The Fiftul Crafter

I’m Back! With Bread!

mspolina — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:24:02 +0000

First off, I have to thank my dear friend Lindsey. Thank you, Lindsey for reminding me that I’ve been neglecting this little project. Although I’ve been crafting a whole lot, I’ve been hording these little bits of happiness. But Lindsey has reminded me that although we may craft in private, DIY projects should rightfully be out there floating around in cyberland. So I’m back and recommitting to you, crafter types, who will read even the laziest blogger’s posts for a handy tip!

So I don’t post much about my baking here, but this loaf of bread just came out so beautifully that I had to show it off. This no-knead bread has been featured on a gazillion blogs, including Made By Frances, who has several awesome posts about it and its variations. The original recipe is from the New York Times and it’s one of the most forgiving breads you could possibly make. It was my first ever loaf and while it came out a bit dense, it was still chewy and delicious. Here are the photos. That’s right, keep drooling.

I Made a Hat

mspolina — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 23:46:55 +0000

Three years ago I crocheted a chunky striped scarf for my boyfriend. He never wore it.

I found the scarf again a few weeks ago and took it apart to reuse the yarn. Then I used that yarn to make a hat:

Nifty, eh?

I still want to add some embellishments. Any ideas?

A 15 Minute Project

mspolina — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 01:48:33 +0000

I’ve been thinking about this project for about a week now. In a recycling bin at work, I found a piece of foam core fashioned to stand up on its own, sort of like a picture frame. A perfect canvas, right?

First, I rummaged through my fabric scraps for some snazzy cloth and ripped some pieces into long strips. I ripped them instead of cutting them in order to add some texture.

A small pile of fabric strips:

It was then a simple matter of laying down a horizontal line of glue and pasting on a strip of fabric, one at a time. I glued the pieces down close together so they overlap, giving the piece a messy look.

I then glued the end pieces down on the back of the foam core and glued down another strip of cloth over the end pieces for a nice, even finish

And that’s it! All done in 15 minutes.

I am not an eggplant.

mspolina — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 23:57:11 +0000

Haha. Yes you are! Two weird vegetables in one week. What are the odds?

Mr. Creepy Potato Head.

mspolina — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 01:32:39 +0000

I just can’t bring myself to eat it.

The Mini Magnet Package

mspolina — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 12:47:56 +0000

I finally made some sales on Etsy! I much prefer giving things away, but it’s nice to get some income from crafting once in a while. It is a massive industry, afterall, and tools and materials aren’t always cheap or found among recyclables (although the latter is less a problem than the tools). Anyway, here are some photos of the magnet sets I sold and their packaging (which I may like even more than the magnets!).

Birthday Crafts for a Lovely Little Girl

mspolina — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 00:23:45 +0000

It’s my cousin’s 7th birthday today. And you know what that means. She got the full craft treatment. Card, gift – in the mail. Always a source of inspiration, Made by Frances had a post a while back about sewn paper cards, so I tried it out, birthday style.

This little cousin o’ mine has been asking me to make her a hat for a while, most recently in a letter (“Dear Polina, I miss you. I hope your leg feels better. P.S. Don’t forget my hat”). So I made one. I followed this pattern and added a little slinky flower using these instructions. Here’s me trying to fit it on my too big head.

I’m hoping she’ll send me a much better photo of her wearing it.

Mini Magnets Now on Etsy!

mspolina — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 19:24:59 +0000

That’s right folks, check it out: www.thefitfulcrafter.etsy.com.

Painted Paper Vase

mspolina — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 16:19:25 +0000

My current employer doesn’t recycle, although everyone automatically still tosses paper into the blue bins at our cubicles. So naturally, I now consider all the company’s paper waste an endless source of craft supplies. I now have stacks of paper at home which I’ve been using to make paper bowls and vases, using the method I learned from Made by Frances, who makes wonderful magazine bowls.

I’ve been wanting to make a tall vase for a while now, but I’m not much of a sculptor, so clay was out, and I didn’t think tall felted vases would hold their shape. Instead, I built one out of rolled and flattened paper tubes.

If you’d like to make one of these, start out with the magazine bowl instructions from Made by Frances. Remember, you can adjust the diameter of your base to change the shape of your bowl/vase. Also, one modification: I cut my paper down lengthwise into thirds to make thinner paper tubes than you’d get with a full sheet. This makes the flattened tube a bit easier to manipulate for smaller pieces.

Then when you want the vase to start narrowing, just glue the flattened tubes onto the inside ridge and on continue that way:

Next, cover the vase with newspaper to smooth it out:

Then paint it however you like!

The closeup:

Painted Flower Pots

mspolina — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 01:57:19 +0000

My friend Made by Frances suggested I mosaic my craft tool flower pots, which would have looked fantastic, but alas, I went a different route. I decided to paint them – partly because last time I tried to make a mosaic I committed a rather shameful faux-pas in which I attempted to break ceramic plates with a hammer on the hardwood floor and a boy from downstairs rang our doorbell and bashfully asked us if we could keep it down. I’ve since moved out but I’m still embarrassed about it. I also don’t have the money for plates and grout. Another time, another time.

So instead, I decided to paint the pots. Here’s how they turned out: