Cross-Stitch Veggie Hoop

I love veggies--cooking them, eating them, and stitching them. I'm not much of a vegetable gardener, but I did make this little veggie cross-stitch hoop to celebrate gardening season. I stitched the radish, carrot, asparagus, peapod, and tomato design with DMC embroidery floss on 18-count white Aida, and it fits perfectly in this little 3-inch hoop. If you would rather use a different size of Aida or even-weave fabric, just adjust your hoop size. Click https://drive.google.com/open?id=129TwXRUZYatKSpLYfDA8DlnpKNXakwUxto download and print the chart and color key.

If you're new to cross-stitch, this is a good beginner project. There are only seven floss colors, and it stitches up really fast. I finished this carrot in a few minutes while I was watching TV (or, more accurately, listening to TV).

And here it is, all finished and framed. Those veggies look good enough to eat, don't you think?

Crochet-Covered Earrings

Who wouldn't love a pair of crochet-covered earrings for Mother's Day? They're cute and cool and--best of all--easy to make. I started with a pair of plastic earrings that I found in a jewelry box and some bright blue worsted-weight yarn. 

If you don't have any earrings just like these, don't worry. You can crochet over many types of hoop earrings--use your imagination. And of course you can use any color yarn you have on hand. I had just bought a big skein of this beautiful blue, but you really only need a small amount. You could also try yarn of a different weight, but I really like the coverage and texture that the worsted-weight created.

There are no tricky stitches involved--just single crochet. To begin, wrap the end of the yarn around one of the earring hoops and start working in single crochet. Just stitch through the center of the hoop as if you were working through a crochet stitch. As you crochet around the hoop, work over the starting end of the yarn. I spaced my stitches so they were close together, but not bunched up; I wanted to let a little of the hoop peek through. When the stitching is finished, cut the yarn and knot the last stitch closed. Use a large-eyed needle to pull the yarn ends under the stitches, and then trim any stray ends that try to poke through your crochet stitches.  

Repeat the process for the second earring and you have a one-of-a-kind Mother's Day gift--or a new pair of earrings for yourself.

Jelly Jar Sewing Kit

Mason jar projects have been popping up all over the place, so I guess I may as well join in on the fun. I've had this pretty little jelly jar for a while, and I finally found the perfect way to use it. So here are my super-simple instructions for making a jelly jar sewing kit.

It all started with this emergency sewing kit I picked up at a dollar store. It's very functional--but not much to look at--so I gave it a makeover.

I knew I wanted to use the top of the jar as a pincushion, so I chose a few coordinating fabrics from my stash. Use whatever prints or solids you have around; you really only need a few scraps. For the pincushion top, cut a circle about one inch in diameter larger than the jar lid insert. Baste around the edge of the fabric circle and set it aside for a minute.

Use double-stick tape to secure a puff of polyester fiberfill to the top of the jar insert and then place the basted circle over the lid. Pull the thread tightly so it fits snugly over the insert and knot it. To cover up the underside of the lid, cut a circle from another print fabric--or from a piece of colored heavyweight paper--and tape or glue it over the bottom of the insert. (You'll see the end result in the final photo.)

When you turn the insert right side up, you'll see your finished pincushion. Now pop the pincushion into the jar ring. The fabric held my insert firmly in place--no need for glue or tape.

Now it's time to gather your sewing kit supplies. I used the thread and cute little scissors that came with the kit, but I added a few extras. To hold the needles, I swapped a piece of bright felt for the flimsy foil, and I replaced the plastic thimble with a pretty vintage one. I also added a few colorful buttons to the kit and topped the pincushion with some ball-head straight pins.

All the supplies fit perfectly in the jar--and see how nice the underside of the lid looks covered with print fabric? I admit that my jelly jar sewing kit isn't something I can carry in my purse for button emergencies, but it really looks cute in my craft room.  

Earth-Friendly Ideas for Crafters

April has finally arrived, which means that Earth Day is only a few weeks away. I'm starting the celebration early and sharing a few Earth-friendly ideas from my craft room. I'm a big fan of recycling and repurposing, which means I hate to throw boxes, scraps, and broken things away.

Idea #1: Upcycled Embroidery Floss Bobbins

I admit it. I often choose facial tissue by the design on the boxes. But when those pretty boxes are empty, they have to go in the recycling bin--unless I use them to make embroidery floss bobbins.

I just used a purchased bobbin as a template and traced it onto the tissue box cardboard. After cutting the bobbins out, I punched a hole punch in one end and used scissors to cut two slits in the other. I wrote the floss color number on the plain side--and I recycled the leftover scraps, of course.

Don't they look pretty all wrapped up in floss? I think I'm going to try this with greeting cards and other decorative boxes.

Idea #2: For the Birds

If you're a needleworker like me, you probably produce a lot of fabric, thread, and yarn scraps. Did you know that some backyard birds like to use these scraps when they make their nests? You can hang an onion bag or suet feeder filled with fabric and fiber scraps in a tree where birds can find them. Be sure to keep the strips and strands just a few inches long so birds can't get tangled in them. To see what bird experts have to say about providing nesting materials for birds, visit the websites of The Humane Society, National Wildlife Federation, and Bird Watcher's Digest.

Idea #3: Repurposed Teapot Yarn Bowl

If I had a green thumb, I would use this cute teapot--which never poured properly--as a planter. Since I'm much better at knitting and crocheting than I am at growing things, I rescued the teapot from the glassware graveyard and put it to work as a yarn bowl. I just placed a small ball of yarn inside, pulled the end of the yarn through the spout with a crochet hook, and started knitting. It works beautifully! I think I'm going to start looking for other misfit teapots that need some love.

Do you have any Earth-friendly crafting tips? I'd love to hear them! Please share your ideas in the comments section.