Jute Ornament

I love making holiday decorations and I am very excited this year to get started with some fun projects. This jute ornament can take a little time to make, but it is very fun and super cute for holiday decorating. You can make a loop for hanging or you can simply cover the styrofoam ball in jute and put on display. You can make them all the same size or you can vary the size of the styrofoam balls.

Supplies
Styrofoam Ball (desired size)
Jute Twine
Hot Glue Sticks
Hot Glue Gun
Scissors

Instructions
1. Turn in the end of your twine and glue onto the styrofoam ball with a small dot of glue.

2. Place a small bead of glue on the styrofoam ball close to the twine and wrap twine around the first piece of twine.

3. Continue the process of gluing and wrapping in small sections at a time until you cover the surface of the styrofoam ball and you are left with a small opening on the opposite end.

4. Cut the remaining twine to your desired length to make a loop for your ornament to hang from, or cut close to the base and leave just enough twine to fill the final space on the styrofoam ball.

5. Place a dot of hot glue in the middle of the small opening and press the end of the twine into the space.

Now your ornament is ready to use. Have fun!

Our New Crafted Spaces Studio and Store

This is the first post since the summer and I am sorry if it seemed like we may have disappeared. However, if you have been following our  Facebook and Instragram then you have an idea of what we have been up to and of course the title of this post may have given it away. After such a long hiatus, it seems only fitting that our new studio and shop gets a little spotlight.

Crafted Spaces | 13 Collier Street, Barrie, Ontario

I am happy to announce that we have opened our new studio and store at 13 Collier Street, Barrie, Ontario. The new location was opened on September 8, 2014 and is bright, spacious and conveniently located in downtown Barrie. Our main studio area is where most of the action happens, but there is an additional room of handmade goodies, an office and tons of storage. We even have a cute little kitchen and a private washroom in the unit.

My husband Don and I have spent the past few months getting things together and are very excited. I have also been hard at work creating new classes and workshops and we are curating a great selection of sewing, knitting, crocheting, quilting and craft books. In the coming months we will also have a selection of sewing and craft kits available; as well as a beautiful selection of handmade accessories, home decor items and other gift items from Canadian designers and artisans.

Crafted Spaces Sewing Studio

We jumped at the opportunity to move into this spacious and bright new location. We hope that the new location will be more accessible to our students and it will provide us with an opportunity to host a wider range of classes and workshops. We have introduced several knitting classes and hope to have more new classes and workshops being taught by myself and other instructors.

I have really enjoyed working from my home studio over the years. It has provided me with an opportunity to be close to my boys and to stay at home with my little guy, who started JK in September. Some of the larger group classes and some textile dye workshops will continue to be held at my home studio in Shanty Bay, Ontario.

The transition to the new studio has been great and I hope you will love it as much as we do. There are still a few small things left to do, but the new space has been well received by our students and customers. The new locations has lots of street parking and is easy to access. There is more square footage; which translates into comfortable sessions. There are also classes and workshops available throughout the day, evenings and weekends.

We also invite you to join us at our open "Sew and Craft" which takes place on alternate Sundays from 2:00pm to 4:00pm. My husband Don (GSM Beats Inc.) is also teaching guitar lessons from the private music lesson room at the studio. We also invite other creatives to join us to teach a class or workshop or to sell their handmade designs in the shop.

For more information about our location, hours and updates on our classes and workshops connect with us on Facebook and Instagram.

Crafted Spaces | 13 Collier Street, Barrie, Ontario

DIY Summer Tie Dye

Nothing says summer like a tie dyed T-shirt, tank top or scarf? Tie-dye can be so versatile and fun. There are tons of techniques you can use and each provides endless possibilities. If you are looking for a way to breath new life into an old garment or you are simply looking to add a splash of colour to your decor, consider tie dying.

Today's projects only took about an hour and were super fun to make. The first item is a scarf (thrift store find) and the second is a 100% cotton tank top.

The original scarf (left) and the finished tie-dyed scarf (right). The scarf was scrunched on the ends and
dip dyed to create an ombre effect.

Plain tank top (left) and the finished dip dyed tank top (right). The tank top was loosely twisted
while being placed into the dye bath (see below).

Supplies
Dye packet (1)
Salt (based on instructions)
Garment (tip: use cotton, silk, linen or other natural fibre for best results)
Pot, large basin or bucket (tip: consider purchasing a stainless steel pot at your local thrift store)
Rubber gloves
Rubber bands
Large spoon
Measuring cup

What we used:
1 Tin Dylon hot water dye in "Windsor Purple"
100% Cotton tank top
Scarf from thrift store (unknown fibre)

Instructions
Step1 - Prepare garments by washing and rinsing thoroughly. Squeeze out the excess water and keep damp. Fold, twist or scrunch the fabric as desired and hold in place with several rubber bands.

Step 2 - Prepare dye bath as instructed on the dye package.

The Dylon dye we used required mixing in boiling water to dissolve the dye. The dye mixture was then added to the pot and water was added, just enough to cover the garments. The salt was added and stirred into the dye bath. The mixture was brought to a simmer for twenty minutes while stirring constantly.

Step 3 - Allow the garment to sit in the dye bath to intensify the colour and to get a stronger result.

Step 4 - Rinse fabric until water runs clear and remove the rubber bands as you are rinsing. Hang to dry, away from heat or direct sunlight.

Tips: Using the salt, ironing and/or placing the item in the dryer can help to set the colour.

If you are looking for a natural dye option check out our post on: Making Natural Dyes.