If you’ve run out of clever greeting card ideas, try a card you can plant into the ground—craft blog Make and Takes has a tutorial on how to make “seed paper” and turn it into a plantable greeting card.
The much-maligned Snuggie is the sweatsock of the blanket world. They’re functional but not much to look at, and you don’t necessarily want the world seeing yours. Make your own Snuggie with cool fabric and this free pattern, and shun the disbelievers.
This year, 2010 — it’s the year you will not let bills pile up and junk mail overrun your desk. Grab some fabric, borrow a sewing machine, and craft a mail organiser for a door or wall in your house.
If you’re looking for an easy way to make candles or a great homemade gift to give this Christmas, this tutorial will show you how to use a crock pot to make candle-creation a snap.
You mightn’t have a clue what a resistor or a capacitor does, but if you can find one in some old gear or pick some up at an electronics store, you can adapt them into fairly geeky jewellery.
A little etching cream and some stickers is all it takes to create customised storage jars. At MarthaStewart.com, they have a simple guide to using glass etching cream for creating labels on glass storage jars. You’ll likely need to make a trip to the craft store, but the materials they use are inexpensive. A bottle of glass etching cream will run you around $10, along with some stick-on vinyl letters to create the actual text on the label. Other than that, some masking tape and a very small paint brush get this project done, and leave you with some solid de-cluttering weapons. For detailed instructions and a caution or two—don’t use etching cream near a porcelain sink!—check out the full tutorial below. Etched Glass Storage Jars [via TheKitchn]
You can spend a lot of money buying a laptop bag (I got scared off when I priced them earlier this year), but for economy and uniqueness, why not try sewing your own? Craft blog Yoonie At Home walks through the steps to sewing a laptop bag from some fabric scraps and a few tea towels. I agree with the commenters who suggest that the magnetic clasp might be a bit risky, but if you’re not scared of the needle, this could be an interesting project. Thanks Di! My Laptop Bag: IKEA Fabrics
