The Quaint Crafter

About twenty-five years ago I bought my first plaster Christmas Village piece from Michael’s Craft Store. When I went to the store that day, I wasn’t looking to start painting a Christmas Village. But when I spotted a small plaster Bookstore on the shelf, I was in. I’ve always had a love of books and creative writing, and I had to add this piece to my Christmas decor. Little did I know it would be the first of nearly thirty pieces I would eventually paint.

In the last couple of years, I’ve added lighted stands to help illuminate my collection. My plaster Christmas Village has become something I’m proud to display. I keep it up well after Christmas most years. But I still have many that I haven’t finished, and some that I haven’t even started. Sometimes when I come up with a color-scheme on paper, it doesn’t translate well on a village piece. That is the case for my Boutique. So, it stayed hidden in my basement for years.

Where do I begin? There were many reasons why I gave up on the Boutique. The dark maroon and purple made it look haunted, and it looked odd alongside my other village pieces. But the biggest reason was that after spending many hours painting, and then being disappointed in the way it turned out, I didn’t want to waste any more time with it. I didn’t know how to fix it, or if it could be salvaged.

The first thing I needed to do was dust off the piece. Then I decided on cream with a sage and dark green trim. It took several coats to get rid of the purple and maroon, but once it started disappearing, I was finally able to see what the Boutique could become. I left the roof and awnings the same, but I do still need to touch up that paint as well.

I’m not quite done with it, but I wanted to share how it’s turning out. I’m a little bit of a perfectionist when it comes to my Christmas Village, so I’m not ready to seal the paint just yet. I love how the Boutique has transformed from a gawdy, dark mess into a fresh, lighter piece. It made me realize that just about any craft project can be changed to give it a whole new look. I can’t wait for it to join my Christmas village this year.

Every January I feel a sense of sadness come over me as all the Christmas decorations get put away and we prepare for the cold months ahead. To help quell this feeling, I like to have some decorations to make the house feel warm again. Last year I made a lighted Winter Box for my hearth that gave my living room some much needed light and warmth. This year, I got an idea for something to sparkle-up my front door.

If you love to paint, I highly suggest you get to the craft store and check out the wood section. Years ago, I painted a plaster Christmas village from California Creations. But plaster items are hard to find these days, so instead I got into painting laser wooden pieces and embellishing them with rhinestones, freestyle Diamond Dotz and pearls.

The great thing about these pieces is that you can find just about any shape you can imagine in a multitude of sizes. The best part – they’re inexpensive and you can get them at craft stores or online. I found a package of 11-inch wooden wreath forms online. Next I bought an assortment of 3-inch wooden snowflakes, along with a bundle of 1-inch snowflakes to help fill in the gaps. Then it was time to start painting.

Before I started painting, I arranged the snowflakes around the wreath form until I was pleased with the way it looked. For the paint, I used blues, white and purples to give it an icy feel. I painted a few of the smaller snowflakes in darker shades to add some contrast.

To give the piece a different texture, I used flat-backed pearl beads on a few of the snowflakes. The pearls are iridescent and come in a bunch of different sizes, making them perfect for this project. The pearls make the snowflakes look like jewelry. I applied them using my Diamond Dotz pen, but you can also you a tweezer.

The glue I used to adhere the snowflakes and the gems was LiquidFusion Adhesive. This is by far my favorite glue to keep gems and pearls in place.

I painted the wreath ring a dove gray, then I assembled the snowflakes around it, moving them around until they were spaced just right.

I attached the large snowflakes first. Then I arranged the smaller ones. To finish, I attached some cord to the back for hanging.

Hope you are inspired to think about gems and pearls other than just for diamond painting. There are so many uses, and you can customize any piece to the colors and shapes you want. Happy crafting!

For the last couple of months, I’ve been working on knitting spooky squares in different colors of cotton yarn. My plan was to assemble all the squares to make into a table runner. The first square was a Bat, the second was a Skull & Crossbones, the third was a Spider, the fourth was a Ghost and the final square was a Jack-O-Lantern. I was hoping to create a fun and unique Halloween accent for my dinner table. Now that I’ve finally finished knitting, it’s time to make them into the table runner I imagined.

