Drop everything! There's a craft idea on the Internet!

Hey! A DIY Tree Thing! For Thanksgiving!

Hey! Ein DIY Baumdingens im Internet! Für Thanksgiving...moment mal...das ist ja das Ami-Holiday-Freßfest...aber zu Weihnachten? Neujahr? Was spricht dagegen?

Super simple.

Super cheap.

This Thanksgiving Tree is kinetic and interactive and chic in that Mid Century-Meets-Martha kinda way. You can do this.

This tree thing can be used as a Thanksgiving table centerpiece, on a mantle, coffee table... Leave it up all week with a few "thankful-for" leaves scattered and a pen and see what people are thankful for.

Ganz einfach.

Ganz billig.

Dieses Baumdingens ist kinetisch, interaktiv und Mid Century+Martha Stewart-schick. Das kannst du auch. 

You will need: Brauchen wirst du:

• 1 3x3" Dobie: These are sold in home improvement stores in the aisle where cement and cement accoutrement are found, usually near the rebar. A dobie is a chunk of concrete with a couple of wires sticking out. They are often found 3-4 on a piece and are easily broken apart by dropping them, or giving them a good whack with a hammer. They cost less than a buck apiece.
• 12 gauge aluminum floral wire: I like gold for this holiday. But this wire also comes in silver and black. 
• Bakers twine: optional.
• Dried fall leaves
• Spray paint: Gold, if you like.
• Craft paper: optional
• Empty paper towel/toilet paper tube(s): For trivet
• Protective gloves: Spray paint, know what I mean?
• Leaf-shaped paper punch: If you got one. 

• 1 sog. "Dobie": Schau das Bild bitte an. Wie das Ding auf deutsch heißt? Who knows? Das Dingens findest du allerdings im Baumarkt wo du alles zum Zement hast, meistens beim Armiereisen. Ein "Dobie" besteht aus einem Stück Beton mit zwei Drähten, die 'rausgucken. Dobies sind spottbillig und sollen kein Euro kosten.
• Dicker Aludraht: Ich mag den goldfarbenen. Gibt's auch in silber und schwarz.
• Buntes Bindegarn: nach Wunsch
• Trockenes Laub
• Sprayfarbe: Gold gefällig?
• Dickes Papier/Pappe
• Papierhülsen von der Papierhandtücherrolle bzw. vom Toilettenpapier: für den Untersetzer
• Gummihandschuhe: Denn Sprühfarbe, nicht wahr?
• Blattförmiger Papierstanzer: Falls vorhanden.

Tools:

• Needle-nose pliers
• Hot glue gun + glue 
• Scissors

Werkzeug:

• Spitzzangen
• Heißkleber
• Schere

This is how we do it: So geht's:

Cut paper towel tube into even rings approx. 1 cm/5/8" thick.

Papierhülsen in ca. 1 cm-dicke Stücke abschneiden.

Spread out your craft paper and spray paint the dobie, dried leaves and paper towel tube rings with spray paint.

Pappe ausbreiten und "Dobie," Hülsenringe und das Blattlaub mit Sprayfarbe besprühen.

While those things are drying, write out the words "give" and "thanks" (or "joy" or "family" or "wish" or whatever not-too-long word strikes  your fancy) largely in cursive onto a piece of paper. 

With the aid of your needle-nose pliers "trace" the word with your wire.

Während das o.g. trocknet, deine gewünschte Worten -- z.B. "frieden," "freude," "freunde," wie auch immer -- großzügig auf Papier ausschreiben. Mit Hilfer der Spitzzange, das Wort im Draht "nachzeichnen."

Optional: Dab a bid of hot glue onto the finished word and wrap, wrap, wrap, wrap...wrap bakers twine around your word. Secure the end of the twine with another dab of hot glue and trim the excess twine.

Nach Wunsch dein Wort mit buntem Bindegarn umwickeln. Die Enden mit Heißkleber befestigen.

Cut 8-10 pieces of 12-gauge aluminum wire in varying lengths between 35-75 cm/15-30" and gather them into a bundle. Add the word branches to this bundle.

