#tbt: Crochet Zigzag Blanket

Throw back Thursday: taking a look at stuff I've made in the past.

I bought this wool a few years before I actually got round to using it and it was originally intended to make the boys a cute blanket for their room. At the time I was thinking granny squares in a lovely pattern. I got as far as drawing out the design but of course I've no idea where that's gone.

I came across this stitch when I first taught myself how to crochet, in the bloody brilliant book I used to do so. I always thought it'd be amazing to try, so at some point, possibly about three years ago, I went for it.

It's actually really simple once you get into the swing of it.

I don't know how long it took me, but it must've been at least a year. It was one of the projects that sits around in the living room, driving Mr Strawberry barmy, but since its been finished, it's been draped over one of the sofas and it's completely gorgeous.

I kind of wish it was slightly bigger, but that's all the wool I had so never mind.

If you're thinking of giving it a go, google 'spike crochet stitch'. I'm sure you'll get better instructions than I can provide ;)

Monday Make: Zander's Name Plaque

Monday Make: This week's project

 

I have always wanted to create a nursery but never had an real need for one since the older boys shared our room for the first year of their lives and then they got a little boy's room rather than a baby nursery. But when I was about 36 weeks pregnant with baby number 3, I suddenly decided all this baby stuff wasn't going to fit in our room and I needed a nursery.

Being only 6 weeks old, he doesn't sleep in there yet, but it gives me the space to be more organized.

Today, it is one step closer to being completely finished with the addition of something that absolutely had to be made (I couldn't make it until he was born because we were keeping his name a secret).

And boy, did I have fun.

 

 

 I found an old piece of wood in the garden, gave it a quick layer of watered-down white paint.

Printed off the letters and taped the paper to the wood.

 

 

Hammered in a gazillion wood pins and tore the paper off.

(Just so you know, tweezers are fabulous for picking out those tiny bits of paper that get caught under the pins).

 

 

Then, I spent an age wrapping, unwrapping, re-wrapping wool, until I was happy with my technique.

It was fiddly, but totally worth it.

 

Then I made some cute, fluffy, little clouds and hung them, along with some shiny, silver stars from the wood (they're stapled in at the back).

I love it so much. I hope Zander does too.

 

 

 

Monday Make: 'The Dark' Diorama

Monday Make: This week's project

 

So, this is my first attempt at a diorama and I'm pretty pleased with it.

I decided to do it based on Lemony Snicket's 'The Dark', which is a lovely little book with really striking illustrations about a little boy who was afraid of the dark.

 

 

I started with the bottom of a posh chocolates box I couldn't face throwing away but had no real use for and painted the inside black.

 

 

I painted a piece of paper, left it to dry on the bathroom radiator (while panicking about the consequences of boys and their bathroom breaks) then drew the stairs. Painstaking doesn't quite cut it, it took me forever to be happy with the perspective and even then I screwed it up.

Now to make the little drawers. I cut out the sides out of cardboard, taped it all up with masking tape and painted it.

 The little set of drawers is slightly too big for my liking but considering this was made on a rainy Bank holiday Monday while trapped in the house with a bored husband, two kids and a newborn, it's really not bad. In between attending to everyone's needs I have been painting and paper cutting and I'm finally finished.

 

I hope this inspires you to make something, anything, just be creative and enjoy it.

 

 

Sticky Saturday: April Showers

Sticky Saturday: messy play fun with kids

 

Every Thursday, I run the messy play at a local mums'n'tots group so I thought I'd include some of the fun we have there and share crafty ideas (which were all stolen from Pinterest obviously). 

This week we made April Showers pictures, a lovely and simple craft which just involved cotton balls, raindrops cut out of paper and lots of pva glue.

I always make one to show the parents what we're doing but I always prefer the kids versions myself. 

 

 

 

Cereal Box Marble Run: How to

I recently spotted this on Pinterest & had to try it with my marble loving boys.

We spent what felt like weeks collecting toilet rolls & cereal boxes, then finally we had enough to make two.

 

 It has a trap door at the bottom, so the marbles don't come tumbling straight out & a hole in the top.

Then, when we came to make Ed's, as impressed as he was with Bean's, he wanted a marble maze instead. 

So I asked him to draw a track on the cardboard, which then had to be slightly amended on the parts where it was too close together and we added extra routes where there were gaps.

I tried to make it using the loo rolls, but there wasn't enough, so I had to make amends with the spare cereal box, which turned out much better and far easier to put together.

Oh, I cant tell you how much I enjoyed making this!
This one also lasted a lot longer than the loo roll one.

