More questions from the newb. So I finally ventured out to this cool knitting store I'd read about about an hour away. I talked with the woman who was very helpful and it turned out that to make a baby blanket (my first anticipated project) it would cost about 80 dollars. Is this the norm? I know the place had good quality stuff but I felt a little overwhelmed at spending 80 before I knew I could make a blanket successfully and didn't end up purchasing anything.
Edited to add: this was just the cost of the skeins.
@homemake I'm no knitting expert, but yarn prices will be much cheaper at the box stores like Joann and Michael's. She probably has really good quality, hand dyed stuff... so, I'm not saying it's not worth it, but there are cheaper options when you are starting out.
@homemake I've only crocheted but I've never spent that much on yarn for one project and I made a huge afghan for my sister as a graduation present. You don't have to go to a specialty store. If you have a Hobby Lobby or another craft store near you, go look at their yarn selection. You can even find some good yarn at Walmart. I got 3 skeins of yarn and a new hook at HL for under $10 to make my baby blanket. You definitely don't need to spend that much.
@homemake that does seem high and since you aren't sure you can/will enjoy making a blanket successfully I'd check out Joann's or a similar craft store and I bet you can get the yarn for a lot cheaper. Then if you really like it you can always go back and get the higher quality stuff if you'd like for a second blanket. Or personally I'm probably only going to use the yarn I get at Joann's.
I remember when I got all the supplies to make my first quilt I couldn't believe how expensive it was (>$100). I know a lot of people fall into the trap of handmade = cheaper but that really isn't true most of the time. However handmade is usually higher quality and you can personalize it to exactly what you like so in that sense it is probably cheaper than getting something personalized of equal quality that was made by someone else.
Me: 33 | DH: 34 Married: October, 19, 2015 EDD 2/22/17 DS1 born on 3/2/17 EDD 3/8/20 DS2 born on 3/10/20 EDD 11/24/23 (Formerly Marriedhamstermom Feb ‘17)
@homemake - Walmart carries yarn as well. It's not a huge selection, but their prices are really good. For me, it's way closer than trying to drive to Joann's or Michael's, so I made it work for my current project.
@homemake boutique yarn shops have the best yarn! It's usually designer brand name and high quality fiber. But yeah, it's really expensive and some materials aren't the best for repeated washing (baby spit up, pee/poo, dropped on floor, etc). If you're just starting out, the cheap stuff from joanns/Michaels/Walmart etc is probably better to learn on and much cheaper. Acrylic blends have a little stretch and wash up well.
Not a huge craft but my 5 year old is going as a 70's roller skater for Halloween so I am going to make fake roller skates out of sneakers and foam hair rollers. My husband and I are going to be a milkman and a housewife so I bought uniform patches off eBay from an old dairy farm and am going to try to make him a nametag and a hat. I only get crafty for Halloween and Christmas haha.
...I had some free time and have been meaning to make my ferret a new set of winter bedding before it gets too cold. Doesn't exactly match, but I don't think he cares
We bought a vintage mid century modern dresser off craigslist that will double as changing table. I am going to refinish and redesign it. Then doing the same to a bed frame that we have. Here is the before of the dresser.
@homemake you got it right! NYC! Although craigslist is same here as everywhere else. hit or miss. FULL of Ikea stuff b/c apartments are small, people are broke, and move often. That sounds snobbier than I meant it. I really like Ikea designs, but I don't need an ikea resale piece, ya know?
So this find was pretty exciting.
Me: 36, H: 37 FTM, 2 Furbabies married 03/17/07 lived in Houston, Austin, Los Angeles and NYC due: 2/15/17
Help me decide what to do with this chest. We received from in laws and I am not a fan of the look. It's hiding in our guest room which will soon become the nursery. I don't like any part of it but I feel like it could potentially be useful if I thought it was prettier.
@homemake do you plan to keep it in the nursery? if so it could hold toys or bedding. i could also see it in the living room to hold blankets or toys. or in an entryway to hold shoes and umbrellas or hats and scarves.
you can do a number of things to change the look. sand it and paint it or stain it. just paint the front. decoupage it. do a ceramic mosaic on the front. add feet to it to elevate it off the floor. add a cushion to the top and make it into seating.
@cruffino I'm not sure how I want to use it, probably not in the nursery. I was thinking of chalk painting it but maybe doing something more creative to the front? I like the idea of adding a cushion for seating but using for blanket storage or entryway storage. I also like the idea of adding feet. I've never done something like that before, where do I find feet options? Home Depot.
@homemake my mom has a cedar chest about that size which she keeps at the foot of her bed to store photos and such in.
Other than that, a toy box, linen storage, or anything that doesn't really need to breathe could go in there. I wouldn't recommend shoes, but otherwise sky is the limit.
I would probably go the sand and stain route, but I'm boring and like wood grain! @cruffino had a great idea about adding feet, too.
@homemake yes, both Home Depot and Lowes sell feet, and casters if you wanted make it mobile. also, many antique stores sell really interesting feet so there might be a local place near you. this website looks pretty good too: https://www.diyupholsterysupply.com/
Make DD1 and DD2's Halloween costumes (witches- cute story! My oldest daughter one day came up to me and said "listen, mommy, I will make you a deal... I will be a witch for Halloween IF you paint my whole face green." LOL okay, done. As if I had any ponies in that race... Then we tried to convince DD2 to be a cat and she said she wanted to be a "purple witch"... Well alrighty then.)
