Collage Couture is dense with multi-faceted art techniques, pattern traces, and tutorials for the girly-girl and fashion fantasizer within. Most of the projects are inspired by the sketchbooks of fashion designers, and involve sketching or cutting out figurines and their accompanying outfits. There’s a paper doll tutorial, multiple tracings for dress sketchings, and advice on how to use stamping and collaging to create patterned dresses. For those less fashionably inclined, there are also projects for picture frames, inspiration boards and book covers.

Chapter 1 is a pre-requisite before setting up any art supplies, as it outlines techniques for stamping, figure sketching, and cutting out paper clothing that are used in projects featured in the subsequent chapters. The projects are do-able but complex, as most mixed-media projects are, so be prepared to prepare a hefty supply list before starting them, as well.

In terms of detail and writing, collage couture gives explicit but simple instructions. Each step is broken into a manageable task that’s accompanied by an illustrative picture. While many of the projects seem pretty ambitious, the quality of the instructions make them accessible to a slew of ages. If you want to re-create, to a T, the exact project featured, Collage Couture’s instructions are detailed enough to help you do so. But they’re also flexible, and encourage the reader to foster their own creative voice and style.

If your artistic impulses lean towards paper mixed-media and fashion, Collage Couture is rife with a week-long worth of artsy activities. But I do think it caters towards a specific audience. For those who love creating something that’s functional or wearable, this book isn’t for you. However, it could be a useful resource for learning to sketch your designs or to create mood boards and collages that instigate inspiration.

WIN A COPY OF COLLAGE COUTURE

Hello Craft has one copy of Collage Couture to giveaway to a lucky reader! To enter just comment on the post and tell us why you’d like a copy of Collage Couture by next Wednesday, 06/29.

* Update: winner has been notified. Thank you to everyone who entered!*

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.

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!

Think you might want to make some of your holiday gifts this year? The possiblities are endless, but where should you begin? My advice is to stay away from the craft store as long as possible and check out the internet first. Most pre-packaged craft store “projects” rarely provide you with a finished product that anyone would want, but the internet is full of instructions, tutorials, videos and kits made by real people who want to show you how to make something interesting!

If you are a beginner and are good at following instructions, there are many sites where they can go to get detailed instructions from seasoned makers. Keep in mind that you are not meant to make and sell these items, but to make and use or give as gifts. If you don’t want to follow a pattern or set of instructions, it might be better to not make something that you want someone to keep and use for years and years. Stick with smaller, peronalized items like holiday ornaments, photo albums, framed drawings. No matter what, don’t try to make all of your gifts yourself, concentrate on one or two and you are likely to make something interesting. You can buy handmade for the rest, by visiting sites like Etsy or checking out local handmade markets in your area.

Some places to begin.

Instructables.com is just what it sound like, a Web site full of instructions to make and do just about anything. It is seriously huge. If you think you are getting overwhelmed by it, they have put out a book full of their best projects. I found this awesome laptop bag project on Instructables. The bag core is made of high density foam, reinforced with paperboard. I was impressed with this project because laptop bags are expensive and often ugly, so the idea of making one that I can personalize is appealing. These instructions also came with a video!