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The above picture is not my craft room. I found the picture online. I liked the way that she used the white bins to hold her yarns. Unfortunately, I don’t have a room dedicated to just my crochet. Some of you may find that surprising considering the amount of crocheting that I do. However, I have taken over a couple of closets, space under beds, space in the garage, space in the guest room, and I have a craft room that doubles as a weight room for my hubby…lol..This may sound familiar to other crocheters. I have seen jokes about how we crocheters collect yarn like other people may collect shoes. For me it is true, I use the hanging closet shoe storage bins for yarn:

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Spring cleaning/organizing is always a great idea. You don’t want to let the yarn take over your house. Also, if you don’t know what yarn you have, it is easy to just buy more, which will compound the yarn storage problem.

Another storage problem that I had was craft ribbons. I could never find the color ribbon, that I wanted, when I wanted it. So, in 2016 I made a YouTube video tutorial showing how I organized my craft ribbons using a hanger:

An Easy Way to Organize Your Craft Ribbons

The method worked well, but I would end up leaving the empty ribbon spool on the hanger, and I would have to untie it to add more ribbon spools. This year, I upgraded to a better method.

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This hanging bag fits perfectly in your closet and it doesn’t use much space at all! I dedicate mine to mostly ribbons. I don’t have the one displayed in the picture, but I have a similar one. I like the one in the picture because it has a storage area that looks like it would work perfectly for crochet hooks!!! LOL! Now, I never have a problem finding the color ribbon that I want, I don’t waste money on ribbons, and I am easily able to replace the ribbon spool if I run out. It also looks chic hanging in my closet.

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This year, I was starting to collect a lot of items near my computer station: journal, crochet patterns, crochet books, pens, and electronic cords etc… So, I began a search for a little carrying caddy/organizer. That is when I discovered the diaper caddy/organizer. I have the exact one in the picture above, and I love it! It sits on my computer station (kitchen table..LOL), and I can carry it easily to put it away when I am finished. I love it.

If I think of other great storage tips that have helped me, I will place them here. Last updated 30Mar19.

There are affiliate links below, if you are unsure of what affiliate links are please go to “Disclosures/Disclaimers” and “Privacy Policy” at the top of my HOME page. Affiliate links basically allow me to receive a very small referral fee, but only if you make purchases. Just because you go to the link doesn’t mean that I will receive a referral fee.

Jodie R. is a Helenmay Crochet Special Donor member, from the year 2018, who requested a Tunisian Crochet Cardinal Bird Hot Pad YouTube video tutorial that was made for a beginner to follow along. Jodie wanted to make the Tunisian Crochet Cardinal Bird Hot Pad as a Christmas gift and at the same time, she wants to learn how to Tunisian Crochet. I told her that the video tutorial probably wouldn’t be completed in time for Christmas 2018, but it is now available for Christmas 2019. One of the benefits of being a Helenmay Crochet Special Donor Member is that members can make crochet requests. If you would like to see what crochet requests have been made and what the waiting list looks like, here is the direct link:

Helenmay Crochet What are You Making Next?

If you would like to learn more about how to become a Helenmay Crochet Special Donor Member and what benefits members receive, here is the direct link:

Helenmay Crochet Special Donor Members

GENERAL MATERIALS

• Free PDF downloadable graph:

Tunisian Crochet Cardinal Bird

For those of you that have difficulty distinguishing the different colors, you may like this free stitch fiddle graph that I created:

Cardinal Bird Graphstitchfiddle

• One 5.75mm, 5.00mm, or 6.00mm Tunisian Crochet hook

The complete Tunisian Crochet Hook set for an awesome price and prime eligible!! Click on the picture above, or here, to go directly to the affiliate link.

• Pencil Grip. You will see me use these in the video tutorial. I love them!

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Optional: You can also use a safety doll eye instead of using your yarn for an eye. I show both methods in part 3 video tutorial.

I wouldn’t recommend using a safety doll eye if you plan on making a Tunisian Crochet Cardinal Hotpad, because it probably wouldn’t work well for setting warm/hot pots on. A Tawashi, or dishcloth, should be fine. I am making a Tunisian Crochet Cardinal Pillow out of the one that I used a safety doll eye on.  If you like the safety doll eye that I used, I used a 10mm green safety doll eye from Glass Eyes Online (I am not an affiliate) or you may like 6060 eyes (I am not an affiliate)

The size of your Tunisian Crochet Cardinal Block without a border is approximately 10″ width by 12″ height.

I really love how my Crochet Cardinal Throw Pillows turned out!!!

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Part 1 video tutorial:

Part 2 video tutorial:

Part 3 video tutorial:

Part 4 video tutorial:

There are affiliate links below, if you are unsure of what affiliate links are please go to “Disclosures/Disclaimers” and “Privacy Policy” at the top of my HOME page. Affiliate links basically allow me to receive a very small referral fee, but only if you make purchases. Just because you go to the link doesn’t mean that I will receive a referral fee.

Learn how to Filet Crochet and at the same time make a wonderful gift for yourself or someone else!

