The Quaint Crafter

Time for the fourth square in my Halloween series. This one was a tough one to figure out, and I’m not sure I like how it turned out. There are so many ways to make a ghost, and I wasn’t sure which one to go with. It turned out rather menacing looking instead of the fun/non-scary type of ghost I wanted.

Like the other squares in my Halloween series, I used Sugar’n Cream cotton yarn. I’m hoping to connect the squares into one long Halloween table runner, and I wanted to use yarn that was washable.

Size US 7 knitting needles

1 skein Sugar’n Cream yarn in white

Begin by casting on 40 stitches

Rows 1-4: knit across row

Row 5: k18, p3, k19

Row 6 and all even rows of pattern: k across row

Row 7: k9, p2, k6, p5, k6, p2, k10

Row 9: k8, p4, k4, p7, k4, p4, k9

Row 11: k7, p6, k2, p3, k1, p1, k1, p3, k2, p6, k8

Row 13: k7, p11, k1, p1, k1, p11, k8

Row 15: k7, p25, k8

Row 17: k7, p1, k5, p13, k5, p1, k8

Row 19: k14, p5, k1, p5, k15

Row 21: k15, p4, k1, p4, k16

Row 23: k16, p3, k1, p4, k16

Row 25: k16, p8, k16

Row 27: k16, p8, k16

Row 29: k16, p8, k16

Row 31: k16, p8, k16

Row 33: k16, p8, k16

Row 35: k15, p9, k16

Row 37: K14, p10, k16

Row 39: k13, p10, k17

Row 41: k12, p9, k19

Row 43: k9, p10, k21

Rows 44-48: k across row.

bind-off and weave ends into piece.

Like the other squares I knitted, I sprayed the finished piece with a little water and then stretched it out on a blocking board so that it was the same size as the other squares.

I’m hoping to post the final square soon, and then I have to get to work attaching all the squares together. This project is taking a lot longer than I was anticipating, but I’m looking forward to the outcome. So far, I like how all the completed squares look together. I can’t wait to add the final square!

It’s time for my third knitted towel in my Halloween series. So far, I’ve knitted a bat and a skull & crossbones towel square in what I hope will be a festive and spooky Halloween table runner.

For this towel square, I used Sugar’n Cream cotton yarn in hot purple.

US size 7 knitting needles

1 skein of Sugar’n Cream cotton yarn in hot purple

Cast on 40 stitches.

Rows 1-6: knit across row

Row 7: k7, p6, k14, p6, k7

Row 8 and all even stitches: knit across row.

Row 9: k5, p2, k6, p2, k10, p2, k6, p2, k5

Row 11: k15, p2, k6, p2, k15

Row 13: k9, p4, k4, p1, k4, p1, k4, p4, k9

Row 15: k7, p2, k4, p2, k2, p1, k3, p1, k3, p2, k4, p2, k7

Row 17: k5, p2, k7, p5, k2, p1, k2, p1, k15

Row 19: k13, p7, k1, p4, k15

Row 21: k12, p14, k14

Row 23: k12, p14, k14

Row 25: k12, p14, k14

Row 27: k13, p7, k1, p4, k15

Row 29: k5, p2, k7, p5, k2, p1, k2, p1, k15

Row 31: k7, p2, k4, p2, k2, p1, k3, p1, k3, p2, k4, p2, k7

Row 33: k9, p4, k4, p1, k4, p1, k4, p4, k9

Row 35: k15, p2, k6, p2, k15

Row 37: k5, p2, k6, p2, k10, p2, k6, p2, k5

Row 39: k7, p6, k14, p6, k7

Rows 41-48: k across row.

Bind off and weave in ends.

Like the other squares, I sprayed this one down with water and pinned it to a blocking board until it dried so that it was the same size and shape as the other pieces. So far, the colors are really working to create an interesting Halloween centerpiece. I’m hoping to make two more squares to complete the table runner.

It’s time for square two in my series of knitted pieces for Halloween. The first piece I completed was a bat. I am hoping to link all the pieces together to create a fun and colorful table runner for Halloween. Fingers crossed that it comes together. The hardest part so far was coming up with five different images, then converting those images into knitting patterns.

I am using Sugar’n Cream cotton yarn for all five pieces. The pieces can be combined, or you could use them individually as kitchen towels. For the Skull & Crossbones, I’m using the color Hot Green. The skull & crossbones design is created with only knit and purl stitches, so it’s an easy project for a beginner.

