DIY: Flower Power Dog Collar

I mentioned the Envelope of Doom in a previous post, the part I’m not sure I mentioned was the second portion of the challenge.  The goal was to create projects you could gift to someone in your life…preferably not yourself.  So, with those rules in mind this is first of the 3 (or more) projects I created using several components from the  “envelope of doom“.  Don’t have an envelope full of supplies…don’t worry.  You could create this project using items from your local dollar store as well!

This gift is for a friend with a cute new puppy.  A puppy who needs a little something frilly to let folks around the dog park know she’s a little girl. 🙂

.

Supplies Needed:

  • Collar
    (shhhh…don’t tell her it started as a kitty collar.  Just remove the bell and she’ll never know)
  • Felt Scraps
  • Plastic Scraps
  • Embroidery Thread
  • Silk Flowers
    ones with many small blooms work best to make a fuller flower
  • Scissors
  • Glue
    I used hot glue, but even double-sided tape would work to hold the plastic to the felt while you cut and sew.
  • Needle
  • Hole Punch (optional)

.


.


.


Step by Step Instructions:

  1. Start off by taking your flowers completely apart.  Some crafty person could be able to use the stem pieces later, but I just tossed them in the recycle bin for plastics.  For this project I used 3 sets of the pink hydrangea “blooms”.
  2. Because this will end up on a collar for a fun, bouncy doggy it needs some stability so bring on those holographic Valentines (if you don’t have Valentines on hand you could use any sturdy bound for the trash plastic product).  Using a large spool of thread as a guide outline a circle and cut out with a pair of scissors.
  3. Using a rectangular hole punch make two punches to the center of the piece of plastic.  You will use these later to attach the flower to the collar so place them at least 1/2 inch apart.
  4. Attach your disk to a scrap of felt with a small amount of glue, and then trim around the edges.  Be careful to leave a 1/4 inch overhang to use for attaching it to the flower later.  Then use this piece as a template and cut a second felt circle.
  5. Take the non-plastic felt circle of felt, take a needled threaded with matching embroidery thread knotted on the end and bring through the center of the felt circle. Take 1 flower petal and sew it to the center of the circle with one stitch that goes on either side of the center hole.
  6. Fold one half of the first petal over hot dog style so that half of the felt circle is exposed.  Stitch down an additional petal to the side of the existing petal.
  7. Repeat Step 6 until surface of felt circle is covered (leaving space around the outer edges to attach to the bottom).   The more petals you use the fuller your flower will be.

  1. Thread your need with matching embroidery thread and bring both lose ends of thread together so it’s doubled.  Run needle through the finished side of the felt covered plastic disk and through the second hole back to the finished side.  (see photo above)
  2. Place the plastic disk side of the bottom piece on top of the bottom of the flower.
  3. Using embroidery thread & needles, use a blanket stitch to sew the two pieces together.  When finished the plastic disk should be completely hidden inside the felt/flower sandwich.
  4. Using thread ends left from Step 2 re-thread your needle and attach the flower to the collar.  You could either stitch it directly to the fabric of the collar…or I ran the needle around the plastic collar stay piece and tied it off after several wraps.  This holds it in place, but also allows the collar to “grow” with little Miss Lucy.
  5. OR…don’t have a puppy you need a collar decoration for?  That’s OK, you could use this same method and just attach a pin back and use it for a brooch, hat or bag embellishment.

Total Cost: $1.00 and up

CDog wasn’t home when I took these photos, and I haven’t received any of Lucy sporting it yet…so a large stuffed animal came out to model it for you 😉

So, there you have it….Project #1 completed.  So now let’s chat…do you craft things for your pets?

Bring on the Doom!

The Crazy Crafty Wicked Cool Envelope of Doom that it!

Long ago (ok a few months ago), and in a land far away (hey, California is pretty far away from Georgia) the lovely Michelle L. won a Stash Busting give-a-way and created a blog.  There she created treasures from her winnings and posted them for all to see.  One day Michelle hatched a devious plan and decided to share with the world her “stash”. Using her leftover winnings and her own personal “stash”, the “Crazy Crafty Wicked Cool Envelope of Doom” give-a-way was born.  In her words, “I’m calling them ‘envelopes of doom’ because the items are going to be pretty eclectic. Okay, insanely diverse. And a few, possibly mind-bogglingly awful. It’s up to YOU to re-imagine and transform them into wicked coolness.”  The winners were to, “promise to make at least three interesting things from the contents, and post them online for us all to see.  Also, since this is kind of a “craft-it-forward” deal, I think your assignment should be to make things for other people – in other words, come up with three gift ideas, and tell us how you gave your creations away.”