Secure this bundle of wires to the dobie, by twisting the two dobie wires around the bundle of aluminum wires.

Ca. 8-10 Stück vom Aludraht in verschiedenen Längen (ca. 35-75 cm) zuschneiden und diese zusammen bündeln. Dein Wort-Draht zu dem Draht-Bündel tun.

Dieses Drahtbündel (inkl. Wort-Draht) am sog. Dobie mit den zwie Dobie-Drähten festbinden.

Wrap a long stretch of aluminum wire around the base of the tree to form a "trunk."

Ein langes Stück Aludraht um den Bündel für den "Baumstamm" herumwickeln.

Using your needle-nose pliers, twist loops at the end of each tree branch to secure whatever should hang from there.

Mit Hilfe der Spitzzange, die Enden vom Draht kringeln, um die Anhängsel einen festen Sitz zu schenken.

Cut or punch out leaves from the craft paper which was spray painted.

Add bakers twine to the spray painted paper leaves and real dried leaves.

Bend the tree thing the way you like it and decorate with the leaves. Allow your family to write what they are thankful for on the leaves.

Vom Pappe, die als Unterlage zum Spraypainting diente, Papierlaub (oder Schneeflocken oder Sterne oder wie auch immer) ausstanzen bzw. ausschneiden. Buntes Bindegarn am Laub (Schneeflöckchen, Sternchen...) kleben.

Trivet: Untersetzer:

Hot glue rings of paper towel tube like this. Dobies aren't really great for putting on your nice wood table, so a trivet is helpful. (Didn't spray paint my dried leaves in the first go-around...so here we go...)

Die Ringe vom Papierhülse wie abgebildet zusammenkleben. Der Untersetzer schütz vor Kratzer vom Dobie. Hier oben abgebildet das echte Laub wird gold gesprüht.

Trim any extra paper towel rings in half and make these.

Schneide überbliebene Hülsenringen halb zu breit und solche "Blumen" zusammenkleben.

That's it! Das war's!

Cost:

• Dobie: $.79 ea.
• 12-gauge aluminum wire: $2.99
• Spray paint: $3.59
• Baker's twine: $1.99

Here's an idea: Make matching bent wire and baker's twine name cards and add a "thankful-for" leaf at each table setting. So fancy!

Eine weitere Idee: Das Draht in passenden Namenschilder für den Tisch biegen. Doch hübsch, oder?

Happy Birthday, Farbenmix!

Ten years? Has it been ten years already? Ten years of fun and color, creativity and friendships. What a great time to be sewing! To celebrate Farbenmix’s first ten years as the leader in putting the “fun” into funtional and the “wings” into your sewings, Farbenmix has many presents for you! Please click on over there to see all that is going on!

Remember when it was just the patterns “Anjana.” “Cara” and “Dortje” over at klickundblick.de and you had to write Sabine a personal email to order yours? I’m getting a bit nostalgic. Being that I am, my present to you is this little retro hat pattern named “Morro.” I named it for Morro Rock on the California Coast, because it has a similar form. "Like a rock...like a rock of ages..." Okay...let's just listen to that classic together right now.

Morro is a one-size-fits-all hat: The size of the hat can be adjusted with the ribbon. The cap can be worn “Sherlock Holmes” style, with the brim to the front, or more Roaring 20s, like a cloche.

Blue boiled wool "Naomi" from Swafing.

Wool suiting "Vechte" from Swafing.

Boiled wool "Naomi" from Swafing.

Morro can be stitched up from many different sturdier fabrics, even a good jersey, if you have the right interfacing for the brim. I like it stitched up in wool suiting or boiled wool with a gross grain or velvet ribbon for a nostalgic take, because I am in that nostalgic mood. But how and where you take Morro and Morro takes you is your take! YOU are the designer! I think that’s one of the greatest things Farbenmix has taught us.

All proceeds of the sale of this downloadable ePattern will benefit Nahow, a comprehensive program to bring education, hygiene, solar power and a better way of life to a village in Cameroon, Africa.

Click here for all the information on Morro!

Enjoy!

Many thanks to my lovely model, Jacqui! Please check out her YouTube channel to hear the beautiful voice inside this beautiful person.