With the weather heating up, I thought I’d share one of our favorite recipes for summer fruit liquers.  These alcoholic potions are sweet, refreshing and genuine in flavor. They can be sipped with cocktails at sunset, served as the final sweet note after a meal, or offered to guests who’ve stopped by for a snack. A little packs a lot of punch — so only a shotglass or so is needed per serving.

There are multiple ways to make liquers, but ours is a simple process shrouded in the mystery of chemistry. Unlike other popular recipes, we don’t soak any rinds or pieces of fruit. We hang whole fruit in a cheesecloth three or so inches above pure grain alcohol in a cool, air tight vessel. My father, ever the poet, explains that this sets the stage for a proverbial “fruit/vodka waltz”, so that their flavors communicate via air molecules. Whatever the science, the result is a velvety smooth and even taste that is developed from the pure oils and essence of a fruit, rather than watered down by juice.

• A large air tight lidded jar (feel free to use duct tape)
• 3-4 citrus fruits of choice: Limes, lemons, oranges, nectarines, peaches, apricots, or any combination. Our favorite is nectarines.
• 1 quart of grain alcohol
• A piece of sturdy string
• Cheese cloth
• A dark, cool storage area
• A coffee filter
• About 33 days worth of patience

The following recipe makes about 8 cups

1. Pour a quart of alcohol into your jar or vessel. It’s best to use a larger jar so that the alcohol is only 3-4 inches deep.

2. Spread out your cheese cloth. Place the fruit in the center of the cloth, then gather the cloth up and around so that the fruit hangs in a pouch.

3. Twist the excess cheese cloth at the top of the pouch so that the fruit is secure. Tie the top with the string.

4. Hang the pouch of fruit in the jar 3 or so inches from the alcohol.

5. To secure the fruit, wrap the ends of the string around the lip of the jar and firmly knot. Cut off the excess cheese cloth to improve storage.

6. Seal the lid on the jar and store in a cool, dark and undisturbed place for a month.

After a month, it’s time to add the simple syrup, filter the liquer, and let the flavors settle.

1. Boil three cups of water in a saucepan over medium heat.
2. Once the water is at a boil, add 2 1/2 cups of sugar. Simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Remove pan from heat and cool completely — this can take up to 2 hours.
4. Remove the oranges from the liquor jar. Add the cooled simple syrup to the liquor. Let stand for 3 hours.
5. Use a coffee filter to filter the liquer into another bottle. Cork the bottle and let stand for 3 days so that the flavors can settle. Then enjoy!

I hope you love this recipe as much as my family does. Please feel free to share any similar recipes in the comments below. Bottoms up!

–  Terrariums are all the rage, but this tutorial from Ruffled blog offers a slightly different idea — mini tin terrariums that sit like framed images on your wall. All that’s needed is a metal tin and lid, some gravel, and your succulents of choice for a little round window of nature that you can hang next to that lovely photograph of your mom on Mother’s Day.

Key Lime Pie Popsicle from Pink_Lemo_nade on Flickr

– A cooling popsicle is a perfect dessert after a long day making awkward tan lines in the sun. While these frozen treats, ice creams and fruit based tarts are staple summer recipes, we must not forget cake!! Luckily, there’s this delicious compilation of pie and pastry inspired popsicle recipes for those bakers out there who are still attached to their Winter baking habits.

– Time to break out your bike, or if you’ve been all-weather pedaling year round, to give your wheels a much needed spring cleaning. This How To: Spray Bike Makeover from Makezine is guaranteed to make your wheels look shiny (literally) and new. And no bike would be fully equipped without this brilliant wine bottle holder or 6 pack of beer bike carrier off Etsy!

– Clearing out your closet this Spring to make room for more relevant styles? If you’re left with a bunch of musty scarves,

Fashion Fast Forward will allow you to kill two birds with one stone with their tutorial for transforming an old scarf into a trendy Maxi Skirt for Spring.

–  Eating summer salads made of fresh arugala from your own kitchen garden may sound exciting at the plant store, but growing a family of vegetables (and shielding them from the critters they attract) can quickly turn into a time consuming pit o’ mud. Leave it to the nature-centric  folks at Vermont Public Radio to feature green thumb inspiration and tips from expert gardner Ellen Ecker Ogden, whose gardens have been featured in Martha Stewart Living and The New York Times.

There are tons of creative, spring infused tutorials out there! Do you have any warm weather projects up your sleeve? Please share them with us in the comments.

