ILoveToCreate Teen Crafts: Volleyball Spirit Socks

Volleyball Spirit Socks
Avalon Potter for ILovetoCreate Teen Crafts
"Teen crafted, mom approved."

For my project this week I decided to create some knee high volleyball socks! I have recently been preparing for a volleyball tournament and when you play volleyball your uniform usually includes knee high socks. Instead of buying a pair of fancy socks, I decided to decorate them myself! It is fun and easy and is even better once you try them on. You can adapt this project to any sport or if you're not sporty, just for fun!

Materials
White knee socks
1” grey grosgrain ribbon
Pink Felt
Aleene’s Fabric Fusion fabric glue
Tulip dimensional fabric paint-slick black
Tracing pen
1” circumference circle template
Tube or rectangular form large enough to secure socks and hold their form


1. Place sock on form.

2. Take your pen and mark where you will put your volleyballs and bow on socks.



3. Take your circle cutout and trace it eight times with your pen on the felt.



4. Cut out the circles and use the fabric paint to make a volleyball design on each felt cutout.

5. Let those dry and start on your two bows.

6. Find out how big you want the bow loops to be and cut a piece of ribbon to the desired length. Glue down the two ends in the middle.



7. Add a little bit of glue in the center of the bow where the ends meet. Cut a small piece of ribbon just long enough to go around the bow, fold in the ends.

8. After all of the volleyballs and bows have dried place the first four volleyballs and bow out on your sock.

9. Use Aleene’s fabric glue to glue the volleyballs and bow on the sock. Cover the whole backside of the volleyball in glue and only the center of the bow. You can tack the bow and volleyballs down with thread if you like.

10. Use the dimensional fabric paint to create dashes moving diagonally between the volleyballs on the front of the sock.

11. Let it dry on the tube. Repeat for second sock.

12. Enjoy!

ILovetoCreate Teen Crafts: Snow Bunny Holiday Scarf and Hat Set

Snow Bunny Holiday Scarf and Hat Set
Avalon Potter for ILoveToCreate Teen Crafts


Winter is coming fast and I made this scarf to keep me warm during the holidays. I had a lot of fun making this and I think you will too. This goes perfectly with any type of coat and is a breeze to create. I hope you enjoy and until next time wishing you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving.

Happy Crafting,
Avalon

Materials
Fleece hat and scarf in cream (I got mine at Old Navy)
Tulip Glam-it-Up Crystals Clear
Holiday Themed Stencils (Try The Holly Stencil from Tulip!)
Tulip Fashion Graffit Paint Taggers in Green and Pink
Tulip Dimensional Fabric Paint in Gold Glitter
Tulip Foam Sponge Pouncers
Aleene's Jewel-It Glue

1. Fold scarf in half and lay flat.
2. Apply stencil pattern on scarf using a paint pouncer. The leaves should be green and berries alternate between pink and gold glitter.
3. Add crystals to each pink berry using Aleene’s Jewel-It Glue.
4. Decorate the brim of your hat in the same pattern, adding a leaf and berry to each panel at the top as in photo. Decorate front and back of hat.
5. Allow to dry before wearing!

ILoveToCreate Teen Crafts: Flower Child Headband

ILoveToCreate Teen Crafts
Flower Child Headband
Copyright Margot Potter
"Mom crafted, teen approved."

I bought this exquisite Alexander Henry fabric to fashion curtains for my kitchen two years ago. My first attempt was a painful reminder of the old adage "Measure Twice, Cut Once." I adore vintage inspired fabrics and the colors in this are fantastic. I had some scraps left over and a sewn hem from the curtains. This idea popped into my head while I pondered some stretchy headbands I purchased a while back. I've shown how to create these fabric flowers before, in fact at the end of this post are several fabric flower projects I've created for ILoveToCreate.

This is so easy and fun and this headband can either be worn in a Flower Child style or as a traditional headband. Either way, this is the kind if accessory a stylish teen will adore.

Materials
Aleene's Fabric Fusion Glue
Large Floral Print Fabric
Coordinating craft felt
Stretchy headband
Thread

Tools
Sewing needle
Paintbrush

1. Select a flower to feature as the focal of the design. Cut it out, leaving fabric around it in a circle or oval shape.


2. Place fabric on felt and cut the felt just a little bit wider than the fabric.


3. Use a paintbrush and apply a thin layer of Aleene's Fabric Fusion glue on the back of the fabric. Press fabric on felt smoothing gently with your hands. Allow to dry.

4. I had a doubled up and sewn fabric section, but you can just double some fabric over, iron and create your fabric flower. I have a tutorial for this here and here.

5. Once felt has dried, cut felt edge off of flower to get a smooth edge.

6. Sew the fabric flower to the headband.

6. Sew the center of the felt backed flower and a black bead into the center of the fabric flower, the thread should go through to the headband so it's nice and securely attached.

Graffiti Flower Headband

Techno Garden Cell Phone Holder

Romantic Wristlet

ILoveToCreate Pink Splash 3-D Flower Bangle

ILovetoCreate Teen Crafts Pink Splash 3-D Flower Bangle
Copyright Margot Potter
“Mom crafted, kid approved.”

I designed a chain and bead necklace a couple of years ago featuring a similar hot pink die cut flower on it for a class proposal. At the time, this kind of look hadn’t hit mainstream fashion hard and I think it was just a skootch ahead of the curve. Flash forward to 2010 and dimensional floral accents are EVERYWHERE! I’ve re-imagined it attached to this pretty painted pink bangle design using fabric paints, fabric markers and Aleene’s Liquid Fusion glue. I think this is one of those perfect ‘Back-to-School’ accessories for the teen fashionista. It’s flirty and fun and girly and right in step with what’s happening in the fashion mags.

