Are you like me and have problems with ribbon headbands sliding off your alien shaped head? Okay, maybe your head isn’t shaped like an alien’s, but still, you might benefit from a rigid headband, right? Well, I’ve been experimenting with creating some headband stlyes, and thought I would share an idea with you! Imagine a ribbon style headband, with the security of a rigid shape, and the styling capabilities of a hair comb. Bam! I gotcha girl. Check out the supply list below to get started on making your own!

I found all of these supplies for a great price at a local craft shop. The velcro you use should be at least the width of the ribbon you are using, and the headband form should also be a similar width. Grab some glue (hot glue works great for this project, actually!), scissors, and get going! Watch the video below to see how I made my headbands. (Oh, and by the way, isn’t Harriot the Head Mannequin looking lovely in her new yellow headband?!)

Do you have any favorite ways to wear headbands? If so, I’d love to know! I must admit, I’m rather out of headband practice since I last great out my bangs in 6th grade. Teach me your hairstyling ways! Oh, and if you try out this DIY, I’d love to see how it worked out for you!

I’ve long admired the handiwork of crafty ladies on the internet with their knitting needles and crochet hooks. With just the memory of a 10-year-old impatient version of myself tediously making half-finished pot holders for my loving mother, I never thought I would have the gumption to create the gorgeous projects I admired online. Until last year, when I thought, eh, why not? Why not give it another go?

I have had an embarassingly short attention span when it comes to projects. Who knows whether this attitude was fostered by blog headlines that began with “Quick and Easy DIY!”, or the self-imposed pressure to crank out project after project to file away under the blog label “do it yourself.” I’m quite certain that the day and age of hours wasted on the internet and instant gratification was steering me away from my desire to craft beautiful, useful things for my home that would take longer than an episode of Law and Order (SVU!) to complete.

I do believe that quick projects have their place, but my own heart belongs with the detail-oriented work of a craftsmen. I’ve enjoyed engaging in time-intensive projects alongside Dear Ol’ Daddio, like restoring my 1950s bicycle, or turning piles of old barn siding into sturdy and beautiful tables for my home. But what did I have to do when the cold-weather induced reclusive feelings come to visit me this time of year?

So, I decided to give my camera trigger finger a rest and put these lazy forearms to work with an aluminum hook and a ball of yarn. Sure, these projects take a long time. But the quality and feeling of accomplishment that results is worth their weight in… yarn.

Last Winter I started and finished a ginormous chevron coverlet for our bedroom (yet to be debuted on this blog), and have already decided to make a mini version this year. (See top picture for my progress.) Want to join in on the needle arts fun with me? Check out these swoon-worthy projects below. With just a little bit of patience and dedication, you’d be surprised at what you can accomplish!

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This would make a really cute baby blanket, or perhaps even a table runner. Their shape reminds me of quilted yo-yos, which have been a favorite of mine for quite sometime. Fine out how to make these at Julia Crossland‘s blog.

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I’m a big fan of the granny stitch, not only for it’s lace-like aesthetic appeal, but for the quick fashion in which they are created. I told you, I’m impatient. :) Isn’t the scallopped edge a darling detail? Find out more at Attic 24.

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I first tried by hand at this project last year by following along with this series of You Tube videos. I was amazed at how beautifully the coverlet turned out, so much so that I decided to try a smaller version this year. For this version, I combined this simpler style with the one I made last year (I liked the way the edges were finished better in that one), and so far I love what I’ve done! Also check out The Lazy Hobbyhopper who shows picture instructions on her blog.

Ever since my 2010 New Year’s resolution to wear more hats, my home has become a veritable dumping ground for colorful hats of all shapes and sizes. I do hang some on the wall, and others are kept in hatboxes, but I really thought it was high time some of my pretty hats received proper stands all their own. After checking online and in local antique stores to see what sort of hat stands were available, I was struck with the thrifty idea of making my own. Here’s how I did it:

When I first started shaping the wires, I was frustrated with their refusal to bend perfectly, as I had envisioned in my mind. Each piece had weird bends and wouldn’t sit quite right. Luckily I kept pushing through, because after wrapping the yarn around the whole connected piece, the metal was much more agreeable, and little variations became less noticeable.

You might try wrapping the wire before connecting each piece, if you want to save time (it would probably be easier), but I liked the continuity achieved by wrapping it all at once in the end. Curse of perfectionism, I ‘spose! As always, if you have any questions, I will answer them in the comments section below.