Crocheted buttons are a pretty finishing touch to any knitting or crochet project, but they can also be flimsy and hard to use. Luckily, you can add strength and usability to your fiber notions—especially large buttons made with delicate yarns—with this simple reinforcement technique.

Stabilized buttons look just like their non-stabilized counterparts, but they maintain shape much better. They’re perfect for both delicate items and for more rugged outerwear—from the front, you won’t even be able to tell the difference!

Please note that the links to supplies and tools that are provided below are affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you choose to make a purchase after clicking through.

Supplies:
* Crocheted buttons (I used this tutorial.)
* Wooden buttons, the same size as the crocheted buttons
* Yarn for sewing the buttons together

Tools:
* Darning needle
* Scissors

Step 1
Select a wooden button that is right around the same size as the crocheted button that you’d like to reinforce.

Step 2
Thread a darning needle with at least one yard of yarn. Turn the crocheted button over so that the back is facing you, then place the wooden button on top of it. Leaving a long tail of yarn at the end, stitch down into one of the holes on the wooden button, bringing the yarn through the bottom. Next, bring the needle under one of the stitches at the edge of the crocheted button, then carefully pass the thread back through an open hole in the top of wooden button. To finish the stitch, pull the needle and yarn through the bottom of the wooden button, between the two layers.

Note: Don’t pull the yarn too tight as you sew—you’ll need to work the needle between the wooden and crocheted buttons as you stitch.

Step 3
Continue stitching around the edge of the wooden button, securing it to the crocheted button.

Note: To move the needle and thread to a new location, pass it between the button layers.

Step 4
When you’ve stitched all the way around the two buttons, pass the threaded needle between the wood and crocheted layers, then bring the needle up through one of the holes in the wooden button. Clip the excess yarn length, leaving a second long tail of yarn.

Step 5
Using the long tails of yarn that you left on the back, secure the stabilized button in place on your finished project.

Finally! Pretty and practical crocheted buttons!

Tutorial: Stabilizing Crocheted Buttons | The Zen of Making

Is a new craft magazine fueling your DIY decor obsession? Or maybe listening to knitting romances is making your studio time a little more steamy? Are you crazy about the latest Lotta Jansdotter sewing book? Or are you getting your amateur sleuth on with a tricky needlework mystery? And what about that TV show you’re watching just to ogle the knitting? You’ll definitely want to join me and co-host Barbara TODAY (Tuesday, 5/21) for this month’s Craft Social Twitter chat!

When: TUESDAY, May 21st, 2-3PM EST
Topic: Craft Lit: DIY Faves in Books, Novels, Movies, & Magazines
Hashtag: #CraftSocial

With so much making, crafting, and design in the media, there’s something out there for just about everyone. Are you in love with a stitching show or smitten with international crafting magazines? Did you design your own Lebowski sweater or knit something straight out of Downton Abbey? We want to hear about it! We know you’ve got crafty book, movie, and guilty pleasure favorites, so bring your recommendations, crushes, and DIY obsessions to today’s Craft Social!

Want to know more? Head over to Craft Social.

Craft Social: Craft Lit: DIY Faves in Books, Novels, Movies, & Magazines | The Zen of Making

It’s a dreary, rainy Sunday here in Brooklyn, and the only thing I want to do is sew. More specifically, I want to sew a-line skirts. Alas, I’m not satisfied with any of the a-line skirt patterns I’ve already made, so I’m digging through my book collection in search of something better. (All I want is a basic a-line skirt pattern that I don’t have to draft it myself. Is that really so hard?!) Well, seeing as how I have ALL OF THE SEWING BOOKS, I should be able to find something, right? Wish me luck!

Do you have a favorite basic a-line skirt sewing pattern? Help a gal out—share your links and recommendations!

Sunday Snapshot: In Search of the Perfect A-Line Skirt Pattern | The Zen of Making

Break out your tools and get your weekend woodworking on with these 6 stylish wood-related jewelry and home decor projects!

