Hex Nut Bracelet

Tutorial

Hey guys!

So one of my first pins on Pinterest was some of those hex nut crafts where you braid the hex nuts into the fabric and then wear it as a bracelet or a necklace. On a random trip to OSH I bought some hex nuts but never got around to making it back then, so I decided to finish it this afternoon!

I was searching for a tutorial online because braiding the hex nuts into a bracelet proved harder than I though it'd be, but I couldn't find any so I made my own variation of the craft that's MUCH easier.



Here's the supplies you'll need:

• Hex nuts (Quantity depends on what you want to make. I made a bracelet and used 14.)

• Ribbon or yarn - a LOT of it. I used about 10 feet of yarn cut up into three sections. 

• Scissors

Step 1: Take your 10 ft long string of yarn or ribbon and cut into three equal sections.

Step 2: Tie a knot connecting the three strands of ribbon or yarn. I had to tie my yarn 2-3 times, putting each knot over the last, to make sure that the hex nut wouldn't slide over it and my ribbon only once. 

Step 3: Slide on a hex nut.

Step 4: Tie 2-3 knots on top of each other for yarn or only once for ribbon to hold hex nut in place.

Step 5: Repeat this step until all of your hex nuts are tied securely onto the ribbon or yarn.

Step 6: Tie ends together to make bracelet (or necklace).

And you're finished!

Hope you guys enjoyed this tutorial! It's a lot easier than the braided hex nut crafts but still gives the same effect.

Happy crafting,

-Micayla

Knitted Quilt Pillow

Tutorial

Hey guys!

So, like any high school senior, college is the number one thing on my mind currently. But since I'm obsessed with room makeovers and Pinterest, my future dorm room is also a often thought about topic. When planning the color scheme of my dorm room, coral immediately came to mind, but I had no idea what would go with it... until I pulled out my yarn.

I found that I liked the color combination of coral, white, grey, yellow and navy blue, so I decided to make a throw pillow that will hopefully be sitting on my new bed next year!

Craft Inspiration

I got my inspiration from this pin on Pinterest, and decided to model my second pillow after it!





Here are the supplies you'll need:

• Yarn (colors of your choosing, however I would recommend you to also have white yarn for the back.
• Knitting needles
• Scissors
• Embroidery needle
• Pillow stuffing (once again, I just cut open an ugly pillow I got for cheap)

Step 1: Knit squares- lots of them. For this I casted on 8 stitches for each one and then knitted until it formed a square. For my project I made 9 squares in each color and then knitted a few extras to make the full rectangle but you can vary that based on the size of the pillow you want to make.



Step 2: Lay out all of your squares in your final formation.

Step 3: Use the embroidery needle to sew all of the squares together. I found it easiest to just start in one corner and add on from there. In order to make the squares come together well and not look too messy, overlap one square over the other and use the same colored yarn as the top square to sew them together. That way you can't see the sewing because the sewing yarn and the knitted yarn are the same color.


Step 4: Knit the back. I would do this step after the squares because then you can see exactly how large your pillow will be once the squares are all sewed together. For my back, I casted on 60 stitches and then kept knitting and measuring and knitting and then measuring until the back of the pillow cover the front. 


Step 5: Sew together the front and back using the embroidery needle. I found this fancy new way to sew together two knitted things and making it look nicer! You can check out the tutorial here.

Step 6: Add stuffing.







Step 7: Finish up by sewing together together the final hole and...

You're finished with your pillow!

Hope you enjoyed this tutorial! Let me know in the comments below how yours went or if you have any questions.

Happy crafting!

-Micayla

Knitted Cinched Headband

Tutorial

Hey guys!

This was one of my first projects I ever did, and one of my favorites! It's great for winter, really cute and super easy to make!

Here are the supplies you'll need:

• Yarn
• Knitting needles
• Scissors
• Embroidery needle

Step 1: Cast on about 12-15 stitches with the yarn of your choice.

Step 2: Knit until you've made a rectangle that will stretch to the size of your head.

Step 3: End your knitted piece and sew together using an embroidery needle.

Step 4: Pinch the sewed area of the headband to make the cinched area. (same technique as the Knitted Bow Tutorial)

Step 5: Tie a knot around the cinched area.

Step 6: Wrap the area repeatedly. I usually stop once the cinched area is 2-3 inches long.

Step 7: Tie a knot in the back to finish off the headband and you're done!

Hope you enjoyed this craft and your day off from school/work today! 

Happy Martin Luther King Jr Day, and happy crafting!

-Micayla

Knitted Coffee Cup Sleeve

Tutorial

Hey guys!

This craft was prompted by my good friend, Alexia's, birthday! It was her birthday present, and I'm really proud of how it turned out.

 


Here are the supplies you'll need:

• Yarn
• Knitting needles
• (optional) To make the flower I used this flower-making loom that my Aunt Sherrill gave me for Christmas! I'm sure it's available at any Michaels or similar store with craft supplies.

(Sorry for the lack of pictures, I was in a hurry to make these in time!)

Step 1: Cast on 20 stitches.

