Dear Crafty Readers,
“I sell handmade sewing items and I genuinely enjoy making them — as long as I’m working from my own designs and my own process.
But the moment someone asks for a custom order, my stress levels … Read More...
I’ve been writing about knitting long enough that I remember (and wrote about) when knitter David Babcock broke the world record for the longest scarf knit while running a marathon. I don’t know why this is a thing people would … Read More...
I did a post all about bee learning activities last year, not realizing that May 20 is World Bee Day. So let’s gather some more fun activities to do with bees or with a bee theme, for World Bee Day … Read More...
It’s finally time where we can start gardening for real where I live, so let’s celebrate with some garden themed cross stitch patterns.
Craft with Cartwright has a cute garden sampler that includes a fork, spade, welly boot, birds and … Read More...
Earlier this week I posted some Disney Park scrapbook layout ideas (click here if you missed it) and thought this collection of FREE Fairy Tale characters would go perfectly with many Disney themed layouts you might be working on. … Read More...
At first, rescuing unwanted items from the reuse room was a way to save money. But over time, it became a place where I connected with my neighbours
When I lived in inner Sydney, my apartment building had a dedicated reuse room for secondhand items. The room was officially named the Room of Unlimited Magical Recycling Possibilities, but most residents just called it the magic room. This name was fitting because often things seemed to appear there precisely when I needed them. I once walked in to find a reusable coffee cup, just after accidentally dropping my glass one in the car park.
In the magic room, our complex’s 650 residents could take whatever they needed and leave their preloved items, everything from furniture and clothes to stationery and crockery. When I took time off work to raise my kids, the room became a valuable source of things our family needed. It’s impossible to work out just how much I saved, but the impact was substantial.
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This little knit dress covered in eyelets looks like the perfect thing to stitch up for spring and summer, with sweet candy colored stripes that area s fun to knit as they are to wear.
The Sweetie Knit Babydoll Dress … Read More...
Sirious Stitches does a lot of great deep dives into different cross stitching techniques and genres, and I’m so glad they do because it sometimes opens my eyes up to things that I didn’t even know existed.
Such is the … Read More...
If you’re anything like me, gym days can blur together unless I actually write them down. Between school runs, work deadlines, remembering to defrost dinner, and trying to recall whether it was leg day or upper body last time… it … Read More...
Memorial Day in the United States is often thought of as the unofficial beginning of summer, but of course it is also a somber holiday when we remember soldiers who have died in combat.
Stitching up a memorial cross stitch … Read More...
Are you ready for Spring? I’ve already been working out in my yard and garden boxes getting everything ready to bloom and plant. Be sure to snap lots of pics of preparing your garden as well as photos as everything … Read More...
You know that drawer.
The one filled with birthday cards, Christmas cards, Mother’s Day notes, and handwritten messages you can’t quite throw away.
Some are from people we’ve lost. Some from the kids when they were little and their handwriting … Read More...
Normally when I decide to write about a cross stitch designer I like them to have a good number of patterns that I can talk about. It helps you to see a range of options if you’re looking for a … Read More...
Everything is Music is a quick read with a lot to look at that will slow the reading down and encourage kids to think about the music in the sounds they hear every day.
The book, written and illustrated by … Read More...
The words “sarcastic space cross stitch” aren’t really words I expected to be typing all in a row like that, but I don’t know what else to call this design from JP Crochet.
I mean, the designer calls it “funny … Read More...
If you’ve ever bought a felting mat that turned into a sad, holey pancake after just a few projects — you’re not alone. It’s one of the most frustrating parts of needle felting: finding a surface that actually lasts.
You … Read More...
‘Tis the season for bugs in the Northern Hemisphere, and while they can be kind of annoying sometimes, it’s important to remember that they are an important part of our ecosystem and a lot of them are both weird and … Read More...
These charming printable insects are ideal for including on your Spring paper crafting projects like scrapbook layouts, handmade greeting cards, book marks, planner pages, home decor prints and so much more. There are 6 different bugs, 2 butterflies, a moth, … Read More...
If you’re looking for fun options for temperature cross stitch projects, whimsical animals or J.R.R. Tolkien inspired art, Cross Stitch for You is, well, for you.
The biggest category in the shop is Tolkien art, much of it featuring quotes … Read More...
From egg cartons to hard rubbish, everyday consumables can be repurposed into valuable gardening resources
Change by degrees offers life hacks and sustainable living tips each Saturday to help reduce your household’s carbon footprint
Got a question or tip for reducing household emissions? Email us at changebydegrees@theguardian.com
It’s time for “waste” to get a better publicist: many items we constantly discard can find new life and purpose right in our back yard.
Australia generated 75.6m tonnes of waste in 2023, according to government data, and landfills are not keeping up. With recent reports that Sydney’s landfill capacity is projected to run out of space by 2030, there’s renewed urgency to rethink our approach to waste and find resourceful ways to see its value.
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I still consider myself an intermediate cross stitcher at best, and I definitely can’t dive that deep into all the techniques that we need to know as stitchers.
That’s why I’m thankful for other cross stitchers with more experience who … Read More...
There’s something truly magical about creating a mermaid from wool — it’s the perfect blend of imagination, color, and texture. This Needle Felted Mermaid Tutorial by SnowflakeForest Felting brings that ocean enchantment to life with flowing hair, shimmering tail tones, … Read More...
There are so many great flowers in spring, but daisies are one of my favorites. They’re a favorite of cross stitch designers, too, as I learned when I went looking for daisy cross stitch patterns and found a ton. Here … Read More...
There is just something timeless about a rose embroidery corner.
Maybe it is because these little floral corners feel so beautifully old-fashioned. They remind me of embroidered handkerchiefs tucked into drawers, pretty pillow slips edged with lace, and table linens … Read More...
There’s something irresistibly cozy about handmade felted soap. Maybe it’s the soft woolly texture or the fact that it gently exfoliates while you wash — like a built-in washcloth that gets smaller as your soap does.
But here’s the best … Read More...
Let’s talk about something that doesn’t sound exciting… but makes all the difference.
Paper.
If you’ve ever printed beautiful junk journal printables and thought:
If you love handmade finds, beautiful craft supplies, creative tools, patterns, kits, and one-of-a-kind goodies, then this giveaway is definitely for you.
We’re giving one lucky reader the chance to win a $100 Etsy voucher, and honestly, I can … Read More...
It’s nice to get flowers for Mother’s Day, but even better to get kid-made flower crafts that you can keep for years. Check out these easy flower crafts for Mother’s Day that kids can make, or at least help with. … Read More...
This time of year I don’t have it in me to knit (or, most of the time, to wear) a full sweater, but that doesn’t mean I don’t still get cold from time to time. Having lots of vests and … Read More...
Stitch 4 Seasons has a small but cute collection of cross stitch patterns that’s heavy on patriotic designs and samplers done in the form of...
