Upscale a Bear

Looking for a cute personalized gift? Personalize a stuffed animal. Young and old, stuffed animals provide a great cuddle buddy and a source of comfort. We give several stuffed animals to seniors at Christmas time.

Christmas Stockings

When making 46 Christmas stockings, a good process helps make fun, attractive stockings without taking a massive amount of time, or expense.

The expense was reasonable (about $.65/stocking) for burlap and flannel, plus using Christmas material in my stash for the heal and toe appliqué. The body of the stocking is burlap, on sale, and the lining and cuff are different colors (red, green, blue, white) flannel, also on sale PLUS the additional 25% off coupon. Love coupons!

Dinner Scarf (Adult Bib)

A box was delivered. You grab a scissors and cut through the tape, open the box and pull out the stuffing and enjoy your new toy. Don't overlook the extra "gifts" you received. As a child, I was reminded frequently, "Waste not, want not." That waded up paper stuffing is a big example (we'll talk about boxes in a future post).

I Spy Packets

These packets are pretty quick to make and can be inexpensive. No I can't bring myself to using a pencil case, loading it up with the "inners" and then glueing it shut. That's the quickest, but I want sturdy. I do it the old-fashioned way.

Since I'm making these for seniors with dementia and my grandchildren, I like to be over-cautious. Every seam has at least one back-up or additional seam, like top-stitching. The inside seams are serged and then stitched. Told ya, overkill. I don't want these small pieces inside to get out and cause any problems.

Fidget Lap Quilt (M)

Quilting is something that intrigues me. There are so many blocks to try and quilting techniques, the challenges are endless. I especially want to learn free motion quilting on my Brother sewing machine. I'm also enjoying machine embroidery and appliqué. Lately, I have been reading about fidget quilts and the calming benefits they provide dementia patients, so I put together a basic plan to incorporate some new challenges in quilting to make a fidget lap quilt.

Broomstick Lace (M)

Sometimes craft projects are more than just making something. Whether it's a special gift, a challenging project, or a comforting stitch to release some stress, emotions pour into each item.

Pumpkin Cake

Making cakes is a fun hobby and a way to recognize people on special occasions. When I was working, I would make a monthly birthday cake to recognize birthdays and work anniversaries. Of course, anyone could do a plain ole cake. I wanted to make the cakes fun. One of those cakes was a Jack-o-latern which actually lit up (thanks to Papa's ingenuity). It was always fun when I could make employees look twice to figure out if it was a cake or not.

Hot/cold Rice Packs (E)

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These rice packs are practical, quick, and inexpensive, yet make thoughtful gifts especially for young families (ice packs) or people who experience pain (hot packs). There are many different ways to make these packs. Check out other video tutorials (multiple-section pack) and web sites (single pack option) to find what works the best for you.

Knit Prayer Shawl (E)

Knitting is one craft I am interested in and where I have the biggest opportunity to improve. There is a difference between knitting and crocheting. Although I am not highly skilled in crocheting, I have a little more confidence in the quality of my basic stitches. Knitting, well, I will benefit from practice.

Prayer Shawl 3 (E)

Prayer shawl #3. I was so reluctant to make any of these because I wasn't very confident in my skills, but here I am on #3 because they're fun and easy to make. The crochet shawls all lean towards the female side with a more open, lacey appearance. This one (click the image for a larger view with better contrast) is the second one I did without a pattern.

Prayer Shawl 2 (E)

Crocheting is something I do primarily in easy, flat projects, like blankets. I'm trying to do prayer shawls as Christmas gifts for our local senior residential facility. This is the first time I can remember following a pattern. Well, ok, I did modify the pattern slightly. I didn't add the button hole, and skipped one row for two reasons:

Refinishing an Heirloom

Around 1996, Papa's dad built an oak pedestal table. The 46" round solid oak table had three 11 inch leaves, which expanded to handle large family meals and lively activities. When Dad downsized and sold his home, the table continued its tradition of hosting large family gatherings but in another family member's home.

Prayer Shawl (E)

I was first introduced to a prayer shawl when a family member received one. It was during a terminal illness and the shawl, a present from a close friend who lived a long distance away, was a big comfort. The shawl represented the hugs and comfort the friend would have physically given if the miles didn't separate them.

Papa and I frequently visit a local senior residential facility and it seemed like prayer shawls might bring some hugs and comfort to some of the residents. In talking with the staff, I learned they are also useful in providing warmth without the encumbrances of bulky sweaters or jackets.

Playful Poolside Chairs

We wanted to add some fun to the backyard and spotted this idea on Pinterest. The idea was to take plastic outdoor chairs, cut the legs to make poolside chairs, and then spray paint them in bright, beach colors. The article suggested using chairs purchased from a dollar store. Following our frugal ways, we opted to look through used options online and found these very sturdy ones.

Kitchen Scrubber (E)

Knitting is a craft I've tried occasionally but, honestly, it intimidates me. That lack of confidence probably is due to comparing myself to others who are gifted at knitting. Despite that, the benefits of knitting are greater than my lack of confidence so I keep trying. Lifehack.org has an article on the "6 Unexpected Benefits of Knitting." Ironically, when I keep a project simple, I feel the stress-relieving benefits of knitting. Like with anything, practice will help improve my skills.

Quilt-as-you-go Table Runner (E)

A quilt-as-you-go table runner is one of the best ways to learn to quilt. I watched several online videos before starting my first project. I would recommend searching YouTube.com for "quilt as you go" videos. This is a link to one I found helpful.

Magic White

Do you ever cringe at underarm stains?
Frustrated with ink marks or grease stains in clothing?
Worried about using harmful or abrasive chemicals in your bathroom?

I stumbled upon this homemade concoction when researching how to make my laundry a little brighter. Since then, its uses have expanded and it's now my "go-to" solution for cleaning.

Welcome to NPcrafters!

We are excited about getting started on our blog (nanapapablog) and linked website (npcrafters.com). We are currently adding past projects and plan to have them published by the end of October.