Crochet Finger Protector

For some time now, the biggest obstacle to increasing the amount and speed with which I crochet has been limited by one factor: I happen to like having skin on my left-hand pointer finger, where the yarn loops over.  I imagine most anyone who crochets or knits can sympathize; the shiny groove of skin that itches or stings or some maddening combination of the two.

Last night, I came up with the idea of using a piece of plastic (a former bottle safety seal) to guard the skin there.  But after a little while, I realized that a single-finger 'glove' would do the job perfectly.  Hence, the Crochet Finger Protector was born!

I am now offering the pattern in my Ravelry store here!

Single Serving Ointment Tubes

This is a fabulous idea that I wish I could take credit for.  It's a bit different than most of my how to's, but it's such a good idea with so many applications, and easily done inside of five minutes, that I felt I had to share it.  I literally went around my house and had everything I needed within about two minutes.

Because this was spur-of-the-moment, I only had a red straw.  It would have been significantly easier if it had been a plain clear straw.

Materials:

Ointment of choice (I used triple antibiotic ointment)
Plastic Straw (clear works best)
Needle Nose Pliers (if you have two pairs, that's even better, but not necessary)
Lighter

Simple, right?

Instructions:

At one end of the straw, squeeze in a portion of ointment.  You will probably end up wasting a bit, so put a little more than you want in your final tube.  I used a little under an inch's worth of straw length.  This is one way in which a clear straw would make things easier; judging how much ointment you are using.

Carefully pinch down the end of the straw to squish the ointment upwards, until you have enough empty space at the bottom for the width of your pliers plus a few millimeters.

Grip tightly with the pliers with the extra extending past them.  Make sure there is no excess ointment below the pliers, as this will interfere with the sealing process.

Using the lighter, carefully heat the end of the straw extending past the pliers until it melts together.  If you have a second pair of pliers, it can be helpful to pinch the melted strip while still hot to form a better seal.

Repeat at other end, either making a 'flat' or 'triangle' tube.  This is the other instance when having a clear straw would make things much easier, as you try to judge where to grip the straw on the other end.

That's it!


I can think of so many uses for these!  Throw a half dozen or so in your first aid kit instead of a full tube, to reduce bulk.  A hiking or car emergency kit.  Keep one or two in your purse or wallet for minor emergencies.  And that's just with the antibiotic ointment!

You can use the same process for sealing honey straws, which makes a fabulous single-serving to add to drinks or just enjoy for a sweet snack.  Single-use packets of lotion.  Bad Hair Day emergency hair gel.  Any fairly thick liquid, ointment, gel, etc. that you use a small portion of at a time is a perfect candidate for this method.  Just remember that if you use this for more than one type of product . . .  write on it what's in the tube!

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Adorable Fingerless Gloves

I joined a gift exchange through Craftaholics Anonymous this year.  After a number of questions with my exchange partner, I decided a pair of blue cotton fingerless gloves were the perfect gift (being a crafter's group, they have to be handmade).

So of course, I hit Ravelry, and found this adorable pattern for mildly lacy crochet wristwarmers.  Despite a few false starts to find the right size (I had to go up to a J/6mm hook to make them large enough), and even only working a few minutes at a time, I had the pair of adorable wristers finished in a little over a day! 

I loved the pattern so much, I decided to make a pair for my sister for Christmas.  My mom got this lovely yarn for me; cotton, natural colored with speckles of peach, moss and brown.  It took less than one 95 yard skein!

I may have to make a few more pairs for people!  An excellent addition to the Goody Bags that will be my Christmas gift for most folks this year.  And the pattern has a non-lacy masculine counterpart, too!

How-To: Easy Inexpensive Gift Plates

There are lots of easy, inexpensive treats available to make as Christmas gifts, like Super Simple No Fail Fudge.

However, that leaves the question of how to package your goodies to give them away; if you have to buy a tin or plate for every gift, this is often the most expensive part of the gift.

Not anymore!

This brilliant idea costs pennies, and allows you to adjust for any gift-giving occasion, all with supplies you probably already have in the house.

What You Will Need

1-3 paper plates (you can even get cute ones appropriate to the occasion, or decorate them yourself)
Approx. 2 feet of ribbon
Hole punch or Xacto knife

How To Assemble

Punch or cut a holes a quarter inch or so from the edge of your plate, about an inch to an inch and a half apart.  On the plate I used, I skipped two 'ripples' in between each hole (the last one was on the next ripple to the first, but that was fine as the bow goes there.)  If you will be heavily loading the plate, use two or even three together and cut through all of them at the same time so that they line up properly.

