Clean.

DIY yarn storage.

A year ago I scrounged up these old drawers.

And while the old door in that post long ago became this headboard, the drawers were just waiting. For inspiration. Yes, I've used them for shelves and bins here and there, but nothing overly inspiring.

Until this weekend.

I was finishing up the craft room overhaul that I started last weekend and realized I needed a new yarn storage solution.

Because piles, heaps, and baskets of wool only get you so far.

So I shot from the hip and grabbed a couple of those old drawers, cut some branches from our brush pile with a handsaw, and enlisted a volunteer to cut some scrap lumber to size for shelves (thanks, Pete!). 

And, frankly, I'm stoked. My yarn has really never looked so good.

The best part is, you can rock this out in an afternoon.

Here's how:

1. Scrounge up some old wooden drawers. Mine are shallow but slightly deeper drawers would also work brilliantly.

2. Determine which way you'd like your drawers to hang. I arranged mine so that the vintage drawer pulls faced the entrance to the room. Find your right arrangement.

3. Measure the drawer depth and width. Determine how many shelves you would like to add to each drawer. (I added one to one and two to the other.)

4. Cut dimensional lumber to the sizes you determined above.

5. Place your shelves where you want them. Using a tiny drill bit, drill for your nails. (Rad crafty tip: No drill bit? No worries! Cut the head off of a long, thin nail with pliers. Insert the nail as though it were a drill bit. Drill!)

6. Nail shelves into place.

7. Cut tree branches 2-3" longer than your drawer is wide. Determine placement (hint: lower is better so that you can get the yarn out easily), then drill with your nifty handmade drill bit, and nail or screw into place.

8. Drill holes through the back of the drawer for hanging, and hang, using a level to insure they are straight.

9. Stuff with yarn and stand back to admire your awesomeness.

And one last thing. A note on perfectionism: At one point Olive made off with one of my branches, gnawing up one end. Lupine noted, "It's okay, Mama. That'll just make it more rustic."

See? Perfection is overrated.

Happy making!

 

These are not peg dolls.

This is quite the dilemma.

I know that I can not possibly post any more cute little painted wooden people because that would be out of control. And then I'd be keeping a craft blog. And I'm not a craft blogger. I am a blogger who - on occasion - does crafty things and writes about them.

But three peg people posts in one week? Well that would be simply too much. I'd scare half of you away I am sure.

Oh... but wait! What are these? Well, these aren't peg dolls! Oh, no they're not. Not one bit peg or doll to be seen. These are clearly something completely different that surely belongs on my blog. Right? (No, no. Don't answer. That was rhetorical.)

But really. They're crazy cute. And they're zipper pulls! Or better yet... necklaces. (Gah!)

And they're tiny! And tiny is so cute it will cast a spell over you to make you forget how crafty my blog has become this week. (What can I say. It's February. And it's Wisconsin. Crafting keeps me sane. And in the spirit of full disclosure I have nothing to say about peaceful parenting this week, my friends. No-thing. But I digress.)

I know, I know. I need help.

But just in case you love these as much as I do, feel free to steal away with my idea and make some of your own. Or if you prefer I have these plus Tuesday's yummy peg babies for sale in my Etsy shop.

Somebody stop me!

(I promise to return to proper blogging next week.)

P.S. Happy Valentine's Day!

The cutest peg dolls ever. (Eeek!)

The weekend wasn't all heartbreak and misery. No ma'am, no sir!

There was also... crafting. And crafting - as you know - often means peg dolls. These little friends might be my favorite peg dolls ever. In fact, I'm certain they are.

So induldge me just one more time in a Parade of Small Wooden People across your moniter.

Would you do me that? Thank you kindly. You're ever so polite.

They are tiny - about an inch tall. I bought the blank bodies here and painted them with watercolor paint. (Normally I use acrylics but something about the woodgrain showing through in Margaret's dolls has me inspired.)

I'll give each one a rub with a beeswax and oil wood polish before they are done.

My intention was to turn them into zipper pulls and put them in my Etsy shop but I'm not sure I have it in me to take a drill bit to their cute little heads anymore.