Step 2: Knit a rectangle until it fits around the mug you're making the sleeve for. Make it so that the two ends of the rectangle meet when pulled out because if it's too loose, it won't stay up on the coffee mug. 

Step 3: Add on the attached decoration (bow, flower, or your own creation!) by "sewing" on the decoration with yarn of the corresponding color. 

Tutorial for the bow

As for the flower, you can buy the loom and it comes with instructions of how to make the flower.

Well that was probably my 2nd simplest craft I've posted, so I hope you enjoy it! Let me know how yours turns out or if you have any questions.

Happy crafting!

-Micayla

Dagger Collar Necklace

Tutorial 

Craft Inspiration
(Instagram: IPutTheDistrictOnMyBack)

Hey guys!

So this DIY project is inspired by the necklace I saw that Kylie Jenner posted on her Instagram account a while ago. I loved the necklace and thought it would be fairly easy to recreate, so I did!

Here are the supplies you'll need:

• 6 sets of charms (I got them at Michaels, sorry it doesn't have a specific name! And you can buy more or less in order to fit the style you want)
• Necklace clasps (I got a combination of screw on ones and clip on ones- whichever you prefer)
• Jump rings (Only if you use the clip kind of necklace clasps)
• Beading wire
• Scissors

Step 1: Measure your wire. I made mine 5-7 inches too long so that I could tie them easily and then I cut off the rest that I didn't need.

Step 2: Begin to string the charms! This is where you get to decide what you want your necklace to look like. You can have them the way I placed them or you could vary them and make them random or string them by size- whatever you want!

This is how mine looked at the end.

Step 3: Tie on the clasps to either end of the beading string.

And there you go! You're finished.

Hope you enjoyed this craft! Let me know how yours went or if you have any questions!

Happy crafting!

-Micayla

Knitted Bow

Tutorial

Hey guys!

So currently, my signature thing has been wearing these knitted bows! I saw Camilla on The X Factor from 5th Harmony rockin' bows every week and I realized how cute they were! However I'm kinda cheap (and broke) and decided to find a way to make them for a lot less money.

I'm not that advanced at knitting so this is a SUPER simple project that any beginner knitter can do. Just as long as you know how to cast on, do the beginner's knitting pattern and then end it, you're skilled enough to make this!

Here are the supplies you'll need:

• Yarn
• Knitting needles
• Scissors

Step 1: Cast on 15 stitches (or less if you want a smaller bow) with the yarn of your choice.

Step 2: Keep knitting until you've made a nice rectangle, and then close off the ends. You can test out how long you want it to be by pinching it in the center and seeing if you like the way your bow will look.

Step 3: Cinch. Start by pinching a small part at the top.

Step 4: Continue cinching the yarn down the rest of the bow. Pinch and hold.

Step 5: Tie a knot. Make sure the knot is in the back of the bow and leave a 3-5 inch strand of string hanging off one end and a long piece (the rest of the roll of yarn) hanging off the other end.

Step 6: Begin to wrap the rest of the yarn around the pinched/cinched part of the bow until you like the way it looks!

Step 7: Tie a knot at the end to finish it off, and then cut off the extra yarn.

And there you have it! You now have your very own knitted bow.

Leave a comment below to let me know how yours turns out or if you have any questions.

Happy crafting!

-Micayla

Wire Phrases

Tutorial

Hey guys! Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I spent the rest of my winter break out of town visiting one of my best friends, so I didn't get any crafting done. However we did make this awesome music video/cover to a song! (That's my friend singing/on camera, and I did the directing and filming). You can also check out my channel here. I make lots of music videos. :)

ANYWAYS. When I got back on Sunday afternoon my fellow craft buddy, Bria, made a new craft to share!

The supplies you need are:

• A hanger
• String (or yarn)
• Wire cutters

Step 1: Unwrap the top part of the hanger.

(Optional) Step 2: Cut off the ends with the wire cutter.

I found it was easiest to cut away at the outer plastic and to then bend the scrap wire up and down until it detached itself.

For me, it was easier to just cut off the ends instead of trying to make them straight. It's up to you if the extra length is important enough to you!

Step 3: Create your design. You could do one word, or two words (like I did), it's up to you. But choose something short due to the length of the wire and try to choose easy cursive words. Or if you don't want to do a word at all, you could always do a picture!

I chose "Te amo" because it means "I love you" in spanish and it reminds me of all my friends in Mexico, where I visit often.

To form the wires, I would recommend holding the point that you want to start bending at with a clamp and then bend the wires. This keeps the rest of your design from before in tact. Don't worry about dents and the plastic coming off when bending the wire because you'll wrap it with string later.

Step 4: Start wrapping the string around the wire. I found it was easiest to use clear nail polish at the top to keep the string from moving. It doesn't change the craft's appearance and will save you a headache!

Step 5: Seal off the end with clear nail polish and.. You're done! 

Hope you enjoyed the craft and the tutorial! Comment below and let me know how your project goes or if you need any clarifications. 

Happy crafting!

-Micayla