The Magic Bean

Freebie Friday - Valentine's Gifts for Guys

Let's face it - sometimes guys are hard to craft for.  We love them, but men are from Mars and women are from Venus and all that, so sometimes finding an inexpensive, handmade project to make as a symbol of your undying love can be difficult.  Here are some free tutorials and patterns of a manly variety.

If you are new to the Magic Bean, every Friday I do a round-up of free craft tutorials on a certain theme. So stop by every Friday for your weekly dose of free crafts, patterns and tutorials. Or browse for more heartwarming free projects by combing through the "Free Craft Tutorials & Patterns" category (just click the link) or use the Google Search function on the top left of my blog to search for something specific.

Make some cuff links with the magic of Mod Podge using a tutorial on the Plaid site.

Cathe at Just Something I Made customised wooden nickels to make custom poker chips in her tutorial complete with downloadable and customisable images.

Lindsay, author of the blog Cottage Mama shared a tutorial to sew a men's shaving bag which she calls the Boxy Dopp Kit, click the link to see how to make it.

Stephanie from the blog Stephanie@Home shared a tutorial for how to make this fab homemade laptop desk complete with chalkboard for little notes.  Genius.

Whip up a treadmill IPod holder for the man who loves to get fit with a tutorial on Call Me Crafty Momma.  Just swap out the girlie fabric for something on the manly side.

For the wine lover, make a wine cork monogram with a tutorial from Green is Universal.

Make a mustache mug with a tutorial from the Tortoise and the Hare.

Keep your guy sweet by making this mustache festooned jar with a tutorial on the Plaid site and then fill it with his favourite candy or snack.

Make a set of his and hers pyjama shorts with a tutorial from Sew4Home.

Clock up some brownie points by making a custom clock for your man using my very own tutorial, I call it the Babclock.  Click the link to get the how-to.  I can testify that the man in my life loves his clock and you can personalise it by using different sections of the newspaper, maps or photos to suit your man's disposition.

Get more man-friendly gift ideas with this post featuring Father's Day gifts that would also double as great Valentine's gifts. 

Go forth and get romantic!

Freebie Friday - Free Valentines Day Tutorial and Patterns

The New Year is slightly less new now and so now we need another holiday to look forward to.  Next on the calendar of course is Valentine's Day.  Here are some romantic tutorials and patterns to get your heart thumping.

If you are new to the Magic Bean, every Friday I do a round-up of free craft tutorials on a certain theme. So stop by every Friday for your weekly dose of free crafts, patterns and tutorials. Or browse for more heartfelt free projects by combing through the "Free Craft Tutorials & Patterns" category (just click the link) or use the Google Search function on the top left of my blog to search for something specific.

Make Valentine's teain three different ways using some DIY tips from Kate Pruitt on Design Sponge.

Make this gorgeous felt heart decoration with a tutorial from the Rachel Berry Blog.  Click the link to get the how-to.

Make these adorable fabric treat pouches for Valentine's Day with a tutorial from Dana at dana-made-it.com. 

Set the scene for a romantic dinner with these easy to make love letter votive sleeves.  Get the instructions on how to make these Valentines candle sleeves from bhg.com.

Using a free template, from Disneyfamily.com create this paper valentine tree. 

Create a tiny little fabric macaroon coin purse to store little love messages or to use as a Valentine's locket, with a tutorial from Craft Passion.

A great tutorial for kids, make a paper valentine locket with a tutorial from Disneyfamily.com. I think I'd like Johnny Depp in a locket myself. 

Check out this idea for Valentine's Day cards from Gabrielle Blair at Design Mom.  Quite possibly the coolest Valentine's cards ever.  Not kidding, they are super cool.

Download some free Valentine's paper dolls designed by Kellie and shared on the Rice Babies blog

Watch the below video to see how Barbara from joggles.com stamps a boudoir pillow to spread a little bit of love:

 

See more about how Barbara completed this stamped pillow project here.

Now don't those free tutorials just warm your heart?

Freebie Friday - Free New Year's Tutorials

Here are some great tutorials and ideas to make the most of your New Year. 

If you are new to the Magic Bean, every Friday I do a round-up of free craft tutorials on a certain theme. So stop by every Friday for your weekly dose of free crafts. Or browse old posts for your New Year by combing through the "Free Craft Tutorials & Patterns" category (just click the link) or use the Google Search function on the top left of my blog to search for something specific.