Ready to get started? Make simple wooden rings with The Merrythought, combine wood scraps and colored pencils to make colorful wooden pendants with CRAFT, pull out a needle and thread and stitch your own unique necklace with Paper & Stitch, make your own wooden buttons right here on The Zen of Making, craft an eye-catching embellished wooden pencil block with Design Sponge, or construct a modern wooden floor mat with Lowes Creative Ideas. So many great projects, so little weekend!

Saturday Internet Crushes: Wonderful Wood | The Zen of Making

Thanks to their versatility and a wide range of available accessories—not to mention the fact that they’re compact enough to be stored in a Brooklyn apartment—Dremel tools have always played an irreplaceable role in my craft studio. So, when Dremel offered to send me their new 2-in-1 Dremel Moto-Saw [this is an affiliate link], which is a combination scroll saw and portable motorized coping saw, I was pretty darn excited.

The project that I worked on for this review was pretty basic: My husband and I installed a new window shelf for the cats so they could spend their afternoons bird watching and chattering at squirrels.

Why keep it simple?
I really wanted to get a feel for how well the Dremel Moto-Saw would handle common household uses before moving on to anything more complex. In the context of this project, “simple” means straight lines, right angles, and a couple of square notches. (I’m sure I’ll weigh in on curve cutting, detail cutting, and cutting non-wood materials in the future, but, for now, I’m sticking to the easy stuff.)

So, what’s a Dremel Moto-Saw, and what does it do?
The Dremel Moto-Saw is a scroll saw that can be converted into a portable hand-held motorized coping saw.

According to the Dremel website:

The Dremel Moto-Saw offers a compact and easy solution for making detailed cuts in a variety of materials including wood, plastic, laminates and metal. This portable, precision-sawing tool is easy to store, set-up, and operate and features a tool-free mechanism for quick blade changes. An auto-tensioning feature keeps the blade taut and ready to cut so you don’t have to make blade adjustments and its slim, ergonomic handle with comfort grip provides control in any cutting position. The Moto-Saw functions as a stationary scroll saw yet it can be removed from its base to become a portable motorized coping saw.

• Precisely cut through a variety of materials: wood, laminate, plastic and thin metal
• Portable. Precise. Easy.
• Two tools in one: bench top and handheld capability

Features:

• Detachable Coping Function for handheld use to take the tool to the work piece
• Auto Tensioning Quick Change™ mechanism for easy accessory change and optimal blade tensioning
• Variable Speed Control for optimal cutting in a variety of materials
• Fast Clamp Base attaches to various tables, benches and surfaces
• Dust Port Adapter keeps line of sight clear and work space clean
• Two year warranty

Items and accessories included in kit:

• Dremel MS20 Moto-Saw
• Fast Clamp Base
• Storage Case
• MS50 Side Cutting Blade
• MS51 Wood and Plastic Blade (4)
• MS52 Fine wood blade (4)
• MS53 Metal blade
• Vaccum Adapter

Retail price: $99.00

What I loved:

1. The Dremel Moto-Saw came packed in its own sturdy carrying case, which ensures that the parts, accessories, blades, and manual will stay organized and tidy. (I never could resist a good carrying case..)

2. Inside the carrying case, the blades have a storage slot that is separated from pieces of the saw that might damage or bend them.

3. The Dremel Moto-Saw has two modes: bench top or hand-held. When in bench top mode, you can attach a shop vac adaptor to the saw base to keep down the dust and mess.

4. The clamps that hold the saw base to the table when the Moto-Saw is in bench top mode have swiveling tips to ensure a sturdy and secure grip, even if the bottom of your table isn’t perfectly flat.

5. Once the base is clamped in place, it feels very sturdy and solid. (For even more security, the screw holes at the back of the saw base can be used to permanently attach it to your workbench.)

6. When inserted into the base, the Moto-Saw tool snaps firmly and easily into place. When it’s time to remove it, a firm tug while pressing the lock button in the back releases it from the base.

