http://www.craftster.org/blog/?p=6715

The Week in DIY: Reuse Your Wrapping Paper, Make an Almost-Free Bike Light, and More</p> Each week, we highlight some of our favorite DIY projects from our friends at Treehugger and Planet Green to help inspire your inner crafter.

DIY Paper Ornaments are Perfect for Parties (in Any Season)
Turn wrapping paper and greeting cards into these whimsical party decorations to use year-round.

Make a Bright and Bold Digital Clock from a Photo Frame
Use an obsolete digital frame as a personalized timepiece—and show off your favorite photos in the process.

Keep Holiday Cards Front and Center with Easy Wall Hangers
Make these easy magnetic strips to show off next year’s holiday cards—or to keep notes and memos within easy reach all year.

Use Your iPhone in Any Weather—Without Frozen Fingers
Add a few simple stitches to your favorite pair of gloves and you can use your touchscreen phone even when the temperatures drop.

Make a Super Easy Nutcracker Prince
Use small flowerpots and leftover craft supplies to make these super-simple versions of traditional holiday decorations.

16 DIY Books Perfect for Anyone on Your List
Keep your New Year’s Resolution to DIY everything with these guides for sewing, cooking, fixing, and building.

25 Take-Out Foods you Can Make at Home for Cheaper
Help your budget—and your waistline—recover from holiday indulgences with these easy recipes for your favorite take-out foods.

5 Simple Gifts from the Garden
Sauces, jellies, breads, and other gifts made from your garden’s bounty are personal, thoughtful, and delicious.

Safer Cycling with Recycling! Make a Bike Light from All Used Parts
Broken flashlights, batteries, and switches help you stay safe while cycling after dark.

8 Essential Items for a Disposable-Free Day that Fit in Your Backpack
Pack these must-haves, including a water bottle, a spork, and a hanky, and avoid creating waste while you’re out and about.

http://www.craftster.org/blog/?p=6066

vixenmeowmeow created this stunning mosaic which was inspired by a bunch of street art she’s seen including the fabulous street artist Banksy. Unbelievably gorgeous and undoubtedly worth the time it took!</p> You can see the full details of this project here: http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=175830.0

http://www.craftster.org/blog/?p=6696

Every two weeks we pick our favorite 15 featured projects that Craftster readers have voted for (with the “This Rocks!” button). Here are our latest picks which were lovingly and painstakingly chosen (so many amazing projects to choose from!) this time by sweets4ever. We hope you enjoy them!

Amazing figurine: Rory Gilmore from "Gilmore Girls" by Craft The World	Atrocious Wooden Calendar becomes Artsy Display Shelf! by OriginalYouth	Gingerbread men ornaments by RaraAvis</p>	Ghost Mantis Chocolatiers Zine Box Set! by BananaAmbush	A very smart Santa hat by elvissatx
Staring pencil case by pretty hate machine</p>	Hobbes by sukigirl74	This year’s Christmas gifts (pudgy post) by magadoo	Bird Potholders by plummy</p>	My kids rendered in corduroy by boingo82
Bug Purse by Poosel	soundwave cross-stitch by fingerpistol</p>	Hanukkah Hand Towel by Kurtzie	Can you keep a secret? My sister’s christmas present!! Shhhhh! by sorbetsurprise	Cat Puppet by practicecactus</p>

http://www.craftster.org/blog/?p=5114

Over at Mr X Stitch we’re blessed with the services of Beefranck, the Queen of Ironic Stitching, who curates the terrific “Emporium of Embroidered Excellence and Splendiferous Stitchery”. Each week, these posts explore themes expressed through embroidery, and they’re ace.

So without further ado, I welcome you to…

Jessica Kallam is a giver. She embroiders really fun things - and then she gives them away! Seriously!

I mean, who wouldn’t want this stitch referencing the Monty Python sketch the Ministry of Silly Walks?

This stitch of Kenneth the Page from 30 Rock really captures his freakishly sunny personality. See more of Kenneth here.

Oh boy! Log! Happy happy joy joy!

Milton is probably the most memorable and sympathetic character in Office Space. Here Jessica immortalizes his precious red stapler in stitch.

If you haven’t had the pleasure of watching It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, you might not be familiar with Charlie Day, let alone The Day Man. If not, what are you waiting for? Check it out!

The Shining has more than its share of creepiness. The Grady Twins are pretty high on the list of creepy moments, for sure. I think Jessica did a great job of capturing that here.

