FaveCrafts

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Plaid Decoden Clay Twitter Party

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Announcement time! We will be hosting a Twitter party Thursday September 25th at 9pm EST! We’d love to see you all there participating in the chat about the exciting Collage Clay from Plaid! Collage Clay is available at Michaels Stores.twitter-partyCathie & Steve from Plaid will be joining us to answer all of your pressing questions about this amazing clay. They’ll be offering tips and tricks to make your Decoden projects superb. Plus, don’t miss out on a chance to win prizes!

@cathiefilian

@steve_piacenza

#craftychat

We hope to see you chatting along with us as well!

Remember I told you there would be giveaways? Well there will be! All you have to do to win a prize is send out one tweet with the hashtag #craftychat and you are automatically entered! Of course, the more you join in on the conversation, the more chances you have of winning! Contest ends September 25th 9pm EST. Winners will be announced at the end of the chat.


No Sew Accent Pillow Pattern with New Michaels Fabric

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In celebration of the new pre-cut fabric line at Michaels Stores, we have a fun and simple new home decor project to share. This is a project you can easily whip up in just a few minutes. The new Michaels fabric comes pre-cut and this project uses just that pre-cut piece to create a simple project to add a personalized touch to any room. You can use a pillow form you can purchase at the store or even jazz up an old pillow to match your new decor.

This is a great project to get the house ready for guests or change out your home decor for the holidays or seasons.No Sew Accent Pillow Pattern

Materials List

  • One yard of pre-cut Michaels fabric
  • 16 inch pillow form
  • Safety Pins
  • Two yards of wide ribbon
  • Scissors

Instructions

  1. Lay out your pre-cut Michaels fabric and center your pillow form.
  2. Fold the fabric the long way and secure it with safety pins. No one will see this part of the pillow, the pins are simply there to hold the fabric in place.No-Sew-Pillow-Project-Tutorial
  3. Fold the long ends into somewhat of a point being sure to pull the fabric taut and fold the corners sharply to create an edge on the front of the pillow.No-Sew-Accent-Pillow-Pattern
  4. Pull both ends and tie them in a knot as tightly as you can.No-Sew-Pillow-Project
  5. Add a wide ribbon tied to the pillow for an accent on the front.
    No-Sew-Pattern-Pillow

Voila! It’s just that simple. So, if you are having guests over this summer, add a little personal pizzaz with a new accent pillow. Stay tuned, we have one more fun home decor project idea using the new Michaels Fabrics that you won’t want to miss.

You can also find lots of great ideas on Michaels Pinterest page or by following AllFreeSewing for great fabric ideas.

New Fabric Line Available at Michaels Stores

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Starting today, you can walk into your local Michaels Stores and get your hands on some fabric for your next craft project. Michaels announces the addition of pre-cut craft fabric to the thousands of creative products available in its stores, providing customers with one-stop shopping for their DIY projects.

Michaels New Fabric Line

The pre-cut fabric, includes cotton, canvas, burlap, felt, faux fur, crushed velvet and tulle, and will be available in a variety of sizes from a half-yard to 2 yards. The pre-cut fabric will be carried in the majority of U.S. and Canada stores.

“With the addition of crafting fabric to our mix, our customers can find everything they need for their projects in one store,” said Michaels Executive Vice President of Category Management Philo Pappas. “And because the fabrics are pre-cut, customers can simply select the size they need and be on their way – no waiting for measuring and cutting.”

Michaels.com and Michaels Pinterest Boards feature project ideas that use fabric, including throw pillows, lamp shades, chair seat covers, and bracelets. Laminated burlap, a Michaels limited exclusive, can be fed through most home printers to add personalized messages and images to fabric projects.

Other crafting fabrics available at Michaels include costume silk, glittered tulle, sequined tulle, faux Sherpa, silky fleece and embossed alligator and snake prints.

Michaels also sells a complete line of sewing supplies, including needles, thread, fabric shears, bobbins and notions.

