What to with left over yarn?

Hello Everyone!

12x12 crochet square

Now that I have learned how to crochet I always seem to have a project or two going on. But I have noticed that I leftovers, a skein, or a partial skein that I am not sure what to do with. I have seen tons of ideas on Pinterest from blankets to hats. I settled on making 12×12 squares of this really soft Bernat blanket  yarn that I used to make blankets for Christmas presents. Once I am done with all the squares I will see how many I have and decide on blanket sizes and how many I can make.  I have 3 colors of yarn that I am creating squares from. I am not sure I will mix and match or I will keep the blankets all one color, I guess it will depend on how any squares I make.

20160417_172716 

(Please ignore my messy desk in the background. I have never been good at keeping a neat work space. But I guess that messiness breads creativity, right? Smile)

So far I have one block completed! Whoo Hoo! I love how portable this project is. The temperature blanket I am working on is getting to big to take with me everywhere I go. I like to have a project with me at all times (you never know when you have a spare moment to work on your crochet) Once I have all the squares done and I make it into a blanket I think will donate it to a Women’s shelter, they are always in need of blankets.

Here is the pattern:

Chain 25

Single crochet 25 rows (or as many rows it takes to make a square)

That is it, I am keeping it pretty simple.

12x12 crochet square

And the best part of making these squares is that I will be freeing up space in my craft room for more yarn! Yay! More Yarn!

12x12 crochet square

Turn an Ikea bookcase into a bench

Hello Everyone!

Isn’t Ikea one of the most wonderful places on Earth? I mean they have everything, all in one place!

Well a little while ago I was looking for the perfect bench to put in my kitchen, near the door. I couldn’t find anything that I liked, but I did see people on Pinterest turning an Ikea bookcase into a bench.

Turn an Ikea bookcase into a bench

It is very simple to do.

Materials:

~ bookcase the is strong enough to handle the weight when tipped on its side. I used the Ikea Expedit, but I don’t think they have that anymore. But check around they might have a suitable alternative.

~ Plywood for the top

~ Foam cushion

~ Fabric

~ Staple gun

Instructions:

~ First assemble the bookcase. They might take awhile and you might need help. If you want to raise the height now is the time to add legs to the bench. I didn’t want them, but you may want something different

~ For the cushion, cut the plywood the size of the bench top

~ Then  you make a sandwich of fabric on the bottom, ( I used a strip to help me keep it all in line. The fabric possibilities are endless) then the foam and lastly the plywood. Then stretch and staple all around.

Turn an Ikea bookcase into a benchTurn an Ikea bookcase into a bench

Turn an Ikea bookcase into a bench

I used this same technique when we redid the entry closet. You can see that transformation: here

Turn an Ikea bookcase into a bench

And that is it. A very easy way to transform a room and increase your storage.

Is there any Ikea transformations that you have done in your house?

What I am working on

Hello everyone!

I thought I would add a new segment to my blog, it is all about what I am currently working on. With all crafting going on, things take time and I usually get started on a project and get sidetracked to some new and shinier. But I want to show you what I have going on in my craft room. (well, just a few of the things going on, because let’s be honest, there are always tons of projects that have been started and not finished.)

The first item is the Crochet Temperature blanket. Here is the link to the original post about it: 2016 Temperature Blanket

If you follow me in Instagram you probably have already seen this (if you don’t follow me you can find me  @taketimetocreate) As you can see, I am still working away. It is fun to see all the new colors and a pattern is starting to emerge. But,  I am still waaaaay behind (I am still working on February) but I just keep plugging away.

Temperature blanket

A few weeks ago I learned how to do a Finnabair inspired mixed media art (You can see the Finnabair blog here: Finnabair). I took the class from Tanya with Free Heart at a retreat called Mojito Creek.  (click on the name to follow the link to their websites)

Tanya is amazing and wonderfully patient. I loved creating new things and learning new techniques. And the retreat is beautiful, and relaxing, and I would say just about perfect!

Here is one of my completed items that I made in the class:

Mixed media canvas

 

Here is an item that I made using a puzzle I found at the dollar store (I just couldn’t resist), and stencils, and mica powder and all kinds of things. I still need to do some final touchups, but when it is done I will list it in my Etsy shop.

Mixed media canvas

The last item I am working on is another mixed media that says “Beautiful” This on will take a while because of all the nooks and crannies, but I think it will turn out great in the end.

Mixed media canvas

 

So what are you working on?

 

No affiliate links in this post. All opinions are my own.

