13 Things is getting creative this week. With a Stay At Home order by the governor of Nevada in place because of the coronavirus epidemic, many people are spending more time at home. It's a great time to work on craft or home projects. Here are 13 suggestions for you to try:
1. Jennifer Paquin, also known as Jenn The Ripper, can show you how to take a simple T-shirt (and other articles of clothing) and turn them into something fun and hip. Her business is named Torn Cutoure and she shows you how to cut up a different piece of clothing every Friday night on her Instagram account. Or, you can watch below.
2. Kelley and Hannah Gustafson love to make chunky blankets. All you need is a pair of scissors and thick yarn. To begin, you make a loop at the beginning. Continue making as many loops as you would like. Make at least 20 loops if you want to make a blanket to use while lying on the couch. At the end of the first row, you make a loop through the last loop of the first row and work back along the first row. Repeat this process when you reach the end of the second row. Keep adding rows until you finish the first skein of yarn.
At that point, you will need to add another skein of yarn to the blanket. All you do is tie a knot to add the new yarn and continue adding loops to your blanket.
When your blanket reaches the size you want, you will need to cast off the last row. To do this, you pick up the first two loops of the last row, and then put the yarn through both loops to make one loop. Take that loop and pick up the next loop on the last row and make a new loop. Run the yarn through that loop and the next loop in the line, making another loop. Continue this until the end of the row and tie a knot at the end. Cut the remainder of the yarn and weave it into the blanket.
Trim any excess yarn from the blanket like the spots where you add skeins together. The blanket is complete!
3. Donna Ingraham is a master mask maker and many people are making their own personal masks these days. Even though they will not completely protect your from catching the new coronavirus (or other nasty bugs), they may help. Watch her below and then follow her instructions:
Items Needed:
Cotton Fabric, Pins, A Needle, Thread Or Sewing Machine,
34 inches (1/8” or 1/4”) Elastic Or Bias Tape
Step 1: Pre-Wash Fabric, Iron and Cut
Main Fabric 11” wide by 9” tall
Lining Fabric 2 pieces each cut a 7 ½” wide by 5 ½” tall
Step 2: Make a ¼” fold on one of the Lining pieces on the 7 ½” width, Iron then Stich
Step 3: Sew the Lining Pieces onto the Main Fabric with right side facing each other
Step 4: Pin and Iron the 3 Pleats
Step 5: Sew the Pleats into place Vertically
Step 6: Sew in your “Tie Sleeves”
Step 7: Insert your Elastic or Bias Tape and tie into a knot!
4. Braden Hahn is a very special young man. The 2nd grader recently moved into a new neighborhood. He asked his mom if there was anything he could do during the shutdown to make people happy. They came up with the idea to paint rocks and leave the on his neighbors' doorsteps. He also made a sign for their window that says “Everything‘s Gonna Be Alright," which is the title of a Kenny Chesney. Click here if you would like to learn more about painting rocks.
5. A fun and colorful craft project are giant tissue flowers. Dianna Crosman showed us how to do it and provided simple instructions for the project. If you've ever wondered what to do with all the leftover tissue you've bought to go into gift bags, here you go.
Supplies: 6 pieces of tissue paper
Semi sturdy wire approx. 15 inches long
Scissors
Pliers
Favorite scent
How to:
1. Stack layers of tissue paper neatly. If you are using a green sheet place it on bottom of stack so that it is the bottom petal.
2. Starting with shorter end, fold the paper accordion style in approx. 1 ½ inch folds till you get to the end.
3. Fold about 4 inches of one end of the wire over the center of the folded paper. Center it then use your pliers to squeeze the wire tight and twist the wires together to secure.
4. Cut both ends of tissue paper to shape your petals. Experiment with different cuts. The traditional cut is scalloped like a half circle.
5. Starting with the top layer gently separate your paper layers pulling upwards. Your first layer should be pulled as high as possible to fill in the center of your flower.
6. For the final touch spritz your flower with your favorite scent.
Experiment with different sizes and colors. Make a bouquet! But remember to always start folding from the shorter end of the paper.
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6. You might remember this one from the '70s -- string art. You can make your on monogramed string art in a few easy steps. Al you need is a wood plaque, acrylic paint small nails, scissors, a foam paintbrush, a hammer, tweezers and heavy thread or string. Click here for complete instructions.
7. Transform burnt-out bulbs into cute craft projects like a tiny terranium. Here are instructions from Juliette Melton of The Hipster Home.
8. Have you ever thought about turning your coffee filters into a piece of art? All you have to do is dip new filters into fabrick dye to create a colorul, flower-inspired piece of temporary wall art. Click here for more information.
9. Do you have any vases or jars that are just sitting around that you would like to spruce up? With a few simple drawing techniques, you can transform them into bohemian-inspired pieces of art. See how to do it here.
10. Here's another idea that is a bit retro -- a hemp twine ball lamp. All you need is glue, hemp twine, a bouncy ball and a bit of patience. You can also use glitter and paint to make the lamps really stand out. Click here for instructions.
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11. Want to transform your glassware into works of art? All you need are paint markers. These ideas are so easy, you don't need to be an artist. Click here to find out how to add some color to your glassware.
12. If you love animals, you might enjoy this project -- DIY animal ornaments. There's a good chance if you are a parent, you already have plastic toy animals lying around the house that your children are no longer interested in. You will also need some ModPodge, pages from an old book, a glue gun, a marker and a few other items. Here are the instructions.
13. You are probably familiar with tie-dye shirts, but have you ever heard of using the ice dye technique on pillows? This is so easy, it's almost unbelievable. All you need is ice and powder dye. You simply put ice cubes on your pillow and then sprinkle the dye on top of the ice and wait for it to melt, creating beautiful watercolor patterns on the pillow. See some examples here.
We are looking for ideas for future 13 Things lists. If you have a home workout that you can demonstrate or show us how you are practicing self-care at home, let us know. Send an email to joyce.lupiani@ktnv.com.
