Pictures Made With Hearts During Quarantine 2020

Apr 1, 2020

A friend suggested a Facebook page for me to join, A World of Hearts. A way to spread love and happiness during an uncertain time. What a fun idea!

For a few days, I just watched the page and what people were posting. There were amazing pictures made with hearts, hearts everywhere, hearts on animals, hearts found in nature and sayings with hearts. I was inspired to create my own picture made from hearts. I wish my photos turned out better, but my window is so reflective!

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Materials Needed:

Heart punches or stencils

Tape or other adhesive to stick hearts to the window

Dry erase markers

Scissors

Construction paper

Glue stick

An idea

Making the Hearts

I did scrapbooking for years and have several tools. So, I pulled out my heart punches and began to punch hearts out of construction paper. I had an idea of creating a little scene with a giant rainbow umbrella.

It was easiest to have a bunch of hearts to get started and then be able to figure out the right size and position.

Making the Umbrella

I tried to “free hand” it at first and just place the hearts how I thought they should go. It didn’t go well! I then, got my daughter to help in drawing the shape of the umbrella on the window with dry erase markers.

Dray the outline of your shape with dry erase marers — It’s hard to see, but if you look closely you can see the red dry erase marker shape of the umbrella.

I recommend erasing the lines as you place your hearts! It does show up when you are done. It was too much work to take the beginning ones off to get to the marker. So, it is what it is.

Picture made from hearts! Erase the dry erase marker as you go. — Erase the dry erase as you go.

Making the scene

The blue raindrops falling added character to the picture and so fitting with the weather we have had recently. I love the ideas of green grass, flowers, butterflies and don’t forget the bumble bee!
For the grass I used two sizes of green paper hearts and alternated them. I used a different shade of green for the flower stems, doing 5 in a straight row. For the flower leaves I punched a small heart and then punched a larger heart around it. Just like on the edge of the umbrella.
The flowers take 4 hearts of the same color and size, glued together with a glue stick. I used smaller yellow and orange hearts for the centers.
Bumble bee is 3 hearts glued together. Just like the center of the butterfly. Then with a black marker or using strips of black construction paper make black bumble bee stripes.
The butterfly has two large hearts with two smaller, hollow hearts glued on them. Then, there are two smaller hearts for the lower wings. Glue the butterfly body to the wings.

For the flower use 4 hearts- same size- smaller heart of a contrasting color.
4 Hearts glued together for the flower. Place a smaller, contrasting heart for the center.
More grass and flowers
The bee and butter fly body use three hearts of the same size.
Glue the two bottoms of the heart together for bumble bee or butterfly body
Glue the top part of one heart to the top part of the 2 hearts you previously glued
Add black stripes to your bee and tape or glue to a flower
Two large hearts and two smaller hearts for butterfly wings
Punch out a small heart and then a larger heart to make it’s silhouette.
The top of the heart forms the top of the head.
A fluttery butterfly to add to your scene
Grass, butterflies and flowers

The Finished Project

This was a fun thing to do for a couple of days. It was fun to be creative and not worry about much of anything else. I hope it brightens my neighbor’s day and helps to bring a little more love to life.

In progress
Add black stripes to your bee and tape or glue to a flower
From the inside of the house, a close up of the umbrella.
Grass, butterflies and flowers
More grass and flowers
Looking outside at the scene
Finished! Oh, happy heart!

Lantern Wreath for Christmas

Dec 9, 2019

I love wreaths and I love lanterns and putting them together makes me so happy!!!

Materials:

30″ Wreath- evergreen, metal frame

5.71×5.71×11.81″ Lantern (I got mine from Hobby Lobby)

Cut 5 or 6 pieces of 12″ ribbon and you will need more ribbon if you want to tie a bow (wire ribbon)

5 or 6 pieces 8″ wire and more wire for wiring pieces to the wreath

Wire cutters

Needle nose pliers

scissors

Plastic berries

Poinsettias

Pine cones

Battery Powered Candle with timer

Working with the Wreath

Fluff the wreath. Pull the pine branches out all the way around.

Evergreen wreath for making a Christmas Lantern Wreath

Wire the Lantern in

Using crafting wire, wire your wreath in place. I pulled some branches behind the wreath to cushion it from the door. I didn’t want my pretty wreath to leave scratches behind.

Check your placement of the lantern. You don’t want it to sit back and hit your door. Make sure the door to your lantern is facing the front so you can put a candle inside and change batteries as needed.

I found it easiest to hang it on the door and work with it there to figure out placement and to do some of the wiring.

Wire pieces

Put wire around the pinecone and twist to make stable. It is easiest to twist what you are wrapping the wire around rather than twisting the wire. *Hold the wire stable and with your other hand, twist the object. It helped to hold the wire with some needle nose pliers.

Christmas Lantern Wreath- wire pinecones

Ribbon Puffs

Cut 5 or 6, 12″ pieces of ribbon. Next, cut 5 or 6, 8″ pieces of wire. Put the ends of the ribbon together and wrap wire around the bottom of the ribbon. Needle nose pliers are particularly helpful for twisting the wire tight. Pinch the wire on the ribbon and make sure it is secure.