Plus we've found they make the perfect little game pieces for our favorite board game. Way cuter than a plastic pawn, don't you think? We might have to use them for all of our games from now on.

Edited to say: I decided to put a few in my Etsy shop. If you'd like some for your own family pop over and I'll custom paint them for you!

Oh. And then there were the butterflies. (I know. I need help.)

With felt wings and watercolor painted bodies, these three critters became part of our Valentine mobile. The kids and I made it in less than an hour using watercolor paper hearts, an embroidery hoop, and some ribbon.

Sweetness overload.

And by hanging them from the ceiling they are safe from the rising flood waters! Such a bonus. (Let's hope the roof doesn't leak.)

Okay. I'm done now. Thanks for bearing with me and the peg people madness!

Love,
Rachel

Waldorf doll re-do.

Doodad was the first doll I ever made.

At 2 1/2 Sage told me what he wanted in a doll (curly blonde hair and blue eyes, like Sage at the time, and dark brown skin).

Before the doll was even done Sage carried him everywhere in his sling. It took me weeks to get that doll away from him to put on his crazy blonde hair.

I love Doodad.

When Sage had outgrown his doll he gave him to Lupine. But he never got much love from Lupine. Lupine loves fancy. And Doodad, quite simply, was not fancy.

He was even given away to a young friend and after some time came home again.

And then Lupine decided that Doodad was a girl. Named Rose.

And he started wearing dresses and coming to tea parties.

But the hair.

The hair really bothered Lupine. I thought it was fabulous and actually dreaded replacing it. (No pun intended, since those blond locks had long ago turned into dreads.)

Last week we were clearing out a few unloved playthings and I held up Doodad/Rose.

"Can we let her go?" I asked.

"NO! She needs new hair. Long, straight, black hair."

And so I went for it. Right then and there.

First we chose some soft llama yarn from my stash and I got to work. When I say soft, take the softest yarn you've ever felt. It's even softer.

First (and yes, with a heavy heart), I cut away Doodad's old hair.

Next I crocheted a little wig from black yarn.

I don't know how to crochet so my technique is terrible, but since the wig would be hidden beneath the longer hair it didn't matter.

(That was my plug for shaking off your inner perfectionist!)

Using a crochet hook I began looping hair latch-hook style through the foundational wig. Lupine kept making off with her during the process declaring that she was "already the most beautiful doll in the world" and that she couldn't bear to let me finish.

Every few hours I'd wrangle her away and put on a few more strands.

While I'd like to add a bit more hair, I'm calling her done.

Doodad (perhaps the world's first trans-gender Waldorf doll) is a completely different doll.

She is very much a girl, and renamed "Sapphire Rose". An elegant name for our most elegant doll.

As for Lupine she is completely smitten by this doll. She hasn't left my girl's side since I looped in the last strand of hair.

As for me, I'm rather smitten by her as well. To create something completely new out of something old? That's what it's all about.

Success!

A family art project.

I really can't remember when I've had so much fun.

We spent yesterday with some dear friends - our first official farm visitors - sledding, drinking tea, and eating good food. They headed home as the sun went down and we decided that popcorn and almond butter apples were in order. For dinner. (Our answer to pizza or take-out night I suppose.)

With all that extra time we decided to make a disastrous mess out of our kitchen anyway. And make art! Together.

Inspired by Amanda's family art project, a similar piece done by a local friend, and also the projects I shared with you here on Friday, we gathered some supplies.

We wanted our piece to be part art and part manifestation board.

Acrylic paint, a big canvas (a board would do), some old calenders, books, and catalogs - and lots and lots of glitter and Mod Podge got us rolling. We worked for hours, laughing and cooperating side by side.

Our shared vision (aside for having fun and making something pretty) was to focus on our farm and the life we're setting out to create here.

A new year. A new home. An new era.

Lupine wanted lots of flowers, Pete was all about warmth, honey bees and lavender, I was seeking images of closeness, family, and community, and Sage focused on images of kids out in nature.

