Veggie Might: Bead Me Up - DIY Holidays Part Two

Penned by the effervescent Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about the wide world of Vegetarianism. Today, she's taking a quick detour into Holiday Crafts. Part 1 of her two-part series can be found here.

When I first got a computer in 1999 (I am not an early adopter), one of the first things I discovered was a website called GetCrafty.com (here’s an archived page via the wayback machine), which featured articles about feminism, DIY culture, living frugally, and plenty of how-tos. I stumbled upon the site while looking for painting tips for my windowsill flowerpots. I found something else entirely.

I found the mothership.

Glitter has since moved to SuperNaturale, and GetCrafty still has an active board. Combined with Craftster, which has more amazing tutorials and pictures than you could ever peruse in a thousand lifetimes, these forums are like Petri dishes of creativity. They maintain the open exchange of ideas—from tips and tricks to patterns and complete tutorials—across this series of tubes that connect us all.

Over the years (and the last week or so), I have compiled a list of favorite projects from the ladies of the crafty Interweb. I call on this list routinely during the holiday crunch. These (and a million other) handmade gifts will save you money, save the planet, and always make your recipient feel special.

Vinyl Record Bowl/Planter
This is one of the first projects I ever made from the GetCrafty website. It was on the homepage for a long time. This may be the easiest, crowd-pleasingest gift you could ever make/give. Pick up a stack of thrift store records, set the oven on 200°, and start melting (maybe open a window, too). Record bowls (or planter—built in drainage hole) never fail to elicit oohs, aahs, and how-did-you-do-thats. The tutorial in the link is from SparkleCraft, who also credits GetCrafty for the instructions. Bonus tute: record jacket box!

Marble Magnets
Here is a classic from the craft boards. Marble magnets make a great stocking stuffer. Endlessly customizable, you need minimal supplies and can burn through your stacks of old magazines in the process. Whip out enough for an entire girl scout troop in a couple of hours or so—or get the girl scouts to help and save even more time.

Corazon Candles
Trick out dollar store candles with the Crafty Chica! This lady knows what to do with glue and scissors. Do whatever she says; you’ll be guaranteed to have fun and end up with something amazing, unique, and, very likely, covered in glitter. Crafty Chica’s website and blog are jammed with videos, instructions, and inspiration guide you on your crafty journey for the holidays or any day.

Beer Cozy
Crafters often complain that they don’t know what to make the men on their lists. I knitted a six-pack of beer cozies for a guy friend last year (in his baseball team’s colors), and there has been a request for a new set in his football team colors. I spell that V-I-C-T-O-R-Y. This pattern, from girl on the rocks, is almost too pretty to be a novelty item, but it uses up leftover yarn, so it’s the perfect stash buster.

Homemade Knitting Needles
What if your giftee is crafty too? Supplies are always welcome. Here’s a tutorial created by yours truly, back when I blogged (sporadically) about crafting and randomness. Desperation forced me to make my own double pointed knitting needles out of wooden dowels, and I’ve been using them for years.

Wristwarmers
Speaking of knitting, this customizable wrist warmer pattern from Craft looks so easy you could make one for every one on your list.

Amigurumi
Amigurumi is the Japanese style of crocheting stuffed animals and creatures. Roxycraft has some adorable free patterns to get you started. Kids and adults alike will love these.

Ornaments
A craft post is not complete without mentioning the queen of craft. Whether we like it or not, we all beg, steal, and borrow from Martha Stewart because, well, she’s everywhere, and she’s amazing. These glitter star ornaments/package toppers are frustratingly pretty. I want to hate her and her perfection, but I just can’t. But I can make it with my own paper and personal twist. That’s the beauty of crafting.

I made a few of these 3D paper stars from Lost Button Studio to adorn some of my holiday gifts this year. I used a deep blue card stock and embellished the alternating sections with a lilac acrylic paint and superfine glitter.

These paper ball ornaments from Design Sponge have a retro vintage vibe, and I want to make thousands and hang them all over my house. Instead, I’ll probably just make a few to put on gift bags.

TODAY'S PROJECT: Stenciled Tote Bag
A tote bag is an easy beginner sewing project. I should know; I’m a beginning seamstress. I’m making a bunch this year, mostly because my good friend Ed has a new book (which I helped with—hee!) of his amazing graffiti-inspired stencils, and I want an excuse to go crazy with them. (Check him out at Stencil1.)

I based this pattern on a tote bag I own and love. I used fabric and ribbon I had on hand, but you can change these things to suit your needs. I hope this makes sense. It’s my first attempt at writing a pattern. Let me know if anything is unclear.

