4+ hour, 42+ min ago (602+ words) November 30, 2025 by Shellie Wilson There's nothing quite like slipping your feet into a pair of warm, soft, handmade felted booties " especially when you made them yourself. This simple wet felting tutorial walks you through how to make snug, wool booties using just warm water, soap, and your hands. No knitting, no sewing " just beautiful, sculpted felt formed around your own foot template. It's the perfect project for winter crafting, and once you master the basics, you can adjust this pattern for everyone in the family. Trace your foot (or the recipient's) onto a piece of thin plastic or foam. Add 2.53 cm (11.25 in) all the way around " this extra space accounts for shrinkage. Cut two identical foot-shaped templates. If you're making booties with a cuff or ankle height, extend your template upward into a slipper-boot shape. Place your first template on…...

2+ day, 6+ hour ago (558+ words) November 28, 2025 by Shellie Wilson Join Aurora Sisneros in this transformative online class and learn how to master the versatile half square triangle quilt block, opening the door to a world of creative quilting opportunities! As you progress through the class, Aurora will share her seam allowance trick, ensuring precise and polished block assembly every time. Dive into the quilt sandwich process, exploring techniques for layering and basting your quilt with confidence. Then, embark on the exciting journey of binding your quilt, adding the perfect finishing touch to your masterpiece. With Aurora's guidance, you'll not only learn how to create stunning half square triangle blocks but also gain the knowledge and inspiration to design an array of unique quilt layouts. Whether you're a beginner quilter or a seasoned enthusiast, this class offers something for everyone, empowering you to unleash your creativity…...

3+ day, 6+ hour ago (645+ words) November 27, 2025 by Shellie Wilson If there's one thing I've learned over the years, it's that homemade gifts taste better " especially when they're wrapped in love and a little chocolate. Between the school wind-down, wrapping marathons, and the annual "who's bringing dessert?" panic, I've come to rely on one sweet holiday secret: no-bake slices. They're quick, delicious, and perfect for gifting. You don't need an oven, a degree in pastry, or even much patience " just a saucepan, a tray, and a festive mood. So grab that wooden spoon and let's make something worth sharing (and maybe sneaking a piece of before you gift it). 4 full-size Mars Bars (or 160 g mini bars) 3 cups Rice Bubbles (Rice Krispies) 200 g milk chocolate, melted (for topping) Chop the Mars Bars and place them in a saucepan with the butter. Melt over low heat, stirring until…...

4+ day, 5+ hour ago (826+ words) November 26, 2025 by Sarah White If you like colorful cross stitch patterns, pop culture references and a bit of (sometimes adult themed) snark, Pixell Patterns might just be the storefront for you." Another popular category is animals, which includes cars, dogs, a frog in a beret and a shark about to attack, among others. Some of these are a little snarky, too. There are book themed designs (including several taking pride in reading smut), feminist projects, nature inspired designs and more." Other categories you'll find at Pixell Patterns include Halloween, Christmas, beginner (which only has one pattern in it as of this writing) and LGBTQIA+. They also have a few pattern bundles, including one with six geometric designs, including the one shown here. They also offer a handful of cross stitch kits for patterns, which include the printed pattern, all floss,…...

4+ day, 6+ hour ago (1154+ words) November 26, 2025 by Sarah White I'm a big fan of mosaic knitting, which is a way to make colorwork designs in two colors while knitting with only one strand of yarn at a time. You slip the stitches that show as the second color, and each "row" is what you'd normally consider a row and the return on the wrong side." It's pretty logical once you understand how it works and there are lots of designs you can make with this technique. (One of my favorite patterns of mine that uses mosaic knitting is this mosaic knit cowl.) Anna Nikipirowicz is a crocheter and knitter who loves the look of mosaic, too, and her book,"Mosaic Chart Directory for Knitting and Crochet, includes 75 different charts you can use on projects for both knitting and crochet." The 75 designs are arranged into themes:…...

