Making a Fake Fireplace for Christmas Office Decorating

What you will need:

• A long thin box
• One of those Science Fair Project boards - I got mine at Staples but any large craft store should have them
• Brown wrapping paper
• Red wrapping paper
• Tape
• Glue
• Scissors
• An x-acto knife

First, mark the center of your board. Second, you'll want to draw a T starting with about two thirds down from the top of your board for the top of the T and then just marking the center of the board from the top of the T to the bottom of the board. This is your cutting line for your x-acto knife. Just cut. Then, score the board (don't cut all the way through!) at the edges of the T down to the bottom of the board so you can fold the newly cut flaps back. These will help with stabilizing the fireplace so do not cut them off completely. With the long thing box on top, it should look something like this:

Next, wrap the box and glue the brown paper to the board as well. Make sure you cut it at the edges so it will fold properly.

Now, cut 5"x3" squares out of the red wrapping paper. I ended up using around 60 or so, I think. Glue each of the red paper pieces to the board, cutting as needed, to get the "brick" layout.

It may not be perfect, but it will be sturdy enough to hold some weight.

Merry Christmas!!!

Crafting with Oldest Nephew: Making a "Stuffy"

I promised my eight year old nephew that we'd have a "crafting" day today - just the two of us. He was very excited at the idea and said that he couldn't wait. I wasn't sure what he wanted to make but promised to help with anything he wanted.

We went to the "big" Joann's fabric store in Wheaton Maryland. It's about twice the size at the one near my house and is quickly starting to have the better fabrics as well. Since Joann's was having a big sale, I figured we could stop by and check out all the fabrics to see what he wanted to make. Also, since they have paints, clay, jewelry making, and a whole bunch of other crafts, we could easily switch to that as well.

After looking all around the store and at patterns, he told me what he wanted - a stuffy. Apparently, a stuffy is like the Raggedy Andy doll we saw a pattern of but he wanted one that looked like Link from Zelda. Okay, this I can do pretty easily and make my own pattern. We ended up with "flesh" toned muslin (I don't think anyone is really that color), a green cotton flannel remnant, a brown cotton remnant, and a huge thing of stuffing to make the stuffy with.

Once home, I drew out that pattern using my frixion markers (most amazing things ever!) and he cut it out.

Once he finished cutting it out, I had him try to sew it together.  

However, that didn't work.  Unfortunately, I didn't cut it quite right and his stitches were a bit too big so we ended up cutting out a second stuffy out of the yard and a half of "flesh" tone muslin I got.   I then sewed it on the sewing machine.  He did try the peddle for a bit but the corners and curves are too tricky for an 8 year old who is learning to sew.   

Once we turned the muslin inside out, he was very happy to see it was human shaped - but without a skeleton.  So, we worked out a new system - I stuffed the stuffy and he handed me the stuffing or other things as needed.  He did try to stuff it but, like he said, it was not as easy as it looked like it should be.  Also, wooden spoons work wonders for pushing the stuffing into legs and arms.  

Once it was stuffed, I sewed up the head and started on the "hair".  The hair is just left over yellow yarn from a Navy (blue & gold) team colors scarf I made last year.   I showed him how to do it and he did do one row at least.

However, soon after this picture was taken, he got upset at his lack of ability to make perfect stitches and asked me to do the rest.   Once I sewed up the yarn on the back of the head, we started on clothing for the now naked stuffy.

I drew out a simple t-tunic patten and had him cut it out.

I also cut out a hat, sewed it up, but had him sew the hat to the head.  This way, he'd be able to point to what he sewed easily plus he got some more sewing done.   Mostly, he did all the cutting - which is also an excellent skill to have.   

Nephew with the finished stuffy!!!   We weren't able to get around to making the boots but that will be fine for next time.  The stuffy is not naked - a very important point- and does have a ribbon belt so, according to my nephew- he was good.  He later took a sharpie and drew in eyes and a mouth.  

Anyway, just a cute little project to do with my oldest nephew.   I might try something easier next time that he can sew himself - like a t-tunic or pajama bottoms.

My makeshift Knitty Noddy

I have a bumblebee spinning wheel and I love it.  I bought it a couple of years ago.  I wanted a spinning wheel that was all wood but not ridiculously expensive.  Mine is a slightly different style from what they are currently selling - the feet are connected to the wheel just with leather straps, not wood and leather.  

I've found that the spinning wheel is ridiculously quicker than the hand spindle - what took me two hours with the hand spindle I can do in a few minutes with the wheel but I'm slow at spinning.

Today, I finished another skien of yarn.  I overtwisted it, of course, but I'm pretty happy with it overall.  It's just natural wool roving that is now spun and drying.  However, once it was spun, I realized I had a slight problem - how to wrap it and wash it.   I didn't have a knitty noddy anymore as what I was using broke.

So, I took a swimming noodle, cut it with a box cutter, and added two notches on either end.  Yes, the noodle does bend while I'm wrapping the wool but it works for wrapping it, washing it, and letting it dry on the noodle.  The noodle is also cheap.  I bought this one at the dollar store over the summer for another project that never got finished.  Once the wool is dry, I'll wrap it up into a ball.  

Warm Knitted "Gauntlets"

While at Pennsic, I finished my fingerless mittens from this pattern. While not period, they are WARM and I loved them.

I did them out of a lovely burgundy wool I got in Ireland a couple of years ago.  The one on the right is slightly shorter than the one on the left - only by one row.  The pattern calls for 14 rows to be knitted above the thumb gusset - which is way too much for me.  The left gaunlet has 11 and the right has 10.   Finished, they come to just above the elbow.

The pattern also calls for two rows of 8 knit between the increases for the thumb gusset (rather than going from 6,8,10 there is a second 8 in there).  I ignored that and went with only one row of 8. 

These mittens were a dream to have on at night when I went to bed.  It gets cold at Pennsic and I slept with these on.   The pattern is BIG but not unreasonably so.  I'd say if you want a close fitting mitt, go down two needles sizes.  If you want one that is a bit loose, go down one.  I could easily fit my entire hand through the finger opening without any issues. 

I am washing these to see if they will shrink a bit.  I'll try the pattern again some day with a smaller needle - they are simple but fun.  I'm not good with the complicated patterns and this was very easy for me to understand and knit up fairly quickly.