DIY Clear Stamp Storage

Last weekend I was just in one of those moods where you want to throw away all your stuff just so your room will be clean.  Tell me I'm not the only one whose felt this way, please!  Anyways I was in the cleaning mood so I was going through a bunch of stuff and really wanted to get organized!  This post and the next few to follow will chronicle my cleaning and organizing adventure!  Hope you enjoy!

So I had this basket.  And it was overflowing, like, a lot.  So as I went through it I decided I needed a better way to store the majority of its contents - clear stamps.  I also wanted to find better storage for these because I never use them because of how inconvenient it is to find the one I want.  So I went to Pinterest, as I often do, for inspiration!  I found a lot of cute ideas but the problem was they all required money... which I didn't really want to spend nor did I have the time to go to the store to buy anything.  So working with what I had at home, this is what I came up with:

Not to toot my own horn but... it. is. awesome!!  Let me know what you think in the comments!  I am seriously in love with this thing and it only cost me $1!  I got several colorful 3-ring binders on clearance for a buck each a while ago, I knew they'd come in handy eventually!  Then I went back to Pinterest and found these adorable (and free!) printable binder covers here.  For the actual storage part I used sheet protectors, which I had on hand from ages ago:

To keep everything in place a used my double-sided tape roller and put a small piece on the back of each package.  This helps keep them all visible yet still easy to remove, use, and return.  I even put the clear blocks in there:

Overall this thing took me about 15 minutes to make and only cost $1, plus it will be super easy to add more to my collection!  I'm always on Pinterest (did I mention Pinterest yet? lol) seeing these amazingly organized people and I'm thinking "I'm not that talented" or "I don't have time for that" or "It's too expensive for all that stuff!" But I am living proof that you don't need time, money, or talent in order to be organized!  Let me know how you like to keep things neat!

Please check out my other posts! :)

You can also check out my Etsy shop: Precious Prep

Dress Success!

Hey everyone!

I am excited to share with you my latest creation!

Another dress, but this one is even better than the last! I got the idea from Sweet Verbena's tutorial here.

Please let me know what you think in the comments section!

Well?!?! I like it so much and I think I may actually venture out in it at some point... if I'm brave enough!

I made a few changes from the tutorial:

1) Instead of using one solid piece of fabric I wanted a patterned skirt and plain top so before following her directions I measured my torso (~18" from shoulder to waist) and length (~45" from waist to floor, leaving a bit extra for seam allowances, hemming, and fitting).  I'm 5'-10" so your measurements may be less! Then I sewed those pieces together and continued on as if they were just one piece from the get-go.

2) I took in the sides after cutting the neck and arms and looking like I had on a bag! lol I have no idea how the one in the tutorial looks so good without any fitting! Mine was awful! I took in about 2" from each side and that was MUCH better! Still flow-y and loose fitting but at least a little more put together!

Here is Lola wearing it :) (is it weird I named my mannequin?? I think not!)

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Have a great week!!

Monogramed Chevron Poster

**Please follow me on Pinterest :) http://pinterest.com/kraftiekatie/
Hi again!

If you have seen my earlier post, How to Chevron, you know how much I love Chevron!

This craft is just another little poster for my dorm room, similar in size to the one in Dorm Décor.  I am still making a bunch of cute things to decorate these bare walls!

So here it is:

Like it? Love it? I do!

So follow my tutorial here to learn how to make the chevron pattern.  I drew it on a white and navy blue sheet of card stock, then cut out the blue stripes and glued them into place on the white.  If you don't draw the chevron on the white sheet you should be ok but for more precision go ahead and take the extra 5 minutes.

So after I had the chevron I was thrilled!  But then I came up with the idea to add a pretty K to the mix. So off I went to Pinterest in search of free font downloads!  And what do you know... Pinterest never fails!

I found exactly what I was looking for at this website:
http://www.fontspace.com/måns-grebäck/respective

I am on a Mac so these instructions may not work for everyone, sorry :( But if you don't know how to install a font (on a Mac) you just download it, double click on the download to open font book, hit the install font button on the version of the font you like (bottom right corner), then drag the font to 'computer' on the collection list (right next to the list of fonts you downloaded).  Then when you open Word or Pages you should be able to select your font as you would any other!

I created my letter in PowerPoint, here's how:

1.Open PowerPoint and type your initial in your desired font style
2.Change the page orientation to Portrait
3.Increase the font size to around 250, depending on your letter you may have to go up or down, just make it fit on the page with a little room around the edges.
4.Make the letter bold
5.Select your color, I chose "Banana"
6.Using the text effects, select 'glow' to define your letter, I didn't want too much glow but some is good.  I made mine navy
7.Print it!  Then carefully cut around the edges and glue to the center of your page :)

Really simple with really great results! Good luck and show me how yours turns out! :)

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http://pinterest.com/kraftiekatie/

How to Chevron

Check out my new blog: Sugar Spice and Sparkle!