Acute How-To: Faux Milk Glasses
ScoutieGirl
Looking for a fun crafting project that’s easy, cheap and great for gift-giving? Check out Regina Morrison’s super awesome, faux milk glass crafting project on Scoutie Girl. This why-didn’t-I-think-of this-before project shows you how to create housewares that go with any type of decor from vintage to modern, and look like they cost a pretty penny. Definitely a must-make for anyone looking for add a touch of pretty to their living quarters.

Craft Product Review: Amazing Mold Putty
Craft Test Dummies
Having been amazed and inspired by crafting all-stars such as Art School Dropout and the Naughty Secretary Club, I’ve always wanted to make my own cute jewelry pieces, but have never really dipped into that type of craft. So I was excited to read this review on the easy to get, Amazing Mold Putty, that allows you to make a massive amount of objects from one simple mold. This review is fantastic, as it shows the process and also the versatility for the putty itself. For all mold-making beginners, I highly recommend you check out this post.

Artist’s Village: Cherry Blossom Festival
Artist Village + Bazaar Bizarre
Our friends at Bazaar Bizaare have teamed up with NEW PEOPLE for a collaborative, curated shopping event that is part of the nationally renowned, Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival. Hosted at the NEW PEOPLE building in Japantown, this all-floor vertical art village will take place on April 9th, 10th, 16th & 17th.  This show will feature a great line up of indie crafters as well as a gallery opening.

Etsy Featured Seller: Playing Grown Up
Etsy
Chalkboards are making a great comeback through of the indie crafting community. What was once an object mostly synonymous with schools and all the memories of teachers past, has now become a growing medium in the crafting world. As the featured seller on Etsy, Brooke Premo of Playing Grown Up shares insights into her chalkboard crafting/event photo booth world that sounds like tons of fun. Her chalkboard creations totally rock… and knowing that Premo is also a teacher, make her craft that much sweeter.

Everything You Need to Know About Podcasting
Fortuitious
Podcasting is a great way to enhance your relationship with your audience. Whether you’re a crafter who wants to show your customers how you make your goods, a shop owner who wants to promote your sellers, or a blogger who needs the most effective way to express your thoughts, podcasting is an interesting and fascinating tool. This article highlights everything you need to know about this medium including the tools, formats and timing.

Vintage Finds. Indie Crafts. Baked Goods.
retroindiemarket.com
If you live in or near Boynton Beach Florida,  you must check out the Retro Indie Market this coming Saturday, February 12th at the Boynton Beach Womans’ Club. While we rarely hear about the goings-on in the expansive Sunshine State,  judging by this market’s 70+ vendor list, the indie craft community is alive and well in Florida. With a bunch of vintage shops and flea market vendors in the mix, this fair promises a good time for anyone looking for a bargain or hunting for one-of-a-kind finds.  Best of all –  shoppers who arrive via bicycle get a free goodie, and the first 100 people through the door get a free baked good. Yum!

Eliminate Theft at Art & Craft Shows
Meylah Article by Lucy Clasen
Theft is always a possibility at craft fairs. Hello Craft has even been at craft shows where thievery was reported, and one instance where the culprit was actually apprehended. But many times, especially for folks who sell small objects, theft isn’t even noticed until the fair is over. So what are the best steps to reduce the chance of a five-finger discount at your craft booth at the next fair? Lucy Clasen, of LuDesigns Jewelry and Greeting Cards, has complied a fantastic, short list of tips on Meylah, which covers everything from displays options to insurance, to the simplest of all – talking to your customers. We recommend this article for everyone, from veteran sellers to the craft fair newbie.

What to do when you really screw up
How to Turn Disaster into Gold, by Jason Fried
Whether you sell your goods online, at fairs, in stores, or a combination of all three, you’re bound to make a mistake here or there with clients. Sometimes it’s as small as misspelling a name in an email, but other times it’s an ugly problem like overcharging a credit card. Mistakes are bound to happen, but it’s how you handle them that can make or break your business. In this Inc. article, Jason Fried breaks down his personal experience about how an apology to his clients turned into golden promotional opportunity, which is applicable to any type of business.

Turning Old into Awesome
Project ReStyle
We’ve all found items at thrift stores and yard sales that we bought with the intention of upcycling them into fabulous-other-things one day. Whether it’s the winter coat that could be turned into mittens, or that placemat set that you wanted to turn into a mobile, the possibilities of upcycling are endless. The gals at A Beautiful Mess have turned the idea of upcycling into a project for the masses. Project Restyle asks crafty folks to create weekly projects that will give life to used items; everything from furniture to clothing is game. You can check out before and after projects on their Flickr page, which provide a hefty serving of crafty inspiration to last a long, long time.