When it was finished we all just knew.

And this morning when we woke everyone gathered around it, beaming at what we made. 

Family art. No rules. Just cooperation and creativity.

I highly recommend it.

Happy New Year to you and your families!

 Love,

Rachel

DIY Mason Jar Straw Cup

I am embarrassed to admit that when I finished making these Lupine exclaimed, "Mama, these are awesome! You HAVE to pin this!" Oh my. I've created a monster.

But really, I think she's right. So first I'm blogging them and then, yes, I'm going to pin the heck out of these just-about-free cups. Because we're crazy about them.

So stand back! Here goes.

Tonight we were heading out to cut our holiday tree. But our travel cups are missing. (Still packed from the move, lost in a box in the barn somewhere.) And frankly, our straw cups didn't stand up the the abuses of daily life like we had hoped. All of the plastic and silicone parts have started to break or tear. Bummer.

But we're handy people.

So I grabbed a couple of mason jars, some canning lids, and a my cordless drill. The missing straw cups were replaced (forever!) in a hurry.

 Because yes, with almost no assistance I made BPA-free travel cups in about 3 mintues. You have no idea how satisfying that is right now. It's nearly bliss.

I choose Tattler lids, but you could also use a standard metal canning jar lid. (Why did I choose plastic? Normally I scorn the stuff but it feels like a much safer choice than the BPA lined metal lids that also dwell in my pantry. I have been using Tattler lids for my canning for the past two years and frankly I trust them more than I do the BPA-lined lids.) 

These would be the perfect bedside bottle too to keep your kids night-time drink from steeping in plastic.

Want to make one? I knew you would.

So here's the skinny.

Supplies

1 mason jar with two-piece lid (standard canning jar type)

1 stainless steel drinking straw (I picked mine up here)

Cordless drill and suitably sized bit to make a hole the size of your straw

Optional teeny-tiny drill bit for air hole

How To

1. Find a bit the size of your straw (or a smidge bigger, at most). To find the right size for mine I slipped my straw into my bit holder. It just fit into the 15/64".

2. Drill a hole off-set towards the edge of your lid. If you are going to occasionally use the lid without the straw, place the hole closer to the edge than I did. (Just inside the gasket.)

If desired, use your smallest bit to add an air hole. We made ours both ways and I prefer the air hole but it isn't necessary. You have to suck pretty hard on the straw without it, but it will be less likely to leak if you leave it off. It's really up to you. We made four cups in all and Pete opted out of the air hole, the rest of us went for it. (But maybe that was just because I let the kids drill their own.)

And voila! Instant straw cups. I've been using mine all day without the straw in and it works great as a lidded travel cup this way. Versitle! Double awesome.

(Please ignore the boxes.)

Use your stash yarn to knit a mason jar cozy and you've got a sweet Solstice gift for pennies.

So that's it. Now go make stuff!

Love,
Rachel

This is Wool.

Today I bring you a surprise guest of sorts, a kind gal named Mary Jo of Five Green Acres whom I've know (in that no-physical but online soul-sister sense) for several years.

Mary Jo has begun an adventure that is near and dear to my own heart and I wanted to share here inspiring story with you. What she's doing is certainly on my short list of dreams. Sheep! Dyes! Yarn!

To sweeten the deal I'm also giving away a skein of her handspun wool, so read on to learn more.

(All photos in this post are courtesy of This is Wool and Five Green Acres.)

This is wool. First Harvest: Backyard from Mary Jo, FiveGreenAcres on Vimeo.

Mary Jo has just embarked on several journeys ~ that of keeping sheep, experimenting with fiber dyes, and spinning wool. I interviewed her earlier this week about her new adventure in self-employment and artistic expression, This is Wool.

RJW: I'd love to hear about making the leap from town-living to farm girl. What was that transition like?

MJB: It was a slow and easy transition, because we're not too far from the city (Madison) but still have a small town to call home, so it's really the best of both worlds.  

