Phone Stand Pattern

ARE YOU READY? The first “how-to” post! I mean it seemed odd that I a crafter, who has a craft blog with no crafts but I love to craft so a crafter with no crafts on her craft blog is just un-crafty. Uh did that make any sense? Okay. Lets try again. What I’m trying to say is why have a craft blog with no craft posts… Ugh. This isn’t working lets just get into it.
 Materials:
• Fabric
• Stuffing
• Poly pellets
• Iron away marker
• And Iron (or straightener, curler, etc.)
• Seem ripper
• Scissors
• Hand sewing needle




Step one: Cut a 6-by-8-inch piece of fabric

Step two: Fold fabric in half hamburger style, pin, and sew on the edge of the presser foot where the to ends meet. (Green line in the picture)
















Step three: Sew the adjacent side on the edge of the presser foot. (Green line in the picture)

Step four: Here is a tricky part. On the other adjacent that has not been sewn pull open and align the long side seam in the middle. (As pictured) Then sew on the green line

Step five: Open a small section on the long side seam. (pink to pink)

Step six: Turn it right side out and push out corners using a pen end.

Step seven: Sew a half-inch in on the side with the open seem. Leave a gap or seam rip a small space (Sew on pink lines) 

Step eight: Fill this small area with poly pellets, this was difficult to photograph. Then sew this area shut.

Step nine: Measure another half inch in and sew on the pinkish-purplish line.

Step ten: Stuff large section.

Step eleven: Add poly pellets to give a little weight to the back.

Step twelve: Hand sew the opening close.

Step thirteen: Clip threads and iron away any marks And you’re done!
Look at that! Now you have your very own little phone stand. Enjoy!

Storage Hoarder?

It’s time to come clean; my name is Kayla Scaramella and I’m a storage hoarder. I love to organize my craft supplies, however I have much more storage space than I need. Perhaps it is because I believe I am partly OCD or maybe it’s because I’m a girl and I live 3 boys- I’m not sure, but I can tell you that I need my thread on a thread rack and my 12 by 12 sheets in a scrapbook paper organizer. Any crafter loves to know exactly where everything is in his or her craft room. Now before you assume that I just have piles and piles of bins and organizers- lets just say I have piles. It’s a fact of life; any crafter you get to know enough that you get an invite to their house you’ll notice very neat desks and storage units. Are they full? Well that’s another story. I’d have to say I have about 75% of my storage space filled, but don’t worry, that 25% is devoted to the craft supplies I haven’t bought- and trust me, that 25% will be used eventually. What I believe I am is I’m trying to fill the void of being a crafter on a budget. Only cure? More craft supplies!

Crafters Everywhere

We all have those friends. The ones who like to brag about what they’ve “made”. They compliment you, only to get you to compliment them, and then they tell you all about what ever they have “made.” What does it even mean to make something? Nowadays it seems like every single teenage girl is the most creative person in the entire world and they “make” everything. In case you didn’t know, when you cut up a pair of your old jeans and turn them into shorts it is altering an existing piece of clothing. Altering jeans doesn’t measure up to a dress I made from fabric and thread. I have been sewing for five and a half years and when you show me your shirt that you tie-dyed while I’m wearing a cardigan that I spent 8 hours on, I am going to be offended. Before you call me out, yes- I have altered jeans and tie-dyed a shirt and no- I am not saying that you are not creative if you have created these things. All I am saying is that people who have actually make stuff do not like when you are begging for our attention for something we could “make” in our sleep. Next time you want to flaunt your DIY hair bow, remember you might not be the only crafty person in the room.

Websites Every Crafter Should have in their Favorites Bar

If you are a true crafter you know that sometimes you might be a little short on what to- well craft! Have no fear other crafters have already thought of a solution! The crafting community has recently developed into an Internet sensation. Some websites are devoted to just to how to’s and ways to make all of our lives easier. Popular Youtubers have flourished while sharing their DIY’s and tips. Here are a few you definitely should bookmark.
1. Pinterest.com – I’m sorry, but if you have never heard of this website before then you have been living under a rock. I’ve had my Pinterest for about two years and I can honestly say I wouldn’t be alive without it. Pinterest is a network of everything crafty. It has tips to tutorials on just about anything. Need to know how to make jewelry out of soda can tabs? You got it! And maybe you’re not on your laptop all the time or you’re not up for that much effort; that’s okay. Pinterest has an app version too. The best part? It’s free and easy to sign up! So what are you still doing here?
2. Etsy.com – Ever wish of selling a few of your trinkets online? Or maybe there is a certain craft tool you need. When my friend first told me about Etsy she said “Etsy is like Ebay, but there is no biding and is so much cooler,” and she was right! My aunt has an Etsy shop where she sells little girl bags and dresses. She has made over five thousand dollars in the past year! On top of selling on Etsy she is also a huge buyer, she constantly sends me pdfs of the patterns she buys. So if you want to get a unique gift or new scrapbooking scissors Etsy is the place to be.
3. Youtube.com – Seems pretty basic right? But Youtube is a great site to find step by step tutorials on pretty much anything. A few girls, such as Bethany Mota, have hit it big and are always posting DIY videos on everything from hair to room design. Try typing in “How to cut a t-shirt,” and thousands of results will come up. Watch a couple videos and you might be inspired to create your own Youtube to help the rest of us.
4. TheHunt.com – Now this is not exactly a DIY site but while you’re on one of MY favorite sites, (soon to be your favorites too,) and you find a cute shirt but you can’t find where it’s from. Before the tears start rolling, try this website. You can search for your desired item through existing posts or you can make a new post. Just attach a picture of what you are looking for and in a couple days someone else will help you out by posting a link to the store where your dream shirt is sold. Simple. Never lose hope ever again!
5. Craftgawker.com – This site is very similar to Pinterest. Other than a different color scheme, there are many unique crafts that are not on Pinterest. And what is wrong with having more sources for inspiration. I have an account on both, but when I find something I like I pin to Pinterest, that way I have everything in the same place. I suggest you sign up for both and find out which one you prefer and stick to it.