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PDF instructions and template to make wine bottle vests.

This is a no sew tutorial - no sewing required.

As a teacher and designer for most of my life, I understand the need to teach everyone how to think outside the box and learn to make things when no pattern is available. My method of teaching is to show you how through strep by step instructions with photographs. You can make quite remarkable gifts and cards with these templates that will impress your family and friends.

Just about everyone in this country has watched Project Runway and young girls and women particularly like the idea of designing their own fashions.  To design your own clothes you have to have a teacher, good sewing knowledge, plus machines to help you learn how to make the real thing.  This project however is easy to and you don’t need a sewing machine. Start simple.  All you need is cardstock, paper to make the basic fashion plates and glue, scraps of fabric and trims to be a designer. The dress templates are included and are 6" tall.

A word to parents and grandparents. If you are purchasing this tutorial for a child, this project should be fine for age 12 years and older.  If your teenager is keen and you don't have any fabric or trims, help them by asking crafty friends, work mates and family for scrap fabrics. Or go to a local thrift store and buy a bag of scraps.  It takes very little for each gown but it helps if you have an assortment. They can even recycle old clothes such as ugly prom dresses.
For teenagers, another suggestion. Get a group of your friends together and have a fashion slumber party.

As a teacher and designer for most of my life, I understand the need to teach everyone how to think outside the box and learn to make things when no pattern is available. My method of teaching is to show you how to measure, draw and use items around your house to make your own patterns. Once you understand how, you will feel free of normal design restraints. You can make quite remarkable gifts and things to use that will impress your family and friends.

I don't think that there is a small child, boy or girl who doesn't like to cook or serve up tea. So I wrote this tutorial with that in mind. Therefore this tutorial will teach you how to make a chef hat and apron that will fit any size child, and a tote bag to keep it all in. Or a child size tablecloth, placemats, and napkins to serve tea to their favorite toys. You can add the apron and put it all in a tote bag which also becomes the gift bag. All you do is buy small sized cooking tools or a tea set and you have the perfect personalized gift for any child.

Included are poems I wrote on the two subjects and you can add your own words and print it out to place in the pocket of the tote bag. The tote bag can hang up in the parents kitchen ready for time to spend together.

As a teacher and designer for most of my life, I understand the need to teach everyone how to think outside the box and learn to make things when no pattern is available. My method of teaching is to show you how to measure, draw and use items around your house to make your own patterns. Once you understand how, you will feel free of normal design restraints. You can make quite remarkable gifts and things to use that will impress your family and friends.

Every little girl loves a tutu to dance around or be a fairy. There is also a big trend to take photos of babies wearing these cute little skirts. The problem is, not every child has a 'one size fits all' waistline. This is why I designed this tutorial to show you how to make an easy tutu with a draw up waist. Now you can make several for your child's next birthday party.

As a teacher and designer for most of my life, I understand the need to teach everyone how to think outside the box and learn to make things when no pattern is available. My method of teaching is to show you how to measure, draw and use items around your house to make your own patterns. Once you understand how, you will feel free of normal design restraints. You can make quite remarkable gifts and things to use that will impress your family and friends.

If you like to give personal gifts then this is a great gift idea. You can take ordinary school books and journals and make washable, removable covers that you can add someone's personal style. You can also include an inside pocket to add a bookmark or your personal message. See photo number 4.

As a teacher and designer for most of my life, I understand the need to teach everyone how to think outside the box and learn to make things when no pattern is available. My method of teaching is to show you how to measure, draw and use items around your house to design and make your own patterns. Once you understand how by following my tutorials, then you will feel free of normal design restraints. You can make quite remarkable gifts and things to use that will impress your family and friends.

If you love drinking tea from a teapot and like to steep your tea for full flavor and to keep it warm, then you will love this tutorial that will allow you to make a cozy that will actually FIT your teapot. I have written the tutorial to show you how I designed cozy's for two different shaped and sized teapots and added accessories, such as a warming pad to go under the teapot and a tray mat to fit your tray to serve your tea. Included are 3 sizes of teapot templates to add that special touch, plus instructions that tell you how to reduce them if you need something smaller.

As a teacher and designer for most of my life, I understand the need to teach everyone how to think outside the box and learn to make things when no pattern is available. My method of teaching is to show you how through strep by step instructions with photographs. You can make quite remarkable gifts and cards with these templates that will impress your family and friends.

Everyone loves a cupcake, especially ones that are calorie free and you can give as a heart warming gift that will make anyone happy. This tutorial has the pattern pieces included, but I added a tutorial on how I made this pattern using ordinary objects around the house. Once you understand how simple it is, you can make things YOU design. Included are 6 different decorating ideas.