To see more from Jessica, check out her flickr photostream - but to get in on the giveaway action, be sure to check out her blog!
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Beefranck is the Queen of Ironic Stitching and is responsible for a lot of stuff on www.mrxstitch.com,
the number one contemporary embroidery and needlecraft blog on the planet.
She can often be found hanging out on the Phat Quarter on Flickr and co-hosts Emergency Pants, a podcast that is not for the faint hearted!

http://www.craftster.org/blog/?p=6690

Take a stab at it. What do you think this is supposed to be? Am I missing something, because nothing is coming to mind.

It’s described as:

This unique hand felted Cafetiere Coffee cosy is made with just merino wool, soap and water combined with time and energy!

Hand felted and seamless it is made using traditional wet felting techniques, to give a contemporary piece of practical art.

Height of Cosy is 10 ” excluding the spikes.
Width is 9″

Which I can understand, but the spikes? What are the spikes for? Are they supposed to represent something?

Is the white ‘V’ patch supposed to be something?

*looks around*

Is anyone getting this? Is it a joke? I don’t even know if I’m supposed to laugh, cry or be in awe of this crafter’s talents.

Someone? Anyone?

Beuller?

Beuller?

{original entry}

{ source }

:::

Sam and Karen hail from none other than Craftastrophe.net, where they prove on an almost daily basis that handmade isn’t always pretty.

Craftastrophe was created by nothing more than a few innocent messenger chats where we shared some creative pounces we came across on Etsy. From then on it was a mirage of craftastrophes which couldn’t very well be kept to ourselves, but had to be shared.

These craftastrophes aren’t necessarily bad crafts, many are well made and have taken the crafter a lot of time and energy to create; this site’s goal is to showcase those crafts that are funny, weird, strange and make us laugh. We mean no harm and can honestly say that there have been sales for some sellers on various sites due to their craft being featured on this site! We merely want to share the laughs and enjoy the talents of many. Talents which neither of us have.

http://www.craftster.org/blog/?p=6680

The Week in DIY: Last-Minute Handmade Gifts for Everyone on Your List</p> Each week, we highlight some of our favorite DIY projects from our friends at Treehugger and Planet Green to help inspire your inner crafter. With just three days until Christmas, check out these highlights from Planet Green’s Truly Gifted: An A-Z DIY Holiday Workshop, for gifts you can whip up with time to spare.

For the Bartender on Your List
A custom drinks tray, hand-sewn cocktail napkins, and recipes for organic drinks will have everyone raising a glass to your thoughtfulness.

For the Chocolate Lover on Your List
Homemade—and non-toxic—chocolate lip balm keeps her lips soft and sweet all winter.

For the Frugal Fashionista on Your List
Teach her how to shop green—and wrap up new totes made from upcycled sweaters to haul her bounty home.

For the Gym Rat on Your List
Help your favorite fitness fiend get out of the gym with at-home equipment, from an ab bench to a punching bag, that you can make yourself.

For the iPod/iPhone Fanatic on Your List
Keep your green geek happy with speakers, iPod docks, and headphones made from simple materials.

For the Kid on Your List
Felted monsters, custom games, and homemade play-dough will keep your little ones busy all winter long.

For the Music-Lover and Musician on Your List
Personalized music folders, concert stub holders, and bowls made from old records keep your gifts in perfect harmony.

For the Nature Lover on Your List
Treat the hiker on your list to handmade maps, a DIY compass, knitted gloves, and other must-have outdoor gear.

For the Organic Gardener on Your List
Organic plants, soil, and seedling cups help your green-thumbed friends and family grow their own eco-friendly gardens.

For the Pet on Your List
Don’t forget your four-legged friends: homemade biscuits and holiday safety tips keep dogs and cats as happy as your human pals.

http://www.craftster.org/blog/?p=6067

Mamaedgar made this gorgeous baby blanket for friend’s baby. It took a little longer than expected… The baby got it when she was 9 months old! When you hear that the blanket is comprised of 52 separate hexagons, each of which took 25 minutes just to make, let alone connecting them and then weaving in all those ends! yeesh! No wonder it took so long. You can see the full details of this project here: http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=239095.0

http://www.craftster.org/blog/?p=6662

Who can resist an cheerful inanimate object with a happy smile? Not me! This little helicopter, inspired by the TV show M*A*S*H*, is adorable. It would also be sweet hooked in bright colors for a child’s room. Kjlutz very kindly shared the pattern so you can make one, too. Thanks Kjlutz! It’s so cute! Click here for the pattern.

