So Much More Than a Beaded Band

By Vicky Eva, Klutz buyer, DIY queen, and (most importantly) proud mama

Before I worked for Klutz I used to be a buyer for a beads company, and oh how I loved it. I got to play with beads and make jewelry EVERY DAY. Pretty neat, huh? These days, with a little one and a new home, it’s a lot harder to find the time for crafting but I make a conscious effort to make time for it because it’s inspiring. Recently, Klutz's Beaded Bands inspired me to revisit my roots in beading. 

The book teaches kids how to make cute beaded bracelets, but I thought it would be fun to make something that would be multi-functional for me—beaded headbands that can act as necklaces as well. (I wasn’t kidding when I said I don’t have too much free time. I need my crafting to be productive!) After studying the techniques from the book, I grabbed some stretchy cord, and voilà! 

It was such a joy to make these projects. Not only was the crafting stress-relieving, the results were so rewarding. These headbands/necklaces will look great with my short hairstyle but I must say . . . they look much better on my model.

What Makes Christmas Great (with Clay Charms from Klutz)

Christmas is full of wonderful things, like food, family, and lots of holiday cheer! But in the lead up to this amazing time of year, trying to find gifts for everyone on your list can be a bit stressful...

Crafting and shopping for my top people is no problem, but I’m always struggling for a way to cover the people in between: friends I don’t see often; distant family members; and any last minute people who may pop up. This year, I decided to break out one of my perennial Klutz faves, Make Clay Charms, to create some quick, handmade gifts for occasions such as these.

I baked up some super-sized Clay Charms in all sorts of Christmas shapes, and then twisted on wire hooks. Then I popped my homemade ornaments onto some simple sketched backgrounds to make cute, handmade cards that can be stockpiled and handed out on demand. Now I can spread holiday cheer to everyone I encounter! And when it all comes down to it, isn't that what makes Christmas so great?

Christmas Crafting Season Begins (with Loop Loom Bracelets from Klutz)

The moment November hits, you can already see the first signs of the holiday season ahead. Stores swap Halloween for Christmas decorations, Starbucks releases those familiar red cups and, in Toronto, The Bay reveals their stunning holiday window displays. 

There are many who lament this early start to the Christmas spirit. As a warm weather girl and a November baby who likes her birthday to have its space, I can relate. But the crafty gift giver in me is grateful for the reminder that it's time to start my Christmas crafting. If I want to go DIY with decorations and gifts for all the people on my Christmas list, I've got to get busy!

I popped over here to choose an exciting new Klutz kit  (or an old favourite) to start with. It was a tough choice -- and I can't wait to share my other projects in the coming weeks -- but in the end this girly girl went straight for the jewelry!

Loop Loom Bracelets is Klutz’s take on the rubber band bracelet trend, with one big change. Seven colours of stretchy cord are the medium of choice in this kit, so you can bead-dazzled your bracelets to your heart's content without any danger of them falling apart if one link breaks!

I was looping up a colourful stack of bracelets for my favourite cousin when inspiration struck... These stretchy bands would make great gift-wrapping ribbon too! So I’m making as many pretty beaded ribbons as I can, and boy am I glad I got my early start! This Christmas, my presents are going to be just as pretty on the outside! 

My Fairweather Friend (with Friendship Bracelets from Klutz)

Whenever August rolls around, I always get a bit weepy for the end of my favourite friendship. See, for three sunny months a year, Summer and I are the best of friends. There is never a shortage of things to do when Summer is around! I want to run and jump, laugh and play, and just enjoy every moment we have together. Then when Summer is gone, all I want to do is hibernate under the covers till they day she comes back again.

So, while soaking up the sun (through a thick layer of SPF) one cottage weekend, I decided to celebrate our fleeting friendship, while it was still in full force. I grabbed a copy of Friendship Bracelets, the most classic of crafts, and knotted up an ode to my favourite friend. Three colourful anklets--my go-to summer accessory--one for each month we get to spend together!

All throughout August, those bracelets reminded me to enjoy each leap off the dock, dip in the pool and day in the park. And now, even though the cold weather feels like its already set in and I’m sporting long sleeves and pants, I've got three pretty little reminders to keep me going until my best friend is back again!

One of a Kind Father's Day Date (with Toolbox Jewelry)

My dad may not be the handiest on the block, but with that big brain of his, there’s not a project he won’t try. My skills, well they're less in tools than tape and glue, but I’ve got that same determination to take on any crafting adventure. Together, my papa and I have put our skills to use for all sorts of projects, from a bright pink bench to this cool book clock and the light box I use to photograph all my Klutz crafts!