My latest obsession (and it seems like everyone else's too) is the Chevron pattern!  I absolutely adore it! I love it in all colors and sizes and I want to cover everything with it!  Check out my Monogramed Chevron Poster!

So I am going to teach you how to draw using the computer :) I love computers!  So here we go:

First you need to decide how thick you want your stripes to be.  I like 2 inches so it is a nice, bold pattern, but depending on the size of your object you may want to go smaller or larger, if you do, just follow the steps with your number instead of 2 inches.

Next you need to cover whatever you are making (in this case we will say an 8.5" x 11" sheet of printer paper) with a grid of 2" squares, like so:

As you can see if you only want entire squares there will be excess on the edges when using a 2" square.  

Now we start the pattern.  I like to draw all of the lines in any one direction first, that way I don't have to keep shifting my ruler back and forth (the ruler is when I draw this, not do it on the computer lol)

So here are the first lines you draw: 

Then fill in the blank squares with lines going from the opposite corners:

Your final result before color:

A bunch of triangles!
How did it go? Please leave me any comments you have! You're almost done :)

Finally, add your color!  Do so as seen here:

Now the only step left is to erase the extra lines (assuming you want white as your 2nd color) and you are done!  Here is my virtual navy and white Chevron:

What do you think?  Easy enough right?! Now you too can fall in love with this great, easy DIY pattern!  The possibilities are endless!

Orange and Blue

Black and White

Lavender and Mint

Rainbow

Ombré

Hope you enjoyed the tutorial! Comments always welcome :)
Follow me on Pinterest http://pinterest.com/kraftiekatie/

Gift for Mom

If you are like me then your mom is the most important person in your life and your best friend!  One of  the greatest things about crafting is making things for others.  And who better to make something for than your favorite person?

So with my inspiration from Deal Wise Mommy and a few minutes of free time I was ready!  The gift would be a Post-It note holder, made from an inexpensive frame, some scrapbook paper and embellishments, and a pad of sticky notes!  So simple yet actually useful and all moms love anything you make for them :)

So here is my result:

 What do you think?

All I did was:

1. Select coordinating sticky note pad and scrapbook paper
2. Cut scrapbook paper down to size
3. Add 'mom' sticker embellishment to the top of the scrapbook sheet
4. Put paper behind glass
5. Glue sticky note pad to the glass
6. Tie a pretty ribbon on and tape into place on the back

Voila! A really simple gift that made my mom so happy!  I'm sure she will display it proudly on her desk at work (I hope!)

Why not take a few minutes to do your favorite thing, craft, for your favorite person?  It is the little things in life that make it worth living so make someones day, it is as simple as that :)

Have a great and safe Labor Day!

Dorm Décor

So this weekend I was trying to come up with some ways to liven up my dorm room - white cinder block walls aren't really my thing.  So I have a few posters and a multi-picture frame but there is still a lot of blank wall.  So I turned to crafting!  The best solution for any situation :)  Considering I am in my dorm room with limited crafting supplies, I could not fully create my ideal decoration, seen here (last picture).  However, this is what I came up with:

Although it is small, I really like it! Plus I still have plenty of room left for more art!  You can so easily make this yourself, it would make a great card for someone too.  All I did was:

On an 8.5" x 11" sheet of cardstock, draw lines 1" apart all the way down the page, then alternate shading in stripes with a black crayon (thats all I had!).

Next cut out a heart from red construction paper or card stock and glue in the center.

Finally write something, love, in the bottom right corner and you are finished!  Your art work is ready for display!

If you are wondering about the hearts on the top corners, those are what is holding it to the wall:

I used pink but the orange version is pictured above.  These are really great for dorms because they look nicer than tape and are really strong!

Happy Crafting and Dorm Beautification :)

Boyfriends need crafts too!!

So today I decided to make my boyfriend a case for his sunglasses!  He is always losing those things or complaining if they get scratched so I hope this will make him happy.  I actually made this all up from my own mind and even took pictures during the process of making it!  You will love this craft because it can be made for anyone and took me maybe 20 minutes from start to finish... not bad for a thoughtful gift!

So here we go!

First I decided on some fabric with flames and dragons (this was the most... ok only, manly fabric I currently have) and for the lining just a reddish fabric with some small design on it.  I also used a dark red thread for my needle thread.

Next I cut two pieces from both the lining and the fabric that were approximately 8" by 5".  For the dragon fabric I made sure to center a dragon on each piece so I didn't end up with a bunch of dragon parts on the sides :)

I then sewed one piece of lining to one piece of the outer fabric, wrong sides together.  I sewed close to the edges because this step is just to make it easier to manage your fabric later, in the end this stitching was actually cut off.  So don't worry if it isn't straight or if it goes off the edge a little.  Here were my pieces:

The next step is to fold over your top edge so that it will be on the inside in the end.  My top edge was the side with the selvage (the white strip).  I folded each piece over the width of the selvage and then again.  Then I sewed across it, I didn't have to backstitch at the beginning and end because I knew that I would be sewing over the edge again later.  Be careful at this step!  If your needle and bobbin thread are different colors, be sure the color you want is on the right side.  Since I put the dark red thread in the needle, I had to sew with my dragon fabric face up.  Here is what it should look like with the top edge sewn:

Now you can line up your two pieces with right sides together, making sure the top is aligned correctly.  Then sew around the long sides and the bottom.  This is where your stitching needs to be more precise. But since you will be turning the project inside out in the end it doesn't have to be exact, so no worries! Make sure that you sew to the inside of the stitching which is holding the lining and the outer material together.