It is important to use wire ribbon because it holds it’s shape and can be easily maneuvered.

Wired ribbon puff
Cut wire and ribbon to length
Wire ribbon

Decorate your wreath

Place your decorations and find what configuration you like. Berry stems, poinsettias and pine cones. I carefully placed them and then took the wreath down and wired them in place.

Put your battery powered candle in the lantern and remember to set the time.

Christmas Lantern Wreath

Place on your door and enjoy throughout the season!!!

Keepsake-Baby Hand and Foot Molds

Oct 31, 2019

When I had my first daughter someone gave me a coupon to take her to have a mold made of her hand. Then, with each one of my daughters, we got a mold of their hands. I love those little hands!!!!

They represent a time we can never get back. Remind me of how much they have grown and changed. I fondly remember my finger being held in that tiny little hand and how much I love my babies.

“J”‘s hand mold.
Look at that pinky! Also “J”‘s hand.
Look at those fingers! She is a pianist!
“K”‘s baby fist, 2 months old. She was really tiny!
Comparing her baby fist to her 22 year old fist.
“B”‘s fist Mother of my granddaughter.
“A”‘s fist
Comparing her 12 year old fist to her baby fist.

Our First Attempt

I wanted to do the same for my daughter and granddaughter. When she was 2 weeks old we tried to do a hand mold, but the kit we bought hardened really quick and was as hard as plaster. I don’t know how we would have gotten her hand out. It was too thick to get her hand into the mold.

The instructions said to put her foot in warm water, first. She wasn’t too happy about this process.

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Second Attempt

Unfortunately, my daughter and granddaughter live in another state, so it was nearly 2 months, before we were able to try, again.

I did some research and found dental grade mold making for body parts including baby! This one worked awesome! It does set up quick, so work fast!

Materials needed for baby foot and hand molds:

Dental grade mold mix
Water
Plastic or paper cup
Plastic spoons for stiring
mini bread pan (disposable)
Something to make mix in
A scale to measure is helpful
Plaster of Paris
Something to mix plaster in (disposable is best)
Exacto knife
Toothpicks
Glass dome for display purposes. (Check how much room foot and hand, if putting together, need for display.)

How to

Wear clothes you don’t mind possibly ruining. A onsie works pretty well for baby or just having her in a diaper.

Pour mixture into a container that baby’s fist or foot can be completely covered in. Careful to not touch the sides or bottom of the container. You will have flat spots in your mold, if you do. You will have to firmly hold baby’s arm or leg to keep it in the mold. It can be tiring and hard especially if baby isn’t very happy.

It is done when you feel the mold and it is a little wet, but closer to tacky feeling.

Gently loosen around the arm or leg and slide the cup/container away.

Mold Mixture

The mixture that worked best for us was 3 oz mix and 20 oz of water. We mixed it and then poured it into a cup to make the hand mold. We made more for the foot, because we needed more to cover the foot. Depending on your container, it may work to double these amounts. (A disposable bread pan works great for feet.)

Careful that there is molding under the foot or it will be missing the rounded shapes in the foot. Careful to have it deep enough that the top of the foot and the toes stay covered. I was a little worried, Little Miss O kept wiggling her toe and I could see the mold moving, before it was fully set.

Using the Molds

Make your plaster and pour into the molds. Be prepared to do this shortly after creating the mold. As you add the plaster to the mold, periodically shake and tap it, to bring air to the surface. You want to avoid having air pockets in your mold.

We left them over night, but wish we would have removed the mold, from the shape after it had taken shape. Our stuff said it could be done in 2 hours.

We broke apart the mold to get the plaster out of it.
It is very wet. You can’t use it again, it is okay to pull it away from the plaster.
They are so precious, even with the imperfections in the mold

I think the mold residue and imperfections would be easier to work with when it is more fresh.

They would have cleaned up easier if we would have removed them from the mold sooner.
Carefully using exacto knives and toothpicks rescued our hand mold from imperfections.

Clean It Up

The finished product need to be cleaned up a little bit. I don’t think it would have been so bad had we removed them from the molds sooner. It would have been softer and easier to remove the imperfections and to smooth out other areas.

Carefully we removed the residue from the mold.

But it was what it was and we worked with what we had. Using exacto-knives, toothpicks and a very fine grade sandpaper, we very carefully worked on the statues, because we didn’t want to ruin the shape or texture. Trying to preserve a model of how she is, at this time, in her life. We felt like sculptors!

If there are air pocket holes, use some fresh plaster of paris and carefully fill in the holes.

Gluing to a base with a dome helps to protect from dust. The dome was too shiny to photograph.

Good luck! It really is a precious keepsake!

Basket Weave Baby Blanket- Free Crochet Pattern

Feb 7, 2019

Basket Weave Baby Blanket

This is a great pattern for a warm, winter blanket for baby! The stitches are close together and it forms a thatching like a woven basket. I made a very large afghan using the basket weave stitch a couple of years ago. It is a more advanced pattern as you are working by putting your hook around the post of the previous rows dc. You do this either from the front of the project or the back of the project.

