: HANDMADE JEWELRY EXTRA-ORDINAIRE.  Old t-shirt + leopard design print + knot + gold chain = fabo bracelet. Absolutely wonderful. Let’s make some. 

This fun tutorial video is long and chatty, so I’ve summarized the steps here for you.

Cutting up a tee is just step 1…. Designer Connie Yu goes a mile further… :

• She paints leopard print on the shirt
• She knots it into a sailors knot
• She weaves in some gold chain,
• To finish it off, she glues on some fabric to close the bracelet.

Involved, but easy. You can do it to. Here is the how-to.

Step-by-step Tutorial on How to Make this Bracelet

2- strand knotted bracelet

Step 1: cut a big rectangle from the fabric between the two sleeves at the front or the back of your tshirt. Paint a leopard design on with some black paint.   Blow-dry it, or wait a day till dry.

Step 2: Cut 2 long strips of 1 to 1.5” width out of rectangle. Tuck along the whole length of both strips so that the sides curl in and they become tubes.

Step 3: Knot your two strands together into the Josephine knot.  (this demo = approx at. 7 min. point in the video)

source knot image: http://www.satincord.com/knots/doublecoinknot.htm (also called the Josephine Knot)

Step 4: Fiddle around with it till it looks like the knot in the picture/video (picture #4).  Check if the loop at the top fits around your wrist. If not, adjust the knot so that it fits. Also ensure that the dangling ends together also fit around your wrist (i.e. have the length of 1/2 the loop).

Step 5: Cut the loop exactly in the middle.  You should now have 8 pieces dangling from your knot, that are almost even in length; 4 on each side of the knot. Trim ends perfectly even.

Step 6: Weave in the metal chains along the same lines of the knot. Hand-stitch the chain edges onto the fabric.

Step 7: Making the closure: Cut a 1 x 2 “ rectangle from the t-shirt, and cover it lightly in fabric glue. Let the glue dry 1/2 a minute. When the glue gets tacky, take your bracelet and flip it upside down, and lay the 4 ends of one side of your bracelet onto the middle of the glued rectangle. Fold over the other end of the bracelet and glue the other 4 ends onto the other side of that rectangle, next to each other to make the bracelet loop. Press the ends into the glue. As your glued rectangle is bigger than the knot ends, fold the rectangle over them so it covers up all ends nicely. Let it dry for 24 hrs.

Video Tutorial – How to Make a Leopard Print Knotted Gold Chain Bracelet

If you don’t see the video here, click: http://youtu.be/rXw394FAKwo

Source: http://thisolddress.blogspot.com

Copyright , Fine Craft Guild .com. All Rights Reserved. Amazing/Eco Home Decorating & Craft ideas and tutorials, for you.

Comfortable bed headboards are easy to make and transform ordinary bedroom furniture.

Actually good bed headboards have to follow certain design criteria:

1. Decorative items on (or above) the headboard should not be able to fall onto my head.

2. It should be high enough to support my back when having breakfast in bed.

3. My head should be able to lean back, i.e. the headboard should not be too high

4. It should be padded so that it will feel like a chair when leaning against it

5. it should be beautiful, and not too loud in color or design that it overpowers other design elements in the house

6. it should be large & attention grabbing enough that it makes a significant design statement.

I like to see all this in a headboard, please, if it’s not too much to ask.

While this seems like a long list of ‘must have’s, actually many headboards actually meet these criteria.  Those that qualify, tend to be neutral-toned, with textures and patterns that accent other elements in the bedroom.   Have a look at these examples that I picked as the best from the headboards currently on bhg.com:

Top 3 Bed Headboard Ideas / Designs

1. My favorite headboard is this shabby chic cottage headboard. Essentially it’s a padded pillow hung above the bed on hooks from a strip of molding. I like the cottage style. Plus, this can be an easy DIY project.

The base idea is also flexible: I can also see how this can be adapted into say a nautical theme when molding would be replaced with an old rowing ore with hooks. 

