I don’t know about you, but I am constantly misplacing my sunglasses in my bag. I eventually find them, and inevitably the lenses are scratched. I’m determined not to let this happen this summer, so I made a cute little glasses case to help protect them. I made this case on my machine, but you could hand sew it as well.
Filtering by Author: Jennifer Carson
Handcrafting: LIttle Bug Faeries -- A Waldorf -style Pcket Doll
Spring brings showers, flowers, and faeries back into our gardens! These cute Little Bug Faeries are great for entertaining little ones during story time, while riding in a car, or waiting to see the doctor. They are so easy to make, you’ll find yourself making one in every color of the rainbow!
Handcrafting: Puckly Penguin—A Midwinter Playmate
Need a fun project to beat the midwinter blues? Make this cute penguin in a few hours sitting by the hearth. You can add a hanging loop to make an ornament, have fun embroidering his body, use him to brighten your winter table, or just place him in an unexpected spot to give visitors a quick smile.
Hand Crafting: A Jolly Old Elf
Bring a little magic into your holiday season with this jolly old elf. Made from scraps of wool felt and a bit of ribbon from your stash, he’ll be adorable hanging from your Yule tree, decorating a package, or pinned to your lapel.
Hand Crafting: Wet Felted Vessels
Wet felted vessels: Looking for a fun craft to make with the kids or an easy to make, but beautiful, gift for a friend? Learning to wet felt a small vessel is quick and easy. You just need a few supplies, many of which you already have in your home!
Hand Crafting: Samhain Cauldron Hot Pad
Bring a little whimsy to your holiday table with this cute hot pad for your special Samhain dishes. Easy to make with wool felt, a few hand-stitches, and a warm iron.
A Charming Faerie Baby
Oh, the last days of fall! Soon the flowers will be snuggling into their winter beds, the birds will fly south, and little faeries will begin to hibernate. In the spirit of these little environmental sprites, I’ve designed a cute little faerie baby reusing a plastic deli container (I’m sure you have some of those laying around since we’ve all been supporting our local restaurants delivery service through the pandemic). You can use the plastic bauble you make as a magnet, make a pin or a charm, or tie it to a lovely winter gift.
Writers Wanted
Writer’s Needed!
Pandemic Q+A’s for the Community Leaders on our Anniversary Cover
For our 25th Anniversary Issue, we invited eight well-respected leaders in the regional conscious living community, all of whom have been on our cover before, to gather together for a cover photo shoot to help us celebrate. (Plus, since it was our anniversary issue, we asked our founder/publisher, too.)
It turned out to be on Thursday, March 12th, the eve of the national pandemic lockdown.
Thankfully, they are all well, and so we asked them to tell us what they have been up to since that fateful evening, and what they have been thinking about during these months of sheltering in place. Here are their answers…
Handcrafting: Star Gazing Gnome Coasters
Warm up your gloomy winter days with these woodsy gnome coasters. I used both woven wool scraps and wool felt to create these whimsical little guys. Wool is a great material to absorb the water from a sweaty glass or protect your table from a hot mug. Using a hot steamy iron you can get the wool to lay nearly flat, so it’s a nice even surface for your glass to sit on, too. This is an easy no-sew project, but can also be embellished using a blanket stitch. Best of all, each gnome you make will be unique. Happy creating!
Our Southern Neighbors: Holistic Practitioners in Lenawee County
While Ann Arbor may be the center of holistic living in southeastern Michigan, the wave of conscious living has rolled across the state. A major area of growth for conscious living practitioners and educators can be found in the heart of Lenawee County. Just a short journey south and west of Ann Arbor you can visit the quaint town of Tecumseh with its many antique and fine gift shops. A little farther south and you’ll find the historic downtown of Adrian, which has been going through a time of redevelopment. Both towns, and many more surrounding them, are finding new growth, development, and interest in holistic living.
Fall Craft: Handmade Wool Dryer Balls
Wool dryer balls are a great alternative to chemical laden dryer sheets and fabric softener. They bounce around in the dryer with your load of laundry, helping to circulate air, which makes your clothes dry faster, reducing the time needed to run your machine. Of course, they work best with small to medium size loads because they need room to move around, but they will help with static cling and soften your clothes, all without the use of chemicals. Energy saving, money saving, and eco-friendly? Who could ask for more?
Local Farm and Orchard Visits
When school starts and the stars begin to twinkle a bit earlier in the evening sky, one can’t help but think of picking apples, carving pumpkins, Halloween costumes, and hay rides. We’ve compiled some of the most unique orchard and farm experiences we could find in southeastern Michigan. Grab your jacket and wellies and enjoy the crisp autumn air before Jack Frost dances on your eyelashes!
Embroidered Lavender-Filled Warming Pillow
With summer just around the corner and lots of gardening to be done, what could be better than a pretty warming pillow to soothe those sore muscles? Stuff the pillow with some dried lavender for soothing aromatherapy. To heat the pillow, place in the microwave for thirty seconds, pull it out and shake it, and heat it for another thirty seconds. You can also warm it in the oven by placing it in a cold oven on a cookie sheet. Turn oven on to 200 degrees. Shake pillow after five minutes, and put it back in the oven for another two to five minutes, checking it often to make sure that it is not too hot. Be cautious, it could burn you if you get it too hot. You can also try putting it in the freezer if you need a cool pack instead of a warming pack. Enjoy!
A Little Winter Twitter--Crafting an embroidered Chickadee pin
I love seeing the flash of dark color against white snow when the chickadees come to eat at my birdfeeder. Chickadees are one of a handful of birds that stay in Michigan when the snow comes calling and their songs are sure to lift your spirits when the day is gray. This little chickadee pin looks deceitfully hard to make, but is really rather simple. It will make a great gift for a friend who needs a bit of a mid-winter cheer.
Honoring the writings of Rachel Urist
It is with great sadness that we share with you the death of a great friend and writer for the Crazy Wisdom Journal, Rochel Urist. It is with our sincere appreciation for her wonderful writing that we share with you today some of our favorite articles published in the journal and written by her deft hand. We hope you will honor her life, and journalistic gift, by reading and sharing her words.
Crafting: Celebrate the Coming Winter with A Julbok
As the warm breezes shift to cool caresses on our cheeks and we pull out the warm handmade quilts from grandma and sweaters from mom, many of us turn our thoughts to gift giving. The Julbok is a pre-Christian Swedish tradition that lives on today. Some say he pulled the Tomten’s cart full of presents during the winter solstice. Some say he was the one giving out the presents. Still others claim
that he is a prankster that makes sure whomever is receiving the present is worthy of it! Traditionally, the Julbok was made of the last harvest of straw and thought to be good luck. However you celebrate as we move into winter, this sweet little Julbok is sure to be a great addition to your seasonal decorations, a Yule tree, or even as a gift topper.
