Home › Archive for Diy › Page 2

Diy

Don’t forget to submit your crafts to the Arts and Crafts Showcase!

Posted on by — No Comments ↓

What do you do when you’re not at MU/Mizzou?

 

Do you paint, play music, ride horses, or create custom fishing poles? If so, the Staff Advisory Council Annual Arts and Crafts Showcase wants you!

 

Each participant will display their talent during our three day event, May 24-26, during Staff Recognition Week.  It is fun, informative, and a great way to celebrate the many talented staff members here at Mizzou.

 

Important Information:

 

Location:  Stotler Lounge, Memorial Union

 

Showcase Set Up:  8:30am – 11:30am, Tuesday, May 24

Grand Opening:  12:00pm – 1:00pm, Tuesday, May 24
Demonstrations:  12:00pm – 1:00pm, May 24 – 26 (or whenever you can make it)
Display Tear Down:  NO EARLIER THAN 4:00pm, Thursday, May 26

 

If you would like to participate, please fill out the Intent to Participate Form.  More information about the MU SAC Arts and Crafts Showcase can be found at the Facebook Event.

 

For additional questions or concerns, please contact Rebecca Bergfield at BergfieldR@missouri.edu  or Natalie Schneider in the Staff Council Office at staffadvisorycouncil@missouri.edu.

 

For more information on the MU Staff Advisory Council, please contact our office at 882-4269 or visit the Council’s Webpage, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

 

Celebrate the Ides of March

Posted on by — No Comments ↓

I know that we're supposed to "beware the Ides of March" — or at least, Julius Caesar was supposed to — but doesn't celebrating it sound like more fun? Personally, I'm going to commemorate the date by taking my baby on a walk in the lovely spring weather to my polling location and register my vote for our next American "emporer." (And you should, too — with or without the baby.) Some other ideas:

Read an informative book: The 5 Best Julius Caesar Biographies for The Ides of March  (Cleopatra: A Life has been on my to-read shelf for a while.)

Cook a grandiose meal: An Ides of March Dinner Party  (I'm adding several of these recipes to my to-cook list, including the lentil-chestnut stew.)

Knit a dishcloth: Roman Stripe Knitted Facecloth  (Always a good idea!)

 

tumblr_n2gkyzoynp1qgqj2zo1_500

Make a Friend Day

Posted on by — No Comments ↓

Today, February 11, is Make a Friend Day!

For inspiration, I propose this greatly varied selection of literary friendships:

The 10 Best Friendships in Literature

You might also look to the animal kingdom for inspiration. Remember that friends come in all shapes and sizes and can have hidden depths. You might have more in common with a new acquaintance than you first realize.

15 Unusual Animal Friendships That Will Melt Your Heart

And if you really hit it off with a new acquaintance, or want to celebrate the long-time connection between you and your best buddy, you can try your hand at an old-school friendship bracelet:

15 "Summer Camp Style" Friendship Bracelets You Can Make Right Now

Chinese New Year

Posted on by — No Comments ↓


Happy Chinese New Year! Here are some crafts and recipes to help you celebrate the beginning of the Year of the Monkey.

1) Chinese Papercuts — I love the example in the image above, but you might want to start with a simpler design.

2) 10 Year of the Monkey Craft Projects — This list is meant for kids, but the coloring page and origami would be fun at any age!

3) Knit Washcloths — Try the "Chinese Waves" stitch pattern. I don't know why it's called that, but it looks easy and scrubby.

4) Celebrate with Traditional Food — Read this interesting article about traditional Lunar New Year celebrations and the foods that are part of them. Then, try your hand at making Buddha's Delight, sticky rice cakes, or other delicacies.

 

 

A Beautiful Blanket made by Erin! (Pictures of adorable Maeve included!)

Posted on by — 2 Comments ↓

From Erin Blower: "It’s essentially one large granny square with a border of a few rows of single crochet. I chose the colors to resemble a rainbow surrounded by blue sky. This ties in with the nursery theme of “Wizard of Oz.” I used cotton yarn to be soft and cool for the spring/summer. Maeve is four months old in these pictures from earlier this month."

10394037_1138562672824204_2556177018307196587_n 11737833_1138560292824442_6813314648946618367_n

Posted in Diy

Book Crafts

Posted on by — 2 Comments ↓

I love craft books — but I also love book crafts. Reading a great book is wonderful, of course, but we can also find joy in transforming a superfluous book into an artful, interesting, and/or useful object. For my wedding four years ago, I cut up a brown-edged Dover copy of Jane Eyre and created Kusudama balls. It was a very time-consuming project (and I felt a little bad about destroying the book), but it saved me some money with the florist and gave a unique, romantic touch to the decor. Instructions can be found here:

Kusudama Tutorial

This week, I came across a blog post by the publisher Quirk Books listing ideas for book crafts. Several of them look intriguing!

DIY Bookish Crafts

What do you think of book crafts? Are they worth the effort — and the emotional cost of destroying a book? Have you created anything from books? Comment below or email me at blowere@missouri.edu

Posted in Diy

Knitted Washcloths

Posted on by — 5 Comments ↓

My primary creative outlet is knitting. I learned the skill from a friend about five years ago and was instantly hooked. There has been much written about the benefits of knitting:  it's calming, rewarding, keeps your fingers limber, provides a mental workout, and even burns a few calories. For a fidgety person like me, it's a way to keep my hands occupied while watching TV. I also enjoy the sense of accomplishment that comes with a finished project.

Read more Knitted Washcloths ›