2. Classy neutral-toned linen headboard that you might find in a 5 star hotel.

3. ‘Gorgeous’ is what came to mind when I saw this headboard.  A professional seamstress could pull it off as a DIY project, but I ??!!

Fabric covered buttons, rounded corners lift this headboard from boring to sophisticated.

Pairing it with the ultra-modern mirrored night stand plus glass lampshade makes me want to crawl into this picture.

Upholstered Headboards

How to Make Your Own Upholstered Headboard

	Headboard DIY   This DIY video shows how you can make this over-sized upholstered headboard.   It explains everything, from how to cut the wooden frame, how to make the headboard padded, and more.
	The ‘DIY headboards’- video teaches you how to create this beautiful upholstered headboard.
The fabric pattern is made using the stencils out of this book: Printing by Hand: A Modern Guide to Printing with Handmade Stamps, Stencils, and Silk Screens.	DIY Stenciling for Your Headboard & Other Bedroom Furniture By stenciling the fabric of your headboard you will be able to create a wonderful symmetrical design that might be more difficult & costly to achieve with ready-bought printed fabric.   Purchase simple calico, sturdy cotton or linen fabric .   Use the stencils from this project or buy the book here.    Use fabric paint to complete the project.

  Other Bedroom Designs, Projects & Ideas

Child Bedroom Furniture w/ Stencils Kids Furniture Home Decor Kids Wall Painting Designs Yellow-pink Color Combination/ Make Your Own Lampshade Anthropologie for Less, Decorating Craft Ideas/ Italian Bedroom Furniture/

Copyright , Fine Craft Guild .com. All Rights Reserved. Amazing/Eco Home Decorating & Craft ideas and tutorials, for you.

In love with Anuschka hand-painted leather bags??! Then you’ll be interested in the leather painting tutorial that I’m featuring today.

Learn how to Paint Leather Bags, Belts & Other Accessories

Painting leather goods is one of the traditional art forms that Italy is famous for. Here you can find the most exquisite leather bags, belts and other personal leather ware that’s exquisitely hand-embellished.

Virtuoso aside, many of us could create a reasonable result by hand painting  a vintage leather bag, be that either a ‘Goodwill’- find, an ‘out-of-date’ Dolce Gabbana bag, or a Morrocan tooled leather bag.

(Tip:  If you are an absolute beginner painter and wish to work with a new bag that’s easy to paint, choose a tooled bag with existing shapes and forms already on it. )

What you’ll Need

• Tooled leather handbag
• Lumiere paint by Jacquard
• Water-based varnish
• Paintbrushes
• Stencil Paper, pencil and white chalk pencil
• Embellishments: Costume and vintage jewelry pieces, decorative chain, rhinestones, beads, findings, etc.
• Devcon Flow-Mix 60-second epoxy
• E-6000 glue

How to Make Your Own Painted Leather Handbag

1. Decide which outfits your bag is to match with and what style of painting you wish.  Then, choose a color scheme and a bag style, and order your materials online.

2. Depending on how experienced a painter you are, you may wish to try out different color combinations in watercolor on art paper, so see which effects you prefer.  Such hand-drawn sketches make great gift note cards, btw…

 
3. First paint your background and then overlay the design and then do your detailing last. For the bag background, you’ll use your biggest brush. For the bigger lines, it’s best to use mid-sized brushes. Leave your fine brushes alone till the very end, when you’ll be doing the detailing of the bag design.  Make sure your brushes are clean, and choose rather soft rather than brittle brushes as you’ll see some of the brush strokes on your bag. You want it to look smooth overall.

When planning your 3 painting phases, realize that some colors may require several coats of paint.  Allow for drying time, as well as contemplation time.  This is not a project to rush.

3a. When choosing a tooled leather bag, it’s really easy: just following the lines of the tooled design, fill in with colors and add details when flat fields of color are dry.

3b. If you use a non-tooled leather bag,  I suggest you first create your design in pencil on transfer paper.  This transfer paper design can then be used as a stencil.  

