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Archive: CRAFT Projects
November 20, 2009
How-To: Bake a Turkey-Shaped Cake
Bake a Turkey-Shaped Cake
By Cathy Callahan
How about cake instead of pie this Thanksgiving? I don't mind pie but am really more of a cake person. This turkey-shaped cake is a fun way to introduce a cake to the dessert table and is also fun for kids to make for Thanksgiving. And if the "pie people" turn their noses up at it? At least it can also double as decoration for the table.
With the big holiday just around the corner I'm sure many of you are starting to pour over your favorite cookbooks in search of recipes. I really don't own many cookbooks and am an advocate for just having a few really good ones on hand. There's been a lot of talk about classic cookbooks lately. Of course we all love Julia Child's The Way to Cook. The Joy of Cooking has been a staple in kitchens for many generations. On many people's lists of "must haves" are The Fannie Farmer Cookbook, How to Cook Everything, Beard on Food and the list goes on.
But to me an overlooked classic is Baker's Coconut Cut-Up Cakes (1956 edition). Why not have a little fun in the kitchen? It was updated in 1959 and retitled Baker's Coconut Animal Cut-Up Cakes. It was published by Baker's to promote their "Angel Flake Coconut" product. At any given time there are usually a few listed on eBay and there is oftentimes a bidding war to get the older ones. You can sample some pages of the book in charm and poise's Flickr set.
Cut-up cakes are all about the reconfiguration of the standard layer or sheet cake. Following the illustrations, the cake is cut into shapes and arranged to resemble things like boats, bunnies, witches, etc. and then iced, sprinkled with coconut, and decorated with candy; the boat eveb gets Lifesavers for the portholes. And they all have cute names.
I have made the "Ella Elephant," "Fanny the Fish," and "Dear Santa."
I just made the "Gobble-Gobble Gobbler" as a dry run for this Thanksgiving. I tried to follow the recipe as best I could but I have to be honest that a little more explanation would have been helpful. I did have a couple of mishaps and had to approach this project like a small scale construction project. So here I've adapted the original directions in hopes that it will make it a little easier for you. Make sure you wear an apron because it's a very messy, but fun, undertaking.
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Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Nov 20, 2009 05:00 PM
CRAFT Projects, Food, Holiday projects, Super Crafty Kidz |
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Knifty Knitter Loom-Along: Alice Wrist Warmers - Let's Get Started!
Well Twi-hards, the time is here. That special day in November when you no longer have to dream of powdery white skin and the smell of blood (and teen angst) in the morning. You can live it, man. Well, vicariously through the screen presentation of the much anticipated debut of the Twilight Saga's New Moon.
To celebrate, we've ditched the not-so-vamp-friendly knitting needles for a kinder, gentler (read: can't be used as a stake) yarn tool: the Knifty Knitter Flower Loom, to make the Ode to Alice Cullen wrist warmers. Gather 'round, Twi-sters!
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Posted by Vickie Howell |
Nov 20, 2009 10:00 AM
CRAFT Projects, Loom-Along, Tools, Weaving, Yarn |
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November 19, 2009
Homemade Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream
Homemade Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream
By Jennifer Perkins and Chris Boehk
Every fall my husband Chris whips up a batch of his world famous pumpkin pie ice cream! This year we served it at a Halloween party and are planning to take it to a Thanksgiving potluck! Since this is his special fall creation, I let him write up the instructions and I took the pictures!
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Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Nov 19, 2009 12:00 PM
CRAFT Projects, Food, Holiday projects, Super Crafty Kidz |
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November 18, 2009
Apple Face Mask
Apple Face Mask, excerpt from The Natural Beauty Book
By Anne Akers Johnson
Mask are intensive treatments and should be limited to your once-a-week routine. Choose one that is well suited to your skin.
Facial Mask Basics
1. Before applying a mask, find a place where you can lie back without being disturbed. Spread a towel out where you will rest your head in case your mask drips.
2. Choose and prepare a recipe.
3. Pull your hair back off your face. Pull long hair back into a ponytail.
4. Wash your face so it's nice and clean.
5. Run a washcloth under warm water, squeeze it out and hold it over your face for a few seconds to dampen your face. If you've just had a steam, skip this step.
6. Apply the mask all over your face and neck (if you like), avoiding your eye area. Lie back and let the mask work for 10-15 minutes. If it starts to feel itchy or uncomfortable, less time is OK.
7. If your mask is particularly chunky (like oatmeal) use your washcloth to gently wipe it off your face, shaking the bits of mask into the trash (this is the trick to avoiding clogged drains). Once it's mostly off, rinse your face in warm water.
