The Magic Bean

Freebie Friday - Around the House Free Tutorials

Whether you want to make something to decorate your own house or for a gift (a house warming perhaps?) these house-inspired projects will be just the thing.

 
Package up cookies or other edibles in this free printable town house gift box from Martha Stewart.

Whip-Up featured this tutorial by Laura and Annie who write the blog Nimble Fingers and Steady Eyebrows for a recycled shirt cushion cover complete with house appliques.

Fashioned by Meg shared this tutorial to make a home-shaped At Home Mug Rug.

The Sometimes Crafter also has a tutorial for a house shaped mug rug.

Belle and Burger designed these Home for the Holly-daze house shaped ornaments and shared the how-to.

Bustle and Sew shared this great tutorial for a beach hut pillow.  (Just a note that Ellie who writes this blog, shared this tutorial to cheer herself up after she was left a really nasty comment.  Show Ellie some love and thank her for her tutorial by leaving her a nice comment).

Ellie of Bustle and Sew also shared this free tutorial for a Sweet Home Applique Journal cover.

Coloured Buttons shared an awesome tutorial for a felt miniature dolls house.  It is such a cute gift for kids.

Freda's Hive shows you how to make a Doll House Potholder, click the link to get the how-to. 

Lia's Space has a great tutorial for making a house shaped pouch. 

The Long Thread featured this tutorial for a Little House pouch.

Wee Folk Art created a tutorial for making a little felt house brooch.  I think these would also make great magnets.

Melissa from Checkout Girl guest posted at Sew Mama Sew and shared this tutorial to make a wool felt pink house framed applique.

I'm sure than any of these tutorials will cheer up the house bound on a rainy day or if you choose to make them for a gift, you can rest assured your choice will be as safe as houses.  Sorry, couldn't resist the puns.

Freebie Friday - Free Tutorial and Patterns for Making Eye Glass Cases

If you wear spectacles (as I do) then you will definitely need a fetching case to hold them.  And if you are looking forward to the summer sunshine then you will need a glass case for your sunglasses too (hey, I may live in Britain, but it is best to be optimistic).  Here are a few free tutorials and patterns for making your own eye glass cases.

Felt

 
Better Homes and Gardens shares an easy felt appliqued eye glass case tutorial here.

If you really dig the folk art, felt, applique vibe then you might also like this glass case tutorial with three little birdies stitched on from Wee Folk Art.

Or one of my favourite craft designers, Betz White, who uses re-purposed wool felt to create this cute as a button caterpillar eye glass case.

 
Woman's Day magazine also uses felt to create a super simple eyeglass case that would be great for beginners.

If you like your felt a bit more funky than folky, try this felt owl glasses case from Style Crush.

Using Specialist Frames

Crafty Ady shows you how to use a flex frame to create an eyeglass case - no chance of your spectacles slipping out. 

Not sure what a "flex frame" is? Here it is:

 

Lisa Lam of Uhandbag shows you how to get to grips with a curved purse frame with her Dottie Glass Case tutorial.  If you are in the UK, Lisa also stocks flex frames.

If you like Lisa Lam's style, she has a new book out on making bags:

Fabric

The Artful Crafter features this eyeglass case tutorial made from leftover upholstery fabric - there is even room for two pairs of glasses in this case.

Make this simple pieced eyeglass case using fusible fleece, as featured on Craft and Fabric Links.

Debbie Colgrove shares a very straight forward tutorial for making a fabric eyeglass case on About.Com.

If plain is just not your style, check out this PDF tutorial from Embellishment Village for an embellished eyeglass case.

If you are a quilter and prefer your embellishment to be pieced, check out this tutorial from Craft and Fabric Links for a quilted seminole glasses case.

If you wear reading glasses then this ingenious eyeglass case from Marmadaisy will be perfect for you.  This clever pattern combines a bookmark with an eyeglass case, so you can keep your glasses safe right with the book you are reading.

If you like to repurpose, then check out this tutorial from Two Shades of Pink which gives you two ideas to turn potholders into eyeglass cases.

Use this tutorial from Sew 4 Home to create this eyeglass or sunglass case from Pendleton Wool.

If making bags is something you'd really like to get into, you must check out this book from Amy Butler - it made me want to give handbags a try.  The bag designs in this book are so unique, but they are truly drool worthy.  They are certainly different than what is available to buy commerically and what I mean by "different" is "better".  Check out Amy Butler's Style Stitches: 12 Easy Ways to 26 Wonderful Bags

But then isn't homemade always better? 

Wordless Wednesday - Soft Texture

 
 

Freebie Friday - Free Doorstop Patterns and Tutorials

If you've got some spare fabric then you might just want to whip-up one of these fabric doorstops.  I think you'll find that they are a-door-able.

Re-use big plastic tubs as a base for these giant mushroom doorstops designed by Knick Knack and Ric Rac.

Save That Pickle Jar shares a way to use a plastic tub as both a flower pot doorstop and hidden storage.

Make an Open Sesame Doorstop with Wolf and Willow.

Ohfransson shared a tutorial to make a nine-patch doorstop.

 
Make a chicken doorstop with Sally Cameron Griffiths on guardian.co.uk.

If you like the idea of an animal guarding your door, make this feline doorstop from felt with a tutorial from Wee Folk Art.

