January 28

Lots o’ Lord of the Rings

Hobbits, wizards, elves, and kings.
What’s not to love about Lord of the Rings? 

Many a crafter has been so inspired,
to knit, sew, or sculpt from this story admired.

But some feel the need to go a bit further,
to celebrate this story with a touch of odd fervor.

So check out these crafts, both geeky and unique,
and I promise I’ll stop rhyming in faux-Tolkien speak.

Eye of Sauron Journal

Sauron Journal

Etsy seller ArtBug offers this one-of-a-kind Eye of Sauron journal, perfect for scribbling down all your evil plans. What I love about this most of all is that the eye friggin’ LIGHTS UP.

Hobbit Feet Baby Booties

Hobbit Feet baby booties

I’ve seen various incarnations of these crazy hobbit-feet slippers, but none so cute as these wee baby booties. Knit some up for your own little hobbit with this free pattern offered by Penwiper. Grown-ups can also get in on the hairy foot action with this Hobbit foot pattern from The Unique Sheep.

Door of Durin Beaded Necklace

Door of Durin beaded necklace

It took Etsy seller Whitestar Jewelry 15 hours to hand-bead this striking Door of Durin necklace.  What impresses me more is the story behind the store, as the maker uses beadwork as a way to soothe her bipolar disorder.

Frodo Plush
Frodo Doll

Craftster member MumbleFord wasn’t content to simply buy a plush Frodo from a store. She had to make her own! I think he turned out even cuter than the original. She was also generous enough to share her pattern, so you can make your own hobbit.

Map of Middle Earth Cigar Box
Map of Middle Earth Box

The latest LOTR swap on Craftster yielded some amazing projects, from replica cloaks to an amigurumi Bilbo. What impressed me the most, though, was this map of Middle Earth burned into a cigar box, made by Craftster Gommeriffic. Perfect thing for hiding your Old Toby in, eh?

Eye of Sauron T-shirt
Eye of Sauron Tie Dyed Shirt

Throw Led Zepplin’s “Ramble On” on the turntable and rock out with this crazy Eye of Sauron tie-dyed T-shirt, available from Portland-based Etsy seller Tie Dyed Monkeys.

Miniature J.R.R. Tolkien Art Doll
JRR Tolkien clothespin doll

The man himself, adorably immortalized in clothespin-doll form. Debbie Ritter (Etsy’s Uneek Doll Designs) also has a little C.S. Lewis doll. Makes me wish she had a dollhouse version of the Eagle and Child pub they used to meet in!

Category: Books, Craft, Geek, Movies | 3 Comments on Lots o’ Lord of the Rings
January 21

Kick-Ass Peg People

Kick-Ass Peg PeopleI’m a little behind on my movie watching. I finally rented Kick-Ass this past weekend, fully expecting a comedy-action popcorn flick. Imagine my surprise to find out Kick-Ass is (arguably) one of the darkest and most brutal superhero films since Watchmen.

Needless to say, I’ve fallen in love, and a trip to the comic book store is definitely in my near future. Meanwhile, I had to check out the related offerings on Etsy, and came across these little hand-painted Kick-Ass peg people by Mia, aka Giddy Girlie.

I love how they resemble those Fisher-Price Little People I used to play with as a kid. Except they’re…well, more kick-ass!

Category: Comics, Craft, Geek, Movies, Toys | 2 Comments on Kick-Ass Peg People
March 28

HOWTO: Tetris Magnets

My inspiration for making these were the “Tetrius Puzzle Game Magnets” from ThinkGeek. I had a TG gift certificate I had to spend and came across them. I thought they would be cool to put on the fridge or on my metal cabinet at work. As luck would have it, they were out of stock at the time and I started thinking… it should be easy to make something like that at home for much less than $10 for a set. So, what follows is how to make your own.

Thinkgeek store-bought plastic Tetris magnets home-made geekcrafts Tetris magnets
[Thinkgeek store-bought plastic Tetris magnets] [home-made Geekcrafts Tetris magnets]

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Category: Craft, Geek, Video Games | 4 Comments on HOWTO: Tetris Magnets
January 24

Woodpixels

Wood Pixels This is an interesting idea – it’s called Woodpixel. It’s a commercial product that lets you create your own pixel art. It comes with 100 wooden blocks with a different wood tone on each side and it comes with a holder to hold the 100 blocks in place. This would be a great way to make some classic/retro video game art. Their site shows a Space Invader, Mario, and a (poorly done) Pac-man Ghost. They are taking pre-orders now – no word on price. I bet it’s expensive though.

Category: Craft, Geek, Video Games | 1 Comment on Woodpixels