DIY Storage :: Yarn Wrapped Clementine Box Tutorial

Every year around Christmas I find myself in need of more storage. Often times I also need to do a bit of rearranging to make room for new books, toys, and games in our current space. I shared some creative shoe box storage recently, but I also love to repurpose clementines boxes. Clementines are great because they're super tasty, and they come in a wonderful box all ready to store scarves or books, or organize like items in the kitchen pantry. 

The last box that came into the house got a makeover by being wrapped in yarn. The shape of clementine boxes can be a little bit challenging to cover, so I wouldn't necessarily recommend this project for someone who is an intense perfectionist as it can be difficult to cover up every inch of the box underneath the yarn. Also, this post is not very image heavy, as my memory card went and corrupted almost all of the files. But as each clementine box is a bit different anyway, you'll just have to figure out what works best for yours.

 SUPPLIES.     clementine box

             yarn

             hot glue gun

I began by wrapping each post of my box individually. You'll want to apply a dab of hot glue at the beginning and end to adhere the yarn. Be careful not to burn yourself; I found that using the side of a pencil worked well to press the yarn into the glue without it sticking to my fingers. Try to be a bit stingy with the glue so it doesn't make a mess and get stuck to the yarn in places you don't want it to be seen.

Once you've got the posts wrapped, start at the top of the box and wrap around it until you get to the bottom, occasionally applying some hot glue to keep the yarn in place. I also glued a piece of yarn to the very top edge of each side of the box.

Clementine boxes are the perfect size for kids books. Depending on the surface where you'll be storing it, you may want to consider gluing a piece of felt to the bottom of the box so it won't leave scratches when moved; if using the box for storing kid items it would be really cute to glue their name to the front using fabric or wooden letters. For storing fabric items it's a good idea to adhere a piece of felt to the inside of the box on the bottom as the texture of the box can pull at fabric.

I use a clementine box to store school supplies we use daily, and with its new yarn-covered facade the box will blend nicely into it's surroundings on the bookshelf. I hope to share more about our bookshelf storage area soon!

DIY Christmas Yarn Tree Tutorial.

The Christmas bug bit me a little bit harder this year, and I decided that I wanted to do just a wee bit more decorating than usual. My great-grandmother had beautiful dark green ceramic Christmas trees in her house when I was growing up. An electric candle went inside, and when lit the dark, richly colored bulbs would cast a dull, warm glow. I am blessed enough to have one of those trees now, but the candle is missing, and I'm always afraid to put it out for fear one of the wee ones will knock it over and break it. So this year I thought it would be fun to re-create the look of that tree with yarn and pom poms. One trip to the craft store later, and I had all the materials I needed to create a couple of fun yarn trees inspired by my great-grandmother's vintage tree decoration!

SUPPLIES.               styrofoam cones (mine are 6" and 9")
                  yarn
                  felt to match yarn color
                  small pom poms (I used 10mm)
                  hot glue gun
                  scissors

If making a star for the top you'll also need: felt, matching embroidery floss, sewing needle, a wee bit of polyester fiberfill, toothpick.

To start, cut two circular pieces of felt that will cover the very top and bottom of the styrofoam cone. Adhere them using hot glue.

*A note about using hot glue with styrofoam: exercise great care not to melt the styrofoam by touching it with the hot metal tip of the glue gun.

Run a bead of glue along the bottom of the cone to keep the yarn in place, and then proceed to wrap the rest of the cone with the yarn. Once at the top of the cone cut the yarn and use hot glue to keep the end in place.

To create the look of lights, put a dab of glue on the back of each pom pom and stick it in place. Then, starting at the uppermost pom pom, take a piece of yarn and run it from one "light" to another, wrapping it once around each pom pom in the tree as you pass it to create a "string of lights". Once you have the string arranged in a way that looks pleasing put a dab of hot glue at the beginning and the end to hold the string of yarn in place.

If you decide to add a star to one or more of your trees, you can use the template below. Be sure to click on the image and print it in original size so that the star will be the correct size.

Once you've printed the template cut two stars from the yellow felt, and stitch around the edges. Lightly stuff the star with fiberfill before stitching it shut to give it a bit of dimension. Slide the toothpick into the star, and then gently push the toothpick into the styrofoam on top of the tree.

I did the smaller tree first with my four-year-old daughter, and we went a little crazy with the pom poms. When I did the larger tree I placed the pom poms farther apart, and I believe I like that better. However you decide to do it, have fun, and I hope that these little trees add more merry to your holidays!

DIY :: Yarn Pom-Pom Hair Pin Tutorial

It suddenly came into my head the other day that I needed a yarn pom-pom (or two) for my hair. So I busted out my yarn scraps (this is the PERFECT way to use up those odds and ends!), took a peek at this tutorial over on the One Sheepish Girl blog, and got to work!

Supplies:    yarn

             scissors

             set of 1" pre-made cardboard pom-pom circles

             set of 1 1/4" pre-made cardboard pom-pom circles

             2 hair pins

  
To start, you'll need to cut out four circles from an old cereal box; two measuring about 1 inch across, and two more measuring about 1 1/4" inches across. Then cut a slit into the center and cut out a smaller circle in the middle. (For more detail and better photos see the Sheepish tutorial.)

 

To make your pom-pom, place two of the same sized circles back to back and then wind the yarn around the "c" shape, continuing to wind until the center hole is filled with yarn. The more yarn you use, the fluffier your pom will be. Pull the yarn tightly through the center and cut.

Holding the circle of yarn tightly to keep the yarn in place, work your scissors around the circle using the cardboard as a guide. Then gently work a new piece of yarn between the two pieces of cardboard and tie a knot; work the yarn in the opposite direction and tie another knot. Cut the pom-pom loose!

Trim the pom-pom and fluff it up a bit. 

Find your way into the center of the pom and slide a bobby pin through the piece of yarn that was used to tie the pom-pom together. Now repeat the above steps with the other sized cardboard circle templates to make your second pom-pom.

Voilà! You now have two pom-pom hair pins!

I'm thinking these new hair accessories will be great for the cooler months with a pair of skinny jeans and a cardigan, or a sweater and a fun pair of boots!