Craftside

How to draw a pattern for a witch hat and how to make a tiny witch hat head band

Do you like your witch hat BIG or small?
Either way today's post will hook you up.

Here is the tiny witch hat, it is on a headband base.

What you need to make a tiny witch hat:

Recycled black wool felted sweater

purple and green tulle (or whatever color you like)

Headband

decorative pin

small scrap of pretty yarn or ribbon

scissors, needle and thread, hot glue, dressmakers chalk

About a 3 1/4 inch round object, like a mug

paper and pencil

Pattern:

How to make a tiny witch hat:

Cut out the top cone shape, the round flat part of the witch hat and another circle about 2 inches in diameter, this last one won't show so it can be not perfect, all from the recycled wool sweater.

Form the cone and hot glue it in place.

Then glue the cone to the flat big circle.

Glue the bottom small circle to the top big circle sandwiching the head band in between.

Wrap the decorative yarn around the base of the cone.

Cut a few strips of tulle and gather them using a large running stitch.

Attach them to the witch hat with a fun pin.

OK so you want a BIG witch hat:

Click on the image to enlarge and read how to draw a pattern for a full size witch hat.

These great directions are from the book:

Creative Costumes & Halloween Décor:
50 Projects to Craft & Sew

The Lifestyle Editors of Creative Publishing international

The all-in-one Halloween book!

Creative Costumes & Halloween Décor combines costume and decorating projects into one convenient book. The costumes are designed around three basic styles: tabards, gowns, and full suits (made from pajama patterns). Accessories like wings, capes, skirts and lots of headwear are also included. Details like collars, gloves, spats, and face painting instructions offer lots of ideas for personalizing costumes.

The décor section includes 30 unique projects for decorating your house inside and out, along with special projects for throwing a Halloween party. The projects use common household products plus lots of craft-store items like wood pieces, paints, paper mâché, felt, craft foam, floral materials, and polymer clay. Elaborately propped beauty photos and step-by-step instructions with photos of every step make the projects--both costume and décor--easy to understand.

If you need the full scoop on how to sew the witch hat grab yourself a copy of Creative Costumes & Halloween Décor and you are good to go (on your broom????)

And to get the how to and pattern for another cute head band project- devil horns made from a recycled wool sweater pop on over to this post.

And I haven't asked a question in a while, but I have one for you today:

What costume are you making this year for yourself or for someone else?

Leave your answer in the comments and you are entered to win a free book!

You already know what I'm wearing, actually I have been wearing it since I made it, I will probably make more things and change my mind between now and Halloween!

Silverware Spiders Attack or just smile and look cute

This is such a cool spider

It is by Keith Lo Bue and titled "Spoonfed"

Click on the image of the Dada Spider to see the details closer and read the great quote.

I love the idea of using silverware as limbs of a spider so I thought I'd give it a shot.

This is my spider, very different.

I used knives instead of forks.

How I made my lawn spider:

Gather:

1 large Styrofoam ball

1 medium Styrofoam ball

2 small Styrofoam balls

8 knives

ribbon for a bow

silver rick rack for smile

black cardstock for eyelashes

green and black paper for eyes

toothpicks

straight pins

purple and black paint

Make:

Start by sticking the knives into the large Styrofoam ball.

Then attach the medium Styrofoam ball with 2 toothpicks this keeps it from spinning)

Paint the two balls first with black paint and then when dry with purple. I did it kind of splotchy.

Attach the two small Styrofoam balls with toothpicks.

Attach the length of rickrack with straight pins to make the smile.

Cut circles out of the black and green paper and attach onto the eyeballs with straight pins.

Cut two rectangles of black cardstock and then "fringe" by cutting tiny strips almost all the way through but still leaving attached about a 1/4 inch. Then curve them by wrapping a round a fat marker. Attach to the eyeballs with straight pins.

Tie a bow with ribbon and pin it onto the top of the head.

Need more ideas on how to make cool creations grab yourself a copy of the fabulous book:

Who's Your DADA?
Redefining the Doll through Mixed Media
By
Linda O'Brien and Opie O'Brien

Inspired by the "Dada" notion of making art from materials that would not typically be combined or expected to go together, and driven by a similar sense of irony and humor, this exciting book by Linda and Opie O'Brien shares their unique approach to making mixed-media dolls. It is not only a "must have" volume for anyone interested in found object art and the human form, it is a thoughtful and provocative exploration of the power, symbolism, and cultural significance of dolls and representational figures.

The authors share detailed techniques for using surface embellishments, creating faces, heads, and limbs, using molds and molding products, and building and transforming disparate objects into whimsical, inspiring dolls. Starting with a variety of substrates--a wood block, a canvas, a tin can, a book, and a box construction--readers are guided step by step through five types of doll constructions.

Included:

-Complete instructions for making a box construction doll, a wood block substrate doll, a two-sided canvas frame doll, a tin can doll, and a book doll

-Numerous variations on each of the core projects for further experimentation

-An inspiring gallery of mixed-media dolls from leading artists who discuss their methods and share their very personal answers to the question: "What is a doll?"

