Here is what you need:

1 crochet-hook
wool-rests in different colours

Here is how you do it:

Start your first row with chains (amount depending on the size of your blanket). The blanket shown in the foto is done with a chain of 103.
Then turn around. For the next row, fill every chain with a double crochet.
In row 3, alternate double crochets with an "empty box". To do that, just use a chain to "bridge" one of the double crochets from the row below.
From row 4 up to your final row, alternate between a row of double crochets and a row of "crochets and boxes".
When your blanket has reached the size you want it to be, use single crochets to frame your blanket. In our example, we have done 4 full rounds using each colour used in the blanket for 1 round.
The actual number of rounds is up to your own taste. For your frame, you can use one or more colours.

Please feel free to download the template using the following link.

Your pet will LOVE this cuddly and comfortable hand-made blanket - please see photo for "proof"...
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Here is what you need

  1. You must be wearing a suit or a long sleeve coat for this trick to work.
  2. Roll up a stack of five or six one dollar bills as tightly as you can.
  3. Place the roll of bills in the crook of your left elbow.
  4. Pull the fabric of your coat sleeve up and over the bills. Keep your arm slightly bent in order to hold the rolls of bills in place.

Here is how you do it

  1. With the bills "loaded" as described, face the spectators. Reach over with your left hand and grasp your right coat sleeve at the crook of your elbow. Pull the sleeve back, clear of your right wrist, as you show your right hand is unmistakably empty.
  2. Reach across with your right hand and grasp your left coat sleeve at the crook of the elbow and pull that sleeve back and clear of the wrist, as you show your left hand is empty.
  3. During this move, it is very natural for your right fingers to secretly steal the concealed bills from the fold in your jacket.
  4. The roll is held between your fingers and palm.
  5. Hold both of your hands in front of you at shoulder height, with your left hand in front of your right. This position will give you maximum coverage for the next move.
  6. Using the thumb and fingers of both hands, unroll the bills so that they begin to appear at the top of your fingers.
  7. After unrolling the bills halfway, suddenly pull the left hand down, so that the thumb of your left hand unrolls the bills the rest of the way from the bottom, leaving the open bills in your right hand. Fan the bills and display them to the spectators.

The effect:

First show your hands to your audience to prove that they are empty. Next, when you hold your hands together, a quantity of one-dollar bills will magically appear from out of your empty hands - IT'S MAGIC
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Making your own candles at home can be an inexpensive, enjoyable way to spend an afternoon. The art of candle making offers many options and you're only limited by your imagination.

Here's what you need

  1. WAX:
    A good, general all-purpose wax is plain old Paraffin Wax, often found in the canning section of your local grocery store and also available in craft and hardware stores.
  2. SCENT:
    Herbs, cooking ingredients like Peppermint and Vanilla and spices work well.
  3. COLOR:
    Food coloring, inks or dyes.
  4. WICK:
    You'll need something to insert into the candle that will allow it to burn. You can purchase wicks from any craft store or make your own by dipping cords or heavy string into warm wax and allowing to dry on a sheet of wax paper.
  5. MOULD:
    This is what you will pour the hot wax into. Do you want your candle to be free standing or sit in a decorative container? Cans, glass and hard plastics work great for simple molds.
  6. WAX CARRIER:
    A wax carrier is what you will use to heat the wax in as it melts. A double boiler is excellent, but you can use a saucepan filled with water as an alternative, placing the actual wax into an old coffee tin and then into the water for heating.
  7. ADDITIVES:
    Though not necessary, you can add things to your wax for decorative purposes. Leaves, herbs, plastics and even jewelry can add pizzazz to your creation.
  8. THERMOMETER:
    A candy thermometer will be fine.
  9. MOLD RELEASE:
    You'll need this to ensure that you can safely remove the hard wax from your mold without damaging your candle. Silicone spray, peanut oil or cooking spray oil will all work.
  10. PENCILS/DOWELS:
    You'll need one of these for each candle you're constructing as a wick holder.
  11. WOODEN SPOON:
    For stirring wax.
  12. WICK CUTTER:
    Scissors work great.

Here's what to watch for

Once you have your supplies in order, create a working space that will allow you to heat and transport warm or hot wax without too much difficulty. It's good to clear off a fairly large amount of counter or table space so that your containers and candles can sit freely, without fear of tipping or being knocked over.

  1. Never leave melting wax unattended.
  2. Always use a double boiler or the coffee cup in a can method to heat wax. Never place wax directly into a saucepan or heating device on it's own.
  3. Never put water on a wax fire.
  4.  Never overheat wax. Fumes from overheated wax can cause severe illness.

MOST IMPORTANT:
As an added rule of safety, be certain to use a thermometer when working with wax and familiarize yourself with the term "flashpoint." Flashpoint is the temperature at which wax will combust. The Flashpoint is the absolute maximum that a given wax can be heated to. If you're using Paraffin or simple canning wax, the Flashpoint is 375-degrees. That means you should keep your temperature well below 375-degrees for safety reasons.