The stitches create a pattern across of 3 in front and then 3 in back. A pattern of 3 is also worked in the rows as the pattern remains the same for 3 rows and then alternates 3 rows that shift the order of going from front to back to back to front across. When you are done it looks like you could fold it into a basket.

This post contains affiliate links. I include these links for your convenience to be able to find similar items to what I am using. I earn a small commission for the referral, but your price remains the same.

Basket Weave Stitch Guide

Ch= chain

sc= single crochet

dc= double crochet

fpdc= front post double crochet

bpdc= back post double crochet

hdc= half double crochet

sk=skip

Basket Weave Baby Afghan- free crochet pattern- watch the alternating pattern

Pay attention to the alternating pattern. Rows of 3 make the illusion of weaving rows and columns.

Basket Weave Baby Afghan- free crochet pattern- sets of 3 alternate every 3 columns and every the rows.

3 rows and 3 columns make it easy to double check your accuracy in the pattern.

Basket Weave Materials

Hook H

2 Large Skeins of yarn- baby sport- (I couldn’t find the name of the color I used or anything like it on Amazon)

Scissors

Needle for weaving in ends to finish off project

Basket Weave Instructions

Ch 111

H hook

Row 1: Dc in 3rd ch from hook, dc in each ch across, turn

Row 2: ch 2, sk 1^st stitch, *fpdc in next through the front, fpdc next 2 dc, around the next dc come from the back and do a bpdc, bpdc next 2, continue * sets of 3, fpdc & 3 bpdc across, hdc in ch space, turn,

Rows 3 and 4: repeat row 2

Row 5: ch 2, sk 1^st stitch, *bpdc around next dc through back, bpdc next 2 dc, fpdc around next 3 dc, * repeat (sets of 3 bpdc & 3 fpdc across, hdc in ch space, turn ch 2

*careful it is easy to make mistakes when alternating the pattern

Rows 6 and 7: repeat row 5

Rows 8-10: repeat row 2

Rows 11-13: repeat row 5

Rows 14-16: repeat row 2

Rows 17-19: repeat row 5

Rows 20-22: repeat row 2

Rows 23-25: repeat row 5

Rows 26-28: repeat row 2

Rows 29-31: repeat row 5

Rows 32-34: repeat row 2

Rows 35-37: repeat row 5

Rows 38-40: repeat row 2

Rows 41-43: repeat row 5

Rows 44-46: repeat row 2

Rows 47-49: repeat row 5

Rows 50-52: repeat row 2

Rows 53-55: repeat row 5

Rows 56-58: repeat row 2

Rows 59-61: repeat row 5

Rows 62-64: repeat row 2

Rows 65-67: repeat row 5

Rows 68-70: repeat row 2

Rows 71-73: repeat row 5

Rows 74-76: repeat row 2

Border

Row 77: at end of row 76 ch 3 and turn. Skip first stitch. Ch 3 is the first double crochet in this row. Dc in second stitch and all the way across to the end of the row. 3 dc in each corner and down each side. (last corner 3 dc, slip stitch in top of chain 3 chain.

Row 78: ch 1, *sk 2, dc 4 in next dc, ch 3, slip st in 1^st ch just made, 4 dc in same stitch as 1^st 4 dc , sk 2, sc, * repeat Join with a slip stitch in first stitch of row, tie off. Sew in ends.

2319- Monster Code For A Party!

Feb 5, 2019

2319 or 23-19 is the code in Monster’s Inc. for something from the human world coming back with them. It must be destroyed, since it is toxic and could likely kill the monsters! This year in 2019, February 3rd was 2-3-19, but the great thing is, every month this year has a 23-19!

2319

In Monster’s Inc., the first time a 2319 is put into action is when the monster, George returns from a great scream and has a child’s sock on his back. The sock is immediately destroyed and poor George is completely humiliated by being thoroughly shaved. George has really bad luck as 2319 seems to follow him throughout the show.

Purple socks in memory of Uncle Mike. His Birthday is February 3.

So, new socks were a must for our party!

The 2319 Party

We donned our purple socks as we watched Monster’s Inc. and Monster’s University. Our kids are pretty grown up, now and so it has been a while since any of us have seen these shows. It was so much fun and lots of memories!

My daughter made a fabulous gluten free monster cake. Purple and blue of course!

Fun, relaxing and low key is the way we like to party. So much less stress and still a lot of fun!

The Cake

My daughter made the cake using Gluten-Free Heaven’s Yellow/Vanilla Cake Mix and a buttercream frosting. She put food coloring spots throughout two of the layers and mini chocolate chips in the third layer. I think she could have done more chocolate chips! It was delicious!

It looks like a monster with it’s mouth wide open! LOL

And don’t forget the ice cream! My kids LOVE Playdough ice cream! Personally not my favorite since the yellow has a banana taste, but my kids love it!

More 2319 Party Ideas

Have someone draw (or get a monsters poster) a monster’s back on a poster board. Draw the outline for a sock on the monster’s back. Cut out little socks to “pin” on the monster’s back.
Make a blanket fort to watch movies in
Monsters photo booth with props
Make sock puppets that look like monsters

Remembering Mike on 2319

We decided our 23-19 would be February 3, 2019. It was perfect! My brother-in-law passed away a year ago, right before his 51st birthday. He was a character! He would have loved a party like this. Well, February 3, 2019 would have been his 52nd birthday and what a great way to remember him!

