Welcome to December! If there ever was a month that screamed Martha Stewart, it’s December. I have lots of Martha projects planned for this month, so I thought I would dive right in with a craft!

I don’t know how to knit (although I can crochet a little) so I was intrigued with the no-knit scarf, page 73 of the Handmade Holidays special issue. You make the scarf with bulky yarn and tie knots instead of knitting. This, I thought, I could actually do.

My first task was the yarn. I ended up with yarn that may not be as bulky as it is supposed to be, but I liked the color and texture. I got the yarn for about $2.60 at Joann’s, using a 40% off coupon, so that was a deal.

First, you cut 12 lengths of yarn that are about 140 inches long. I made my a little longer in case of mistake. Then you divide the yarn into 4 groups with three strands in each. I recommend setting yourself up at a dining room table for this since they are very long.

I had to look up how to tie a square knot, since I had no idea what that meant. Basically it’s just a double knot.

If you want to use yarn that is not giant and bulky, then I would say to add more strands to each of your four groups. If I did this again with the yarn I used I would have doubled it I think.

Once you’ve got it all ready to go, you tie two bunches together then tie the other two bunches together. Imagine your yarn groups are labelled ABCD. Tie A and B together and C and D togther. Then you tie the inside groups together – B and C. Then you start over and do the outside groups, then the inside, over and over.

Not difficult to do, but it takes a little concentration. It also really helps to

have someone else helping you pull the yarn through and straightening it out. The instructions say to pin the end to a piece of foam board. I didn’t have any foam board, but I tried to pin it to a towel. It kept coming off. Instead, I recommend putting something heavy, like a book on the end of it.

I did fine until I got close to the end. Here’s the problem. Because you’re tying the inside B and C strands to each and also to the outside A and D strands, the B and C strands get shorter faster, since you’re using them more. I ended up with those strands done and two feet left on the other ones. I think there must be a way to flip the strands over at some point while tying so that you distribute them more evenly. If I ever do this again, I will try that.

Because of this, my scarf is a lot shorter than I would have liked, so I’m pretty disappointed with it.

Welcome to December! If there ever was a month that screamed Martha Stewart, it’s December. I have lots of Martha projects planned for this month, so I thought I would dive right in with a craft! I don’t know how to knit (although I can crochet a little) so I was intrigued with the no-knit … Read more →

I must confess that since we usually stay home for Thanksgiving, I don’t go nuts (ha! You’ll get the joke later in the blog) with table decorations. I use the good china, but generally stick with everyday silverware. Cloth napkins, maybe. This year, in my ongoing Martha makeover, I knew I had to kick it up a notch or two.

Candy Caper

First, I printed out the turkey candy bar wrapper template from Martha’s site that is shown on page 110 of the November issue of Living. I thought this was going to be slam dunk easy. Silly me. On 3 different trips to the store, I bought three different candy bars. None were the right size for this. The directions say to buy a 3 by 6 inch candy bar. Apparently all my efforts to estimate this size did not work! I have no idea why this was so complicated. The only way to make this one work is to take the wrapper to the store and find a candy bar that fits it. I gave up finally. No candy bars on my table. Sorry, Martha.

Going Nuts

Next I decided I wanted to make the cute acorn napkin decoration from page 54 of November Living. I couldn’t find any faux acorns, and we don’t have any real ones around here. Instead, I decided to use chestnuts! My mom always used to take me to pick them up when I was kid and she would tell me to put one in my pocket for luck. Once I had kids, she would take them to pick up chestnuts too. I have a basket of chestnuts in the family room that comes out with the fall decorations, so I just stole a few from it to do this.

Mr. MarthaAndMe got

out the drill and we drilled a hole in each chestnut. It wasn’t too hard to do at all! Then I pushed ribbon through (I used the end of a paper clip to shove it through) and tied a knot under each chestnut. Next, I just wrapped the ribbon around the napkin and tied it into a knot.

I think these are adorable and the added bonus is that they would work for a woodsy kind of Christmas setting too. This was so easy! I am proud of myself for attempting and succeeding at another craft (ok, so it was a minor one!).