Size US 7 knitting needles.

1 skein of Sugar’n Cream yarn in color Hot Green.

Cast on 40 stitches

Rows 1-4: Knit across row

Row 5: k9, p2, k19, p2, k8

Row 6 and all even stitches of pattern: knit across row.

Row 7: k9, p2, k6, p7, k6, p2, k8

Row 9: k7, p4, k6, p7, k6, p4, k6

Row 11: k7, p2, k1, p2, k4, p9, k4, p2, k1, p2, k6

Row 13: k11, p2, k2, p11, k2, p2, k10

Row 15: k12, p5, k2, p3, k2, p5, k11

Row 17: k14, p3, k2, p3, k2, p3, k13

Row 19: k14, p13, k13

Row 21: k15, p5, k1, p5, k14

Row 23: k15, p4, k3, p4, k14

Row 25: k16, p9, k15

Row 27: k16, p9, k15

Row 29: k17, p2, k3, p2, k16

Row 31: k15, p4, k3, p4, k14

Row 33: k14, p2, k1, p2, k3, p2, k1, p2, k13

Row 35: k13, p2, k2, p7, k2, p2, k12

Row 37: k9, p2, k1, p2, k4, p5, k4, p2, k1, p2, k8

Row 39: k9, p4, k15, p4, k8

Row 41: k11, p2, k15, p2, k10

Row 43: k11, p2, k15, p2, k10

Rows 44-48: knit across row.

Bind off.

Like the bat towel I knitted, the piece wasn’t a perfect square when I finished. I sprayed the piece down with water until it was damp and pinned it to a blocking board to get it to the size I wanted. Once it was dry, I removed it from the board.

The pattern took a little tweaking, but I like how it turned out. Here’s a hint for the next Halloween towel pattern I’m working on: it’s going to be creepy crawly. Stay tuned……

Sometimes I get the strangest ideas in my head. I wanted to create a knitted table runner for Halloween, but I didn’t want to knit one long piece. Instead, I wanted to knit several squares in different colors and connect them to make a colorful Halloween runner. Of course, the idea seemed great at the time, but when I sat down to plot it out, it was super frustrating. Like every time I decide to write a pattern, there’s a lot of mistakes and pulling out yarn. I may have even thrown my knitting needles across the room once. But here is square one of my colorful Halloween runner: The Bat.

I’m using Sugar’n Cream cotton yarn for all the squares. For the bat, I used the color Overcast. The pattern is made with knit and purl stitches, so it’s great for beginners.

I’m using cotton yarn because I hope to use this square as part of a table runner, but you could also use it as a cute dish towel of trivet. To make it as close to a square as I could, I knitted a sample and measured how many stitches I needed to cast on to make two inches and how many rows I needed to knit to make the same length, then calculated from there. So, if your gauge is bigger or smaller, it may not come out exactly like mine. But you can use a blocking board to make it as close to a square as you can.

Size US 7 knitting needles

1 skein of Sugar’n Cream cotton yarn in Overcast

Cast on 40 stitches.

Rows 1-4: k across row.

Row 5: k2, p16, k3, p16, k3

Row 6 and every even row after: k across row.

Row 7: k3, p14, k5, p14, k4

Row 9: k3, p13, k7, p13, k4

Row 11: k2, p13, k9, p13, k3

Row 13: k3, p12, k9, p12, k4

Row 15: k3, p12, k9, p12, k4

Row 17: k2, p13, k3, p1, k1, p1, k3, p13, k3

Row 19: k4, p11, k3, p3, k3, p11, k5

Row 21: k5, p11, k1, p5, k1, p11, k6

Row 23: k5, p29, k6

Row 25: k4, p31, k5

Row 27: k7, p25, k8

Row 29: k7, p25, k8

Row 31: k6, p27, k7

Row 33: k13, p13, k14

Row 35: k16, p7, k17

Row 37: k16, p7, k17

Row 39: k17, p5, k18

Row 41: k17, p5, k18

Row 43: k18, p3, k19

Rows 44-48: k across row.

Bind-off and weave in tails.

Despite my calculations, the finished piece wasn’t a perfect square. So, I sprayed the piece with some water and put it on a blocking board to help shape it.

It only took a couple nights of knitting to complete this square. I’m hoping to post four more ghoulish shapes in different colors in the coming weeks. Happy Knitting!

