Spread the love with 5 easy Valentine’s Day inspired craft ideas from Craftsy, The Knitting Circle, National Sewing Circle, and National Quilters Circle. Five incredible instructors provide step-by-step demonstrations as they quilt, sew, knit, and bake. The materials list, patterns, instructions, and recipes are available for download as well!

Chocolate Heart Macarons

Learn how to make heart-shaped chocolate macarons with master pastry chef Colette Christian.
Get the FREE recipe »

DIY Zipper Lip Pouch

Learn how to make a DIY Zipper Lip Pouch with sewing instructor Emily Steffen.
Get the FREE pattern »

Knitted Heart-Shaped Dishcloth

Learn how to knit a heart-shaped dishcloth with knitting instructor Jen Lucas.
Get the FREE pattern »

Quilt-As-You-Go “Backpack Buddy”

Learn how to make a Quilt-As-You-Go “Backpack Buddy” with quilting instructor Colleen Tauke.
Get the FREE pattern »

Woven Heart Basket

Learn how to make a woven heart basket with sewing expert Mister Domestic.
Get the FREE pattern »

The post For the Love of Crafting: 5 Valentine’s Day Creations from the Heart appeared first on Craftsy.

There’s something so satisfying when I get to see one of my students have a “lightbulb moment” about their watercolor practice. These little epiphanies have been scattered along my own creative path too, and I love sharing them with anybody who will listen. When we try to build a new skill, there are so many things to learn — rules, tips, techniques — that it can feel really daunting. But there are a few things that stand out as the most helpful “a-ha moments” I wish I had known about sooner.

Learning to See Is Learning to Draw

If you want to improve your watercolor skills, my biggest piece of advice is to learn how to draw. Drawing and sketching give us the ability to capture our subjects in line on our paper and that’s the foundation for every other medium we might decide to use.

Learning to really see is the best way to learn how to draw, and when we see things more like an artist, our drawings really start to improve. Spend some time each day really seeing some simple everyday items around you and try to draw them in your sketchbook. Exercise your eyes and hands so they work together, and learn to quiet your brain.

Progress, Not Perfection

As beginners, our taste in art usually exceeds our ability to actually execute. While we’re busy learning new techniques and skills, it sometimes takes a while for our results to catch up to what we want. This is when so many people give up, but we need to let go of our great expectations and just spend time enjoying the process of creating and applying brand new skills. If you come from a place of simply wanting to learn, there’s really no such thing as failure. Every effort we make has a purpose and a place. Every piece of art we create has undiscovered beauty in it if we look at it with appreciation instead of criticism.

Here’s a bonus tip: When I learn a new skill or embark on a new project, I know I’ll need to do it at least three times. The first time is for learning, the second time is for practicing what I’ve learned, and the third time is where it starts to stick. By that time, I know what to expect and can really relax and embrace the process. With this mindset, we stomp out frustration and instead find joy in the time spent creating and learning. When we feel that joy, we’re more apt to show up to our art supplies and get busy. And the more we show up, the quicker we progress.

Process, Not Product

Take the time to focus on the little things — how beautiful our tools and materials are. The magical way watercolor plays on paper. Then you can start to let go and have fun. Find simple projects you can do that are free, playful and creative to mix into your more serious efforts. I spend at least ten minutes at the beginning of a watercolor session just playing with my paints on paper. I use small pieces of watercolor paper and save them in a stack to send out in the mail as tiny surprises for friends and family. I even cut up my free-play paintings to use as bookmarks.

Don’t Be Afraid to Imitate

Don’t be afraid to imitate art that you admire while you’re practicing and learning. Find a painting you admire and try to mix the colors you see. Try to draw the simple shapes of the composition to learn about balance in your pictures, and then try to paint a simple version of the painting you love. You’ll learn a lot about how to craft a successful painting, and have a great time in the process! Keep these studies as a record of your progress, and you’ll be amazed with what you see. Don’t forget: Anything worth learning well will take time.

The post What I Wish I Knew Before I Ever Picked Up a Paintbrush appeared first on Craftsy.