Stay tuned for a free new project featuring Michaels’ new fabric line next week. In the meantime, you can head over to your local Michaels and grab some of this brand new product to work on some of these great free sewing projects.

No Sew Bunting Burlap Purse Pattern No Sew Pillow Project

 

Join the Celebration! Michaels Is Officially Over the Hill

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Forty years old has never looked this good! This year, Michaels is celebrating 40 years and they are ready to celebrate! If you love Michaels (who doesn’t?) and you want to join in on the fun, there are plenty of ways to participate.

Crafting Through the Decades

Michaels is showing of craft tutorials inspired by the last four decades on their site. This means neon shoes from 80’s, Perler bracelets from the 90’s and so much more! Take a trip down memory lane and discover fun ways to update old school projects using craft materials from your favorite craft store, Michaels.

Share Your Birthday Wishes on Facebook

Stop by the Michaels Facebook page and post birthday wishes! After all, who doesn’t look forward to all of those birthday message notifications on the big day? Post your favorite store memories, craft ideas and more – show Michaels how much they’ve meant to you over the last 40 years!

Save on Supplies

Michaels is celebrating the big 4-0 with an amazing discount! From now until June 8th, you can save 40% on any regular-priced item. Why not stop in and grab a craft supply you’ve had your eye on but couldn’t bring yourself to buy? This is the perfect opportunity. Now you can have your own crafty celebration with help from Michaels – talk about an awesome birthday!

Also, be sure to share your birthday wishes on Twitter! Tweet @MichaelsStores and use the hashtag #MichaelsTurns40!

 

When you go to Michaels, what’s the first aisle you hit?

 

DIY Wedding Scrapbook: Michaels Scrapbook Blogger Challenge

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Make-every-moment-countJust as I expected, it was an absolute blast to create my best friend’s wedding scrapbook in honor of National Scrapbooking Month. Thanks to Michaels, I was able to make a memorable gift that will be treasured for years to come.

A few days ago, I shared my vision for a DIY wedding scrapbook that I was making for the Make Every Moment Count Michaels Blogger Challenge. Below, you’ll find the finished result! I can’t wait to give it to my friend once she’s officially a Mrs 🙂

Because the wedding is not actually until July, the scrapbook is technically still a work-in-progress. The “groundwork” for the pages have all been created, and the photos will add the perfect finishing touches to complete the project.

Scrapbook-1The cover of the scrapbook was a no-brainer. Because of the type of album I chose, there was not much wiggle-room to add any additional decorative details. I actually prefer this classic and timeless look for this particular project. Sometimes, less is more.

The Frame A Name scrapbook by K&Company came with letter stickers, which I used to spell out the bride-to-be’s future last name in the front display window across the bottom. For the top display window, I chose a photo from the couple’s engagement party. I did not stress too much about finding the “perfect picture” for this because it’s not permanent, which is nice. The photo is simply taped on a piece of paper that’s easy to pull out and change on a whim.

One of the most common questions that newly-engaged brides get asked is “how did he propose?” Lucky for me, my friend’s proposal was a cute story – he popped the question on the side of the road because her car (a red VW bug) broke down while they were road-tripping to University of Madison-Wisconsin for the weekend.

19I wanted to be sure to include this moment in her wedding scrapbook, as I feel it’s an important part of their love story. I chose to use red and white (University of Wisconsin’s school colors) for the theme of this page, since that’s where they were headed when he proposed. I also included a picture that they snapped moments after she said yes. The Creative Chaos Snapshot Frames by Recollections came in especially handy for this; I think it perfectly captures the spontaneity of the moment. I used a black Sharpie pen to scribble a description and date, just as you would on a real Polaroid.

