Print Your Own Fabric

This tutorial shows you how to print modern geometric patterns on fabric using contact paper.

Teapot & Teacup Lamp

This wacky lamp makes me think of Alice in Wonderland, and you can make your own using these instructions.

Handmade Seller Interview: Celentano Woodworks

The Handmade Feature today is an interview with the owner of Celentano Woodworks on Etsy, a seller of creative guitars and other amazing handmade instruments. I fell in love with the apple guitar as soon as I saw it - isn't it fantastic?!

How did you get started in your handmade business?
I've been making and experimenting with instruments since i was 15. It became more of a business when the economy crashed and was out of work from my construction job. Thats when I had nothing to loose and decided to do what I enjoy most and actually make a living doing it.

What first made you want to become an artist/craftsperson?
Art was always a big part of my life ever since I was young. My family was definitely the type to always have art supplies for me to play with. As I grew up, I learned more about woodworking and construction from my father.

Apart fom crafts, what do you like to do in your spare time?
Can't say I have much spare time :) HA. But in all reality, catching a couple minutes of a movie before passing out on the couch means the world when it happens. As well as eating dinner.

How long have you been creating art/crafts and how long have you been selling online?
I've been building and repairing instrument for 15 years. I started selling online in 2009.

How many different places do you sell from?
At the moment, I do all my business through Etsy (CelentanoWoodworks.Etsy.com)

What handmade possession do you most cherish?
Probably the first guitar i ever made. It was an electric guitar that looked like a lizard. It had glass eyes and the cable came out of the mouth as the tongue.

What is your favorite part of your handmade business?
The best part is playing it for the first time and hearing the fruits of my labor.



What are your hopes and aspirations for your store and where do you see yourself going from here?
Hopefully I can continue having the time of my life being able to make cool stuff for people to rock and roll with :) As time goes on, I am receiving request for bigger and wilder pieces like full size guitars and cellos. My aspirations are definitely to grow and to push the limits.

What are three tools in your workspace that you could not live without?
6" starrett ruler, table saw, and music in the shop.

If you could have one super power, what would it be and why?
I would love the ability to stop time. It would be awesome if I could get 48 hours of work done in one day.

And that's the end of this week's feature!

Knitted Lego Doorstop

This is a fun idea for a doorstop - a brick made to look like a Lego piece with a knitted cover and bottle tops for the details. Find the tutorial here.

Honey Roasted Chickpeas

For a much lower fat version of honey roasted peanuts, why not try honey roasted chickpeas instead? Go here for the recipe.

DIY Clocks

For 10 fun instructables on making your own clock, ranging from extremely simple to very techy, click here.

Thread Art

This tutorial shows you how to spell out any name or message using just nails and black thread on a wooden board - looks cool right?

Door Knob Covers

I think these crochet door knob covers would look so cute on my wardrobes! Click here for the how-to.

Pacman Mobile

Fun gaming mobile made from wire hangers and thin card - go here for more details.

Handmade Seller Interview: Miss November Studio

The Handmade Feature today is an interview with the owner of Miss November Studio on Etsy, a seller of amazingly original sterling silver and copper jewellery:

Tell us a bit about yourself.

My name is Sandra, I'm 30 and I live in beautiful San Diego with my husband, our dog Ruby and our guinea pigs Madame Horseradish and Special Brownie.

How did you get started in your handmade business?

I previously had a jewelry line called Brassafrass where I made necklaces out of brass stampings. I sold them in my (now closed) vintage clothing store to make some dough while we were scraping by. Eventually I found that boring. When my store closed I took a silver-smithing class and before I lost my new skills I invested in a load of tools and supplies and started creating on my own. I was really fortunate to have a patient instructor who allowed me to work ahead of the class.

What first made you want to become an artist/craftsperson?

Ever since I was a kid I have been making things. My mom was my Girl Scout leader and a seamstress so naturally we always had tons of overflowing craft bins and fabric. My grandma taught me to sew when I was 12 and I made clothes for my Barbie dolls. That was the same year my mom bought me a beading kit for Christmas. I guess she figured I would stay out of trouble if I had a creative outlet. BOY WAS SHE WRONG!

Apart fom crafts, what do you like to do in your spare time?

Spare time...what's that again? In my spare time I stare at my computer screen checking up on my shop. Otherwise I'm in my studio or working my regular 40 hour day job...in retail...*shudder*. (Actually, I like my job.)

How long have you been creating art/crafts and how long have you been selling online?

I've been creating things since I was little starting probably in Girl Scouts. I was never a stellar student, but I was a sponge when it came to doing arts and crafts. I finally started selling online just last January after building up a tiny inventory of handmade sterling and copper jewlery.