Picture an electric blue polyester-satin tube dress with spaghetti straps and a beaded appliqué — on a seven-year-old. That was my first sewing project, and it was not a costume! Since then, I’ve learned to deploy my glam style instincts more selectively, and I’ve also learned a whole lot more about sewing.

Here are a few things I wish I’d known when I first heard that blue polyester’s siren song:

Seam Finishes For the Win

Finishing the raw edges of your seam allowances adds polish to everything you make, and you’ll feel like a pro. Your pattern instructions probably have tips on basic seam finishes, but there are many options — have several in your toolkit. These days, serging is my favorite quick seam finish, and when there’s time, I love a French seam or a flat-felled seam. If all of these terms sound like Greek to you, don’t worry! Sewing is a technical craft, and learning the vocab is all part of the process.

Good Fit Is Everything

When you sew, you can not only envision and express your personal style, you can make those one-of-a-kind outfits fit like a dream, no matter what your size or how your figure changes. Learn the basics of what good fit means and how to alter patterns to meet your needs. It just takes practice, and you can do it!

Muslins Matter

“Make a muslin.” It’s one of those rules sewers hear and just … ignore, right? A muslin (a test garment using the main pattern pieces, in a fabric that behaves like the fashion fabric) is always worth the time it takes. It’s your go-to secret for great fit and finding out if the style is right for you before you cut into that amazing silk tweed or scuba knit.

Get Obsessed With Fabric

Matching up the right fabric to the right style takes experience, but the more you can learn about different fabrics right up front, the better. If you have a local fabric store, go say hey and get to know the pros there, and ask questions!

Find Your Groove

There’s a rhythm to sewing — set up your space so it’s easy to do every step as you go, and don’t put off essentials (like pressing) until the end.

Invest For Big Returns

As soon as you catch the sewing bug, start investing in the best equipment you can afford, especially your sewing machine. Get tools that will last, and as you advance, keep investing in your creative passion. Fun fact: I learned to sew on my grandmother’s Singer Featherweight, a legendary machine that collectors covet. I still use it today!

Most of all, I wish I’d known how much being able to create my own wardrobe would let me express who I am. From tailored jackets to swimwear, I’ve learned that I can make anything. I love finding a fabric that scares me and looks impossible to sew, and making something gorgeous with it. But I’m never going back to electric-blue polyester satin — once was enough for that!

The post What I Wish I’d Known When I Started Sewing appeared first on Craftsy.

You may have heard of Kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing broken ceramics by fusing the shattered pieces together with molten gold. But have you seen that same idea on a cake?

This trend is popping up everywhere, so we just had to try it for ourselves. We teamed it up with elegant florals and more gold accents in a luxe marbled pink — and we have to say, the final product is pretty sleek! Here’s what you need to know to make your own.

We’ve spotted a few different approaches to making Kintsugi-inspired cakes. Some decorators apply thick, linear patches of edible gold leaf to their tier, while others paint strips of fondant gold and then put those on their cake.

Those techniques look OK, but we wanted a more realistic effect — and that meant creating grooves in the fondant, to look like filled-in cracks. You’ll see how it works in a second!

Japanese Art Cake

Level: Easy

What You Need

Instructions

1. Cover Your Cake

First things first: cover your cake with fondant. For an even more realistic look, we went with marbled fondant — but there’s no shame in a solid color!

2. Mark Your Grooves

As soon as you cover your cake with fondant, you need to start making the grooves. Fondant is easier to work with before it hardens — if you leave it too long and then make the grooves, you’ll end up with a rough look.

Figure out where you’d like your gold-filled cracks. In general, less is more! And don’t forget to plan around your other design features, like ruffles, other tiers and flowers.

When you’ve decided on the design, gently drag the thinner end of a veining tool along the fondant.

3. Paint It Gold

Using your paint brush, carefully paint edible gold paint in the indentations. You’ll need to get up close and personal with your cake to make sure you stay inside the lines.