To use it as a stencil, on the reverse side of the paper, fill in your design lines with a white chalk pencil. Then overlay the stencil flat on your leather bag (with the chalked side toward the bag) and rub firmly with your nail (or an equivalent firm tool) till the chalk design is applied to your bag.  

Stencils are particularly useful for fast application of recurring motifs.  You can do the background of these motifs with a stencil and then detail them freehand. Now, if you are an experienced artist, I don’t need to tell you anything: just go ahead and paint your style, your way.

4.   When your paint is dry,  seal the bag with two coats of water-based varnish. This will protect the paint and avoid later watermarks on your design.

5. If you wish, you could take highlight your design a little more and embellish your bag with costume and vintage jewelry pieces.   60-second epoxy is good for large and heavy embellishments, and E-6000 glue for the smaller embellishments.  For extra glitter and fancy, consider bead or rhinestone chains for edges and flaps, straps or handles. 

6. Allow bag to sit undisturbed while the glue sets (at least 24 hours) before using. 
 

Howto Paint a Leather Bag Video

How to create a ‘follow-the-line’ leather painting design on a tooled leather bag can be found here. It features how to personalize vintage handbags with paint and embellishments with tips from designers Melissa Neufeld and Chris Janze.

Where to Find

There’s a huge collection of tooled leather handbags in all shapes and forms on eBay. Lumiere paint by Jacquard, watercolor sketching, transfer paper, and white chalk pencils are available at Blick Art Materials. JW Right-Step water-based varnish in Gloss, Devcon Flow-Mix epoxy and Eclectic Products adhesive glue is available on Amazon.

Tip: Blick Art Materials 80% Off

This deal is soo amazing that I’d like to share it with you. Not everything is 80% off, but lots is. To join the fun, visit our beloved Dick Blick art store: Blick Art Materials  Special Savings through  May 18th, 2011!

Photo credits: stenciling (Kristine Mueller), tooled leather bag designs (Martha Stewart), Handpainted leather bag with lotus (Anuschka), and D&G Snow White Painted Leather Wristlet(Dolce & Gabbana).

Copyright , Fine Craft Guild .com. All Rights Reserved. Amazing/Eco Home Decorating & Craft ideas and tutorials, for you.

Over the years, we’ve posted  many DIY projects, sewing, knitting, and other craft patterns and templates.  Many of these projects would make great craft gifts, and could benefit from a tiny touch of personalization.

This is where monogram fonts come in.  Monograms are an easy way to even embellish store-bought basics into homemade treasures that would make great personal gifts.

Often monograms can add another color & style dimension, elevating something that was blend to an enhanced sophisticated designer object.

How to Create a Monogram

Monogramming on fabric with fabric is essentially an appliqué technique.  What you’ll need is a monogram font, which you can find here.  If these monogram fonts are too elaborate for you, and you’d wish for something simple, browse around in your own text editing program choosing a bold, fat font, enlarged.

Fonts that make nice thick monogram letters that can be used as fabric appliqué templates include: Arial Black, Bauhaus, Bodoni Black, Broadway, Castellan, Goudy Stout, Ravie and Stencil.

Simply print out the word you’d like to appliqué in the size that you wish and use these letter templates to cut your contrast fabric.  Stitch or fuse your letters on. If you have a sewing machine with fancy stitches, top stitch each letter with a contrast color yarn. Iron as needed.

How to Design an Embroidered Monogram

For finer fabric-based monogramming projects, embroidery is the option of choice.  You can download an embroidery font, or simply browse through your own font collection first.  For embroidered monograms, you’re best to use a font that’s thinner.  Style options are unlimited and range from elegant script fonts, or funky whimsical lettering.  Compare Blackadder  (image right) with Jokerman (image left).

Print your lettering in several sizes till you get the word(s) to fit just perfectly onto your monogramming project.  Mark the letters with a sewing crayon if you are good at drawing, or use a pencil and tracing paper to mark the lettering onto your fabric.  Then embroider over the marks with embroidery floss.

Click here for a tote bag sewing pattern which would be ideal for monogramming.