Here's how to do it

  1. Heat your double boiler or wax carrier slowly to the proper temperature, placing the unmelted wax into your carrier. Heating the wax to a temperature of 140-degrees is generally sufficient for all forms of Paraffin. As the wax is in the beginning stages of melting, spray the inside of your molds with peanut oil, cooking spray or silicone spray and set them aside in an area where it's safe to pour the wax.
  2. Stir your melting wax gently with a wooden spoon.
  3. Once the wax has completely melted, you can add to it anything that you'd like. This is the proper time to add scents (a little goes a long way! No more than one teaspoon of oil or herbs is usually necessary.) and coloring. Gently stir the wax for a few moments, allowing the color to blend and the scent to mix.
  4. Using a hotpad, lift your wax carrier out of the water and pour slowly into your molds. Do not fill to the top. Leave at least a one-inch margin on the top of each mold.
  5. As your wax is hardening, get your wicks, tying one end to the middle of a pencil. Slowly drop the free end of the wick into the wax, and rest the pencil on top of the mold. This will prevent your wick from falling into the wax as it's hardening.
It will take several hours for your wax to harden to the proper consistency. Many experts recommend allowing your wax to harden overnight before attempting to remove your candles from their molds, but this may not always be necessary, depending on the size of your candle. Once the wax has hardened, you should be able to tip your mold upside down, allowing your new candle to slide out freely.

You can add decorations such as ribbons or flowers to the outside of your candle for gift giving, or place it in a decorative tray or box. Remember, you're only limited by your imagination!
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  1. If you want to use a pre-lined fabric, you might want to wash it before painting it. If so, please fix the gutta lines after the silk is dry. Cover the silk with a cotton cloth and iron for 5 minutes.
  2. Pin the silk into the frame. The silk should be stretched so that it is taut and even. It is essential that your work piece is well stretched throughout your painting. Re-stretch the silk during painting essential.
  3. Do not let silk come into contact with any surface, otherwise paint could bleed through the Gutta lines.
  4. Bring the design to life with a bold selection of colours. Let colours blend on the silk for interesting tonal effects. If you mix your own shades of colour, always mix sufficient colour to complete your painting.
  5. Start painting your motif in the middle and allow the colour to spread to the Gutta border. Do not paint right up to the Gutta lines. Paint the background at last from the top left across to the bottom right of the picture.
  6. Do not remove the completed painting from the frame, until completely dry
  7. Fixing your finished piece: Cover the silk with a piece of clean cotton and iron for 7 minutes at cotton setting. If you use steam-fix colours, please follow the manufacturer's instructions.
  8. To avoid bleeding, wash your silk in lukewarm water after fixing. Use a silk detergent and do not rub the fabric. Roll the wet silk in a towel to remove excess water and iron dry between two pieces of cotton.
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Here's what you need:

  • Iron-fixed silk-paint in 4 colours: Medium yellow, black, blue middle, carmine red
  • Silk, natural white (e.g. Crepe de Chine 10)
  • Outliner for iron-fixed silk painting, clear
  • 25 ml liner
  • painting medium for silk painting (for high dilution) if required
  • wooden frame (can be home-made)
  • pins
  • old pair of tights
  • pipette or syringe
  • cotton buds
  • hair band (about 4 cm wide)
  • wadding to pad the hair band

Here's how to do it

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Cut the silk to approx. 16 x 120 cm, wash in mild detergent in warm water to remove silk finish. Iron  (cotton setting) and stretch tightly, narrow sides to left and right, onto a large silk frame (alternatives: canvas or home-made wooden frame). When stretching, the pins are pushed into the wood, staggered to the left and right.
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Now mix the rose pink as background colour for the silk scarf. Use approx. 1 part carmine red ot 15 parts water. Using a pipette or a syringe makes it easier to take small quantities of paint from the jar. Test colour intensity on the fabric by using a cotton bud on a test piece. When the right shade is obtained, stir well. For high dilutions, we recommend adding painting medium (see label for directions) to maintain brillance. Then apply the paint quickly and liberally to the fabric using a soft, thick brush. Crumble up an old pair of tights into a ball and spread the paint while it is still wet. This prevents colour rings forming.
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Allow to dry, then remove from the frame. Fix the paint with an iron (see label). Stretch again. Start painting circles in different sizes straight from the liner onto the fabric using clear outliner. Ensure that the outlines are fully joined up otherwise the paint will bleed. After the outlines are dry, you can fill the circles in the colour of your choice. The colour is restricted to within the outlines. Allow to dry and remove from the frame. Iron-fix again. Then wash out the outliner in lukewarm water. Allow to dry and roll and stitch all outside edges.
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  1. Pad the top and underside of the hair band with wadding: Cut 2 pieces of wadding to the shape of the hair band and glue with adhesive. Then drape the silk scarf evenly round the hair band (possibly gather the scarf with a stitched elastic band in 4-6 places along the hair band first) and sew together along the middle of the reverse.
    Stitch the silk scarf at both ends of the hair band so that it cannot slip. Leave scarf ends loose so they flop in the breeze.
Copyright text and images: Marabu GmbH&Co. KG Germany
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Welcome 05/28/2011
 
In this section, you will find a wide range of ideas and suggestions for leisure time-projects. We welcome all contributions to this blog (patterns, projects etc.) and will publish them with the greatest pleasure. The more the merrier... If you have something very special you would like to share with other women sharing an interest in the same type of craft or consider long-term contributions to this project, just tell us and we can work out the best for all of us. The main aim of this website is to become a place on the web where we can share our knowledge with others and take advantage of theirs in return.
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