The Wand Shop

Everyone loves Harry Potter, but nothing says you are a true fan like having your own wand. Unfortunately, buying a wand can be very expensive. However, you can make your own wand for under five dollars.



<<<< Begin with a dowel rod. This one here is .79cm X 91.44cm. Then follow these simple steps.



1) Cut dowel to desired length. Usually around 12 inches.

2) Use hot glue, beads, chain, or string to decorate you dowel. Design the handle using multiple materials, and make sure the wand's handle fits in your hand comfortably.

3) Wait for glue to dry.

4) Paint the dowel. Before painting, the wand will look pretty silly, but don't worry. Use an acrylic paint (color of your choice) to cover the dowel. The paint will add texture and make your wand look like a wand.

The glue, beads, chain, and string will texturize the wand and look pretty cool once it is covered by the paint. In the end, you have an awesome HP wand to show off.

Oceans and Lakes: A Reflection of the Summer

This afghan is a beautiful tribute to a fabulous summer. The colors of the afghan are the same colors I saw reflected in the waters. (tan, pink, blue, green, and grey/purple)

This is a queen sized afghan made from the Devin Square in "The Granny Square Book" by Margaret Hubert.

Since it is tightly stitched with soft yarn, this granny square makes an incredibly snuggly blanket. Personally, it is my favorite pattern for blankets.

The colors are randomized, and the yarn is Big Twist, weight 4. You can find this yarn in Joanne Fabrics stores, or you can look online. The afghan took 10 skeins of yarn. I used a crochet hook size I, but the yarn company recommends using size H.

I started this afghan while vacationing in Canada, and I finished a month later. Attempting an afghan this size takes a lot of time and commitment. By the end, each row took an hour and a half to complete. Nothing helps you relax more in the fall and winter than an afghan you made while relaxing in the summer.

The Test Square

 

The test square is vital for testing the yarn, needle, and pattern. If you are crocheting many squares to sew together or one large individual square, a tester square helps you get a feel for the process. You may try out a square and discover you dislike it, or you may find that the pattern needs adjusting. There is no need to use the matching colors of the pattern unless you want to see how they come together, but it is important to use the same weight of yarn. Once the test square is complete, make adjustments accordingly and continue happily crocheting!

 

The squares shown above are the beginnings of my Poppy Field blanket. The pattern and colors are taken from the "Crochet Today" March/April 2012 magazine. It is titled the Dahlia Throw. They consider this pattern to be intermediate level, and after working through these two squares, I suggest only attempting this pattern if you have crocheted for a while.

 

Full blanket coming soon!  

Paisley Peacock

Painting is one of my favorite pastimes, if not the most relaxing, but finding something worth painting can be difficult. Sure, landscapes are beautiful and abstracts are easy, but I prefer to make something unique and pleasurable to the eye.

This is the paisley peacock. I painted it for my mother. Although it is plain and simple, it is also unusual and fun to look at.

I am no pro by any means, but here are a few tips.

1) Mix your paints for stunning colors. Don't just use the green from the bottle, mix blue and yellow to get it.

2) Paint light colors before dark colors. Once you add a dark color, it is harder to add a light one.

3) Use the 1/3, 2/3 rule. Don't just put your painting in the center of the picture. Instead put it at a 1/3 or 2/3 mark. (This is a good photography tip too)

This painting is made from acrylic paint.

The Pocket Scarf

Pockets on a scarf? It may seem strange, but truthfully pockets on a scarf are crazy useful. How often do you forget your mittens at home? How often do you get stuck wearing cute pants with "girl pockets" that are 1 inch deep? This scarf gives you a place to put your hands or phone when the weather is cold and your girl pants let you down.

This pattern comes from Reader's Digest's book "Crochet in No Time" by Melody Griffiths. I would not recommend this book for beginners since the patterns are difficult to read. However, this book has many great ideas.

I used lion brand yarn, and I made sure it was extra bulky to add unique texture to this unusual scarf. The pockets are sewn on. The button is not in the original pattern, but I enjoy a little extra bling.

Struggles of Beach Life: So Many Shells

If you go to the beach regularly, sea shells tend to build up, but who can blame you? Sea shells are beautiful gifts from the sea and fun to collect. Many of my seashells piled up in a box, but there are many fun, cute ways to display your treasures.

Option 1) Fish bowl. Boil your shells to clean them and add them to your fish's tank. (or get a fish bowl--literally.)

Option 2) Shadow box. Shadow boxes can be found at any craft store for as cheap as $10. I Glued down my shells with crafting glue. Jewelry glue works well too. Then I added a caption "Gifts from the Sea" to draw in the eye.

Option 3) Mason Jar. Mason Jars are very popular these days because of their vintage look. Displaying multiple jars filled with shells is an attractive centerpiece for any room.

Waste Not Want Not

The Patch Kid

After I finish a project, I never throw away the scrap yarn. Instead, I save it in a big bin and use it in other projects.

All of the afghans here were made from left over yarn from other projects. The Patch Kid and Flower Puddles are many pieces sewed together, but the Colors of the Wind blanket is one large traditional granny square. Either way, saving scrap yarn is a cheap way to make a lovely afghan.

The Patch Kid is made from a pattern in a "Crochet Today" magazine which has unfortunately been discontinued.

As I said before, Colors of the Wind is a traditional afghan with a color change each round. Flower Puddles is square #14 from Margaret Hubert's book "The Granny Square Book," but the square is slightly adjusted to fit the heavier weight of the yarn.

All of the afghans are made out of Red Heart yarn.

Colors of the Wind

Flower Puddles 

Robin's Nest

This beautiful nest is easy to make, and all it takes is beads, wire, and pliers.

Begin by stringing the wire through each bead. Then wrap the wire around all three eggs until they appear to be sitting comfortably in a nest. The final step is to use the pliers and twist the wire around itself, cut it off, and tuck it in.Be sure to leave a space in the wiring to attach a chain for a necklace.

Nests are a great gift for mom. Number of eggs=number of kids.

Have fun choosing colors fitting to your personality, and don't forget to show it off to all of your friends, It takes only a few minutes make, and is fitting for casual or business dress.

1) All materials needed shown here.

2) String the wire through each bead as shown.

3) Wrap the wire around all three eggs to begin forming the nest.

4) Wrap the wire around itself between each egg to secure it. Use the pliers for a tighter bind.

5) In the end you have a beautiful nest. The wire in our example is very thin. It might be easier to use thicker wire, and it will look more like a nest if you wrap the wire around more times than shown here.

Owl Bag

Bags are easy to make. In fact, they are a good project for beginners. Simply choose a color, make a chain to the size of bag you want, and crochet in a circular pattern instead of back and forth, or crochet back and forth, make two panels, and sew them together.

Handles are tricky. If you crochet the long way, the handle will curl up. Crochet the short way instead, and do not make your stitch any bigger than a half-double crochet for strength purposes. (the handle in this photo is 8 stitches long hdc)

The owl face is simple: two circles and one triangle. You can find patterns for circles and triangles in almost any crochet book, and then sew them on.

Pot Holders

Easy, simple, yet beautiful. Experienced
crocheters will be able to make one pot holder in about an hour. Use any tightly-stitched granny square (right and left in photo) or back and forth rows (center in photo) to make a high-quality product.

I like to match the colors in the pot holder to the colors in my kitchen, but remember: not all yarns are created equal. Use the yarn "Sugar 'n Cream," "Peaches 'n Cream," or any other yarns sold as dishcloth yarn.

These make perfect gifts!