Organize the Tetris Way

Anybody fans of Tetris, that classically addictive puzzle game.  How about bringing that love out in your decor.  Abigailscraftshowto.com has a tutorial for a Tetris style organizer, perfect for craft supplies or cosmetics.  It’s made from one of my favorite craft materials, cardboard.  And just think of the possibilities, you can arrange the pieces in so many ways so no two organizers would look alike, plus you can make one for just about any size space.  That is the point of the...

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Bedroom: Check

I finished the curtains, and the whole doll house bedroom to boot.  Take a look, they came out great. You can see that I made the curtains the same way as the the ones in the bathroom (see Bathroom: Check).  I think the view from the outside of the house looks better when all the curtains match.  I will show you what I mean when I finish the other rooms, or at least a couple more. I used this bluish...

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For the Love of Thrift

My title says it all.  I found a fabulous site, TheThriftShopper.Com, for those involved with thrift stores, either by owning them or by shopping at them.  I’m a shopper for now, but I think it would be so cool to run a thrift store, that is if I could manage to spend that much time in one without wanting to buy something.  Anyway, this site let’s you search for thrift stores in your area using their...

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The Walls are Covered

Most rooms aren’t complete without a something for the walls, that includes doll house rooms. These are simply pictures cut out from various magazines and glued onto cardboard from a notepad, then Mod Podge was applied to seal them.  The two smaller ones were made to stand on their own, perfect for side tables and dressers.  I love the cut little Cat Women poster, I wonder if it will match the decor? ...

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Snug as a Bug

For a rug for the bedroom, I wanted something homey and cozy.  In other words, a rag rug.  I used scraps from the shirt I made the skirt with for this rug (See Shirt to ....).   It was surprisingly quick to make.  I have heard that miniatures can take just as long or even longer to make as compared to life sized items.  So when it took me just barely 30 minutes to finish, I was a little...

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The Lion, the Witch and the…..

I finished the wardrobe today, although I think it might be a little large for the room.  Not in scale, just in size, the room is a little small for a bedroom.  I will just have to make up for it by cramming it full of cute doll clothes and stuff.  Made from cardboard and paint and glue just like the rest of the furniture, the difference is that unlike the drawers for all the other pieces I made, the doors...

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Night Necessities

I meant to get these finished sooner, but studying for tests has higher priority.  And if you’re wondering, I got 91% on it. :) I made the night stand in a similar manner to the dresser, cardboard pieces glued together then painted and sealed, etc.  Again the drawer is fake, it is extremely difficult to make a working drawer that small.  The lamp is something I am quite proud of.  The base is made...

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There’s Something in My Pocket

I got the idea for making removable pockets once while putting on my choir robe.  It would be handy to have a pocket to hold money and what not, but I didn’t think they would allow me to do something permanent to the robe. So here’s the solution.  I cut off the back pockets from a pair of jeans and decorated them with trim from a shirt I got years ago from a nearby discount store.  The shirt was only...

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Shirt to …..

I’m up early today, so very early.  Due to various circumstances too numerous to get into, nearly my entire family have become insomniacs.  So no matter how late it is, at least someone is awake and roaming.  And since I’m up and about, I thought I should post this early in the morning as opposed to late into the night. As promised in my shirt to dress post (See Talk About a Shirt-Dress),  here’s...

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History Lesson: Root Beer

I don’t actually drink carbonated beverages, they burn my throat.  Still, I have been rather curious about the history of them, especially for root beer.  I did a little rooting around (get it, “rooting”).  Apparently, it was introduced during American Colonial times along with some other interesting beverages including Birch Beer.  The root beer managed to stick around for a while, there are even...

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A Mirror to Check, A Drawer to Fill

I finished the dresser and mirror just now.  I said I would have it done by Wednesday and I just barely made it.  I used pieces of cardboard glued together and painted them a lovely dark brown.  I used the same color as the bed too, nothing like matching wood furniture.  I do like how the streaks from my paintbrush give it a “woody” look.  I whipped up the matching mirror with cardboard and...

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Talk About a Shirt-Dress

Ever on the search for new craft projects to try, I’ve noticed a new classic project emerge. The shirt to dress conversion, usually made with a men’s button down shirt.  I’ve listed some of my favorite versions of it here: Cubic Dreams—This one is a cute strappy one made from an extremely large men’s shirt, good for those who are very tiny or have huge husbands or boyfriends. Just Chic—This one is more on the whimsical side, I think it is so adorable, I’m not sure I could pull it off though....

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Sweet Dreams

A funny thing happened this morning.  I barely got any sleep at all last night, so I was really out of it.  So much so, that I accidently put on my scrub pants inside-out.  I didn’t even notice until about 15 minutes after I got to class.  Luckily it wasn’t noticeable, and at least I remembered to put them on at all.  Now that would be embarrassing. I finished the little bed for my dollhouse,...

