Remote Control Storage Ideas

One of the reasons I love doing the weekly craft segment in Canal Antigua, is because it challenges my creativity. Although we are in our liberty to choose our weekly craft, the show's producer always sends us the show's theme for the day. This week it was "Television". So, with this in mind, I set out on my weekly quest to my favorite home store, Cemaco.

As I browsed the isles, one by one, I found myslef inspired by the PVC connector pipes. Given now a days the industrial look is quite in fashion, I decided the quirky shape of the PVC pipe would make a modern and practical remote control holder. Now, my challenge was to beautify it.

All my recent crafting has brought out in my husband a creative side I hadn't seen before. So, in my excitement of creating a remote control holder with the PVC pipe I had just obtained, he gave me a simple idea on how to allow it to stand straight on a table. Following his advice, I super glued two small sticks, which I cut to fit the length of the PVC pipe, and allowed them to dry over night.

Next morning I sanded my PVC pipe with a fine sanding sponge, and later spray painted it with Krylon fusion aerosol paint for plastic. I chose yellow because it is, in my opinion, a happy color, but you could easily use any other color or metallic. The finished product was modern looking, inexpensive and fun!

Hope you were inspired!
xoxo, Caro

Cinnamon Candles

I love November weather in Guatemala. Skies are blue and sunny and the air is dry and chilly. It starts to feel like Christmas, and so, I begin to prepare my house for the most cozy month of the year.

Christmas in my home is about bringing family together. I've always thought the kitchen is a home's soul. This is why November and December I pull out my apron from the drawer its been hiding in, and practice my culinary skills. So, while preparing my favorite apple pie, I was inspired.

I love the smell of cinnamon, it reminds me of Christmas. So, with this in mind, I decided to try covering some inexpensive candles with cinnamon sticks. Turned out to be a very simple, inexpensive and beautiful project.

First I wrapped my candles with a strip of mesh, this way I would be able to paste the cinnamon sticks to my candle with the help of my glue gun. Then,  I carefully glued the cinammon sticks to my candle. To enhance the smell I trimmed the top edge of my cinnamon sticks with scissors. Done!

I will use these candles as part of my Christmas mantle decor. It was easy to make the six of them under an hour. This could also be a lovely gift idea as a set of three!

 

Hope you were inspired!!

 

xoxo, Carolina

 

 



I don't know what happened this October.  But all my crafting plans got tangled up in other plans.  So I was able to finish my Halloween decorations YESTERDAY.  Cue the applause!  Right on time for next year's Halloween.  So for those of you starting early!  Here goes my new addition to my Halloween extravaganza.

These awesome sock skeleton's are a version of the Robert Mahar's Sock Skeleton's found on Martha Stewart's website     ( http://www.marthastewart.com/265579/sock-skeleton ).  I used the template as a roadmap to making my little friends.

Having the template, I wanted to make sure that the proportions were right when making the skeletons from the socks I had.  To do so, I calculated the percentage of each body part to the whole image.  After I had the percentage I multiplied it times the size of my sock (51cm length).  Here is an image of the template I downloaded, with some notes I was able to add on the image.  Before drawing on the sock, I turned it inside out, and then measured it, this way the sock will remain white.

As you can see I made the legs slightly longer than the proportion stipulated, and I completely changed the size of the arms. I wanted arms that ended at the mid thigh.

I also gave my skeletons a neck, which the original template doesn't.  I still measured the limit of the head and torso, like the template did.  However I also measured 1 cm into the head, and 1 cm into the torso; giving me 3 cm for the neck.  I sewed on the dark line to make the neck, then after that was done I cut the excess of the sock.

It's important to note that although the original instructions said to sew it with a sewing machine, I had an easier time sewing it by hand, due to the stretchiness of some of the sock fabric.  Aside from that I tried to follow the instructions as much as possible.

To make the sock skeleton accessories I did the following:

 Flower:  Cut 3 circles in felt.  I used a bowl with the desired circle size, and cut 1 circle in brown and 2 in red.  Then I made cuts all around the circle, as seen on the pic.  then I sewed them together onto the head of the female skeleton.

Shawl:  I cut a triangle from a roll of burlap.  I did, however sew the corners to provide it with stability. I also slightly fringed the burlap to give it a dated feel.

Hat: As seen on the side picture: I cut a circle, from the same bowl, on black felt.  Cut a rectangle out of the black felt, that once rolled up would give me a cylinder of the desired size.  Lastly I cut a smaller circle that I could use to cover up the cylinder once the padding had been added.  First make the cylinder out of the rectangle, sew it so it maintains its tube-like shape.  Then sew the bottom of the cylinder to the large circle, centered.  At this point I sewed a red band to add some color, this part is optional.  Fill the cylinder, then use the small

circle as a top to keep the stuffing in.
Sew it onto the cylinder.  Voila you have a top hat!  Now just position it onto your male skeletons head and sew it.

For a PDF version of my comments on Martha Stewart's template go to tutorials on our website.


I hope you have enjoyed making these sock skeletons, as much as I did.  I like that they are slightly reminiscent of the Mexican Catrinas, but whimsical enought that my 2 year old daughter carries them around, making them dance.

We'd enjoy any additional tips, pictures, or comments.
Happy Crafting!
Mish