I’ve written a tutorial for the pop-out/3-D pictures I’ve been making as gifts. You can read my AP story here.
(I always find it funny to see where the craft stories I write for AP end up. It gets sent out as part of our “lifestyles” package. Some websites put it under “health.” Others put it under “entertainment.” I guess not too many news sites have craft sections)
I loved this book when I was little and had no idea there was a sequel until I bought the original earlier this summer as a gift for one of my son’s friends. For those who haven’t read it, it’s a tale of a town where all the food falls from the sky. (It’s also been turned into a movie recently but the plot appears to be quite different). I decided (the night before the party of course) to make some felt food to go with it, hence the odd assortment pictured above.
The meatball and ravioli are needle-felted. The ziti is wet-felted, made by wrapping wool roving around a pencil. The donut, sauce and pickle are made out of acrylic craft felt, though the frosting on the donut is needle-felted wool.
I’ve made a ton of felt food in the last year or so, mostly as gifts for my son, his friends and young relatives. I bought some fantastic fruit patterns from Bugga Bugs, and for other items I’ve just made things up as I went along. I even made one of my favorite desserts – a chocolate éclair – which became proof that even if you don’t let your 4-year-old son watch television, he still will turn everything into a weapon. “Really?” I asked him. “You’re going to shoot me with a chocolate éclair?”
Check out the article I wrote for AP about felt food in my tutorial page above, along with a how-to on making felt sushi.
I love maps, but they make me sick. As my husband will confirm, I am as likely to cry out “I can’t look at this anymore!” as I am to say “Take Exit 32” when asked to help navigate during family road trips. I have tossed more than a few maps on the floor of the car in a fit of nausea, and even, I’ll admit, considered whether I could fashion one into a makeshift barf bag if necessary. (Now that’s crafty!) But back on firm ground, I’ve been using maps for home decor and accessory projects. They’re also an easy way to save money on souvenirs from your summer vacation by making your own.
Here’s an article I wrote for The Associated Press about crafting with maps. Click on the article link to see more photos, and a how-to on making Scrabble tile pendants.