The post We’re SO Into This Metallic Cake Technique (Inspired by an Ancient Japanese Art!) appeared first on Craftsy.

It’s time to shine! These wedding cakes are (almost) as radiant as the happy couple thanks to extra special, shimmery, and metallic accents.

1. Break The Mold

That’s not piping you see! Joshua John Russell molded gum paste and then airbrushed all the pieces gold to make his intricate border — a great technique to try if the piping bag is not your friend. (Also to note: Under all that gold is a chocolate cake layered with espresso buttercream, and we’re SO INTO IT.)

2. Black Beauty

A black and gold wedding cake? If it looks this good, why they heck not! The crackled black fondant is decorated with a mix of gold royal icing piping and molded gold fondant. When working on a dark cake, dye your icing first (rather than painting it later) because any missed white spots will be super obvious.

3. Go For The Gold (Leaf)

Yup, edible gold leaf is a thing! Simply attach it to fondant with a little water, then paint over it with luster dust for extra shimmer and shine. The gold piping on the top tiers’ damask design takes this sparkler way over the top!

4. Gatsby Approved

It doesn’t get more old-school glam than Art Deco! To get the look, keep your fondant pretty thick before cutting it out for extra drama, then add texture with a veining tool, and color with hydrated luster dust. (Just don’t forget to coat the whole lower tier in sparkling sanding sugar first.)

5. History Lesson

Kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing broken ceramics by fusing the shattered pieces together with molten gold, is (surprise!) all the rage on cakes right now. And we love, love, love it as a subtle metallic accent on a wedding cake. Add the “cracks” to still-wet fondant with a veining tool, then paint gold!

6. Sequins Everywhere

The secret to getting shimmery sequins is NOT to buy metallic gold ones, but rather use whatever you have (these were actually rainbow!), then paint ‘em with luster dust. We also love how this cake carries the look of cascading sequins to the bottom tier — an effect inspired by high fashion!

The post 6 Metallic Wedding Cakes That Bring Some Serious Glam appeared first on Craftsy.

Centerpieces, bouquets, boutonnieres …. but why stop there? If there’s ever a time to go overboard on blooms, it’s definitely your wedding. And these cake ideas prove that everything is prettier with a floral touch.

1. Lady In Red

This cake gets its inspo from calico fabrics! (Like, literally, you can pick a pattern from the fabric store and use it as a basis for your color palette and shapes.) Once you’ve decided on a design, the key to the nailing this delicate look is to roll out your gum paste super thin before shaping the blooms.

2. Bloomin’ Beauty

Let’s be honest, does anyone really like to eat royal icing? That’s why we love that the hydrangeas cascading down this romantic cake are actually piped from Swiss meringue buttercream. Yum! To get the look, vary your flowers with a few different shades of lavender.

3. Signs of Spring

Cherry blossoms are one of the first flowers to bloom after the snow melts, so of course they hold a place in every spring bride’s heart. These ones are crafted out of homemade gum paste (we’ll show you how to make it!) that’s rolled out really thin with the help of a mixer’s pasta attachment. Genius!

4. Big on Bling

This cake’s feathered flowers get their pretty colors by adding a touch of black dye to the gum paste, which mellows out the pastel hues. Add a rock candy jewel in the center of each one, and just let ’em call you #extra.

5. Get Fresh

Blooms don’t always have to be edible. This naked cake is filled with pink buttercream, then decked out with fresh plants. Go for bigger flowers at the top and smaller buds for each layer underneath.

6. Bold Beauty

You don’t need tons of flowers, when you have just a couple really big ones! This peony is crafted out of white fondant, then painted with pink luster dust for just a hint of color. (More to love: This cake’s fondant layer is flavored with freeze-dried raspberry powder. You gotta taste it to understand the deliciousness.)

7. Paint Away

For something a little different, try painted-on flowers! Trace a template onto parchment paper with a pencil, then transfer the design right onto your cake using shortening. (Yes, it’s a-okay that a little pencil gets on the cake … it’s totally nontoxic!)