He’s out of town again this Father’s Day, so we scheduled a Skype date to celebrate. To carry on our tradition of handy crafts, I grabbed my copy of Toolbox Jewelry and together I whipped up a stack of cool arm hardware as we chatted the day away. Even though we couldn't be together, we still found a great way to spend our early Father’s Day date!

The last time I made these cool cord bracelets, it was the dead of winter, so I wrapped them around my mini-Christmas tree. But, now that the warm weather is here, I can finally sport these neon-coloured beauties myself. And every time I look at them, I’ll remember my awesome dad and our one-of-a-kind Father’s Day date!

New Year's Eve Night in with Klutz

Happy New Year fellow crafters!

How did you celebrate the start of 2014?

This crafty girl decided to ring in the New Year in DIY style! I had a Klutz crafternoon with some favourite friends and a special surprise for our party at night.

Choosing my favourite Klutz books of 2013 was easy: Make Clay Charms, Nail Style Studio, Beaded Bands and Toolbox Jewelry. I pulled out my copies, spread them out on the table and we each got to work beading, painting, knotting and sculpting fun accessories for the night ahead.

We put on our party outfits and as the countdown finally drew near, it was time to reveal my special surprise. With my laptop, a bed sheet and some printed props, I set up a makeshift photo booth so we could snap pics of our fancy new accessories and get a little silly!

It was an amazing night with good friends and great crafts—and I didn't even have to leave the house. Who could ask for more? The best part was the next day, as we headed home to 2014, we had fun accessories and hilarious pics as souvenirs of our send-off to another great year!

Toolbox Jewels with Klutz Toolbox Jewelry

For this Christmas crafter, there is no better treat than a Klutz kit that will help you to create a ton of cool gifts!

Last year, I hit the jackpot with a bounty of Beaded Bands, so I couldn’t wait to see what my not-so-secret Santa had in store. As usual, Klutz did not disappoint.

All summer, I’d been Pinning and pining for those cool nut and washer bracelets that were popping up everywhere. So my holiday joy skyrocketed to find that they were now within my reach with Toolbox Jewelry. This pretty kit is a collision of Tiffany’s and my dad’s toolbox, and the finished product is as pretty and polished as all of these Pins.

I fixed up an armful of hot hardware with just nuts and washers, ribbons, and string! I’m wrapping up these precious toolbox jewels to deliver with love!

With just a month to go, the Christmas crafting is underway! Looking for more ideas? Check out what I’ve been up to in Christmases past, and stay tuned for Christmas crafts to come!

Straight On to Summer (with Scoubidou)

This week we got our first glimpses of the warm weather we’ve been waiting for. Sure, it was short lived, but I soaked that little bit of sun right into my soul and now I'm filled with summer dreams of swimming in lakes, bunking at summer camp, and roasting marshmallows over a campfire. I'm choosing to ignore the warnings of hail(!) ahead and am hunkering down with some Klutz that was made for summer fun.

Whether you know it as gimp, lacing or boondoggle, Klutz give new life to this summer-camp fave with its original name, Scoubidou. (Fun fact: it was a fad in France in the 1950s!) Sure, there are instructions for the classic bracelets we all know and love, but it doesn’t stop there... Pretty ponytail holders, cool Celtic knots, flip flops, and more all get the scoubidou- treatment too! And with enough cord to make all 12 projects, you’ll have plenty to keep you busy till those sunny summer days actually arrive!

Charmed, I’m Sure! (with Clay Charms)

Klutz and I have been besties for almost two years now, so we’ve started to settle into a familiar rhythm. Whenever I'm free, I give Klutz a call and can always count on some good, crafty fun. But every once in a while in our steady relationship, Klutz does something that totally knocks my socks off and this, my friends, is one of the times.

May I present to you... Clay Charms!

I will try to keep the gushing to a minimum but, you guys, this book is the COOLEST! A pretty little bracelet base, nine brightly coloured bricks of clay, and endless combinations of clay charm cuteness!

It wasn’t hard to decide what my first bracelet would be about. I mean, the only thing I love more than crafting is food, so I stacked it up with some yummy snacks. Cinnamon buns, tacos, s’mores, and a crunchy carrot for good measure! Then it was into the oven for a bake, a quick layer of glaze, and my tasty treats were ready to rock!

After my first bracelet went so well, I just had to share. So I packed it in my bag for a weekend away and my friends and I all went Clay Charm crazy!

 

Now I’ve got a whole tree of clay charms to mix and match to my moods. But have no fear, I’m not done yet. These colourful little bricks of clay sure do go a long way! So if you wondering when my Clay Charm obsession will end…

Well, you know!