I didn't give too much thought about the community we were moving into - it was the property that we fell in love with - and therefore didn't really have any expectations about finding other like-minded folks in town; I was satisfied with the ability to maintain my connections in Madison.  

I happened upon the newly-formed knitting group that met at our local library and through that gathering met many of the folks that are now among our dearest friends.  The library was our gateway to this community.

RJW: We (okay, I) tend to romanticize farming or keeping animals. Talk to me about the time you give to your animals each day.

MJB: That varies, of course, depending on the time of year.  In the spring, we get chicks and foster their growth through the beginning of summer, then process the meat - that's the most labor-intensive component of our farming operation.

The sheep simply require fresh water and pasture every couple of days during the season of grass, a task which involves moving the portable electric net fence and takes under 30 minutes.  Shearing, which we've just begun doing ourselves, is very labor intensive, like you wouldn't believe! But it's one or two days of the year, and most normal people bring in a shearer to do that.  

The laying hens are, like the sheep,  easier to care for than dogs - food and water each day, as well as opening and closing their coop to let them range.  

In the winter months, the sheep are pastured right behind the chickens in a communal space, making it easy to care for both flocks in a short amount of time.  As for the weekends, it's still relatively easy to pile up enough food for a few days and head out.   

RJW: Plant dyes are fascinating! Any new experiments on the horizon?

MJB: At the end of the season last year, I put in quite a few new dye plants, with grand visions for this year's dyeing season.  

Then came The Drought.  

It became clear to me as the summer progressed without any additional rain, that this year's harvest of wool would need to be dyed from traditional acid dyes.  I feel good about that decision, leaving the scant goldenrod for the bees, the sumac for the birds to sustain them through the winter.  

Acid dyes will introduce a very different range of colors to this vintage of wool, giving Second Harvest its own identity.  I hope to return to plant dyeing next year, nature willing, because nothing is more satisfying to me than growing the dyes which color my wool. 

RJW: I know that wool from different types of sheep has different qualities. How did you pick a sheep breed?

.

MJB: I came to knitting thrrhough the impending birth of my first child, my daughter Isadora.  I was researching cloth diapers, and came upon knit patterns for wool soakers - this is also where I began my love affair with wool as a fiber!

.

I read about wool's remarkable absorption properties, its natural antibacterial components, and set off for the fiber shop to get some wool to (learn how to) knit into wool soakers.  I sought out the softest wool I could find, something that I would want to swaddle my as-yet-unborn baby's butt, and started learning about the different grades of wool.  Who knew there was such a range beyond the "Wool is too itchy for me" cliche?

.

Again, when it was time to select a breed of sheep to raise, softness was the overarching decision-maker, as well as availability.  As my flock grows, I've begun selecting for softness and a very fine wool - it must be luxuriously soft, to be worn next to the skin.

.

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Want in on some of the goodness? Leave a comment below and I'll choose one of you to receive a gorgeous skein of Mary Jo's This is Wool Honey Bee.

Comments are now closed. The winner, chosen by Random.org is Meena (The very last commenter. That's never happended before!) who said:

Wow, that is really gorgeous yarn, I wish I could touch it right now! It lt looks so soft!

Oh, such fun. And now, of course I want sheep (even more than I did before)! If that was even possible...

The best projects come without instructions.

Sometimes the best days are spent without guidance, instructions, or a destination. With just a fist-full of craft supplies, an open mind, and a glad heart.

This is where creativity blossoms.

Sunday was spent with markers, craft sticks, and a batch of homemade playdough in some of the most creative work we've done in a while. "Popsicle Town" was born. Every one of us ended up joining in the fun. (Yes, in our pajamas until noon.)

Oh, I do love days like this.

Get your kids creating.

This is a repost from a couple of years back. Definitely worhty of the effort to dust it off and share it again.

How can you get your kids busy making puppets? Or drawings? Or masks? Or jewelry? Or costumes? (Or making anything for that matter?)

Many parents don't know where to start to help guide their children into more creative adventures. Here are a few basic steps that should make your home the creative nucleus it secretly wants to be.