Recently, my father decided to sell his vacation home in Vermont. The house was filled with old furniture that we helped him haul back to his house. Some were family relics, but most were yard sale finds. Both my parents are avid yard salers, always looking for deals. I took most of the stuff to my house to sift through and give to local Goodwills. I did keep a few projects for myself. One such project was this small TV stand.

I thought the piece was made sometime during the 1980s. But while pulling out the bottom drawer of the piece, I discovered a clue. An Amtrak ticket dating back to 1974 was wedged under the drawer. The drawer is cedar-lined and was well-made. Based on the stamp inside the drawer, it was made by R Way from Sheboygan, Wisconsin. R Way was a popular furniture maker that shut down in 1992.

As with any piece I’m about to paint or stain, I washed this piece with a mixture of water and Dawn dish soap. I used a toothbrush to get into the cracks and crevices. Luckily, the piece didn’t need a lot of repair, just some light sanding to get rid of scuff marks.

Once it was cleaned and sanded, it was time to prime the piece with some Gripper Primer. After one coat of primer, I lightly sanded the piece again before moving on to paint.

Since I’m planning to put this piece in the same room as my TV stand, I wanted to use the same greige paint. But, thanks to some poor lighting in my basement, I ended up picking up the sage paint that I used to paint my hallway instead. In the bright sunlight of my deck, I didn’t realize my blunder until I painted one side, but I have to admit, I don’t mind the sage at all. I used a brush for the drawers and molding and a foam roller for the top and sides of the piece.

To accent the molding on the bottom, I painted the indentation gray to help it stand out.

The knobs that came with the TV stand were dated, mismatched and cracked. I believe the bottom two were probably the original drawer pulls. When I took off the knobs, I noticed indentions around the top holes that matched the bottom pulls. I decided on changing them all so they matched. After perusing Amazon, I decided on these cute white ceramic flower pulls. I absolutely love how they look and all four were a little over $12.

The bottom of the legs once had brass leg protectors, but only one remained. I tried to find replacements but had no luck. So, I painted the bottom of the legs where the covers were in the same gray paint as the stripe to tie the colors all together.

I really like how this piece turned out. My daughter gave me some crystals to put in the opening. I think I’m going to buy a mood light for the opening to go with the crystals. But you could put an aquarium or even a small cat bed. The possibilities are unlimited. I’ll wait for the paint to cure a bit before adding anything else. Before I put the drawer back, I put the Amtrak receipt back under it. That’s where it belongs. The fresh paint really shows off all the beauty of this piece. I know some think it’s controversial to paint old furniture, but I think I’m giving this piece of furniture a new life with a fresh look. Most times a piece only needs a few tweaks to turn it into something you’ll treasure forever.

I found this sad Santa at the Salvation Army. I passed by him three times before grabbing him on my way to the register. His odd colored coat and silver boots really took me aback. He was made of plastic and looked dirty and sad. Where did he come from? Could I give him a new life?

At $2.99, I wanted to give it a try. After a reverse image search, I was no closer to discovering where this navy Santa came from. Other than a Macy’s barcode on the bottom of his base, I had nothing to go from. With that mystery still lingering, I started work on re-inventing him.

First order of business was a deep cleaning. With some warm water, dawn and a toothbrush, I got to scrubbing. To my surprise, what I thought was dirt around the white base and fur trim of his coat must have been an intentional paint job. I definitely didn’t want my Santa to look weathered and grimy, so that was the first to go. Luckily, all it took was a couple coats of white paint and he started to look much better.

Next, I tackled his dark navy coat. It looked almost black it was so dark. After giving it some thought, I painted it a pretty lavender. Do you a purple person in your life? You know, everything they wear and decorate with is purple?

I painted his belt in a bold eggplant color to coordinate. I thought he’d have a much better chance of finding a good home if he was painted in shades of purple. If anyone knows a purple person in their lives, you know what I mean.

I ditched the gold sack for a more subdued brown then I painted the all-gold pinecones and branches in the sack in festive holiday colors. I toyed with the idea of painting his boots to match the royal violet of his belt, but my daughter convinced me not to do it. I thought the silver boots looked a bit like space boots, but they actually don’t look bad with the lavender paint and matching silver mittens. To finish, I sprayed him with a clear sealer.