How many different places do you sell from?

Just one right now, but I have an Artfire shop in the works.
www.etsy.com/shop/MissNovemberStudio

What handmade possession do you most cherish?

I would have to say my bedframe. My husband and I have been together since we were 16 and he made our bed in high school wood shop. We waited 8 years to finally sleep in it on our wedding day!

Do you collect anything?

I collect mid-century furniture and art, vintage hats and I have a fun mini succulent garden planted in various vintage pots I've thrifted. I'll admit I'm a bit of a hoarder...

What is your favorite part of your handmade business?

I love that I'm actually making something people respond to. The most difficult thing is staying ahead of the curve, especially on Etsy where there seems to be a LOT of the same in the sterling silver category. I have to find a way to make my stuff stand out from the crowd.

What would your dream job be?

I would love to live on a ranch with llamas and my long haired babies running around me while I garden. Obviously I would be making fabulous jewelry in my home studio. My husband would drive us around the country in our '54 Chevy truck towing a little airstream teardrop trailer snatching up antiques to sell online using the wifi at Starbucks. My dream job is very specific.

Any other handmade shops you’d like to recommend?

I love:
www.etsy.com/shop/MonkeysAlwaysLook
www.etsy.com/shop/psychoticreaction
www.etsy.com/shop/Leatherwerks
www.etsy.com/shop/contrivedtocharm
www.etsy.com/shop/lynnsrags

I hope you enjoyed the feature this week!

Doily Bowl

This cute little doily bowl is very easy to make - and you can see the process here (it's not in English but basically all you need is Sculpey/clay and a doily).

April Fool's Day Ideas

Source: Scott Ableman.
If you're a prankster at heart and would like to plan a harmless prank for the upcoming April Fool's day, or for your school's muck-up day, this webpage will give you loads of funny ideas!

Stenciled Floor

I luuurve these stenciled flowers which have been painted on the floor - so pretty! Go here for the tutorial.

Kid's Felt Mat

If I was a kid, this would be a pretty awesome gift; It's a felt play mat which actually folds up into a house! Go here for the how-to.

DIY Creme Eggs

I would never think it possible to make your own creme eggs, but these instructions say different!

Street Art & Banksy Graffiti

Source: Nolionsinengland.
If you're a fan of street art, you can see lots of of the best examples on this page, and for a gallery of artworks by the infamous graffiti artist Banksy, click here. Banksy is UK born and his works now sell for many thousands of £££s - even though his identity is actually still unknown.

Rope Bracelet

To see how to construct a funky looking bracelet from rope and hex nuts, click here.

Ring Pincushion

This super useful pincushion makes good use of a plastic bottle cap - go here for the tute.

Baby Head Paper Weight

Click here to see how to make this creepy baby head paperweight - using just a doll's head, paints, plaster of Paris and water. If it's not your kind of thing, the technique for adding an antique effect to the surface is handy for other projects :-)

Handmade Seller Interview: Jocale Design

The Handmade Feature today is an interview with the owner of Jocale Design on Etsy, which is a shop that sells jewellery made with individually handcrafted lampwork glass beads:

Tell us a bit about yourself.

My name is Hilary and I live in a small market town between the beautiful Cotswolds and the historic cities of Bristol and Bath.
I have been making jewellery for a couple of years now and a year ago began to extended my skills by learning to make Lampwork Glass Beads. I love creating beautiful things and am constantly looking for ways to develop my skills.
Alongside making beads and jewellery, I work part time as a Business Analyst for a local charity, look after my husband, three children, and two cats and enter the occasional running event.

How did you get started in your handmade business?
I first started making jewellery purely for myself. I was just happy to receive admiring comments from people I met.
It was not long before I realised that I could never wear as much jewellery as I wanted to make. There were so many different styles of jewellery that I wanted to create. Not all of these styles would suit me, but would look great on other people.
Whilst making different pieces I started to think about the people I know and the styles and colours that would suit them.
It was a while before I plucked up the courage to show anybody my jewellery – even my close friends. When I finally did I was pleasantly surprised by their favourable comments. I was then given the opportunity to run a jewellery party at a friend’s house, closely followed by a stall at the local Carnival. Both of which were very successful. From then on I haven't looked back.