7. The blue quick change lever allows you to release and change blades in seconds. Plus, when the lever is engaged, it automatically adjusts the blade to optimal tension.

Note: The Dremel Moto-Saw kit comes with blades for cutting wood, plastic, laminates, and metal.

8. When using a blade that is straight and free from defects, marked lines on wood are easy to see and follow, and the Dremel Moto-Saw makes straight, even cuts. (See my note on damaged blades in the “What I didn’t love” section below.)

Note: There isn’t much of a learning curve with this tool, but I do recommend making at least one practice cut on a scrap piece of wood before getting started on a project.

9. When you’re finished using it, the Dremel Moto-Saw is easy to disassemble and store. Because each part can be removed, it can quickly be wiped clean with a dry or damp cloth before it’s placed in its carrying case.

10. If you can’t bring your project to the tabletop, you can now bring your saw right to the project. When removed from the base, the Dremel Moto-Saw becomes a hand-held motorized coping saw.

What I didn’t love:

1. My husband and I had trouble getting the saw to cut in a straight line when we made our first cuts. Upon closer inspection, we noticed that the blade we were using wasn’t perfectly straight and that some of the teeth were bent very slightly away from the center. (I assume that this damage took place during shipping.) After installing a new blade, we had a much easier time getting straight, consistent cuts.

Note: To get the best, most precise cuts, make sure that you select the correct blade for the material that you’re cutting. Then, before turing on the saw, always double check the condition of the blade’s teeth, even when the blade is brand new.

Overall impressions:
I’m very pleased to welcome the Dremel Moto-Saw [this is an affiliate link] into my craft tool rotation. It’s small, easy to use, easy to store, and able to tackle the vast majority of my household cutting needs quickly and reliably. In my opinion, it’s an extremely flexible and useful tool, and the $99.00 price tag is a pretty good deal for the quality that you get. I’m definitely looking forward to using my Dremel Moto-Saw for other projects—and with other materials—in the future.

Want a Dremel Moto-Saw of your own? You can buy one here:
Please note that the link provided below is an affiliate link, and I will be compensated if you choose to make a purchase after clicking through.

Review: Dremel Moto-Saw Kit | The Zen of Making

Pixel kitty, curled up in his crocheted cat bed, all tuckered out after a long day of bird watching from his brand new kitchen window seat.

He really wanted to wish you all a happy Mother’s Day, but I just didn’t have the heart to wake him!

Sunday Snapshot: Crocheted Cat Nap | The Zen of Making

DIY Embroidered Sunglasses from Honestly…WTF

Add a little color to unexpected places with this roundup of 4 fun embroidery projects!

What are you waiting for? Make embroidered sunglasses with Honestly…WTF, stitch a lampshade with Wild Olive, cross-stitch a chair with My Poppet, or get fabric stitching inspiration from Karen Barbé. So much color, so many possibilities!

You can also click the photos above to see a full-sized image and a link to the original project.

Saturday Internet Crushes: Stitching with Color | The Zen of Making

Turn pocket change and yarn scraps into colorful, easy to make sewing pattern weights with this quick and simple crochet pattern!

Please note that the links to supplies and tools that are provided below are affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you choose to make a purchase after clicking through.

Supplies:
* Lion Brand Yarn Kitchen Cotton, 2 contrasting colors
* Pocket change or large washers (I used quarters.)

Tools:
* Crochet hook, 5.0mm (US size H)
* Scissors
* Darning needle

Crocheted Pocket Change Pattern Weights

In color A:
Round 1: Using a magic circle (adjustable circle), work 6 sc in circle, then sl in first sc to join. Pull tail on magic circle to close the loop as tightly as possible. (6 sts.)
Round 2: Ch 1, work 2 sc in each sc, sl in first sc to join. (12 sts.)
Round 3-5: Ch 1, work 1 sc in each sc, sl in first sc to join. (12 sts.)
In color B:
Round 6: Ch 1, work 1 sc in each sc, sl in first sc to join. (12 sts.)
Round 7: Work 1 sl in each sc, sl in first sl to join. Fasten off and weave in ends. (12 sts.)

