Print and assemble an August desk calendar

Scout Creative has done it again— another charming papercraft calendar you can download, print, and assemble. The August version is a hot dog cart with the calendar printed on one side. According to Scout, no matter what type of hot dog you enjoy, you'll relish this project. Get it here.

Make a felt hot air balloon mobile

Hot air balloons are floating all around the internet lately. I'm not sure they'll ever reach owl status, but their popularity is certainly on the rise. Make a colorful hot air balloon mobile from felt using How Joyful's free pattern (via Craft Gossip). Or if paper is more your speed, try the gorgeous woven versions at PaperMatrix— they've added new designs #3 and #4, plus a basic video tutorial on how to assemble the balloons.

Print and fold some paper cats

Sometimes you need to make a paper cat. A tiny, fat, round one to keep you company on your desk. If this is one of those times, get free printable templates from Toxic Paper Factory. Or if cats aren't your thing, try making cassette tapes or robots.

1/13/14 Update: it appears the template is no longer a free download.

DIY zippered pouch with gusset

Those who like to sew small, cute things (as opposed to large, ugly things?) might enjoy the zipper card pouch tutorial from Joanne at Craft Passion. My mom just tried it out and here's the result. Adorableness! Mum, did you put your Discover card on top because you knew I'd like the orange ball?

You can store some credit cards or a bit of cash in there.

Or put in some wallet-sized photos of your favorite grandchild to show off to friends and family. If you don't have a grandchild, maybe you have a pet or a houseplant.

Desktop wallpapers for creatives

Paste some motivational lettering onto your computer screen with these free wallpaper downloads. Get "Play Create Share" from Media Molecule or "Draw Something" from Seth Nickerson.

Satchel sewing pattern review

My mom, known to you guys as Grandma G, has made another bag! This is the "Too Cool for School Satchel" pattern from the book A Bag for All Reasons by Lisa Lam. The fabric is my Skiff print in Dawn. How fun is this? I'm always a sucker for hardware on handmade bags since it makes them look smart and professional.

Along with photos, Mum has provided a review of this pattern in case anyone else wants to give it a try. About this "Too Cool for School Satchel," she says:

This is a very cool bag, and it isn't as hard to make as it might look. Yes, there's a lot of fiddly work to it, with all the flap and strap tabs. They take some extra time and careful sewing to get the shape consistent, but they're not really difficult.

The hardest part was sewing around the curves, especially attaching the front pocket to its gusset, since there were a number of layers, and the curves were smaller than those on the main bag body. But again, it's just a matter of taking your time and sewing carefully to get a nice curve. I used binder clips to hold the thick layers of fabric together, which you can see in the photo, and that worked really well.

I'd recommend this pattern! The instructions are very clear and easy to follow, and everything you need to know is included in the book. The hardware adds so much for making the bag look great. One thing I would note when buying the buckles is that Lisa's buckles have a little bar across the male end for threading the tab through with no sewing needed. The ones I used did not, so I had to stitch the tab down, though it's not a big deal... just something to be aware of. If I'd had enough rivets on hand, I would've used them instead of stitching. I did add rivets to the strap tab (which you can't see in the photo), as Lisa did on her bag.

I would change one thing if I were to make the bag again. When carrying the bag, it tends to pivot at the points where the strap is attached, so it leans forward or backward. I think I would attach the tabs closer to the top of the gusset, even though all the satchels of any kind I've seen in photos online have the tabs lower like that. Maybe there's something else that would keep the bag from leaning one way or the other? Any ideas?

Print and fold a papertoy alphabet

Digitprop has posted a clever papertoy alphabet you can download, print, trim and fold. Each of the 26 characters is a person, animal, or object whose name starts with that letter. Fun for kids to play with or personalize their own rooms. For tips on assembling the letters, click here.

Free font: Qumpellka No. 12

On the hunt for pretty script typefaces that don't cost a penny? Check out Qumpellka No.12 (scroll to the bottom of the page for download options). And for more typographical pleasure, visit We Love Typography, a visual roundup of gorgeous lettering by amazing people. Search by color or keyword for extra fun.

Get DIY tutorials at Lowe's Creative Ideas

If you're into DIY projects for your home, check out Lowe's Creative Ideas for lots of instructions. Build stuff, paint stuff, stain stuff, and upholster stuff. Make a mirror with a floating shelf, above, or stencil some wall art and pillow covers, below. Browse through more projects here. My city apartment is not an ideal location for operating power tools, unless I can build an entertainment center using a blender. Seems unlikely, so I'll leave the serious building to those of you with circular saws. Have fun!

Recycle cardboard into a DIY cell phone charging holder

Sebastiano Ercoli and Alessandro Garlandini have made another template for a DIY recycled cardboard project, part of their series for Comieco. This time it's a cell phone holder you hang on the plug-in adapter to hold your phone while it charges. It doesn't cost anything, and travels easily! I made this one from the back cover of a notebook.

