Archive: CRAFT Podcast

September 3, 2010

How-To: Bring Style to Your Dorm Room

Happy back to school! It's time to start sharpening your pencils and re-covering your books. Okay, I know, you're really charging your laptops and loading up your Kindle. Whatever it may be, some of you are heading off to college to live in ONE ROOM for the year. No worries! There are plenty of things you can do to personalize your space and make your dorm room reflect your individual style and taste.

Subscribe to the CRAFT Podcast in iTunes, download the m4v video directly, or watch it on YouTube.

Lighting: This is the industrial pendant light we made. It is perfect to hang by your bed for reading, writing, or crafting at night while your roommate sleeps. Customize yours to be the size, shape, and color you want to represent your individual style in your new dorm room. As mentioned in the video, you can drape some cool fabric over your bed, and hang the pendant light inside, giving you some privacy and a fun, fort-like nook.

Download the Pendant Lamp Wire Template PDF Right click to save the PDF to your desktop. Directions on downloading PDFs.

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August 27, 2010

Fiber for Felting

Join fiber guru Brookelynn Morris at Williamsburg's fiber shop, The Yarn Tree, in Brooklyn NY for this week's CRAFT Video. She provides a great overview of fibers for felting.

Subscribe to the CRAFT Podcast in iTunes, download the m4v video directly, or watch it on YouTube.

Shop proprietor Linda LaBelle does a bunch of outreach to traditional fiber arts practitioners around the world, and is preparing for an exciting trip to Oaxaca, Mexico:

Last year many of you helped to fund my trip to Rwanda where I had the privilege of working with 10 genocide widows teaching them natural dyeing and weaving. On September 3rd, 2010 I will be making another trip, this time to Oaxaca, Mexico.

I will be working with a group of native weavers, most work on back strap looms, teaching them a technique called Ikat. This is a method of tying off the warp yarns prior to dyeing to create a pattern. I will also be teaching them how to make a chemical indigo vat using natural Oaxacan Indigo. There are areas where the climate is not appropriate for a natural ferment indigo vat. Learning this skill will enable them to dye with indigo whenever they wish.

I will spend three days working with the weavers at the museum. The following week I will have the opportunity to visit each weaver in his or her village. I will get to see the work in progress, photograph and interview the weavers. At the end of the week the weavers will return to the museum where we will conduct a show & tell/Q&A.

Ikat has a history in Mexico, although it seems to now be a lost technique. This will be a new skill for the weavers and the hope being that they will be able to create new and beautiful textiles that can compete in today's marketplace thus bringing in more income. In turn these weavers will then be able to pass their new skills on to their fellow weavers.

You can support Linda by making a tax-deductible donation.

In the Maker Shed:

Feltique by Nikola Davidson and Brookelynn Morris

August 20, 2010

How To: Make Over an Old Bike

My friend had a classic beach bike that she rode around town every day for years. It is a good bike with great style, but when she came back from college, it went to pasture in the yard. The hibiscus decals that were once fun were now faded, and a perfectly good ride sat collecting weeds.

In one weekend we completely transformed her dull and faded beach cruiser into a shiny bike fit for a ride in the Milky Way. I used Krylon spray paint with an anodized finish to give it a gleaming green to blue fade. The Krylon X-Metal effect is achieved by starting with the X-Metal Converter. It lays down a very sparkly base coat. The X-Metal colors themselves are a sheer over-layer and together, they have an out-of-this-world effect.

And of course, her white walls were just begging for a coat of glow-in-the-dark paint. The Glowz Brush-On Paint shines brightly in the dark when its been exposed to light. Dramatic silver streamers were the final touch to make over this bike from beach cruiser to space cruiser!

Materials

2 cans Krylon X-Metals Basecoat Converter
2 cans Krylon X-Metals Green
2 cans Krylon X-Metals Blue
1 can Krylon Glowz
Paint brush
Painter's tape
Plastic bags
Gloves
WD-40
Wrenches
Screwdriver
Respirator
Sandpaper
Small container with oil
Razor blade
Paper towels
Rags
Mylar ribbon
Wire
Scissors

Download the Project PDF | Subscribe in iTunes Right click to save the PDF to your desktop. Directions on downloading PDFs.

August 13, 2010

Brandied Cocktail Cherries

While Brookelynn was visiting me in NYC recently, we made some brandied cocktail cherries to go with our Manhattan cocktails. Watch the CRAFT Video to learn how, and read on for the exact recipe and a great cocktail to serve with it!

