Weaving a Neck Scarf Using Yarn and Cardboard

Hello everyone!  I'm part of a group of twelve creative bloggers who  have joined together for a 12 Month Christmas Blog Hop where one of us will be making a fabulous Christmas gift for you to re-create each month!  Imagine, make one handmade gift a month for 2016 and by christmastime you'll really be ahead of your holiday gift making!  How cool is that!

This past January, Millie of 2Crochet Hooks kicked off the Handmade Christmas Blog Hop with a cool No-Sew Fleece Blanket! And Pili @My Sweet Things  created an awesome Merry Christmas Sign using scrap wood table legs, for the month of February.  March is my month to share a handmade gift giving project with you.  Mine is:  A neck scarf made by weaving yarn on cardboard. 

I must first apologize to all those talented enough to be able to knit or crochet. I can do neither.  My creative and artistic late mother-in-law tried her best to teach me but I just couldn't pick up the techniques.  Fortunately, I did manage to acquire the love of crafting from this wonderful lady, for which I am forever grateful.

Weaving yarn using cardboard is pretty much like using the cardboard as a loom, to "knit" a neck scarf.

To make one, you just need cardboard, ruler, scissors, and a skein of yarn  I would not recommend using thick yarn for this because the weave gets very, heavy and too bulky for your neck.  Believe me, I had to learn this the hard way.

The following tutorial is very detailed, but once you get the hang of it, making the scarf goes rather quickly.

 First,

1.  Take a piece of cardboard (I started with cardboard from a box and switched to posterboard for better stability) 38 1/2 inches long ( this is the length of the posterboard I had) and five inches wide.  (38 1/2" x 5")    But you can make it any length you want.   Mark 1 1/4" wide and 2" inch long lines and cut the lines into segments. Each segment should be 1 1/4" wide.

2.  After cutting the lines, fold down every other segment . . .

3.  And then cut off the folded down alternate segments.

4.  Next, pick up the yarn and make a loop on the end, tying a knot and placing the loop on the first left segment.

 5.  Loosely loop yarn in front of and back of all the segments over to the end of the right side.

6.  Wrap around the last segment and continue weaving back to the left side and then the right side, back and forth, for a total of four times.

7.  Ending on the left side, leave yarn hanging loose on the last left segment.
There should be two loops in the front of each segment.

8.  On the right hand side - on the last segment, hold the top loop in place with your finger and pull the bottom loop over the top loop - up and over and off of the segment. Repeat for each segment - right to left.

9.  As you are weaving, push all the loops down so the loops won't accidently come off of the segments - you should see one loop on each segment.

10.  Again, wrap the yarn around the first segment (left) and continue weaving to the right until you see two loops on each segment and begin lifting the bottom loop over the top and off.  You will see a ladder effect on the back after the first few rows of weaving.

  11.  Continue weaving left to right, for two loops on each segment and starting on right side, lift bottom loop over top loop and off, until you have your desired length.

12.  When it's time to cast off, leave one loop on all the segments and don't weave any more new loops, and just leave the yarn hanging down on the left of the last segment.

13.  Starting with the segment on the right side, pull the bottom loop up and over and let it go. Place the remaining loop on the segment to the left. Repeat pulling bottom loop up and over and let go.

 14. Repeat this until reaching the left side end.

15.  Pull the yarn through the last loop, cut with scissors and pull it tight. Tie both ends together.   *If you see any loops sticking out, just stretch the whole piece by pulling on it.

I love wrapping this around my neck!  It's so fuzzy and warm and looks super chic!

The next time you find yourself with a skein of yarn and some cardboard, have fun and weave one of these.  It really makes a great handmade Christmas gift!

Be sure to check out Stella @ Purfylle this April for her eye catching handmade Christmas gift!

An InLinkz Link-up

Handcrafted Forever Spring Crocuses

A sure sign of the arrival of spring is seeing the crocuses - poking their way up through dead fallen leaves, faded mulch or even late fallen snow. It's always a welcome sight in garden beds and landscapes.  And I love seeing the low growing, purplish cup shaped flowers suddenly appear after what seems like a long winters night, but unfortunately their blooms don't last long.

