Crochet Valentine’s Day Treat Bags

I volunteer as a Big Brothers Big Sisters Mentor at the local elementary school once a week. I wanted to put together a little something for the kids for Valentine's day. 

These little bags are quick and easy to make and they use only a small amount of yarn. I am filling mine with candy, but these would also be great for small toys, stickers, erasers, etc.

Size:

The finished bag is 3 ½” wide and is 4 ½” high. You can easily adjust the size of your bag by changing the hook size, using a different weight of yarn, or increasing the length of the foundation chain.

Needed Materials:

Crochet Hook Size H

Worsted Weight Yarn Main Color – 20 g (bag)

Worsted Weight Yarn Coordinating Color – 5 g (drawstrings and heart)

Tapestry Needle

Gauge: 

4 1/2 sc = 1”

The gauge is not really important for this. I crochet tightly, but this gauge made a 3 ½” x 4 ½” bag.

Bag:

Using the Main Color, Ch 16

2 sc in 2^nd ch from the hook, sc in 13 ch, 2 sc in the last ch. Do not turn. Working on the opposite side of the foundation ch, sc in next 13 ch, join. (30 st) You may want to place a marker on the last sc to help you remember where the round begins.

Row 1: Sc in each sc around. Continue to sc until the bag measures 4” tall or about ½” less than your desired end height.

Drawstring Row: Sl st to join, ch 1, (sc in next sc, ch 2, skip 2 sc) around, join. (10 - ch 2 spaces)

Final Row: Ch 1, (sc in each sc, 2 sc in each ch 2 space) around, join, fasten off.

Drawstring (Make 2):

Using the Coordinating Color, make a chain until it is about 16” long. Fasten off.

Heart:

Using the Coordinating Color, Ch 3

Row 1: (2 dc, 1 hdc) in the 3^rd ch from the hook. Turn. (4 st)

Row 2: Ch 3. 1 dc in each of the (2 dc, 1 hdc), 2 dc into the top of the ch 3. Turn. (6 st)

Row 3: Ch 2. 1 dc in 1^st st, 2dc in next st, sl st in next st, 2 dc in next st, (1dc, 1hdc) in next st, sl st into the top of the ch 3 of row 2.

Fasten off leaving a long tail.

Finishing:

Starting at one side of the bag, weave a drawstring through the ch 2 spaces. Starting at the other side of the bag, weave the other drawstring through the ch 2 spaces. Knot the ends of the drawstrings.

Sew the heart onto the bag using the long tail.

Weave in all ends.

Abbreviations:

Ch = Chain
Dc = Double Crochet
Hdc = Half Double Crochet
Sc = Single Crochet
Sc2tog = Single Crochet Two Together
To make it easier to print, you can download a pdf of the pattern.

Have a happy Valentine's Day! 

DIY Land of Nod Inspired Tabletop Puppet Theater

Ana White is currently hosting a #GetBuilding2015 challenge. This month's theme is #ScrapWorkLove which requires the use of scrap wood to create a project. My niece's 4 year birthday was coming up, so I decided I would make something for her. I looked through my wood scraps and tried to come up with a project. A few years ago, I had made this puppet stage for another niece and she loved it.

I didn't have enough scrap materials to make something that large, plus this was going to be for a 4 year old, so I decided to make something smaller. I saw Land of Nod's Tabletop Theater. I knew this would be perfect! My measurements are not exactly the same as the Land of Nod version because I was using scrap wood, but it worked out great! You can easily adjust this to make due with the scraps you have on hand.

If you do not have scraps, here are the needed materials:
1 - 1" x 6" x 3'
1 - 1" x 4" x 10' (You can get an 8' board, but you will need to change the 21" cuts to 20 1/2" cuts)
1 - 1" x 3" x 4'
1 - 3/8" x 3' dowel or a tension rod
Saw (I used a miter saw and a jig saw, but you could even use a hand saw)
Kreg Jig or countersink drill bit
1 1/4" pocket hole screws or wood screws
Spade drill bit (if you are using a dowel)
paint or stain
small amount of fabric
needle and thread or sewing machine
Coat hooks (optional)

Here are the steps I took to make the puppet stage.

Step 1: Cut your boards. I used a miter saw for most of the cuts. but any saw will do.
1 - 1" x 6" cut at 18" (bottom sign)
2 - 1" x 4" cut at 21" (sides)
1 - 1" x 4" cut at 18" (top sign)
2 - 1" x 4" cut at 18" (stage and top sign base)
2 - 1"x 3" cut at 6 1/2" (bases)
1 - 3/8" dowel cut at 20 1/2" or a tension rod

Step 2: Using a Kreg jig set a the 3/4" setting, drill pocket holes in each end of the inside of the stage, and top sign base. 

Step 3: Using a Kreg jig set a the 3/4" setting, drill pocket holes in each end and the top of the inside of the top sign and the bottom sign.

Step 4: Using the pocket hole screws, attach the bottom sign to the sides. If you don't want to use pocket holes, you can use countersunk screws.

Step 5: Follow this process for both sides.

Step 6: Using the pocket hole screws, attach the stage to the sides and bottom sign.

Step 7: Follow the same process for the top sign and top sign base.

Step 8: Draw the curve for the front edge of the bases. An easy way to do this is to trace around a paint can or something similar.

Step 9: Use a jig saw to cut around the curve. If you don't have a jig saw, you can just leave these as blocks on the sides instead of being curved.

Step 10: Attach the bases to the sides using countersunk screws from the inside of the sides.

Step 11: Using a spade bit, drill holes into the sides where you want to place the dowel.

Step 12: Drill a small hole in each end of the dowel (This step is optional.)