Now, that sounds like a challenge I’m up for…and as luck would have it.  I was one of the winners!

After a bit of a technical glitch that put my envelope a bit late arriving, I opened my mailbox and was off to an immediate start, chanting “must catch up, must catch up”.  I ripped it open and spread out the contents quickly take stock of the monumental task ahead of me.  Honestly, I’m not sure what to think of some of this stuff.  There is some odd yarn-like stuff, a panel of hologram valentines, and an expired Starbucks card.

I put all that aside for a moment and focused on these odd-looking pink squares.   Interestingly enough they matched up exactly with the green pixie stick deal which makes me think they might be some sort of construction toys…. Wanna see?

Oh, TOYS!  That’s it… I have a friend who collects Barbie & her assorted stuff…so I quickly assembled the 3 pieces together.  Do you see where I’m going with this?

Yes, my first project was to create an action figure doll size set of weights.  I even gave it a try myself…


Now that’s my kind of workout!

Just kidding Michelle…I’ll be posting at least 2 of my projects from doom in the upcoming week.  Couldn’t resist kicking off this challenge with a bit of crafty humor!

If you want to see the other goodies these lovely crafters are coming up with, check out Michelle’s blog:  Mich L. in L.A.

Update: Craft it Forward

A while back I mentioned winning a unique sort of contest from Amy over at The Nifty Foodie’s Life.  Last week right before we left for a little anniversary trip, I found a fun surprise in my PO Box.  It was my Craft-it-Forward treat from Amy.  Check it out…

Aren’t these dishtowels just the snazziest ever?  I love the colors!
And, if the dishtowels weren’t enough…check out this adorable little baggie!

And while I had originally thought I’d have my own packages to my winners in the mail by our 1st Anniversary…it just didn’t happen.  Life happens, but here is a little sneak peek of some thrift store goodness that *might* be finding its way into a few of the Craft-It-Forward packages I’m putting together for you lucky ladies that are patiently waiting for me to get with the program.

I love finding entire bolts of fabric at the thrift store, especially when they are 50% off $4.64!

Sadly, it also seems that 2 of my winners never responded to emails… so if anyone else out there feels left out of the Craft-it-Forward movement shoot me a message.  I bet we can work something out 😉

Anyone else out there feeling a bit behind with all there summer projects this year?

A Different Kind of Giveaway – Stash Busting

Update as of 4/18/2010: Since I still haven’t heard from a couple of the winners…I’m opening comments back-up for potential new winners. If you are interested in Crafting it Forward with me just leave a comment and if I haven’t heard from the original winners by Thursday, April 22nd at 5pm EST I’ll draw for new winners!  Come on, comment…you know you want an excuse to making something fun for a new friend!!

In honor of the upcoming Earth Day & as one way I’m participating in the April Stash Bust…it’s time to craft it forward! What is craft it forward you might wonder?  I’ll give you a quick little back story and then fill you in on how you can be the next to carry the crafty torch and stash bust in the process. 🙂

Back in February Amy from The Nifty Newlywed announced she had been selected to participate in a “handmade giveaway” of sorts from Jenna of  ThatWife.  She would select 5 people to send a free hand crafted gift and in exchange they would also craft things to share with 5  people to keep the endeavor going.   I thought it was a fun idea, and left a comment.  The random.org powers were in my favor, and now it’s my turn to carry the torch forward.  So, currently the chain looks something like this: Anne –> Julie –> Jenna –> Amy –> Me       Confused yet?

Let’s see if I can make this easy…I’m going to send 5 people something handmade for free! But here is the catch, the lucky 5 will need to keep this fun little endeavor going.  If you are anything like me you already love making things but often feel guilty if they are all for you…so here is your chance to express your crafty nature and share it!  I think it’s a pretty fun concept! PLUS it also gives you an incentive to use part of your craft stash and share it with others!  That’s a double win!

