Disclosure: Some of the links on my site are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
To attach the canvas bag to the crocheted shell, I simply used fabric hot glue. No sewing required! Slip the canvas bag into the crocheted shell and run a thin bead of glue around the canvas bag along the edge of the zipper. I did small sections at a time, attaching the crocheted shell as I went. I have this Surebonder hot glue gun that I only use with these fabric hot glue sticks. I keep it separate from my regular hot glue gun so I don’t mix the types of glue. The fabric glue worked great to attach the crocheted shells to the canvas bags.
These cute crochet pouches would make such great gifts just as they are or filled with something special. You can now purchase all 4 pattens (these 3 and the one in my previous post) in an ebook from Twisted Knot Crochet here.
I’m so glad I found these patterns, they work up quickly and are so fun to make!
We took an end of Summer trip to visit Mackinac Island, MI and the surrounding area. My husband and I had visited as kids with our families, but have wanted to return for a while.
If you’re not familiar with it, Mackinac Island is a small island that sits in Lake Huron off the coasts of the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan. The island is car-free with lots of horse-drawn carriages, bicycles, and the most amazing fudge!! It’s like taking a step back in time…
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There are lots of options to stay on the island from bed & breakfasts to the amazing Grand Hotel. We chose to stay on the mainland in Mackinaw City at a wonderful bed & breakfast called Deer Head Inn. It was a great place just a few blocks from Sheplers Ferry dock and the breakfasts were amazing!
We hopped on the ferry in the morning to head over to Mackinac island. (And, yes, Mackinaw City is spelled differently but they are pronounced the same. 😊 You can read a little about that here.) As we neared the island, we were treated with a spectacular view of the Grand Hotel.
The porch of the Grand Hotel is the world’s largest at 660 feet long. It is lined with rocking chairs for relaxing, sipping a drink, and enjoying the views. The bridge in the photo below is the Mackinac Bridge as seen from the porch. The bridge connects the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan and spans about 5 miles.
For a small fee, you can tour the first few floors of the hotel along with the porch and the grounds. It is very plush and inviting and the flowers are gorgeous.
For the movie buffs, the 1980 film Somewhere In Time, starring Christopher Reeve, Jane Seymour, and Christopher Plummer, was filmed at the Grand Hotel and other Mackinac Island locations. There is a room with memorabilia from the movie. I haven’t watched the movie in quite a while – I’ll have to watch it again soon!
We took a horse drawn carriage tour around the island. We started in the downtown area and rode past some of the beautiful sights on the island. Below is a view of downtown which is filled with shops, restaurants, and fudge shops (I think I saw at least 6!), Little Stone Church, Saint Ann’s Cemetery, Fort Mackinac, and Arch Rock. Most of the island is a Michigan State Park left in its natural state. It was so quiet and peaceful riding in the horse-drawn carriage listening to the clip-clop of the horses with no engine noises.
A few of the sights as we walked from the Grand Hotel back to downtown…
There are a few hardy souls who live on the island full-time and you can visit anytime, but the main season is May-October. There is also a Christmas tree lighting to kickoff the holiday season and you can enjoy some winter activities. However, not everything will be open on the island. I think it would be absolutely beautiful to visit in late September or early October when the fall colors are showing off!
We also took a day to drive across the Mackinac Bridge to the upper peninsula of Michigan and visit the Whitefish Point Great Lakes Maritime Museum. It felt like we were driving to the end of the earth! The farther we went, the more rural it got. Michigan is a beautiful state! The museum is on the very tip of Michigan on Lake Superior – you can even see Canada in the distance in the last photo below.
The museum remembers the shipwrecks that have occurred in the Great Lakes. One you may have heard of is the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. The ship was lost on November 10, 1975 about 17 miles north-northwest of Whitefish Point and 29 men were lost. You may remember the song “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” by Gordon Lightfoot which commemorates the sinking of the ship.
The bell of the ship was recovered on July 4, 1995 and you can see it in the museum. A replica of the bell engraved with the names of the 29 crew who were lost was placed in the same place on the sunken ship in memory of the men.
