Herb Starter Garden with Kreation Krate + A Giveaway

Hey there crafters! Have you heard of Kreation Krate yet? If not, I think you're going to love them! They're similar to other monthly box subscription companies, but they send you all the items you need to complete a craft! AND they send something for you to make/pass along as a random act of kindness or for a charity. Isn't that such a neat idea?!

Here's the box they sent me - so pretty! And there was even a sweet little note!

They sent all the supplies I would need to start my own little herb garden.



I've always wanted to have some fresh herbs, but I've never gotten around to it. This was perfect!

I didn't even have to go buy soil. They had these AWESOME little soil pellets that, when soaked in warm water, plump up to be a little package of soil! I'm sure they're not anything new, but I was in love. No digging through dirt and spilling it all over. I was thrilled that I didn't need any additional items to complete this project!

 

This project came together very quickly. In all total, I think it took about 25 minutes to complete. Or at least it would have if I hadn't been trying to calm a fussy newborn and keep track of my 5-year-old who was outside playing.

 

I gave the pots a quick spray with the chalkboard spray paint.

 

 

After they dried, I added the plumped soil pellets (SO EASY!) and used the chalk to write the names of the herbs. I didn't even have to try and use my son's sidewalk chalk because they provided the chalk! Score!

 

 

I was just going for simple, so I didn't use the cute little cloud stencils they sent or the white craft paint. I knew I didn't have long to craft, so nothing fancy this time around. I also didn't paint the inside of the pots because I didn't want any chemicals getting into the soil or herbs.

 

Instead, I just wrapped some washi tape around the top (also provided in the box) and called it good! I followed the planting instructions and we should have some little sprouts in about 5-7 days!

 

 

The Random Act of Kindness activity they sent along were these little wildflower pods. Such a sweet idea!

 

 

Just wrap up the seed and the planting instructions in the burlap, tie them with the twine and card, and you're done. Again, so easy! My son wants to give them to the other families in our little preschool, so we'll be handing them out tomorrow. I did have a picture of them all finished and cute...but it's gone missing. I'll have to check the other computer that I used to edit them.

 

Anyway, what do you think? Are you as excited about Kreation Krate as I am? I am all about easy. What's easier than to have all the necessary supplies delivered right to your door each month? Plus, the instructions have ideas for left over supplies - like the chalkboard paint. They suggested using it to upcycle old food jars into storage jars. I just think it's such a neat idea - creating crafts and creating kindness!

 

Do you want to get your hands on one of these boxes? Then keep reading!

 

Kreation Krate is giving away 1 box to 3 winners. The box you receive will be the same supplies to make your own herb garden. Just use the rafflecopter widget below to get entered!

 

If you don't want to wait for the giveaway and want to get your subscription started now, then you can visit Kreation Krate and use the code "Someday5" to receive $5 off your first box. These boxes are normally $26, so you'll be getting one for only $21!

 

Okay, now that I've typed way too much, go get entered!! The giveaway will be open through midnight on Monday, April 14th and we'll announce the winners on Tuesday, April 15th.

 

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The Amazings Online Classes Review

Have you heard of The Amazings yet? I just recently learned about their classes and I'm in love with the idea!

 

 

 

The idea behind The Amazings is that there are some amazing elders out there who have perfected their craft - and we can learn so much from them! These expert elders (and others that aren't so elder) create their own video "classes" to teach their craft to others. It's kind of like attending a class at Michaels, Joann's, or any other craft store, but you're learning online! You have access to the class video forever - anytime or anywhere! If you're unsure of a step, you can watch the video again as many times as you need.

And these aren't just amateur videos like you would find on YouTube. These are professional videos with expert filmmakers!

 

The classes are split into chapters so you can go through the class at your own pace or easily access any specific section that you need to review. The sections are typically short. The longest section I saw was just over 10 minutes. The chapter lengths may vary in length in other classes, however.

 

 

They also offer the ability to comment on the class or have a conversation with the teacher. The class list is in the left sidebar, so you have access to it any time. There are also files included that you might need (like patterns) for the class.

 

 

The price for the classes are very reasonable, especially considering that you have access to the classes forever. If you take a class at a craft store, they're typically between $20-$40. You have the notes and books from the class, but no videos to refer to or teacher to contact after the class is over. With The Amazings, the classes range from $12-$28 - and you get the unlimited viewing and teacher availability forever!

