House Garland Interview with The Boy

What follows is an interview I had with The Boy regarding his collection of little green houses which I made into the following garland:

Michele: I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions about the houses you made. It's for the blog... Would that be alright?

The Boy: Oh, okay.

Michele: When did you make these little houses?

The Boy: Before before before before before last month early in the morning I think. But I don't know.

Michele: Quite a while ago then... Did anyone help you make them?

The Boy: No.

Michele: What are the houses made of?

The Boy: Playdough. Dried playdough.

Michele: Why did you make this collection of playdough houses?

The Boy: I don't know... I wanted to. I wanted to keep myself busy.

Michele: Crafts are a good way to keep busy, that's for sure. So where did the house idea come from?

The Boy: I don't know where it came from. I was playing around with the playdough and the houses just popped out.

Michele: I can relate to that. Can you describe how you made them?

The Boy: Well, to cut them out, I used a butter knife. And to make the bumps, I used the un-dangerous end of a pin. Also, I used a butter knife to make the lines also.

Michele: I use butter knives a lot in my crafts too... What gave you the idea to make the houses progressively smaller?

The Boy: That's so easy. Each time I used up some of the dough to make a house, I had less and less dough, so the houses kept getting smaller and smaller because I didn't have enough dough to make them exactly the same size.

Michele: I love all the different sizes. In fact, I really love your little houses period. Do you?

The Boy: Yes.

Michele: What do you like about them?

The Boy: I like the little bumps. And they sorta have these little dots that look a little bit like snow but it wasn't me who made the snow. It just appeared out of nowhere or else maybe some sort of chemical reaction happened when the dough dried out. But I don't know.

Michele: Well, thank you for telling me about your little houses.

The Boy: You're welcome.

♥M

Fabric Heart Garland

Tell me the truth... Did you suspect, at any moment, that some sort of heartish garland would materialize upon these pages? Did you know in your heart of hearts that I, like so many others, would fall prey to the ebb and flow of those yearly calendar events around which crafters build their crafts. Of course you did. And you were 100% correct. I've become predictable, haven't I?

Could you perhaps, forgive me just this once? For I sincerely heart this tiny garland. I heart the sweet row of blanket stitches holding together each hearty sandwich of fabric and felt. I heart the play of single crochet and chain stitches entwined around some of their heartish borders. I heart how I've woven this latest garland through my new crochet-edge curtains. Little did you know it, but that was my crafty plan you see, hee hee.

The garland brings a sweet blush of colour to our wintery room.

I heart it very much. I hope you heart it too.

♥M

Reader Question: "Got a garland for outside?"

The other day, the lovely Caren dropped an email in my inbox. It went something like this:

I was thinking that maybe you could help me. I have a problem. Actually, it's more of a challenge. See, there's this pesky bird (as my son says) outside - it's a juvenile robin - and it keeps attacking its own reflection in our window. I was thinking it might help to hang some garland strips along the window, but I don't want to make it with materials like paper or cardboard that will dissolve in the rain. Got any ideas on what to make it out of?

And here is the assailant caught red-breasted at Caren's window. Well, yes, the poor little thing does seem to be a titch confused, doesn't he?

This pesky bird (photo provided by Caren)

No dear, you can't come in to use the facilities. You're a fowl for goodness sake. Pee on the car windshield like a normal bird, won't you?

I don't think he heard me.

Well, Caren, I've devised this extremely simple garland using an empty plastic shampoo bottle cut up into circles and strung onto some nylon string. It should be darn weather-resistant. If the stats on plastic are anywhere near correct, this garland will be around long after you or I.

Also, I couldn't bring myself to insult your intelligence with a written tutorial, this thing is just beyond simple to make. Instead, here's a wordless tutorial. If you have any questions, anything at all, you know where to find me!

Wordless Tutorial: Plastic Shampoo Bottle Garland

Plastic shampoo bottle garlands! These could work to scare the birdie, no? If nothing else, they're pretty and they smell good. Hope this does the trick, Caren!

I'd like to note that these plastic garlands were inspired by the many many paper circle garlands you've no doubt seen across the net over the last several years. I was trying to find the earliest instance of the ubiquitous paper circle garland (dreamer...) but the furthest I went back was 2007 and So Sage. I'm fairly certain they've been around much much longer. But who knows. If you know of an earlier case, please post the link in the comments.

I will be taking a bloggy break for the next week to enjoy some family time. The school year is over for the boy today, it's Canada Day on Friday, and our little family will be travelling up north over the long weekend to celebrate my youngest brother getting hitched. I will be back here on Wednesday, the 6th of July with more merry-craft-making. Until then, take good care of yourself, Happy Canada Day, and to my American friends, Happy 4th of July! I'll see you on the flipside!

This post is linked to The Shabby Nest's Frugal Friday!

Tutorial: Cereal Box Garland

I wonder who first named the garland. To me, the word "Gar-Land" sounds like a fantastical place abounding with schools of shimmering gar fishes and pretty-flowy-hanging-things. It certainly doesn't sound like the pretty-flowy-hanging-thing itself... Language is funny, isn't it?

Oh. But I've digressed.

What I meant to say was: I made a garland. Would you like to see how? As you've no doubt gathered, it's as simple as Simon to make. But, you know, since you're here... Here's what I did!

