Tutorial - How to Make a Piranha Softie

A simple piranha softie kids can make

Tutorial at Coloured Buttons Blog

"Some weeks ago Spotlight asked me to create a simple piranha softie kids can sew for Aaron Blabey’s book Piranhas Don’t Eat Bananas. I loved the personality of the piranha and designed a simple softie of his character. This softie really is easy to sew…it’s made from only two pieces of felt…and it makes a great activity for mums to sew with or for their kids".... Read more

Tutorial - How to Make a Custom Doormat

Makes a good pet mat too

Tutorial at A Crafty Mix Blog

"We’ve been looking for some doormats to use in our holiday cottage but they were all kinda the boring and the rubber one we’d bought before didn’t really do a good job of keeping the beach sand out. The other problem was the width of the double patio door. We could find small doormats but we needed something a little wider on the patio. Long story short, we decided to make our own doormat using some astro turf aka fake grass".... Read more

Tutorial - Director's Chairs Update

Choose a sturdy fabric in a delightful pattern

Tutorial at Libby's Lifestyle Blog

"My director chairs were looking sad, very sad. What is it about Spring that makes me look at things in a different way, with a different eye? Well, whatever it is, "it" was making me want to do something drastic to my sad and neglected director chairs. I didn't want to throw them out. Realistically, they can easily give me another 20 years of service. Yes, I've had them THAT long. I like director chairs. Always have. They're comfortable and convenient".... Read more

Tutorial - How to Make an Owl Costume

Simple instructions for a Halloween owl costume

Tutorial at Art with Kids Blog

"Sometimes folks who buy my masks will ask me for suggestions on making a costume that will go with their purchase. So I decided to put together this simple tutorial about making a child's owl costume that is simple and inexpensive and does not require any sewing. Three plusses as far as I'm concerned".... Read more

Tutorial - Crochet a Textured Two Color Scarf

Simple grit stitch crochet scarf. Great for beginners

Tutorial at Olives and Okra Blog

"I found this super fun yarn at Michael’s the other day. It’s Caron® Cakes™, a multi-purpose variegated yarn that comes in 18 shades each of which contains 5 beautiful colors.  I picked up two shades: Cherry Chip and Lilac Frosting. My grand daughter wants a hat and scarf made with the Cherry Chip yarn. I went for the grit stitch scarf. The Crochet Lilac Frosting Scarf (free crochet pattern) is slightly textured and is great for cool weather. The pattern stitch–the grit stitch–creates a dense yet light weight fabric with a slight diagonal pattern. It’s perfect for the mild winters in Central Florida".... Read more

Tutorial - Make Toddler Art Greeting Cards

Create refrigerator-worthy cards with kids art

Tutorial at Just Measuring Up Blog

"There are so many cards out there that creatively use kids' hand and footprints. Although cute, I always had trouble getting one decent hand or footprint from my son. As soon as he was old enough to paint, I had him use cotton swabs, instead of paint brushes, so he could easily dab the paint onto the paper. (Now he uses paintbrushes, sponge brushes and foam stampers). As you can see, his paintings are quite abstract".... Read more

Tutorial - How to Make a Quilled Paper Acorns

Add a natural element to your autumn decor

Tutorial at The Papery Craftery Blog

"Quilling paper acorns, although totally and completely adorable, aren’t really a new design. There are a bunch of quilling paper artists designing and selling paper acorn ornaments that are just lovely! But when I was brainstorming new autumn quilling crafts, it dawned on me….I could make a quilling paper acorn with real acorn caps".... Read more