Lark Crafts

Summer break is just around the corner, so it’s time to start thinking about fun and creative things to do with the kids! Making an adorable Sock Monkey is the perfect way to start off summer break. This is a project that your child will enjoy all summer long. Click here to download the PDF of the Sock Monkey project.

This project comes from the book Craft Hope, which celebrates crafting for a cause. If you and your kids are looking for ways to give back this summer, Craft Hope is filled with ideas about creating for a good cause.

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).

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!

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!

Hi everyone! Welcome to our show: Wee Felt-a-long Time! Today, we are going to learn how to make the Tiny UFO from Michelle Kiker’s Felt Galaxy project from Wee Felt Worlds. Follow the instructions below, and soon you’ll have your own little spaceship. And don’t stop at one, make a whole armada! Zoom! Swoosh! Pew pew!

A quick note: I’ve made several of these and come up with my own take on how to make a tiny UFO. So these instructions will differ slightly from those in the book. You’ll find as you learn that you come up with your own ways of needle felting and creating shapes.

And before you start, here’s the most important piece of information you need to know about needle felting: be careful with that needle! They are super sharp with little barbs, and they love to stab your fingers if you aren’t careful.

1. Gather your materials. You’ll need a felting surface (foam works great), a felting needle, and 4 different colors of wool roving (I used orange, gray, yellow, and white).

2. Take some orange roving and needle felt it into a ball.

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Welcome to our first Wee Felt Worlds felt-a-long! It’s no secret now: we had a blast working on this book as a group! The other thing we’re working on together is learning to needle felt. And we’re proof, friends: needle felting is fun, easy, and completely beginner friendly. Today, I’m going to show you how to make a felted donut, from Yin Chan’s sweet-tooth inspiring Sweet Shoppe scene from the book. Her instructions in the book go into much more detail, but I’ll show you the basic steps here. Follow along at home…in no time, you’ll have a felty bakers dozen!

1. First, gather up your supplies and tools. You’ll need a felting surface, a felting needle, a cheap pen, and felt in the following colors: pink, white, brown, and tan.