It was a chilly and windy day on Lake Superior but I’m so glad we made the drive up there! It was so beautiful!
If you ever find yourself in Michigan, I highly recommend spending a day on Mackinac Island. It will take you back to simpler, slower, and quieter time – even with all the other tourists there with you. 😉 And be sure to take a drive through the countryside – it’s beautiful!
It’s time to start your Halloween crafting it you haven’t yet! 🎃
I have a fun and easy project for you today. These cute BOO blocks are the perfect size to add to your tiered tray or to tuck onto your mantel with your other Halloween things.
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You’ll need three 2-inch wood blocks (I found mine here) and 1.75 inch wood letters (I found mine at Hobby Lobby). You’ll also need acrylic paint in black, orange, and white. (This is a great set of acrylic paints if you need to resupply your craft room.)
I painted my blocks with 2 coats of black paint using a foam brush, letting it dry between coats. I painted the sides and front of my letters with 2 coats of orange paint. Once the paint was dry, I used the tip of the handle of a small paint brush to apply random dots of white paint on the letters. I used E6000 clear adhesive to attach my letters to the blocks at an angle.
The BOO blocks can be stacked on top of each other or side by side. They also match my BOO! sign I made in this post. 🙂
I’m ready to get out all my Halloween things! How about you? 🎃
On a rainy afternoon recently I decided to do a little coloring. I pulled out this Daisy stamp from the Be Unstoppable stamp set from Unity Stamp Company and stamped it on several panels of white card stock with Memento Tuxedo Black ink. I colored the images with Copic markers in shades of blue because I wanted something a little different. 😉
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I trimmed the stamped piece and layered it to a piece of matching blue card stock. Then I attached it to a white card. I stamped my sentiments with blue ink on a strip of white card stock and layered it to a strip of blue card stock. I attached the sentiments to the cards with foam tape.
This is a great card to use for almost any occasion. Just by changing the sentiment it can be a thank you, wedding shower, birthday, thinking of you, or sympathy card. And of course you can color your flower any way you’d like or even use a different flower as your focal point. One of my favorite things about this card is the embossing – I love the texture it adds!
Were you able to snag any of these velvet pumpkins from Dollar Tree? Their seasonal merchandise goes so quickly, it’s sometimes hard to get all the things! I loved these pumpkins except for the plastic stems…so my husband cut some sticks into pieces about 2.75 to 3 inches long to replace them.
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I pulled the plastic stems out of each pumpkin. They were attached with some hot glue so I had to twist them a bit to get them out. Don’t worry if the fabric comes out a little – you can just push it back in with the tip of your scissors.
I used my scissors to make the hole where the plastic stem was just a little bigger. I put a little hot glue on the end of the stick and pushed it into the pumpkin. Then I tied some natural jute twine into a bow around the stem. I used 3 strands of twine together to tie my bows. You can also use raffia or your favorite ribbon.
It’s amazing how just a little sprucing up can change the look of something! This only took a few minutes to do and I love how they turned out!
Have you seen these adorable Christmas Crochet Cups from Repeat Crafter Me? If you are working on your Christmas makes, you need to add these to your crochet schedule! They are super fun and quick to stitch up. You make them holding 2 strands of yarn together so they are very sturdy.
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Unity Stamp Company released this adorable stamp set called Donut Birthday a few months ago. It includes 2 different sizes of donut stacks and 2 sentiments. Anyone who knows my husband knows that this is the perfect set for making him a birthday card! 🍩
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I stamped the donut stack with Memento Tuxedo Black ink on white card stock and colored it with Copic markers. Then I trimmed the image and layered it to brown card stock. I attached a piece of patterned paper (also from Unity Stamp Company) to a turquoise card. I attached the donut stack to the card using foam tape.
The “happy birthday” sentiment is from the Extended Celebration stamp set from Unity Stamp Company. I stamped it with Memento Rich Cocoa ink on white card stock and punched around it with a label punch. I used the same punch on brown card stock, then cut it in half and attached it to the back of the white card stock leaving some of the brown showing on the edges. The sentiment is attached to the card with foam tape. The punch I used is discontinued, but this is a similar punch or set of dies.