Here’s what you’ll need:

1 1/4 yd canvas (medium-weight cotton or lightweight denim or whatever you have)
1 1/2 yd x 6” remnant fabric (medium weight—can be same as above)
1 1/2 yd x 3” ribbon
Matching thread
Pencil or tailor’s chalk
scissors

Stencil
Tape
Acrylic craft paint
Stencil brush
Palette or paper plate

Instructions
1) Measure your fabric to 16” wide x 32” long, marking your measurements on the underside with a pencil tailor’s chalk.

2) Measure your fabric to 16” wide x 32” long, marking your measurements on the underside with a pencil tailor’s chalk.

3) Cut your fabric to the measurements.

4) Iron your fabric.

5) Prepare to stencil. Put your fabric on a flat surface and place a large piece of paper under the fabric where your stencil will go. This will keep the paint from getting on the surface.


6) Position your stencil where you’d like it. Tape it in place.

7) Squeeze out a small amount of paint onto your palette. Gently dip your brush into the paint and dab the excess onto a clean part of the palette. Ed calls this the “dry brush” method. Check his site for tips and tutorials. If you use too much paint, it will seep behind the edges of the stencil, giving you a “muddy” line.

8) Begin filling in the stencil. I start with the more intricate areas first, making a dabbing motion. It’s best to layer the paint rather than gunk it up all at once. Do a thin coat; let it dry a minute or two and repeat until it’s the depth of color you want.

9) Leave the stencil in place until the paint is almost completely dry.

10) Carefully peel up the stencil when your paint is dry, and then wipe the stencil clean of the excess paint—you’ll be ready for the next time.

11) While your fabric is drying, you’re ready to start sewing the handles. Measure two 22” lengths of ribbon and two 22” lengths of your remnant fabric.

12) Measure two 22” lengths of ribbon and two 22” lengths of your remnant fabric.

13) Cut your lengths.

14) Place one piece of ribbon to one remnant with the front sides (if there are) facing the same direction. Repeat with the other two pieces.

15) For each handle: fold the two pieces together lengthwise with the remnant fabric on the inside. Pin every 3 inches perpendicular to the fold. You will be left with two long narrow pieces of fabric: ribbon outside, remnant inside. This is right side out.

16) With your sewing machine, joining the two sides together to make something of a tube, sew a straight seam in corresponding thread along the edge of the ribbon. Repeat for second handle.

17) Tada! Handles! (There are probably much easier ways to do this, but I had this really cute see-through ribbon I wanted to use and it needed a backing, blah, blah...)

18) The fabric should be dry by now. Measure and pin a 1/4” inch hem on either end of the fabric (the short sides).

19) Sew the hems with a straight stitch.

20) Now, placing one handle 3 1/2” inches in from each of the side edges and 1/2” down from the top, pin them on “upside down,” pointing toward what would be the inside of the bag. This will make sense in a second.

21) Fold over the hem you made another 1/2” to hide the handle attachment places and pin a hem all the way across. With your sewing machine, sew the handles in place. You will want to pass over each point a few times.

22) Flip the handle up, pin it place, and sew the hem across with one straight stitch. You’ll get a nice clean hem and secure, neat handle.

23) Repeat 20 – 22 on the other end.

24) The hard part is over. Now you just sew up the sides. Folding the fabric together inside out, and leaving a 1/2” seam allowance on both sides, sew your side seams with a medium zigzag.

25) Finishing. Clip all your dangling threads and head back to the ironing board. Fold an press the seam allowances so that they hide the stitches and leave a tidy band down the side seam.

26) Admire your amazing tote bag.

(Additional craft supply photo by Flickr member Chez Larsson.)

So This Is Christmas: 37 Food Philanthropies

(Confidential to Biggest Loser fans: YAY MICHELLE! Although, Ed did look pretty dang good, and The Boyfriend and I both agreed that Amy P. vaulted from Mom With a Pretty Face clear to Total Freaking MILF. We’d both date her if we were hot, 40-year-old single dads. Anyway…)

Last year around this time, CHG did a pre-holiday roundup of all the food charities you could ever ask for … or so we thought. While it included renowned groups like the Red Cross, the USO, Second Harvest, and Donors Choose, it left off a bunch of fantastic organizations near and dear to folks’ hearts.

This year, we’re expanding.

For your reading pleasure, we’ve compiled a list of the all 37 charities mentioned in 2008’s CHG Favorites of the Week posts. Like last year, there’s a special emphasis placed on food and water philanthropies (it’s a cooking blog, after all), with a few extras added in just for fun.

So, if you’re looking to make a donation in a beloved foodie’s name, you can’t go wrong starting here. And readers? If you have suggestions, add 'em in the comments section. Merry Christmas.