Dollar Store Puzzle Coaster DIY

Hello Everyone!

have you ever been to the dollar store and you see something really cute and you just know that you can do an awesome DIY with it? Well that is what happened to me with these puzzles I found at the Dollar Store.

dollar store puzzle coaster diy

They were just so cute I knew I needed to make something with them and I thought they were the perfect size for coasters.

dollar store puzzle coaster diy

dollar store puzzle coaster diy

Easy DIY, so here I goes:

Materials:

~ Puzzles

~ glues (I used Tacky glue and Mod Podge)

~ Exacto knife or scissors

~ Backing (I used some leftover fleece, but felt or cork would work)

~ Cardboard or poster board (optional)

Instructions:

~ First you have to assemble the puzzles. This is a really fun part!

dollar store puzzle coaster diy

~ Once they are all put together I spread a layer of Mod Podge on the front. I wanted a glossy look so I used Gloss A helpful hint is when you are gluing the back layers on to put something heavy on the coaster so that it will dry flat.

dollar store puzzle coaster diy

~ After that has dried then spread a layer of tacky glue to the back and adhere it to the fleece (or what ever you choose)

dollar store puzzle coaster diy

~ before you do the above step you might want to make the coasters a little more durable. So for the 2nd set I put a layer of cardboard, but I found that almost too thick. Poster board would be a happy medium. But they still work perfectly without any additional layers (my first set didn’t have anything extra and they work great)

~Once you are done with the fleece then cut it out.

dollar store puzzle coaster diy

And you are done! Ready to enjoy your new coasters.

dollar store puzzle coaster diy

 

dollar store puzzle coaster diy

Have you found something at the Dollar Store that you just needed to DIY? I would love to see what you came up with!

Making a Dollar Store Cell Phone Case Super Cute

Hello everyone!

Once again I found myself at the Dollar Store. I always seem to find something I just *need* when I go. Well this time I found all these super cute cell phone cases. If you follow me in Instagram you already know all about them. you can follow me at @taketimetocreate on Instagram

Dollar store cell phone case diy

I will show you what I did with each case and have fun making your own!

Materials:

You will need a variety of materials, I just depends on what you want to do. Here is a short list of some of the things I used:

~ Glue ( I used E-6000 and Loctite)

~glitter

~stickers

~rhinestones

~Soft gloss gel paint medium

~mica powder

~Chip board letters

Instructions:

1st case

For the first case I decided that it needed glitter! So I coated the outside of the case with a layer of E6000.

Dollar store cell phone case diy

Sprinkle glitter on it, shaking off the excess.

Dollar store cell phone case diy

Once it is dry coat it with a layer of Mod Podge to keep the glitter from going everywhere.

Dollar store cell phone case diy 

I love how it turned out!

2nd Case

This one I just wanted to put a pink rhinestone where the plaid patter intersects.

Just put a dab of E6000 where you want the rhinestone and put the stone on the case. To make things easier I use a syringe when doing precision gluing and a wax tipped tool to help pick up the rhinestone.

Dollar store cell phone case diy

I forgot to take a pic when I was done, but you get the idea! Smile

3rd Case

This beautiful swirly case needed some rhinestones. I just found some swirly ones and put Locktite glue on the stickers and added them to the case.

Dollar store cell phone case diy

It was quick and easy, and I love the added detail to the case.

 

Dollar store cell phone case diy

4th Case

This one was just as easy as the rest. I just used some chevron stickers to add detail to the white areas.

Dollar store cell phone case diy

Just be sure to glue the sticker down with Locktite

Dollar store cell phone case diy

Fun!

5th Case

This one is fun. The pattern was already bold, but I thought it needed more. So I added a chipboard letter and parentheses with Loctite and it is good to go!

I really like how this one turned out.

Dollar store cell phone case diy

6th Case

last but not least. This one was a little more involved, but not much. The case was not plastic, but more like a fabric on the area I painted.

I used come soft gloss gel and mixed in some Mica Powder on a small plate. You only need a little bit of each.

Dollar store cell phone case diy

Then I painted stripes and blended them together.

This one was fun to make and I have to say I love how it turned out.

Dollar store cell phone case diy

 

have you decorated a dollar store cell phone case? If you have I would love to see it!

2016 Crochet Temperature Blanket

Hello Everyone!

This week I wanted to tell you about my year long project. I am making a crochet temperature blanket! For those of you that don’t know what that is I will tell you.

2016 Crochet Temperature Blanket

I take the high temperature for my city and I crochet a row. I am using Caron Simply Soft Yarn (you can pick it up at Michaels, Joanns or online). It feels great and with no lot tracking it is easy to pick up more yarn as needed because it is impossible to judge how much I will need of each color for the year.

