Christmas has already exploded on the scene and I usually don't jump on board until the First Week of Advent! But, if you are crafting, you need to start before then! Cricut, a product review!
Wednesday, November 11, 2020
Home Made with Love, Christmas Crafts to Blow Your Mind
Monday, November 2, 2020
Reviewing Beginning Soap Making Molds
My soap-making adventures began recently. Two weeks ago I wrote a Beginning Soap Making Supplies review recommending melt and pour soap bases for people like me who have wanted to make soaps but are intimidated by the hot and cold processes that use lye. It is true that soaps made with those processes can more easily be textured or their colors swirled. That made me feel as though I would be missing out on making pretty soaps. I was wrong. I cannot do color swirls as easily with melt and pour soaps but I can make beautiful soaps using these silicone molds.
The reasons I purchased these most recent molds:
- Silicone molds produce smooth soaps
- silicone molds come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and designs
- the withstand the heat of the hot soap bases
- they do not crack or break
- soaps are easy to pop the finished bar out of the flexible mold
- I have not yet learned how to measure the soap mix to fit into a "loaf" pan - I do not feel as concerned about having the right amount of "batter" for these single-bar molds
- the silicone is super easy to clean. I pick off any larger bits of soap remaining on the tops of the mold (the "overflow" or drops of soap I left behind) then I run the mold under hot water. Voila, the mold is clean and ready for the next use.
My first choice of fancy molds were the flower molds. And I couldn't be more pleased. With these soaps I shave a bit of a solid color bar (using Shea or Goat Milk base) I made (using the plain single bar molds). Then pour over those shavings with a clear soap base.
I think the flower molds are gorgeous! And I've only used the flower that looks like a Dahlia thus far. This mold includes three different flower styles. To me they appear to be a sunflower, a daffodil, and a dahlia.
Many people enjoy receiving or buying handmade items. Crafts such as soap-making is a great way to spend quality time with kids (note: the melted oils are HOT, please supervise children closely). Whether you have considered making soaps for yourself or for others, these molds add something special to your project.
Related Links - Make your own with these craft supplies:
My Beginning Soap Making Supplies review. I was happily surprised at how few supplies it takes to make Melt and Pour soaps. However, once you begin, if you are like me, you will soon want many different molds, fragrances, and bases.
The holidays are approaching. These Easy Christmas Ornaments from beads have been a favorite and a requested activity over the years. Kids (and adults) love using tri-beads and pipe cleaners to make these beautiful ornaments.
Margaret wrote a wonderful step-by-step tutorial showing us how to make beaded, dangling earrings. Her earrings are a beautiful Romantic, Beaded Heart pair but you can use a variety of bead colors and shapes.
Our own Ms. Sylvestermouse also loves crafts and making things. Her Ebay store, House of Sylvestermouse, is a great place to find "a variety of crafts, craft kits, patterns, books, and supplies...". I especially like the beaded craft kits and the cross-stitch kits. Oh, if only there were more hours in each day...
Related Links - Some Handmade Items for sale:
If you want to give handmade items as gifts but do not have the time or inclination to make them, there are plenty of options from our contributors and friends.
Ms. Elf creates crochet (including amigurumi animals) and needlework gifts and offers them for sale at CoastalCrochetCrafts. Ms Elf's daughter-in-law also has an Etsy shop names Cute PurseNalities that offers "handmade purses, lanyards, coin purses, and table runners". The seasonal prints are adorable and I especially like the season print purses/tote bags.
Monday, October 19, 2020
Reviewing Beginning Soap Making Supplies
I have always wanted to learn soap-making but have been intimidated by the recipes and working with lye. This year I tried an even more basic soap-making process with Melt & Pour soap base. I completed two batches using this easy method. It was an excellent start and required only a short list of supplies.
I ordered the Honey Melt & Pour Soap Base, a silicone soap mold, and a mixing cup with a pour spout. I already had essential oil, inexpensive mixing spoons, a spray bottle with rubbing alcohol, a cutting board and a knife. The only other thing needed is a heat source. Most people use their microwaves for this process and some use a double boiler pan on the stove.