New Logo for Fine Craft Guild?

Copyright , Fine Craft Guild .com. All Rights Reserved. Amazing/Eco Home Decorating & Craft ideas and tutorials, for you.

Sometimes Martha Stewart’s craft tutorials are so good, that the best thing I can do is to simply link to it.

Half of Amsterdam is wearing Uggs these days (yes, it’s already Fall here in September!!). So, I thought it would be a good time to feature a tutorial: How to Embellish Your Uggs with an olive branch.

Step-by-step

It is essentially very easy:
1. Download and print template.
2. With permanent marker, trace it onto an iron-off stabilizer.
3. Roll up 1″ of foam and wrap with rubber bands; stick foam inside boot.
4. Pin stabilizer to boot and start with felting the branch through stabilizer.
5. Now, felt olives.
6. Pull away leftover stabilizer.
7. Get your iron out and with some muslin over the design, give it some steam. This will relax the fibers.
Fabulous.

Source/ More Info:
Video tutorial, Marthastewart.com

What you’ll Need

Olive branch template
(also: deer 1, deer 2, cedar tree, and snowman templates)
Crocheted UGG boots
Permanent marker
Iron-off stabilizer
Foam
Rubber bands
Pins
Felting needle
Muslin
Iron

Tip: Uggs are meant to be ‘home wear’ and do not give enough support for long forest walks, etc.

UGG Australia Women’s Classic Cardy Boots Footwear



PS. When Uggs are not yours style, even with Italy-inspired decorations such as this olive branch, then hop over to my knitting section.

Ugg Classic Cardy Boots 2011

Free Boots Knitting Pattern

We feature a free knitting pattern for some very funky and compfy boots. Check it out. If the idea of knit boots (and Uggs are perhaps a bit above budget), have a look at these (way cooler) knitted boots:
Free knitting pattern :: Funky Boots.

Copyright , Fine Craft Guild .com. All Rights Reserved. Amazing/Eco Home Decorating & Craft ideas and tutorials, for you.

One of the reasons I love Chinese New Year, is that I get to dillydally with my New Year resolutions for a month. I try them out before committing. This year’s no different & commit to this New Year …
..Resolution: My new year resolution is to act upon great ideas, and to complete all worthwhile craft projects that I’ve already started. And I have tons of work in process (WIP craft).

To Do: FILE & USE LIST.

Comment:

The below list of ‘101 Top Free & Green Craft Tutorials’ serves as my basis for many of these planned / WIP craft projects. I’ll make my own version based on them. And I will promise not to buy any Amy Butler fabric, as that’s kind of cheating: pretty much everything looks better in her fabric. Even mundane little string bags….. It’s kind of like she’s doing the craft for us.

No, instead, I’ll really, really try to recycle.

Many of the free craft tutorials below upcycle previously-used materials. Often the tutorials imply using new materials, but they would often look just as good, if not better, when using recyclables.  Many of the projects here could be created using recyclable materials, sometimes easily, sometimes not.  The ‘U’  marks in the craft tutorial list below indicate that these tutorials are written with ‘upcycling, refashioning & recycling used materials’ in mind. The other craft projects here could be made using recycled materials, if you so wish.

Inspiration: If I can inspire you to recycle while crafting, I’ll be really happy.

 Confession: I made this list
as much for me as for you.