Scrapbook-3The rest of the scrapbook is dedicated to the actual wedding ceremony, which is still a few months away. Because I don’t have pictures yet to include, I decorated the pages to fit with her wedding’s theme and colors. Being as it is a beach wedding in Florida, this was fun to do with the help of decorative stickers by Jolee’s Boutique, K&Company, and The Paper House. I also used Creative Chaos Bright Frames to map out where photos will be placed.

Instead of having all the pages be plain white, I also alternated some pages with Bazzill® Basics Cardstock in Atlantic and Arroyo. Her wedding colors are coral and aqua, so I thought these colors fit perfectly with her special day’s theme.

This page is all about the reception. Again, I used cute stickers by K&Company and the Creative Chaos Bright Frames to plan out the page’s layout. Cute stickers that say “Tossing the Bouquet” and “Cutting the Cake” are the perfect set-up for showing off key moments from the reception. Recollections Bling on a Roll was also used to add a decorative detail along the edges of both these pages. This is definitely my new favorite product at Michaels because it’s a clean and easy way to add a touch of sparkle without the mess of typical glitter.

Thanks again to Michaels for giving me this opportunity to celebrate National Scrapbooking Month with you. I could not have created this wonderful album without you! Check out the Michaels lookbook here for more crafty ideas and inspiration. Plus, find even more free scrapbooking projects and tutorials from our friends at FaveCrafts.

michaels-logo

What’s your favorite Michaels product to use for your scrapbooking projects?

The Big Apple: Michaels Scrapbook Blogger Challenge

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Make-every-moment-countScrapbooking is such a rush, and while it takes time and effort, it’s totally worth it. The constant, flowing ideas are always surprising, satisfying, and lead to the most wonderful results. I’m referring to the creative process, which starts with a plan, but is ever-changing based upon inspiration and opportunity. I’m excited to share with you my results of the Make Every Moment Count Michaels Blogger Challenge:

Make Every Moment Count
This is, obviously, the cover, which began as a blank slate. Throughout the scrapbooking process, I decided to add song lyrics as captions on each page. This way there was a fun puzzle-like description, which is only clear to the giver and the recipient. I did the cover last, which I would definitely recommend. Once the rest of the book was complete, it dawned on me to use the song “These are a few of my favorite things” to title the documented adventure.

Materials:

  • Ribbon
  • Photograph
  • Assorted scrapbook paper
  • Printed phrases on white computer paper
  • Tape runner

The instructions are really self explanatory. I simply backed each sentence with a larger rectangle of patterned scrapbook paper. To adhere both the ribbon and the paper, I used the tape runner from Michaels.

michaels-logo

Below you’ll see all of the pages. I decided to make each feature two pages to allow for larger details and more photographs. You’ll see that each page has a different method for spelling out song lyrics. I thought it was really fun to come up with these various methods.


Above you’ll see the adorable boat from the sticker set I purchased. To cut out the letters, I used a machine that I bought at Michaels years ago. I’m sure they have something similar now. It’s almost like a printer; it’s incredible. There was no exact science for making  the photos appear as though they were from a film strip; just a lot of rearranging and cutting until it was perfect.

I love how fun this page is with the different patterns of scrapbook paper. Michaels has such a wonderful selection. I also used the fun foam letters to embellish this party page.

chris jaclyn scrapbook new york 005

This is one of my favorite pages. I edited the photographs so they would be black and white. It’s simple to do this with any photo editing program on the compter. I then printed out the phrase in a font that, to me, resembled graffiti. I cut the edges haphazardly and then used chalk to scuff it up a bit. I wanted to portray the rough vibe of the New York subway.

chris jaclyn scrapbook new york 006

I thought that featuring one photograph in a line of many was the perfect opportunity to use the circle punches. I again used the film strip idea, but with a stand-out photo. I punched out a large circle, a smaller one, and then cut the photograph into an even smaller circle. This created a nice framing feature that draws the eye.

I had so much fun documenting this amazing vacation. Thank you Michaels for the opportunity to capture these memories in a crafty and vibrant way! Hopefully you can pull some inspiration from these scrapbook layouts I created.

