Crayon Roll Tutorial

Crayon Rolls are the perfect gift for so many ages and so easy to personalize with a favorite character or color.

What you will need:

¼ yd print fabric

¼ yd coordinating fabric (for the inside)

thread

Pen Quilting or chalk

Ruler

How to:

1. cut out a 6” x 16 ½” rectangle and a 5” x 16 ½” rectangle from the print fabric and then a second 5 x 16 ½” rectangle from the coordinating fabric (inside fabric)

2. Set the two 5 x 16 ½” rectangles to the side. Fold the 6” rectangle in half and sew long ends together to hold in place. You now have a 3" x 16 1/2" rectangle.

3. Mark 17 lines ¾” apart on the folded rectangle. These mark the stitch line for the crayon pockets.

4. Placed the folded and marked print fabric onto the coordinating fabric matching one long edge and ends as below, pin in place.

5. Stitch along marks reinforcing ends of each line.

6. Place last rectangle on top of the others with right sides together and stitch around 3 sides leaving one short edge open for turning.

7. Take a business car and cut the top off at an angle to make an arrow shape. Cut 1 arrow of print fabric and 1 of the coordinating fabric.

8. stitch right sides together, turn rightside out and press flat. Set aside.

9. Carefully fold 1/4" of the unfinished edge of the crayon roll over to create a smooth edge, press. Then place arrow's flat end into the open end of the crayon roll, pin in place and sew along edge closing the opening.

Now here you can change it up if you like. I add a button hole and a button to the outside of crayon roll, but you can put ribbon instead of the arrow, or a zipper, Velcro, snaps, whatever you please and think your child will enjoy more. Get creative and have fun!!!!

Making Double Fold Bias Tape

Bias tape is a strip of fabric cut on the bias and then folded to finish the edge of a sewing project. It has some stretch so it will easily go around corners and curves, most often used on the bindings of quilts and blankets. It is easy to make and will not only save you a little change but a matching binding will look so much nicer than a solid color from the store. Here is how:

1. The easiest fabric to use is a cotton or cotton blend because it will make a sharp crease when ironed. wash and dry your fabric.
2. Begin by laying your fabric flat. Take the cut edge of the fabric and fold it up to meet the selvage edge. So the fold will be on the diagonal, the fold is the bias- there will be a lot of stretch to it. Press this fold with the iron and then unfold.
3. Cut a strip of fabric along the pressed edge- if you want a 1/2" double fold bias tape make the cut 2" (the math is: width of finished tape x 4 = width of cut) Cut as many strips as you need for your project
4. Join the strips by overlapping the ends of two strips at a 90 degree angle. Pin and mark from corner to corner and sew along the marked line. See photo below.
   

5. trim your edges to 1/4 inch and unfold, it should be one continuous strip, if it makes a corner instead of a long strip, the stitch line was from the wrong corners just trim it out and start over

6. Folding -begin laying your strip out on the ironing board and folding one long edge almost to the middle, press and do this for the entire length of the connected bias strips

7. Repeat for the other long edge

8. Fold the bias strip in half so the two folded edges meet. Finished!

Tips for a Great Craft Show!

So, you've signed up to do your first craft show? Great!

So, now what do you do?

Ok, so lets start with some simple basics.....

Have plenty of merchandise at all price points. If you have lots of lower priced things, people tend to purchase more than one of those at a time. Think of the "add on" sale. Make peices that coordinate each other so you can make even more money by selling things together as sets.

Have something for the kids. Even if your craft is not child specific. Bring at least 2 or 3 types of items for the kids. Parents are suckers for buying for the babies! A little necklace, or pillowcase dress, even a small doll, or a mug for them to drink out of, all of these are great ideas for kids. And they can range in price from very low to very high.

Have your Set up prepared, and ready to go for the day of the show! There is nothing more stressful than running around trying to find everything last minute for your show.
Here are some basics you'll need:
A Tent of course, At least 2 six foot Table, Table Covers, and displays for your products
These are the Big things.
And here is some advice on setting up a professional looking booth:

Remember, the goal here is to bring people IN, not have them walk by without giving you a second glance! So.... remember the horseshoe or U shape.... Set your tables up with two on the side and a smaller one in the middle of the back. This brings people in, giving you a chance to welcome them to your area, and them to get a hands on feel for your merchandise.

