Smashing Crochet Slippers

Crochet Hulk slippers by Mel Garcia Tello

Even though the weather in Kansas City can’t seem to decide if it’s winter or spring, I’m still in the mood to stay in, craft, and be cozy. These fantastic Hulk slippers might just be the perfect project to accomplish all that.

The Ravelry pattern page indicates the finished slippers are 19 cm (7.5″), so they would probably be more of a child size, but I would bet you could add some extra rounds in the middle to lengthen them.

Mel Garcia Tello’s Facebook Page offers a discount code through January 31st, so be sure to hop over there if you want to buy this pattern.

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Upcycle Old Comics Into Cool Jewelry

ModPodge_bracelet

I got some great free comic books over the last year, and now that I’ve read them, I don’t have a burning desire to keep them.  But I hate to just throw them away.  I mean, the artwork is cool. So I turned to Pinterest for ideas on what to do with old comics, and ran across this great tutorial by Shala on Don’t Eat the Paste. You can make your own stylish, one-of-a-kind bracelet using old comics, Mod Podge, and a bracelet blank.  Shana’s got step-by-step instructions along with pictures that make creating this jewelry masterpiece a snap. Isn’t Mod Podge glorious? I’ve seen great examples of using comics on furniture, shoes, and even coasters.

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A Wonder-ful Blanket Buddy

Wonder Woman blanket buddy by Amy Anderson

Lately my crochet queue has been filled with Yoda hats and Ewok scoodies, in honor of the recent Star Wars madness premiere. But I think I may have just found my next project – this adorable crochet Wonder Woman-inspired blanket buddy designed by Amy Anderson of Spicy Tuesday Crafts.

As a fellow curly girl, I am in love with her springy hair and that the blankie portion forms a sort of starry skirt. Just imagine the heroic adventures some child in your life could have with this fun lovey.

Amy’s Ravelry shop also features other geek-tastic blankies, like Batman, the Joker, and the Hulk, and you can find free patterns on her blog.

What’s currently on your knit or crochet to-do list? Have any fun patterns to share with us? Leave us a comment below!

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3 Last Minute DIY Gift Ideas!

Comic-Book-Magnets-2

The holiday clock is definitely ticking, and if you’ve still got shopping to do, never fear! You’ve still got time to make something handmade. Take those comic book magnets in the picture above. They’re super simple, and they’d make great stocking stuffers. Just check out the tutorial by Amanda Formaro over on her blog Crafts by Amanda for step-by-step instructions.  She’s even got a separate tutorial on making a comic book decoupage picture frame if you’re looking for something a little more special.

Ewok

Mollie over at Wild Olive has a tutorial on making your very own little, cuddly, Mini Ewok Softie.  This little Wicket would make the best stocking stuffer!

stripy-jack-and-mobile-casey

Got a techie on your list? Why not try crocheting a monster phone case? Trish from the blog Genuine Mudpie has got a great step-by-step tutorial on making this fun gift.

Got some last minute DIY gift ideas? Be sure to share them with us!

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It’s Definitely a Wonder!

wonder woman fabric

The folks over at Fandom in Stitches have outdone themselves with this free Wonder Woman paper piecing pattern. Though, this 10″ pieced and embroidered quilt block is not for the faint of heart. If you’ve never done paper piecing before, I’d start with something much simpler (like one of their patterns labeled beginner/advanced beginner–the Black Widow one looks like a good block to start with.).

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Geek Girl Brunch + Comic Book Ornaments

Geek Girl Brunch

I don’t think I’ve yet shared the awesomeness that is Geek Girl Brunch. I discovered it via the Female Geek Bloggers G+ Community, and was immediately intrigued. Ladies getting together to share brunch, drinks, and geek-talk? Sign me up!

The group started in New York City, with its own meetups. They had so much fun together that they decided to roll out chapters, not only across the U.S but worldwide! Sensing I had found my geek tribe, I signed up to be notified about news of the Kansas City chapter. I got an email a few months later notifying me that chapters were forming, and would I like to be an officer to help launch the KC chapter? Because I love my hometown and want to nurture its geek culture, I said yes!

We had our first brunch in July – an informal meetup at the Cheesecake Factory, followed by Star Wars Day at Barnes & Noble. In September we gathered at the Renaissance Festival and strolled the grounds together. Other chapters have enjoyed a wide variety of themes, from a Zombie Crawl to a Xena-themed yoga session to a Pixel Perfect ode to video games.

Next week is KC’s third event, with a “Let’s Get Crafty” theme. My co-leader, another brunchette, and I are each leading a geek-craft. My craft is comic book ornaments, as seen in the examples below. I figured it was an easy introduction to decoupage, but infinitely customizable to whatever comic brunchettes might favor, along with whatever ornament base they might choose.

Comic Book Ornaments by Angie Pedersen

Basic instructions:

  1. Select ornaments in shapes that will showcase an identifiable amount of comic art, in shapes that should be easy to cut out.
  2. Page through your comics for images that will fit your ornament. TIP: If the image you want is too big, you can scan it and resize to fit your ornament. That’s what I did for the Dr. Horrible cube above.
  3. Place the ornament on top of the comic page and trace around it. Cut out with scissors.
  4. Brush Mod Podge (I used matte, but glossy would also work) on the ornament and position the comic cut out on top. Smooth out any wrinkles (a brayer helps here).
  5. Brush a coat of Mod Podge over the surface of the comic image to seal.
  6. Optional: embellish the edges of the ornament with decorative washi tape (see Buffy example above) or acrylic paint (see TARDIS example above). For the Dr. Horrible cube, I colored the top of it with a bronze metallic Sharpie (top not shown).

I hope you will check out Geek Girl Brunch and join in on the fun! If you’re in the KC area, stop by and say hi!

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