 

The offers from The Amazings are also very unique. Most of them aren't the traditional craft store classes - like scrapbooking, beading, or cake decorating. Instead, they offer classes like:

 

-Make Home-Dyed Jewellery

-Machine Embroider a Textile Necklace

-Needle Felt a Furry Friend

-Big Knit a Weekend Bag

-Loom Knit Your Own Beanie and Bobble Hat

-Make a Butterfly Pendant from Silver Metal Clay

-How to Make an Altered Book

-Make Your Own Natural Beauty Products

-Make a Mosaic Flower Pot

 

And others, too! What's so great is that the skills you learn can be applied to other projects. In the Home-Dyed Jewellery class, you learn how to properly dye your own yarns, which can be used for other projects! You can learn how to needle felt and make your own dryer balls instead of a furry friend. Or, you can apply the mosaic making skills to making a stepping stone.  

 

Another thing that I loved about this idea is that they have the classes set up so that you can start from any point. In the Make Home-Made Dyed Jewellery class, if you're not ready to start dying and spinning your own yarn, you can just start with store-bought yarn and create the jewelry. I also love all the insider tips that you gain from a video class like this. Things like how to remove air bubbles from the dye and to just collect (or keep) old spoons for mixing.  In this video that I watched, the class was taught by Helen and Anna. I don't know if they were friends or not off screen, but watching them teaching and learning was like sitting with two of my dear friends. It was fun, lively, and entertaining, but I was also learning something new!

 

The one downside of the classes is that since this is a London-based company, the teachers in the videos all have an accent. It can be hard to understand some of the words they say or to know what the terms they're using mean. It's not a bad thing and I don't think they should try to change the way they speak, it's just something to be aware of. I was able to get used to listening to them and figure out the meanings of the words they used. For instance, "cling fill" is what we refer to as plastic wrap or saran wrap.

 

All in all, I loved the classes that I was able to review. It's such a fun concept and they have such unique class offerings. I love the idea of being able to review a video (from an expert) at any time or any place! What class are you most interested in taking?

 

 

(I was contacted by The Amazings and asked to review their website and classes. I was provided with access to 2 classes in exchange for giving my unbiased opinion. All opinions and thoughts expressed in this post are my own.)

No-Sew Chevron Envelope Pillow Covers

I've got an easy project for you today that I'm completely in love with! Check out these no-sew envelope pillow covers that I whipped up.

 

The fabric comes from Shay at Simply Sweet Fabric, a cute, new shop on Etsy.

 

 

Simply Sweet Fabric is the newest sponsor of Someday Crafts, so go check them out. You're sure to find some cute fabric to add to your stash or for your next big project!

 

 

 

One of the hardest things for me while decorating my house is incorporating color. I love bright, cheery colors and want to use them more. However, when it comes to decorating, I tend to decorate with neutrals and err on the side of caution. So, one of my goals in our new apartment is to use more color. This fabric was just the ticket to add some fun to our living room!

The fabric I'm using for these pillows is the Lime Green Chevron from the Riley Blake line.

 

To make these pillows, you'll need:

 

-Old pillows

-Fabric

-Scissors

-Iron-on hem tape

These pillows came with our couch, but I hate them. Yes, hate. They're part microfiber and part leather. They're comfortable to lean on, but I just don't like them. However, I couldn't get rid of them because, well, we paid for them. And I'm cheap :) I've wanted to redo them for some time now, and I'm finally getting around to doing it.

 

Also, one yard *almost* covered both of my pillows. If I had only folded the hem once, it would have been perfect, but I chose to fold the hem over twice. I opted, instead, to add an extra panel of white fabric to hide the pillow's ugliness.

Start by cutting your fabric to size. My pillows are about 16" squared, so I just cut my fabric in half, so about 18" x 44" for each pillow.

 

To give the edges a more finished look, I used the hem tape on them first. To get a smaller hem, I cut the hem tape in half, then used it on the fabric.

 

 

 

Also, to get a clean hem line, I pressed the fabric first, then added the hem tape. I also folded it over to keep the hem line clean.

    After doing both of the short edges of the pillow this way, I checked to make sure it would still fold around the pillow. It was just barely touching, but I knew there would probably be a gap after the pillow was stuffed in. It was at this point that I decided to add an extra panel of white fabric to keep the pillow hidden. I hemmed both of the long edges of this panel also, but only folded over once. I used a piece of fabric about 18" x 5".  

