February 23

Plushy DIY Roundup!

UniPug

This week on Spoonflower, the contest involves original designs for mythical creature plushies, and when I saw Gila’s UniPug design I knew I had to share it on Geek Crafts.  You can purchase your own DIY UniPug Plushy Pattern on a variety of fabrics (I recommend Spoonflower’s new Minky fabric for this one because it’s super soft and cuddly, like the ever elusive UniPug himself) in Cross The Lime’s Spoonflower shop.  The design fits on a fat quarter and costs about $17 with shipping.

GrumpyCat

If you’re more of a cat person, you might enjoy making your very own Grumpy Cat with this Instructable by username elewis03, complete with step-by-step instructions and pictures, as well as a rudimentary pattern you can download for free.  This little guy would make an excellent cubicle pal at the office, don’t you think?

FrogPrince

If grumpy kitties and mythical unipugs aren’t your thing, how about a Frog Prince named Ferdinand from Abby Glassenberg’s blog While She Snaps? This DIY has a free downloadable pattern along with excellent pictures and instructions.  While you’re there, you should check out the other free plushy patterns on Abby Glassenberg’s site–super cute!

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February 20

Hoth Is Where the Hearth Is

Hoth is Where The Hearth Is

On cold, dark winter nights my old farmhouse in the middle of nowhere bears an unsettling resemblance to the mountain caves of Hoth.  When the world outside my front door is supposed to be devoid of human forms I love to park myself in front of our little fireplace with a book or a board game.  Recently I’ve been trying to think of ways to make the space even cozier, and stumbled across the rustic charm of this DIY Wampa“ bear rug” from Health, Wealth, and Home.

Hoth is Where The Hearth Is2
…and this DIY wall-mounted Wampa head created by Kat and Cam from Our Nerd Home.

The best part is that both of these crafts are handmade and don’t require any actual hunting of Wampas, so there’s no risk of running into red tape with the Galactic Alliance.

And speaking of Our Nerd Home, do you remember this 8-bit fireplace?  What a creative (and surprisingly inexpensive) idea for a fireplace, don’t you think?

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February 16

Geek Chic Clothing DIY Roundup

GatheredSkirtDIY

These days more and more people are rocking their personal geek chic style than ever before. So I’ve rounded up some fun DIY tutorials on starting (or adding to) your own geek chic wardrobe for everyday fabulousness. Take this awesome gathered skirt tutorial from the blog Set to Stunning by Lindz and Scruffy. It’s an easy-to-follow tutorial with pictures, and the idea is so simple you can use any fabric you want. Heck, make a bunch of these beauties, one for every day of the week if you like.

SequinGodzilla

If sewing isn’t your thing, then perhaps peel-n-stick is more your style. Maya Murillo from the blog I Love to Create has a quirky and quick video tutorial on making your own sequin Godzilla shirt, no sewing required. It’s a cute idea, and another one you can easily customize without a lot of effort. She uses Aleene’s Peel and Stick Sheets to adhere the sequined Godzilla to a t-shirt. I haven’t used the product myself, but it’s gotten some mixed reviews. If you want an alternative, try Wonder Under Fusible Web. All you’ll need is an iron. Be sure the fabric you’re using for the Godzilla shape is ironing friendly, however (so, maybe glitter instead of sequins).

 

GalaxyShirtDIYwithHiddenTARDIS

If you’re feeling a bit more artsy, then Alessandra from The Sparkle Queen has a nice photo tutorial on making your own galaxy shirt with a hidden TARDIS using bleach and paint. The process is similar to another technique featured here on Geek Crafts. Though Alessandra uses acrylic paints, if you’re looking for something that won’t change the hand of the fabric as much (you know, make your shirt feel a little crunchy once it’s all done), try some fabric paints designed to have a softer feel on fabric once dry. I’ve used Pebeo fabric paints before with good results myself, but there are tons of products out there available at your local craft store. Or, if you’re feeling really adventurous try out Dharma Trading online for some really excellent fabric paints, techniques, and tutorials. You can even get clothing blanks from them too.

Have fun spicing up your wardrobe!

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January 5

Geek Out With Free Hand Embroidery Patterns and Tutorials

ParanoidHandEmbroideryQuote

This year, don’t just let your geek flag fly. Hand embroider that geek flag with your favorite quote or character.