The shortened version of melt & pour soap-making is:
- purchase a melt & pour soap base
- cut that base into small chunks and melt in the microwave using very short bursts of time
- once melted, add in a very small amount of essential oil
- stir very gently (in order to avoid making bubbles)
- pour into a soap mold
- spritz the top of the soaps with alcohol (this removes the bubbles and is not a required step)
- allow soaps to dry before removing from the molds
Wednesday, September 16, 2020
When is the Best Time to Learn Something New? September Sewing Month
September is Sewing Month and a Great Time to Learn Something New!
You never know the power you have to guide and form a new designer, they could end up on Making the Cut! (Our own Tracey, did a review on this show and it is quite a revelation in how many got started in the sewing and tailoring business)
Sunday, September 13, 2020
Craft Reviews, DIY & Craft Tutorials on Review This Reviews!
Treasures from the Archives of Review This Reviews!
We are blessed to have several experienced crafters on Review This Reviews! Not only are we home to a few crocheters & stitchers, but we are quite proud of our contributors who make their own DIY craft projects. We all get pretty excited when a new and original craft tutorial is published here. It is awesome to be surrounded by such creative talent.
- Coastal Crochet Crafts Etsy Store owned by Pat aka Wednesday Elf
- Dawn Rae Crochet Etsy Store owned by Dawn
A Review This Reviews Pinterest Board - Craft Reviews, DIY & Craft Tutorials
Thursday, July 30, 2020
DIY Copper Bookmark - Painting With Fire
DIY Copper Bookmark |
You can do so much with copper, but I am focusing, right now, on hammered, stamped, and annealed copper. I call the annealing of my pieces "painting with fire." It is my absolute favorite part of this project. When you take a torch to copper, you never know exactly how the finished piece will look. I am always delighted to see the surprising effects of heat on my metal works of art.
My M.O. (modus operandi) happens to be the repurposing of materials. I love nothing more than to bring new life to those things that have unseen, or unused, potential. In this case, I was fortunate enough to reclaim some small copper sheets that were the remnants of a solar installation. Though the metal was scratched and tarnished, with irregular edges, I knew it held great promise, and a beauty to be found when its true colors were revealed. These are the steps I took to transform the copper.
Step One: Cutting the Copper
I first considered using a hacksaw to cut the copper sheets into bookmark-sized pieces. After trying that, I decided it would be much faster and easier to use my Dremel Saw-Max with the metal cut-off wheel. That worked perfectly. The important thing was to protect the surface of the copper using painter's tape.
Cutting the Copper Using Dremel Saw-Max |
Step Two: Filing the Rough Edges
After cutting the copper, the edges needed to be deburred to remove the sharp slivers of metal. I used a round file for this step.
Filing the Metal Burrs |
Step Three: Rounding the Corners
Because the corners of the bookmark were sharp, the next step was to use my Dremel rotary tool, with a sanding bit, to gently round off those points.
Rounding the Corners Using Dremel Rotary Tool |
Step Four: Cleaning the Copper Surface
Before heating the copper, I needed to clean off the surface tarnish, fingerprints, etc. The simple way to do this is with fine steel wool (00 grade) and a little elbow grease. When I was done, the copper was nice and shiny (see the center image below). I chose to leave some of the character marks (a few nicks and minor scratches). My work is not meant to have a machined look. I want it to be wabi-sabi (where the imperfection is the beauty).
From Tarnished to Bright, Shiny Copper |
Step Five: Painting With Fire
I love this step! My bookmark blank is now laid on a moist sand mound. I place the front side of the bookmark facing down (because that is the side of the copper that will have the most colorful effect after I torch the back side). I use a mini butane torch to paint (anneal) the copper. Basically, I just heat the metal until it begins to turn vibrant purple, blue, and fuschia colors. The possibilities are endless and no two "paintings" are ever the same.
Butane Mini Torch and Fuel |
Painting With Fire - Torching the Copper Blank |
Newly Torched Copper Bookmark |
The Infinite Variety of Fire - Painted Copper Bookmarks |
Step Six: Water Bath
Using a forceps, I then plunge the hot metal into a cool water bath. Next, I pat dry the copper with a soft cloth. (It's also important to wear clean, soft gloves so you don't mar the metal surface with fingerprints, etc.)