Getting Centered

Martha had a “Good Things to Save Money” tip on her show recommending you just fill a bowl with apples for your Thanksgiving centerpiece. There’s also a section in the Nov. Living about making centerpieces from cabbages (trust me here, the cabbages in my grocery store do not look like the pretty ones Martha used).

I have a really cute faux pumpkin with flowers in it that I actually bought at the grocery store, which is my fall centerpiece. But to please Martha, I attempted to make my own from apples and pears. It looks kind of lame I think.

Placecards

On Page 54 of November Living, Martha also has leaf placecards. You take a plain card (she used black but I chose green) and cut a diagonal slit in one corner and insert a leaf there. Great, except all of our leaves have turned brown, crumpled into nothing, and been covered with snow by now. So I used a faux leaf instead. I think it’s actually kind of cute.

I must confess that since we usually stay home for Thanksgiving, I don’t go nuts (ha! You’ll get the joke later in the blog) with table decorations. I use the good china, but generally stick with everyday silverware. Cloth napkins, maybe. This year, in my ongoing Martha makeover, I knew I had to kick it … Read more →

I’ve poured over the November Ask Martha in Living and have come away with some tidbits. Firstly, I really appreciated the answer about removing wax from votives. I had not clue how to do this. Martha suggests popping the votive in the freezer and then removing the wax. This totally worked for me! Here are my before and after photos (the after one still needs some cleaning up, but the huge glob of candle wax is completely gone):

The other question I enjoyed was the one about adding fragrance to wood-burning fireplaces. One of Martha’s suggestions was to dry and then scent pinecones. I sent Mini-Martha to the backyard to pick up pinecones. I dried them in the oven at 200 degrees for about 45 minutes. Then I spread them out and sprayed them with a glittery spray. It didn’t turn out too glittery, so I sprayed it again and while still wet, shook on some white glitter. Gorgeous! Next I dropped on some scented oil. Martha says to keep the scented pinecones in a plastic ziploc, which I will do, but my plan is to give this as a gift, so I’m going to put them in a basket once we’re closer to Christmas.

I’ve poured over the November Ask Martha in Living and have come away with some tidbits. Firstly, I really appreciated the answer about removing wax from votives. I had not clue how to do this. Martha suggests popping the votive in the freezer and then removing the wax. This totally worked for me! Here are … Read more →

It was time to buckle down and do some crafting with Martha. I decided to make the oak-leaf bowl from p. 95-96 of Nov. Living, which Martha also made on the show. It looked not too complicated.

First off, I hit the craft store. This was actually a cheap project for me. I bought a piece of felt for 79 cents and got a remnant of some tweed for $2.17. The fusing material was  $3.99 (I think there are 3 or 5 in the bag and I used only one).

Ok, so I started off

fusing the two fabrics together. This was easy. The hardest part was finding the iron! We never use it and it was stuffed away somewhere.

Next I cut out the leaf template that Mr. MarthaAndMe brilliantly enlarged for me on the computer. I’m not sure who has a copier at home that will enlarge things, but I sure don’t have one. Martha was pretty casual about this – “Now just blow it up on your printer or copier”. Umm, ok.

Martha says to trace the template on the material using a disappearing ink pen. I don’t have one of those (or if I did, it must have disappeared). Mr. MarthaAndMe suggested I trace it with chalk. He’s just as cute

as he is smart, folks! This worked well. Next, I cut out the material. This was hard on the hands, but doable.

Martha then wanted me to “create darts” by sewing closed the V-shaped notches on the fabric with a “zigzag stitch”. First problem, I don’t have a sewing machine. Second problem, I really am not sure what a dart is. Third problem – no clue what a zigzag stitch is. Those are some big problems, gang.

I hand sewed this and did it so that I stuck the needle in one side and pulled it out the other. Instead of making it go back in the side it just came out of, I looped it over the top of the seam so it went back in the first side (I’m you sewing geniuses know what this is called, but I don’t). This kind of covered up the bare edges of the fabric. It took a while and my fingers are pretty mangled.

Once it was done, I was pretty impressed by it. It really looks like a leaf. Not sure what I would put in it though.  And I’m not really a big lover of fall type colors. Mr. MarthaAndMe suggested I give it as a gift and maybe I’ll end up doing that. I’m not sure it’s exactly perfect enough to do that with though (some of the edges are a tiny bit frayed).