 

 It has a hole at one end, then a trap door in the other so if he fills it, he only has to control one hole. 

As soon as I made it, he put all the marbles in haha.

 Sooooo much fun! Go make one!

Up-cycling: Rescuing an Old Basket from the Bin

This helped me solve a problem I had on my bedside table. I've been redecorating my bedroom and it's coming along beautifully except the random items I desperately need at my bedside were driving me mad. I needed a basket of some kind but my searching had come up with nothing that would fit in my scheme of things. I knew I'd end up making something myself so when I found this broken old basket in the bin (not my bin, but don't tell) I was pleased as punch. 

I could see why it was being thrown out, the top edges had completely come apart with sharp sticks poking out everywhere, but with a fabric lining, no one would ever know what lies beneath. 

You could do it too! 

Paint it the colour of your choice and find some fabric you like. I could have made it to fit perfectly, but I hate sewing curves so I just gathered the excess in and put some elastic around the top edge. 

Up-cycling; it's fun, saves waste AND it can solve your storage problems :)

Minecraft Diamond Ore Curtains

So I needed to make some curtains to go in the boys new Minecraft room. At first I was completely stumped, but after raiding my fabric stash I came up with these.

I love that I have so much fabric, and so many different kinds. I'm so grateful to all the people who let me raid their clear-outs.

I had some grey wool, but unfortunately not enough, so I backed it with some black wool, which actually turned out great because it's given them a really useful blackout effect (fab for playing games with torches). If I was to make them again and willing to buy fabric especially, I would simply use a nice grey cotton or something.

For the blocks, I used some shiny satin and metallic polyester.

I cut out my curtains and started on the coloured blocks. Because I was using scraps from my stash, I used several pieces. I first ironed on some bondaweb.

 Then I drew on some 3x3cm squares using my set square.

 These are the shapes I wanted to cut out.

 I cut them all out and pinned them in place, using a google image as a guide.

I ironed it and stitched it all together.

Et voila!

The wool is very wiggly and it would've looked better in cotton, but it was free so I'm not complaining and the boys are very impressed.

Think I'll make some matching cushions...

Photo of the day. Advent Calendar

I made this advent calendar a few years ago, and every year we hang it up on the evening of the 30th so that Santa can send his elves to fill it for us. Unfortunately this year I completely forgot to get it out of the loft in time, so we had to write a special note to Santa to ask him to fill it a day late. The next day when they saw it, each pocket with two chocolates in, one for each boy, their little faces lit up and Ed exclaimed; "even the note has gone!" Toooo cute.
The usual "are you sure we've had our counting chocolate today?" has of course ensued, and a measly 2 days in, someone stole 2 chocolates, one from the 6th and one from the 14th. No-one will admit to it so the those pockets stand empty until someone does (I removed the leftovers from those days in the hope their love for each other might push them to be honest with me, since the one who didn't steal will be missing out. Probably a bit optimistic, they are only 3 and 4 after all. Worth a try though haha).

Photo of the day. Homemade Headresses

Wearing their headdresses, made by Bean at messy play. (Bean & I made one for Ed now that he has to go to school now-we'd hate for him to feel left out at all).

Hand Crafted Bracelet

I just had to tell you about my new bracelet.

A friend of mine, Sarah, runs a jewellery making business from home, in her spare time. All the things she makes are beautiful and delicate, just like her. It's funny isn't it how everyone we do reflects us so truly. I have another friend who makes jewellery and her pieces are so different, they are much bolder, brighter & bigger, statement pieces, just like her. I love Sarah's jewellery, they are all very easy to wear on a daily basis, and she's very open to commissions, which is what this bracelet is. She let me have a good old root through her charm box so I could choose the ones that mean the most to me. And in a few days she'd rustled up this beauty. I paid £8, she wanted less, but too much work has gone into this for mates rates, and I think we should look after our cottage industries.
Please do check out her website, she really is fabulous and affordable.
www.indijewellery.co.uk
www.facebook.com/IndiJewellery 

Thought I should add the reasons behind my choice in charms.
Strawberry - obvious if you've read the 1st blog entry.
C - my initial.
Leaf - I love the outdoors & plants. A lot of my childhood was spent camping in fields playing on rope swings.
Cocktail glass - I like the occasional drinkypoos.
Wing - I love animals, in particular I love birds and I'm completely intriged by bird flight.
Bird house - I'm a very homely loving girl, I enjoy my creature comforts and the quaint things in life.
Flower - who doesn't love flowers?
Key - I have a memory, incomplete but strong of a pair of school shoes I had when I was small, which had a key in the sole. Since then, I have always loved keys, the old deadlock type, just like this one.