorable bow headband tutorial by Stephanie from A Common Thread, I knew I had to try to make my own. While I loved the idea of creating a stylish headband from yarn scraps, I also wanted my bow to be more versatile. Wouldn’t it be great if I could transform my bow into a hairclip or a necklace at every fashionable whim? I sure thought so, and so I created my own bow with an open back where either a chain or hairclip can easily be inserted – depending on where my stylish whim takes me.

Here’s how I made my version of this fabulous idea!

Materials:

DK weight yarn from your stash
U.S. size 9 knitting needles
Scissors
Yarn needle

Instructions:

I happened to have some new DK weight yarn that I wanted to try out, so I used that instead of the recommended worsted weight yarn for this tutorial. I also used larger sized needles so my bow would come out light and delicate.
To begin, CO 13 stitches and knit the seed stitch for every row until you have a rectangular piece that’s six inches in length. You can use any stitch you like – garter stitch, daisy stitch, stockinette stitch – I just love the texture of the seed stitch and thought it would make a stunning accessory:
Once your rectangle is long enough, BO and weave in the ends. Take some more yarn of the same color and CO 5 stitches. Continue knitting the seed stitch (or whatever stitch you selected for step 2) for every row until your tiny rectangle is three to three and a half inches long.
Take your smaller rectangle and wrap it around the middle of the larger rectangle and sew sides together. I also attached the sides of the smaller rectangle to the top of the larger rectangle to increase stability.
You’re done! If you want to wear your new bow as a necklace, simply thread a chain through the back of the bow. Want to put it in your hair? Slip a metal hairclip through the back and you’re ready to go. I hope you enjoy!

How will you use your bow? Tell us in the comments!

5 Steps To Starting a Free Craft Blog

September 2, 2011 by CreativeIncome

You love to craft and want to share your projects with the world. Why not start a craft blog? It’s super simple to start blogging about your craft with these five easy steps.

Pick a service to use.
There are many free blogging services like Blogger, WordPress, and Yola. They are all relatively simple to use and offer lots of free features like the ability to customize your blog. All of these services allow users to choose a premade layout design, so there is no need to learn code or design your own blog. Each of the services offer different features, so look at each one or ask a blogging friend what they use before you get started.
Create a Banner Header.

You will need to create a header to show off your cool new blog and you can do it yourself. You can use Picnik, Picasa or Gimp which are all free to create your new title header.
Create content for your blog.
This is the most important part of the whole blogging experience. Good content is what attracts and keeps readers. Make sure that you are writing about what you are passionate about and want to continue writing about. If your blog is a mish mosh of your life which includes craft, cooking, parenting, farming, etc. then make sure you let your readers know that either in your title or your description. Sometimes bloggers mix in parts of their life alongside their main focus which is great but if you start a blog called All About Felt and suddenly talk about nothing but milking cows, you will inevitably lose readers. So, keep to what you know and let your readers know what to expect in an About Me or Description Page.
Tell people about your blog.
There is one way to make sure people know you started a blog, tell them. Once you have a couple of posts under your belt, let the world know it. If you use any social media sites like Facebook or Twitter, post all about it. Make sure you let the world know it is your new blog and what the topic is. This increases your chances of people visiting your blog and clicking on the links you add to the social media networks. To make social media even simpler, you can set up an account in TwitterFeed that will create a tweet or facebook update every time you post to your blog. You can also add your blog address to your email signature so that your emails will also be promoting for you.
Work at your blog.
My buddy Jenny likes to say that people need to “rock their baby” when it comes to making their blogs a success and that just means they need love and attention from the blogger. In order to make a blog successful, the first step is to make consistently good content. Which means once you get started blogging, don’t stop. Keep that momentum going and write about what you know and love. Share your projects, tips, and techniques. Posts don’t have to be full tutorials every time, they can be about sharing your inspirations, favorite products, or even a cool new trick. The important part is to keep on blogging once you start.

Welcome to the wonderful world of blogging. It can be a wonderful way to make friends and share what you love. For more ideas for help with your crafty business, subscribe to the Creative Income Newsletter, which is chock full of ideas for bloggers, designers, and all kinds of crafters. If you are considering starting a craft business, Creative Income and our great articles about the business of craft is a great place to start.

Already have a crafty blog? Share your tips and tricks with our readers as well as your link in the comments!

How To Make Plarn

August 4, 2011 by AllFreeKnitting

The other night, while I was simultaneously cruising the web and watching one of my favorite movies, I came across instructions for how to make plarn. Now if you are like I was, and have never heard of plarn before, then you are in for a treat. Plarn is a “green” use for different kinds of plastic bags. This method can be applied to newspaper bags, pillow sleeve bags, English muffin bags and any other plastic bag that has a long, skinny shape . By learning how to make plarn you will discover how to recycle plastic bags by turning them into plastic bag yarn.

When you follow this method the result will be short plastic loops that you then connect to form one long continuous strip of plarn. After this is done, all that is left to do is decide what kind of project you want to make. One of the things that I especially like about plarn is that it can be used for knitting, weaving, and crocheting! Just a few of the great projects you can make using plarn are reusable shopping bags, cute and colorful tote bags, and cool drink coasters.

The first method I learned about was one that involves only scissors and the plastic bag. This is a very simple method that also does not take much time! But I also came across a different set of instructions for How To Make Plarn on our FaveCrafts site! This method involved knitting some of the pieces of plarn together.