Use Risers. Set the Back of your booth up high, and then lower it as it gets to the front. This way there are some items eye level, and it also gives a nicer appearance. Appearance is a VERY KEY selling tool! You have worked yourself to death, getting ready for this show... Why would you just throw your stuff out there just any old way? Make it look good!

Advice on raising your items:
Use the boxes you brought your crafts to the show in, and put them underneath a table cover, then flounce the table cover around. You can also put larger boxes in the floor in front of the table, covered with table covers and topped with merchandise. This way you are utilizing all of your space and getting as much of your product out as possible.

And if you would like to buy professional looking displays there are lots of links online that you can buy these from. Or if your lucky like me, you know someone in the retail industry that you can simply borrow these displays from.

Ok, so now we have our merchandise, and we have our setup.... What else did we need to bring?
Here are some essentials, you'll be so glad you remembered to pack:
Lots of pens
Business Cards
Receipt Book
Scissors
Ribbon or string
Extra Price Tags
Duct Tape
Safety Pins
Calculator/Adding Machine
A small table to work on
A money apron, not box... keep your money on you...

And speaking of price tags: Remember to price all of your merchandise! Some people may be interested in your items, but are afraid to ask for the price. If you price each one, or have a Clearly printed or Typed Sign then you will have a better chance of selling your items.

How far are we now? We have merchandise, we've priced it, we have our set up, and our extra stuff.... We sound like we're ready for anything right?

WRONG!!!!!

The first, most important rule of doing your own craft show:
SPEAK TO EACH CUSTOMER!
Young and Old.... You MUST speak to each customer! Tell everyone hello, welcome them to your booth. Let every customer know that you are there to answer any questions they may have.

Also, pick out your favorite piece. Anytime you can, you show that piece to customers in your area. They may say: "My, your things are beautiful" and you reply with: "Let me show you my absolute favorite!"

Strike up a conversation with this! If they don't particularly like this one, find out what it is about it they don't like, then you have a better idea of what they are looking for and you can go from there.

And if you find the perfect item for them, and they simply can't afford it, give them your business card at that point. It may also be helpful to let them know that you sell it higher online, and if they got it now, it will be X dollars less and no shipping fees.

Remember to be polite! Say yes ma'am, no sir, please and thank you. These are your customers, and you would like to take home a little of their money.... Also, you would like to hear good feedback about your craft too... So, being nice is a vital part of selling your items!

And make sure you let people know a little bit about the creation process..... "Did you know it takes me 7 hours to make each of these!?!" Or "I make all of my own dyes for this". Anything that they can tell their friends, "I got this from rockerchic, she sells on a website called Etsy, and she said it takes 7 hours to make each one of these dolls" And then, always make sure, you let people know your special order policy.... You can have 52 dresses, in 51 different colors, And surely the ONE color you did not bring, is the ONLY color anyone wants that day! Be sure you let everyone know that you are able to do these things, how they can get in contact with you, and how long your turnaround is. Everyone wants something made just for them, their idea, so why not accomodate that?

Ok, Ok... so this is getting much, much longer than anticipated... so I'll close up with these last little tips:

If you can wear it.... WEAR IT! If you have clothing, for goodness sakes... wear it... you make tutus for kids? Wear one yourself! Jewelry? Wear it! If you make toys, stay by the front of your tent and play with the toy. Display, and Demonstrate. Two of the most important selling tools. Display properly, and Demonstrate the use of your products!

NEVER, talk on your CELL while a customer is in your booth! When a customer walks into your area... You stand up, You welcome them, You let them know you are available to help them... You can even butt in and start showing them your favorite items. They'll either hang around to see more, or become distant and not want you to bother them. Read their body language, and back off if necessary. BUT NEVER, EVER sit back down until they leave! Sitting Down, talking to a friend, or on the phone is the equivalent of leaving your booth. You may have left because now the customer knows you are no longer interested in them.

BE EXCITED about your merchandise! If someone asks you a question, get excited about it... tell them how much fun it is to do what you do! NEVER let someone know how you labored and almost threw that thing out the window, you hated making it and never want to make another! If you aren't interested in your merchandise, then why should the customer be? You took the time to make it, they are just checking it out!

When there isn't a customer in your booth. It's ok to take occasional breaks, but try to be active in your booth. Straighten merchandise, or clean up. Just keep moving and touching your merchandise. Don't look bored or worried. you have to look approachable and interesting. When soemone sees you straightening your merchandise, they'll be more apt to come in and see whats going on, than if you were hiding at the back of the booth, with your ipod in.