The first task was to assemble the squares in the order I wanted. I moved them around a couple of times before I found the arrangement of colors I liked best.

To attach them, I wanted to use cotton yarn since the squares were also knitted from cotton yarn. I made a quick trip to Michael’s, but I couldn’t find black yarn in the Sugar’n Cream yarn I used to make all the squares. So, I bought black yarn from Loops & Threads instead.

To attach the squares, I lined up the edges, then placed the squares on top of each other, right-side facing each other. Next, using a tapestry needle, I whip-stitched the edges together.

I repeated the method above until all five squares were attached. It actually did not take as long as I thought it would. I’m so happy with the way it turned out. The images on the squares are subtle, but the colors definitely add a festive touch to my table. You can use it alone, or layer it on top of a tablecloth. I used my runner to put hot plates on since the cotton yarn absorbs the heat and protects my wood table. I love how it livens up my dining room. Happy Halloween!

It’s finally done! After knitting for most of the summer, I completed my last square in my Halloween table runner: a jack-o-lantern. Between work and other commitments, it took me a while to finish this one, but I’m glad I did.

Like the other squares, I used Sugar’n Cream cotton yarn. The color I used for this piece is hot orange.

Size US 7 knitting needles

1 skein Sugar’n Cream yarn in hot orange

Begin by casting on forty stitches.

Rows 1-2 k across row.

Row 3: k18, p4, k18

Row 4 and all even rows: k across row.

Row 5: k11, p6, k1, p4, k1, p6, k11

Row 7: k10, p20, k10

Row 9: k9, p22, k9

Row 11: k9, p22, k9

Row 13: k8, p6, k1, p10, k1, p6, k8

Row 15: k7, p6, k3, p8, k3, p6, k7

Row 17: k7, p5, k5, p6, k5, p5, k7

Row 19: k7, p26, k7

Row 21: k7, p12, k2, p12, k7

Row 23: k7, p11, k4, p11, k7

Row 25: k7, p4, k1, p5, k6, p5, k1, p4, k7

Row 27: k7, p4, k2, p14, k2, p4, k7

Row 29: k7, p4, k3, p12, k3, p4, k7

Row 31: k7, p5, k3, p3, k5, p3, k2, p5, k7

Row 33: k7, p5, k16, p5, k7

Row 35: k8, p6, k5, p3, k4, p6, k8

Row 37: k8, p24, k8

Row 39: k9, p22, k9

Row 41: k11, p18, k11

Row 43: k12, p7, k1, p8, k12

Rows 45-48: k across row.

Bind off and sew ends into piece.

I sprayed the piece with a little water until it was damp and then pinned the piece to a blocking board until it was dried so that it would be the same size as the other squares in my Halloween series.

Now that all five squares are done, all that’s left is to sew them together. It was a lot of work, but I think it’s going to be a whimsical and fun table runner. I will post the completed runner soon.

Time for the fourth square in my Halloween series. This one was a tough one to figure out, and I’m not sure I like how it turned out. There are so many ways to make a ghost, and I wasn’t sure which one to go with. It turned out rather menacing looking instead of the fun/non-scary type of ghost I wanted.

Like the other squares in my Halloween series, I used Sugar’n Cream cotton yarn. I’m hoping to connect the squares into one long Halloween table runner, and I wanted to use yarn that was washable.

Size US 7 knitting needles

1 skein Sugar’n Cream yarn in white

Begin by casting on 40 stitches

Rows 1-4: knit across row

Row 5: k18, p3, k19

Row 6 and all even rows of pattern: k across row

Row 7: k9, p2, k6, p5, k6, p2, k10

Row 9: k8, p4, k4, p7, k4, p4, k9

Row 11: k7, p6, k2, p3, k1, p1, k1, p3, k2, p6, k8

Row 13: k7, p11, k1, p1, k1, p11, k8

Row 15: k7, p25, k8

Row 17: k7, p1, k5, p13, k5, p1, k8

Row 19: k14, p5, k1, p5, k15

Row 21: k15, p4, k1, p4, k16

Row 23: k16, p3, k1, p4, k16

Row 25: k16, p8, k16

Row 27: k16, p8, k16

Row 29: k16, p8, k16

Row 31: k16, p8, k16

Row 33: k16, p8, k16

Row 35: k15, p9, k16

Row 37: K14, p10, k16

Row 39: k13, p10, k17

Row 41: k12, p9, k19

Row 43: k9, p10, k21

Rows 44-48: k across row.

bind-off and weave ends into piece.