4+ day, 8+ hour ago (564+ words) November 26, 2025 by Heather Holbrook Nicole's pocket page has an interactive fold out flap with plaid and knitted patterned paper backgrounds. She included a festive tag, Winter florals and snowflakes with a chipboard title. Take a look at her entire album project at the Simple Stories blog." This darling sledding layout from Melissa has a fun set of mittens that she created with knit pattern paper and different sizes of oval templates, so clever! There's also lots of swirls and snowflakes, snowy sentiments and a space for journaling on this mostly monochromatic blue design. Visit the Creative Memories blog for directions. Suzanna's ugly sweater layout has loads of texture from flocking added to the stamped sweaters and flocked sheets cut into zig zags and stitched for a bottom border. There's also a top pattern paper sweater style border, dimensional sticker letters…...

5+ day, 2+ hour ago (779+ words) November 25, 2025 by Sarah White When I write these nations of the world posts, I start by Googling the country, which usually leads me first to Wikipedia for basic facts. But the official website for the country came up just below, and I love the website description:" Denmark is a peaceful, cycling-focused society with a focus on gender equality, clean energy, digitalization, and a good work-life balance. Sounds like a pretty good introduction! Let's learn more about Denmark." Denmark is in northern Europe, and it, along with the Faroe Islands and Greenland, is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. Denmark proper is made up of the Jutland peninsula and 406 islands. It borders Sweden, Norway and Germany, as well as the North and Baltic seas." The country is 16,639 square miles, or43,094 square kilometers, and is home to around 6 million people." The capital and…...

5+ day, 7+ hour ago (744+ words) November 25, 2025 by Heather Holbrook Amy R. used new Alex Syberia products to create several amazing faux postage themes Holiday cards. This one features Santa and a present stenciled on die cut faux stamps with stamped sentiments. I love all the extra dies she used for a pink Poinsettia and glittery sentiment too! Watch her video tutorial at the Prairie Paper and Ink blog. Elaine used adorable stamps from Sweet November to create this Santa and his Reindeer card, notice how one has a red nose for Rudolf. Stamped stamped and colored the images onto a die cut sheet of faux postage stamps and used a silver pen to add metallic details to the edges. Visit the Marker Geek blog for a video tutorial. Kelly's stunning card has a stenciled and embossed red striped base with stenciled greenery layer, a vellum die…...

6+ day, 6+ hour ago (616+ words) November 24, 2025 by Shellie Wilson Celebrate the holidays with a delightful array of vegan Christmas recipes that bring warmth, flavor, and festivity to your table. Whether you're hosting a fully plant-based feast or simply looking to add a few meatless dishes to your seasonal spread, these recipes are guaranteed to impress. Looking for more vegan recipes ? Check out these Vegan recipes we wrote about, including Vegan Holiday Cookies and" Vegan cream Pies This vegan pecan pie, with its sticky gooey sweet filling and caramelized pecans in a buttery flaky crust, is the perfect holiday dessert. It is made with maple syrup and brown sugar and contains no corn syrup. Get the Recipe: Vegan Pecan Pie Easy vegan Christmas cake recipe. A simple recipe for a delicious vegan fruitcake with dried fruit nuts that you'll want to make year after year! Get…...

6+ day, 6+ hour ago (297+ words) November 24, 2025 by Shellie Wilson And don't worry'you don't need a pottery wheel or special kiln for this one. A basic pack of polymer clay, a cookie cutter or two, and your oven will do the trick. Roll out your polymer clay to an even thickness (around " inch). Using your cone template, cut out the shape and gently wrap it into a cone. Overlap the seam slightly and press the edges together, smoothing with your fingers. Tip: If the clay feels too soft and sticky, pop it in the fridge for 1015 minutes before shaping. Using your star cutters, press out little windows all around the cone. You can cluster them or scatter them for a twinkling night-sky effect. Smooth the edges of each star with your fingertip to avoid sharp bits. Want to jazz it up? Press small clay balls onto…...