Crafting with kids: how to make a paper lei

Welcome to my first tutorial, this time about how to make a paper lei!  I thought it was about time for me to actually explain how I created something for your enjoyment and your own crafting fun.  {a PDF of this tutorial can be found here}  Today I am sharing a project I stumbled upon last October when Lil' Miss decided she wanted to be Lilo (yes, Destructo-boy was Stitch!) for Halloween.  I had already made a dress for her by piecing together two patterns I purchased from the local craft superstore, but she needed more than that for a Lilo costume.  She desperately needed that most well known symbol of Hawaii, a lei!  I knew that I would be able to buy her an inexpensive lei rather easily but as I have said before, I really prefer to create from what I already have if at all possible.

After a quick perusal of my supplies I realized I already had everything I would need to have Lil' Miss help me make a lei for her to wear.  My list of supplies included:

• A die cut machine with flower dies, card, or cartridge (I have the Slice machine by Making Memories and used Basics card #2), but a single, or an assortment, of floral punches will suffice, or even hand cut the flowers if you are especially crafty!
• Assorted colors of construction paper or card stock
• Yarn, long enough to form the necklace and tie it closed
• Large/medium plastic beads, just make sure the hole is large enough to string the yarn through
• Large tapestry needle

We started with Lil' Miss picking out a variety of flowers she wanted me to cut out for her which I did in 3 different sizes, 1.5", 2" and 2.5", and in several different colors of construction paper.  A lei would look just as nice if it were made with all one flower of one size, and/or even all the same color.  I made about 70 flowers if I remember correctly.  Once the flowers were all cut out I had her help me put a hole in the center of each flower with a hole punch (I used the smaller punch on a Crop-A-Dile which is a great tool btw!) , this way the flowers can be strung onto the yarn.

Once a sufficient amount of paper flowers have been cut out and punched in the middle, prepare your yarn by cutting a length long enough to drape around the child's neck with enough extra to tie it closed.  Then thread the yarn onto your tapestry needle and prepare to hand it over to an eager child with some simple instructions.  The key here is to alternate the paper flowers with the beads while stringing, as doing so will make them stand out more like a lei made with real flowers.

At this point I let Lil' Miss take over completely, giving her total creative control over the color and floral arrangement (yes, it was very hard to watch her put the same colors next to each other and not have any pattern at all to how she put the beads and flowers on).  I particularly liked the beads we used as they are about 1/4" long so created some nice breathing space between the flowers;  Some basic pony beads would work just as well but would require more paper flowers than I used for the completed lei.

Once you, or the eager child, have strung on enough beads and paper flowers to make a lei the length you'd like just knot the ends together and voila, a fun afternoon spent crafting together and what, I ask, is better than that! 

Just a little FYI, as I was instructed at my Aunt's wedding many years ago, the proper way to wear a lei is not like a necklace hanging down from the back of your neck, it should be worn draped on the shoulders with half the flowers across your chest and half draped across your back.  It feels much better this way and the lovely fragrance of the flowers (well, not the paper ones, but real ones!) are closer to your nose too!

So you want me to knit you something...

Oh, you want me to make you something, do you now?  Well, you have to be knit-worthy for me to do so.  What is knit-worthy you ask?  Let me enlighten you, it is being deserving of my time and skill to craft something unique just for you.  Yes, I am a stay at home mom, and yes I may have more down time than you (okay that was funny, as if I have down time with two kids under 5!), yes I have the skill-set, and yes, I can't sit still for 2 seconds so am always knitting/crafting but none of this means I will necessarily make something for you.  Hand crafted items take a lot of time and care and not everyone can appreciate that fact.  Although I enjoy making items with my craftiness, if I am going to spend my time making something for you I need to be reassured of a few things first:

• You will wear it, use it, and enjoy it.  If it is destined for the back of the closet or the bottom drawer of your dresser than you can forget about me knitting/crocheting you anything.  This doesn't just mean if you don't like it and want to hide it before someone thinks you actually chose it, this also means that if you love it, use it, please don't hide it away as too 'precious' to use!
• It will not end up in a garage sale with the tag 'reduced to .25 cents' or donated to the local thrift store.
• You will make sure to wash it properly, if I advised you upon gifting you with the item that it would be best to turn inside out while washing and dry flat, please do so.  If it is a hand-wash item that you threw in the washer and dryer thus turning it into a cabbage patch doll sized felt apparel item, don't even talk to me for awhile, I will have heard the yarn screaming and know what you have done!  And don't count on getting anything else made for you for a very long time, if ever!
• If I have made you something before, you darn well better have thanked me for it.  I don't require toe kissing or candy & flowers but at least a "Thank you so much, this must have taken you a lot of time!" will suffice.  Lil' Miss has perfected the thank you speech and it more often than not results in a new project being cast on for her.
• If you effusively admire a gift I have given to another friend/family member who has already been deemed knit-worthy this might move you up to consideration as being knit-worthy yourself.  All crafters love praise and I am no exception.
• Have a baby.  Knitters and crocheters love to make stuff for babies, and even if you are not knit-worthy (yet) your unborn progeny most definitely is.  Since I am done having little ones (and the ones I have are not babies anymore, sniff-sniff) but love all the cute baby patterns available, I need someone to make them for, and if you have some offspring you'll get something made for them!
• I just plain have to like you enough.  There, I said it, if you are an acquaintance who I see once or twice a year it doesn't matter how nice you are or how much you admire my knitting (although if both are true why aren't you more than an acquaintance anyway?) don't count on a handmade item for you under my Christmas tree or around your birthday.

So if you want something from me on gift giving occasions, review the above list and remember it.   Even though I said it wasn't necessary, candies (the See's assorted chocolates are my favorite) will always grease the knitting needles in your favor, just sayin!

Beaded stitch markers: Adventures in crafting

After seeing many beautiful pictures of beaded stitch markers and having an elevated view of my own craftiness, I decided to try making some myself.  You see, I have a whole bunch of beads along with head pins, and know how to make a wrapped loop;  I don't really make jewelry for myself (maybe I should start you think?!) and I love finding uses for items I already have stashed.  The first attempt involved purchasing (gasp!) toggle clasps and using those for my rings.  The beauty of this method is that the clasps already have a place to attach the beads to and the toggle itself is a seamless circle so nothing will catch on the yarn.  They came out great, and I immediately put them onto several projects already in progress.  Here is where I learned the failings with this method, they work just great for lace work (currently being used for my liesel scarf and working quite well) and would probably be okay with heavier weights of yarn but for my hell-sweater they created a laddering problem so I had to abandon them in favor of the plain rubber ones I have from Clover.  So back to the craft store to peruse for more supplies.

small toggle clasp markers

On my next trip to the craft store I purchased some 12mm split rings to try, (you know, like miniature key rings) not sure how well they will work but I'll give them a shot.  I need to make a handful at least as I will be starting a clapotis scarf soon and I understand it needs at least ten markers.  After making some of these and casting on my clapotis I learned that the jump rings are definitely lighter in weight than the toggle clasps, which is very desirable when using nine markers on a straight needle.  I also used lighter beads for these and I find that is helpful also with the weight issue, I had on seven of my toggle clasp markers and I could definitely tell the difference when I switched between the two. 

April was very productive!

Owls vest for Destructo-boy

Since I had already made a few summer items for Lil' Miss I was feeling a bit guilty that Destructo-boy didn't ave anything made for hi for summer yet.  After a request for help on the Ravelry Knitting For Boys group for summer knit ideas, I was given numerous suggestions of summer clothing items I could make for Destructo-boy.  This Owls vest was by far my favorite and was a really quick knit.  the pattern was originally designed for babies but with some modifications to needle size, yarn weight and adding in some stitches and rows it ended up being a bit big on the boy.  Oh well, he can wear it next year too!