We got everyone purple socks for the occasion. My husband’s even have lemons on them. Significant because many people mistake our last name for lemon.

Mike’s favorite color was purple!

Death in a family sometimes brings out the worst in people

Purple was his favorite color! He was so proud of all of his purple, he was even wearing purple socks with his sandals.

Then, the two main monsters in the movie are named Mike and James. Just like my husband and his brother.

Happy Birthday, Mike!

Outdoor Holiday Wreaths

Nov 30, 2018

I wish I had a photo of what my old holiday wreaths looked like for the past few years. Evidently, I have avoided taking pictures of them because they weren’t my favorite! I have been wanting to redo them for a long time! They didn’t turn out the way I wanted. When I first made them they had big bows out of the mesh ribbon. The mesh isn’t as sturdy as wire ribbon. The bows were a little floppy and they looked decent the first year we used them.

However, they didn’t store well. The bows got smashed and looked terrible. Not having time or energy to redo them, I either left them out of decorating or hung them up with just the ribbon that is wrapped around them. Every time we pull up to our house, I have thought “I need to redo those, I hate them!”

This is the year!

The greenery is on a sturdy wire frame and still very decent by itself. So, re-using the wreath made sense!

I got help from 2 of my favorite helpers! They had so much fun designing and decorating.

Supplies

Wreath- something with greenery and a wire frame is going to stand up to the weather the best.

Ribbon- wire is easier to manipulate and twist and get in place.

Wire cutters- essential for cutting the greenery and plastic pieces you will place

Wire- for holding pieces in place.

Hot glue sticks and Hot glue gun- Some things need a little more help to be kept in place.

Bells- any color

Christmas flowers

Christmas decorations

Outdoor Holiday Wreath Step 1

Wrap your ribbon around the wreath. Tie or hot glue the ends of the ribbon to your frame. Make it even around the wreath and when it is pleasing to you cut the ribbon, tie or hot glue it with the other end to the frame.

Fluff the greenery. Pull out the branches, they are made with wire and can be manipulated to the places you want. Make it look nice and full; not like it has been sitting in storage for a year.

Holiday Wreath Step 2

Lay out all of your supplies and tentatively place pieces on the wreath. Do you want all decorations to one side, all to the bottom or spread throughout the wreath. What looks best to you and keep in mind where and how you plan to hang it. Mine go around my lights on my garage.

My helpers like the decorations spread throughout the wreath.

Outdoor Holiday Wreath Decorating

Outdoor holiday wreath decorations

Outdoor Holiday Wreath decorations

Holiday Wreath decorations

*Full disclosure. I got my supplies from Hobby Lobby and used some things I had left over from past projects.

My daughter had a great idea to wire the bells to the center of the poinsettias. Cut your wire a little long so you can wrap it to the wreath and hold it in place. Once you have decided on placement of items wire and hot glue all decorations into place.

Holiday Wreath Step 3

Hang your wreath in place and do any last minute fluffing and twisting.

Happy decorating and Happy Holidays!

50 Birthday Candles to Celebrate 1/2 a Century!

Aug 13, 2018

50 Birthday Candles

I saw this fun idea on Pinterest while I was planning my husband’s 50th birthday. I went to the dollar store and found candles. At first, I was hoping to find all black or all white, but these are the colors they had. If I had been a little more on the ball I probably would have ordered all black candles from amazon!

At the dollar store, I bought ALL the candles they had. It worked out well, because it kind of looked like a target.

Experimenting with the Candles

Putting the candles together was more challenging than I had anticipated. I wanted to make sure that if they got bumped, they didn’t separate.

First, I tried using tape. . .

It wasn’t very stable and as you can imagine, tape doesn’t stick well to wax!

Next, I tried hot gluing them. . . It worked for a little while. They held together and they were stable enough to stand. But, once the glue cooled it wasn’t so great! They easily came apart and the glue came off, leaving a melted place in the candles.

Then, I tried tying them with ribbon and rolling them together. It almost worked! But, they weren’t very stable and did a lot of sliding. If the ribbon slides up the candles become too loose, since they are tapered. I was trying to push more candles into the ribbon to help tighten it and didn’t realize the ribbon was sliding up and getting it to come back down was really hard.

I thought it was working and then had all kinds of problems and it wasn’t as stable as I was going for.

Instructions for 50 Candles

Finally, I tried floral tape. If you have never used floral tape before, here is what you need to know: 1. it is sticky but in a waxy kind of way, 2. gently pull the tape as you wrap. This stretches it a little bit and helps it to stick.

First, just wrap one candle with the floral tape. You want it just below where the candles really start to taper. Then, add in 2 or 3. Make sure your candle bottoms are even with one another as you go, so it will sit flat without wobbling. I wrapped the grouping once or twice all the way around and then added more candles in. It is helpful if you have someone who can hold the candles in place while you wrap.