So now for the deeper questions. How did this project make me feel? I have to say that I have always somewhat enjoyed hand sewing. I once hand sewed a cushioned seat and back for a child’s rocking chair and I also hand sewed some doll house things – curtains, tablecloths, sheets, blankets, and pillows. I’m not too bad at mending holes and I can sew a button on, so I’m not a total loser. There is something very relaxing about sitting still and doing something like this with your hands. It’s a nice brain-free activity – something that does not require higher thought. I don’t like messing things up though and get frustrated when the needle goes the wrong way,  the thread gets knotted or I sew it crooked. This one was pretty idiot proof though I have to say, if I was able to make it turn out looking this good.

This project took me a couple of hours. I don’t know if the time put into it equals the result. I know it is supposed to be about the process and the joy of creating something with your own hands. I get that, but I think I might rather go shopping and buy something I like that is really well-made.

It was time to buckle down and do some crafting with Martha. I decided to make the oak-leaf bowl from p. 95-96 of Nov. Living, which Martha also made on the show. It looked not too complicated. First off, I hit the craft store. This was actually a cheap project for me. I bought a … Read more →

On Friday, Nov 14, Martha made mushroom prints with Seal. Wow! I thought they were amazing and was excited to do with it with mini-Martha. I even thought we might be able to frame them and give them as a gift.

First stop  – the store. I bought two pieces of 12×12 cardstock for 50 cents each at Joanns. They had never heard of spray fixative and acted like I was a lunatic (don’t you hate that? Are they there to serve the customer or what?). I found that at Michael’s for $6.49. Then off to the grocery store where we bought portabellas for $2.07 and shitakes for 67 cents.

We came home and removed the stems.  Mini-Martha placed the mushrooms on the papers. We covered them with bowls for 24 hours.

The result? NOTHING. One portabella made a little bit of a mark. One shitake left a white mark. That’s it. Total dud.

Now, Martha probably had her mushrooms brought in that day from her own private mushroom patch, so I wonder if this craft depends on having absolutely fresh mushrooms. If so, it would have been nice to be told that (no idea how one would find those in November when there are no farmers markets open here in upstate NY). I’m really, really disappointed in this and so is mini-Martha. Thumbs down, Martha.

The other thing I have to say is Martha said you should save the mushrooms and eat them after the craft. Mine had started to mold! Yuck!

On Friday, Nov 14, Martha made mushroom prints with Seal. Wow! I thought they were amazing and was excited to do with it with mini-Martha. I even thought we might be able to frame them and give them as a gift. First stop  – the store. I bought two pieces of 12×12 cardstock for 50 … Read more →

I signed up for Martha’s Thanksgiving Workshop email program. The idea is she will send me an email once a week to help me get ready for Thanksgiving. Ok, that’s clever, although I am not really feeling overwhelmed about Thanksgiving. Unlike Christmas, it’s just a dinner.

Week 1

The first email arrived the first week in November. She suggested that I:

– Choose a menu. This was easy since we tend to be traditional. I’m going with her classic menu.

– Create a guest list. Easy – it’s just the 4 of us. No guests.

– Order the turkey. I’m going to call the butcher today. I always get a fresh turkey.

– Create some decorations. Martha has big ideas about buying a cornucopia and then wrapping it in burlap and raffia. Sounds nuts to me. I have two that I filled with artificial fruits and vegetables and I think they are great. The one in my living room is crystal and has some gilded things in it. The family one is more casual. She also wants me to fill an urn with fresh produce for my porch. Instead, I have an arrangement of artificial flowers and pumpkins on my porch which will last longer than Martha’s. Do you see our “purkey”? Or “tumpkin”? We have these metal turkey pieces you insert into a pumpkin and it makes this cute turkey.

These are the kinds of things where Martha has great ideas, but I don’t know how anyone can have the time and money to do them all. Instead, I’m taking my inspiration from her and doing things in a less expensive and less over the top manner.