2016 Crochet Temperature Blanket

I created a chart that is in 10 degree increments and correlated that to a color and that is what I use for the row for that day (I did find examples online and used them as a guide line, but ultimately I used colors that work in my house). For example,  I use the Sunshine color when the temperatures are between 70-79 degrees Fahrenheit.

 2016 Crochet Temperature Blanket

I wanted it lap blanket sized so I crocheted 120 chain stitches (I added stitch markers every 10 stitches to help with my counting and I wanted to make sure the blanket stays close to rectangle by the end) Then I am just crochet using a single crochet stitch, one row for each day. I figured that this will help my practice my single stitch and it will keep the blanket from getting too big. As it is by the time I am done with the blanket and the boarder it will be over 44,000 stitches! So far I am behind (I am still working on February) but I am working hard to catch up and I will keep you updated on my progress. (I may end up finishing the blanket in 2020….) And that is is it, I just keep going until 2016 is done.

2016 Crochet Temperature Blanket

Are you working on any year long projects? I would love to see what you are working on!

2016 Crochet Temperature Blanket

This post does not contain affiliate links.

DIY projects with glass animals

My Grandpa was a rock hound, he searched and collected rock for as long as I knew him. He loved rocks and he created some wonderful, beautiful jewelry with his rocks.

Here is a 70s fantastic picture with my Grandpa. I love this pic, it was taken not long after my brother was born (he is the baby in my Grandpa’s arms). I am the little cutie in my mom’s arms, my sister Valerie the cute little blondie, and my other sister Kim is the cutie sitting down.

diys with glass animals

And what I love best about the above picture is about 5 seconds after it was taken this next picture was taken (or maybe it was 5 seconds before the actual photo when my folks were trying to set everything up). But either way the before and after is funny. It is almost impossible to keep 4 kids in one place. It just makes me giggle every time I see it.

diys with glass animals

Anyway, I digress. As I said my Grandpa was a rock hound. It was fun to spend time in his rock shop and see his tools and rock and various treasures. When he passed my oldest sister, Kim, got almost all his rocks and tools. Well, I was visiting Kim a few weeks ago I spent some time digging around in the rocks she had. And I come home with a treasure trove! My Grandpa had these really cute glass animals, I knew I could do something with them. Be prepared for more future posts with rocks, I may have collected a ton from my sister….

diy with glass animals

Aren’t they cute! But you know real life happens and before I even started my craft projects Cole had to take a few (or 10) so this is all the remains. LOL. He also had first dibs on all the rocks I brought home, so I have significantly less than what I started with.  I love how interested he is  in rocks and nature.

I made some necklaces and some little decorations with the glass animals. I will divide this post into 2 parts, starting with the jewelry.

Materials:

~ Glass animals (you can get these almost anywhere. I would look on Amazon, eBay, or do a quick Google search, or sometimes rock and or bead shops might have them)

~ Wire, pliers, jump rings

diy with glass animals

Instructions:

~ The little dogs had a little glass bump that was perfect for a jump ring. Add a jump ring  and a chain and you are good to go. I think this is the easiest project ever!

diy with glass animals     diy with glass animals

~ The giraffe was a little harder, but not much. Just take some wire and wrap it around the body of the giraffe.

Once you have wrapped it as much as you want then twist it at the top and add a jump ring, just watch for the center of gravity. You want to make sure your jump ring is in a place to make sure the giraffe will hang right. Then take the wire and twist to the bottom and secure and cut off extra. I am thinking that I will need to add a dab of glue to make sure it is secure.

diy with glass animals     diy with glass animals     diy with glass animals

~ Please note that these are glass and to be very careful when you wear them. These might not be suitable for children, they might break.

diy with glass animals     diy with glass animals

Making Glass Animal decorations

Materials:

~ Rocks

~ Glue (I used Loctite, but E6000 would probably work, or any other glue like that)

~ Glass animals

Instructions:

~ Gather your rocks and animals. As you can see I have a lot, but this isn’t even a tiny fraction of what I brought home. I am so excited for all the rock projects I have in store!

 

diy with glass animals

~ Then glue your animals to the rock base and that is it! Display them on your favorite shelf. Reminder that these are glass and fragile, so you should be careful handling them and these are probably not for kids to play with.

