Sewing Skills & How Tos

These beginner-friendly kits will jump-start your new favorite hobby.

In just three steps!

What to make when you're tired of scarves.

It took her a month to finish.

Some of these classes are normally pretty expensive.

The ability to crochet is a skill set that comes in handy more than often than you might imagine. It’s an inexpensive hobby that helps pass the time, is great for handmade gifts, and the repetition can be quite relaxing. The foundation chain is one of the most important techniques to learn, as it serves as the base on which your projects are built. The chain will hold your stitches and all succeeding rows. Yarn Crochet hook 1.

Save some dough by taking care of loose or missing buttons yourself; there’s no need to pay the dry cleaner to put them back on for you. All you need is a sewing kit and five minutes of concentration to do it RIGHT, so they’ll stay put and work well. And if you think you already know how to do this, you might want to read up on it anyway, unless you already know about the toothpick trick, and the proper direction to stitch your buttons… ThreadButtonNeedleScissors 1.

Widowed pillowcases are just as common around our house as single socks. I have no idea what happens to them, but apparently the same monster that eats socks also has an appetite for pillowcases.

When we decided to have our first Christmas tree above 18″ this year, it seemed the right time to make a tree skirt. It’s not difficult, and making your own means it can be made out of any fabric you choose. Here, I share how to make a reversible one so if your preference changes from year to year it’s as easy as a flip of the fabric: (2) contrasting 1.

A table runner is one of my favorite ways to dress up plain tablecloths or bare tables. This is probably the easiest sewing project that you could take on, and the same steps can be used to make napkins, too. For those who hoard designer fabric remnants found in the bargain bin like myself, the table runner project is a great way to put those pieces of fabric to good use. For this project, I created two table runners out of just one yard of Designers Guild Kashgar fabric.

I can’t remember how I first heard about Morgan Spenla and the company she’d started just a few years ago, The Crafter’s Box, but something made me stop, check out the site and call her up to find out what she was doing. What she was doing was building a company in her hometown of San Diego around a personal passion and a professional belief that crafting is a true antidote for our web addled world.

At first glance, knitting looks pretty complicated. All those hand motions, not to mention an endless number of knots. It definitely takes some practice, but once you’ve got the basics down, it’s really quite straightforward and simple. Not only is it a soothing meditative activity —a break from the outside world — it’s a portal to handmade scarves, sweaters, blankets and other home decor and accessories. Plus, there’s all that beautiful, colorful yarn to buy!