D.I.Y. Candy, Cards and Chocolate
How to have a “green” valentines day, by Erin Mapes
Whether you loathe Valentines Day or mark little hearts on your calendar on the days leading up to it, there is no escaping February 14th. For both the lovers and the haters, Erin Mapes has put together a great list of green D.I.Y. projects for her Make It! column on Cosa Verde. The projects will totally amaze your sweetie on Valentine’s Day and can be converted into everyday projects as well. With links to video tutorials and step-by-step instructions, these projects are totally easy to make. Mapes includes instructions for cards, flowers, candy, decorations and even class valentines for the kiddies.

Promotion 101
Etsy Success Reading List
While Etsy is busy revising their internal advertising platform, daniellexo, has put together a great list of sites that contain a plethora of promotional tips to help anyone in indie biz. From building and marketing a Facebook page to creating a marketing calendar, promoting products via social networking and more, this is a great list to take note of of in the Etsy Forums.

Knit Fix
Martha Stewart Living Blog Tour: Mending Knits
CRAFT: Magazine was the first stop on the Martha Stewart Blog Tour with an article excerpt from Martha Stewart Living’s January issue about how to mend knits. Included is a free PDF download that highlights handy tidbits about how to repair tears in your favorite sweaters and fix ripped button holes. There’s even great must-have tool list that anyone who works with yarn should keep around.

Daily Handmade Picks
Created Treats
Being busy bodies at Hello Craft means that we don’t often have as much time as we’d like to scour the online craft community for the coolest goods… so we love it when folks like Christy Petterson do the leg work for us.  In her newest project, Created Treats, Petterson highlights her handmade picks of the day in this online portfolio. As a blogger, jewelry maker, organizer of the Indie Craft Experience and PR person by day, Petterson has a good eye for design as well as great taste for a variety of crafts. We recommend adding Created Treats to your RSS Feed for a daily dose of awesome.

Coolest, Teeny-Tiny Stop-Motion Animation
Dot
In this latest short, stop-motion film titled after it’s tiny heroine Dot, Aardman Animations has created one heck of a cute world that mixes adventure with craft notions. Shot entirely on a Nokia N8 with a CellScope, Dot is the winner of Guinness World Record for “Smallest stop-motion animation character in a film”. Hello Craft highly recommends watching this for inspiration during crafting sessions or at anytime you want to smile hard.

When To Work For Peanuts
Should I Work for Free?
Sometimes working on projects for free has it’s perks… and sometimes shelling out your skills for no dough will end up being the most dreadful, never-ending experience of your life. Anyone working in the world of freelance knows this fine line all too well, and should use this Should I Work for Free info graphic as a reminder of why and how to value your work.

Tick Tock! Crimson Clock from 1byliz

The last minute flurry of holiday activity is upon us. Don’t panic. Yes, time is short, but don’t get desperate and shower your loved ones with useless plastic and mass-produced junk. Take a deep breath and keep reading for last minute gift ideas you can still buy or even make, including a quick and easy zipper pouch project with video instruction from my favorite lady in the whole world (thanks Mom!).

You Can Still Buy Handmade

It’s true! You can buy handmade even this late in the game. Here are some suggestions:
Check your local handmade retail shops, including any holiday pop-up shops (like these in Portland, Atlanta and Providence). After a quick whip around the web along with some phone calls, here’s a list of shops that will be open either late tonight or during the day tomorrow (check their sites or call for exact hours).

Magpie in Somerville, MA
Art Star in Philadelphia, PA
Double Dutch Boutique and Red Tree and in Baltimore, MD
Young Blood Gallery in Atlanta, GA
Renegade Handmade in Chicago, IL
Fancy Tiger in Denver, CO
Schmancy in Seattle, WA
Land Gallery, Frock Boutique and Collage in Portland, OR
Rare Device in San Francisco, CA
Reform School in Los Angeles, CA

You can also try places like Whole Foods, which tend to carry lines from different crafty businesses like bodycare products from Biggs & Featherbelle or jewelry from Figs & Ginger. Check the sites of your favorite artists for a listing of retails shops that carry their products. You may be surprised and delighted by the increasing accessibility of handmade items.

Give Your Crafty Friends Patterns

I know lots of crafty people that are always looking for a new pattern to try. Patterns from .pdf downloads are a great way to handle last minute giving for this group of folks.

Crochet Handwarmer Pattern from adventuresofjr.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarves Cross-stitch Pattern from My Paper Crane.

Sublime Stitching has various PDF patterns available, including this one featuring designs by Carson Ellis.

Lots to choose from on Magpie Patterns, including knitting, sewing, crochet & embroidery.