The Fiskars site featured these simple but oh so effective New Year's Eve decorations, designed by Lisa Storm.

Throw a really personal New Year's party by tossing photo confetti when the clock strikes 12 with a how-to from Martha Stewart.

The Elinee design team shared a free printable Retro New Year's party set that includes a banner,  dessert flags, cupcake wrappers, wine glass tags and more. (Found via www.oneprettything.com)

Also from the creative folks at the Elinee design team, here are some free printable New Year's hats in two styles.   (Again, thanks to www.oneprettything.com for finding these).

Great for kids or for a party favour, make a Lucky Penny coin-headed paper doll with a tutorial from Disney Family Fun.

Download a free printable New Year's paper doll designed by Tricia Rennea as featured on Tip Junkie.

Tip Junkie also did a great round-up of New Year's Eve food, decorating and party game ideas.  Get these great New Year's tips by clicking the link.

A great project for New Year's Eve or even New Year's Day, is this 2012 Monthly Journal, complete with a tutorial created by Desiree from The 36th Avenue as featured on Tatertots and Jello.  Desiree suggests this as a journal for a kid, but I can see doing this journal for an adult to keep track of goals and dreams.

Desiree put the 2012 journal into a complete New Year's Eve kit.  She shares how to assemble and decorate your own New Year's kits on her blog The 36th Avenue.  Click the link to check it out.

Desiree at The 36th Avenue then shared how to add some party favours to your New Year's Eve kit with part 2 of her New Year's Eve kit tutorial.

A lot of these tutorials and printables are fairly easy and will definitely set your New Year's Eve celebrations apart. 

Wishing you a very Happy New Year! 

Freebie Friday - St. Valentine Inspired Tutorials and Patterns

I must admit, I'm not a big one for Valentine's Day.  I really don't need a specific date on the calendar to get mushy.  I am a mushy 365 days of the year kind of girl.  So here are a few projects to craft and get mushy with, whether it is February 14th or any other day of the year.

 
Country Living Magazine advises you to wear your heart on your sleeve.  Customise a sweater (or jumper here in the UK) by cutting patches into heart shapes.  Here's how.

Two Shades of  Pink shares a tutorial to repurpose some fabric into this cute heart shaped garland.  It's simple and it's no-sew.

The Idea Room shares a tutorial on how to make tissue paper rosette covered kissing balls.  Pucker up!

Also from the Idea Room is this felt heart wreath tutorial. 

Yarn Love has this extremely simple but very effective idea for declaring your love - write it in wire and cover it with yarn.  I love this idea.  It is a cheap way to get into the trend for using the written word around your home.

 
The problem with a lot of Valentines tutorials out there is that they are really pretty and feminine - all pink and heart shaped.  How the heck are you supposed to give that to the man of your dreams?  No problem, Martha Stewart has got your back with these tutorials:  a fabric necktie envelope and these heart shaped button cuff links.  Suitably mushy and yet masculine.

This is probably my favourite Martha Stewart Valentine's Day idea - bath fizzies that have a special message inside them that will reveal itself when the bath fizzies dissolves. 

Surround the bath tub with these doily and burlap decorated jar luminaries for a really romantic bath.  Crafts by Amanda shows you how.

Martha Stewart wants you to heat things up in the kitchen with these heart shaped potholders.

 
Keep a loved one's neck warm with Martha's Stewart's tutorial for this felt heart scarf.

 
This tutorial from Martha Stewart for making heart shaped clay pendants would also be fantastic for making embellishments for other crafts.

 If quilting is your heart's desire, check out this free Love Emblem quilt pattern from Anna Maria Horner.  If you are an Anna Maria Horner fan, she has a new book out, called Handmade Beginnings, click the below linked image of the book to read more about it and to see a video of Anna Maria Horner talking about the book and projects in it:

 

Handmade items are one of the best ways to pass on the love.  Anna Maria Horner also has another book, Seams to Me:

The Styrofoam website shares this great photo cube project designed by Rebekah Meier.

The fabulous ladies at the DIY Dish share this great video on making these stunning Valentine's Day place-mats.

  

You can get all the patterns you need for the projects in the video at the DIY Dish here.

For some more free tutorials to get your heart going pit-a-pat, here is last year's Valentine's round-up, here is 2009's round-up of heart shaped patterns, and here are some heart warming tutorials from 2008.

If that doesn't set you up for some mushy moments, I'm not sure what will!