Like the other squares I knitted, I sprayed the finished piece with a little water and then stretched it out on a blocking board so that it was the same size as the other squares.

I’m hoping to post the final square soon, and then I have to get to work attaching all the squares together. This project is taking a lot longer than I was anticipating, but I’m looking forward to the outcome. So far, I like how all the completed squares look together. I can’t wait to add the final square!

It’s time for my third knitted towel in my Halloween series. So far, I’ve knitted a bat and a skull & crossbones towel square in what I hope will be a festive and spooky Halloween table runner.

For this towel square, I used Sugar’n Cream cotton yarn in hot purple.

US size 7 knitting needles

1 skein of Sugar’n Cream cotton yarn in hot purple

Cast on 40 stitches.

Rows 1-6: knit across row

Row 7: k7, p6, k14, p6, k7

Row 8 and all even stitches: knit across row.

Row 9: k5, p2, k6, p2, k10, p2, k6, p2, k5

Row 11: k15, p2, k6, p2, k15

Row 13: k9, p4, k4, p1, k4, p1, k4, p4, k9

Row 15: k7, p2, k4, p2, k2, p1, k3, p1, k3, p2, k4, p2, k7

Row 17: k5, p2, k7, p5, k2, p1, k2, p1, k15

Row 19: k13, p7, k1, p4, k15

Row 21: k12, p14, k14

Row 23: k12, p14, k14

Row 25: k12, p14, k14

Row 27: k13, p7, k1, p4, k15

Row 29: k5, p2, k7, p5, k2, p1, k2, p1, k15

Row 31: k7, p2, k4, p2, k2, p1, k3, p1, k3, p2, k4, p2, k7

Row 33: k9, p4, k4, p1, k4, p1, k4, p4, k9

Row 35: k15, p2, k6, p2, k15

Row 37: k5, p2, k6, p2, k10, p2, k6, p2, k5

Row 39: k7, p6, k14, p6, k7

Rows 41-48: k across row.

Bind off and weave in ends.

Like the other squares, I sprayed this one down with water and pinned it to a blocking board until it dried so that it was the same size and shape as the other pieces. So far, the colors are really working to create an interesting Halloween centerpiece. I’m hoping to make two more squares to complete the table runner.

It’s time for square two in my series of knitted pieces for Halloween. The first piece I completed was a bat. I am hoping to link all the pieces together to create a fun and colorful table runner for Halloween. Fingers crossed that it comes together. The hardest part so far was coming up with five different images, then converting those images into knitting patterns.

I am using Sugar’n Cream cotton yarn for all five pieces. The pieces can be combined, or you could use them individually as kitchen towels. For the Skull & Crossbones, I’m using the color Hot Green. The skull & crossbones design is created with only knit and purl stitches, so it’s an easy project for a beginner.

Size US 7 knitting needles.

1 skein of Sugar’n Cream yarn in color Hot Green.

Cast on 40 stitches

Rows 1-4: Knit across row

Row 5: k9, p2, k19, p2, k8

Row 6 and all even stitches of pattern: knit across row.