101 Top Green Craft Tutorials

UPCYCLED CRAFT FURNITURE & HOME DESIGN

How to Silver-leaf your Dresser (a favorite!) by Little Green Notebook U

Rag Floor Pillows by Anneli Martin at Crafting a Green World U

Knitted Urchin Pouf by Pickles

Vintage Wall Paper Tree by Sweet Paul U

Hanging Room Divider by Making It Lovely

Beautiful Ways to Re-Use Glass by Re-Nest U

Wreath for Readers by  Shabby Nest U

DYI Sink skirt by  Eddie Ross

Sexy Hexy Love Quilt by Amy Butler

CRAFTED HOME DECORATION

Paper Fall Leaf Lamp by Patricia Zapata on Craftzine 

Hemp Pendant Lamps by Crafty Nest

Ruffled Lamp Shade by Ruffles and Stuff

Beautiful Felt Rosette Clustered Pillow (a favorite!) by Anne K. Quinn on Etsy

Pretty Prints Star Pillow at Sew 4 Home

Knitted Vase Covers by Leigh Radfords at Design Sponge U

Frame Your Family: Cut Paper Portraits video tutorial by the Craft Dude

Frosted Monogrammed Vases by  Homebody Holly  U

LOVELY CRAFTED BABY ITEMS

Argyle Onsies (for baby boys) by Lu Bird Baby U

Creating Adorable Baby Bums Cloth Diapers by Crafting in a Green World  U

Make it Yourself Jumper (0-3 mth) by Smile & Wave

How to Make to Winter Buggy-bag by Instructables

Diaper Wipes Case by Make it and Love it

Lovely Baby Quilt ‘Elia’ by Crazy Mom Quilts 

Breastfeeding Pillow by Make Your Own Baby Stuff

COOL CRAFTED KID ITEMS

Polka Dot Quilt by And Other Silly Things

Map of the States Blocks Quilt by Oh Fransson

Cloth Baby Shoes by Michael Miller Fabrics

Ballerina Tooth fairy Pillow by mmmCrafts

Child’s Apron, Chef’s Hat & Oven Mitts by Lilac Lane at ModaBakeshop.com

Sweet, Pink flower Pedal Backpack by Oh So Happy Together at U Create

Little Girl Skirt with Applique by Tea Rose Home

CRAFTING WITH KIDS

Making Fabulous Flowers with Tissue Paper by Fine Craft Guild U

Happy New Year garland  by Kaboose U

Printable Valentine Butterflies (Ideal School Valentine Gifts) by SkiptoMyLou

How to Make a Toy Theater out of a recycled Box at Angry Chicken U

How to transfer a kid drawing into a brooch by You Sew, Girl/Nichole Mallalieu Design U

Mother’s Day gift house box by Molly Chicken

Fabric Bonbon Friendship Necklace by J.M. Design & Co

COOL CRAFTS FOR TEENS & TWEENS, SCHOOL & COLLEGE

Tie Dyed Leggings by Martha Stewart U

How to make a Bean Bag tutorials & videos by various contributors at FineCraftGuild.com U

