DIY Millinery: Fascinators

DIY Millinery: Fascinators

I was telling a friend of mine about the felt hats that I learned to make (look up millinery craft), and she said I should try my hand at fascinators. I’d never heard the word fascinator, much less knew what they were. She said to Google Kate Middleton, and...
How to Make a Hardcover Book

How to Make a Hardcover Book

The earliest present I remember receiving was on my fifth birthday. A neighbor girl—who was about ten—gave me a notebook and pen (or perhaps it was a pencil). I was so ecstatic to have my own blank notebook that I didn’t even care some of the pages...
10 Do It Yourself Christmas Gift Ideas

10 Do It Yourself Christmas Gift Ideas

I grew up in a family with eight kids, and we never had money for extravagant gifts. For Christmas, we drew names and one person would buy one other person a gift. That was it (well, except for the occasional gag gift like the time my sisters got me a size D bra when...
How to Make a Felt Hat

How to Make a Felt Hat

I’ve been working on a “ten things you can make for Christmas gifts” list, so when a friend gave me a huge piece of heavy gray wool fabric, I decided to try making felt hats for the list (shrunken wool = felt). I watched at least an hour’s...
How to Make a Felt Hat (2)

How to Make a Felt Hat (2)

Did I mention felt is fun to work with? Every bit of scrap can be used for making interesting designs on or around the hat! Next steps for making the hat above: 5. Place the dome back on the head form. Take another piece of felt or faux fur and pin it around the edge...
How to Make a Felt Hat (3)

How to Make a Felt Hat (3)

You can go overboard with hat decorations. I prefer to have a clean profile with a punch of WOW on one side of the hat. It makes people watch you just to see you turn your head around to reveal a different look. Here is the final step for making the hat above: 7....