Free Form Crochet - A Crochet Craft that Anyone Can Do!

I crochet...A LOT. I find it meditative and relaxing. Plus, I can create gifts, home dec and plenty of other unique items for myself, and for friends and family. Since I crochet so much, I always have lots of small balls of leftover yarn. After recently making my colorful and comfy scrapghan, I realized I STILL had lots of bits and pieces just lolling about in my yarn basket. 

Researching "scrap crochet" on the internet had me finding one particular method mentioned several times: free form crochet. Free form crochet is an excellent technique that makes great use of all those yarn leftovers. Why hadn't I heard about this? Hmmm..apparently it's not new, but it was new to me, so I had to give it a try.

I must admit that I struggled a bit at first with where and how the heck to begin. But then I finally decided to just go for it and start. I figured what's the worst that could happen? I'd have to pull out some stitches and start again. I didn't follow any particular tutorial or pattern (there really is no set pattern to follow anyway), preferring to just make it up as I went, using stitches I was already familiar with.

Well I'm happy to say that this was a TON of fun to do. There's no right or wrong way to crochet a free form piece. It has the happy advantage of going off in all sorts of unique and artistic directions and the results are fantastic. I can see a couple of these pieces being put to use as wall art some place in my home.

How about you? Have you ever tried free form crochet? What did you think? Please share your thoughts with me. I'd love to hear all about it!

Scrapghan Lapghan Makes a Great Last Minute Holiday Gift!

If you do a lot of crocheting like me then I'm sure you have tons of bits and leftover pieces of yarn. I knew I could make a bunch of granny square potholders or coasters with those bits and pieces, but I wanted to do something a little different. Could I take all of those little mismatched balls of yarn and turn them into one big something that would pack a crochet punch of color? The answer is YES. I could and I did. 

After searching around online I found several "scrapghan" how-tos as motivation. Using two strands of yarn and a half double crochet stitch throughout, I set to work. When I ran out of yarn I simply tied my working yarn to a new piece using a square knot. Then I made sure I tucked the tails into my work as I crocheted in order to hide them. Simple!

The result was a generous sized lapghan that's colorful and toasty warm. I originally wanted to make this scrapghan just to see how easy it was. It was so awesomely simple to do, and the results were so gorgeous, now I want to make more. It only took me a few hours (working intermittently over two days), so these would make excellent gifts for the holidays or anytime!

I just might have to make a trip to my local thrift store to grab up some of those bags of yarn odds and ends to make a few more scrpaghans for gift giving ;-)

Everyday Watercolor by Jenna Rainey is Packed with Tons of Informational Watercolor Tips, Tricks and Advice for the Novice Painter

I love all types of art. I've tried just about every medium possible to create paintings, greeting cards and ACEOs. I do love watercolor, but I must admit I've been baffled about how honest to goodness watercolor artists achieve those great effects you see on Etsy and Instagram. So when I had the opportunity to read and review Everyday Watercolor by Jenna Rainey I grabbed it. I'm so glad because I was incredibly impressed with this book!

Everyday Watercolor is a contemporary watercolor guide for newbie artists to follow over a thirty-day period. The author begins with the basics of brushstrokes and ends with step-by-step, fully completed watercolor projects.

Everyday Watercolor is packed with eye-catching illustrations and informational tutorials set up with easy to follow instructions. There are five sections within this book:

• Technique
• Form, Perspective and Light
• Complex Shapes and Forms
• Value, Volume and Depth
• Application       

Within each of these five sections is a wealth of tips, tricks, techniques and advice for even the most novice watercolor artist. The author has a lovely conversational style of writing, which makes the reader feel as though they’re being personally taught the art of watercolor.

© 2017 Jenna Rainey

The illustrations are beautiful and highly motivating. Even if one decides not to pursue the art of watercolor, this book is coffee table worthy just for the pictures alone. It’s fun to watch the artist turn a few well placed splotches of color into a beautifully detailed painting. I loved that the author included those oh so popular cacti that we've been seeing all over the place lately!

 

© 2017 Jenna Rainey

I’d highly recommend Everyday Watercolor to anyone considering taking up the art of watercolor painting. There’s so much valuable information here that you can’t go wrong. Thanks to Blogging for Books, the publisher and the author for providing a complimentary copy of this book!