Row 7: k9, p2, k6, p7, k6, p2, k8

Row 9: k7, p4, k6, p7, k6, p4, k6

Row 11: k7, p2, k1, p2, k4, p9, k4, p2, k1, p2, k6

Row 13: k11, p2, k2, p11, k2, p2, k10

Row 15: k12, p5, k2, p3, k2, p5, k11

Row 17: k14, p3, k2, p3, k2, p3, k13

Row 19: k14, p13, k13

Row 21: k15, p5, k1, p5, k14

Row 23: k15, p4, k3, p4, k14

Row 25: k16, p9, k15

Row 27: k16, p9, k15

Row 29: k17, p2, k3, p2, k16

Row 31: k15, p4, k3, p4, k14

Row 33: k14, p2, k1, p2, k3, p2, k1, p2, k13

Row 35: k13, p2, k2, p7, k2, p2, k12

Row 37: k9, p2, k1, p2, k4, p5, k4, p2, k1, p2, k8

Row 39: k9, p4, k15, p4, k8

Row 41: k11, p2, k15, p2, k10

Row 43: k11, p2, k15, p2, k10

Rows 44-48: knit across row.

Bind off.

Like the bat towel I knitted, the piece wasn’t a perfect square when I finished. I sprayed the piece down with water until it was damp and pinned it to a blocking board to get it to the size I wanted. Once it was dry, I removed it from the board.

The pattern took a little tweaking, but I like how it turned out. Here’s a hint for the next Halloween towel pattern I’m working on: it’s going to be creepy crawly. Stay tuned……

Sometimes I get the strangest ideas in my head. I wanted to create a knitted table runner for Halloween, but I didn’t want to knit one long piece. Instead, I wanted to knit several squares in different colors and connect them to make a colorful Halloween runner. Of course, the idea seemed great at the time, but when I sat down to plot it out, it was super frustrating. Like every time I decide to write a pattern, there’s a lot of mistakes and pulling out yarn. I may have even thrown my knitting needles across the room once. But here is square one of my colorful Halloween runner: The Bat.

I’m using Sugar’n Cream cotton yarn for all the squares. For the bat, I used the color Overcast. The pattern is made with knit and purl stitches, so it’s great for beginners.

I’m using cotton yarn because I hope to use this square as part of a table runner, but you could also use it as a cute dish towel of trivet. To make it as close to a square as I could, I knitted a sample and measured how many stitches I needed to cast on to make two inches and how many rows I needed to knit to make the same length, then calculated from there. So, if your gauge is bigger or smaller, it may not come out exactly like mine. But you can use a blocking board to make it as close to a square as you can.

Size US 7 knitting needles

1 skein of Sugar’n Cream cotton yarn in Overcast

Cast on 40 stitches.

Rows 1-4: k across row.

Row 5: k2, p16, k3, p16, k3

Row 6 and every even row after: k across row.

Row 7: k3, p14, k5, p14, k4

Row 9: k3, p13, k7, p13, k4

Row 11: k2, p13, k9, p13, k3

Row 13: k3, p12, k9, p12, k4

Row 15: k3, p12, k9, p12, k4

Row 17: k2, p13, k3, p1, k1, p1, k3, p13, k3

Row 19: k4, p11, k3, p3, k3, p11, k5

Row 21: k5, p11, k1, p5, k1, p11, k6

Row 23: k5, p29, k6

Row 25: k4, p31, k5

Row 27: k7, p25, k8

Row 29: k7, p25, k8

Row 31: k6, p27, k7

Row 33: k13, p13, k14

Row 35: k16, p7, k17

Row 37: k16, p7, k17

Row 39: k17, p5, k18

Row 41: k17, p5, k18

Row 43: k18, p3, k19

Rows 44-48: k across row.

Bind-off and weave in tails.

Despite my calculations, the finished piece wasn’t a perfect square. So, I sprayed the piece with some water and put it on a blocking board to help shape it.

It only took a couple nights of knitting to complete this square. I’m hoping to post four more ghoulish shapes in different colors in the coming weeks. Happy Knitting!

Recently, my father decided to sell his vacation home in Vermont. The house was filled with old furniture that we helped him haul back to his house. Some were family relics, but most were yard sale finds. Both my parents are avid yard salers, always looking for deals. I took most of the stuff to my house to sift through and give to local Goodwills. I did keep a few projects for myself. One such project was this small TV stand.