You Can Still Make Stuff

These knit envelopes look like a great project for a plane or car ride. Magpie Patterns has a bunch of patterns you could purchase as a gift or make yourself. I particularly like the Breckenridge Cowl from French Press Knits and think the “instant gratification” nature of the project sounds promising for last minute making. Lots of kids at your holiday gatherings? Marimekko has a fun star wand project that looks easy and would make cute gift toppers or festive place cards for your holiday table.

Zipper Pouch Tutorial

If you have basic sewing skills, some fabric & access to a sewing machine, here’s a quick & easy zipper pouch you can whip up in 30 minutes.

Hello Craft Presents Crafting with Mom: Quick & Easy Zipper Pouch Project.

Basic step-by-step instructions included after the jump.

Quick and Easy Zipper Pouch
Supplies used:
-fabric (we used one pattern for the inside & another for the outside)
-zipper
-fuseable fleece (optional)
-Seam-to-Seam (optional- you can use pins instead)
-scissors
-sewing machine (or needle & thread)
-iron

Instructions
Step 1: Cut fabric & fuseable fleece to desired size.
Step 2: Iron out any wrinkles.
Step 3: Adhere fuseable fleece to back of the 2 pieces of outside fabric.
Step 4: Apply Seam-to-Seam to top edge of print side on one piece of outside fabric.
Step 5: Adhere fabric to one side of zipper. If it doesn’t stick, adhere with iron. Do not iron the fuseable fleece side (it will melt).
Step 6: Apply Seam-to-Seam to top edge on print side of lining fabric.
Step 7: Adhere lining fabric to zipper on same side of the zipper teeth as the outside fabric, but to the back side of the zipper. The fuseable fleece side will be facing the wrong side of the lining.
Step 8: Draw sewing line if desired. Sew both pieces of fabric to the zipper. You’ll need to reposition the zipper pull to complete the seam. See video for specifics.
Step 9: Repeat steps 4-8, applying the 2nd piece of outside fabric & lining on other side of the zipper teeth.
Step 10: Position so outside fabric & lining pieces are matched up & facing each other. Trim excess zipper & pin if desired.
Step 11: Sew seam down one side. Sew seam down 2nd side.
Step 12: Sew bottom seam on outside fabric/fleece side.
Step 13: Sew bottom seam on lining side, leaving a gap in the middle to turn the fabric right-side-out.
Step 14: Turn fabric right side out.
Step 15: Poke out the edges with a pointed utensil (my Mom uses a hemostat or bone folder)
Step 16: Sew seam at bottom of the lining on the right side of the fabric.
Step 17: Tuck lining into bag and admire you’re awesome work.

Now, off to finish my list. Happy last minute making & shopping!

Step 1

I created a simple triangle design in Illustrator with the Hello Craft logo and repeated the design to fit as many flags on a single sheet of 8.5 x 11 paper.

Step 2

I exported the file from Illustrator and saved it as a .jpg. I then opened the file in the Silhouette software and scaled the file to fit on the page within the cutting guides.

Step 3

I then traced a simple triangle with the line tool in the Silhouette software and duplicated the shape to fit over each flag.

Step 4

I opened the cut style window to make sure that the cut lines were where they needed to be on the paper.

Step 5

I then sent the saved file to my inkjet printer directly from the Silhouette software.

Excuse the color, as my printer is running out of color ink, but: Printed!

Step 6

I then lined up the printed sheet on the adhesive cutting mat and loaded it into the machine.

Step 7

I lined up the mat with the guides found in the machine. Make sure you really pay attention to these lines to get the cut as close to where is should be as possible. I hit cut in the software, which sends the file to the Silhouette.

Step 8

After the machine was done cutting, I unloaded the cutting mat and pealed the little cut flags off of the adhesive cutting mat. Then using white glue, I attached two pieces together and glued them to a match that had it’s flammable head removed.

Ta Dah! Mini-Pennant Flag

Contest!

Don’t forget, we’re giving away one of these bad boys. For a chance to win, all’s you have to do is:

• Leave us a comment here.
• Follow us on Twitter and mention this contest in a mention with @hellocraft
• Friend us on Facebook and leave a comment about the contest for us there
• Stop by the Hello Craft booth (#57!) at Crafty Bastards and join our email list there for a chance to win.

That’s right! You have four chances to win! So hop to and good luck. The winner will be announced right here next week!