Watch their fun how-to video with sound effects and download the PDF template here.

Artistic wallpapers for iPhones and iPads

Screenfunk is a collection of illustrated wallpapers for iPads and iPhones, posted by designers and illustrators. I wouldn't want a phone adorned with monsters, skeletons, or profanity, but there are other interesting images in addition to the creepy stuff. Links to the wallpapers shown above: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

Doodle online with Scribbler Too

Stuck at a desk? Kill some time this afternoon with Scribbler Too, a drawing website that creates an interesting web around the shapes you sketch with your mouse. Draw faster or slower and adjust the controls to achieve different effects and colors. Even abstract doodles look like art! Try it here.

Bird drawing by Sandra Kay Strait. Tree drawing by Jessica King.

Printable paper tape and stickers

Cathe Holden recently teamed up with World Label (again) to create some fun printable freebies. She made four different sets of patterned DIY paper tape— sheets you can print on label paper and cut into strips, then use them adorn packages, envelopes, business cards, invitations, jars, or other things that need spicing up. There are matching round stickers, too. I love the colored measuring tapes! Get them all here.

Make a botanical print on fabric

My latest experiment using Inkodye, a photo-sensitive dye that changes color in sunlight, is posted at SheKnows.com. Head over there to see the full tutorial.

Free fonts and web design resources

Turning to the electronic side of design for a moment, I stumbled upon Pixel Pixel Pixel yesterday. It's a site full of free downloads for web designers mainly, but there are goodies there that everyone can enjoy. Free fonts, anyone? Check out the full archive of seamless patterns, textures, vector shapes, buttons, icons, and more at pixelpixelpixel.com. A huge thank you to the designers who have generously shared their work!

Sew a modern orange quilt

I'm not really into quilts unless they are 1) handmade by my Gram or 2) very modern, geometric, and simple. Kirsty from You Had Me at Bonjour just sent me a link to her baby quilt tutorial, and I can't resist sharing this one. It's orange and cool! Pair this coziness with a white Eames rocker* and your nursery will be looking hip.

Find the quilt how-to right here.
*Eames rockers are expensive and not entirely comfortable, but will increase the odds of getting your nursery featured in a decorating magazine. The top priority of every new mom, I'm certain.

Make woven paper balls, and more!

PaperMatrix is an amazing website that catalogs the paper creations of Anna and Lene Schepper. They live in Denmark and have backgrounds in architecture and chemical engineering—and they also make wondrous things from paper. They share instructions and templates for everything on their site. Try a hot air balloon mobile, woven paper spheres, or jar boxes with lids!

Update: Find a new video tutorial to get you started right here.



Via Craftgawker.

Free script font: Sevillana

Sevillana is a typeface designed by Olga Umpeleva and inspired by the lettering on commemorative plates on the walls of homes in Andalusia, Spain. Download it for free from Brownfox, an independent type foundry in Moscow.

DIY shrink plastic typography pendants

I played with shrink plastic in the toaster oven last night to make some fun typographic pendants.

I used white shrink film sheets made by Grafix, purchased at a local craft store. (Rumor has it that Shrinky Dink brand plastic is a little better, especially if you plan to make larger items. It curls less. But Grafix worked just fine for this.)


How to make your own pendants:
Print out images to trace onto plastic. They should be 250% larger than the intended finished size. Download my ampersand and "hey" shapes here, or make your own words or characters—try asterisks or names! I used Helvetica for the ampersand and Pacifico (a free font) for "hey."

With a pencil, trace shapes onto the shrink film. If you're using glossy film and it's difficult to make pencil lines show up, roughen the surface of the plastic a bit with sandpaper first.


Cut out the holes in the shapes with an X-Acto knife and trim the outer edges with a scissors. Punch a hole at the top if desired; I used a 1/8" punch.

Erase any pencil lines from the edges or they'll be baked on.

Following the instructions on your film package, bake the pieces in a conventional oven or toaster oven. I laid my shapes on a piece of cardboard and stuck them in a 300 degree toaster oven. I watched them like a hawk, yanking them out and flattening them a bit if it looked like the edges were curling so much they might stick together. Then I put them back in the oven to finish baking. Don't be horrified by the crazy curling that happens; as long as the edges don't get stuck together, the shapes should flatten out by themselves. When they stop shrinking (2-3 minutes), pull them out and press them with a spatula or more cardboard while they're still hot to get them perfectly flat.


Add a jump ring and chain, and you're all set.

DIY pouch sewing tutorials

In the mood to whip up some cute little mini-bags? Try these pouch and clutch tutorials:
Pleated clutch made with hand-drawn fabric at Charm Stitch
Open Wide zippered pouches by Noodlehead
Flex frame pouch with patchwork hexagons from Where the Orchids Grow