  I used the hem tape to attach the white panel to the chevron fabric. I didn't get a picture of this part, but I matched up the long end of the white fabric with a short end of the chevron fabric, and ironed. At this point, it doesn't matter which side the panel attaches to.   After ironing the fabric together, you want to turn the fabric right side up, and then fold the sides in so the chevron fabric overlaps slightly (or about 2-3 inches, depending on the size of your fabric and pillow). The overlap should be on top, not on the bottom. The wrong side of the fabric should be facing out after you fold it in.  

   

    Cut a piece of hem tape to size and place it between the right sides of the fabric. I put mine in about 1.25". Iron well. Once you get into the middle where the hems are, it takes more pressure and more heat to get the tape to stick.  

 

Then you need to cut a piece to fit from where the chevron fabric overlaps in the middle to the outer edge of the white panel (or the end of the overlap, if your fabric is large enough). Iron around the hems really well again.

 

 

Make sure the hem tape is ironed well everywhere, and then turn it right side out. Without the pillow, you can't even see the extra panel.

 

 

    It isn't until you get a pillow in there that you can see less than 1/2" of the white fabric. And since that side will (usually) be facing the back of the couch, I'm not worried about it. The first one took about 45 minutes to do, but after I figured out what I was doing, the second only took about 15 minutes! Yay for a quick project!  

    I'm in love with my new throw pillows!! But I think they need some friends. I definitely see more of these in my future!  

    If you're looking for gorgous, reasonably priced, fabric, you definitely need to check out Simply Sweet Fabric. The shipping was incredibly fast, although it only had to go from Utah to Idaho! It was clean, well cut, and in perfect condition.   Be sure to check back next week. I've still got the blue chevron fabric to use, so come see what else I create!       I received fabric from Simply Sweet Fabric in return for using it in a project and reviewing it on this blog. All opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Warefare by Duct Tape Review & Giveaway

I'm really excited about this review and giveaway that we've got for you today! Have you heard of Warfare by Duct Tape or Jewels by Julia? They're these great e-books with so much information on historically correct duct tape weaponry and jewelry making.

 

 

 

I chose to review The Battle Book and Necklaces e-book. Once I told my little guy that I was going to be making him some cool play weapons, he was SOOOOO excited. We had to go get some supplies, and he couldn't stop talking about them! I had printed off the e-book but hadn't had time to staple it yet. I let him look at the cover while we were at the store and he was begging to look at the rest of the book so he could see the directions. I told him he had to wait until I got home and could staple the book together. I wish you all could have seen how excited he was when I finally stapled the book for him. It was like Christmas morning!

 

I let him choose what to make first and he immediately chose the sword. He said he didn't want anything else yet, but I chose to do the battle axe also, so that he would have a weapon to battle with daddy or a friend. After he saw how fun they were, he was really glad we made both!

 

I made a couple changes in supplies.

 

 

 

I used a pool noodle instead of PVC insulation. It's what I had on hand and so far, it's held up well. They've been played with, somewhat roughly, for the last week and they're still doing great.

 

I also couldn't find the specific foam they mentioned for the battle axe, so this is what I used instead. There are 2 1" sheets in this package and it was about $7 at Wal-Mart.

 

 

 

I don't want to giveaway all their secrets, but here are a few images of the process.

 

 

 

And here is what we wound up with in the end.

 

 

 The colors probably aren't historically accurate, but I let Andrew choose them himself. He also helped with the holding and taping. These are going to be so fun for him over the summer! He already has a cardboard/duct tape shield and we have plans to make a helmet or two. So be sure to come back later this week to see what else we create! 

 

In addition to The Battle Book, I also reviewed the Necklaces e-book.

 

 

I've done some jewelry making in the past when I worked at Michaels, but I don't have the necessary supplies to make my own at home. I did, however, look through the book and Julia has some great techniques that I hadn't used before. She makes jewelry making look really easy and attainable! I would love to give some of her cute pieces a try one day when I can afford all the pliers and beads.

 

Want to win your own copy of one of these great books? Well, they've been nice enough to offer to give 5 Someday Crafts readers the book of their choice from either the Warfare by Duct Tape or Jewels by Julia line. How awesome is that?

 

 

Just use the rafflecopter widget below to get entered. This giveaway will be open from Wednesday, June 18th through midnight on June 25th, 2013.

If you don't want to wait until the giveaway to get your hands on a copy, you can use the code "someday20" at checkout to get 20% off all books from either Warfare by Duct Tape or Jewels by Julia. This code will be good through July 10th, 2013.

 

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