GLOBAL FOOD ORGANIZATIONS

AIDtoCHILDREN
This site includes a vocabulary game, with the proceeds going directly toward WorldVision, a philanthropic org focusing primarily on poverty-stricken kids.

Association for India’s Development
“(AID) is a volunteer movement committed to promoting sustainable, equitable and just development … AID initiates efforts in various interconnected spheres such as education, livelihoods, natural resources, health, women's empowerment and social justice.” – Charity Navigator description

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Bill recently retired from Microsoft to throw all his energy into this, one of (if not THE) largest private philanthropic organization on Earth. Foodies might be particularly interested in Nutrition initiatives, Priority Diseases and Conditions (many of which are related to drinking water), and Emergency Relief. The fund doesn’t generally accept donations directly, but you CAN contribute to grantee organizations, which can be found here.

Bread for the World
A bi-partisan Christian philanthropy that welcomes and assists folks of all faiths, Bread for the World encourages advocacy and action to help end hunger at home and abroad.

CARE
CARE's mission is helping the poorest of the poor A) survive, and B) eventually learn to sustain themselves. Food-wise, they focus on nutrition, agriculture, water, sanitation, and emergency relief in places like Afghanistan, Angola and El Salvador.

Central Asia Institute
“CAI’s mission: To promote and support community-based education, especially for girls, in remote regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan.”

charity: water
This Jennifer Connelly-supported philanthropy helps provide clean drinking water and safe wells to communities around the world.

Compassion
If any of y’all read Rocks in my Dryer, you know Shannon sponsored a little boy through Compassion, a Christian organization aiding kids in Africa, and got the chance to visit Uganda to meet him. Her story and pictures are positively inspiring, and there are more details on Compassion’s website on getting involved.

FreeRice.com
It's a word game! It's a philanthropy! It's both in one! Each time you answer a FreeRice vocabulary question, you donate 20 grains of the stuff to the U.N.'s World Food Program.

Heifer International
Heifer International gives livestock (and plants) to disadvantaged families as the foundation of a sustainable and independent livelihood. The animals provide sustenance (as milk, eggs, or sometimes meat) and an opportunity for income. Also, as animals tend to make more animals, it's a gift that grows and builds wealth.

Idealist.org
While Idealist isn’t so much an organization as an umbrella website for non-profits around the world, it IS a fabulous place to research volunteering opportunities, donation possibilities, and even job openings. There are special search categories for farming, agriculture, poverty, and hunger if you’d like to keep it food-relevant.

Idol Gives Back
Ain’t nothing like a star-studded quasi-telethon to get America’s hearts in a giving mood. This year’s Simon-sponsored extravaganza will benefit Children’s Defense Fund, The Children’s Health Fund, The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, Make it Right, Malaria No More, and Save the Children.

Kiva
A microlending organization connecting individuals directly to the folks they’re donating to, Kiva is one of (if not THE) first website of its kind. What happens is this: you choose an entrepreneur anywhere in the world and loan them a pre-designated amount of cash. Over time, they grow their business, lift themselves out of poverty, and pay you back.

Partners in Health
Last year, I read the best biography I’ve ever laid my eyes on, Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder. It’s about the life of Dr. Paul Farmer, a U.S. physician who’s dedicated everything to providing health care for the poorest of the poor around the world. Partners in Health is his baby. It’s done wide-scale wonders in Haiti and Russia, and is now moving on to Rwanda with the help of TED and Bill Clinton. If you’re interested, volunteering and donation information can be found here, and I can’t recommend the book highly enough.

The Tap Project
“Lack of clean and accessible drinking water is the second largest worldwide killer of children under five. To address this situation, a nationwide effort is launching during World Water Week called the Tap Project, a campaign that celebrates the clean and accessible tap water available as an every day privilege to millions, while helping UNICEF provide safe drinking water to children around the world.”

UN World Food Program
Focusing on emergency situations, relief and rehabilitation, development, and special operations, the UN World Food Program feeds millions of people in dozens of countries worldwide.

World Hunger Year
Simply, “WHY advances long-term solutions to hunger and poverty by supporting community-based organizations that empower individuals and build self-reliance, i.e., offering job training, education and after school programs; increasing access to housing and healthcare; providing microcredit and entrepreneurial opportunities; teaching people to grow their own food; and assisting small farmers.” Nice.

NATIONAL

Americans for Fairness in Lending
AFFIL is a consumer advocate group that "exists to raise awareness of abusive credit and lending practices and to call for re-regulation of the industry." Their website is up to its eyeballs in useful information, including gobsmacking stats on how minority-heavy neighborhoods are specifically targeted for high-interest loans.