 

diy with glass animals

 

Nice and easy for this Wonderful Wednesday! Check out my Etsy shop to purchase some of these creations. TakeTimeToCreate.etsy.com

 

There are no affiliate links in this post

DIY Coloring Page Holder

I have a confession, I love to color. In fact I have been coloring long before it became the popular thing to do. I have always found it a great way to relieve stress and relax me. So when adult coloring books starting becoming popular I was literally giddy with so much happiness! So many possibilities and options! But, they are more expensive than the kids coloring books I usually found in the dollar store. So I started to look online and print them out at home. You can find tons of free coloring pages online, it is almost overwhelming. But with all these pages I needed a way to contain them, a cute holder of some sort.

Here is what I came up with.

20160204_174227

DIY Coloring Page Holder

I found this folder at the dollar store and while it works just fine all plain and boring, I just couldn’t leave it like that. (surprised?) Next to the folder was the really cute sparkly tape. Perfect for the folder.

Materials:

~Tape and file folder

20151106_184219

Sparkly tape

20151106_184133

Folder from Dollar Store

~Coloring pages or coloring book and crayons

I just placed the awesome tape around the edges and that was it. Nice and easy and it made the folder so much cuter.

20151106_184506

Front of Folder

Just fill with coloring pages that you printed or that wonderful coloring book that you have been working on. Keep your crayons in the folder as well and you are good to go.

20160204_174142

Fill with Coloring Pages and Crayons

So do you love coloring as much as I do? Don’t you think this would make a great gift?

Have you embraced the new trend or are you passing on this trend?

20160204_174227

Front of Folder

20160204_174304

Back side of folder

Repurpose Your Old Keys

Hello Everyone!

One of my goals this year is to use what I already have. I am trying not to purchase new things and to up cycle, repurpose,  and recycle as many items as I can.

With that in mind I decided to repurpose some old keys I found in my desk drawer at work. After making sure they didn’t work or went to anything important I went to town making them awesome.

Repurpose old keys

They are easy to do, just glue on some flower, rhinestones, button, or brad. Add a jump ring and you are done.

Here is my pile of plain keys.

Repurposed old keys

I used Loctite glue and it is holding really well.

Repurpose old keys

Adding the jump ring is easy to do

Repurpose old keys

Here are some of the rhinestones and flowers I used. I am loving the rhinestone brand Say It With Crystals and the flower brand Prima Flowers.

Repurpose old keys     Repurpose old keys     Repurpose old keys     Repurpose old keys

 

As for the steampunk keys I just found some steampunk doo dads at Michaels in the jewelry/bead  department. I had some old brads in my stash and bent the ends off and glued them on. As for the buttons I just cut the shank off and glued it on. The metal flowers are something I had laying around,I am sorry I can’t remember where I got them, but I added a rhinestone and jazzed it up and I think I turned out great.

Repurposed old keys     Repurposed old keys

Repurposed old keys     Repurposed old keys

 

Don’t be afraid to mix and match things, you might surprise your self with your creations.  I even removed part of the flower for one of the keys, It was too big otherwise.  I would love to see what you come up with.

Repurpose old keys

I will have some of these keys in my Etsy shop, along with other creations. TakeTimeToCreate.etsy.com

Disclaimer: There are no affiliate links in this post

Alter a Statement Necklace into a Hair Barrette

Hello everyone!

Today I am showing you how I altered another one of those Statement Necklaces I got from Wal-Mart a few months ago. In case you forgot about these Statement Necklaces  here are a few posts about how I altered different necklaces.

You can see them Here, Here, and Here

Part of this necklace will become a new, pretty barrette.

alter a necklace into a barrette

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Materials:

~ Statement Necklace

~ Wire cutters

~ Glue (I used E-6000)

~ Barrette or alligator clip

~ Nail Polish, I used this LA Colors nail polish from the Dollar Store and for the glitter top coat I used a Wet n Wild glitter top coat.

alter necklace into a barrette

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Instructions:

~ Here is my necklace in all its glory. There are a ton of colors going on and it is too much, even for me.  Here is a side by side image with what I started with and what I ended up with.

Alter necklace to a barrette

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So the first thing you do is take  your wire cutters and cut the necklace apart. You want to separate the clusters.

 alter necklace into a barrette alter necklace into a barrette

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~ Then I painted all the multicolored sections with nail polish a beautiful blue. In hindsight I probably should have painted a base coat of white before I painted the blue, you can see that the colors are slightly different, but not too much. I put on about 3 coats.

alter a necklace into a barrette

~ it is pretty, but it needed a little sparkle. So I painted a glittery top coat. Ahh, much better. You can see the glitter in this pic.  Let it dry completely

alter necklace into a barrette

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~ Glue a barrette or alligator clip to the back and you are done.

 

Nice and easy, and it looks so cute.

 

alter necklace into a barrette