I don't like to think of any media that was produced after I was born as "vintage" but as I get older (knock on wood) I suppose I'll have to get used to it. I found this lovely book, The Beautiful Naturecraft Book, in a vintage shop this past weekend. It's from 1979, yet is in surprisingly nice condition. Some of the projects are delightfully odd, and a good portion of them hold up to this day—they're that imaginative, well designed, and do-able. I scanned a few pages from the Seed Decorations section so you can see what I mean. The somewhat stilted text is what pegs it as a vintage craft book. I love it. This book, however, has more personality than most: "But look out for mice! They like seeds and have absolutely no respect for creativity at all." Cute! Gotta love a groovy sun face. I should collect all of the vintage (and not-vintage) sun face crafts I have in one place, maybe make a giant sun face out of all of them. Ha.
Enjoy your seed crafts, and keep them away from vermin! xo More circa 1966 vintage goodness! I don't know why this string art is called "scrap craft" except the bases are made of scrap wood (the type that only people living out in the country would ever have just lying around). "Let your fancy take over" is my new motto for living a better, happier life. Need directions? I don't think you do, but just in case: xo!
It's Valentine's Day today, which means you're probably (hopefully?) done with all of your Valentine crafting needs. So I'm moving forward, to the past, with this circa 1967 idea. The idea is a simple one, easy to reproduce yourself: Cut shapes out of felt, and sew buttons on and/or add slits for buttonholes. The only problem I see here is that you have to be comfortable with sewing on a seemingly unending number of buttons. And, you need to be mildly strategic about your button/buttonhole placement. So, two tricky areas. Once you have everything made, you can swap limbs and heads and tails and everything, and create your own version of The Island of Dr. Moreau. There are many, many pages of patterns in the back of the magazine, so I only scanned a portion of them so you'll get the idea. Simple shapes, simple idea, super cheap, potentially fun. I'll take it!
xo Editor's note: We are in a time of intense upheaval, with daily outrageous, unprecedented attacks on our country. Lately I spend a lot of my creativity on crafting just the right slogan for the next protest or postcard. However, I do believe in the value of Taking Breaks and Avoiding Overload. I recommend feeding your soul with a bit of frivolity from time to time, as a self-preservation measure. It doesn't make you (or me) any less resolute. So: here's a fun post from a vintage crafting magazine. The crafty ladies of 1968 covered their bases with this headline: I like that they call the pom-pom critters "weird," and they don't mean it in a bad way. That's fairly hip for a women's magazine in the '60s. They also aren't wrong. Sorry, no directions included here — there were many very-wrinkled pages of them, and I trust that you can tackle these on your own. If you need a pom-pom making tutorial, I recommend made everyday's — she uses the ultra-simple method I use. For a tutorial showing a multi-colored pom, try A Lovely Lark.
xo! Calling these rope dolls "action figures" feels like a stretch — I wouldn't let a kid actually play with these — but maybe in 1970 "action figures" didn't mean what they mean today. I guess it's the fact that they are posed in the middle of an action? I dunno. I find their empty faces rather odd, moreso when given a pair of glasses (I'm looking at you, knitting grandma). These are made by inserting a stiff wire through the center of a length of clothesline, which sounds like an advanced-level craft maneuver to me. The bowl-like hats are made by coiling glue-soaked string around the top of a lightbulb and letting it dry. That's a good tip, though you'll have to find an old-fashioned lightbulb for it. Want the full (lengthy) directions? Sure: xo!
Consider this a time-traveling companion piece to yesterday's gift tag/cards. First, there's a "frothy" Christmas tree wall hanging: And then, the unique gift packages, which are decorated — very specifically — for each recipient. This pic gave me a double-take at first, as the pink gentleman seems to be wearing earbuds (and listening to something very embarrassing, I guess). Turns out the earbuds are supposed to be a stethoscope. Directions? Sure. I hope all of your holiday gift wrapping is going smoothly and enjoyably!
xo That odd turn of phrase above is from today's i love vintage: another project-and-a-half from 1967! I'm not sure what makes those tiny trees glamorous, especially the one that's just some glued-on peach pits and pumpkin seeds. But this tall 3-sided tree certainly is. Why, you can almost not tell that the crowning star is made from cotton swabs! (Just kidding, you can 100% tell.) The conical insets of the 3-sided tree are very cool. Might have to apply that idea in some project or another...
xo! That odd turn of phrase above is from today's i love vintage: another project-and-a-half from 1967! I'm not sure what makes those tiny trees glamorous, especially the one that's just some glued-on peach pits and pumpkin seeds. But this tall 3-sided tree certainly is. Why, you can almost not tell that the crowning star is made from cotton swabs! (Just kidding, you can 100% tell.) The conical insets of the 3-sided tree are very cool. Might have to apply that idea in some project or another...
xo! (Just a little editor's alliteration joke, up there. Heh.) Hey look, it's 1967 with some holiday crafts that kids can make! The environmentally-gross styrofoam balls used as heads in the dolls are offset by the reusing of newspaper as wrapping paper (instead of buying new). Well played, McCall's. xo!
While looking through one of my vintage magazines, I came across this Hallmark ad. There's something about this wrapping paper's exact color combination — pinks, blues, purples, pops of yellow and orange — that I find delicious. I was going to say that it makes me happy, but that's not it; it's more of a craving that's been satisfied. Bonus points for the super fluffy yarn pom on top of the gift. And this page, below, is from 1967. I like a handmade Christmas ornament, especially one that I'd like to hang on my tree. I happen to have a silver plastic spool in my stash, along with a decades-old box of beads and sequins... So, consider this page a prequel to a post. xo!
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AuthorI'm Debbie Way, an artist and writer who enjoys making things. |
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