5 of 5 Stars, Susan Barton, DIY Mom Blog

Day of the Dead 99¢ Store Craft Haul

If you're like me, you love a great craft bargain. We have tons of dollar stores here in North Texas, but it doesn't seem like we have nearly as many 99¢ Stores. So when we decided to go thrifting a couple of weekends ago, we were thrilled to spot a humongous 99¢ Store close by. I LOVE Dia de los Muertos decorations and found these awesome items just waiting for me on the shelves. 

The plaques, stickers, banner and knee socks were all just 99¢ each! The skull is a nice substantial piece with some weight to it and was just 1.99. 

If you have a 99¢ store near you, you better get over there quick to grab your Halloween and Dia de los Muertos craft and party supplies soon! Happy fall crafting!

Upcycled Funky Denim Cuff Bracelet Idea

Since I've been doing so much old clothes upcycling, I have lots of bits and pieces left over. I save all the elements from the thrift store jeans I cut up and use for skirts, bags, etc. so I decided to make a funky denim cuff bracelet.

I know this certainly isn't a new idea - there are tons of upcycled cuff bracelets online, but it's new for me and I wanted to share a really simple idea here. 

© 2017 Susan Barton, DIY Mom Blog

I used parts of the waistband from a thrift store pair of jeans (hence the Coldwater Creek brand that I don't personally wear).

© 2017 Susan Barton, DIY Mom Blog

I added some "sloppy" stitches and X's with embroidery floss to attach the two pieces together and left the button to function as the clasp. Super simple, just the way I like it!

© 2017 Susan Barton, DIY Mom Blog

Funky Wearable Art Tote Number Two is Finished and Ready to Wear

I'm having so much fun making these adorable wearable art bags. This one's smaller than the last one. It looks perfect for a little girl (or big girl!) who wants something artsy, fun and unique! 

© 2017 Susan Barton, DIY Mom

© Susan Barton, DIY Mom

Funky Wearable Art Tote Bag Made From Recycled Clothing by Susan Barton

To go along with my previous post, I'm sharing my latest creation...my funky wearable art tote. I love the way this came out. I had a bunch of leftover pieces from other projects so I decided to put them together to create this wonky, roomy tote! 

© 2017 Susan Barton

I added some shabby, primitive style embroidery stitches and my own handmade patches. The skull was made from a piece of white denim, that I cut out and added features with fabric markers. Super simple!

I encourage you to try this. It doesn't have to be at all perfect...mine clearly isn't, but that's the funky part. This one measures a generous 18" x 12", excluding the strap - which was made from T-shirt yarn by the way - but you could start with a smaller project. Please let me know what you think about this idea by leaving a comment below.

Sara Sadie's FREE Printable Coloring Activity Book for Big and Little Kids

© sarasadie.com 2017

Here's another AWESOMELY artistic website that shares FREE printables! Sara Sadie has an adorable coloring activity book for kids of all ages to print out. You can print your activity book here.

FREE Father's Day Badges Printable Download

We didn't want to forget dear old dad, so we've created a FREE Father's Day badges printable download for the kiddos to print, cut and give to dad on Father's Day, June 18. As always, this free printable is for your own personal use. Click the photos, save to your computer and print from there. Or you can go straight to the PDF download here. 

© DIY Mom Blog 2017

© DIY Mom Blog 2017

© DIY Mom Blog 2017

Free Mother's Day Book Template Printable Download

Just in time for Mother's Day! Twinkl.co is offering this sweet gift for kids to give Mom on her special day. "A Book About My Mom" can be downloaded directly from the Twinkl.co website (link below). 

Readers can download the PDF file from the Twinkl website here. 

FREE Luggage Tags Printable Vintage Ephemera for Journaling and Scrapbooking

Summer vacation is just around the corner so I'm sharing a wonderful old-timey luggage tag printable. This printable comes from The Graphics Fairy. I think these would make excellent accents on your vacation scrapbook pages! 

You can download the PDF directly from The Graphics Fairy here.

FREE Project Life Card Printables

Happy Friday! I have another FREE printable download for Project Life Card enthusiasts! 

Print these out on white cardstock, cut and use them in your Project Life albums, journals, day planners, whatever your heart desires. I like to use them as bookmarks. I punch holes at the top and add novelty yarns for tassels.  :)

Download Instructions:

Click on the photo to open in a new window. Save to your computer. Print from there. 