And the last thing I'll say is this:
No matter if you "made a killing" or lost money... ALWAYS BE PROUD OF YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS! You did a craft show! You were prepared! You got feedback from perfect strangers about your merchandise! YOU ROCK! It takes alot of guts to show people your handy work! But you did this! There are many, many crafters who would never imagine trying to sell their wares.... but you had enough confidence in yourself to give it a go! And if the first one bombs, who cares? You learned enough from your first show to know what to do differently at the next! And you will learn and one day you'll be so good at it, you could do it for a living!

So... I'm done now, and I hope this has helped! I've been in retail for the last 8 years or so, and I have learned alot from all the training and merchanding from my job. I try to incorporate that into craft show, and it has worked for me! I hope that this also works for you!

Save Money Swiffering!

1.Get a package of microfiber towels. You can find these in the automotive section of most stores. They are made of 80% Polyester and 20% Polyamide

2. If you are using a green Swiffer (dry) all you have to do is trim the towels to fit your swiffer and stick the ends into the holes on top. You can serge it if you like but microfiber generally does not fray.

3. If you are using the purple Swiffer (wet) all you have to do it tri-fold the towels and sew a few lines across to turn the towel into a pad:

You won't need many rows - just enough to keep the pad stable once it gets wet.

The purple Swiffers have velcro on the bottom that sticks perfectly to your microfiber pad and will hold it in place without you having to sew velcro to your pad itself.

It takes less than a minute to make the wet pads and will be a big money saver if you have laminate or tile floors and swiffer a lot. The microfiber attracts dust and hair when wet and is very absorbent. It also is easy to wash and quick to dry. A very economical solution to reduce waste and save money!

from Karin's blog: www.dominopads.blogspot.com

Bath Bomb Tutorial

Very Basic recipe (there are tons on the net)

• 11/2cup baking soda
• 1/2 cup citric acid
• fragrance
• water soluble dye

Measure out your baking soda in a wide container. For this tutorial i did 2 colors so just put half in each container. Mash it up to make sure its nice and smooth with no clumps or lumps. Yes i used a potatoe masher.

next add a drizzle of your water soluble dye into each container. Im using cherry and iced lemon.

Mix it really good. I use the masher to get it lightly mixed then get your hands in ther and squish it up good.

Now your ready to add your fragrance. Drizzle it in like you did with the dye and mix again. Use your hands and work it real good. Ok that makes me sound like a perv.LOL

If your adding moisturizing oils and butters you would do that now but if not move on to the next step.I didnt take a pic of this step since i only supplied with a bare basic recipe.

Now very last you want to add your citric acid. You do this so the liquids dont set of your fizzy action.

Mix it with your masher and hands again make sure there are no clumps.

Have your mold and everything ready im making tablet shapes in a pvc pipe.

Spritz your mixture with alcohol just enough to get it damp and hold together like sand.Mix it quick before it sets off the fizz.

Scoup it into your mold. i fill mine about 1/2 full which is about 4 loose tablespoons.

Smoosh it down. You want to make sure they are packed nice and tight. Unmold. Then when your all done keep them away from humidity till they dry. Do a little dance to keep the humidity gremlins away and pray they come out like this.

Of course you could just say for get it and order from me. ;o)

Robyn

My Etsy Shop My Blog

Pink Sugar Body Scrub

Pink Sugar Body Scrub
8-10oz's

plastic or glass bowl
wooden or plastic spoon
measuring cup
fragrance of your choice (I used Pink Sugar Aquolina type for this recipe)
*if you choose not to use fragrance it still gives off a lovely natural honey smell*
1 1/4 cup of sugar or sugar in the raw (organic sugar)
2 tbsp cocoa butter
1/8 mineral oil
1/4 teaspoon of ground apricot seeds (or what ever exfoliant tickles your fancy!)
2 teaspoons of honey (i use organic honey)
1 tbsp of rice bran oil (oils can be substituted to your liking)


You first want to make sure you have all of your ingredients ready to go!!

Melt down your 2 tbsp's of cocoa butter and your set!

Using either a glass or plastic bowl empty in all of your OILS first and mix good.

Once mixed good add in your liquid (melted down) cocoa butter and mix some more!

Next add your sugar in.

What I do is add a few tablespoons at a time so I can see the oils soaking up the sugar.

Once all the sugar is in it *should* be smooth yet grainy. If you find that you have too much oil feel free to add more sugar!!