http://www.craftster.org/blog/?p=6657

Iamsusie posted this easy, fun and awesome looking craft that uses permanent markers, fabric, and alcohol to create beatiful color swirls and designs that can be framed, used as appliques, or any other use you can think of. This would be a fun project with kids (as long as they are supervised, those markers are permanent, as the name implies!). Thanks, Iamsusie, for sharing yet another fabulous project!

http://www.craftster.org/blog/?p=6649

Randomly Spotted on the Galactic Interweb…

Leave it to Martha to come up with an awesome way to turn photos into glitter paintings! With this clever link you can upload your own photo, click and presto! It’s ready to print and glitter. It basically turns your photo into a simple paint by number format in an instant, so all you have to do is print, glue, glitter and seal, and you have an impressive (and sparkly) custom glitter “painting”. There is a full tutorial also on the site. Thanks, Martha! Happy Glittering!

http://www.craftster.org/blog/?p=6643

Perler Beads, or Fusible Beads, are a fun project that lends itself to video game crafts. Each bead is like a pixel, and you arrange them on a tray to create your design, then iron them to melt the beads together. It’s fun for kids and adults and the designs can be as simple or complex as you like. These Sprites created by Crafty October are an outstanding example of the detail you can achieve with these versatile beads. Click here for more projects and details. Great work, Crafty October! Thanks for sharing!

http://www.craftster.org/blog/?p=6638

Kwanzaa is celebrated in the US from Dec 26- Jan 6. It honors the African heritage of many Americans. Each of the seven days is dedicated to principles which strengthen community and family ties. Meals, candle-lighting, traditional African arts, crafts, and clothing, readings, and gifts are all part of the celebration. Here we have a selection of projects to inspire your Kwanzaa festivities. Click here for more African inspired projects. Joyous Kwanzaa!

http://www.craftster.org/blog/?p=6633

You’ve got your gifts and you’re ready to enjoy the holidays with your friends and family. There’s just one last thing to take care of - the wrapping. You can make your presents really stand out with these awesome handmade gift wrap idea. Many of them are recycled or use things you are likely to have in your stash or around the house. So they are not only pretty, they are also planet-friendly. There are even more ideas under our gift wrap tag (click here to see them!) Happy giving!

http://www.craftster.org/blog/?p=5136

Welcome to the Cutting (& Stitching) Edge! I’m Mr X Stitch and I’ll be your guide to the best in contemporary embroidery. Each week I’ll showcase someone who is rocking the world of embroidery and textiles.

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Maggy Rozycki Hiltner is a textile artist operating out of Red Lodge, Montana. She takes pieces of found textiles and stitches vignettes onto them.

This is what Maggy has to say about her work:

“Fabric and stitching are familiar to most people: a comfortable and innocuous medium. We all have the experience of childhood in common, with its daily doses of beauty, anxiety, joy and pain. Common childhood events span socioeconomic class, race and gender differences. With these images I am trying to evoke recognition in others of the amazing oddness and commonalities of our individual and connected lives. I like the narratives to be ambiguous and interpretable.

My work is hand-stitched, and I work on top of or with pieces of found textiles. These discarded household goods have a history of some other person’s place, actions and time. I often find these trivial decorations to be ominously full of double meanings. I use carefully planned neat stitches in contrast with kinetic playful scratchy ones to move the narrative and give voice to the characters. I like when the work feels like a Home Ec project gone awry.”

Her earlier works combined the textiles with a classic style of illustration that created bizarre moments, all with a playful sense of humour.The works display great technique with a clever and effective blend of applique and embroidery.

Her more recent works explore different themes - I love the Familiar Faces series which is bound to bring a smile to the face of anyone with children.

I love the vibrancy of Maggy’s work. The textiles chosen for the pieces often reinforce the quirks contained within the subject matter and Maggy’s characterisation is spot on. There is a real playfulness within her work, the kind of playfulness that adults would appreciate and that echoes the naughty child in all of us.

Maggy exhibits across the United States and beyond. If you want to see more of her works, I thoroughly recommend checking our her website.

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Mr X Stitch is a manbroiderer, cross stitch designer and runs www.mrxstitch.com,
the number one contemporary embroidery and needlecraft blog on the planet.
He can often be found hanging out on the Craftster needlecraft boards or at the Phat Quarter on Flickr.

http://www.craftster.org/blog/?p=6627

This beautiful piece features a variety of media including felt, tulle and beads. The tutorial shows you how to create it in 11 simple steps. Make one to wear to an upcoming holiday party!</p> Click here to check out this great tutorial right here on Craftster!