Trendy Easy Skirts with leggings

My granddaughter and I saw these skirts in all the hip stores for teens and they weren't cheap. I told my Kate we could make them cheaper and she could pick out the fabric. The waistbands are made of 3" black elastic and the skirt part are double-knit fabric (2 pieces, 13 inches X 1 1/2 yards). Sew the 2 pieces together, right-sides together, at 13 inch edge. Gather one of the lengthwise edges (1 1/2 yards). Then pull up strings to measure close to skirt width. With right sides together sew other side seam almost up to top,(do not sew over gathering threads yet, you may have to gather them more or let out some gathers to fit). Measure the black elastic around the low waist or high hip area and add 1 1/2 inches for overlap and fold over. Sew the waistband together by folding over 1/2 inch then overlapping the other end of elastic. Make two rows of stitches 1/2 inch apart to re-enforce waistband. Fit the skirt to the waistband, pin in place, spread out gathers to be equal all the way around skirt. With black thread in sewing machine, sewing skirt to waistband from inside skirt where you can see gathers, making sure to hide gathering threads under band. First stitch line should be 1/2 inch from bottom edge of waistband. Now, turn over to right side and top stitch on waistband close to bottom edge of waistband and straighten gathers as you go. To hem, you can use a serger, great if you have one, if not set your machine on zig-zag, wide width at about medium stitch length and sew at the very edge of the skirt. It will make a "serger like" hem.

Little Button Box

Simple and easy. Metal mint box spray painted gold and covered with special buttons of all shapes and sizes but with something in common. Here the something in common is the colors. Then add a ribbon to the edge, glue in place. For the inside, glue pieces of felt, cut to fit the bottom top and sides. Thats it, you have a cute little tresure box.

Paper Mosaic Flower Frame

Pick out a picture, draw out basic shapes on the frame, then cut out colored paper shapes to match the colors of the picture. Slightly sand frame and paint white or any color you wish. Overlap paper pieces whenever needed, it's difficult to butt them up to one another and match them perfectly and overlapping gives it more depth. You can also photo-copy the picture to 100% of your frame and trace the flowers, then trace each piece you want to cut out. Little kids could do this project with less complicated shapes like simple petals and leaves, suns, moons, stars, clouds, or geometric shapes and making patterns.

I have also done paper mosaic by drawing the flower on paper mache boxes and then tearing the paper in little pieces and making it into a actual mosaic. Here is a picture of a project I'm working on using that technique.

Glue on all the pieces of paper using Mod Podge then cover entire piece once again with Mod Podge. Let dry completely.

Pencil Top Flowers

You don't have to have a lot of art supplies to have an Art Day or to do something creative. Here is an example. Cut out flower petals and leaves from a plain white paper. Patterns here can be copied and enlarged to make petals 6 1/2 inches and leaves 5 1/2 inches. Color them with what you have available. Crayons, markers, paint, colored pencils or draw a beautiful design with a pencil. I painted mine with acrylic paint. For the flower I painted one side and for the leaf I painted both sides.

Once it's dry, cut the pieces out. Slightly fold the petals in half length-wise to give them a little shape. You can also shape them a little by curving them with your fingers. Now tape the flower petals to the top of a pencil. Tape then in a staggering way like the petals of a flower. Then tape the leaves lower down on the pencil. Optional: You can use floral tape to attach these petals and leaves to the pencil for a better hold.

This is a great way to add a little Spring to your desk!

Art Journaling

Many people find pleasure in journaling. Writing about their thoughts and feelings and expressing themselves on the pages in words. An art journal takes it a step further. You can write, draw, paint, color, decoupage or whatever you want to express yourself. You can use pages of paper, or a book or fabric, it's all up to you.

I encourage all kids to keep an art journal. It doesn't have to be like anybody else's, just express yourself in art as you go. You don't even have to fill up each page. You can go back and add to pages later.

There are many books written about art journaling and also try looking up art collage books. But you don't have to look at a book to create an art journal, just get your art supplies together and start experimenting.

Don't know how to start a page? Try painting a background color, mix it up a little by painting a couple accent colors on the page as well. Mix up the brush strokes a little, but not too much with the background color. Then add some stamps, magazine clipping, photos, old book pages, stickers, cayrons, pastels, markers, etc. Now ideas should start to build and expand.

When I start a page often I really don't know how it's going to end up. Sometimes it has a clear path and sometimes it changes completely from where I started. Most of the fun is in the creating. Here are a few of my pages from my art journal.

Float Like a Butterfly, How Can it Be?

Try this easy floating butterfly project with your artists. It's sure to please and it looks like magic. When the secret is revealed you will see it's really very simple.

Copy and enlarge the pattern here and transfer to a piece of card stock paper. The butterfly is about 7 inches across the upper wings. The paper has to be heavy enough to hold it's shape. If you don't have card stock, a file folder will do. On one side, paint, color or draw a beautiful design of butterfly wings. Any design you like. On the other side you will tape a penny on each of the upper wings right where the spots are in the pattern. For a finishing touch you can add a little thin white wire curled on both ends, bent in the middle and taped to the head of the butterfly. I used a twist tie and cut the extra paper off of it.

If the coins are placed in the right spots the butterfly balances and spins a little on your finger when you hold it up.

Simple Basket Weaving Using Yarn

This was a fun little project to do. I made a few of these baskets. Once you know the basic weave, you can use it with all kinds of fibers. I did a basket using this weave with strips of fabric and 1/2 inch cotton cording.

You have probably seen this type of basket weaving in all kinds of baskets. It might look difficult but it's a very easy technique. The materials are simple and there's only three of them. Cotton cording (or clothesline rope), yarn in the color of your choice, and a yarn needle.

You start by wrapping the yarn around the end of the cording for about an inch, then curl end around on itself and then wrap yarn around end to secure. (see fig. 1) Keep on wrapping the yarn around a few times then using a yarn needle, stitch around under the cord on the other side again. (see fig. 2)

As you want to make the sides of the bowl go up, start to shorten up on the amount of wrapping and increase the stitching to the previous row. When you have finished to the size you want, trim the cord and wrap to hide the end. Tie a double knot and weave in ends of yarn.