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Quite a Day and Something to Hang On To

Today I had to travel from Mesa to Glendale for a company picnic.  It took over three hours to get there with three different buses and a train.  I got motion sickness on the train, but luckily I didn’t throw up.  I managed to get to the picnic about forty minutes late, but I wasn’t the only one.  Several people didn’t even show up.  I did come home with several bags of chips and a small bag...

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More Goodwill Friends

Today I had an interview for my externship, at a great little animal clinic in Gilbert, AZ.  I think it went fairly OK, except for the fact that I was almost 30 minutes late.  After I got off the bus, I accidently went the wrong way.  I had to call and tell them I was lost, what a great first impression.  On the bright side, the place is conveniently located across from a Goodwill location I hadn’t...

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New Start and Some Shout Outs

I had some trouble coming up with the new list.  But thanks to the help I got from a few individuals, here it is. Craft Project List #7 hangers bed mirror dresser skirt pocket lamp night stand wardrobe rug framed art curtains A special thanks to Tess, Grace, Bethany, and Julie for their help.  Please show some love to their blogs....

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Help Wanted

I still haven’t finished making my new project list.  As a possible project, I was thinking of finishing up another room on my cardboard dollhouse (see Home Sweet Home and Maybe a Campout).  I’ve already finished the bathroom (see Bathroom: Check), I just can’t decide which room to do next.  How about some help deciding?  The choices are: The Living Room The Dining Room The Kitchen The...

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Dressed to a Tee

I meant to post much earlier today, but since I was unconscious most of the day that plan sort of fell through.  I was up really late last night working on school work, plus I got up about 3:30am this morning, so I was pretty tired a good portion of the day.  Almost as soon as I got home from class I dozed off, didn’t wake up until about an hour ago.  But back to the important stuff, I finished the list. Here...

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Signs of Amusement #2

A few of you may be thinking “#2, when was #1?”  It was last July actually (see Signs of Amusement), it isn’t that I have not seen any unusual signs in like ten months, just that I haven’t seen any while my camera was ready. Anyway I saw this while walking to class this week. It’s a delivery for a local store, and as I’ve always thought they are packing stores with use-less stuff to try to get us to buy them. ...

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Cardboard Decor

A while back I notice how bare some of my walls looked and thought I could use something to cover them.  The idea of making picture frames out of cardboard then popped into my head. Fast forward, here’s my first attempt at it.  I carefully cut and glued together multiple layers of corrugated cardboard to form the frame, then painted it with blue acrylic paint and applied a sealant to make it look finished. ...

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Organizing with Cardboard

It technically is Spring even if it doesn’t feel like it in some places, and Spring usually brings the idea of cleaning or organizing. On that note, I have found a few ideas for organizing your craft space and possibly the rest of your house using one of my favorite materials, cardboard.  It’s cheap, readily available, and easy to work with and mold. So here are links for your convenience: Cardboard Scissors...

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Moms Need Sleep Too

Mother’s day is within a week, this Sunday to be exact, and like most people I was trying to find the perfect gift for my mom.  I found it here in this Mother’s day eBook from FaveCrafts.  This wonderful yet simple sleep mask is perfect for my mother.  She tends to get people bugging her with stuff while she is trying to sleep, what mother doesn’t?  I used scraps of purple fuzzy felt and a...

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Fresh Baked Goodness

Everyday when I walk to or from class, I pass by the Alpine Bakery Outlet.  It’s in Mesa, Arizona on Southern Ave. west of Country Club Dr. in case you want to stop by, and believe me you will want to go.  I had been breathing in the glorious smells of baked goods from that place for months and only just recently decided to go in to check it out, I should have gone a long time ago.  They have a decent...

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Draw! A School Update

In class today, I drew blood.  Not my own, from a dog.  He’s name is Sysco and I drew blood into a syringe from his cephalic vein, without passing out!  I wasn’t even nauseous, well maybe a little.  I guess forcing myself to watch it being done all these months really paid off.  In case it isn’t obvious to those who haven’t been following, I’ve always had a thing about needles and getting...

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Another Crafty Question

Here’s a two-part question.  How old is your sewing machine, and does the age matter? My sewing machine in only about 3 years old, still a baby.  It is a pretty basic model.   I’ve used, or shall I say borrowed, older machines in the past, and the only difference I’ve seen is the older ones have more stitch variations and accessories, at least among the ones I tried. I was wondering if anyone...

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Speaking of Uses for Jeans

Here’s a classic project I love.  It’s the one where you make a bag from jeans, I call them bum bags because that’s what part you use.  I decided to make a decent sized one because I have a tendency to carry a ton of stuff wherever I go.  Frankly, my jeans aren’t large enough to accommodate my needs, so I used a pair of my Mom’s.  Don’t worry, she gave them to me, she wore them out completely. It’s...

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