From Wikipedia: “Filet crochet is a type of crocheted fabric. This type of crocheted lace is gridlike because it uses only two crochet stitches: the chain stitch and the double crochet stitch.”

In my YouTube video, I used a graph of a rabbit to make a Hotpad/potholder and/or Tawashi (Dishcloth). Here is the free PDF download for the rabbit graph:

Crochet Filet Rabbit Graph

Crochet Quick Easy Filet Rabbit Hot Pad or Tawashi Dishcloth YouTube video tutorial Part 1 of 2:

Part 2 of 2 video tutorial with the free recipes towards the end of the video tutorial:

 

I had fun making my own Easter Card to go with my Easter gifts this year

Do you like the same baking tray that I used in the Part 2 of 2 video tutorial?

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Do you need blank cards?

 

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If you want the free PDF downloads for the recipes in my Part 2 of 2 videos, here they are:

How to naturally dye eggs

Delicious Carrot Cake Recipe

 

I used a glue stick to attach the recipes to my card stock:

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Enjoy!! I hope that you will share pictures with me on Facebook or you can contact me via my blog. Go to the top of my blog’s HOME page for my Contact link.

 

 

There are affiliate links below, if you are unsure of what affiliate links are please go to “Disclosures/Disclaimers” and “Privacy Policy” at the top of my HOME page. Affiliate links basically allow me to receive a very small referral fee, but only if you make purchases. Just because you go to the link doesn’t mean that I will receive a referral fee.

I went to the library one day and decided to look in the crafting section. I found a fun craft book that talked about making Pomander’s! A definition for Pomander is: “a mixture of aromatic substances enclosed in a perforated bag or box and used to scent clothes.” When I started making mine, I thought that it would be a fun craft to share with others that may not of heard of them either. According to Wikipedia, Pomander’s were first mentioned in literature in the mid-thirteenth century. I will be showing the modern style of Pomander that functions to freshen the air.

In my YouTube video tutorial I will be showing how to make the Pomander towards the end of the video tutorial. I want to put my Pomander’s into a crochet bag. So, in the beginning of the video tutorial, I show how I modified my Crochet Vegetable/market bag to make it smaller. I also show a new crochet stitch for the top of the bag, and I show how to make a crochet tie for the top of the crochet bag.

Here is the YouTube video tutorial for my original Crochet Vegetable/Market bag that I made my father on Father’s Day in the year 2016:

Here is the video tutorial that shows how to make the Pomander and the new Crochet Stitch for the top of your Crochet Bags. You are going to love the new colored yarn that I chose for this project:

You can hang beautiful Pomander Artificial Flowers next to your homemade citrus Pomander’s too!

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Do you need PVA glue to attach your ribbon to your finished Pomander? Click on the picture above, or here, to go directly to the affiliate link.

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I had one Pomander that remained. The others had mold. I plan on making more closer to Christmas.

Here are some helpful hints, if you want to make your Pomander’s last longer:

1. Before you place your whole cloves, try spraying your citrus with 50:50 mix of Distilled white vinegar and water. I found online that this has helped prevent molding.
2. Use Oris root in your spice mix to make the scent last longer. I haven’t tried this yet, but I plan on trying it for my Christmas Pomander’s.

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Last updated 19Apr19.

 

 

There are affiliate links below, if you are unsure of what affiliate links are please go to “Disclosures/Disclaimers” and “Privacy Policy” at the top of my HOME page. Affiliate links basically allow me to receive a very small referral fee, but only if you make purchases. Just because you go to the link doesn’t mean that I will receive a referral fee.

Eleonora from Coastal Crochet was contacted by Esmerelda from The Netherlands – ggdw2018 on Instagram and she wrote the following…

‘Every bird sings its own song…’

Together we will make the longest line of birds!!!!!!!

Let’s craft and unite the world! We’ll make the longest line of Birds June ‘19.

Send to: Creazy Ladies, De Hare 10, 8375 GC Oldemarkt, The Netherlands

The birds may be made in various ways from various materials: knitting, crocheting, quilting, embroidery, felting, drawn, dyed as long as it is made of textile, wool, yarn, etc. With a hook or loop to put it on a line.

Size is max. 25 cm high and 15 cm wide

Deadline is 31 May 2019.

The longest line of birds will be presented during the Textiel Festival Weerribben on 14, 15 and 16 June 2019 and all submitted birds will form a whole. The theme of this festival is “Strange Birds”.

Afterwards all birds will be donated to several charities.

Can you participate in this new international people power project? – Love, Esmeralda

Esmeralda asked me on Instagram if I could share this information with other people. I told her that I would create a blog post about it.  I have finished my crochet Christmas Cardinal Bird, and I am going to get it mailed out today 18Mar19:

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I plan on making a YouTube video tutorial showing you how I made him. He will be called my Christmas Crochet Cardinal. He stands on his own. 🙂 I will post the finished YouTube video tutorial here when it is finished.

If you want to put a personalized label on the bottom of your Crochet Cardinal Bird Stand, click on the picture above, or here, to go directly to the affiliate link.

The following video tutorial shows how I make and sew my own personalized fabric label on my finished crochet items:

Package mailed to The Netherlands on 18Mar19