String your ribbon through the holes, alternating top and bottom.  This will be easier if you pull enough through the first hole to make it all the way around and tie a bow at the end, instead of trying to pull it as you need it.

Tie a pretty bow, cut off excess ribbon, and you're done!  If your gift will need to travel, wrap with cellophane and use the same ribbon to tie it shut.

How-To: Upcycled Pillow Boxes

I got the inspiration for these adorable little boxes on, I admit, Pinterest. However, while it said what they were, they included no instructions and it took me a while to figure out exactly how to do it. So, I decided to take the 'figure out' time out of it for future readers.

Here, then, is a step-by-step tutorial to go from – yes – toilet paper rolls, upcycled to adorable pillow boxes for small gifts.  You could follow the same basic instructions with paper towel rolls, either for long boxes, or cut into pieces for 'square' boxes, or any size in between.

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All you absolutely need is this:

However, I I found it was much easier, and the finished product much neater, to lightly score the tubes with an exacto knife.  After much searching around the house for 'the perfect circle', I found that the spool of ribbon I would be using to decorate the box with when it was finished, was the perfect size.

So, gather your materials.  Easy.

Now, squish your roll flat, but don't hard-crease the edges, so that it will pop back up partway.

Line your circle guide at one end of the roll, so that it goes from corner to corner with the tube squished.  Lightly score around the circle; keep in mind you aren't trying to cut anything, just make it easier to fold neatly.

Repeat at both ends, front and back.

Bet you can't guess the next step, huh?  Oh, wait, right...  So, fold down the flap.  If you have an 'ugly' side to the box, such as a glue strip, fold that side first, so that it will end up the bottom.  Repeat for all four flaps, first 'front' then 'back'.  You may need to squish and wiggle the little pointy corners a bit to get them lined up and shaped just right.

That's it!  That's your basic pillow box.  Decorate them, with markers or stamps or glitter....  wrap them with a little strip of wrapping paper (the huge benefit to this is you can just do it in the center, making the box complete with decoration reusable!), or just some ribbon, or a pretty bow...  get creative!

How To: Civil War Handkerchief Dolls

My grandmother-in-law gave me one of these adorable little dolls a year or so ago, and this year has asked me to make some of them for her, for Christmas gifts. They are very adorable just on their own, and all the more so because of their fascinating history.

During the Civil War, there was little money to be found for food, let alone toys, so women made dolls for the children out of handkerchiefs. If the handkerchief had belonged to a loved one who had gone off to war, the doll helped to ease the pain of separation.

Also known as church dolls, they provided a quiet toy for a child's amusement, and were silent if dropped.

 Materials:

• 1 handkerchief or thin napkin 
• 1 generous handful of stuffing for the head 
• 1 1/2' of thin satin ribbon (approx.) 
• 1 paper towel 
• tape

If you are using an 'old' handkerchief or napkin, be sure to clean them thoroughly and press them first.

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Instructions:

Take the stuffing for the head and paper towel.  Roll the stuffing loosely in the paper towel, and tape into a 'tube', then fold down the sides and tape together, then tape down two of the corners a bit, to make a roughly head-shaped ball.  Although this is not strictly necessary, I found it almost impossible to get the head formed right without doing this first.

Arrange the ball near the top edge of the handkerchief, so that you can fold the remaining cloth over it completely with a half inch or so extra below the ball, so as to get tied down at the neck.

Carefully wrap the remaining handkerchief down around the ball, tugging gently as necessary to get it even, but do not pull it down too tight.

Holding the handkerchief in place with one hand, wrap the ribbon around the 'neck' under the ball carefully, in the middle of the ribbon, and tie securely in place.

Pull the short corners out straight, and tuck in the long side to just under the neck, forming the arm.

Using one side of the ribbon, wrap it around the arm piece, and tie in the back.  Be sure to snug it down tightly, then repeat on the other side.

Slip ribbons snugly under the arms to the front.

Tie ribbons securely in the front, then in a nice bow.  If necessary (as it is below), carefully tug the handkerchief to lay neatly between the ribbons.  You are finished!

Feel free to print out the card below if giving the doll as a gift, to share the enchanting history of these simple but ingenious dolls.

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