Thank you for letting me know that the pattern link was broken so I could get to the bottom of it.
Good News! It’s up and running again.
You can click here for the step-by-step tutorial and the pattern link.
Here’s the video:
Happy Smitten Making!
PS. I’ve actually been busy making Smittens, too….
Coming soon…….
Beth
Did someone say pie?
If you want to bake people happy this holiday season, make a pie. There’s just something comforting about a fresh, hot pie with a flaky crust and flavorful filling. From pecan to apple, please your friends and family with a fresh, golden, homemade pie.
And when you show up carrying it in this stylish and handy fabric pie carrier, everyone is going to want to know which boutique sells them. They’ll be surprised when you tell them you made it yourself!
You can watch the Youtube video here:
You can watch the Facebook video here:
Click here for the complete step-by-step photo directions.
For more sewing and refashion inspiration and tutorials, click here.
Happy Sewing!
Beth
The cornucopia and Thanksgiving go together like turkey and cranberry sauce, like mashed potatoes and gravy, like pumpkin pie and whipped cream. Symbolizing wealth, prosperity and abundance, it’s just one of those fall staples we see on tablescapes every autumn. You can modernize your “horn of plenty” centerpiece this season by painting the basket white and creating some delightful felt gourds and flowers in any color you’d like to fill it.
Y9u can watch the Youtube video here:
You can watch the Facebook video here:
Click here for the complete step-by-step photo directions.
This would go really well with the fall felt coasters you made last week. 🙂
Happy Sewing!
Beth
You can find more sewing and refashion inspiration and tutorials here.
Fall: A time of crisp mornings, toasty backyard fires, and best of all, jumping into piles of multicolored leaves. Bring that colorful fall feeling into your home by creating a few vibrant felt coasters. Not only are they beautiful, but they’ll protect your coffee table from those steaming cups of hot cocoa you’ll be sipping now that the weather is cooler. Made from two layers of thick felt and a little stitching on the sewing machine, they will dress up your end tables and help you embrace autumn in style.
You can watch the Youtube video here:
Or, watch the Facebook video here:
Click here for the complete step-by-step photo instructions.
Pretty sure you’re gonna “fall for felt” with this project.
Happy Sewing!
Beth
For more sewing and refashi0n inspiration and tutorials, click here.
One of the beauties of traveling or camping is becoming unplugged from our electronic devices long enough to reconnect with the joys of playing those simple but fun board games again. Create this travel checkerboard that’s lightweight and convenient enough to throw in a drawer of your camper or even tote along in your backpack. No matter where you are — the mountains, the river, the waiting room or even grandma’s house — you’ll never be without a fun game to pass the time when you have this little beauty tucked away.
Click here for the full travel checkerboard instructions.
For more sewing, crafts or refashioning inspiration, click here.
Happy Sewing!
Beth
Not really. I just made that National Bias Tape Day thing up. But don’t you think there should be!??!!
I know it’s weird, but can I get an AMEN if you like making bias tape as much as I do? For some reason, it’s just comforting to cut fabric on a 45 degree angle, fold, press and wrap those miles of tape around a small pieces of cardboard. Then placing all that pretty edging side by side in a basket or a box. It’s just so delightful! Even if I never use it, I could just look at it all day…
Beth! Snap out of it!!!
Oh, yes, I’m here…
How about really rolling your socks up and down by combining bias tape, being organized and traveling?!!?
Well, you can when you make this round drawstring makeup bag.
There’s just something beautiful about being organized, too. It makes you feel healthier, happier and gives you more time to do the things you love. This drawstring makeup bag will help you on your way to feeling more organized and will make it simple to sort, pack, and access your cosmetics anytime. Whether you’re traveling or at home, it will lie flat so you can see all of your makeup while you get ready and then cinch up for a stylish way to store all of your beauty products.
You can watch the video here:
Or click here for the full step-by-step directions with photos.
Happy National Bias Tape Day! 🙂
Beth
For more sewing and refashioning tutorials and inspiration, click here.
You guys! It’s coming…
You know, that time when the single-use plastic bags will no longer be a part of our lives. As a matter of fact, when visiting the coast, we found out that Newport, Oregon has already implemented the ban.
On one hand, I’m going to miss using them for my bathroom garbage can and to store my returnable bottles and cans. But seriously! How many of these things do we need?!!?
If you’ve been looking for a creative way to get closer to your zero-waste goals, look no further than your empty dog and cat food bags. Instead of throwing these little gems into the landfill, use them to create your own cute reusable grocery bags. And since more and more states are jumping on the bandwagon to ban single-use plastic grocery bags, we’re all going to need to be more prepared and show up at the grocery store armed with our own bags. Why not be stylish and responsible? Double reuse score!
Click here for the step-by-step instructions.
Happy Getting Closer to Your Zero Waste Goals Day!
For more sewing, refashioning, and reusing inspiration and tutorials, click here.
Sending creative vibes your way!
Beth
How did I miss this?
As I was reading through some old comments, (which I do for fun, it always rolls my socks up and down to read your thoughts about what I do) I came across a comment from Laura Neiman in 2015. She wrote, “This story made my night!”, and included this link called:
How a random link to a sewing pattern changed my life.
Wait! What? Wow!?!!?? Seriously? It’s exactly what I dream of.