The post These 7 Wedding Cakes Have Major Flower Power appeared first on Craftsy.

Finishing is possibly the most gratifying part of any woodworking project — and potentially the most stressful. You’ve put a lot of time and effort into what you’re making, and the pressure to get the finishing touches just right can be intense.

But you can relax a little: There is a simple, foolproof way to apply shellac and wax, and we’re going to share it with you right now.

What Is Shellac, Exactly?

Shellac is one of the oldest finishes in woodworking. It’s made from the resin secreted by the lac bug and deposited on trees. Manufacturers in India and Thailand harvest the residue, refine it and sell it either as flakes or in premixed form.

Shellac comes in a spectrum of colors, from super blonde (which is nearly colorless) to garnet (which will impart a rich red/brown tint to wood). Woodworkers can also add tints to shellac for a custom look.

What You Need

Good to Know: You can use denatured alcohol as a solvent, but be super careful. In order to make the alcohol undrinkable, most manufacturers add methanol — a highly toxic substance, even in small amounts. But some versions of denatured alcohol use methanol alternatives, so check labels before buying. You can also use 190-proof Everclear as a solvent. It’s more expensive than denatured alcohol, but you don’t have to worry about toxicity.

Applying the Shellac

First, be sure that the surfaces of your project are as smooth as possible, whether you sanded, scraped or planed them. Holding the project up to a light at a low angle will help you spot scratches or spots that still need smoothing. You can spray or wet the surface with the alcohol (it’ll evaporate quickly) to reveal any flaws.

The next step is applying the shellac. Although you can use it straight from the can, we recommend diluting it, mixing one part shellac with one part alcohol — it’s easier to apply a couple of thinner coats of shellac than one thick coat.

Wad up your rag, dip it into the shellac and wipe on the finish. It may feel like you’re just wiping the surface with a wet rag.

You should quickly see a change in the appearance of the grain, along with a color change. In the picture above, shellac has been applied to just the right side of the board. When you compare the right side with the unfinished left side, you should be able to see darker color, along with the popping of the grain.

Since alcohol dries fairly quickly, you could wipe on one coat, then come back in an hour or so for the next one. If you’re impatient, make the shellac more dilute by adding more alcohol. You’ll have to apply more coats, but each may dry so quickly that by the time you’re done covering your project, you can start right away with the next coat.

If you happen to miss a spot when applying a coat, don’t worry! Since shellac can redissolve in alcohol, you can go over the missed spot with more shellac and the alcohol will melt the new layer of shellac into the older one.

Keep applying shellac until you get the look you want. More shellac will give you a thicker, shinier finish. You can also apply fewer finishes to get a “close to the wood” appearance. Totally up to you.

Once you’ve applied the last coat of shellac, take the brown paper bag and rub it over your project. This’ll remove any dust nibs that may have accumulated while you were wiping on the shellac.

Don’t throw away your old rag! Instead, let it dry out and then store it in a paper bag. The next time you want to apply some shellac, you can reuse this rag, assuming the shellac color is the same (the alcohol will dissolve any shellac left on the rag).

Finishing With Paste Wax

Now you’re ready for your final step. Using a clean rag, apply a layer of wax; you won’t need very much. As with the shellac, it’s better to apply a few thin layers than one thick layer.

Buff out the wax with a clean rag when you’re done, then admire your beautiful finish!

Go ahead and put the rag back into the can of paste wax so it’s ready to go for your next woodworking project.

Pros and Cons of Shellac and Wax

There are a lot of reason to finish your woodworking project with shellac and wax. They’re easy to apply, for starters, and give you great results. Plus, if the finish gets damaged later, you can just apply more shellac (it’ll blend right in) and more wax. Plus shellac is non-toxic.

But there are some downsides to this type of finish. Shellac doesn’t hold up well to liquids, so you might not want to use it on a kitchen table, say, or a bar, or anyplace else where spills or condensation might happen.

Still, for a lot of projects, shellac and wax are the combo you want. When you’ve almost completed a project and are feeling a little tense about the finish, shellac and wax give you something invaluable: peace of mind. Relax, you’ve earned it!