Add your fragrance and additives (I use apricot grounds and honey) and your done!!

When I am done, I DO NOT like to have a lot of access oil so that is the reason for the great amount of sugar! If you like oil to settle to the top do not add a lot of sugar if you do not like oil at the top add more sugar!!

Wrap nicely, package and give as a gift!

Hand-made Bath & Body products, with many extra's to tickle your fancy! Visit me by clicking my link below............

Repurposed Pillowcase Style dress from An Old Shirt by Rockerchic

So many people love to repurpose! I know that I do! Heres a great way to show Dad how much you care on Fathers day!

You can take an old shirt that belongs to him, or Grandpa for that matter, and let your little princess wear it on Father's Day!

Heres what you need:
Iron and Ironing board
Sewing Machine
Serger
Seam Ripper

Materials:
Old Shirt (long or short sleeve)
Spool of coordinating ribbon

Start out with your shirt laying flat. It's probably better to pick out a shirt that is of a more feminine color, but make sure it is a man's shirt... women's shirts are darted and curved and mens are more straight, that makes it easier to make the dress from.

The first thing your going to do: Take off the pocket. Remove the pocket, carefully so as not to put holes in your shirt, so we can move it and place it lower on the shirt later.

The Second thing: Cut the sleeves off. Cut below the line where the seams are, go ahead and cut them both off.

This is what your shirt should look like now:
Now, it's time to measure the length of your dress. Take your tape measure and mark where you want the length to be, from the bottom. I wanted mine to be 19 inches long from the neckline to the hem. So I measured 20 inches, marked, and cut across (where the arm holes are) to the other side.

Make sure you iron the fabric now, before you do anymore cutting or sewing. Unbutton the shirt and iron all the wrinkles out. Make sure you iron the pocket too, even though it isn't attached.


You should at this point have something that looks pretty simple to finish up.

We're going to put cases in for ribbons to tie at the shoulders. And put the pocket back on.

Lets go ahead and put the pocket back on:
Find a spot that you would like to have the pocket. I usually put mine near the bottom so there easy to put things in. Some people like to keep them in the breast.

Find a good spot, then pin your pocket in there. Sew it back on with your sewing machine.

Now, we're ready to start making those casings, and finish things up.

Serge the top of the fabric now, make sure you serge inside those armholes too.

After the entire top is serged, now it's time to take it to your sewing machine.

We're going to finish the armholes first. Roll the armholes inside to the wrong side of the fabric, and sew those down.

After your done finishing the armholes, now it's finally time to make the casing.

Take the top back to the ironing board, heat up your iron, and fold and measure down one inch, then press it with the iron.


After both sides of the casing are pressed, you can sew them down now. Just sew along where you had previously serged.


After you sew down your casing, now it's time to put in the ribbon.

Pick a ribbon that coordinates well with your fabric. I picked a white with a floral print and a little yellow in it.

Cut two equal lengths of ribbon, maybe about 2 to 3 ft each.

Attach a large safety pin in one end of the ribbon, and pull it through the casing. Do the same with the other side too.

When you have the ribbon pulled through, you can sew a little line in the middle to keep the ribbon from coming out.

Personally, I don't do that b/c I like to change up the ribbons after awhile.

When there in, take a lighter and barely torch the ends of the ribbon. This will keep the ribbon from fraying.

When you've done that, then it's time to tie up the shoulders.

You should be finished at this point... we are leaving the bottom of the dress as the original shirt.

Here is the finished product:

I hope you enjoy making your pillowcase dresses as much as I do! If you have any questions, I'll be glad to help you out!

Cozy Cabin Parmigiana

Cozy Cabin Chicken Parmigiana


I TOOK TWO CHICKEN BREASTS AND CUT THEM IN HALF. SEASONED WITH SALT, PEPPER AND GARLIC POWDER.

I DIPPED THEM IN A MIXTURE OF FLOUR, ITALIAN BREADCRUMBS AND PARMESAN CHEESE

THEN EGG

THEN AGAIN IN THE FLOUR, ITALIAN BREADCRUMS AND PARMESAN CHEESE MIXTURE.

I FRIED IN OIL UNTIL GOLDEN BROWN ON EACH SIDE (DO NOT COOK AT THIS POINT..JUST BROWN THEM)

I TOOK A JAR OF 4 CHEESE SPAGHETTI SAUCE AND PUT SOME ON THE BOTTOM OF A BAKING DISH.