Three Cheers for March Break (with Fancy Friendship Bracelets)

Once the magic of Valentine's Day is gone, winter kind of gives me the blues. I’m not a skier or snowboarder, and I don’t like making snow angels or having snowball fights. Skating is fun, but only once or twice a season... Basically, to me, winter is a months-long excuse to hide under the covers and read. But then March rolls around and this wonderful thing called March Break comes along to give us a taste of the free spirit of spring.

My March Breaks were usually spent in daycare, along with the other poor saps whose parents weren’t crazy enough to brave the hordes of families descending upon Disney World. The six or eight of us extra kids would be stuck playing baby games with the preschoolers while our friends basked in the sun and ate turkey legs the size of their heads.

But it wasn’t all bad... Sometimes, after some theatrical sighing, my mom would pack a big-kid activity to keep me entertained. Finding that treat in my bag was like a one-day ticket to my very own Magic Kingdom. I would pick a special friend, set up camp in a corner (away from the babies), and go to town!

This year, when I found a copy of Fancy Friendship Bracelets in my bag, I tore into it with the enthusiasm of my younger, daycare-stranded self. These colourful bracelets are miles ahead of those embroidery floss, summer camp faves and totally updated with bright, spring-coloured cord, tons of tiny seed beads, and six cute charms to finish them off! 

If you’re looking for a fun, big-kid-approved way to spend your week of freedom, try out this cold weather craft with a ton of spring fling!

Six Bands a-Beaded

On the first day of Christmas, Klutz gave to me…

 Beaded Bands under my tree!

Okay, so Christmas is still a couple of days away, but this is one present I'm sure glad I opened early! Beautiful, Beaded Bands has everything you need to make super chic and totally on-trend bracelets that look too good to be homemade. This year, I'm spreading Christmas cheer with these pretty little stocking stuffers.

On the sixth day of Christmas, I'll give six bands a-beaded to some very lucky friends!

And you can win your very own copy of Beaded Bands from Scholastic Canada.
Click here to enter! 

The countdown is on, only three more days to go...

Merry Christmas fellow crafters! See you in the New Year!

And We're Back (with Fancy Friendship Bracelets and Glossy Bands)

It’s back-to-school and time for new beginnings... A new grade, new things to learn, and a new outlook on life! Time to wind down from the whims of summer and get into the swing of the new season.

And then there’s back to school fashion... 

Oh, the anticipation of that first week of outfits, every day a new opportunity to paint the picture of your fashion self. Will you make a statement with some bold prints or linger in summer's neons and florals? Me, I'm just excited to finally break out the knits!

But there's nothing better for this crafty girl, than getting to wear one of her creations. As a part-time crafter, full-time wallflower, it's nice to be able to tell the world a bit about me without having to speak. So show everyone what makes you you this school year and rock some 100% Klutz accessories made just by you.

 Squeeze and swirl, peel and stick these Glossy Bands for a one-of-a-kind accessory. Bright colours and groovy patterns add a pop of colour to your autumn neutrals. Switch these sticky bands from wrist to Ribbon Bangles and Headbands (and Hairstyles) for all your fall moods.

Braid and knot Fancy Friendship Bracelets into all sorts of shapes and patterns. Choose from five colours of cord and all sorts of beads and charms to really finish them off. So pretty and polished that no one will guess that you made it yourself. Be sure to make a bunch, because these beaded beauties are perfect for stacking!

Whatever you wore for your first week back-to-school, hope it was fashion fabulous and 100% you!

An Ode to My Bestie

I wouldn’t have survived school if it weren’t for my BFF, Lea. She was my rock, my cheer squad and my very best friend. From the moment met in junior kindergarten, we were inseparable. We were Lemon and Lime, Skittles and Chupa Chups, Josée Chouinard and Kristi Yamaguchi, and oh-so-much more, and we had a blast!

Back then, we’d find any excuse to trade tokens of our awesome friendship, from split-heart necklaces and friendship bracelets to our shoelaces! Once, we even broke a pink school eraser in half and swore our everlasting bond on the crumbling pieces. Five days later, mine was lost, but to this day I still think about it and smile.

So I’m celebrating my Best Friend Forever this February, the month of love, with a throwback to our younger days and a modern take on Friendship Bracelets from Klutz. I paired them with our favourite photos to make these super sweet and completely personalized valentines. There were so many fun bracelet designs to choose from, I had to make more than one. Now I can’t decide which one I like best, so I’m giving her all four. Anything for my best gal, because she’s totally worth it!

This Valentine’s Day, banish boxed cards and get creative! Show your loved ones just how much you care with handmade valentines that are sure to make them smile.