Bake Me a Wish
Bake Me a Wish is a New York-based baking business that ships the sugary confections to and from U.S. troops overseas. While not a philanthropy per se, you can make donations.

Canstruction
“Teams of architects, engineers, and students mentored by these professionals, compete to design and build giant structures made entirely from full cans of food. … At the close of the exhibitions all of the canned food used in the structures is donated to local food banks for distribution to emergency feeding programs that include pantries, soup kitchens, elderly and day care centers.” How neat is that?

Charity Wines
It’s an age-old question: how can one drink profusely, support her favorite shortstop, and donate to a major philanthropic organization all at once? The answer, my friends, is Charity Wines.

The Girl Scouts
I was a member of GSoA from age eight through my senior year of high school, and I loved every single second of it. Girls Scouts exposed me to cultures, people, and experiences I never would have met or seen otherwise. 12 years later, I’m still friends with half the women in my troop, many of whom have kids of their own. There might be brownies or juniors combing your ‘hood slinging Samoas right about now, and while they’re not exactly the healthiest foods in the world, the money goes to one of the best organizations on the planet. Indulge.

Louie’s Kids
Louie’s Kids “is a tax-exempt, nonprofit organization that raises funds to help treat childhood obesity … [it] works to find the best treatment options to meet the needs of each child.”

National Football League Players Association
The NFLPA (a.k.a. the players union) asks their members to support, represent, and volunteer for several charities, including the Boys and Girls Club, Feed the Children, and the NEA. The site has more, plus details on a gaggle of year-round fundrasiers.

NFL Play 60
To sum, “NFL Play 60 is a health and fitness initiative created by the National Football League to inspire kids to play for 60 minutes a day and eat well … In addition to national reach through PSAs and online programs, Play 60 is also implemented at the grassroots level through NFL's in-school, after-school and team-based programs all with a focus on the importance of physical fitness and healthy lifestyles.”

Ronald McDonald House
Some branches are run much better than others (see this Charity Navigator page), but their mission – to promote childhood health and assist seriously ill kids – is a solid one.

Share Our Strength’s Great American Bakesale
In GAB’s own words, it’s “a national campaign that mobilizes Americans to end childhood hunger by holding bake sales in their communities.” This seems like a really good opportunity to get kids involved with volunteering, too.

Treats for Troops
“Thousands of men and women from every branch of the service are registered with Treats for Troops. If you want to send a care package to show your support, we’ll match you with a soldier who’d love to hear from you.” And if you’d just like to drop a line to say thanks, don’t forget Operation Dear Abby.

Your Family Table
To donate, go to the site and reveal a healthy change you and/or your kin have made recently, then watch as a whole meal is donated through America’s Second Harvest to broods in need.

LOCAL

Bread & Life
A Catholic food charity based out of Brooklyn since 1982, B&L’s mission is “to bring food to the poor and accompany them on their journey to wholeness by providing necessary services.” They have a pantry, soup kitchen, mobile soup kitchen and are involved with nutrition counseling and community supported agriculture, as well.

Capital Area Food Bank of Texas
Hurricane Ike devastated large swaths of the Lone Star State, and CAFBT was right in there, helping with aid and supplies.

Charity Navigator’s Food Bank Page
CN’s received several mentions here before, but this particular page will point you directly to food pantries and distribution services in your area, from Alameda to West Texas. The star ratings will tell you how efficiently run your particular bank is, so you can pick and choose as you like.

Food Gatherers
Based in Ann Arbor, Food Gatherers “exists to alleviate hunger and eliminate its causes in our community by: reducing food waste through the rescue and distribution of perishable and non perishable food; coordinating with other hunger relief providers; educating the public about hunger; and developing new food resources.” Aces.

Food Lifeline
Seattleites, listen up! “Each year Food Lifeline rescues and distributes nearly 22 million pounds of food to its network of food banks, meal programs and shelters in 17 counties of Western Washington, feeding nearly 600,000 hungry people.”

Forgotten Harvest
A rescue-and-distribute system serving the greater Detroit area, FH saves about eight million pounds of food per year from restaurants, caterers, etc, to donate to people in need.

Humane Society of Missouri
The HSoM rescued 360 abused animals from a single property earlier this year. They can be supported through this site.

One Dollar Diet Project, supporting the ONE Campaign and the Encinitas Community Resource Center
Christopher and Kerri were two American social justice teachers attempting to survive on $1 worth of food per day (each), for an entire month. Any money they raise goes directly back to ONE or the ECRC.

Readers, any suggestions? Add ‘em in the comments!

(Photos courtesy of Business Week, UW, Omaha Forums, and Muscatine.)