Originally from New York City, Linda and Opie O'Brien are full time artists living on Lake Erie in Ohio with their cat Angelus and his cat Angel. They teach workshops nationally and internationally. Their work includes jewelry, Dada dolls, artist books, assemblage, collage, masks, music, and more, and has been featured in numerous books, magazines, galleries, exhibitions, solo shows, museum gift shops, and private collections.

Craftastic Crafty Blogger Links and Book and Bobbin Winder Winners!

First I want to send out a big congrats to our 6 winners of the Craftside / Recycled Crafts @ CraftGossip.com book and Wrights bobbin winder contest!

Andrea S.

Carole Ann

Megan P.

Drew

Pattie W.

Alecia H

And always here to provide you with what craftiness is going around the internet here are some craftastic links for you:

Crafty Princess Diaries
A granny square dress? Is it over the top or a true crafty fashion statement?

Cross Stitch at About.com
Louise is proud to show off her first project, a Peter Rabbit Cross Stitch Bookmark by Anchor. It's a great first time effort.

Farm Girl Roots, City Girl Style
Do you sell your crafts? Have you ever? Read Linda's musings and share your stories in the comments section.

Mixed Media Artist
Give your favorite building a new look by creating a fractured photograph!

Naughty Secretary Club
Join Jen on a week long screen printing adventure as she reviews books, plays with a YuDu, puts a unicorn on a onesie, plays with vinyl records and more.

Stefanie Girard's Sweater Surgery
Army men are melted into service to make this cute coaster using the wonderful tutorial from the new book Craftcycle by Heidi Boyd

The Artful Crafter
Recycle artificial flowers into frilly fairies. Teens, tweens and kids-at-heart will love making and hanging around these little creatures.

The Impatient Crafter
There's a brand new The Impatient Crafter YouTube video to inspire you to declare yourself an artist! Madge explores the Cricut Expression in this quirky new video offering.

About Family Crafts
Never run out of Halloween crafts, activities, and motivation. Get new Halloween projects delivered to your email box every day for 31 days! Find out how...

Aileen's Musings
Aileen has a crafty Halloween project and template just for you.

Cathie Filian
Cathie has a quicky way to jazz up plain glass candle holders and it uses scrap ribbons!

How to gather a serged edge without a differential feed from the book Successful Serging

This is so cool!
And especially useful being that ruffles are everywhere! And let's not forget Halloween costumes!

Click on the image to enlarge and read how to gather a serged edge.

This technique is from the way-cool jam packed book:

Successful Serging
From Setup to Simple and Specialty Stitches

By

Beth Ann Baumgartel

This "at your fingertips" reference contains hundreds of techniques and tips for making the most of the serger, or overlock, machine--a versatile and speedy tool for stitching garments and home decor.

Readers will learn how the serger works, the many styles available, and the variety of functional and decorative stitches possible.

There are also easy-to-find-and-follow charts--of thread choices, must-have accessories, and best stitches for a range of fabric types.

Successful Serging is an easy-reference collection of basic techniques, tips, and helpful information for anyone who is learning about or already owns a serger.

Beth Baumgartel (Madison, CT) has written for Vogue, Butterick, the Home Sewing Association, Family Craft Circle, and others. She is the author of SINGER® Simple Sewing and SINGER® Simple Decorative Machine Stitching.

Crocheted Pumpkin Toilet paper cozy- 'cause your TP has to be dressed for the Fall ya' know

Are you sick of TP cozies yet? Well, not me I am on a roll, a roll of TP cozies that is! I know that was bad.

How to crochet a pumpkin toilet paper cozy:

Yarn:

I used Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick and Quick in what else-Pumpkin #133

and a Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick and Quick in dark green- the label wasn't with the yarn so I am not sure of the exact #

Hook:

N or 9mm

More or less the basic "recipe" It can vary based on how tight you crochet and how big your TP is.

I chained about 17-20

Turned chained 4

then treble or triple crochet in every chain starting from the 5th chain from the hook.

(Click on this page from Knit or Crochet - Have it Your Way to see how to treble or triple crochet)

then again chained 4, turned and triple crochet back in each triple crochet

then chain 1, turn and decrease every 2 stitches back. This makes the "indents"

Then chain 4, turn and triple crochet back using either the row of treble crochets as your base (this will keep you at about 17-20 stitches or if you use the decrease row make 2 triple crochets in each decrease to get back up to the 17-20 stitches.

Then just keep repeating this until you have enough to go around your TP.

Seam up the sides together and gather the top.

To make the stem chain 10 or so, turn and do a single crochet in each chain, this will make a cute curly-cue. Stitch it to the top of the pumpkin cozy.

Are you looking for more fun yarn projects check out more from:

Knit or Crochet - Have it Your Way
15 Fun Projects with Complete Hook and Needle Instructions for Each
By
Margaret Hubert

Knitters who don’t know how to crochet often see crochet patterns and wish there was a way to convert them. The same is true for crocheters who don’t know how to knit. Those who know how to do both like to choose one over the other for the inherent “look” that each offers. This book gives them the option, as instructions for each project are given in both knit and crochet.

Margaret Hubert designs for yarn companies and book and magazine publishers including Crochet, Interweave Press, Quick and Easy Crochet, Crochet Fantasy, and Belle Armoire.