The post Use Shellac and Wax for a Foolproof Finish appeared first on Craftsy.

Decorative sugar work is literally mind-blowing. Spectacular flowers, birds, fruits and more look almost identical to blown or sculpted glass, yet are crafted from the simplest of materials: sugar.

If you’re ready to tackle this incredible art form, the first step is learning how to cook your sugar down to a pure, pristine liquid state with absolutely no crystals. (Even a tiny bit of crystal contamination can quickly wreck the whole batch!).

Cooked Sugar for Sugar Work

Level: Advanced

What You Need

Ingredients

Tools

Instructions

1. Get Prepped

2. Boil and Brush

Heat 1 cup water, the corn syrup and the sugar mixture in the pot on medium heat and bring to a boil. When the sugar begins to boil, use a pastry brush or silicone brush and a little water to brush down the sides of the pan to prevent sugar crystals from forming.

Continue to boil until the mixture reaches 300 F.

Pro Tip: Don’t put the candy thermometer into the pot until the sugar is boiling rapidly. Otherwise the sugar will crystallize on the thermometer.

It will take quite a while for your sugar to get to 300 F, but watch carefully. The temperature will move very slowly up the thermometer until it reaches about 270 degrees, but from there it will jump up to 300 degrees very quickly.

3. Cool Undisturbed

When the mixture reaches 300 degrees, immediately remove your pan from the heat and allow it to cool undisturbed to 275.

Good to Know: After you remove the pot from the heat, the temperature of your sugar may continue to rise. This is normal. Don’t touch it, stir, or add anything until it lowers to 275 degrees F.

4. Color and Flavor

Once the mixture cools to 275 degrees, add the food coloring and flavoring (if using), stirring gently to mix. If you notice any tiny crystals of sugar on the sides of your pan, take care not to mix them in.

5. Pour and Complete

As soon as your hot sugar is colored and flavored, remove the very hot glass measuring cup from the oven carefully, and pour your very hot sugar into it.

Safety first! Molten sugar is extremely hot and a serious burn hazard. Protect yourself, your surfaces and your equipment and pay close attention while you work. (Also, if you’re thinking about skipping the step of preheating your glass measuring cup, don’t. Pouring hot sugar into a cool glass will cause the glass to shatter.)

Place the glass measuring cup back in the oven and let it sit for five to 10 minutes to allow any bubbles to settle out. Your sugar is now ready to use for beautiful blown and pulled sugar work!

The post How to Cook Sugar for Sugar Work appeared first on Craftsy.

Sure, you can trick out a standard sewing machine so you can free-motion quilt. But if you’re in the market for a shiny new model, why not get one that will satisfy both your sewing and FMQ needs? These are the free-motion features you should keep an eye out for while shopping.

1. A Large Throat Space

Also called the harp space, this is the distance between the needle and the side of the machine, and having more room here allows you to move your quilt through the machine quickly and easily. Standard domestic machines, or short arms, typically only have about 6″–8″ of throat space, but thanks to the growing popularity of machine quilting, manufacturers keep producing roomier options. Look for a mid-arm option to get 12″–17″ of open space, or a long-arm for 18+”, and you’ll revel in all the room you’ve acquired.

2. An Open-Toe Darning Foot

Yes, any generic darning or free-motion foot can get the job done — but if you snag an open-toe foot, it’ll give you a better view of your stitching while you work. Being able to see the stitches directly in front of you makes it a lot easier to follow a line or designated stitching path, meaning your project will more than likely be done that much faster.

3. Feet That Easily Snap On and Off

While free-motion quilting is usually done with a darning foot, there are times when you may want to quilt with your walking foot. (Like when you’re adding the binding or doing any stitch-in-the-ditch quilting.) That’s why it’s ideal if you can quickly swap the presser foot without having to bust out a tool box. Being able to use both lets you have the freedom and control you’re after to create the project of your dreams.