Cooling the Torched Copper in a Water Bath |
At this point, I used metal stamps (Impress Art uppercase alphabet set) to imprint a message on the front of the bookmark. This is the hardest part of the process. Getting the spacing and impressions right can be extremely challenging. I had to leave the perfectionist in me out of the equation and just go for it. What will be, will be! And that is okay. It is the charm of handmade art.
Stamped Copper - Rumi Quotation |
Step Eight: Edging the Bookmark
Depending on the look you want, you can leave the edges of the bookmark plain, but I wanted a hammered copper look. This is where I used a ball-peen hammer to make some shallow depressions all around the perimeter of the piece.
Creating Hammered Copper Edge Using Ball-Peen Hammer |
Step Nine: Finishing the Piece
I used a tiny bit in my Dremel rotary tool to drill a hole in the end of the bookmark (for attaching a chain and embellishments). Next, I applied a finish wax (a natural carnauba wax) to protect the surface from fingerprints, tarnish, etc. Finally, I chose a pair of wing charms to be a whimsical play on my chosen sentiment.
Finished Copper Bookmark |
I may consider creating a few custom bookmarks for my Etsy store. Most likely, though, these pieces will be offered as gifts because they are truly a labor of love.
Friday, July 3, 2020
Just CrossStitch Magazine in Print, on Kindle, & DVD Reviewed
Just CrossStitch includes beautiful pictures of each finished project, plus easy to read full patterns.
I have saved years of back subscriptions of Just CrossStitch! I never know when I will feel the itch to stitch and I do love having a variety of patterns available.
Long before I started my subscription, I would buy the issues every time I visited Barnes & Noble, which used to be quite often before I was gifted with a Kindle. It was our favorite date night to dine out and then head over to B&N.
Just CrossStitch Magazines
Just CrossStitch Magazine -Single Issue
December 2017Check PriceUnlike books, a magazine is very lightweight, which makes it easy to carry when we travel. I always carry either a cross stitch project or a crochet project with me in the car or on a plane.
I well remember cross stitching a bookmark from a Just CrossStitch magazine pattern for my son in the airport on a layover with a flight delay. It was such a restful way for me to wait. I didn't stress at all over the delay. As a matter of fact, I remember thinking how I wished I had time to make a bookmark for our daughter too.
Every time I see my son using that bookmark, I think how glad I am that I used that layover time to make something special for him. I am also glad the magazine had just the right pattern within its pages. Of course, that was probably why I selected that particular issue to carry with me.
Tip: Patterns for bookmarks only require being small single images pulled from any cross stitch design. They don't have to be titled "bookmark" for the pattern to work well on a bookmark.
You can purchase the individual issue that you want like I did in years past, or you can subscribe to receive your issue in the mail. An annual subscription includes 6 issues, plus the Christmas Ornament special edition.
Surprisingly, the Just CrossStitch magazine is now available on Kindle! I haven't personally tried viewing the magazine on my Kindle since I have the print issue subscription, but I can see how it would be awesome to get them on my Kindle Fire. (The Kindle Fire will provide color pictures.)
Just CrossStitch DVD's
Just CrossStitch Collection 1983-1990Check PriceDon't stress if you wish you had discovered this wonderful magazine years ago! You can purchase DVD's that have the back issue patterns for multiple past years.
The DVD's contain every issue of the years noted of the Just CrossStitch magazine. They consist of PDFs that are searchable, plus provide printer-friendly charts. Therefore, you can print out a pattern and carry it with you wherever you go. Even though I have the magazines, I like having the convenience of the DVD for searching out a pattern of choice.
When you insert the DVD into your computer's DVD-ROM drive, it will open a list of file names. Simply select the year, then the month you wish to view and open using the free version of Adobe Reader. You can print the patterns by clicking on the print icon of the Adobe Reader.
There are also Halloween or Christmas patterns from the Just CrossStitch magazine available on DVD.