Once I had all the candles wrapped, I took some black ribbon and wrapped it around the floral tape, to cover it up. Securing it with a dab of hot glue. I tied a black bow with the help of some floral wire and secured it to the ribbon.

It does look kind of like a target. In any case, it looks very cool! However, my husband counted and was dismayed that there were only 46 candles! What?!!! Then, I discovered that 2 boxes of candles had been missed! (I was trying to be so careful to not have that happen!) Ugh! There was no way I was going to undo those candles to add the 4 missed! So, we made them into their own grouping with their own pedestal.

Missed 4 candles. . . had to group them separately.

I wish all 50 would have been together in the big grouping, but sometimes you gotta work with what you’ve got!

Materials Needed

Floral tape

50 candles

hot glue

black ribbon

Lighting it on fire!

Of course, we are going to light it! Thankfully he has a summer birthday and so we can be outside to do this! Didn’t expect the flame to be so big! This was a highlight of the party!

One Big Breath!

He did it! He blew them all out with one big breath! He was a French horn player and he still has great lung capacity!

. . . And many more!!!

Ray of Sunshine Baby Blanket- crochet

Jan 27, 2018

Ray of Sunshine Baby Blanket

I started this blanket after cleaning and straightening my yarn “collection”. I found this beautiful sunshine yellow and couldn’t wait to start a baby blanket with it. I had 2 skeins and they did seem a little bigger than what I have found since then, so you may need more than 3.

The whole time I worked on this, I thought it reminded me of sunshine. Then, when I added in the green stripes it made me think of rays of sunshine. I love how it turned out!!!

This pattern has a color change in it. To learn some techniques in changing color, check out this tutorial at Heart Hook Home

Front

Ray of Sunshine- Crochet baby blanket, change of color in the blanket

Back

Ray of Sunshine- Crochet baby blanket, change of color in the blanket

The backside has a nice pattern and is flat, whereas the front side is bumpy and very textured.

Materials

*3 skeins of yellow baby yarn (I used Bernat Baby Coordinates- Lemon Custard)

*The first two skeins I used seemed bigger and were in my “collection” of yarn. You may need a skein or two more than what I used.

1 Scan of contrasting color baby yarn (I used Bernat Baby Coordinates- Iced Mint)

Hook H or I

Yarn needle (for sewing in ends)

Scissors for trimming

Stitch Legend

sc= single crochet. Insert hook into stitch, yarn over, pull through stitch, (2 loops on hook) yarn over, pull through the two loops that were on hook.
tr= Treble crochet which basically means how many times you pull the loops off of the hook (3), so yarn over twice, insert hook into stitch, yarn over, pull through stitch, yarn over and pull off two loops, yarn over and pull of two loops, yarn over and pull through the last two loops
sl: slip stitch- insert hook into stitch, yarn over, pull through stitch and the loop that is on the hook.

Alternating Patterns

Pattern alternates from a textured row to a single crochet. The textured row alternates between a treble crochet and single crochet.

Ray of Sunshine Blanket Instructions

Ch 108

Row 1: sc in second ch from hook, sc in each ch across, ch 1, turn. (107)
*The next row alternates between sc and tr.
Row 2: sc in first sc, tr in next, across. The last stitch should end with a sc, ch 1, turn.
Row 3: sc in each stitch across, ch 1, turn.
Rows 4- 76: Repeat Rows 2-3

Now, we are going to add in our contrasting color (Iced Mint)

Row 77: join with a slip stitch, contrasting color with the ch 1 and then turn, repeat row 3
Rows 78-82: Repeat rows 2-3 Join with main color at the end of row 82 with a slip stitch
Rows 83-88: Repeat rows 3-2. Join with contrasting color at the end of row 88 with a slip stitch
Rows 89- 94: Repeat rows 3-2. Join with main color at the end of row 94 with a slip stitch
Rows 95-100: Repeat rows 3-2. Join with contrasting color at the end of row 100
Rows 101-106: Repeat rows 3-2. Join with main color at the end of row 106 with a slip stitch
Row 107- 112: Repeat rows 302. Join with contrasting color with a slip stitch and continue with the border.

Border

Row 1: Ch 1 sc 1st st, and evenly all the way around the edge of the blanket, join beginning stitch with a slip stitch
Row 2: sc in first sc, *sk 2 sc, 5 dc in next sc, sk 2, sc in next sc, repeat from * around the blanket, slip stitch to join beginning of row.

Row 3: join contrast w/ sl st , ch 1, sc around blanket joining with a sl stitch

Sew in the loose ends of yarn. *I always do this at the end, some people sew them in as they go.

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Tomato Cage Christmas Tree Yard Decoration

Dec 14, 2017

I have these large planters that sit on my porch all summer long. In the winter, I move all except for the biggest planter off of the porch. However, I saw somewhere on Pinterest several ideas for using a tomato cage, large planters and Christmas lights to decorate. They were all done in different ways. I decided to give it a try.

Supplies for Tomato Cage Christmas Tree

(Supplies are for 1 tree)

Tomato cage

Large planter box

Twist tie or zip tie

Stakes

100 strand green Christmas lights

Extension cord

Putting it together

Use your large planter box for the base of your tree. There are different size tomato cages mine barely fit into this box. The other one I made held a little bit bigger tomato cage than this one did.