Only U.S. residents and only one winner per household

Here’s what your playing for:

• A Silhouette machine (a $299.99 value)
• Software for Windows XP/Vista, Mac
• Power cable, USB cable
• Two Cutting mats (one for thick media, one for thin media)
• One cutting blade
• $10 gift card to the Silhouette Online Store

If you decide to purchase a machine before October 4, use the discount code: WORLD to receive:

• $50 off (receive for $249.99)
• Two rolls of Heat transfer ($29.89 value)
• $10 Gift Card to the Silhouette Download Store(Comes in the Box)
• Cutting Blade (Comes in the Box)
• Two Cutting Mats(Comes in the Box)

All for $249.99 (A savings of $79.98)

Punch needling is a marriage between embroidery and rug hooking. The process involves “punching” a threaded needled through fabric to make raised clusters of loops that create a pattern or image. The result is a plushy, soft look and texture. If embroidery were compared to a crisp colored pencil drawing, punch needling would be a hazy watercolor.

I was surprised to discover that punch needling is actually a very ancient craft, first practiced by the Egyptians who used bird bones as needles. It was especially en vogue in 15^th century Europe to embellish religious clothing and tapestries, and by sailors who busied themselves making rugs on long voyages.

Japanese Tokyo Bunka Cottage Farmhouse Embroidery Kit from Etsy shop AliceStitchesArts

The Japanese are also fans of the punch needle, although their slightly different process, Bunka, uses of a specific thread called koya to create very detailed  “thread paintings.” Possibly the most well known punch needle tradition is Igolochkoy, a method preserved by the Russian Old Believers. The Old Believers broke off from the Russian Orthodox Church in the 17^th century, and subsequently formed their own reclusive culture that still uses this embroidery today.

Personally, when I think of punch needling I flashback to the tacky badges and appliqués that were ironed onto backpacks or jeans in the early 90’s. But punch needling is making a stylish comeback, and it’s exciting to see how designers are re-inventing its aesthetic in contemporary ways.

LaurenFish Design uses punch needle to add unexpected texture and detail to her kitschy pillows.

Image by Flickr user Patapri

Yuko Uemura of PataPri attaches embroideries to a solid background to create a colorful and dimensional wall hanging.

Vena Cava punch needle wrap dress via Opening Ceremony

Punch needle is even making an appearance in mainstream fashion- this outfit by Vena Cava offers a chic and modern alternative to the knit dress.

The punch needle tool looks a little intimidating-which means my curiosity was instantly piqued. So on a lazy Sunday I decided to expand my craft horizons and experiment. Included below are the fruits of my labor-a mini tutorial on how to get started, as well as some pictures of the process.

How to Thread and Embroider with a Punch Needle:

The punch needle is a pretty simple tool. It has a beveled needle protruding from the front of a hollow tube, and usually comes with a plastic or wire threader.

1. Begin by pushing your threader, looped end first, all the way through the hole in the top, pointed end of your punch needle so that the loop is now poking out of the open, bottom end of the tool.

2. Put embroidery floss through the loop end of the threader.

Then pull the non-looped end of the threader out of the front, pointed end, of the punch needle. The embroidery floss should now be threaded through the punch needle.

3. Now pass the threader through the eye of the needle on the needle’s beveled side (the open side).

4. Put the strand of floss coming out of the needle through the loop of the threader, and pull it back out the eye of the needle. The needle eye should now be threaded.

5. Remove the threader, and adjust the floss length so that only an inch or so is coming out of the needle end of the tool. Now you’re ready to start throwing punches…

To Punch Needle:

1. Secure your fabric, pattern side up, in an interlocking stitching hoop. Just as a reminder: when punching, you’re viewing the back or under side of your project, so that the finished result is visible on the other side of the fabric.

2. Punch through the fabric so that the needle completely penetrates. Then draw the needle back out, dragging it along the surface of the fabric, making sure that the beveled side of the needle is facing the direction you’re stitching.

3. Continue to punch following along your pattern. Make sure your punches are very close to one another, with as little space between as 1/32”.  It’s often easier to start with the larger shapes on your pattern first.

I’ll let you know how the rest of my project goes! If you have any tips, tricks or stories about punch needling, please feel free to share in the comments.

For this week’s column, I wanted to share something really special so I made a movie. In this video I teach you how to Chaos Stitch. You will need a couple of things before you begin: yarn/twine/string and a crochet hook.

Sit back and enjoy!

A few tips:

1. Crocheting is basically building stitches on top of the previous stitches. For example, if you want a square you would start crocheting on your beginning chain from right to left. At the end of the chain, you would move up a row to start crocheting from left to right. This will make more sense next week.

2, A thicker crochet hook will produce a bigger, looser crochet. A thinner hook will make a smaller, tighter product.

3. Enjoy the act of making something! This is just an introduction into the basics of crochet, so just have fun.