Refashion a Headband – CRAFT Video Podcast
Sonya Nimri of sonyastyle.com shows you how to take a beaded pearl necklace and refashion it into a cute headband.
Month: January 2009
Casting Resin Rings – CRAFT Video Podcast
In this video I walk through the process of making rings out of clear polyester resin, a type of moldable plastic. I show you everything from mold-making to embedments. I used this same technique to make my RFID rings, which are clear plastic containing unique microchips useful for electronics projects where you want to identify a specific person wearing one. Thanks to Townsend Atelier for the sample of Knead-a-Mold, a welcomed (and much easier to work with) alternative to pourable silicone for mold-making.
Fabric Wall Art – CRAFT Video Podcast
In this week’s CRAFT video, we take a visit to the new fabric store Whiz Bang Fabrics in San Francisco where owner Helen Fawcett shows us how to make some cool fabric wall art.
CRAFT: 09 Preview the Green Issue – CRAFT Video Podcast
Here’s a video tour of CRAFT Magazine issue 9. Check out the special Green Craft section with 21 projects with an eco-groove. Learn to fuse recycled plastic bags to make a tote bag and hat, make folded fabric gift wraps, and even learn the basics of hydroponic gardening! Make a secret stash box from vintage books and add LEDs to light up your embroidery. Even learn how to use Google’s free 3D modeling software, Sketchup! Craftzine readers can now get $5 off a yearly subscription by entering the code MCRAFT. That’s just $29.95 for 4 quarterly issues! http://craftzine.com/subscribe
Twitchie Scorpion
I made this scorpion toy with a Twitchie Robot Kit. I’m really afraid of scorpions where I live in Arizona, so I thought a friendly toy would help me get used to them. I made his plush body from some fabric I had around, aiming to make him look like an Arizona bark scorpion, which are tan/yellowish/translucent. Twitchie is Arduino powered and comes pre-programmed, so it’s an excellent kit for beginners in robotics, because no programming is required! You can download and modify the code if you want, and it’s pretty light on the soldering, too. I’d recommend Twitchie for young makers (boys & girls, too!) interested in robotics or moving plush toys. You can buy the Twitchie Robot Kit in the Maker Shed:
http://www.makershed.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=MKTET2
Music is “At the Crack of Noon” by Shuutobi, http://shuutobi.com
Green Holiday Crafts – CRAFT Video Podcast
Join Molly de Vries and pick up some new holiday tricks with a green conscience. She shows us how to make a festive fabric garland from attractive scraps, then shows a furoshiki fabric gift wrapping technique. Molly is a sustainable textiles maven and creator of Ambatalia “The Fabric Society.” Molly recently closed her retail shop in Mill Valley, CA, but you can find her on her blog and etsy shop. She’s even working an underground shop in her home studio for by-appointment shopping, special resourcing, and custom work.
Antique Sock Knitting Machines – CRAFT Video Podcast
I caught up with Shelly Hatton at Maker Faire Austin, where she was demonstrating antique circular sock knitting machines! She writes, “Circular sock machines have been around since the early 1900’s and were built so sturdily that they still survive and work to this day. The machines were originally advertised as a way for homemakers to make money at home by cranking out socks, but the learning curve was really high. Currently, there are a number of enthusiasts around the globe who help each other figure out how to use these really nifty antique machines.” Shelly got interested in these machines when she heard a friend had knitted a pair of sock in two hours!