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Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Nov 18, 2009 03:00 PM
Beauty, CRAFT Projects, Super Crafty Kidz |
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Thanksgiving Feast: Pumpkin Pie with Caramel Pecan Topping
Thanksgiving Feast: Pumpkin Pie with Caramel Pecan Topping
By Katie Goodman
I have had so many failures with pie crust — too sticky, too dry, full of cracks — that for a while I just resigned myself to buying either frozen crusts or those ones you roll out and shape yourself. But that's really not my style. I love homemade, not store-bought. When I found this recipe from Simply Recipes, it seemed so easy and straightforward that I thought it was worth another go. With such great results on my first try, I felt the confidence I needed to never look back at those store-bought crusts again.
If you're trying to save time on Thanksgiving, you can make the recipe up to Step 5 and store it in the refrigerator until you're ready to make the pie. Just let it sit out on the counter for about 10 minutes before you roll it out.
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Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Nov 18, 2009 12:00 PM
CRAFT Projects, Food, Holiday projects |
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November 17, 2009
Book Review + Giveaway: Paper Flowers
"Easy! No gluing or cutting required" says the cover of the book Make Your Own Paper Flowers. So I decided to make my flowers in a place where craft supplies are sparse: an airplane. Before my trip, I stashed the Klutz Chicken Socks book in my purse. Without any scissors in my bag, I cleared security in a breeze! After takeoff, I folded down the tray on the seat back in front of me, and set to work.
As I put together the project, a million childhood memories came rushing back to me. I vividly remember so many fun Klutz books. I had the juggling one, the dollar bill origami one, the magic one with the special coin, and my personal favorite, the friendship bracelet one. And seeing Klutz triggered memories in more that just me. All the stewardesses paused as they walked by to check on my progress and talk about the best Klutz books which, after much debate, it was decided was the braid one!
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Posted by Brookelynn |
Nov 17, 2009 12:00 PM
CRAFT Projects, Paper Crafts, Super Crafty Kidz |
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November 16, 2009
Everlasting Terrariums
Everlasting Terrariums
By Jamie Chan and Katy Kristin
We love terrariums! The idea of crafting tiny living landscapes has attracted hobbyists for over 100 years. But we'll be the first to say that not all of us were born with a green thumb, nor do we want to have the hassle of working with soil, gravel, and live specimens when crafting with kids. We will show you how to make a whimsical and woolly terrarium using vintage German charms, wool felt, and roving. It's a perfect craft project for kids to do on a rainy fall afternoon. Most of these supplies can be found at a local craft store or online. The tools are easy to collect from around the house. Encourage your kids to pick a few of their favorite small toys and incorporate them into their tiny world! These zero-maintenance terrariums also make great gifts or can add extra charm to your bookshelf or window ledge!
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Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Nov 16, 2009 12:00 PM
CRAFT Projects, Super Crafty Kidz |
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November 13, 2009
Intern's Corner: Crochet-Along Panda Party
Every other week, CRAFT's awesome interns tell about the projects they're building in the Craft: Labs, the trouble they've gotten into, and what they'll make next.
By Lindsey North, projects intern
In September we launched a new feature: the CRAFT Crochet-Along brought to you by Lion Brand Yarn. Readers followed along online, live with Tamie Snow from Roxycraft, to crochet a cool Fuzzy Panda Amigurumi in three lessons, then entered their finished pandas in the CRAFT Crochet-Along Flickr Group for a crafty prize giveaway. Tamie's the author of Tiny Yarn Animals, she's extremely talented, and she created this fun pattern just for us CRAFT readers. Pretty sweet!
Download the Fuzzy Panda Amigurumi pattern in PDF format
It's a wonderful project for someone who's always working on the same types of knit and crochet projects. If you feel like you're endlessly making hat after scarf after afghan after hat, you should really try it. If you already crochet, it's a walk in the park, a lovely sunny day when the leaves are starting to turn and fall from the trees. And if you're new to crochet, the stitches are easy to learn, and as long as you use your stitch markers you can be confident your panda will turn out just like it's supposed to. Tamie gives row-by-row instructions the whole way.
So after I completed my little top-heavy, adorably fuzzy panda, I decided to challenge myself by trying to change the scale and making a panda party. At the moment, I'm playing around with both scale and color -- here's my original Pinkie and a larger-scale Rusty -- and I encourage everyone to do the same. Have fun with this cute little ball of fluff, make it your own.
Enjoy the other Crochet-Alongs in the future. It's a great way to make the most of the free time you may have in this busy season to do something creative and fun!