I thought the piece was made sometime during the 1980s. But while pulling out the bottom drawer of the piece, I discovered a clue. An Amtrak ticket dating back to 1974 was wedged under the drawer. The drawer is cedar-lined and was well-made. Based on the stamp inside the drawer, it was made by R Way from Sheboygan, Wisconsin. R Way was a popular furniture maker that shut down in 1992.

As with any piece I’m about to paint or stain, I washed this piece with a mixture of water and Dawn dish soap. I used a toothbrush to get into the cracks and crevices. Luckily, the piece didn’t need a lot of repair, just some light sanding to get rid of scuff marks.

Once it was cleaned and sanded, it was time to prime the piece with some Gripper Primer. After one coat of primer, I lightly sanded the piece again before moving on to paint.

Since I’m planning to put this piece in the same room as my TV stand, I wanted to use the same greige paint. But, thanks to some poor lighting in my basement, I ended up picking up the sage paint that I used to paint my hallway instead. In the bright sunlight of my deck, I didn’t realize my blunder until I painted one side, but I have to admit, I don’t mind the sage at all. I used a brush for the drawers and molding and a foam roller for the top and sides of the piece.

To accent the molding on the bottom, I painted the indentation gray to help it stand out.

The knobs that came with the TV stand were dated, mismatched and cracked. I believe the bottom two were probably the original drawer pulls. When I took off the knobs, I noticed indentions around the top holes that matched the bottom pulls. I decided on changing them all so they matched. After perusing Amazon, I decided on these cute white ceramic flower pulls. I absolutely love how they look and all four were a little over $12.

The bottom of the legs once had brass leg protectors, but only one remained. I tried to find replacements but had no luck. So, I painted the bottom of the legs where the covers were in the same gray paint as the stripe to tie the colors all together.

I really like how this piece turned out. My daughter gave me some crystals to put in the opening. I think I’m going to buy a mood light for the opening to go with the crystals. But you could put an aquarium or even a small cat bed. The possibilities are unlimited. I’ll wait for the paint to cure a bit before adding anything else. Before I put the drawer back, I put the Amtrak receipt back under it. That’s where it belongs. The fresh paint really shows off all the beauty of this piece. I know some think it’s controversial to paint old furniture, but I think I’m giving this piece of furniture a new life with a fresh look. Most times a piece only needs a few tweaks to turn it into something you’ll treasure forever.

I found this sad Santa at the Salvation Army. I passed by him three times before grabbing him on my way to the register. His odd colored coat and silver boots really took me aback. He was made of plastic and looked dirty and sad. Where did he come from? Could I give him a new life?

At $2.99, I wanted to give it a try. After a reverse image search, I was no closer to discovering where this navy Santa came from. Other than a Macy’s barcode on the bottom of his base, I had nothing to go from. With that mystery still lingering, I started work on re-inventing him.

First order of business was a deep cleaning. With some warm water, dawn and a toothbrush, I got to scrubbing. To my surprise, what I thought was dirt around the white base and fur trim of his coat must have been an intentional paint job. I definitely didn’t want my Santa to look weathered and grimy, so that was the first to go. Luckily, all it took was a couple coats of white paint and he started to look much better.

Next, I tackled his dark navy coat. It looked almost black it was so dark. After giving it some thought, I painted it a pretty lavender. Do you a purple person in your life? You know, everything they wear and decorate with is purple?

I painted his belt in a bold eggplant color to coordinate. I thought he’d have a much better chance of finding a good home if he was painted in shades of purple. If anyone knows a purple person in their lives, you know what I mean.

I ditched the gold sack for a more subdued brown then I painted the all-gold pinecones and branches in the sack in festive holiday colors. I toyed with the idea of painting his boots to match the royal violet of his belt, but my daughter convinced me not to do it. I thought the silver boots looked a bit like space boots, but they actually don’t look bad with the lavender paint and matching silver mittens. To finish, I sprayed him with a clear sealer.

I think my new purple Santa looks so much better than when I found him. A little bit of paint took him from dark and dreary to bright and cheery. I want to find some purple ornaments to help make him look even better. All he needed was a good cleaning and some paint and he’s got a new life. Happy crafting!