4. Easy Bobbin Access

If you regularly switch up your thread, an easy-to-access bobbin is a must. It basically eliminates unnecessary hassle — no more taking the quilt off every time you need a thread change! If you can find a machine that also accommodates extra large bobbins and lets you adjust the bobbin tension separately, well, you’ve arrived in quilting heaven.

5. Needle Up/Down Function

Although many FMQ designs can be stitched continuously, some may require starts and stops. (Plus, sometimes you have to stop and adjust your quilt to manage all that bulk.) In general, it’s good to rest with your needle in the down position, so your work doesn’t accidentally move around — if that happens, it could result in an extra long, jagged, or out of place stitch that’s a pain to go back and fix. But without an up/down function, the needle automatically stops in the up position. So having that capability can be pretty big for preventing unnecessary problems and maintaining your sanity.

6. Ability to Drop or Cover the Feed Dogs

The little “teeth” underneath the presser foot are known as the feed dogs, and they control the fabric moving through the machine when stitching normally. But when free-motion quilting, you’re in charge of pushing the quilt through the machine. So rather than fight with your feed dogs, you want to be able to drop them out of the way so you can do your thing.

If that’s not possible, the next best solution is being able to cover them with a Supreme Slider. These slippery mats not only cover the teeth, but also help your quilt glide more smoothly under the needle. Double win!

The post 6 Features You’ll Want In A Free-Motion Quilting Sewing Machine appeared first on Craftsy.

Your sock heel is pretty much the last thing in the world you think about — ever. Except when it’s time to knit a pair of socks. That’s when sock heels get their revenge. How? By being so freaking hard to knit, at least the first time (or second … or sixth time). When you’re learning how to knit a cuff-down sock, things usually go pretty smoothly, but the pattern can get crazy once you get to the heel.

Without the right instructions, it’s easy to end up with lots of ripping and frustration, and you might even be tempted to give up on the whole sock thing for a while. But don’t lose hope! Heels are totally doable, and we’re about to make them a LOT easier. Here, we’ll show you how to set up your double-pointed needles so you can knit a simple DIY sock heel, which also happens to be a lot sturdier than most socks you buy at the store.

Setting Up Your Needles

Some patterns are awesome about giving you the instructions you need to set up for the heel, while others just assume you know.

Keep in mind that it’s fine to work the cuff and leg in the round, with the stitches evenly divided between three or even four double-pointed needles — but you’ll need to do some rearranging once you reach the heel.

For this tutorial, we’re knitting the Very Vanilla Socks by KBJ Designs. This sock pattern is really basic, so it’s great for a first-time sock knitter or a knitter who just wants a quick knit without too much fuss.

This particular pattern gives us the following instructions after we finish the leg and begin the heel: “The heel flap is worked back and forth on half of the sts. The remaining 30 sts will be worked later for the instep.”

You might want to put all your heel stitches on one double-pointed needle, then divide the instep stitches on the other two needles. When you rearrange them, they’ll look like this:

Knitting a Sturdy Heel

Now we’re ready to start knitting the heel. This won’t hurt a bit, promise! Plus, your new socks should last a while, so you won’t have to do this all the time — unless you want to, of course.

You know how the heel is usually the first thing to wear out in your store-bought socks? You can make your handmade sock heels way sturdier than that by slipping stitches. The Very Vanilla Sock has a heel like that, and here’s how it’s done:

Notice two things here: first, we’re now going to be turning and working in rows instead of rounds. We’ll only be working from the needle that holds the 30 heel stitches. And second, we’re going to be slipping every other stitch of that first row to create a strong, thick heel.

You’ll repeat these two rows to form the entire heel. Once you knit the heel, your needles will look a little odd. The heel will extend past the instep stitches. You’ll find that your in-the-round work looks a lot different:

And there’s the heel! If you keep following your pattern, you’ll probably turn the heel, then pick up stitches to shape the gusset before moving on to the foot.

You’re just about done. Get ready to put on your fabulous hand-knit pair and kick up your heels!

The post How to Knit Sock Heels That Last appeared first on Craftsy.