I PLACED THE CHICKEN BREASTS ON TOP OF THE SAUCE AND THEN COVERED THEM WITH THE REST OF THE SPAGHETTI SAUCE.

I COVERED THE BAKING DISH WITH FOIL AND BAKED TIL DONE...APPROX 30-40 MINUTES. 350*

I THEN TOPPED EACH CHICKEN BREASTS WITH MOZZARELLA, PARMESAN AND PROVOLONE CHEESE. (I THREW ON SOME LEFTOVER CHEDDAR AS WELL) AND THEN PLACED UNDER THE BROILER TIL CHEESE WAS BUBBLY MELTY YUMMY.

I SERVED WITH ANGEL HAIR PASTA AND A GREEN SALAD.

Almond Danish Swirls by CozyCabinMom

Almond Danish Swirls

Ingredients: 6 ounce cream cheese, softened 1 teaspoon almond extract 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar 1/2 cup slivered almonds, chopped fine 2 8-ounce cans refrigerated crescent dinner rolls 1 egg white 1 teaspoon water

Directions:

Glaze: 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar 4 teaspoons milk 1/2 teaspoon almond extract In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, almond extract, and sugar until fluffy. Fold half of the chopped almonds into the cream cheese mixture. Separate 1 can of dough and assemble into 4 rectangles. Firmly press the perforations to seal. Press or roll each piece of dough to form a 7-by-4-inch rectangle, and spread each with about 2 tablespoons of the cream cheese filling to within 1/4 inch of the edges. Starting at the short end, roll each rectangle tightly into a cylinder. Repeat with the other can of dough and remaining filling. Place on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and chill until firm, about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees while the rolls are chilling. Remove from the refrigerator and cut each roll into 4 slices. Place 1/2 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. In a small bowl, combine the egg white with 1 teaspoon water. Brush over the swirls. Sprinkle with the remaining chopped almonds. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until light brown. While the swirls are baking, combine the glaze ingredients in a small bowl. Cool the swirls for 3 minutes on wire racks placed over a sheet of waxed paper. Drizzle the icing over the warm swirls. Yields: 32 swirls Prep time: 15-20 minutes Inactive prep time: 33 minutes Cook time: 18-20 minutes Ease of preparation: moderate

How to make a Korker Bow

Basic Supplies:
-Ribbon 3/8 inch
-Wire (or 1/8 inch ribbon)
-Wire nippers
-Needle nose Pliers
-Lighter, wood burning tool, or fray check
-Barrette
-Oven
-Dowel rods (1/4 inch diameter)
-Mini clothes pins (I got mine at Hobby Lobby in the wood section for around $2.00)

1. Before you begin, preheat your oven to 250 degrees. I don't have convection, so I don't know if that makes any difference LOL!

2. I like to curl 1 yard at a time. Only 3/8 inch ribbon should be used, it gives the best look. If you only curl one yard at a time cut your dowel rods into 18 inch long pieces, that length will hold one yard PERFECTLY!

3. Be sure to wrap the dowels tightly or otherwise your ribbon won't be tightly curled. And some ribbon will naturally hold a looser curl. The pink/brown ribbon used in this Tutorial is an example, in the oven the same amount of time, just a little looser curl. And that's ok because it adds uniqueness to your korker!

4. Bake for 15-30 minutes. Keep checking on them because they may be finished before 30 minutes is up. I haven't noticed a difference in the tightness of the curl if it's kept in longer.

Tips and Tricks:
-When you've finished cutting your korker ribbon into your desired lengths, go through and seal all the ends now. It takes too much time to do each piece individually as they're cut.
-To get the stickers off your dowel rod, just bake for 10-15 minutes. When you take them out of the oven, the sticker will come right off!
-Let the ribbon cool before taking it off the dowel. You won't burn your fingers, and you won't loosen the curl.
-If you are using red, keep one dowel aside just for red. If you use it later on a lighter color, the inside of those lighter colors will have a red tint.
-Try not to use ribbon or string to tie these. It's INCREDIBLY difficult and will result in much frustration. The wire is MUCH easier to handle and control.
-Light colored ribbon has the potential to turn brown if baked too long so keep an eye on it. If this happens, just wash it and start over.
-If the dowels seem scratchy when you take the ribbon off, just take a fine grit sand paper and run it down the dowel. It may be necessary to do this after the first few bakes.

Now for the pics!