So, I'm joining a wonderful group of creative Hometalk bloggers to #DIY MY Spring . . .

and as my project, make handcrafted forever crocuses out of foam sheet paper in a natural setting. #DIYMySpring

Materials Used:

Foam sheet paper

Crocus pattern - cardstock/cardboard

Skewer stick/pencil

Chalk pastels

Scissors

Acrylic paint

Smooth surface electric griddle/iron

Faux stamen

Hot glue gun

Floral wire stems

Cookie or lollipop sticks (hollow center)

Floral foam

Dried Moss/mulch

Here's how:
 Cut out a crocus petal pattern from cardstock or cardboard and trace the pattern on a foam sheet using a skewer stick. You will need six petals per flower. Cut out the petals.

I love crocuses that are shaded with different hues of purple and white, so I used purple and white foam sheets and highlighted the petals with purple chalk pastels.

Next, I placed the petals on a hot smooth griddle (or iron) for a about 6 or 7 seconds to curve the petals.

To make the flowers, I hot glued faux stamens to the tip of floral stems (cut in thirds)

And then started gluing on the six petals, one at a time, around the stem and stamen.

After all the petals were glued on, I cut a cookie stick in half, painted it green and then inserted the wire stem into the stick to mimic the wider stems of crocuses.
I cut "leaves" from green foam and used green acrylic paint to shade. Then I hot glued the leaves to the stems.

To display the crocuses, I glued on pieces of floral foam to cardboard and . . .

 covered it with dried moss and mulch.

And then had fun inserting crocuses in the moss and mulch for an awesome spring display!

First signs of Spring!

I think these are awesome!   

 Be sure to check-out the link up below:
Happy Crafting & #DIYMySpring!!!

 

An InLinkz Link-up

Easter Egg Flower Napkin Rings - The Hoppy Easter Blog Hop

  What better way to welcome guests during Easter with a beautiful tablescape to go with that wonderful meal you are preparing.  And a tablescape is not complete without lovely napkin rings to add to your awesome Easter décor.  And the best part is, these napkin rings are so easy to make using inexpensive items from the dollar store.


You will need:

• Easter eggs - small table scatters (Dollar Tree)
• Jumbo craft sticks
• Hot glue gun
• Washi tape
• Small container

To make the craft stick napkin rings:

Begin by soaking jumbo craft sticks in hot water overnight or longer, making sure the sticks are completely submerged.  Once the sticks are completely saturated, soften, and out of the water (cools fast), grab the ends of the stick with your fingers and gently bend slowly, bringing the ends together. Don't worry if you break a few, that's bound to happen!

As you are bending, insert the stick into a small round container to dry.  I used small ramekins so I could overlap the ends.  Make sure the stick is level in the container, touching the bottom, and evenly placed or it will dry crooked.

Wait until the craft sticks are completely dry before removing and continuing with the next step.

When you have the shape you desire, in my case, overlapped ends, apply the washi tape beginning at the exposed end, wrapping it around. 

You might have to open the curved craft stick sideways to apply the tape evenly and straight.  Once the tape is evenly placed on the curved stick, cut off excess.

Hot glue the end overlapping sticks together and clamp in place until glue is dry.

To make the egg flower:

Take two small eggs and dab a little hot glue on one of the narrow ends and press together. 

Continue dabbing hot glue on the next egg until you have glued together six tiny eggs into a closed circle.

Start gluing on a second row between two in the first row until you have a closed circle of five eggs.

And finally glue on an egg in the center of the last layer, (Oops, forgot to take a picture) and you have a pretty egg flower!

  To attach the egg flower to the craft stick napkin rings:

Apply hot glue to the bottom center eggs and press the flower to the center of the overlapped craft stick ends until dry.

Cute, cute, cute!

                          Happy Easter Crafting!