Pocketed Binder Cover – sewing tutorial by Lola Again U

Scrabble Tile Pendant tutorial by Make and Takes U

Cartooned Tin Belt Buckle by Adaptive User U

FANCY & FUNCTIONAL BAG TUTORIALS

A real Practical & Fun ‘Purse Thingy’ (favorite) by Thimble Anna U

Mod Podge Handbag tutorial by Dairy of a Crafaholic U

Professional Tote bag Design (favorite) by JCaroline at Fine Craft Guild

Elegant purse from recycled book (favorite)  by Crafting in a Green World U

Adorably Dainty Drawstring gift bag by Little Red Ribbon U

Brown Bag Lunch bag with Owl applique by Weefolkart.com

Notebook Lunch bag with Text of Your Choice by Kate Spruit at Design Sponge

Practical Shopping Bag by Between the Lines

Rag bag ala Anthropologie by Oh So Happy Together

PERSONAL ACCESSORIES & JEWELRY

Artful Scarf from Scraps by ThisIsLoveForever at CraftStylish U

Super Easy T-shirt Scarf by Ruffles & Stuff U

Starbucks Coffee Cup Cozy by Crafty Rose U

Romantic Fabric-covered Bead Bracelet by Tea Rose Home U

Groovy Boots Knitting Pattern  by Canadian Living

Feminine Flash Ruffled Cardigan at Mighty Girl

Long Striped Handwarmers by Purl Bee

Over-sized Poppy Boutonniere by Grosgrain Fabulous

Powder puff by Natural Beauty Workshop

One pattern piece Reversable Sunhat at CraftStylish

RECYCLED ART & CRAFT

Recycled Teapot Lamp by Sweet Paul U

Girly Necklace from Magazine Paper Beads by Fine Craft Guild  U

Trendy Bottle Cap bracelet by Better Homes & Gardens U

Cool Tote Trick, upcycling free promo totes, by Betz White U

Antique Book Art by Keith Lo Blue U

PET CRAFT

Recycled Dog Sweater at CraftStylish U

Embossed Pet Photo Frame by CraftStylish

Cuddly Cat Bed by Crochet Ville at FineCraftGuild

Collapsible Dog Travel Water Bowl by Diane Gilleland at Craftstylish

Colorful Cat Toy Plushies by My Fantastic Toys

EMBROIDERY/QUILTING/APPLIQUE

Falling Leaves Tree Applique by WeeFolkArt

Little Mushroom Girl Embroidery Pattern by One Red Robin

Stitch a Day: French Knot, by Hand Embroidery Network

Sewing Hexagons by All buttoned up at Sew Mama Sew

Decorative Fall Hand Embroidery Designs by  Sara Jane Studios

ORGANIZING CRAFT

Bed (or armchair) Caddy by Sew 4 Home

Sewing Machine Quilt by Get Your Craft On

Fabric Covered Recipe binder by Our Big Earth

STENCILING, STAMPING & PRINTING

Carving Lovely Stamps by Geninne Zlatkis (video) U

Stencil and Potato Printing by Lotta Jansdotter at CraftStylish U

VALENTINE, DIGITAL SCRAPBOOKING & PAPER CRAFT

Catalog of Love (favorite)  by Poetic Home

How to Make Filligree Pendants by Ann Martin at Folding Trees

Desktop calendar- scrapbooking layout by The Shabby Princess

How to Make your Own Valentine Card in Photoshop by Rose

Love Bird stuffy with heart by Molly Chicken

SPRING & EASTER HOLIDAY CRAFTS

Stylish White Easter Eggs by Pickles 

Stunning Retro Sewn Easter Eggs by Retro Mama

Knitted Easter Eggs (favorite) by Purl Bee

Cutest Tutorial (for Decorated Felt Eggs) by WoolPets

Reuse Silk ties to Tie-Dye Eggs by Crafting in a Green World

Felt Easter Egg Jelly Bean Bags by Chica & Jo

FALL, HALLOWEEN & THANKSGIVING CRAFTS

Really Cool Appliqued-Fabric Pumpkins by the Thompson Family

Pinecone Pompoms by Resurrection Fern U

Halloween Decorating & Craft Templates & Howto’s by Martha Stewart 

Burlesque Bustle Skirt by Becca K at Cut out and Keep

WINTER & CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY CRAFTS

Seen-these? Felt Ornaments from My Fantastic Toys

Pie Pops from Luxirare 

Salt Dough Ornaments by Katy Elliott

Ruffly Felt Rosettes Wreath by DomestiFluff

Paper Advent Calendar Tree with Matching Birds & Wreath by The Red Thread

Congratulations

If you and your blog are on this list, congratulations!! You made it in. It took a lot of time deciding which ones are ‘in’ as I had bookmarked a lot more than 101 and there were many to choose from.

So, why not proudly feature our button ‘Featured in Top 101 (green) Craft Tutorials’ on your blog? You deserve it.  As well, we’ll welcome your link juice back. 

But most importantly, thank you for your tutorial and for just being there for inspiration also. We’ll be seeing you on your blog in 2010.

Copyright , Fine Craft Guild .com. All Rights Reserved. Amazing/Eco Home Decorating & Craft ideas and tutorials, for you.

I like bags and if I see any opportunity to design a bag, well, I’m on it. Today I’m sharing an opportunity with you to not only design a bag, but also to get some free publicity from winning a contest. What fun.

For the first time ever, City of Craft is inviting craft enthusiasts to submit imagery for this year’s Swag Bags. City of Craft is the craft fair organization in Toronto, Canada.