The first step of learning how to make plarn the simple way is to take your newspaper bag, roughly measured at 7.5 inches wide and 21 inches long, and carefully flatten it out. The second step is to take the flattened bag and fold it in half lengthwise. Once you have done this you can fold it lengthwise in half again and now you are ready to begin cutting. Once you have your scissors handy begin cutting the short length of the bag into small, one inch strips. This will result in your having several, one inch wide, plastic loops. Now, because the strip that was the end of the bag is sealed off, you will need to cut off a thin piece of the plastic from the closed end of that strip. This will make it into an open loop just like the other strips.

After you have done this it is time to connect the loops to create one long piece. This final step for how to make plarn is surprisingly simple. You interconnect each strip to the next by knotting the ends together and then making sure to pull the knot tight. Once you have completed this step, you can begin whatever fun project you have decided to use your plarn to make!

Is this the first time you have heard of plarn? If so, what projects are you interested in making with it? If not, what kinds of crafts have you already used it for?

If you are interested in seeing a visual tutorial then check out this easy-to-follow video for how to make plarn!

How to Felt a Knitted Project

August 2, 2011 by AllFreeKnitting

As a knitting-newbie there are still many techniques that I don’t have much experience with. One of which would be felting something that is knitted. Up until about a week ago I was not even aware that you could do this! But after visiting with my sister this past weekend I now have a much better grasp on how to felt a knitted project.

If you are new to this as well, do not panic! It is not nearly as difficult as I was expecting it to be. The best part is that learning how to felt a knitted project will add a whole new level to your knitting. Once you have experimented a bit with felting there are so many more possibilities because there are tons of knitted projects that are perfect to felt. To give myself some more ideas I have been looking at this collection of 13 Patterns for Felted Knit Purses that is on our AllFreeKnitting site.

Now, as you are learning how to felt a knitted project, the first thing to remember, as I recently learned, is that any knitted piece you choose to felt must be 100% wool yarn. Also it is important to take into account the fact that felt shrinks and the amount of shrinking depends on how long you felt it for.

So to begin, you put your knitted piece into the washing machine. Now, after doing a little extra research, I discovered that while some people just place the object in the washer as it is, others recommend first putting it into a zippered pillow case or a mesh bag or some sort. The reason for this being that, after you remove it from the washer, you will find little bits of the felted project that came off during the cycle. Putting the piece in a bag before washing it simply keeps those particles from falling off into your washing machine.

The next step in learning how to felt a knitted project is figuring out how to give the knitted piece enough of the agitation that is needed to create a felted project. You can choose to add elements to aid in the agitation of the knitted piece or just allow the wash cycle to be the main source of agitation. My sister likes to toss an old pair of sneakers into the washer as an added element. But I think that the strong cycle on my washer at home will cause enough agitation.

Also, make sure that the settings on your washing machine are specifically set to these options. The water level should be on the lowest setting, the speed should be heavy and the temperature of the water should be hot/cold. You should also add just a very small (roughly half a teaspoon) of washing detergent.

After you start the washer and the felting process has begun, you can check how it is going about every five minutes. This process can continue for up to about 25 minutes. Just be sure to repeatedly turn back the wash cycle each time after you stop it. When you are satisfied with the amount of felting, the next step is to allow the machine to drain out the water and begin the spin cycle. But do not let the piece spin for too long because this can result in permanent creases!

When you are learning how to felt a knitted project it is very important to block the project, once it has been removed from the washer, into the shape you desire before allowing it to dry. Place the piece flat on a towel and then, if needed, you can use pins to hold it in place while it dries. Then, once dried, you will need to use scissors to remove all the extra fuzzy pieces that stuck out while drying. After this is complete, then you have officially mastered the technique of how to felt a knitted project!

I have decided that I am going to try to felt one of my knitted bags this weekend. Can’t wait to see how it is going to turn out! Have you ever felted a knitted piece before? What kinds of knits? If you haven’t tried this before, what projects do you think you will felt?

For other felting methods check out this helpful video by Rebecca Roush from ChemKnits!

How To: Sew a Towel Wrap

July 20, 2011 by AllFreeSewing

Towel cloth may not be the first material a sewist reaches for when creating a project but in the summer especially, towel crafts truly come in handy. That’s why learning how to sew a towel wrap is not only a productive way to spend your time but will also be beneficial to you throughout every season. Once you know how to sew a towel wrap, you’ll see the possibilities for towel crafts are endless!

First of all, there are several different ways to go about making a towel wrap. Depending on who you’re making the towel wrap for and when they’ll be using the towel wrap (after showers or at the beach or pool) you’ll need a few different materials in various sizes. Once you have a towel that you think is an appropriate size you’ll be ready to start creating.

When I came across this tutorial I was so happy to see that making a towel wrap is simple. Basically all you need to do to create a towel wrap is sew an elastic border into the top of your towel and secure with Velcro. Sounds easy enough right?

Check out these step-by-step instructions.

Once you’ve completed your towel wrap, I’m sure you’ll find that crafting with towels is easy and fun! Try making any of these towel crafts for additional crafty and helpful towels in your home.

Rolled Kitchen Towels

Beach Towel Dress

Hooded Beach Towel Backpack