GIMP is a graphics manipulation programme very similar to Adobe Photoshop. The major difference between the two is that Photoshop costs around $1,500 retail and GIMP is a totally free open source software programme.

The easiest way to create your own satin stitch embroidery patterns using GIMP is to download and install some free brush sets. GIMP recognises brush sets designed for Photoshop, so there are hundreds to choose from. In the spirit of free and open source, please don’t use these free brushes for commercial purposes.

You can download GIMP here.

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If you’re doing a lot of craft, then you will come across the need every now and then to do some tracing.

Yes you can do the whole hold it up to the window trick, but when you’re doing a lot of tracing, a light box is ideal. The problem is that commercial light boxes cost an absolute fortune, so here is a way to create a makeshift light box for free.

I actually got this idea from a wonderful little quilting blog I came across months ago, but I can’t for the life of me find it again, so I apologise for not crediting the blog and providing a link. If I find it, I’ll add it in.

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Photo from Modest Mavern

I thought that aprons were a bit passé, but lately I need to wear an apron all the time. All my clothes have grease marks on them from cooking and my hand-eye coordination seems to have gone out the window, because I even need an apron on while I eat. I love the cafe style aprons, but an apron without a bib just won’t cut it.

I always get a little carried away with these collections. I thought there would be only a couple of apron variations but 300 tutorials later, I’ve realised that that’s not the case. Every time I thought “last one” I came across a new design or a new design element that had to be included. The up side to this is that there is a variety of techniques and designs that can be used as inspiration and mixed and matched.

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Photo source

Need inspiration for a handmade Valentine gift idea? I’ve put together a little collection of Valentine’s Day inspired handmade tutorials from around the net.

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I made up some hampers for Christmas this year. The hampers had an ‘afternoon tea’ theme and included a plate, a hand designed and embroidered tea cloth, some fresh QLD coffee beans, Northern NSW English Breakfast tea, homemade choc-chip cookies and homemade caramel filled truffles. To give the hamper a sense of unity I used the same paper to make all the packets. The labels were created using GIMP.

Homemade hampers are an inexpensive, personalised gift for any occasion. While they may not cost a lot, a lot of time, thought and effort goes into making these. The key to making them great is having quality ingredients inside all the fancy packaging.

So I thought that I would share how to make up these pretty packets and boxes.

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It’s easy to buy all our Christmas decorations, but we can extend the fun of Christmas by making some decorations in the weeks before. I’ve put together a collection of Christmas decoration tutorials covering a whole range of craft techniques that will, I hope, inspire.

An easy ornament that my grandmother used to make was wrapping pine cones with tinsel and putting these on the windowsill.

A great source of inspiration is the shops. There displays can be amazing and the ornaments lovely, but usually I think, “I can make that.”

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Stuck for a Chrissy gift idea? On a budget? Why not make your own Christmas gifts. I’ve put together a series of articles with ideas to help you get inspired. There are thousands of patterns and tutorials on the net, these are just a taster for inspiration.

If you haven’t already check out Part 1 – Bath and Body , Part 2 – Home and Garden, Part 3 – Accessories and Part4 – Food gifts.

A great way to gift your handmade goodies is to package them all together in a gift basket or hamper, or just a beautifully made gift box. One one hand I’m not keen on commercial gift hampers, but personalised handmade hampers are a totally different thing. I prefer not to use baskets but something that is going to be used.

One of the things that I like to do is to collect a few ideas such as hand embroidered napkins with homemade biscuits and personalised gift packed coffee on a inexpensive serving plate with matching mugs.

Themed hampers work well too, like spa hampers or baby hampers or garden hampers.

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Stuck for a Chrissy gift idea? On a budget? Why not make your own Christmas gifts. I’ve put together a series of articles with ideas to help you get inspired. There are thousands of patterns and tutorials on the net, these are just a taster for inspiration.

If you haven’t already check out Part 1 – Bath and Body, Part 2 – Home and Garden and Part 3 – Accessories.

For some of these recipes you will need to sterilise jars and bottles and possibly preserve using a water bath.

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Stuck for a Chrissy gift idea? On a budget? Why not make your own Christmas gifts. I’ve put together a series of articles with ideas to help you get inspired. There are thousands of patterns and tutorials on the net, these are just a taster for inspiration.

If you haven’t already check out Part 1 – Bath and Body and Part 2 – Home and Garden.

(more…)

Stuck for a Chrissy gift idea? On a budget? Why not make your own Christmas gifts. I’ve put together a series of articles with ideas to help you get inspired. There are thousands of patterns and tutorials on the net, these are just a taster for inspiration.

If you haven’t already check out Part 1 – Bath and Body.

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