Sugar Skull Masks

I hope you are all enjoying Dia De Los Muertos. I was inspired by the holiday to take this gorgeous piece of scrap book paper and turn it into a paper sugar skull mask. It is super easy, all of the hard work of decorating was done by the paper for the most part, all I needed to add were facial features. Now, to add ribbons so it ties on, or to put it on a popsicle stick?

I used some old newspaper to make my skull shape template, it only took a couple tries to get a shape I was satisfied with. After that, just cut your shape out of the decorative paper of your choice and embellish with anything else you might like!


As many of you know, I was planning on having two giveaways on the blog in October. Sadly, I was not feeling well for a little over a week, so a lot of blog plans suffered along the way. To make up for it, I am adding a giveaway on to this post! It is extra special as you get to CHOOSE what prize you get! What am I giving away? Your choice of ONE of these 3 fabulous books:




Miette




Cakespy presents Sweet Treats for a Sugar Filled Life


OR



Modern Blocks




All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post stating which book you would prefer and why. Winner will be selected at random and announced on November 8th. All entries must be received by 9pm PST on November 7th. Good luck! This giveaway is sponsored by me, myself and I. Due to shipping costs, etc. this giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. One entry per person please.


This contest is now closed. Congratulations to Lynley! Please contact me at craftinomicon@gmail.com with a mailing address to claim your prize. Thank you all who participated.

Fun with Fat Quarters!

If you are like me and can't help but feel like a kid in a candy store when you enter any fabric store or craft department, fat quarters (fabric cut to be 18" x 22") can be a great way to add a lot of options to your fabric stash without breaking the bank coming home with yards and yards of fabric. The problem? They aren't large enough for bigger projects unless you like to patchwork them together.

That's why I decided to make this little list of projects that can be done entirely from fat quarters! It's also a great list for people who maybe don't have a lot of time to do their crafty projects, as working on a smaller scale often helps me with the actual finishing of projects.

So what can you make from a fat quarter?

You can easily sew 2 fat quarters together (same fabric or two different fabrics), add some stuffing and now you have a fancy new throw pillow! If you use two different fabrics, it's even reversible. You could even get fancy and use piping around the edges if you wanted. I often make little appliques to sew onto one of my fat quarters to give it a little something special.

Coasters are another great fabric project that can be done with fat quarters. If you get a bunch of them in coordinating colors, you can make several sets. I generally start with 4" squares for my coasters, then layer them with some quilt batting or felt for added cushion. To see a full tutorial on how to make these coasters click here. I'm extra proud of these as I made them with my first ever fabric I designed myself at Spoonflower.

You could also make a bunch of these adorable boxy pouches with the addition of a zipper. The full tutorial for these can be found at Three Bears. This is a cute little blog, this tutorial is great, and I see a lot of adorable little boxy pouches being made this holiday. I may even forgo buying wrapping paper for my smaller gifts and use these instead. :)

If you have a little one, or know someone who does (or will have one soon) these baby booties from Heather Bailey Design are another great fat quarter project. The full tutorial, complete with pattern is included in this pdf. *Photo from Cherry Plum

Finally, don't forget about my fat quarter giveaway. You have until the 17th to enter, and wouldn't it be great to have some fat quarters to try out all of these projects with?