Week 2

Update on week 1 responsibilities:

– I tried to order my turkey, I really did. My grocery store had a page in their ad showing that they have organic free range turkeys. Perfect, I thought! I went to the counter to order it and they told me they don’t take orders! They told me when they get deliveries and suggested I come in on those days! I could also call them and ask them to pull one out and hold it for me. Gee, how convenient.

– I took the quiz What Thanksgiving Side Dish Are You? Martha says I am mashed potatoes and gravy, which is totally accurate! I love mashies so, so, so much. It is a childhood deprivation issue (I’m throwing my mom under the bus again!). My mom usually had Thanksgiving when I was a kid and she doesn’t like mashed potatoes (which is why I can’t get enough of them). In fact, she doesn’t like much about a traditional Thanksgiving. We never had pumpkin pie either (although I believe there was pumpkin soup) and there were various frightening stuffing experiments that still give me the chills! I’ve never once seen a green bean casserole and she always made her own cranberry sauce with fresh cranberries and oranges.

– I have a table-setting ready to go (I’ll be posting photos soon)

– I am supposed to practice my side dishes. Well I made Big Martha’s mashed potatoes and the acorn squash with rosemary from the Nov. issue of Living this week, so that counts

– I am also supposed to bone up on my basic cooking techniques. I think I’m good with that, Martha. I’ve cooked many a Thanksgiving meal and I’m also following along with cooking school, so I think all is well.

Here’s a side note. I’m two weeks into the Thanksgiving workshop and I just got an email from Martha about the Christmas workshop. OMG. I haven’t even finished the table-settings for Thanksgiving. I just about died when I followed the link in the email. There is a TEN PAGE shopping list. 10 pages!!! I have never seen anything like this in my life! Now, I am sort of excited about it because Christmas does bring out my inner crafter, however this is way over the top. I’m SO scared. I’m going to have to attempt at least some of these crafts. Michaels just sent me a 50% any item coupon, so I guess I’ll put that to good use!

I signed up for Martha’s Thanksgiving Workshop email program. The idea is she will send me an email once a week to help me get ready for Thanksgiving. Ok, that’s clever, although I am not really feeling overwhelmed about Thanksgiving. Unlike Christmas, it’s just a dinner. Week 1 The first email arrived the first week … Read more →

May I have a trumpet sound please? (doo-doo-doo!) I am proud to announce and reveal my very first Martha craft, from the November issue of Living (Martha doesn’t have it up on her site yet, but once she does I’ll put a link in here). I am quite shocked at how well (almost) it turned out. Of course, it looks nothing like the one in the magazine, but I would say it’s not half bad.

First please allow me to vent about Martha’s craft projects. While it’s nice that she has a guide in the magazine that tells you where to order all the supplies, there’s no way I’m about to do that. First of all, the prices are ridiculous. Secondly, by the time I order it all and it arrives, it will be next month. Not practical. So off I went to Micheal’s. They only had one kind of wreath form and it’s much wider than the one Martha uses in her directions. I also chose one with a smaller diameter. They also did not have any “metallic papers” so I bought gold wrapping paper and used that.

I honestly thought there was no way this was going to work. The instructions are very vague and not very detailed. Martha left it up to me to design the leaf shape. Eeek. Deep breathing.

I did not understand how to staple paper onto a metal wreath, but shockingly, it actually worked. I guess I stapled paper to paper which held it on. My leaf sizes are not uniform and the gold ones stand out a bit, but really, for a first effort, I’m pretty pleased with myself.

Ok, so my bow is totally dorky. I know. And she didn’t say how to attach it, so I stapled that sucker on too.

Would I proudly display this on my front door for the entire month of November. Um, no. Not a chance. But it’s not as hideously embarrassing as I expected.

Now for the real question – did crafting relax me? I guess maybe a little, when I wasn’t shouting at it “Come on, Martha!” I do think that I can see the pleasure is making things yourself. The whole project took about 50 minutes from start to finish and I did it while my son was doing his homework.

Have you attempted this project? Let me know how it went.

May I have a trumpet sound please? (doo-doo-doo!) I am proud to announce and reveal my very first Martha craft, from the November issue of Living (Martha doesn’t have it up on her site yet, but once she does I’ll put a link in here). I am quite shocked at how well (almost) it turned out. Of … Read more →