Once your ends are all woven in, fill each pattern weight with pocket change (quarters work best, but you can mix in some nickels too) or large washers.

Tip: Stop filling the weights when the coin level is just below the top lip. Leaving a little bit of room open at the top of each weight will allow the stitches around the top edge to hold the coins securely in place inside the weight.

Happy hooking and speedy stitching. Enjoy your new sewing pattern weights!

Crochet skills a little rusty?
If you need a refresher on the basics before you get started, check out the Crochet 101 video tutorial that I made for CRAFT!

Tutorial: Crocheted Pocket Change Pattern Weights | The Zen of Making

Warm weather always inspires me to de-clutter and get organized, and this spring, my craft studio is at the top of my to-clean list. So, this week, I’ve been digging through my stash, removing duplicates, and finally getting around to those organization projects that I’ve been neglecting for months, like installing my gorgeous new Gütermann In-Home Thread Cabinet (this is an affiliate link)!

Now, I know what you’re thinking: If I’ve already got a perfectly good pegboard system, why in the world do I need a thread cabinet too? Allow me to explain:

By nature, I’m a pretty organized woman, but I’m also a busy creative professional. And, despite my best efforts to the contrary, I amass quite a bit of crafty clutter as I move from project to project. (Sound familiar?) So, to prevent the teetering stacks of in-progress projects, paperwork, and supplies that always threaten to take over my already too small workspace, I employ one simple strategy: I keep tools and supplies neat and within easy reach, and I always put them back where they belong. (Simple? Yes. Easier said than done? Definitely.)

For me, the best incentive for keeping everything in its place is creating storage solutions that are as pretty as they are functional. I find that, when there’s beauty and logic to my organization, it’s easier to remember where things go, and I’m much more likely to put them away. That’s where my Gütermann In-Home Thread Cabinet comes in. Unlike my old pegboard system where each additional color meant adding a new peg (and rearranging all of the other thread pegs if I wanted to keep them in color order), my new thread cabinet has a specific, well-labeled place for each individual color. A glance at the color number on the top tells me where any given spool belongs, and all I have to do is pop it into place. It’s a beautiful way to display thread, and it helps me work more efficiently: a quick look at the rack on my way to the fabric store lets me know if I’m running low on a favorite color, which keeps me from running out of thread in the middle of a project or wasting money buying duplicate spools that I don’t really need. (Plus, if I’m about to start a big project, each color slot can hold multiple spools of thread.) With my thread cabinet, it’s actually much easier to be organized than not, which is definitely key for keeping my studio in working order!

Basically, all of this is just a long way of saying that I adore my Gütermann In-Home Thread Cabinet. It makes me want to dance and sing. ♥

Check out my Small Space Studio Tour to see how I pack big creativity into a teeny tiny space.

I’ve been promising you guys a peek at my crafting studio for a while now, and I’m finally ready to give you the tour…

Please note that the links provided below are affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you choose to make a purchase after clicking through.

In the market for a Gütermann In-Home Thread Cabinet of your own? You can pick one up here:

What’s your favorite tip for keeping your crafting space organized?

Organize: Gütermann In-Home Thread Cabinet | The Zen of Making

It’s been a very, very Dremel weekend. Today, I picked up a shield accessory for my beloved (and, alas, much in need of replacement) Dremel tool. Jeremy and I also broke out my new Dremel Moto-Saw to install a new cat shelf in the kitchen window. (Full disclosure: Dremel sent me the Dremel Moto-Saw to try out—thanks, guys!)

For making big things in a tiny studio space in my apartment, I don’t think it gets much better than small, versatile Dremel tools.

How about you? Is there a tool that you can’t live without?

Want to check out these tools for yourself? Here’s where you can purchase them:

Please note that the Dremel links provided below are affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you choose to make a purchase after clicking through.

Sunday Snapshot: A Very Dremel Weekend | The Zen of Making