The City of Craft’s Swag Bags are handed out to the first lucky 100 attendees and they pack them full of fantastic goodies from local and international craft artists and indie publications. People line up before they open our doors in the freezing cold to receive them (it’s always cold in Canada, remember…), so they want to give them ‘something special’ this year to take home.

If your design is chosen, you will be rewarded handsomely with

A. crafty prizes (always wonderful to get); and

B. fame via their website (City of Craft is a PR4, so good.), blog (at blogspot, so ‘blah’ when it comes to ‘link love’ value.) & other press outlets (can be good).

Cotton totes will be printed with your design on the front and are printed with one colour.

Designs should be no more than 8.5 by 11 inches at 300 dpi. They accept jpegs and pdfs. If you aren’t sure what sort of line thickness is needed for silk-screening or you have any other questions just send them an email.

If you think you have the winning design, let them know by sending your application to swag bag@cityofcraft.com

Last year’s bag designer was local art instructor Shannon Gerard.

The deadline for submitting applications is November 1, 2009.

The winner will be announced November 15, 2009.

Copyright , Fine Craft Guild .com. All Rights Reserved. Amazing/Eco Home Decorating & Craft ideas and tutorials, for you.

I came across this easy & free tutorial on how to make shell printed bed sheets, while I am prepping my future craft photos & articles on “How to create a Beach Shack nowhere how far you are from the ocean”.

(Thank you, Martha Stewart, for your ‘Craft of the Day’  today!)

This free craft tutorial is such a good companion craft to our shell picture frame craft project.

What’s You’ll Need

for Your Shell-Decorated Sheet Set

All you’ll need is plain (white) sheets, such as these here, some fabric paint, a little sponge, and a handful of perfect clam-shaped shells.

White Flat Sheet

White Sheet Set

Craft Project Instructions

This is a delightfully simple craft project, yet you want to be neat when doing this, to keep the variances and messiness contained to a reasonable level.

Step by Step

1. Find a few perfectly shaped scallop shells at your beach (or buy some at your dollar store).

2. At the dollar store, also pick up some fabric paint and a sponge brush or little sponge.

3. Lightly sponge the desired colors onto the ribs of the shells, leaving the grooves blank.

4. Now bring your painted shell to your clean work station #2. Cautiously put your sheet on top of the shell and lightly rub the sheet to transfer the image. Lift off the fabric with care.

5. Rinse the shell, and repeat with the same shell or follow your design or pattern.

Craft Color Tips

When you choose your colors, consider the color scheme of the room it is in. While the pictures seem to used a warm yellow and magenta red, some wonderfully sunny colors, this project will also be divine in aqua, blues and yellows, creating different look. 

If you use colored sheets for this project, realize that you’ll need darker tones of paint and that the color of the fabric will work on the imprint as well. So, if you add yellow paint on blue sheets, you’ll get a green result.

Painting Tips for Neatness & Getting it Right

Use less rather than more paint, as this makes it easier to avoid filling in the grooves of each shell.

Clean each shell completely before using it for the next imprint. This is why you really need a bunch of shells, so you can clean in batches.

Set up 2 work stations: one to paint, and another one to make the imprint. Ensure that the imprinting area, where your sheets will be, stays neat and that there is no paint on your hands or anywhere other than on your tiny shells.

Allow yourself ample lead time to finish this project.  I know this would make a wonderful handmade gift set, however, I noticed that it is much easier to avoid mistakes when I allow for a little interim drying time here and there.

Planning & Practice Makes Perfect

This is certainly a craft whereby if you’ll practice a few times you will be much happier with your final project.  So make a bunch of practice imprints on a few other pieces of cotton fabric before you begin on your big cotton sheets.  (Who knows… perhaps these pieces of fabric may later become an eye pillow, or offer the ideal decorations for a laundry bag). 

When you are ready to begin your ‘real’ project, start with your pillow cases, before you work on your heavier sheets. You might find that easier. Don’t only practice imprinting, also experiment with the paint colors, and with developing either a straight line of similar imprints, or a design or pattern.