Step 13: Make your curtains. I am not an expert at sewing, but these were pretty simple. Just cut your curtains to size. Fold over about 1/4" and sew around the edges. Fold over the top edge. Be sure to make this long enough to fit the dowel or tension rod. Sew that top part down.

Step 14: Slide your dowel into the hole in the side. Slide the curtains on, and put the dowel through the other side.

Step 15: I wanted to ensure that the dowel would not slide back and forth, so I put some small screws into the ends of the dowel. This also will allow the curtains to be removed and washed or changed.

Step 16: I also placed a couple coat hooks on the sides so hold the curtains back. This is not necessary. You could also use a ribbon or a piece of the fabric to tie the curtain back.

Step 17: Fill any holes with putty, sand all surfaces, and paint or stain. I normally paint everything at the end, but because I was using more than one color, I decided to paint as I went.

Step 18: Have fun! My niece loved her new puppet stage. 

It was a Frozen party, so the puppet show starred Elsa and Olaf. She had a great time!

This was a quick build and did not cost a thing to make! You can make easily make one for a fraction of what it costs to buy. This would also make a great classroom gift!

DIY Wooden Snowmen

Christmas is just over a week away. If you are still looking for ideas for a quick gift to make, these wooden snowmen may be the perfect thing!

I am a Big Sister in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. My 12 year old Little Sister wanted to make gifts for her family. She loves woodworking and wanted to build something for everyone. She has a large family, so the project needed to be fairly simple. We needed to be able to get multiple done in a short period of time. She decided to make wooden snowmen.

I am sure you have seen wooden snowmen all over the place, but here is our take on how to "build" a snowman.

Needed Materials:
Wood for the body
Wood for the hats (optional)
Paint
Wood Glue
Sander or sanding block
Craft Supplies

Step 1: Cut your wood.

You can make your snowmen any size that you want.

• Bodies - We used 2"x3"s, 2"x4"s, and 2"x6"s cut at different lengths for the bodies.
• Brim - We used 1"x3"s cut slightly longer than the width of the body for the brim of the hat. For example, if you are using a 2"x3" for the body, the actual width of the body is 2 1/2". If you want a 1/2" overhang on each side for the brim, cut your 1"x3" at 3 1/2".
• Hat Top - We used 1"x2"s cut at the same width of the body for the top of the hat. If you are using a 2"x3" for the body, cut your 1"x2" at 2 1/2" to match the width of the body.

Step 2: Fill in any holes with wood putty, if necessary. Sand the boards. Check out this awesome new random orbital sander we won from a giveaway over on Home Repair Tutor. Using that worked so much better than using the sanding blocks!

Step 3: Paint your boards

Step 4: Using wood glue, attach your hat rim and top to your snowmen.

Step 5: Decorate your snowmen. We used paint, ribbon, yarn, buttons, pipe cleaners, and pom poms. You can use whatever craft supplies that you have on hand.

These snowmen are easy to make and can be decorated any way that you want. My Little Sister made these to represent everyone in her family and they are very personalized based on each person. I think her family is going to love them!

This is a good project for kids to do. Just provide them with the pieces already sanded and painted white and a variety of craft supplies. Then let their creative sides show! They would make a great gift for kids to give their family members, teachers, family friends, or neighbors. This would also make a great classroom project.

DIY Mod Podge Snowman Luminary

I live in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. We are supposed to get our first big snow storm of the season tonight. Up to 16 inches of snow has been predicted, so I decided to make a snowman. Luckily, this snowman does not require you to go out in the cold!

You probably have everything needed to make this snowman luminary right at your home, so you can make this for free! This is also a great activity for kids of any age.

Needed Materials:
Jar (any size)
School Glue and water or Mod Podge
Paint Brush or Sponge
Tissue Paper
Miscellaneous Craft Supplies

Step 1: Prepare your supplies.

Take your tissue paper and cut or tear it into small pieces. The size and shape do no need to be uniform. If you are making this with a small child, I suggest using bigger pieces so it does not take as long to make.

Mix equal amounts of glue and water to make a Mod Podge mixture. You could also use store bought Mod Podge, but mixing glue and water works just as well. I like mine to be a little more watery, so I add more water than glue to the mixture, but that is just my preference.

Step 2: Paint on the glue/water. Just do a small section at a time.

Step 3: Start randomly placing the tissue paper on the portion of the jar with the mixture on it.

Step 4: Continue to paint small sections with the mixture and putting on the tissue paper. This does not need to be neat. Just place the tissue paper any place in any direction.

Step 5: Once that layer has dried a little bit, add another layer by painting the glue/water mix over the layer you just made and then adding more tissue paper. Continue this process adding more layers of tissue paper.

Step 6: Once you have as many layers as you want, paint the entire jar one last time with the glue/water mix to make sure all the edges of the tissue paper are securely fastened.

Step 7: Allow your jar to dry.

Step 8: Decorate your jar. I used felt to make the snowman face and buttons. I added a sock to the top for a hat. You can use whatever you want to decorate your snowman. 

Some ideas:

Black and orange colored tissue paper for the face

Small buttons for the buttons

Pom poms and a pipe cleaner for ear muffs

Mitten for a hat

Pipe cleaners for arms

Braid some yarn together to make a scarf 

These are cute just like this, but you could also make these into luminaries. Simply place an LED tea light or a small strand of Christmas lights inside the jar.

Not only are these Snowman Luminaries cute decorations, they make good night lights for any of town guests. Also, if your guests need to get up during the night, they can switch on the light inside the jar and use it as a flash light. These would make perfect gifts for kids to make for grandparents or teachers.