Wee Folk Art also has a tutorial for an owl doorstop made of felt.

And Wee Folk has a doorstop bunny tutorial that would be great for Easter or year round.

Make a dinosaur doorstop with this tutorial from Lace Hearts.

This doorstop featuring a stuffed animal all tucked up for bed using a brick as a base, as designed by Suzy's Artsy Craftsy Sitcom.

 
 Keep it simple with this sand filled pyramid doorstop from au.lifestyle.yahoo.com.

 Shabby Art Boutique offers an even simpler idea of a decorative fabric bag doorstop.

 So prop that door to the sewing room open and let in the creativity!

Wordless Wednesday - Cloud Cover

 

Freebie Friday - Free Paint Chip Tutorials

I stumbled upon a fantastic clock makeover on Crafts by Amanda, where Amanda used paint chips (the type you get to choose paint colours) to take a rather plain clock to distressed fabulous-ness.  Check out Amanda's tutorial for a distressed paint chip clock here.

Amanda's tutorial inspired me to find other tutorials that re-used paint chips in new and interesting ways.  Here is what I found:

Design Verb created card holders out of paint chips.  Here's how to make your own.

Spoonful of Sugar upcycled paint chips into gift tags here.

More Style Than Cash shared this tutorial to make paint chips into bookmarks.

Whimsy Love shared a tutorial to make matchbook style notebooks from paintchips.

Beckie Farrant shares a tutorial for making a paintchip necklace.  Get the supply list at her blog here.  And watch the video how-to below:

Paint Chip from Beckie Farrant on Vimeo.

Hope Studios shares a tutorial for making a paint chip mosaic.

Make personalised paint chip tea bag tags on The Spotted Fox.

I bet after seeing some of these tutorials that you've never look at paint chips in quite the same way again.

 

 

 

Wordless Wednesday: Can You Spot the Face?

 

Freebies and Features From Fairfields

Fairfield, makers of my beloved and favoured stuffing Poly-fil fiberfill have featured little ol' me in the April 2011 edition of their monthly newsletter under the "Friends of Fairfield" section. 

 
After reading all about moi, I strongly suspect that all the free patterns this newsletter contains are going to get you excited.  There are several free projects that you won't want to miss:

 
- Eve Leder's gorgeous rainbow coloured crocheted bunny (as seen  Soft Touch® Poly-fil Supreme® fiberfill packaging)

- Betsy Bunny a free sewing pattern in time for Easter

- a stuffed polar bear cuddling an applique penguin designed by Janet Maurer

- Meryl Ann Butler designed the Fast and Easy Decorator Pillow pattern

- For Amigurumi fans there is a free pattern for a Japanese Maiden that designer Eve Leder says is the perfect beginner crochet pattern

To see any of these free patterns click here  and download the April 2011 newsletter in PDF format (on the left of the screen).

If you want to make sure that you never miss out on any of Fairfield's newsletters (and any of those freebies) then just click "sign-up" in the far right, top corner of Fairfield's website.

For even more free patterns you can  revisit past newsletters  from Fairfield.

Let Fairfield know how much you like free patterns by liking them on their Facebook page and check out all the videos they have on their page while you are at it.

Freebie Friday - Who Needs Chocolate When There Are Free Easter Tutorials?

Unlike chocolate, crafts have no calories.  In fact, by doing some crafting you might just burn a few extra calories.  So feel free to indulge in these guilt-free Easter treats.

 
Make these pom-pom bunnies and thread wrapped carrots for Easter using a how-to from Martha Stewart.

 
Stitch up some hen shaped egg cozies with Martha Stewart.

Use spun cotton, a wire armature and needle felting to create this bunny with Martha Stewart.

 
Follow this tutorial to make an Easter Pull Toy designed by Debra Quatermain as featured on the Styrofoam site.

 
This needle-felted chick can't seem to find her way out of her Easter bonnet.  Use Debra Quartermain's tutorial on the Styrofoam site to create this chick.

 
Rebekah Meier shares the secrets to fashioning her Spring Thyme Rabbit on the Styrofoam site.

I love this wee bunny shaped sachet tutorial on Craft Passion.  They are simple but utterly adorable with ears on top. 

 

Just Another Hang Up shares a tutorial to make a great rice filled cooling bag in the shape of an Easter chick.  Cute and useful!

If you love Raggedy Ann dolls, you'll love the tutorial for these Raggedy Old Bunnies from the blog Raggedy Old Annies.

 
Photo Joe Pollio on Women's Day

Sew up this rather serious pink fabric rabbit with a how-to on Women's Day.

Make this gorgeous bunny pattern designed by Luann Bowen of Lulu Bears as featured on the Fairfield World site.

I like the distressed look of this Humpty Dumpty Egg family featured on Michael's.

Create an Easter chick by gluing a multitude of paper flowers to a plastic egg with a tutorial from Michael's.

 
Can you resist making Eggy Pop, this adorable softie is a free pattern available at Sew 4 Home.

 
Another Sweet Softie Pattern is this Funny Bunny softie pattern also featured at Sew 4 Home. 

Childmade Tutorials shares this tutorial to make this bunny based on a heart shape.  Check out his super cute feet!

Make a very funky Fluffy Bunny softie with a great tutorial from All Sorts.

You should be able to exercise a few craft muscles with those tutorials.