Subscribe to the CRAFT Podcast in iTunes, download the m4v video directly, or watch it on YouTube.

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August 7, 2010

That Girl! KAL: And the caps take it!

I can't believe it was this close! Between CRAFT, my blog and Flickr, the sleeve preferences have been neck and neck (arm and arm?) all week! For a couple days, flutter edged ahead, but as of Tuesday morning, when I'd finished everything but the last sleeve, caps were ahead by one vote. I went with the consensus.

I love cap sleeves in theory, but normally feel my arms are too plump for them, especially if they're fitted. But these caps are looser than usual, and I think I can just pull them off. Plus, it's motivation to keep up with my arm weights, right?

(If you're interested in my dress, check back on Monday for an easy how-to! It's made from two standard pillow cases.)

People seem to have very strong feelings about both sleeves, although I liked them equally well and am already contemplating making one more so I can have a flutter sleeve, too. I I've found this yarn surprisingly easy on the hands--my hands usually get a little crampy with the vegetable fibers, but I think the loose easy gauge really makes a difference.

I have three skeins of Louet MerLin (60% linen, 40% merino) in pewter (grayish brown) in my stash, and I'm thinking of trying the original collar and a flutter sleeve. It's kind of a stiff yarn that blooms a little with washing, so I may wash the skeins first so they'll be nicer to knit and truer to gauge right off the bat.

I'm kind of stunned how completely different this garment is from the original, when the instructions are essentially the same. I've always loved top-down raglans for their flexibility, but the math of the puff sleeve ads a whole extra dimension of possibilities!

This pattern was definitely one of my favorites and certainly not my last That Girl! sweater. Besides the MerLin flutter-sleeve, I'm also picturing the original design in a lightweight merino or alpaca/silk blend with a matching shell as part of a sweet early winter sweater set. Maybe with a little crocheted flower off center, for a bit of an Emma Pillsbury vibe?

Download the Pattern PDF | Subscribe in iTunes
(Right click to save the PDF to your desktop. Having problems? See directions on downloading PDFs.)

If you're participating in the KAL, use the code below to display this badge on your blog!

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/thatgirl_summerjacket/"><img src="http://cdn.makezine.com/make/craft/2010/07/badge_summerjacket_kal.gif" width="150" height="150" border="0" alt="That Girl! Summer Jacket KAL" /></a>

August 6, 2010

CRAFT Pattern: Denim Beret

A circle cut from an old pair of jeans has been ornately embellished with a variety of ribbons and brass buttons to create this super cool denim beret! This beret is just one of dozens of projects in Nancy Minsky's book, Denim Revolution. Make this beret from an old pair of jeans this weekend.

Download the Pattern PDF | Subscribe in iTunes Right click to save the PDF to your desktop. Directions on downloading PDFs.

As a special, back-to school promotion for CRAFT readers, get Nancy Minksy's Denim Revolution for only $9.98 from her web site! (For a limited time only.)

About the Author:

Nancy Minsky worked for many years in New York as a fashion designer. She is a graduate of Parsons School of Design where she has also taught fashion sketching. Her book Denim Revolution: Dozens of Ways to Turn Denim Cast-Offs into Fashion Must-Haves is filled with fun projects to recycle cast off jeans into chic designer clothing and accessories. Visit her website at www.21centurydressmakers.com or her blog: 21centurydressmakers.blogspot.com where she shares her love of fashion, sewing, sketching and re-cycling creatively.

August 3, 2010

Favorite How-To: Howtoons Pinwheels

The pinwheel is a classic toy that never gets old. All you need is a chopstick, a wine cork, a pushpin, and paper. Embellishments are all up to your personal style, from glitter to paper choice. Howtoons has a beautiful, graphic way of showing you how.

Download the PDF Right click to save the PDF to your desktop. Directions on downloading PDFs.

August 2, 2010

How-To: Make Your Own Bacon

By Andrew Lewis

Bacon has been an important part of our diet for hundreds of years. It is mentioned in the Forme of Curry produced by the master cooks of King Richard II, and the general method for producing bacon has remained largely unchanged since the 14th century.

Although I can't claim that our family recipe goes quite that far back, we have been making our own bacon for several generations. I think that the best bacon is made using the dry curing process, which I will describe here. Dry curing uses dry salt and spices to preserve the pork, and the resulting bacon has a firm texture and strong taste.