Planter box is used as a base for the tomato cage Christmas Tree

If you look closely, you can see that the round top of the tomato cage barely fits inside the box.

Step 1

Place the tomato cage upside down in the dirt of the planter. Use a twist tie, zip tie or twine to hold the ends of the tomato cage together.

Saving twist ties- comes in handy!

Step 2

I took the lights in a 1/2 circle around the tomato cage. So, starting toward the back/side, first stake the lights and leave enough room to be able to plug your lights into your extension cord. I kept mine plugged in while I worked so I could check on how it was looking. Even still, it will look better in the dark than while you are working on it.

I used old tent stakes that we have, but any stake should work. I made sure the stake not only held the lights in place but also the cage. If your cage isn’t secure it could blow over in the wind. (We haven’t had wind or snow, yet, this year.

Step 3

After the end is staked, string the lights up through the top of the cage and then back down. You can either work your way across from side to side or go up and down working your way from one side, across the front and to the other side. You want to make sure you are making them as evenly spaced as possible.

With my bigger one I went from one side across the front and to the other side, but the smaller one worked better to go from side to side and ending in the front.

Work from side to side evenly spacing your lights

This is as far back as I did any lights. There are no lights that come down in the back.

The tree in the front was a bigger cage and bigger planter. I did some strands close to the cage and took others farther out. The second tree barely fit in the planter and so all the strands are close to the tomato cage.

The lights sit nicely in the top and don’t need to be secured any further.

Step 4

If your strand ends somewhere between the top and bottom secure it in place. The ideal is if it ends at the top to be secured there or at the bottom where it can be staked. Just make sure it looks the way you want it to look. The first one took me 2 or 3 times, but the second one was done the first time.

I love the way they look at night!

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Busy Bee Honeycomb Scarf- Free Crochet Pattern

Dec 11, 2017

Comfy, warm and pretty scarf. This pattern is similar to a honeycomb, in the way that it forms pockets. Even if those pockets are more diamond like instead of octagon shaped. I love the way this turned out! This is a more advanced pattern to make.

Note: This pattern alternates from front to back posts each row. Every other row of trfp (triple crochet front post) alternate between going in front of the first two trfp made or behind the first two trfp made. When behind the first two trfp made it is like crocheting in a sandwich because you are between the stitches you just made and the stitches in the previous row.

Look at how much pattern and texture there is in the Honeycomb stitch.

Busy Bee Honeycomb Scarf has a lot of texture

Multiple diamonds, illusion of Xs, raised squiggles that run against one another forming diamond shapes and the honeycomb holes.

This yarn is so much fun to use as it goes from one color to another. The backside of the scarf.

Materials

Yarnspirations- Bernat Pop!- 5 oz- foggy notion

Hook- N or 15 or 10.00 MM Needles to sew the yarn ends in with. Scissors for trimming ends after sewing the ends in.

Definitions

ch-A chain doesn’t go through a stitch. A chain is made by starting with a slip stitch or if you are in the middle of a piece and it calls for a chain you yarn over and pull through the one loop that is on the hook.

sc- Single crochet: Put hook through stitch, yarn over, pull through the stitch, yarn over pull through two, leaving one loop on the hook

dc- Double crochet yarn over, go through stitch, yarn over, pull through the stitch, yarn over, pull through two, yarn over pull through last two, leaving one loop on the hook

tr=Triple crochet- similar to double crochet, but you yarn over twice instead of once, then, go through the stitch, yarn over pull through the stitch, yarn over pull through two, yarn over pull through two and then yarn over and pull the last two off. You should have one left on your hook.

fp=Front post this means that instead of crocheting in the top of the stitch like you normally do, you put your hook around the front of the dc post and create your stitch there. (It’s a lot like weaving with your hook, around the post, starting on the front side of your piece.)

This is the backside of the scarf. It has ridges from crocheting in the front posts.

bp= Back post, insert hook around the back of the post instead of crocheting on the top. You have the piece facing you but crochet on the opposite side. This makes a ridge on the front side.

dcbp and trfp are combining the stitch and where that stitch is made. So, dcbp means to double crochet in the back post.

Trfp means to triple crochet around the front post.

Pattern Directions For the Busy Bee Honeycomb Scarf

Chain 27

Row 1: In 3rd chain from hook dc and in each stitch across. 25

Row 2: ch 2 skip 3 dc, trfp around the 4th dc post, trfp around next dc, (this is a little tricky, trfp behind the first 2 trch made to get to the front of the dc. Basically you are crocheting between the dc made in the last row and the trfp made in this row.) trfp around first skipped dc post and then around the next skipped dc post, skip over the first two trfp and skip the next two dc posts, trfp around next 2 dc; this time, go in front of the trfp, repeat from* This pattern will create 3 “Vs” across

Row 3: ch 2 dcbp across, around each tr. Dc in last stitch of row (not around but in it).