Your CRAFT intern,
Lindsey
- Related: CRAFT Crochet-Along home page
Posted by Keith Hammond |
Nov 13, 2009 10:03 AM
CRAFT Projects, Crochet, Crochet-Along, Intern's Corner |
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November 12, 2009
How-To: Marzipan Animals
Marzipan Animals
By Sonya Nimri
Marzipan is a paste made out of finely ground almonds mixed with sugar. The result is a pliable, edible, non-toxic crafting material, ideal as a substitute for modeling clay. With marzipan, the only potential side effect with accidental ingestion is a sugar high. An incredibly malleable alternative, whatever you can dream up, you can make with marzipan. These farm animals are a good start. With a single tube of marzipan, a small amount of food coloring, and a whole lot of fast little fingers, this project is sure to turn your countertop into a barnyard.
Marzipan can be found at the grocery store or the craft store in the baking department and is easily dyed by adding a tiny amount of food coloring to a clump of marzipan. When dying the marzipan pink, use just a tiny dot of red food coloring, because a little goes a long way with red. One tube of marzipan is enough to make all five farm animals if you are accurate with your measurements of the different colors.
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Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Nov 12, 2009 12:00 PM
CRAFT Projects, Super Crafty Kidz |
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November 11, 2009
Thanksgiving Feast: Side Dishes
Thanksgiving Feast: Side Dishes
By Katie Goodman
Some might argue that the Thanksgiving sides are really the stars of the show. There are so many good recipes to choose from and every family has that special dish that better be on the table — or else! For me, it's hard to decide. I like so many side dishes for different reasons, but I've picked a few of my favorites to share here.
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Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Nov 11, 2009 12:00 PM
CRAFT Projects, Food, Holiday projects |
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How-To: Velcro Catch Ball
Velcro Catch Ball
By Marie LeBaron
This DIY game of Velcro Catch Ball is super fun and super affordable. Using winter knit gloves and velcro balls, little hands never had it so easy in a game of catch.
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Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Nov 11, 2009 11:00 AM
CRAFT Projects, Super Crafty Kidz |
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November 10, 2009
How-To: Grown-Up Hot Chocolate
Hot chocolate is a childhood classic. One of my fondest memories as a child was slurping half-melted whipped cream off the top of a warm mug of cocoa. I'd beg to have it right off the stove, but it was always too hot for gulping. Instead I'd have to sip it and then savor the cool whipped cream against my tongue. We all remember this moment as kids, right? As I have grown, however, my tastes have changed. What I like now is freshly beaten whipped cream, extra-rich chocolate, and, of course, amaretto. Adding a shot of liquor to this decadent treat pushes the experience over the top. It updates my warm childhood memories in a wonderfully grown-up way. I recommend making a double batch of this hot chocolate, and serving the kids first! Send them off to bed, then relax with your own unadulterated cup.
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Posted by Brookelynn |
Nov 10, 2009 12:00 PM
CRAFT Projects, Holiday projects, Recipe |
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November 9, 2009
How-To: No-Sew Apron
How-To: No-Sew Apron
By Jessica Wilson
I have been wearing aprons since I was a wee cutie. I can say that because, seriously, I was one cute kid. When I was a wee one, I wore little pillowcase aprons my mother made for me, and when I was a teen I wore vintage aprons over my clothes. With skirts, with dresses, with pants, it didn't matter. I loved aprons and I still do. The only problem is that even though I have a pretty swell collection and even though I wear them as often as I can, I always, always, ALWAYS forget to wear them when I am cooking. Go figure. Though I think it is because they are too cute and purdy to get food stuff on them, you know?
I love to make things — LOVE to, but I am far from being a good seamstress. Here is a nifty way to feed your apron habit without even sewing. The best part is you get to go thrift shopping for materials! And these instructions are so simple, your little ones can follow along and make their very own aprons.
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Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Nov 9, 2009 12:00 PM
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November 5, 2009
Apple Butter Recipe + Pre-Thanksgiving Preserves Swap
Apple Butter Recipe + Pre-Thanksgiving Preserves Swap
By Cornelia Hoskin
homegrown.org
There's a spot I retreat to in the hills of New Hampshire where three heavily laden apple trees are completely overlooked by the locals in the fall. I'm not certain of the apple variety, but, other than the occasional black spot and worm hole, the fruit is incredibly crunchy, tart, and flavorful. The trees are flanked by a few smaller crab apple trees and, um, a graveyard. Some people could be creeped out thinking of their apples being fertilized by the dead. I, on the other hand, see it as a splendid way to participate in the inevitable cycle of life.
I managed to pull down about 40 pounds of apples a few weeks back and, upon returning to my humble city apartment, cooked up 15 pints of apple butter. Because, really, when is the last time you had some local, wild-foraged apple butter?
