National Craft Month Roundup

March is National Craft Month!To celebrate, I've rounded up six of my favorite spring crafts. Whether you like to work with felt and floss or paper and glue, there's a project here for you. Click on the title of the project below to visit its original blog post. Happy Crafting!

Silver Lining Sun-Catcher
This easy-to-sew sun-catcher hides a surprise. One side is a fluffy felt cloud; the other is a shiny silver lining.

Recycled Greeting Card
Use the pretty greeting cards and gift wrap you've been saving to make an all-occasion gift card.

St Patrick's Day Welcome Cards
Welcome guests to your St. Patrick's Day gathering with these pretty place cards. They're super simple to make from paper, rubber stamps, and a bit of wire.

Easter Bunny Eggs
These adorable Easter eggs use two of my favorite craft supplies--pompoms and wiggle eyes. Best of all, there's no messy dyeing involved--just a bit of paper and glue.

Garden Party Cards 
Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit tales inspired these garden party cards. The Beatrix card features paper cabbages; pea pods decorate the Peter card (not visible here).

Sweet Easter Egg Ornaments
My childhood Easter basket always included a big chocolate egg decorated with colorful icing. These felt versions use buttons and trims to mimic the real thing--and they're calorie-free!

See My Designs in Spring Issue of Craft Ideas Magazine

So excited to receive the Spring 2016 issue of Craft Ideas magazine. Three of my designs are inside--Cross-Stitched Lavender Sachet, Embroidered Irish Brooches, and Easter Peeps Basket. (And yes, that's me in the Contributor Spotlight.)

The issue is filled with Spring and Easter projects to craft and stitch. Look for it on your newsstand. Happy crafting!

Mini Cross-Stitch Kit

I like tiny things, and I like working on projects that are portable, so I came up with this mini cross-stitch kit. Everything you need to stitch a little busy bees cross-stitch fits inside an Altoids mint tin. Make one for yourself or give it to a stitchy friend.

First, assemble your materials. You'll need an empty Altoids tin, a 3-inch piece of 14-count Aida fabric, an embroidery needle, and DMC six-strand embroidery floss in black (310), light topaz (726), and dark straw (3820). I wound my floss on cardboard bobbins, but you could just use full skeins if you like.

Next, click here to download and print the Cross-Stitch Kit Printable. Cut out the cover picture just outside the yellow line. Trace the top of the Altoid tin on a piece of clear adhesive-backed paper and cut that out too. Place the cover picture on the top of the tin and seal it in place with the adhesive paper. Press the edges down tightly so it stays in place on the lid. Cut out the chart and fold it into thirds.

To assemble the kit, cut a piece of colored paper to fit the inside lid of the tin and fasten it in place with double-stick tape. Attach the needle to the Aida, roll it up, and tuck it inside the tin with the floss. Place the folded chart on top and close the lid. Your mini cross-stitch kit is ready to go. Happy stitching!

Claddagh Design in Just CrossStitch Magazine

The April issue of Just CrossStitch magazine is out, and my Claddagh design is inside! The Claddagh is an old Irish symbol of love, loyalty, and friendship. It's a popular motif in rings and other jewelry, but I decided to adapt it to cross-stitch. The design is stitched in shades of green and gold embroidery floss, and it features lots of shamrocks. If you start stitching now, you can make your own in time for St. Patrick's Day.