Row 4: ch 2 skip 3 dc, trfp around the fourth dc post, trfp next dc, trfp across the front of the two trfp you just made and trfp in the second skipped dc and then in the next dc, skip the first two trfp you made and the next 2 dc, trfp around next dc, trfp around next dc, behind those two trfp you just made tcfp

Row 5: ch 2, dcbp across, around each tr. Dc in chain stitch.

Row 6- 88: Repeat rows 2-5

Row 89: ch 1, sc across in each dc.

Cable stitch to finish

Row 90: ch 1 sc *ch 3 sk 2 sc in next sc, turn, sc back in each 0f the ch 3 you made, slip st in sc, turn, sc in 2 skipped sc repeat across from *

sc in last sc finish off.

Finishing the end where your project began.

With right side facing you, join, sc across (26)

Repeat row 90

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How To Make A Fall Garland- Perfect for a Bookcase

Oct 26, 2017

I wanted something new for fall. I’m so excited about this garland because I will be able to use it from September until the end of November. The colors and the crispness of the changes happening outdoors, brought in to spruce up the house.

The First Step

Gather all of your materials:

wire cutters

needle nose pliers

scissors

This post contains affiliate links. I include these links for your convenience to be able to find similar items to what I am using. These links are not to the exact products I used but are similar. I earn a small commission for the referral, but your price remains the same.

X-ACTO Knife

*I bought most of my supplies from a local craft store

1 leaf garland
CraftMore 6-Feet Fall Maple Leaf Garland (Colors Range from Dark Red Hues to Crisp Yellow)

5 beaded stems

18″ Shiny Burnt Orange Fall Berry Sprays Floral Decoration – 12 Stems

3 Orange berries

Factory Direct Craft Bundle of Fall Variegated Yellow and Orange Artificial Berry Picks for Holiday and Home Decor

I also found some small Indian corn cobs, but couldn’t find a link for them or anything similar. I used 2 groups, separated (one fell on the floor and didn’t make it onto the garland so I used 7 individual Indian corns.

craft twine

American Crafts Value Pack Hemp Twine, 5-Yard, 12-Basic Colors, 24-Pack

Brown Floral Tape

2 Pack Brown Floral Tape Stem Wrap Gum Paste 1/2″ X 30 Yards 180 Feet Total w/ Flower Crafting eGuide…

Lay It Out

Next, lay out your leaf garland. It is wire so you can bend and twist it to get an idea of it’s shape and how you want the leaves to go.

Lay out the berries, orange sprigs, and corn to get an idea of where you want to lay them down. I chose to put the sprigs of orange where each leaf group juts out. I used 3 groups of the orange and separated them into smaller bunches. (Using an X-ACTO knife to separate).

How to make a fall garland to put above a bookcase

This is a full group. I broke apart the wrapping holding them together and used brown floral tape to put them on the garland, containing the amount I wanted.

At first I started to cut the beads into smaller groups. Wait don’t do this yet!

These smaller groups became tedious and I’m not convinced they are going to stay in place as nicely as I would like. So, for the remaining 4 groups I added them without breaking them apart and it worked out really well!

Then I laid the corn on top to decide where they would fit in best. I liked them mostly in the barer spaces between leaves and other decorations.

Wrapping it up

Now, you are going to use your floral tape and tape it all in place. I choose brown floral tape because my beginning base garland is brown.

Cut your wire with wire cutters, but not too short. You want to be able to wrap some of the end around the leaf garland and then cover the attachment with floral tape. (This gets pretty sticky.) Covering it with floral tape makes it stable and keeps any wire from scratching the surface where you will eventually place the garland.

Make sure you gently pull and keep the tape tight as you wrap. Floral tape tears easily, but you can mush it together and tape more. Wrap between stems, you want to make it look as “natural” as possible and not like a clump.

With the full stems of beads, I laid them across the main base of the garland and wrapped it in a couple of places to make it stable, hold it in place and made sure it looked good. I had to trim the end of the bead stem because it was too long and thick to fit on the garland and look good. (Use wire cutters to trim ends that are too thick and too long.)

Hints

I started out trying to make sure I was wrapping as much as I needed to at the same time instead of going over it multiple times. I recommend that if you have things in similar places that you wrap as much together at a time so as to make it less bulky. To do this, start wrapping the bottom item and then add the next item before you finish wrapping the first.

I found that as I wrapped and moved up the garland, things that were just laid on the garland, were falling onto the floor. So, once you have an idea of where you want things to go, place them off the garland, in as much as possible, the configuration you want them to be in. This will help keep some order to your project as you go.

Put the corn in last and fill in empty places. I liked putting them in different directions rather than all going the same way.

Finishing

Lastly, I wove the twine through the garland, hoping to add a little more texture.

Placing the garland

We used some push pins on the very top of our book case where they can’t be seen. We bent the ends of the garland around the ends of the book case. In some places the garland hooked onto the pins and held well but the middle was a little droopy. So, we used some of the craft twine to help hold it up around the pin on top.

Let us know in the comments how your fall garland goes!

Snapdragon Stitch- Crochet Baby Blanket

Sep 2, 2017

The snapdragon crochet stitch is is one of my favorite stitches for making baby blankets. My kids loved their blankets to the point of wearing them out. Wearing out those blankets were the catalyst to me picking up crocheting again. Before this I had quit crocheting, for many years, because of carpal tunnel issues.