Tips for Getting the Shell Prints in a Straight Line / Your Own Design or Pattern

Once you have decided which line or pattern of shells you will use, create it onto the fabric before your begin imprinting. You might want to create removable marks at regular intervals on your fabric first which are to become center of each shell in a line.  If you use sewing crayon for this the marks will easily come off in even a cold water wash.

Once you get the hang of it, and know exactly how much paint to apply, how to line the the shells up neatly, and how to avoid accidents, you are ready to go.

‘Fine Craft Guild’ Interior Design Tip

Don’t stop at decorating your sheets & pillow case. Also consider adding a row of whimsical shell imprints onto your white cotton curtains and onto the little pillows in your white wicker chair. Your fabric pieces you practiced on might come in handy in extending the shell theme into your room. Depending on the messiness of the practice fabrics, you can either use the best bits in decoupage, use the entire piece of the fabric.

Show me your end results!! I’ll post the pictures.

Other Beach-Inspired Crafts

Fun summer beach crafts, either to decorate and create that wonderful beach home, or to simply have a good time with the kids, at the beach or … at the ‘pretend’-beach in your garden:
A Beach in a Pot, a Garden Project Extra-ordinaire
Waterproof Picnic Blanket for the Beach
Bed Sheet with Beach Shell Print – Easy Home Craft

This craft has been featured in other
craft parties. Click link for more info.

Copyright , Fine Craft Guild .com. All Rights Reserved. Amazing/Eco Home Decorating & Craft ideas and tutorials, for you.

I realize this is a bit of a last minute thing, BUT why not be celebratory!

Let me enhance everybody’s Fourth of July holiday decoration projects and Independence Day celebrations with this FREE fourth of July clipart STENCIL template for this holiday weekend.

I designed it in such a way that you can simply print this, copy it many times and make little flags with for your BBQ. Or, if you prefer, get so some powder sugar or cocoa powder out, place the one-off paper fourth of July clipart template on your cake, and sprinkle. 

Very easy.

I made a ‘high res’ version of about 4.5 inch by 4.5 inch allowing you to make a large detailed print. 

You could use this free fourth of July clipart template to spruce up your party team t-shirts, mugs, cappuccino coffee cups, button design, you name it.  You can even use it to make a stamp, it’s so simple.

Let your own creativity tell you how to use this clipart.

HAPPY 4th OF JULY!

FREE fourth of July clipart

This downloadable template is meant for private use solely.

Copyright , Fine Craft Guild .com. All Rights Reserved. Amazing/Eco Home Decorating & Craft ideas and tutorials, for you.

I’ve collected a number of art, design and craft projects which use stencils as basic tools. I love the variety that you can achieve with stencils, as well as the wide range of graphic styles. I tried to offer a sample of everything here… well, of many things.

1. Something Simple
   (Possible uses: Applique Patches, Screen Printing or Spray Painting)
   

2. Something Elaborate
   (Possible uses: Fabulous Interior Design Wall Painting … wanna make a matching bed spread…)
   

   http://itsajaimething.com/

3. Something Sophisticated
   (Possible uses: wall paper, artwork,fabric design & silk screening, paper craft)
   

4. Something Wild
   (Possible uses: graffiti, spray paint art)
   

5. Something for Fun
   (Possible uses: pumpkins, Halloween cards, Halloween party invitations, decorations & goodie bags)
   

   Click Here for More Halloween Crafts Stencils, Craft Tutorials & Other Freebies

6. Something for Work
   (Possible uses: Web design, digital art, art journals)
   

7. Something for Saturday Morning
   (Possible uses: coffee, hot chocolate, cup cakes, petite fours, pancakes, placemat or table cloth designs)
   
   
   Stainless Steel Coffee Stencils
   
   
   
   Easter Coffee, Cupcake & Cookie Stencils
   
   
   
   
   Cupcake and Cookie Stencil

   

   Click here for:
   Christmas Holiday Coffee Stencils

Copyright , Fine Craft Guild .com. All Rights Reserved. Amazing/Eco Home Decorating & Craft ideas and tutorials, for you.