PLUS the flower spins around like a pinwheel, so it’s a kinetic design too! When those crystals get spinning, it’s really quite mesmerizing!

This requires using an electric drill, so a little assistance from mom or dad may be required. You could opt to do smaller flowers and have them circle the wrist, but I’m a big and bold kinda gal and so is Miss Avalon, my resident teen. Take this idea where you like, express your individuality! That’s what crafting and fashion is all about.

Materials
Grungeboard sheet swirls pattern
Tulip Soft Fabric Paint in azalea
Tulip Metallic Dimensional Fabric Paint in white
Tulip Metallic Dimensional Fabric Paint in metallic silver
DIY Bangles small wooden bangle
Inkadinkado lourish stamp
Aleene’s Liquid Fusion glue
Tulip Glam-It-Up™ crystals
Crystal bead for center
Pink or silver-plated head pin
Sizzix Bigz Flower Die

Tools
Tulip Glam-It-up™ tool
Sizzix Big Shot machine
Electric drill with 1/16” bit
Paintbrush
Foam brush or foam applicator
Flush cutters
Round nose pliers



1. Paint several layers of azalea paint on inside and outside of bangle. Allow to dry between layers.

2. Stamp flat oval areas with flourish stamp and white paint. Apply paint with a foam applicator or brush to surface of stamp. Allow to dry.

3. Mark center of one flat oval segment on bangle and drill.

4. Die cut flower out of Grungeboard using the Big Shot and the Bigz flower die.

5. Paint both sides of each layer of flower with azalea paint. Allow to dry.


6. Use foam applicator and flourish stamp to apply metallic silver paint to surface of flower layers. Allow to dry.

7. Use a thin paintbrush or your foam applicator to edge the flowers with the metallic paint. Allow to dry.

8. Glue flower layers together with Liquid Fusion. Allow glue to dry.

9. Use Tulip Glam-it-Up crystals and wand to apply crystals to edges of flower petals.

10. Thread head pin with flat side facing inside of bracelet through drilled hole, hole in center of flower and a crystal bead. Use round nose pliers to turn a loop and secure. (If the head pin head is too small, use a small button to secure it to the back of the bracelet.)

ILoveToCreate Teen Crafts: Playful Pom Pom Necklace

ILoveToCreate Teen Crafts
Playful Pom Pom Necklace
Copyright Margot Potter
"Mom crafted, kid approved."

Pom poms have a habit of proliferating in my studio. I just keep buying big bags of them with vague thoughts of projects to come. This idea has been rolling around my brain for a while now and yesterday, with a lot of help from my wonderful husband, this necklace was born. Kooky? Yes, yes it is. Fabulous? Well, of course! It's also lightweight, soft and fluffy. It's not for stuffy, stodgy, conservative folks, this is for the teen with a sense of fun. Much like the designer, who, while not a teen, likes playful accessories with a heaping helping of whimsy.

This is so easy and fun to make and you can take it in so many directions. Pom poms come in all sorts of sizes and colors, so if neon isn't working for you, change up the color palette! A nice black and white story would be striking! These pom pom circles can decorate purses, t-shirts, jeans, headbands, flip flops...where you put them is entirely up to you. After trying this on, I added a final layer of pom poms to the back of the earrings. So you can decide how you prefer to wear it. I'll be sporting this at CHA (a big craft trade show I'm attending this week) and Avalon will take it over afterward. She thought it was adorable and her opinion, as a stylish and fashion forward teen, is the one that counts. This is so affordable, so easy and so fun to make, it's the perfect antidote to the mantra of summer, "Mom...I'm bored."

Materials
Black craft felt
Multiple sized neon pom poms
Aleene's Fabric Fusion glue
11 10mm silver plated jump rings
QuickLinks Oval Chain
2 silver plated swivel lobster clasps
2 silver plated ear wires
2 2" silver plated head pins
(all jewelry making supplies and tools provided by Beadalon)

Tools
White fabric tracing pencil
3 round objects (1.5", 1.75" and 2" diameter)
Fabric scissors
Crop-a-dile or other 1/16" hole punch
2 pairs chain nose pliers
Round nose pliers
Flush cutters



1. Trace circles on felt using white pencil and your round objects. You will need four small and two of each of the other sizes.



2. Lay out circles to finalize pattern.



3. Glue various sizes of pom poms to circles using Fabric Fusion glue. If you make a small puddle of glue and dip the pom poms in, it makes quick work of this step. Allow to dry.

4. Reinforce outer edges of outer circles with a second small layer of felt, this will keep the felt from tearing when you wear the necklace. Allow to dry.



5. Turn circles over to determine placement of jump rings. Mark with fabric pencil. Rings need to completely connect each circle.

6. Use punch to place holes for jump rings. Make sure you aren't right on the edge of your circles to prevent felt from tearing when you wear the necklace.


7. Connect the felt segments using your jump rings and 2 pairs of chain nose pliers.



8. Attach a lobster clasp to the jump rings on the outermost circles on your bib section. Connect chain to clasps.



9. To make matching earrings, thread a head pin into the center of a small pom pom, coil and loop on each end. Attach this to an ear wire and a pom pom circle with jump ring. Repeat for second earring. (For more information on the basic jewelry making techniques in this project , please visit my YouTube channel and look for my Crafty Quickies videos!)