What first made you want to become an artist/craftsperson?
I started making jewellery a couple of years ago following a running injury. I had been training for months in preparation for the Disney Marathon and was just 6 weeks away from the event when I suffered an injury to my foot. At the time I was devastated. Not only was I unable to take part in the Marathon, but I could not even walk half a mile!
I needed to find things to do that allowed me to sit down – most frustrating to someone who was previously running 15 miles and more!
It was at this point that I started to make jewellery and I have never looked back since. My injury is now fully recovered thankfully, and I am delighted to have discovered a real passion for creating unique, beautiful and very wearable jewellery.

Apart fom crafts, what do you like to do in your spare time?
I enjoy running – on a very low key level these days. I enter about one small event a year. Last year it was the local 4 mile Fun Run, where I was beaten (by nearly 4 minutes!) by my 9 year old son! Needless to say we will be entering again this year....!

How long have you been creating art/crafts and how long have you been selling online?
I have been making jewellery for 2 years and lampwork beads for just about a year.
I have been selling online for about 6 months.

How many different places do you sell from?

Local Craft Fayres etc.
Two local shops
Etsy:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/jocaledesign
My website:
www.jocaledesign.co.uk

Have any pets?
Yes – one very fat but lovely black cat and his very pretty sister. We also have a dwarf hamster.

How did you come up with your shop name?
I knew I needed a name to give me and my work an identity. I also wanted a name that would give me the chance to develop beyond beaded jewellery should I decide to at any point in the future.
It was actually my husband who found the word Jocale – meaning jewel or play thing.
I then played around with ideas like Jocale Jewels, Jocale Jewellery, Jocale of Thornbury etc. In the end the one that seemed right was Jocale Design.

Do you have another job? What is it?
I work part time as a Business Analyst for a local Brain Tumour charity. It’s a fantastic place to work – the people are lovely, the work rewarding and varied.

What are three tools in your workspace that you could not live without?
For Beadmaking it has to be:
- My torch - I can’t melt glass without it!
- My Kiln – without it my beads would not be strong enough to sell.
- Tweezers – I am for ever using these to pull very thin rods of glass (called stringers) which I then use to decorate beads.

Any other handmade shops you’d like to recommend?
I recently received some Ninjas from another Etsy shop – they arrived very quickly and are as good as the pictures. Very pleased.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Lilley
I was taught to make lampwork beads by Julie Fountain (Lush Lampwork). She’s a lovely lady and her beads are beautiful.
http://www.lushlampwork.co.uk/

I hope you enjoyed the interview today!

Giant Cross-Stitch

If you want to learn how to do giant cross-stitch - which is perfect for headboards and wall art - then head over to ReadyMade.

Homemade Fortune Cookies

A brilliant video on making your own fortune cookies!

Camera Themed How-Tos

2 handy camera strap tutorials today; one showing how to revamp a camera strap, and another which shows you how to make a little pouch for your lens cap (I'm definitely making one of these - so useful!)

Greeting Card Tutorial List

I've compiled a big list of the techniques you can use for card making, plus lots of how-tos that even complete beginners can use to make fab cards. You can find the list here.

Hobby Horse

I think this stick horse looks great and is a fab way of recycling old denim jeans too. Go here for the tutorial.

Recycling Lightbulbs

To see 3 brilliant ideas for recycling old lightbulbs into decorations, click here. I think the idea shown above with the candle looks so creative, I love it.

Fringed Party Streamers

We used to have this type of streamer at parties when I was a kid, and I love the fluffy look of them. They're so easy and cheap to make, and you can find the how-to here.

Silhouette Paper Cutting

Click here for a tutorial on creating artistic symmetrical art using paper and a craft knife.

Re-Using Crates

Chalkboard paint has to be the product that took the craft world by storm in 2010, with it being used in so many tutorials and I still just love it - the uses are endless! And I particularly like the crate tray shown above, which you can read about here.

Handmade Seller Interview: Snappin Studio

The Handmade Feature today is an interview with the owner of Snappin Studio on Etsy, which sells lovely stamped copper and aluminium products, including keyrings, jewellery, wall art and bookmarks:

How did you get started in your handmade business?

My mother Daphne Seaman has an Etsy shop, http://www.laureltreestudio.etsy.com/. My girlfriend and I were at an art show with my mom, and thought we could get into art as a hobby. Our initial hope was that it would fund date night. So our search began for something we both liked the idea of, and we settled on hand stamping.

Apart fom crafts, what do you like to do in your spare time?

Julie and I are both NCAA D1 track and field athletes, and it takes up multiple hours of both of our days. Julie is a hurdler, and I pole vault.

How long have you been creating art/crafts and how long have you been selling online?
About one year in the craft and about 3 months online.

How many different places do you sell from?