FREE World Map 1 Inch Collage Sheet Printable

Here's another FREEBIE printable collage sheet. This one has a variety of crafty uses. Use while teaching kids about geography or add them to your family's vacation scrapbook. They're the perfect size for 1 inch epoxy stickers, bottle cap crafts or just glue them down and use anywhere. I designed them to fit on a 4 x 6 sheet of paper.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Click on the photo and save to your computer. Print and cut with scissors or paper punch. For your personal use only. 

FREE Smiley Face Collection Bottle Cap Art Collage Sheet

Here's another FREE 1 inch circle collage sheet. This one is all about the Smileys. I've made sure they're all different so you can get more out of the sheet. 

Use these for your own personal use on bottle cap art, 1 inch buttons, epoxy sticker art, scrapbooking, journaling, whatever!

Instructions:

Click on the photo to enlarge in a new window. Right click and "Save Image As". Print from there. Cut out by hand or use a 1 inch paper punch. 

Free Minnie Inspired Gift Tags

It's time for another FREEBIE. This one is for adorable Minnie inspired gift tags. 

Each tag measures 3 inches and can be cut out with scissors or a paper punch. Use them as gift tags or even cake toppers. Have fun! 

Instructions:

Click on the photo to enlarge in a new window. Right click and "Save Image As". Print from there. 

*Characters used in this design are not being sold and are free for personal use only. Ownership of these licensed characters is not claimed. 

FREE Easter Bottle Cap Art Printable Download

Just in time for Easter! 

I'm sharing this FREE 1" Easter collage bottle cap sheet today. Use these for bottle cap jewelry, 1" buttons, epoxy sticker crafts, scrapbooking, mixed media art and day planners. 

Instructions:

Click on the photo to enlarge in a new window. Right click and "Save Image As". Print from there. 

*This collage sheet is for your own personal use. Please do not sell or redistribute it in any manner.

Free Kids Book Journal Page to Print and Save

I'm all about getting kids to read. (*See my bookmarks printable here) Here's another FREE printable for you to use to encourage your children to read books and write about them. 

Print this page out, have the kiddos fill in the info and store the sheets in a special binder. Children can use regular store-bought binders, that they've decorated with all sorts of cool craft supplies. What a great activity for the whole family to enjoy!

Instructions:

Click the photo to enlarge in a new window. Save to your computer and then print from there. Super simple! 

*This collage sheet is for your own personal use. Please do not sell or redistribute it in any manner.

Free Bookmarks to Color

I'm sharing this free coloring sheet of four bookmarks to color, from the eBook Review Gal website. Print on standard size white cardstock. Have the kiddos color them in with crayons, pencils or markers, then cut them out to use in books. It's a good way to encourage reading! 

Instructions: 

Click on the photo to open in a new window. Right click to save to your computer, then print. 

Free Download - Princesses Bottle Cap Digi Art

I've decided to begin sharing free digital downloads. These downloads are for your own personal use. To kick off the digi downloads, I'm sharing this FREE 1" princesses collage bottle cap sheet. Use these for bottle cap jewelry, 1" buttons, epoxy sticker crafts, scrapbooking, mixed media art and day planners.

Instructions for Downloading:

Click on the photo to enlarge in a new window. Right click and "Save Image As".

 *This collage sheet is for your own personal use. Please do not sell or redistribute it in any manner.

Just in Time for Valentine's Day - Free Craft Book!

I just finished 41 Valentine's Day Crafts from Prime Publishing and boy was I impressed! The great thing? This book is currently free on Amazon. Grab it while you can and make a few Valentine's Day projects and gifts :) Here's my brief book review:

Just in time for Valentine's Day, this is a wonderful craft book that's filled with tons of heart-themed projects.

41 Valentine's Day Crafts includes plenty of simple craft ideas for gift-giving, home decor, jewelry-making, apparel and accessories. I've already completed a couple of projects and intend to do many more of them.

The materials needed to complete the projects are easily found in any craft store - most crafters probably already have a lot of them in their craft stash.

Each of the project instructions are clear and easy to follow. The accompanying photos are helpful and colorful. There are lots of projects that parents can do with their children. Highly recommended!

5 of 5 Stars, Review by Susan Barton