Our church is having a trunk or treat type event and my small group is doing a mad scientist booth. I gotta figure stuff out for that.
DD1- Aug11 Angel Baby- June13, said goodbye Oct12 DD2- Aug13 DD3- due Feb17
Help me decide what to do with this chest. We received from in laws and I am not a fan of the look. It's hiding in our guest room which will soon become the nursery. I don't like any part of it but I feel like it could potentially be useful if I thought it was prettier.
Chalk paint the wood and find some fun wall paper or contact paper (heck, you could probably mod-podge some scrapbook paper) over the dolphins and such. That looks like a FUN project!
DD1- Aug11 Angel Baby- June13, said goodbye Oct12 DD2- Aug13 DD3- due Feb17
Crowdsourcing project here everyone. I went out and picked i didn't have much choice for colors so either I'm going to do the lace with a multi color stencil covering the ocean scene or the vintage with the lace as the stencil. If I do the multi color stencil I have a light pink and a yellow and a light blue. Opinions?
I think I like the idea of the multi-colored stencil Paint the background yellow and then I would mix it up with the greenish and blue-ish, maybe not pink.
DD1- Aug11 Angel Baby- June13, said goodbye Oct12 DD2- Aug13 DD3- due Feb17
Been working on this damned dragon for about 15 years now :-p. It spent quite some time hiding in the closet. I WILL finish it this year! Gotten quite a bit of headway on it in recent months (so not sure if this counts as an exclusively October craft).
Also plan on starting my son's first year book. My son who just turned two last month....
@LilyASF42 I have had the best luck with the photo albums that you create from your phone. I used Shutterfly for our wedding on the PC but it took Forever!
I used simple prints this year and last. Super quick and easy. I even edit/combine photos on my phone in a photo editing app. It has let me work on it at work/random waiting times rather then have to dedicate blocks of time to it.
@LaurenAshley04 Thanks for the tip! I used Shutterfly for our wedding book and wedding guestbook a number of years ago and I remember it being pretty user friendly but I recently went back to get ready for this book and it was a mess :-p Not sure what they did to their format and program but it was not simple at all. I'll have to check out Simple Prints.
Started working on a project for baby girls room today. we decided on coral/mint/gold/navy color scheme. Spray painted a mirror frame but it turned out a lot darker than I was thinking. I wanted to paint some flowers on it too. Started with the bottom. Name will probably go across the top but not 100% sure yet. Just kind of playing it by ear. I'm so critical though so I may end up putting it up for awhile and checking it out later. The top picture is fabric we'll be using for sheets/part of my inspiration
Re: Craft Corner, October
Edited to add: this was just the cost of the skeins.
Married: 9/2013
Love my LEO!!
TTC #1: 9/2015
BFP: 2/1/16 MC 2/8/16 @ 5wks
BFP: 5/22/16 RAINBOW BABY
EDD: 1/30/2017 *IT'S A GIRL!!!!*
Kirsten Grace 1/20/17
I remember when I got all the supplies to make my first quilt I couldn't believe how expensive it was (>$100). I know a lot of people fall into the trap of handmade = cheaper but that really isn't true most of the time. However handmade is usually higher quality and you can personalize it to exactly what you like so in that sense it is probably cheaper than getting something personalized of equal quality that was made by someone else.
Married: October, 19, 2015
EDD 2/22/17
EDD 3/8/20
EDD 11/24/23
(Formerly Marriedhamstermom Feb ‘17)
If you're just starting out, the cheap stuff from joanns/Michaels/Walmart etc is probably better to learn on and much cheaper. Acrylic blends have a little stretch and wash up well.
Dino tail
...I had some free time and have been meaning to make my ferret a new set of winter bedding before it gets too cold.
Doesn't exactly match, but I don't think he cares
FTM, 2 Furbabies
married 03/17/07
lived in Houston, Austin, Los Angeles and NYC
due: 2/15/17
(I also really think you live in NYC but if I'm wrong... so sorry!)
So this find was pretty exciting.
FTM, 2 Furbabies
married 03/17/07
lived in Houston, Austin, Los Angeles and NYC
due: 2/15/17
do you plan to keep it in the nursery? if so it could hold toys or bedding. i could also see it in the living room to hold blankets or toys. or in an entryway to hold shoes and umbrellas or hats and scarves.
you can do a number of things to change the look. sand it and paint it or stain it. just paint the front. decoupage it. do a ceramic mosaic on the front. add feet to it to elevate it off the floor. add a cushion to the top and make it into seating.
lots of options!
Other than that, a toy box, linen storage, or anything that doesn't really need to breathe could go in there. I wouldn't recommend shoes, but otherwise sky is the limit.
I would probably go the sand and stain route, but I'm boring and like wood grain! @cruffino had a great idea about adding feet, too.
this website looks pretty good too: https://www.diyupholsterysupply.com/
i didn't have much choice for colors so either I'm going to do the lace with a multi color stencil covering the ocean scene or the vintage with the lace as the stencil. If I do the multi color stencil I have a light pink and a yellow and a light blue. Opinions?
Also plan on starting my son's first year book. My son who just turned two last month....
Yeah I'm an awful parent, what of it??!? ;-p
I used simple prints this year and last. Super quick and easy. I even edit/combine photos on my phone in a photo editing app. It has let me work on it at work/random waiting times rather then have to dedicate blocks of time to it.
FTM, 2 Furbabies
married 03/17/07
lived in Houston, Austin, Los Angeles and NYC
due: 2/15/17