Easy and a great gift!

I love this baby blanket, it works up quickly, it’s pretty and it is a great blanket that has loose stitches and fairly easy to breathe through. I found my daughter like this, frequently during her naps. Any other blanket would have been scary to find her with it over her head! (The blanket in the picture is actually an offset blocks pattern (another one of my favorites), but about the same looseness.) She often wrapped her little fingers around the double crochets. So, secure and comforting to be able to hold her blanket while drifting off to sleep.

Another reason I like this blanket is because it makes a great baby gift!

I had left over yarn from making the Diamond Lace Baby Blanket and thought this would be a great pattern to make with what I had left! The snapdragon stitch alternates between a shell stitch and v stitch which gives it some variety.

The yarn I used is Caron Simply Soft. Color (5oz): Saturday Blue Jean Ombre. Using a “K” or 6.5 sized hook.

Snapdragon Baby Blanket -Free Pattern

*I recently noticed an error in row 2 and edited this post/pattern January 18, 2022.

Hook size K or 6.50 MM

Yarn 6 skeins (5oz) Caron Simply Soft: Saturday Blue Jean Ombre

Chain 128 +5

Row 1: Begin with a dc in the 5th chain from the hook. (This makes your 1st “V”), *Skip 3 chains, Dc shell stitch in next chain (5 double crochets in 1 chain), skip 3 chains, dc in next chain, chain 1, Dc in same stitch as first dc (make a “V”), Repeat from *across to end. (Row should end with a “V”. (16 shells, 17 “V”s)

Row 2: Chain 3, 2 dc in first ch stitch, *skip next 3 dc, dc in next dc (3rd double crochet of shell stitch), ch 1, dc in same stitch, skip next 2 double crochets and next double crochet, 5 dc in chain stitch, repeat from* In the last ch 3 dc to end the row. (17 shells [including the partial ones on the ends], 16 “V”s)

Row 3: Chain 4, dc in first dc, *skip 3 dc, 5 dc in chain stitch, skip 3 dc, dc, chain 1, dc, repeat from * In last turn ch of the last row, do your final “V”stitch (dc, ch 1, dc) and turn, (16 shells, 17 “V”s)

Repeat rows 2 and 3, 49 times

52 Rows

Rail Road Border:

This combination looks like little railroad tracks going around the edge of the blanket and the crab stitch gives it a nice finished look!

Base row: ch 1 sc in first stitch and in every stitch in the row. At the corner sc 3 sc in the corner stitch and evenly sc on the side of the blanket. (If you do stitches too close together it will cause a ripple effect in your finished project.) 3 single crochet in the corner and evenly sc across the bottom of the blanket. Sc evenly on the last side. Two sc at the corner and join with a slip stitch.

Row 2: sc in each back loop of each sc around the blanket. In each corner, sc 2 sc in the middle corner stitch. (Each corner had 3 sc in it.)

Row 3: Repeat row 2, but in the 2 corner stitches, of each corner, do 2 stitches in each corner stitch. (Remember back loops only.)

Row 4: Crab Stitch in each sc around blanket, once around, join with a slip stitch and finish off. (The link will take you to a great tutorial that will show how to do the crab stitch.)

Remember to sew in your ends, if you haven’t worked them into the blanket.

Past Snapdragon Project

Made this for a gift several years ago.

Snapdragon Baby Blanket

Craft

Materials Needed:

Making the Hearts

Making the Umbrella

Making the scene

The Finished Project

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Materials:

Working with the Wreath

Wire the Lantern in

Wire pieces

Ribbon Puffs

Decorate your wreath

Christmas Lantern Wreath

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Our First Attempt

Second Attempt

Materials needed for baby foot and hand molds:

How to

Mold Mixture

Using the Molds

Clean It Up

Good luck! It really is a precious keepsake!

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Basket Weave Baby Blanket

Basket Weave Stitch Guide

Basket Weave Materials

Basket Weave Instructions

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2319

The 2319 Party

The Cake

More 2319 Party Ideas

Remembering Mike on 2319

Happy Birthday, Mike!

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This is the year!

Supplies

Outdoor Holiday Wreath Step 1

Holiday Wreath Step 2

*Full disclosure. I got my supplies from Hobby Lobby and used some things I had left over from past projects.

Holiday Wreath Step 3

Happy decorating and Happy Holidays!

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50 Birthday Candles

Experimenting with the Candles

Instructions for 50 Candles

Materials Needed

Lighting it on fire!

One Big Breath!

. . . And many more!!!

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Ray of Sunshine Baby Blanket

Front

Back

Materials

Stitch Legend

Alternating Patterns

Ray of Sunshine Blanket Instructions

Now, we are going to add in our contrasting color (Iced Mint)

Border

Sew in the loose ends of yarn. *I always do this at the end, some people sew them in as they go.

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Supplies for Tomato Cage Christmas Tree

Putting it together

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

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Materials

Definitions

Pattern Directions For the Busy Bee Honeycomb Scarf

Chain 27

Cable stitch to finish

Repeat row 90

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The First Step