Here’s how it works:

  • I’ll be randomly picking 5 comments on this post to get a Craft It Forward package from me which will include your handmade item and perhaps some corresponding goodies.  It’s a surprise after all!
  • If you are selected, you should Craft It Forward to 5 other people as well. It is a chain after all  and while I won’t bug you about it later I do think it’s a fun idea to share the crafty goodness around 🙂
  • Winners will get their goodies before June 1st
  • You can select your 5 people any way you want, and the winners don’t have to wait until June 1st to start Crafting it Forward.
  • I dabble in many types of crafts, most of which I never get around to blogging about. You could get anything from an apron, personalized stationary, a tote, cute shirts for kiddos, or something else from the list of things I want to make but haven’t yet.  While it’s up to me what I make, I will ask the winners a little about themselves to get a better idea of what might be awesome to send them!  You can even make a request but what you ultimately receive is a big surprise!
  • I am by NO means a professional, so I make no guarantees that you will like what I make but I will do my absolute best.

Want to join this chain-gang and Craft it Forward?

No jumping through hoops necessary… just leave a comment. Simple as that!

This contest ends next Thursday (April 8th) at 5:00 PM EST and I’ll announce the next wave of the Craft it Forward chain on Friday, April 9th!  So, what are you waiting for…leave a comment and start planning what you might make to share!  Click here to visit Dollar Store Crafts if you would like to learn more about the April Stash Bust

DIY: Weekend Teaser

We had a busy but relaxing Saturday and then today I’ve been busy, busy working on…well work!  Which means I still have a few finishing touches to  a couple tutorials but thought I’d give you a little sneak peek of what’s coming down the pipe for later this week and in the weeks to come.

  1. I’m excited to be hosting my first give-away of sorts! A few weeks back I was selected to participate in “Craft it Forward” over at the Nifty Newlywed.  So I’m excited to continue the craft-it-forward movement with 5 other fun crafters!  Look for more information mid-week and start thinking about what you could make & share with 5 people if you are chosen!
  2. Cupcake Toppers! There are quite a few templates out there for cupcake toppers, but I’ll share my easy way to make last minute toppers with dollar store supplies & a craft tool or two (or even things you have at home).
  3. Baby Shower Gifts: With 4 baby showers in 2 months, I’ve been hard at work on a few handmade gifts.  The first shower was last week so that means I can finally start revealing a few of the goodies.
  4. Craft Room/Office ReLocation/ReModel 2010: We are in the packing portion of the process of switching out our guest bedroom and my office/craft room so that I get the bigger room with more light!  I’m super excited and the guest bedroom isn’t getting the bad end of this deal since the new guest bedroom is getting a makeover as well.  Out with the ugly dark blue industrial carpet and in with some plush and relaxing (and easier to clean).  So I’ll be asking for lots of suggestions along the way…for example how can I best organize all my crafting supplies and still maintain a clean look?
  5. And finally…wedding projects! I’m determined to write up tutorials on several of our DIY wedding projects …and also determined to do that before our 1st Anniversary!  So be on the lookout for quarter-page bi-fold programs,  activity book programs & crayons for the kiddos, rehearsal dinner menus, jam escort cards, and photo thank you cards.  That’s quite a few tutorials to write up…

What about you…what did you do this weekend?  And do you have a growing “to-do” list you want to finish before summer?

Rock the Vote: I Love SW Photo Contest

So this is the post where  I shamelessly ask for your votes!  I just realized I am one of the finalists for the I Love SW photo content on Southern Wedding’s blog….and right now I have no votes 🙁  To show me some internet lovin, click on the link below and leave a comment with which photo you like best!

http://www.swsmag.net/blog/2009/9/29/photo-contest-finalists-i-love-sw.html

CraftySmurfette

PS. Stick around a few weeks and I’ll show you what those cute little guys were left over from 😉

Photography Challenge – Celebration

photo_banner
The challenge for August was to photograph “Celebration”.  Does that word make anyone else want to break into song?  “Celebrate good times, come on.”   I played photographer at my Step-FIL’s birthday bash last weekend, and the photo I really wanted to use for this contains a few folks I don’t know…so I don’t want to post it without first making sure they would be cool with that.  

csmurf_celebration

csmurf_celebration1