Making bacon is an incredibly satisfying experience. The taste of homemade bacon is far superior to anything that you will purchase in the supermarket, and the process is so simple that you will wonder why you never did it before.

Download the Recipe PDF Right click to save the PDF to your desktop. Directions on downloading PDFs.

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July 30, 2010

Knitting 101: Basic Stitches

Vickie Howell knows knitting. Check out the complete Knitting 101: Basic Stitches tutorial, including a special six-part introduction to knitting in this week's CRAFT Video. In the video above, learn the basic knit and purl stitches in the Continental style of knitting.

Subscribe to the CRAFT Podcast in iTunes, download the first m4v video directly, or watch the playlist on YouTube.

July 29, 2010

Recipe: Snickerdoodle Cake for Cinnamon Lovers

My son turned 8 last week, and in our family when it's your birthday you get to pick the type of cake and the birthday dinner. He chose crab legs and artichokes for dinner, which basically translates to things he can dip into butter, and Snickerdoodle for his cake flavor.

Never having heard of Snickerdoodle Cake, I scoured the internet for recipes, finally settling on one that used a cake mix (thank you, Betty Crocker!) and called for cinnamon in both the cake batter and the frosting.

I substituted applesauce for half the butter in the cake, and sprinkled cinnamon sugar on top once it was frosted. And it was delicious, if I do say so myself! We were all amazed at how much it really tasted like a Snickerdoodle cookie, and how enjoyable that flavor sensation is in a moist cake with buttery topping. Ah, there's that butter theme again. He's obviously wise beyond his eight years...

Download the Recipe PDF Right click to save the PDF to your desktop. Directions on downloading PDFs.

Snickerdoodle Cake with Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting
[adapted from Henrie's recipe]

Cake Ingredients

• 1 pkg. yellow or white cake mix


• 1 cup milk


• 1/2 stick butter, melted


• 1/2 cup applesauce


• 3 large eggs


• 1 tsp. vanilla


• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Frosting Ingredients

• 1 stick of butter, room temperature


• 3-3/4 cup powdered sugar


• 3 T milk (or a bit more to thin the frosting)


• 1 tsp. vanilla


• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Fancy sugar sprinkles and more ground cinnamon on top for the finishing flourish.

Note to Readers: There was no double-dipping in this shot. He did NOT touch the cake with the spatula again, I swear.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and flour two 9" round cake pans.


2. Place cake mix, milk, melted butter, applesauce, eggs, vanilla, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Mix for 3 minutes until well blended.


3. Divide batter between the pans and place them in the oven side by side. Bake until they are golden brown, about 27-29 minutes.


4. Remove cakes from oven and cool for 10 minutes, then invert them on a rack and cool completely.


5. While the cakes cool, prepare the frosting (directions below).


6. Frost the cake and put it in the fridge until the frosting sets if needed, probably for about 20 minutes.


7. Sprinkle fancy sugar and a pinch of cinnamon on the top if you like, or make a simple cinnamon sugar mixture and sprinkle liberally.


8. If you have leftovers (after breakfast the next morning we had nothing left), keep refrigerated.

Make the Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting

1. Place butter in large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low until fluffy, about 30 seconds.


2. Add powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. Blend on low until sugar is incorporated, about 1 minute.


3. Add the cinnamon, and Increase the speed to medium. Beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute more.


4. Blend in up to 1 tablespoon milk if the frosting seems too stiff.

July 23, 2010

Gerard's Paella

Gerard has been making paella for Maker Faire since the very beginning. He serves up a special family-style meal for all the makers the night before the faire. In addition to his traditional chicken and shrimp paella, he also whips up a vegan version in one of his other giant paella pans, the largest of which actually has a trailer hitch and wheels so it can be transported. I wish YouTube had smell-o-vision so you could experience the delicious aroma of this week's CRAFT Video.

Subscribe to the CRAFT Podcast in iTunes, download the m4v video directly, or watch it on YouTube.

"I Make ..." 2010 (video)

Collin Cunninham and I met a lot of people at Maker Faire with out video camera. Here are just a few of the makers & crafters from Maker Faire Bay Area 2010, sharing what they make.

Be sure to check out Maker Faire Detroit and the upcoming World Maker Faire in NYC!

Subscribe to the CRAFT Podcast in iTunes, download the m4v video directly, or watch it on YouTube and Vimeo.

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