The Just CrossStitch Collection 1991–2000Check Price The Just CrossStitch Collection 2001–2010Check Price Just CrossStitch 2011-2015 Collection DVDCheck Price Just CrossStitch Christmas Ornament Collection 19972013Check Price
Read More Craft Reviews On
ReviewThisCrafts.com
Wednesday, June 17, 2020
Easy Bathroom Makeover
Easy Bathroom Makeover Reviewed |
Easy Bathroom Makeover: Install the new floor
Now it was time to install the new floor. We used peel and stick flooring. You can find some very durable and inexpensive peel and stick flooring. In total, we bought 45 sqft. of tile and paid only $25.00 for the floor. Prices will vary depending on what you buy.
- A straight edge such as a level or a chalk line
- Tape measure
- Razor Knife
- Broom or Shop-Vac
- Pencil
Friday, May 1, 2020
How to Make a Very Easy Afghan with Loop Yarn
Even someone with arthritis who can no longer grip a crochet hook or knitting needles can make a loop yarn afghan that is beautiful. This would also be the perfect afghan project for those who don't know how to knit or crochet.
Loop yarn is not a normal string of yarn, it is made with loops. Most of the patterns either say knit or crochet, but you really are not doing either. No needles or hooks are required. You only use your fingers to weave the yarn.
When I first spotted Yarnspirations loop yarn, I knew I wanted to make something with it. Normally, I would find a pattern and want to make a specific item. However, in this case, it was the yarn that called to me. I bought the yarn, then went on a search for a pattern. I knew exactly what I would make when I discovered this afghan pattern that resembles a cable stitch.
The Bernat Alize loop yarn is the softest yarn I have ever touched. When my son first touched my afghan while I was making it, he said if felt like a chinchilla. He is absolutely right! I had been saying it felt like petting a baby rabbit, but it really is softer than a bunny. This yarn truly is a joy to work with and to touch.
Loop Yarn Easy Afghan Pattern
I discovered this fabulous video that taught me how to make the pattern I love. Instead of trying to write out instructions, I'll share the video. It is very easy to follow and makes a lovely design.
I do have a few tips to share before you begin.
- Have a pair of small scissors available. You start the project by cutting a few of the loops open. You will also need them each time you start a new skein of yarn.
- Decide how wide you want your afghan before you start. I opted for a throw size afghan (100 loops - 60" wide), which is approximately half the size of a standard throw.
- I originally purchased 10 skeins of yarn, but that was not quite enough for my desired length. I actually needed 12 skeins.
- After you have completed the first few rows, the pattern design is easy to see, which makes continuing each row very easy.
- Instead of sitting at a table, I use a lap desk that sits on the arms of my recliner. That allows me to watch a movie while making my afghan.
As you can see in my photos, I used a variegated denim blue & white colored yarn. This yarn is available in 10 - 12 different colors (see below). I highly recommend using the Yarnspirations Bernat Alize Loop Yarn.
My Lap Desk
In case you are interested, you can purchase a lap desk similar to mine on Etsy. Clearly, you can use the lap desk for a lot of other things as well as crafts. It even has a groove on each side for pens, pencils, markers, craft tools, etc.
Click my image below to see where I purchased mine. You can choose one that fits your own needs.
Yarnspirations Bernat Alize Loop Yarn Available on Amazon
Bernat Alize EZ Blanket Yarn Bundle 100% Polyester 4 -Pack Slate Grays Plus 4 PatternsCheck Price Bernat Alize Blanket-EZ Yarn, ThistleCheck Price Alize Bernat EZ Blanket Yarn Bundle 100% Polyester (Bright Purple, 4-Pack)Check Price Bernat Alize Blanket-EZ Yarn, Denim BluesCheck Price
To See Several Colors Available, Click Here!
Read More Craft Reviews On
ReviewThisCrafts.com
Most Recent Reviews on Review This Reviews
Search for Reviews by Subject, Author or Title
The Review This Reviews Contributors
SylvestermouseDawn Rae BMbgPhotoBrite-IdeasWednesday ElfOlivia MorrisTreasures by BrendaThe Savvy AgeMargaret SchindelRaintree AnnieLou16Sam MonacoTracey BoyerRenaissance WomanBarbRadBev OwensBuckHawkDecorating for EventsHeather426Coletta TeskeMissMerFaeryMickie_G
Review This Reviews is Dedicated to the Memory of Our Beloved Friend and Fellow Contributor
We may be apart, but
You Are Not Forgotten