How To Do Virtual Quilt Designing Using Polyvore and eQuilter.com!

Today we made a virtual quilt! I say "we" because I did this with my 9-year-old daughter.

Candy Quilt by CraftyInnovation.com on Polyvore.com

I did it for free and it was so much fun to try.  The web site where I created this is called Polyvore. 
Here is how to do it. 

Los Flores de Cinco de Mayo

It is Cinco de Mayo today!  Even though we're not Mexican (and had spaghetti for dinner) I thought it would be fun to celebrate the day on my blog.  No "crafty" or "innovative" posts today - instead it's a treat to flowers from my friend Debby's garden.

Book Review: "PreFab Home" Redefining What PreFab Looks Like

I just finished reading “PreFab Home” by Michael Buchanan, et al. (2004). It was a light introduction to the process of building (and modifying the design of) a prefabricated or factory-built home. The book contains useful information and resources but treads lightly on the details of the topic.

How to Make Fabric Leaves (w/Link to Making Fabric Roses)

One of the first crafty blogs I came across was "DuhBe - finding a path to the creative life".  I found DuhBe during my search for how to make fabric roses. This week Luci, the blog's creator, did a follow-on tutorial on how to make fabric leaves to go with the roses.  She graciously allowed me to link to the how to make fabric leaves tutorial.  The "leaves" tutorial links to her rose tutorial. Thanks Luci! (One of these days I will post my project using said roses, and now with leaves too!)   Luci sells her beautiful fabric roses in her Etsy shop.  I think Luci's method is especially innovative - and exciting since it involves the use of open flames.  Be careful and have fun!

Daughter's Bedroom Furniture: Part 1

My first venture into updating furniture was when I found this sad, old office chair at my favorite thrift store. It was only about $10 so I figured I'd try my hand at spray painting it and recovering the seat.

Secret to a Product’s Success: Patenting or Marketing?

This week I went to a local craft supply store (Michael’s) to do a little “research” for this post. (OK, it wasn’t the only reason I was there...) I looked for items marked with a patent number as possible subjects to write about. I looked at several things that I thought might be patented, but found no patent numbers marked.

One item, called “Bendaroos” caught my eye. The product is essentially a string coated with colored, flexible wax. Children can bend them into shapes and stick them together to build things. Bendaroos are advertised on TV to kids. (Since I have 2 elementary school aged kids I know the ads very well.) I thought that certainly a product like that might have a patent number marking (or even a “patent pending” mark) but no. Nothing. I had my topic!

Magnetic Chalkboards - ANYWHERE!!

Here is a crafty innovation: turn just about anything into a magnetic chalkboard!

First, prime your surface with Magnetic Latex Primer. Rust-Oleum(R) has a specialty PRIMER PAINT called, not surprisingly, MAGNETIC LATEX PRIMER. Its color is a dark gray and allows one to create a magnetic surface almost anywhere. The primer can be applied to wood, metal, masonry, drywall, plaster, and more. The primer dries in 30 minutes, after which one should apply a second coat. According to the manufacturer: "Subsequent coats will increase the magnetic attraction." (Oooh-la-la! Maybe it would help to create a romantic mood too?!) Multiple coats means more metal on the wall which helps magnets attach better.