You see, each time I finish an article, right before I push the publish button, I take a few minutes, close my eyes and imagine that this piece, somewhere, somehow will be a blessing or an inspiration on someone in someway.
Like when you change locations on Google Earth and out it zooms and you feel as though you’re being hurtled into space, all the while watching everything get farther away and then just as fast, you’re zipping back down to earth to your new location.
Yah, it’s like that.
I picture my article speeding up above the earth, hovering about until it sees someone who happens to need it, then diving back down (doing a backflip or two on the way just for fun) until it lands on that person who happens to need it.
Who knew that one of my first articles about making Smittens from February 2012 would change someone’s life? Who knew that making mittens would help someone overcome depression and anxiety and start their own company.
As Laura said, it’s the greatest feedback ever, to know that you, even indirectly, helped change somebody’s life.
So cool! Thank you Laura for sharing it.
Well, here’s to hoping that this article might be just as inspiring to someone, somewhere.
Even your skincare routine can join the zero waste movement with these cute and cheerful reusable makeup remover pads. Instead of making them with a plain old towel, find a decorative one with terry cloth on one side, and a delightful design to match your bathroom decor on the other side. When you’re finished using them, just throw them in the wash with your regular towels and use them over and over again.
Click here for the complete step-by-step directions.
For more sewing and refashioning tutorials and inspiration, and possibly have a life changing experience, click here. 🙂
Happy Sewing!
Beth
Are you ready to join the zero-waste movement? Have plastic grocery and produce bags been trying to take over your home? Have you been shoving these plastic bags into closets and cupboards for years now so they fall at your feet each time you open up your pantry? Do you feel guilty throwing away those sandwich bags after only one use?
Sounds like it’s time to make the switch to reusable bags and covers.
Not only can you make these eco-friendly bags and covers from fabric you already have, but thrift shops are filled with material, curtains, or dish towels just waiting for a new lease on life.
1. How to Make Washable Fabric Bowl Covers
Summer is the perfect time to head to the lake, the park or the mountains and share a meal with people you love. The last thing you want though, is a swarm of bugs getting to your salads before you do. You can bring some environmentally friendly style to your picnic by ditching the plastic wrap and creating some reusable fabric bowl covers instead. Make them for any size bowl to coordinate with your picnic ware. Just find some fun fabric, a little elastic and you’re on your way to creating these cute washable fabric bowl covers.
Click here for the tutorial.
2. How to Make a Reusable Snack Bag
Snack time is a special time of day — after all, the break could include the likes of cookies, energy bars or good ol’ fashioned fruit — but the plastic bags that usually hold your treats are far from exciting. Swap them out with these DIY, reusable snack bags instead. The iron-on vinyl makes them wipe-and-go ready, so you can “eat it all” while on the move, too. Now snack time will be a feast for your eyes, as well as your mouth, with these cute bags.
Click here for the tutorial.
3. How to Sew an Insulated Lunch Bag
Who doesn’t look forward to a lunch break? You get to relax, visit with friends and recharge with great food: it’s exactly what we all need in the middle of the day. But, sometimes a crumpled brown paper bag or a sorry canvas sack can put a damper on our slice of afternoon freedom. Ditch those boring excuses for containers and bring some cheer to your noon-time meal with a colorful, insulated lunch bag that you made yourself. Fill it with equally adorable snack bags — which you also created, of course — and totally on-trend eats, and you’ll be the talk of the break room.
Click here for the tutorial.
This reusable bag was made from a thrifted dishtowel which I fell in love with the moment I saw it and all of it’s orange goodness.
Click here for the tutorial.
5. How to Make Reusable Beeswax Food Wraps
If you want to bee the life of your next party, show up carrying your salad in a bowl covered by a homemade beeswax cover. Everyone will be asking for the name of the hip new marketplace selling them. You will definitely create a buzz when you tell them you made them yourself. It’s a beautiful way to reduce daily plastic waste and be more eco-friendly. These reusable covers are washable so they’ll last up to a year and then all you have to do is re-wax them. Sounds like you’ll get a double re-use score when you make and use your own beeswax food wraps.
Click here for the tutorial.
6. Reusable Microwave Popcorn Bag
Popcorn—not only does it tastes great, it also connects us to people we love and good times. From snuggling up together on a couch watching movies to cheering on our favorite team, popcorn plays a big part. But, if you’ve been trying to create less waste and eat a bit healthier, you can ditch those greasy, chemical-laden, store-bought microwave popcorn bags and make an earth-friendly, reusable, healthy alternative. These reusable microwave popcorn bags are a snap to make and are even a great learn-to-sew project.
Click here for the tutorial.
Happy eco-friendly sewing!
Beth
For more sewing and refashioning inspiration and tutorials, click here.
There’s just something magical about bubbles. The mesmerizing beauty of them has been inspiring artists, winemakers and children for centuries. Whether they are floating gracefully through the air or popping as soon as they fall onto a blade of summer grass, they are fascinating. You can give your kids the gift of endless bubbles (and reduce waste!) by transforming an empty detergent bottle with a pour spout into a bubble station for kids.
You can view the Facebook video here:
Or view the Youtube version here:
Click here for the full step by step tutorial.
Enjoy the rest of your summer!
Beth
For more inspiration and tutorials, click here.