If you could scrapbook one event in your life which would it be?

Celebrating National Scrapbooking Month with Michaels

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Scrapbooking has always been a passion of mine, so I naturally jumped at the opportunity to participate in the Michaels Make Every Moment Count Blogger Challenge in honor of National Scrapbooking Month. There’s nothing I love more than capturing and preserving memories through the use of colorful cardstock, stickers, stamps, and more. Whether you’re an expert scrapbooker or still learning the basics, you can always count on the Michaels Lookbook for ideas, inspiration, tips, and tricks.
Make-every-moment-countMy best friend is getting married in July, so I thought it would be nice to give her the gift of a wedding scrapbook to celebrate the special moments of her big day. Scrapbooks are always a wonderful homemade gift idea for friends and family because you know your gift will be treasured and cherished for years to come.  There’s no better way to reflect back on special moments of life than with a personalized scrapbook.

michaels-logoIt didn’t take long for my shopping cart to fill up with scrapbooking supplies at Michaels. Luckily, I had brainstormed a bit before heading to the store, so I was able to quickly find what I was looking for and managed not to get that overwhelmed. There were so many wonderful albums to choose from at Michaels, it was hard to pick the perfect one. I finally decided on the classic and timeless design of the Frame A Name scrapbook by K&Company in white. The rest of my purchase included:

Michaels-Blogger-Challenge

photo 4photo 2I can’t wait to get started on creating my best friend’s wedding scrapbook. It will be so hard to keep this a secret from her until July!  Check back soon for updates and pictures of the finished album!

Pin It & Win It: You Could Score a $100 Michaels Gift Card

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How do you know when you’re truly creative? Michaels wants you to ponder this question and share your answer on Pinterest. But that’s not all! Twelve lucky pinners will receive a $100 gift card just for participating. Michaels is hosting a Pin It and Win It contest through May 13th – that means there’s plenty of time to get pinning! Who knew feeding your Pinterest addiction and displaying creativity could have such a huge payoff?

 

 

All you have to do is follow Michaels on Pinterest, add one of the pins featured on their Pin It and Win It page and enter your information. That’s it – seriously! In just minutes, you’ll be entered to win a $100 gift card to Michaels. So, what are you waiting for? Learn more about this awesome contest, follow Michaels on Pinterest and get to work!

What would you buy with a $100 Michaels gift card?

 

Just a Spoonful of Recycling: Michaels RE-Love Blogger Challenge

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RE LoveI have to say, this RE-Love challenge from Michaels has been so much fun! I’m so glad that I went a little outside of my comfort zone and tried something new. I’ve never worked with metal before so learning how to work with metal was both challenging and rewarding. (see my first post here to see the beginnings of my project and more).

One of my favorite parts about crafting with new materials, in this case, recycled materials, is the learning process. At first I thought, “hey, this will be easy peasy!” but I found out quickly that improvising is one of the best parts about crafting. Plus, now that I’ve figured out how to create my project, now you can too!

I decided to add some more materials from my last post. These included beads, hemp, thread, suede, and feathers from Michaels. I love jewelry making in general, so it’s no surprise that I have boxes and boxes of jewelry supplies that need organization. This also means I have pieces of broken jewelry and other materials available to be re-used. To make this recycling project use even more “recycled” materials,  I gathered up some pieces of beach glass and shells from a recent trip to California.Shells & Beach Glass

I love the beach. I’ve combed beaches with my family for years searching for pieces of beach glass. Although the glass comes from broken beer and wine bottles left on the beach or thrown into the water, the water polishes these pieces smooth and makes them beautiful. It’s like the water is choosing to do a recycling project of its own. I used wire and wrapped the little pieces of glass and made them into mini charms to go with the spoon pendant.