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Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Nov 5, 2009 03:00 PM
CRAFT Projects, Food |
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How-To: Flowery Felt Ponytail Holder
How-To: Flowery Felt Ponytail Holder
By Diane Gilleland
Two simple strips of felt transform into this sparkly flower hair accessory. You can use similar colors of felt for a subtler look, or two contrasting colors for something wild.
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Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Nov 5, 2009 12:00 PM
CRAFT Projects, Super Crafty Kidz |
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November 4, 2009
Thanksgiving Feast: How-To Brine & Roast a Turkey
Thanksgiving Feast: How-To Brine & Roast a Turkey
By Katie Goodman
Now that Halloween is over, I feel like the holiday season is ready to begin. I love all the cooking and baking that happens this time of year, but most of all I love how the family gatherings always end up in the kitchen. I'm going to help you get ready for the first big one — Thanksgiving — by providing you with recipes and tips throughout the whole month of November.
I'm lucky that as a young bride, my mother-in-law gave me some excellent tips when it was time for me to host my first Thanksgiving. I especially appreciated her tips on how to roast a turkey. She introduced me to brining, something I had never before heard of, but I knew that the turkey I had eaten at her home was the best I'd ever had, so I followed her advice. Here is my twist on the brine recipe she first gave me as well some great tips for roasting a flavorful turkey. Anyone who's ever eaten my turkey says it's the best they've ever had. And it's all thanks to my mother-in-law. I'm lucky to have such a sweet one!
The leftover turkey carcass from this recipe makes the best homemade turkey broth, but you'll have to stay tuned throughout the month for that recipe, along with ideas for your side dishes and our family's favorite pumpkin pie recipe.
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Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Nov 4, 2009 12:00 PM
CRAFT Projects, Food, Holiday projects |
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Quick Craft: Homemade Play Dough
Homemade Play Dough
By Nancy Dougherty
Recently, I had fun spending a day with my 2-year-old niece, Lola. At first, a day with a toddler seemed daunting. I tried to remember what I did with my children when they were that age. It started to come back pretty quickly, the need to occupy their young hands and minds with tactile things. Then I remembered my old recipe for play dough that I used to make with my own children. I found it in the metal recipe box between paper maché and zucchini bread. You may already have all the ingredients, as they are commonplace.
About the Author:
Nancy Dougherty enjoys poetry and crafts, and lives in Sebastopol with Dale, publisher of CRAFT & MAKE.
Related CRAFT Project:
Gluten-Free Play Clay Beads
Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Nov 4, 2009 11:00 AM
CRAFT Projects, Super Crafty Kidz |
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November 3, 2009
How-To: Brown Sugar Scrub Gifts
I am not a parent, but I was a full-time nanny for 5 years. One of my favorite things was helping kids make creative and crafty gifts. All the children that I cared for loved making this Sugar Scrub. It's the easiest thing in the world to put together, and in the end, it's a gift for mom (or anyone!). Kids know that no one will let them eat a bowl of pure sugar, but they sure love measuring and mixing it. Imagine leaving your little ones with the sitter, some sugar, and this tutorial, and then coming home to a pile of completed holiday gifts! All I ask is that you make sure the nanny gets to take one home too!
Look for Natalie Zee Drieu's posts later this month on more kid-friendly projects from the Klutz Natural Beauty Book.
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Posted by Brookelynn |
Nov 3, 2009 12:00 PM
Beauty, CRAFT Projects, Super Crafty Kidz |
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November 2, 2009
How-To: Felt Photo Frame
How-To: Felt Photo Frame
by Diane Gilleland
Show off your favorite photo in this crafty felt frame. (We used dreamy Edward Cullen from Twilight here, but you can use a photo of anyone you like.) There's a handy clip on top, so you can attach it to your bag and carry it with you.
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Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Nov 2, 2009 12:00 PM
CRAFT Projects, Kids, Super Crafty Kidz |
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October 30, 2009
How-To: Doggy Ballerina Costume
I can't wait to parade my sweet boxer, Stella Baby Star, around in her ballerina costume on Halloween. She is the most social and loving pet, and she always insists on being the center of attention. Last night, as I was working on my own Halloween outfit, she looked up at me with her sad eyes that clearly seemed to say, "Brookelynn, I want to be a ballerina, will you make me a tutu, pretty please?" How could I say no? Follow my easy steps to make a tutu for your prima-donna dog! And, always remember to keep a watchful eye on any pet when they are dressed up. Oh, and treats help during fittings!
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Posted by Brookelynn |
Oct 30, 2009 11:00 AM
CRAFT Projects, Halloween, Pets |
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