Winter Sown Seeds

thumbnail of Winter Sown Seeds in a Pretzel Jar (click for large version)

Are you thinking about spring too? I love gardening, but since I live in Michigan, spring planting is still a long time off. I've tried growing seedlings inside the house but they've always ended up so spindly that they never really made it to the garden. I came upon this idea while surfing the internet one night and have wanted to try it out.

The idea is to plant seeds in miniature greenhouses made of old containers such as deli trays and Costco-sized pretzel jars and then set them outside for the rest of the winter. When the time is right - and the seeds will know when - they will sprout, protected from birds, from washout by torrential downpours, and from drying out in the wind. You'll get a very early start on your garden or flower beds with very little investment.

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Felting Flop Scarf

thumbnail of Felted Flop Scarf After Felting (click for large version)

I've seen so many cool felted items lately - purses, hats, and even felted book covers. The online videos and books make it look very easy. So far I've only posted projects that turned out well, but that will change today! Here is the first flop that I'm willing to spend the time documenting.

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Homemade Instant Hot Chocolate Mix Recipe

thumbnail of Hot Chocolate (click for large version)

Here's a simple recipe to make your own, healthier hot chocolate mix. There are only three ingredients, which you may already have in your pantry. You might want to include a little bag of this in a decorative mug for a Valentine's gift!

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tags: cooking

Woven Paper Heart Basket

thumbnail of Scandinavian Woven Paper Heart (click for large version) Get ready for Valentine's Day by making a few! These woven paper hearts are a Scandinavian Christmas tradition, but I think they're cool for Valentine's Day too. By cutting and weaving two different colors of paper or felt, you'll have a cute little heart-shaped basket for a few candies. This can be a little tricky, but should be good for kids 10 and up.

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Double Knit Fabric Strip Bag

thumbnail of Double Knit Fabric Strip Bag (click for large version)

Another bag made by knitting fabric strips - this time using the double knit you can achieve on a Knifty Knitter long loom or a double rake knitting loom. The texture of this is wonderfully squishy and I've added an extra long braided strap to let the bag hang from one shoulder to the opposite hip.

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