Category: Craft

Simple Backpack Sewing Pattern (with video)

Here’s how to make a super functional and stylish canvas backpack from scratch. Whether you need something for everyday carry or a weekend adventure, this bag is sturdy, customizable, and beginner-friendly.

The final bag dimensions are 34cm tall by 24 cm wide by 12cm deep (13.5 inches tall by 9.5 inches wide by 5 inches deep).

Supplies

For the Ikea-specific colorway, here are the

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DIY Pen Plotter Wedding Place Cards with NextDraw

Here’s how I made the place cards for my wedding reception using my NextDraw pen plotter and the NextDraw Merge software. Not only do they welcome guests to their seats at dinner, but each one has a personal note inside from me, my new husband, or both of us. Follow along if you’re interested in making place cards or notes like this for your own wedding or other special occasion.

Event photos by Arius Photography

Overall, I’d consider this an intermediate-level project, and an ideal first project with NextDraw Merge. This was my first big project with any plotter and the whole reason I bought it in the first place. So I’m new to plotting, and was still able to pull off this project without any problems. But I’m not new to vector graphics software.

For this project, you will need:

Use code BECKYBANTAM for 10% off art machine products thru 2024.

The NextDraw plugin works within InkScape, the open-source vector graphics software, to plot your drawings. The software comes with some sample files to test out and get familiar with plotting. Admittedly I’m more familiar with Adobe Illustrator than I am with Inskcape, but the skills are transferable.

I picked some brown letter-sized paper and experimented with some different gold Gelly Roll pens.

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Rewiring vintage lamps

Today we’re rewiring old lamps. I got invited to participate in this lamp show at my hackerspace, NYC Resistor, and it got me dusting off my yellow antique banquet lamp. This thing used to be a gas lamp, and at some point, it was converted to electrical. So it has a socket and a bulb and a cord. But the cord is not up to modern safety standards, and it’s kind of ugly.

So I took the opportunity to clean the whole lamp, which made it easier to also rewire the cord while I was at it.

This is an easy project you can do at home, but it’s a little dangerous because you’re plugging into AC mains power. So double-check your work with somebody who knows what they’re doing, and be sure to unplug the cord while working on the wiring.

The supplies you will need are:

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Ring Holder Necklace

Today I’m sharing a quick and easy jewelry-making project- a necklace that holds your rings. It’s an easy way to keep my engagement ring safe while I’m working with something messy, or doing anything with tools where jewelry might be a safety concern.

It’s a fun optical illusion-like party trick to show friends that you can take the ring on and off of the holder without removing the chain.

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Penny Cosplay (Inspector Gadget) Costume

After working on this project over the span of two years, It’s finally time to share my costume for Penny from Inspector Gadget. I made the wig, I made the computer book, I made the watch, I customized the clothes, and I put together a look for the Inspector. In this post, I’ll share how I built each element of this cosplay.

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Making a T-Shirt Quilt

Tired of looking at all those old T-shirts in your closet? Are some of them too stained or worn to donate, and too precious to throw away? With a few supplies and a bit of time, you can turn them into a beautiful quilt that commemorates all your proudest moments.

Our guide for this do-it-yourself adventure is none other than my mom, a seasoned quilter. If you’re interested in having a quilt made by Bette, reach out on Facebook or by email.

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6 Easy DIY Craft Projects

I’m back with another roundup! This time, I’m sharing my 6 favorite DIY crafts projects! For those who have been following me for a while, some of these may look familiar. However, if you’re new to my blog, this is a perfect introduction to my crafting videos.

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Dopp Kit Bag Sewing Pattern

Learn how to sew a simple and satisfying Dopp Kit bag- perfect for traveling, tool storage, makeup, and more.

Introduction

Last year I made my first Dopp Kit bag as a companion piece to my Waxed Canvas Tool Roll…

But I didn’t just try to make the bag from canvas. I also made some with my stash of boldly printed grocery delivery bags. Everyone I’ve made one for has really enjoyed theirs, so I’m releasing the pattern and showing you how to stitch up your own. This is a pretty easy sewing project, albeit a little more 3D than the tool roll. They go great together.

You can use this bag for anything you want: Tools, art supplies, makeup, etc. I have a couple in my van, one with snacks and one with picnic supplies. The finished dimensions of the bag are 6″x4″x10″.

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Dyeing Shoes + *airegan Giveaway

Today we’re dyeing shoes. I customized some Air Force Ones, Crocs, and *airegans using a few different methods: stovetop dip dye, hydro dipping with water-marbled spray paint, and hydro dipping with purpose-built printed film.

This video is sponsored by *airegan, a limited-release sneaker designed using machine learning.

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