Craft

I prefer working with wool and wool felt, beeswax, and kite paper. I love to  needle felt and sew by hand, and am heading out for a new machine today for some more ambitious projects. Here I'll include my efforts with Lovey, as well as some personal creations, some of which may be featured for sale on Etsy very soon... (she says, hopefully). I'll include instructions and links where appropriate. 

Here are a few of our most recent crafts, with more to come:

The classic macaroni art craft... 

• Place selected dried pasta in zip-top sandwich-sized baggies. 
• Add 4-5 drops of food coloring and about the same number of pumps of an alcohol-based hand sanitizer (it "sets" the color). 
• Seal, gently manipulate, let rest. 
• After preparing all desired colors, manipulate baggies a second time to ensure even color distribution - add more color if necessary. 
• When coloring appears dry enough, spread on a foil-lined sheet to dry overnight (the oven offers a dry environment, safe from little ones and pets). Separate the colors!!!
• Store in sealed containers. 
• Be sure to use a heavy enough string, such as doll-making string, for necklaces. 

Here's what Lovey made - plus a wagon wheel rainbow-and-farfalle butterfly picture for Father's Day:

Next we have a birthday gift for 6-year-old friend Liam: A basket containing several colors of modeling beeswax and a spinning top - plus a little lemur I crafted out of wax in honor of the birthday boy's nickname...

Here you're looking at two other recent efforts: 

Left, a terrarium, made with readily available supplies and a partially damaged aquarium. I planted two pine seedlings and a small woodruff plant; decorated with mini-pine cones, pretty stones, and lots of moss; covered with a fitted piece of plexiglass, affixing a stone-handle in the center.

  




At right, a kite paper window star - a rather simple and relaxing past-time...