Lark Crafts

Enlist the kids’ help to make a bouquet of cheery poppies to grace the summer picnic table. This is an inexpensive project that besides a pair of scissors, requires only paper, glue, floral wire and tape, and correction liquid. This is a great project to do with children as the glassine blossoms require creasing, which can be accomplished through shaping by hand (crumpling in the fist). Older children can further assist by applying correction fluid to the fringe of the flower center.

This flower design is one of 25 varieties you’ll find in Paper Blooms, by accomplished paper artist, Jeffery Rudell. Click here for the instructions.

Bring a bit of the homemade goodness outdoors! We’ve pulled together a pretty batch of garden-themed projects guaranteed to freshen up your outdoor entertaining space. Happy sewing!

From top left across:

Cozy up your deck chairs with this Siting Pretty Cushion (from 100 Pretty Little Projects).

Got a not-so-green thumb? Make a bouquet of repurposed Blooms (from Craft Challenge: Scarves).

Set the mood with a set of Flicker candle cozies (from Craft Challenge: Scarves).

Pull up a (quite fabulous) Obi Sling Chair (from Fabric Remix).

Create some colorful cottage charm with a set of Fresh & Shabby Pillow Houses (from Stash Happy: Applique).

Snuggle on the porch with this Wonky Cottage Lap Quilt (from Stash Happy: Patchwork).

You’re a good kid. Or maybe not, but you do love your mother. Why else would you have gotten that tattoo? Now make her something nice for Mother’s Day, and tell her we say hi. Here are some recipes we think your mom might like:

This is me with my mom, and I was careful not to put any recipes in this post that she would not like. I might be 500 miles away, but my step dad's not! (Ahem. Hint.)

Momelettes!

Moms have come to expect breakfast in bed on Mother’s Day, and they should get it. Your mom has probably prepared at least 12,317 meals for you, approximately. If you are a grown-up and don’t live with your mom, and don’t want to break into her house early in the morning lest you get shot, then you might just have to plan the breakfast thing instead of surprising her with it. She’ll still appreciate it, I bet. Anyway, how about a momelette?! I am going to just give you some delicious ideas because I know you can figure out how to make an omelette.

Spring has sprung, friends! Whether you’re planning to learn a new craft this new season or looking to use all the craft supplies you hoarded over the long winter (guilty!!!), celebrate with this bounty of free projects…and a spring sale! Right now (until April 26), all of these featured books are on sale at 50% off their list price at BN.com.

Pretty Stamped Stone from Making an Impression

Blooming Flowers Bracelet from Shrink! Shrank! Shrunk!

Crocheted Leaves & Berries (a bonus project from Crochet Garden)

Easy Paper Marigolds from Paper Blooms

Mushroom Terrarium from Stash Happy: Felt

Lavender Sachets from Heart-Felt Holidays

Here’s a link for more info…and the full list of books in the sale!

If you’re searching for an antidote to April’s showers, then you’ve come to the right place! It’s Flower Friday at Lark, an occasion for celebration as we crack the covers on Jeffery Rudell’s new release, Paper Blooms: 25 Extraordinary Flowers to Make for Weddings, Celebrations & More—a book that’s certain to get you into the swing of spring.

In this delightful collection of projects, Rudell shows you how to make an array of flowers using his genius patterns and easy papercraft techniques. All of the classic blooms are included—poppy, sunflower, black-eyed Susan—along with a few surprises. Rudell has included step-by-step photos on how to assemble each, as well as tips on selecting paper and working with color and scale. From the big picture (creating table-worthy arrangements) down to the fine details (shaping petals and stems), Paper Blooms covers all the bases. Whether you’re making a simple spray or a statement flower, filling a buttonhole or a bud vase, you’ll discover springtime bliss in Paper Blooms.

In honor of Flower Friday, we’re offering a free how-to from the book. A quick way to get your flower fix (without getting your hands dirty), the Marigold project pictured above is a sure cure for spring fever.

Download the free project instructions here: Marigold. 

It seemed like spring was never going to arrive this year (Snow in March? Totally unfair.), but I think warmer weather has finally settled in for good here in Asheville. And with the higher temperatures, a lot of us are feeling the urge to get stuff done: cleaning our front porches, packing away sweaters and scarves and pulling out sundresses, and planning our springtime craft projects—like these cross-stitch designs from Trice Boerens’s Two-Hour Cross-Stitch: Animals. The great thing about Two-Hour Cross Stitch is that every design can be made in a short amount of time—just right for stitching while you take a spring break road trip, soak up the sun in your yard, or indulge in an extra-long lunch (ahem) to enjoy the warmer temperatures.

Get started on your spring craft projects by entering to win a FREE copy of Two-Hour Cross-Stitch: Animals, plus two finished, framed pieces from the book: a little duck holding an umbrella and a squirrel with an acorn. You just can’t get any more spring than that!

Plus, you can download a PDF pattern of these two designs for free: just click here and get stitching.

For even more cross-stitch fun, pick up a copy of Two-Hour Cross-Stitch: Animals at BN.com or at your local bookstore. You’ll find animal-themed projects to fit every occasion – birthdays, holidays, baby showers, and more!

UPDATE: The contest is over and we have chosen a winner! Thanks to everyone for participating!

To enter to win two framed cross-stitched pieces and a copy of Two-Hour Cross-Stitch: Animals, leave a comment on this post between now and 9 p.m. Wednesday, April 17. Any comment is fine, but we’d love to know what cross-stitch project you’re currently working on. One winner will be selected at random from among all eligible entries and announced by Thursday, April 18. Click here for the official rules, and good luck!

Are you seeing hints of spring around you? If that means umbrellas, raincoats, and galoshes for you, we feel your pain. Brighten up your crafty afternoon indoors with a project that celebrates all that is fresh and lovely if not a bit soggy….and signals the coming May flowers!

This trio of April Showers umbrellas, from Heart-Felt Holidays and designed by yours truly, calls for scraps of felt, linen backgrounds, and wee embroidery hoops….things you likely have in your supply closet. Download the project instructions and the templates and get started this afternoon!

Download the project instructions here: April Showers

I have done the occasional cross-stitch, and sometimes I even finish them! I have a whole box full of materials just waiting to be used. Well, I think I’ll open that box again, because Two-Hour Cross-Stitch: Animals is full of great ideas. Have you ever seen a cross-stitched alligator? How about a lion jumping through a ring a fire? And my favorite: a unicorn! This book contains all kinds of animals for you cross-stitching pleasure. There are your more tame animals, such as dogs, cats, ducks, and squirrels. And then there is the more wild side of the animal kingdom with seals, monkeys, kangaroos, elephants, and more!

To get you started, download these two free patterns in one PDF: a gentleman frog, and an owl and her owlet.

And to get you even more inspired, we are giving away the two finished pieces from these patterns, along with a copy of the book!

To enter to win two framed cross-stitched pieces and a copy of Two-Hour Cross-Stitch: Animals, leave a comment on this post between now and 9 p.m. Tuesday, April 9. Any comment is fine, but we’d love to know what would be your favorite animal to cross-stitch. One winner will be selected at random from among all eligible entries and announced by Wednesday, April 10. Click here for the official rules, and good luck!

Congrats to Laura, our winner!