As a teacher and designer for most of my life, I understand the need to teach everyone how to think outside the box and learn to make things when no pattern is available. My method of teaching is to show you how through strep by step instructions with photographs. You can make quite remarkable gifts and cards with these templates that will impress your family and friends.

When I wrote this tutorial, I wrote it because life has changed and mother's have forgotten how to share their life with their child. Making something together is very important and can bridge the gap between generations. I did exactly this with my own daughter when she was young and we have remained close as we both aged. She is now forty years old and she sews as well as I do and can do things most women her age think is impossible. This cute little handbag tutorial is to teach several things. How to make a pattern yourself from something very ordinary that you have around your house. It will open both yours and her eyes as to how you can use this lesson on making many things together. How to incorporate an unused die cut machine to make your own colorful motifs. How to string beads and attach a fun, colorful bad strap. Let the child pick her colors and share choosing fabrics with you. It will give you a chance to explain different fabrics. You will be amazed how much she will respect you and enjoy the time you spend together, creating. That's what life is all about.

As a teacher and designer for most of my life, I understand the need to teach everyone how to think outside the box and learn to make things when no pattern is available. My method of teaching is to show you how through strep by step instructions with photographs. You can make quite remarkable gifts and cards with these templates that will impress your family and friends.

The reason I designed this tool belt.

 When my daughter kim was a small child, my husband and I literally built our first home together.  Kim was four years old at the time and she was with us on our new home site as much as possible, weather permitting.  My husband Hugh and I did all the work ourselves to save money and to keep Kim safe, we built a garage first with a playroom for so that she could to watch TV when it was too warm or raining, and a bathroom for all of us to use without leaving the property.  It worked out perfectly for us to be together as a family and when Kim watched us using tools, she wanted to be just like us.  When we roofed the house, both my husband and I wore nail aprons around our waist and carried our hammers, so Kim decided she wanted her own little apron.  I stopped work long enough to make her a child size apron and bought her a child size hammer.  When we went up on the roof she wanted to go up on it too and because it wasn't a very steep roof we took her up under our supervision.  I never thought much about it then, but she grew up to one day build her own house. Literally.

As a teacher and designer for most of my life my plan is to show you how to make things through step by step instructions with photographs. You can make quite remarkable gifts with these instructions and templates that will impress your family and friends.

Although I wrote this tutorial with girls in min, I believe young women will love them too. You can make changeable decorations for one pair of flip flops and a hair band. They can be removed for storage.

This would be a fun mother and daughter project. Learn to work with your child and the rewards will be endless.

As a teacher and designer for most of my life my plan is to show you how to make things through step by step instructions with photographs. You can make quite remarkable gifts with these instructions and templates that will impress your family and friends.
Now you see them, now you don't!

Are you saving those old C.D's because you can't bring yourself to throw them out?  There's something about those perfect, round, sturdy plastic circles that make you lay them aside and think to yourself that one day you will find a use for them.  Well folks!  Today's the day.  It's time to turn them into something useful that you can store a treasured necklace in or give a special gift in, instead of that usual paper sack that gets passed around in re-gifting.  Here's a tutorial to show you how to use them and make those CD's disappear. Once you understand how to make them, you can make larger bags and I tell you what to use.

Now you see them, now you don't!

Are you saving those old CD's because you can't bring yourself to throw them out?  There's something about those perfect, round, sturdy plastic circles that make you lay them aside and think to yourself that one day you will find a use for them.  Well folks!  Today's the day.  It's time to turn them into something useful that you can present you gifts in.   Here's a tutorial to show you how to use them and make those CD's disappear.

A great idea for Easter!

As a teacher and designer for most of my life my plan is to show you how to make things through step by step instructions with photographs. You can make quite remarkable gifts with these instructions and templates that will impress your family and friends.

I write recycle tutorials for you to share with your child or other children to show them that something you would throw away can be something they can decorate their rooms with.  An ordinary Pringles can and Soda or cereal box cardboard, plus felt and a few trim bits can turn into a cute little chair to sit a favorite Barbie or Teddy Bear.  This isn't just a project for a girl.  Many boys love to make crafts.  I was a volunteer teacher in schools for many years and boys came to my classes as much as girls did.  Crafts have a calming affect on the brain.

There's nothing more fun for young or old than making paper crafts.  But when you add dimension and fabric, the possibilities of design are endless.  These shoes  are a fun way to show your talents as a designer.  You can use them on just about anything, or on their own to add a gift card, as an ornament or whatever you like.  There are 4 styles.  It is a unique no sew project.

Every little girl loves to play nurse and of course teddy bears and dolls become hospital patients, so I wrote this tutorial as a dress up set to make her feel the part.  It includes instructions to make a nurses cap, apron and teddy bear hospital gown to fit a 10" teddy.  To give this gift you can purchase a bear.  I found the nurses tools at my local dollar store.