Transforming boring pens and pencils

Covering pens, pencils, and mechanical pencils out of boredom.....  :)

You will need:  Mod Podge, foam brush, pens, pencils, mechanical pencils, paper, fabric, ribbon, string,

Measure your writing utensils

Cut paper to these measurments leaving about 1/8 th of an inch for over lapping.

put a coat of mod podge on back of paper, then start wrapping your pen, smoothing the paper down all around as you go. I like using the pens and pencils with the flat sides, rather than round, it's easier for me to make sure the paper is all pressed down nicely.

Coat outside with mod podge. make sure to get the ends well

when wraping with fabric, i found it easier to get a tight wrap when pulling tight while simultanously pressing down onto my work surface.

allow to dry completely  (a few hours)

(yes i have a RHPS poster over my craft desk! )

when using string or ribbon, I coat the ribbon or string in mod podge that has been slightly thinned with water, then I wrap tightly around the pen.  (the lids will not fit on fabric, ribbon, or string covered pens very easily)

wooden pencils covered in paper, can be sharpened with no problems.

Knitted Ear Warmer with Crochet Flower

First thing's first, measure your head, around the way you wear the earwarmer. 
My measurement is 23 inches


Super Bulky yarn,  I used Lion Brand Hometown USA in Phoenix Azalea, one skein was *just* enough, so if you like some wiggle room, get two. 
size 10 1/2 knitting needles and also crochet hook
one button to put the ear warmer on
one nice button for adorment for flower (optional)


KFB video help

Cast on 5 stitches
Knit (right side)
Purl (wrong side)
Knit
Purl
K2, KFB, K2
P
K2, KFB, K3
P
K3, KFB, K3
P
K3, KFB, K4
P
K4, KFB, K4
P
K4, KFB, K5
P
K5, KFB, K5
P


Now, measure your work from just under the needle, to the end.  Double this measurement and subtract it from your head measurement.  You will knit this number of inches in stockinette stitch (knit row, purl row). 


Mine was 4.5 inches. 4.5 X 2 = 9    23 - 9 = 14 inches to knit in stockinette stitch. 


K2tog video help

Now you will start the decrease. Making sure you are about to knit a 'right side' row:


K5, K2tog, K5
P
K4, K2tog, K5
P
K4, K2tog, K4
P
K3, K2tog, K4
P
K3, K2tog, K3
P
K2, K2tog, K3
P
K2, K2tog, K2
P
K
P
K2, YO, bind off 1, K2 (starting button hole)
P2, YO, P2 (completing button hole)
K
P
Bind off, careful to not pull too tightly,  DO NOT cut yarn or pull last stitch through! 


Transfer the last loop of the bind off to your crochet hook. 


Chain 1, single crochet once over every other < stitch along the the edge, except corners where you will put two single crochet stitches, ending with one more single crochet in the stitch where you began.   Cut yarn, and join with an "invisible join." 


invisible join video help

magic loop video help (also called magic circle)

Flower:
Start with a magic loop ... make this larger than normal, so go over two fingers instead of one.


Rnd 1: ch 1, *sc, dc, tpl, dc, sc* , repeat *to* 4 times, join with slip stitch into back loop of first sc (5 petals total)
Rnd 2: working behind rnd 1, *ch5, slip into back loop of first sc of each petal* around. (5 loops total)
Rnd 3: in each loop made in rnd 2, make petal (sc, dc, tpl, dc, sc) join with slip stich into back loop of first sc (5 petals)
Rnd 4: working behind rnd 3, *ch5, slip into back loop of first sc of each petal* around. (5 loops total)
Rnd 5: in each loop made in rnd 4, make petal (sc, dc, tpl, dc, sc) join with slip stich into back loop of first sc (5 petals) 
Cut yarn, leaving a long tail for sewing onto ear warmer.


Sew flower onto ear warmer in desired placement, add button and adorment, weave in all ends. 


Wear to keep warm during winter! 

Knifty Scarf!

I recently bought some rectangular knitting looms and this is my first project. I had no idea how to use them, and reading written instructions is a foreign language to me so these two videos came in really handy for me:

I used this pattern for the flower, holding three strands of worsted weight yarn together and a K/10 hook. 

Flower One

and I used this pattern to make two leaves, also holding three strands of worsted and a K hook.

Happy Leaves

I love how HUGE the flower turned out, just liked I'd hoped. 

Looks good with my coat!

Don't you love my happy bunny jammies as much as I do? ?? :)

Pinterest Projects I've actually done!

button flowers... in magnet form!

.... just showing off some of my crochet work....

Since this blog is still new, I'm not going to post the patterns for all of these at this point in time. I'm just showing off this stuff because I want to. 


As I make more things, I will add them to this blog, and probably put the patterns on, so if you like to crochet (or knit), follow me! 


the first knitting project ever a scarf for my mom

A fishy blanket for my very best friend's first born. also knitted

A knitted Gryffindor scarf for my son Aidan (and he's a little hilarious thing, you'll probably be hearing a lot about him)

MONSTER HATS for my kids!!! You've already met Aidan, he's 6, in first grade, and a super dork, but that's a GOOD thing in this family!.. and my daughter Lydia, she's 8, and she can be a girly princess girl one minute, and the next day, she'll talking about nothing but how much she hates the color pink and hello kitty.... ... girls.... what are you gonna do? 

MINIONS

Rainbow scarf for the girl...

Sock Monkey Hat  --- this was the first thing I've ever sold, I was proud a friend bought it for her little boy. 

granny blanket for Lydia's room, she picked all the colors 

a request from Aidan... he loves this, wears it all the time
 (and yes I make a ton of hats and things for my kids, we have a LOOOOONG cold winter her in Alaska, it makes it fun!)

one for the girl

hat for me

crochet hat, knit scarf with crochet flowers for Lydia

the scarf is back... now with crochet hat to match

crib sized ripple blanket for a friends baby, due Jan 2012

hat and mittens for bestie's little boy, now about a year old 

random hats I made to donate to an FRG craft booth... they ALL sold. It inflated my ego a lot. :) 

Ok thanks for looking!