RE New
I made two pendants and each resulted in two very different styled necklaces. The first necklace I made I braided part of the chain with blue hemp cord. To hide the ends of the hemp cord, I wrapped them with dark red embroidery floss which gives the necklace a summery feeling in my opinion. I added green beach glass, a key, and a red feather. This stainless steel spoon pendant says “Live, Laugh, Love.”

Re Love Spoon Pendant

The next spoon I tried was a silver spoon. The look was quite different and it definitely required a different style. Remember that Inscriblio tool? Well, I finally got the hang of it and started engraving on my pieces. I found that it was easier to engrave in swirls and curving lines than it was to try more uniform shapes. This is the pendant that I stamped to say “Create” which I thought was quite fitting for the project. I wanted to use gold with this pendant for some reason. It’s been common to see combinations of different colored metals as long as the combination is balanced. So I used a gold chain and a gold key to balance the silver. I added a bird pendant with seed beads, a blue feather, and white beach glass.

Re Love Spoon Pendant

 RE Create

My goal is to not let the rest of the spoon go to waste. So my first attempt was to make a bracelet from the handle. I stamped “Love” and inscribed swirly flowers to match the pendant. I plan to try making a spoon ring too. Here is my first bracelet!

Spoon Handle Bracelet

I hope you have enjoyed seeing my RE-Love project! I am looking forward to making more spoon pendants in the near future!

What would you like to RE-Love for Earth Month?

Michaels RE-Love Blogger Challenge

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MichaelsTo celebrate Earth Month, Michaels created a blogger challenge to challenge us to create something new from something old. Taking someone’s trash and making it treasure is no easy feat, but I stepped up to the challenge with a few ideas in mind and my Michaels store down the road.

I started with the idea that I wanted to use metal in some form. It’s not a material I use often in my crafting endeavors, but I know that working with metal has been on my list of “things to do” for awhile. I’ve worked with ceramics, paint, and even wood but metal has not been something I’ve had time to try.

I made a trip to my local thrift shop and picked up a handful of used stainless steel and silver spoons and various other utensils:

SONY DSC

Pretty, right? I loved the designs on each handle and the uniqueness of each spoon. I could tell each spoon had a history or a story – a part of a set at one point in time now separated and mismatched. While useful for college students looking for cheap silverware for their apartment, these spoons will most likely sit around for awhile to be eventually thrown out. Not to get sentimental, but I’d like to think I rescued these spoons from ultimate doom.

RE Purpose

Now armed with my rescued spoons, I went into my Michaels store and headed straight to the Jewelry section. Here I found tools that will help me re-new these spoons and give them a new life.

I bought:Michaels RE Love supplies

 

 

 

Letter PunchInsriblio

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eager to get started, I headed home and got to work. There are a variety of ways to flatten spoons and bend their handles. I haven’t quite mastered all of the techniques just yet, but see all those spoons above? I have plenty of them to experiment on in the future. My chosen method for this particular challenge involves this old vice in my dad’s tool room:

Vice

Not pretty, but it does the job. I also decided that perfection wasn’t my goal. I wanted a vintage look and a result that doesn’t scream “I bought this” or “this is perfect.” Part of re-purposing materials is understanding that the materials must speak for themselves. To completely disguise what an object once was almost defeats the purpose. That’s why I want to re-fresh these spoons so that upon closer inspection you can say “hey, that’s a really cool thing you did with that spoon!” Or something like that.

RE Fresh

So, after smushing the spoon and using my manly strength (okay, my dad may have helped). I took a hack saw (also my dad’s) and sawed off the handle of the spoon. Using a nifty drill to make a hole in the flattened spoon, and the files from Bead Landing, I ended up with a flattened spoon pendant. But it needed something a little extra of course. So I pounded away and used the letter punches to finish the deal. So far, the RE-Love challenge has taught me to RE-…

Create

Stay tuned for more about my RE-Love project and see the final pieces!

Are you upcycling to celebrate Earth Month?

Crochet

Jewelry

Knitting

Paper

Sewing

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