I think my new purple Santa looks so much better than when I found him. A little bit of paint took him from dark and dreary to bright and cheery. I want to find some purple ornaments to help make him look even better. All he needed was a good cleaning and some paint and he’s got a new life. Happy crafting!

I recently purchased some laser-cut wooden flowers while shopping at Joann Fabrics. They came in a variety of different flowers-they even had a bird. At only a $1.99, they were small and inexpensive. I grabbed a few and then headed over to the paint and Diamond Dotz section. While I shopped, I came up with a fun and easy idea on how to incorporate these tiny cut-outs into my work wardrobe.

I thought it would be fun to take these small wooden cut-outs and create some eye-catching brooches. I wear a plain black jacket at work. Usually, I wear a festive badge holder to give it some color, but I decided to create a few unique brooches to wear on the lapel of the jacket for the different seasons and holidays of the year. Plus, I love adding sparkle to anything. The flower cut-outs were perfect for Spring.

First, I painted the flowers and the bird. For the bird, I used wood stain for his feathers.

To give the flowers some depth, I used a sponge to apply a darker shade of color to the petals.

Once the paint was dry, it was time to apply the Diamond Dotz. Since I was making brooches, I wanted to use an adhesive that was sturdy and keep the Diamond Dotz in place. I find Liquid Fusion is the best for this type of job. Since the tiny wooden cut-outs were small, they only needed a few Diamond Dotz.

To turn the flowers and bird into brooches, I bought some tack-backs on Amazon. Using the Liquid Fusion, I attached them to the back.

I bought some more wooden cut-outs for St. Patrick’s Day on Amazon. I even transformed one of the leprechaun hats into an Uncle Sam hat for the Fourth of July. I love how they sparkle.

I was so happy with the way my flower brooches turned out that I bought some more cut-outs for the coming months and holidays. They only took an afternoon to make and were inexpensive and fun. I can’t wait to find some cut-outs for the Fall and winter holidays. Happy crafting!

I wanted to share a project I’ve been working on. Recently, a small goose planter caught my eye at my local thrift store. I glanced at it, but I decided to leave it. Several days later it was still on my mind. Luckily, when I went back, it was still there. I’m going to be honest, I wasn’t sure if it was a goose or a swan. But, after looking at several photos of both, I’m confident it looks more like a goose.

I’m not sure why, but I have a thing for ducks and geese. My dress-up goose, Betty Duck Duck, sits on my fireplace. Every month I decorate her for a different holiday or season. She even has a golden egg that I decorate for the different seasons. I also have a collection of small rubber duckies I use to decorate my bathroom. Maybe that’s why this goose planter stuck with me.

I thought I was the only one who had a dress-up goose on her fireplace. But after watching a few videos on social media, I discovered that a whole new generation of people are embracing the dress-up goose. But when I looked online, I was surprised and horrified at how much people were charging for one. Not to mention the insane markups on the outfits. With that in mind, I wanted to find a way for anyone to bring a little avian fun to their house. So, if you can’t afford a dress-up goose, this craft is for you.

The first task was to thoroughly clean my little goose planter. This is essential for anything I pick at a thrift store. I discovered the goose had a few chips and even a small crack, but nothing too bad. Luckily, I wasn’t planning on putting a real plant in the planter.

A pleasant surprise was waiting for me when I peeled off the price sticker on the bottom. Turns out, my goose planter was made by someone named Wally for a person named Sue for Christmas!

Next, I headed to the craft store to grab ribbon and flowers to decorate the goose. I also grabbed planter foam and an Easter pick. My plan is to create a few seasonal flower arrangements that can easily be interchanged for the different seasons and holidays during the year. Since it’s springtime, I’m starting with Easter. I plan to create some festive scarves and hats for the goose for other holidays during the year.

I found the perfect-sized floral foam to fit inside the goose planter. I didn’t even have to cut it. Then I just cut the stems of the flowers and started to arrange them. All it took was about a half hour of work before I was done.

To finish, I tied a pretty purple ribbon around her neck and added the Easter bunny pick.

I can’t wait to decorate my new goose planter for summer. I’m already thinking of ideas for all the different seasons and holidays. I hope this craft shows you how easy it can be to turn someone else’s trash to your treasure. So many items can be salvaged and given a new life with a little material and creativity. I’ll keep you posted on how I decorate this planter throughout the year. And if you’re out there Wally, you did a great job on this planter. Have a happy Easter and keep crafting!