Tutorial: Cereal Box Garland (aka: Cereal Box Pretty-Flowy-Hanging-Thing)

You will need:

1. a cereal box
2. string
3. toilet roll
4. pair of scissors

Cut your cereal box into twine. Do this by cutting a continuous strip all around the box, turning the box over and over until you get a whole lot of cereal box "twine".

Now take your toilet roll and a piece of string. Place the piece of string along the tube with the cereal box twine laying across it. Like so.

Holding your string in place, wind the twine several times around the toilet roll. Tie a knot around the twine with the string. Make a bow.

Slip the twine loop off the toilet roll.

Repeat many many times. Until you have a sizable garland.

Or several sizable garlands.

Now hang it wherever you wish. Either inside...

Or out!

For a whole collection of me-made garlands, click here and here. And here. And um... here. And again here.

'Twould appear I live in GarLand.

Hee.

Have a glorious day, and I'll see you again on Friday!

Series 5: Halve a Circle #1 - Butterfly Garland

Is it bad form to start a new series while knee-deep in another? Probably. Does this bother me? No. This is how my brain works. Happily hopping from one thing to the next with no regard for order. Carrying chaos far and wide. Doing as it bloody well pleases. I'm just here, along for the ride, trying to stay cool and avoid trouble.

So today my brain and I welcome you to Series 5: HALVE A CIRCLE #1 wherein I show you how to make a butterfly garland. And it'll be a quiet one this time; I'll let the pictures do all the talking! Before I begin however, I wish to tell you is that I used an old National Geographic magazine to make my garland because the pages are so lush and appealing. But you don't have to. You can use whatever paper you have at hand. The rest is in the photos and pretty much self-explanatory. If you have any questions, leave a comment, and I will get back to you as soon as I can!

Wordless Tutorial: Butterfly Garland

The results...

Now do have yourself a fine fine day, and I will see you again soon!

I'll be linking here!

Paper Airplane Garland

I will be asking the boy what he thinks of an airplane-flavoured birthday party. His seventh birthday is coming very soon. Lucky number 7 already... Can I believe that? No. I cannot. Also, my birthday is the very next day. Lucky number SOMETHING already... Can I believe THAT? NO. I CANNOT! Anyway, as far as decorations go, here's a possible until-I-get-permission-from-the-powers-that-be garland idea: the paper airplane garland. Suitable for a little boy, I think... What do you think?

Sublimely simple to make. Here's what I did...

Tutorial: Paper Airplane Garland

Make 150 tiny paper airplanes out of junk mail, old gift wrap, and other pretty coloured papers. I never said it was quick. I believe I used the term "simple".

Apply glue to the airplanes' inner surfaces so they won't unfold. Make a scotch tape hanger for each airplane as shown below. Fold down the ends of the tape.

Thread a needle with string. To string up your paper airplane, push the needle through the scotch-tape-hanger on each plane, and gently pull the string through. Repeat 150 times. No problem, eh?

Congratulations, you are done! Now go ahead! Hang your garland and watch those little flyers take off!

And if he decides he simply cannot tolerate the airplanes theme, I'll just leave the airplane garland up in the orangey-red spare bedroom where it hangs now, and have MY birthday party in there. Yes, it's a small room... That's okay, I am fine with small! I love small. Small is beautiful.

Please note that Kimberly at Bugaboo, Mini, Mr and Me recently did a Planes, Trains and Automobiles birthday party for her little one. She was the inspiration for my (possible) airplane-themed birthday party idea. Thanks for the (possible) idea Kimberly!

Now please have yourself a fine fine Monday, and I'll see you again soon!

Tutorial: Lace Hearts

Happy Monday!

A quiet little post for you today. You may have noticed the gift ornament in this earlier post. Here's how I made it.

Tutorial: Lace Hearts

You will need some lace, a heart shaped cookie cutter, Mod Podge, a paint brush, a needle and thread, and a pair of scissors.

Use a paint brush to spread a good layer of Mod Podge on the outer side of your cookie cutter.

Cover the mod-podged cookie cutter with lace as follows. Leaving a bit of extra lace at the beginning and starting at the heart's bottom point, take your lace all the way around the cookie cutter to meet the other lace end.

Slather on a few more coats of Mod Podge. I did 4 coats and left each to dry in between. Once completely dry, I carefully removed the lace by slipping a butter knife (see previous post and add this to that list, tee hee...) underneath it and working it off the cookie cutter. I did have to re-shape the heart a little, pinching the top inner point and rounding the curvy parts between my fingers, but that was easy. Then I added string to make an ornament, or strung it with several others to make a little garland, using a needle and thread.

And that, as they say, was that!

Note: I think fabric stiffener would be a good alternative to Mod Podge to stiffen the lace and make these hearts. I didn't have fabric stiffener, so I used what I had on hand. If you do try it with fabric stiffener, let me know how it goes!

Have yourself a heart-shaped Monday, and I will see you again soon!

Snowflake Mashup

A craft for kids from 1 to 92...

Take your scissors, some printer paper, some Christmas flavoured-junk mail, tape and some string.

Make some regular old snowflakes out of the printer paper and junk mail. Vary the sizes.

Cut your snowflakes in half, or cut curvy chunks out of them. Save all the pieces.

Cobble the pieces back together any which way you like. Use sticky tape to fasten them together and then string them up. Follow your own rules. You are in charge. This is your life.

Listen to me. Or this little guy will not be pleased...

Now, please, go have yourself a fine fine day! ♡

Edited to Add 30 Nov 2011: In answer to a reader's question, I show how I cut out my snowflakes HERE.