Once you are happy with that, trim off the excess material leaving about 1/8" edge, this means you may cut off what you sewed in the beginning (I told you it didn't have to be perfect!).  I ended up cutting off all of mine!  You can also trim the bottom corners so that you will have more precise points when you turn it, up to you.  Just make sure that you don't cut off any stitching when you trim the corners, other wise you will have holes in the corners.  Here is my trimmed project, you can see how much I cut off:

Finally, turn it right sides out and you are done!  Easy right?  And it will make a great surprise for boyfriend, I think he will love it and be happy to know that I still think about him when I am in one of my crafting frenzies :)

Making something for someone else is so much fun!  I love giving things to people and seeing how touched they are by even the simplest of things.  I hope your sunglass case turns out well for you and your recipient loves it, even if the recipient happens to be you! 

Happy Crafting! :)

Update! Here is another gift idea for your guy: Personalized accessory pouch to clip to his golf bag! Great for dads too! Order one here.

Cutest Bracelet Ever! And I made it myself!

**Please follow me on Pinterest :) http://pinterest.com/kraftiekatie/


These are now available in my Etsy shop! Pick from 4 great colors :)

This is a tutorial to make one of the cutest bracelets I have ever seen!  It is surprisingly simple but will impress your friends because it looks really complex!  I made three so far but gave one away to a friend, but below is a photo of the two I kept:

Cute right?  Here is my disclaimer: I did NOT come up with this idea... I found it on Pinterest, here is the link to the original tutorial: http://yellowblackbird.blogspot.com/2011/06/anthropologie-terra-scintilla-bracelet.html.  Her blog has step by step pictures of how to do the tying, I made these before having a blog so I did not do that.  Also she offers a kit for you to buy to make your own bracelet, or for those less ambitious, the opportunity to buy one already made!

But anyways, back to my tutorial :)

I wanted to tell my experience when making the bracelet for those of you who can be crafting challenged, like me.

When I first saw this idea I decided to just get my own supplies, they look like this:

I got the hemp and jewels from Michael's Arts and Crafts Store and the bracelets from Forever 21.  It took me a minute to find the jewels at Michael's, they were actually on a row near the hemp at my store.   You can look for the package shown above, it is on one of the jewelry rows; and don't worry, they can be cut apart with scissors, no real tools needed!  You will also need some sort of strong glue, I used my trusty hot glue gun and that seemed to be sufficient!

After you have purchased your supplies you are ready to begin!

Step 1. Select the bracelet and hemp color you want to use.  The bracelets that I had were all different colors and thicknesses.  I first did a pink bangle with pink hemp (my fav!) and then a yellow bangle with the green hemp.  The one I made for my friend was a dark purple bangle with the light purple hemp... she loved it!

Step 2. Cut the hemp to the suggested length (if you have thicker bangles, like mine, be sure to use a longer string of hemp than what is suggested on the Yellow Blackbird blog).

Step 3. Glue the jewels onto the bangle.  I followed the picture and just used 4 jewels but I think it could work with more!  Try it out!  Here is my hint: keep your desired number of jewels attached together but glue them down one at a time (as opposed to putting a strip of glue and then laying them all down together).  This worked better for me because each jewel got placed more precisely and I could make sure each one was secure.

Step 4. Follow the steps for tying the hemp, it can be tough to get started but once you get going it is really not bad!  My tip for this step is to make sure that you keep the hemp evenly in half when you start, otherwise one string will get too short.  Also, as a note, if you do run out of hemp before the bracelet is covered, have no fear! you can just glue the ends of that string onto the bangle and start a new piece as you did in the beginning!  I had to do this several times, the only thing is that there are more lumps of glue on the inside, which no one really sees anyways!  Another hint is to make sure the "knots" are on the edge or are more to the outside of the bracelet, this is what makes the bracelet cute so you want those to be visible.

Step 5. Glue the ends of your final piece of hemp and cut off any excess.  You can make the "knots" as tight or as loose as you'd like, the style on the original blog is very tight, you don't see any of the bangle.  My "knots" are a little more spaced out, you can see through to the bangle, which in this case I like because I had colorful bangles.  The choice is yours!  No one way is better or worse, it is whatever fits your style!

Well I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and I hope my hints are helpful!  I hope you try this out and post your results, I'd love to see what your style leads you to make!

Happy Crafting :)
Please follow me on Pinterest http://pinterest.com/kraftiekatie/

Leave me a comment please :)
And don't forget to go check out Precious Prep!