Last week it was one place, this week it is two! We have bought our own web site www.snappinstudio.com, and we also use Etsy.com
We plan on expanding soon, and are going to consider offers to put our stuff into some smaller shops in Birmingham, AL.

In ten years, where would you like to be?

Married with children, still stamping and running track...dream world!

How did you come up with your shop name?

We wanted to name it after something meaningful and so we chose our dog. His name is "Snappin Turtle Bailey Man Seaman", thus we got SnappinStudio

Do you have another job? What is it?

Yes, students at Samford University

What is your favorite part of your handmade business?

It funds date night, and gives us both something constructive to do together. We get along great when we are both being creative, or trying to figure something out about the business. It has created shopping trips, hunts for supplies, and many learning experiences.

What are three tools in your workspace that you could not live without?

Hammer, stamps, towels under the stamping block to cut down on the noise!

If you had the opportunity to learn one more craft you don’t already do, what would it be?

Glass Blowing.

Any other handmade shops you’d like to recommend?

My momma's shop http://www.laureltreestudio.etsy.com/

Hope you enjoyed the interview!

Mini American Presidents

How fab are these mini president figurines?! Here is the tutorial for them - although of course you could dress them up to represent any well-known figure or other person in your life.

Rainbow Candy Buttons

When I saw these candy buttons I thought of Willy Wonka (which is one of my favourite films) so these really appeal to me and my sweet tooth :-)

Go here and here for recipes.

Sliding Barn Door

I just love this unusual sliding door style, and the colour just makes it even more fabulous! You can find the tutorial in 2 parts; part 1 here and part 2 here.

Dragon Slippers

These slippers are so fun and look so comfy - and you can make them any size too. Find the tute here.

Pacman Cookies

 Click here for the recipe for these cute little Pacman sugar cookies.

Spray Painting

Just thought I'd post this video of an impressive picture made using spray paints because it's so darn quick!

DIY Headboard

I love this recycling project which turns fence panels into a rustic, designer-looking headboard.

Handmade Seller Interview: Whiskey Darling

The Handmade Feature today is an interview with the owner of the Whiskey Darling store on Etsy which sells unique statement resin jewellery in burlesque and steampunk styles:

How did you get started in your handmade business?
I pretty much started making my resin jewelry strictly out of the need for giant statement pieces for myself that I couldn't find anywhere. I lovingly refer to this need as the Mrs. Roper syndrome:) But seriously, I've found that the best way to cultivate your signature style is to create the things that you might not be able to find pre-made.

What first made you want to become an artist/craftsperson?
I've always loved the idea of having something one of a kind that no one else has. One of my favorite movies growing up was Pretty In Pink. I just loved how Molly Ringwald's character turned an old dress into something new for her...only, I also kind of liked the way the cute vintage dress looked like to begin with also... I guess I just liked that she didn't go to the "richie" mall to get a dress.

Apart fom crafts, what do you like to do in your spare time?
Spare time? What's that? My first preference is to spend time with my awesome husband, Troy and clever cat, Maeby. But, I have my day job (yuck) that takes up too much of my time. I'm also an amateur burlesque performer and I spend a few weekends a month performing at various venues around Colorado. When I'm not making jewelry, I'm working hard on costumes for the new acts that I have coming up.

How long have you been creating art/crafts and how long have you been selling online?
I've been making crafts ever since I can remember. I think my first items were probably dresses for my barbies. I've been selling online off and on since 2008.

How many different places do you sell from?
I used to sell at a few boutiques around Colorado and one in New Orleans, but now I'm focusing strictly on online sales. Right now it's just my etsy site (http://www.etsy.com/shop/whiskeydarling) But I also have a blog that has- drumroll, please- 5 followers...one of them is my husband. Oh well. My blog: whiskeydarling.blogspot.com

What handmade possession do you most cherish?
I just recieved a wonderful portrait that a friend painted of myself and my husband. It's a great folk-artsy piece that I think she meant to be a silly gift, but I adore it!

If you had to recommend one movie, which perhaps isn’t so well known, which one would it be?
I just saw the documentary "Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work." It was fantastic!

Have any pets?
I have my darling cat Maeby (named after the Arrested Development character). She is half Maine Coon and half domestic short hair...but I suspect that she is also part monkey...

Do you collect anything?
Yep- Jackalopes. Anything Jackalope. I love them. I also kind of believe that they exist, but I've only seen the does;)

How did you come up with your shop name?
Actually, Whiskey Darling is my burlesque name. I used to sell under Shady Lady, but there were a few other businesses with that name as well, so I decided to streamline things and just work under my burlesque alter-ego.

Hope you enjoyed this week's installment!