With Valentine’s Day approaching, I wanted to create a new pin art piece for the frame I have in my sitting room. I have a ton of extra foam sheets from a package I received a while ago. Instead of throwing it all away, why not create art with it?

I used velour contact paper for the background of the piece. The soft, fuzzy texture feels great and it comes in a variety of different colors. It’s like a big fuzzy sticker. For this pin art, I chose red. Using a knife or blade, cut the foam to the size you want. The piece of contact paper I was using was too big, so I flipped it around to the paper side and traced the foam piece, then cut it to size. Then I was ready to adhere the velour paper to the foam board.

Next, I went online to find some free clipart for inspiration. I settled on an image of several hearts floating in the air. I wanted hearts in all different colors, so after I printed it, I wrote on each heart what color sequin I wanted to use to help me later. Using a piece of tissue paper, I traced the image, careful not to tear the tissue paper. After I traced it, I decided to add some additional hearts to help fill the canvas.

Once the image was traced, I used some pins to hold the tissue in place. Now for the fun part: sequins! I was having trouble finding sequins in the craft stores, so I ended up ordering a bunch at a really good price online. I also picked up some 1/2″ sequin pins and seed beads. Seed beads, like sequins, come in all sorts of colors, but for this project I used clear ones. The seed beads add a bit more texture, and they also help to keep the sequins firmly in place.

As with all my sequin pin art projects, I like to start out by outlining each shape with sequins. Once the outline is done you can tear all the tissue away. Then continue the rows of sequins until you reach the center. Using a 1/2″ sequin pin, I first place a seed bead on the pin, then the sequin. You don’t need to use a seed bead, but I find they help keep the sequins secure.

This project was a quick one, and I love the way it turned out. It’s the perfect project to do while watching TV or listening to a podcast. I want to continue creating a new pin art piece for every month of the year to brighten up my sitting room. When the sun beams into the room, the sequins give off a beautiful sparkle. Happy Valentine’s Day!

I bought these cute plaster ornaments a few years ago at Michael’s Craft Store. I’ve been painting plaster ornaments and village pieces for years. I love how a little bit of paint can take a bland piece of white plaster and turn it into a beautiful, cherished item.

I wanted to paint the frames and put my children’s senior photos in them to hang on our tree. But the plaster ornaments did not come with a back. I was worried about protecting the photo inside the frame. After all, Christmas ornaments spend a lot of time in storage. I wanted these ornaments to last a long time and not break or get damaged. Luckily, I had some time before my kids were graduating, so I put the frames on a shelf and forgot about them for a few years.

This Christmas I received my daughter’s senior photos and was finally ready to use the ornaments. But I wanted to create a craft plan before I started. After much thought, I decided I needed poster board, a small bit of clear plastic from a discarded package and lots of paint.

First, I had to clean and prep the plaster frames. After years of sitting, they were pretty dusty. They also needed a light sanding to remove the small bits of plaster lingering around the openings of the frames. Since the frames were both fairly small, I used a small emery board to sand them down. After I was done sanding, I wiped the frames with a damp cloth to remove the dust and debris.

Once the frames were completely dry, I sprayed them with sealer. Since plaster is porous, sealing the plaster makes it easier to paint. Once that was done, it was time for the fun part! Time to get painting.

Then I added some simple stripes and dots to the to make them each special. I’m not much of a free-hand painter, so you can be more adventurous with the painting if you like. Once I was finished with the painting, I sealed the frames with a glossy sealer.

To protect the picture from the back, I used a piece of poster board. I traced the shape with a pencil then cut it out. To help the poster board blend in, I painted it with the same color paint.

To protect the picture from the front, I used a clear plastic shell from a discarded package. The clear packaging acts as the glass in a regular picture frame. I used a little glue to keep the plastic in place.

I had to trim the pictures slightly to fit into the frame. Then I added a little glue to the corners and placed the photos behind the clear plastic.

To close it all in, I glued the poster board to the back. I needed a little help keeping the poster board from curling up, so I used paint bottles to keep it down. Then I used a nail to poke a hole through the poster board and added some ribbon for hanging.

When they were finished, I hung the frames at the top of my tree for everyone to see on Christmas Day. By adding the protection of the plastic and poster board, I created an ornament that should last for many years to come. So, the next time you see a plaster ornament or figurine in a craft store, grab it. They are so easy and fun to paint. With a bit of imagination, you create something that will be treasured for years to come.