1. Make time.

If we don't make time for our own creativity it is asking a bit to much to expect our children to find the time in their own experience. They live what they learn, so make time to be creative yourself (in the presence of your children) and with your kids, even if it is just a few moments here and there. Draw with them. Make a fairy fort outside. Make paper masks. Sew, knit, paint. Anything. Create a new family ritual. (Steal our idea for a weekend morning Jammie Craft featured here and here.) Carve out the time, even if it is just five minutes, two days a week.

2. Have supplies available.

Supplies that you don't ration. Nothing squelches creativity like a parent hovering and being miserly about their materials. My kids have their own yarn because they were "borrowing" yarn from my project cabinet which was making me freak. And their having to constantly ask for tape made me buy them their own tape dispenser so that mine stayed in the office.

Some of our favorites kids' craft supplies are: wool and cotton yarn, cotton fabric, wool felt, sequins and glitter (these are kept on a high shelf and used when I help with setup), glue, needles, thread, embroidery floss, watercolors, kite paper, regular paper (white and colored), pencils, crayons, and wooden bits.

3. Organize your supplies

...so that kids can find what they need easily. Self-service is important to encourage kids to follow their creative spark. Think kid's eye level and accessible day-to-day location.

 We have a sideboard in our dining room filled with supplies with labeled drawers. (The labels include pictures and words so that pre-readers can still find what they want.) We have a friend with a devoted dresser of supplies. You'll find the right answer for your space. It needn't be fancy - just orderly.

4. Unplug and Acquaint Yourself With Boredom.

(Now we're getting to the sticky ones.) Nothing brings a faster death to creativity than lots of screen time for a kid. The younger your child is the less media they should be exposed to. (A well-accepted standard is no screen time before two, thought many believe it should go much beyond two.)

Without screen time kids will get bored. And they'll whine. And fuss. And be dramatic. It will be uncomfortable.

And then out of pure desperation they'll engage their brains and get un-bored. And that's when the best magic happens. But you have to stick it out and have some great supplies at hand. Trust me. You'll curse my name along the way, but the destination will be so worth it. 

Worth saying that the screen-time reduction should go for everyone lest it appear to be a demented parental punishment.

5. Find your inspiration.

Have some simple crafts up your sleeve for when you have creative time with your kids. Maybe they'll be old favorites from your childhood. Tap into your friends. Call your mom. Or come here to see what we're up to. Other great blogs for quick crafts are Crafty Crow and Artful Parent.

6. Plant Seeds.

"When I was a kid I made the coolest puppet out of a toilet paper roll and some construction paper." Plant creative seeds for your kids to nurture. They'll take the lead and come up with some great creative ideas of their own.

7. Get out of the way.

It is wonderful to nudge children in the direction of creative expression, but then get out of the way. Busy yourself with your own parallel project (making your own puppet for example), or quietly slip away and make dinner.

Their finished project does not need to be perfect. This can be hard for us to learn. As parents we tend to offer too many suggestions, too many ideas, too much direction. They know what they are doing. This is their project - not yours. (Let the big pink strawberry star in that spring puppet show.)

Enjoy the journey. Let me know what transpires this weekend in your craft zone!

Gocco!

Almost a year ago I found a vintage new-in-the-box Gocco at a thrift store.

I squealed, then danced around in the isle embarrassing my children who could not understand why that cheesy cardboard box full of craft supplies was so thrilling to me.

It was $3.50.

When I told a friend about it she told me she had paid ten times that much for hers not two years before. Yup. Total score.

I kept stalling on using it. I had only five screens and didn't want to squander my resources. So there it sat. For a year.

Also, I was a little baffled on how to use it until I found this delightful video on Youtube. As a visual learner, that video changed everything. I didn't even need the manual anymore.

Last week Sage and I decided that we'd give it a go making invitations for his birthday party. I drew the card, he burned the screen and printed the invitations.

And I am so hooked.

The heart-break is that Gocco no longer manufactures supplies. Meaning this little honey might have a shorter life than I'd like. But there are supplies out there. I just might need to hoard some.

Do you Gocco?