If you enjoy the Dresden Files, you’ll love this free hand embroidery pattern designed by Jennifer from Sew Hooked. Check out her blog and Craftsy store for more original pattern designs.

 

SherlockEmbroideryPattern

I’m totally Sher-locked myself, so this next free hand embroidery pattern by Jordan F (username: dozmuffinxc), as found on FandomStiches.com is something I’m definitely going to try.

HandEmbroideryandPatternMakingTutorial

The only thing is, I look at these fun patterns and can’t help but wonder, how do you make a quote or line drawing into an embroidery pattern. I did a little digging and found this awesome tutorial on making your own hand embroidery design from Angel and Amy on their blog Tada! Creations.

CrayonTintingTutorial

And then I found another tutorial on color tinting your embroidery using crayons and an iron. The technique is so easy, but the impact of the final product packs a real wallop. I found this tutorial on Urban Threads, and it’s got great step-by-step instructions with pictures.

Links of Interest

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December 22

Wrapping Up with Geeky DIY Gift Wrap Ideas

StarWarsWrappingPaperDIY

 

Let’s pretend you’ve got all your shopping done for Christmas.  Now what? If you’re like me (well, if you’re like me you don’t have any shopping done, but like I said, let’s pretend) if you’re like me, you suck at wrapping gifts.  Even if your wrapped gifts end up looking like a two-year-old went crazy with a roll of scotch tape, the paper itself can look really cool, and you can make it yourself!  What’s even better is that these wrapping paper ideas work for year round, not just the holidays.

If the force is strong with this one present, then you should try Rebecca’s Star Wars silhouette gift tags and wrap idea from her blog Older and Wiser. All you need is a printer, scissors, and a glue stick.

 

OwlPostFreePrintableWrappingPaper

 

If you’re pressed for time, the Harry Potter fans in your life will get a kick out of this free printable owl post gift wrap paper.  Just download and print it out on some craft paper.  You can thank Chiara from Celeste Fritatta for this one.

 

ColorMeWrappingPaperDIY

This one is my favorite, and it’s so easy.  All you need are some crayons and a piece of decorative wash tape and you’ve got interactive wrapping paper.  Rachel on Lines Across has got even more super easy and fun interactive gift wrap ideas like this one you should definitely check out.

More Links of Interest

 

 

 

 

 

 

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December 1

Geek out for the Holidays with Ornaments

ZombieGingerbreadMan
Zombie Gingerbread Man Ornament by My Zombie Friends on Etsy, credit Adrienne Jones.

To combat holiday stress, I like to decorate with as much geek-tastic awesomeness as I can create and find.  Things like zombie gingerbread men, Teenage Muntant Ninja Turtle ornaments, and 8-bit fireplaces always make me smile.  Why not have a geeky holiday this year and let Geek Crafts give you a head start with some fun, easy tutorials and even a gift idea or two.

Ornaments!

TMNTOrnamentsDIYFor the turtle lover, you’ve got to take a look at The Whoot’s DIY Ninja Turtles. My nephews love the Turtles, and this is the sort of craft you could do with little boys (and plenty of supervision!).

DIYCharacterChristmasOrnaments

My nephews are also in love with the Minions. This awesome DIY features other great fandom character ideas, like Sesame Street and Monsters Inc too.

 

 

MuppetOrnamentsDIYThese Muppet ornaments are super easy to make too, thanks to the great tutorial from Meg on Happy Looks Good on You. These little cuties were inspired by her original tutorial on making superhero ornaments.

LegoOrnamentDIY

Sarah Dees from FrugalFun4Boys.com has some fun Lego ornament ideas (good for girls too!).

Geeky Decor Fun

GeekDIYWreath

Kat and Cam from Our Nerd Home has a some great ideas for decorating the home for the holidays, including this Wreath DIY made from foam core! I bet craft foam would work great too.  Plus, you could totally customize this to all of your own favorite fandom images.

I have to share their 8-bit fireplace DIY too.  This is too awesome for words, and incredibly easy to do.  It’s warm and cozy, don’t you think?

8-bitFireplaceDIY

This last decor DIY is not for the faint of heart, but this Embroidery tutorial from Jessica (from Miniature Rhino) on Design Sponge takes you step-by-step through making this beautiful embroidered constellation table runner.  Perhaps not strictly a holiday theme, I think it lends itself well to any winter themed decor you’ve got going on in your home.

ConstellationTableRunner

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