Almost as sweet as the real thing! This would be a cute card to give with a dozen donuts for a special birthday treat! 🍩
I love the Pinterest app! I find so many great ideas and inspiration, especially when I’m in a crafting slump. 🙃 You can find all of my Pinterest boards here. I’ve saved way more pins than I can ever make, but I’ve found it to be a great resource for diving into my next project.
I was inspired while scrolling on Pinterest recently to make these Farmhouse Pillar Candle Risers. They are super quick and easy to make!
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You’ll need round unfinished wood plaques in 2 different sizes. I found mine at my local Michaels (I think they were around $1.49 each). They measure about 4 and 5 inches across the bottom. You’ll also need white and gray paint. I used Home Decor Chalk paint because that’s what I had on hand. You can use acrylic paint, too.
You may want to sand the rough edges of the plaque before you paint them. I didn’t since the roughness didn’t bother me – it’s totally personal preference. I painted the wood plaques with 2 coats of white paint using a chip brush. Be sure to let the paint dry between coats. Once the second coat is dry, dry brush the entire plaque with the gray paint.
Then using E6000 clear adhesive, I glued the smaller plaque to the larger plaque. And that’s it! Super easy and they will add a little farmhouse touch to your decor.
Since my fireplace mantel is stained, I chose to paint my Farmhouse Pillar Candle Risers white so there would be some contrast. If your mantel or shelf is white, you may want to use a wood stain on your candle risers or you can paint them any color and then sand the edges to distress them a bit.
It’s fun to make something so simple that can add a little creative touch to your decor. 😊
I have been making the Crochet Canyon Views Pocket Clutch on repeat! I love the option of using a pre-made zippered canvas bag as a liner since sewing is not my thing. 😉 The pattern also includes instructions for crocheting pockets inside the clutch if you want to do that. It’s a paid pattern by Twisted Knot Crochet and you can find it here.
Disclosure: Some of the links on my site are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
I found my zippered canvas bags at Hobby Lobby. They measure 4.75 by 6.75 inches and fit perfectly into the shell of the Canyon Views Pocket Clutch. And they are only 99 cents! 🙂
I used Yarn Bee Soft & Sleek yarn and an I/5.5 mm hook to stitch up my clutches. I followed the pattern through Round 10. Then I did 2 rounds of half double crochet in the 3rd loop and finished the clutch with one round of single crochet in the 3rd loop. (This is a great tutorial on crocheting in the 3rd loop.)
To attach the canvas bag to the crocheted shell, I simply used fabric hot glue. No sewing required! Slip the canvas bag into the crocheted shell and run a thin bead of glue around the canvas bag along the edge of the zipper. I did small sections at a time, attaching the crocheted shell as I went. I have this Surebonder hot glue gun that I only use with these fabric hot glue sticks. I keep it separate from my regular hot glue gun so I don’t mix the types of glue. The fabric glue worked great to attach the crocheted shells to the canvas bags.
These clutch bags are so fun to make and they work up really quickly. They have so many uses – carrying your necessities when you’re running errands, holding your makeup or jewelry as you travel, storing your hooks, scissors, and stitch markers in your project bag, or pencils, pens, and paper in your backpack. What will you put in your Crochet Canyon Views Pocket Clutch?
Wow! I can’t believe August is just about over! It’s time for another Christmas card.🎄
If you’ve been following me for a bit, you know I have been creating a new Christmas card each month. You can find the previous month’s cards here – January, February, March, April, May, June, and July.
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To make the card, I stamped Pooh with Memento Tuxedo Black ink on white card stock and colored the image with Copic markers. Using the Scallops & Rectangles nesting dies from Unity Stamp Company, I die cut the image and layered it to green card stock (die cut with the same die set) using foam tape. I attached a piece of patterned paper to a white card and attached the stamped image to the card. Then I stamped “Merry Christmas!” with red ink on the card.
This is such a fun image to color and Pooh makes a very cute Christmas card!🎄
Disclosure: Some of the links on my site are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
