Author: Jasmine Huston

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Personalized Starbucks Cups for $5!?!

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Thank you for joining me again today. If you want a personalized cup but don’t want to spend big bucks then you have come to the right place. I am a barista at Starbucks. We are encouraged to use reusable cups for our drinks while we are working to reduce the amount of plastic that is thrown away and to save our Earth. In the past, I have tried a couple different designs on my cup and haven’t found one that I absolutely loved and have had problems with the vinyl bubbling. So this morning I decided to take a different approach. If you have seen any of my recent posts you know that Autumn is my favorite season. So I decided to do an Autumn inspired cup. You can see what came up with below:

I absolutely LOVE this design. If you would like to know how I made this then please keep on reading. One of the things I like about Starbucks is that if you bring a reusable cup in with you, you get 10 cents off for helping to save the planet. Naturally, Starbucks has its own reusable cups that you can purchase. Of course, the prices vary where you live, but the cold cup that you see above around me is only $3 plus tax. That is really a good deal. It is made out of hard plastic and the lid actually fits securely on there so that there isn’t any leakage. If hot drinks are your game they also have reusable hot cups for around $2 plus tax.
So far you have $3 invested in this project now, you just need to decorate it. Since in the past, I had a problem with Cricut permanent adhesive sticking to the cup I went with a different vinyl this time around. I bought Oracle 651 permanent vinyl. I love this stuff because it works really well, has a shiny finish, and…. it is only $2 per 12 X 12 sheet at Michaels. They recently had a sale that each sheet was $1 so I bought a lot of colors. If you want, on this brand you can also use a coupon if it is not on sale which is nice.
So since I knew that I wanted it to be autumn-themed I picked a dark red and orange. Now for the fun part. So for the around the siren logo, I found a free SVG that looks like fall leaves. It was actually a set of 2 different frames. You can find it here. So I just had to decide which one I wanted so I picked the first one. Next, I had to get the right sizing for around the logo. This could be challenging because the logo is actually an oval, not a perfect circle. I wanted to leave a tiny bit of space between the frame and the logo. So the custom size of the frame was 5.306″ wide X 4.917″ high. 
When doing the name I looked through the different fonts that I had on my computer. I wanted the name to stand out so I picked the bright orange vinyl. I am also a super Star Wars nerd, so I ended up using the Star Jedi font from dafont.com. (If you want a link to the font click here.) I picked the one Star Jedi Outline found out of that bundle and cut it using my Cricut.
When I did the weeding I started with the leaf frame first. I didn’t want to waste vinyl so I took the leaves out carefully as I was weeding and set them aside on some leftover backing from a different vinyl sheet. This way I could use them again and finish decorating the cup. I applied that directly to the cup using transfer tap as carefully and evenly as I could.
Next, I started weeding out the letters and put them on the opposite side of the cup where the boxes are and lined them up. 
Lastly, I took those leaves that I had saved and put half the amount on one side, then the rest on the remaining side. Then, Voila! My custom Starbucks cup. You can use the same color vinyl for everything if you want, totally up to your preference. You still have a lot of both sheets left for another project. So $3 for the cup plus $2 for both sheets of vinyl equals a custom cup for $5. 
I hope that you enjoyed this little tutorial. If you did please comment below and I’ll make some more instructions like this. Until next time, have a craftastic day!
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HTV? What is that?

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Hi everyone! So today I’m going to talk about HTV. What is HTV? You may ask. It stands for Heat Transfer Vinyl or simply iron-on vinyl. When you have a Cricut the sky is literally the limit for all the different things that you can create. I have to admit that when I made my first couple of shirts (Pictured below) I was terrified.

I had no idea what I was doing and everyone was using their fancy easy press. The trick that I have learned is patience. To use a traditional iron is time-consuming, however, it works just fine. You need patience also with yourself. When you first start designing and apply your t-shirts there are going to be mistakes you will make. You can’t let those mistakes discourage you from your goal. You have to learn from them and try again. That is how we learn everything from walking to our chosen trade. This is no different and you will get there if you keep going.

If you are new to the Cricut world and are using your home iron it is important to know that for most types of vinyl (all the ones that I know of currently) require you to set your home iron to the highest setting. You also need to set it to the DRY setting. You NEVER use the steam setting when doing an iron-on transfer.

Also, make sure that you wash your shirts and dry them without fabric softener. You want to get the coating off the shirt that comes from the manufacturer. If you use fabric softener it is again putting a coating on the clothing that will give you trouble.

When using the older style iron on transfers the idea was to keep the iron moving. That is not the case with HTV. Instead, you want to press the iron down for 15 seconds before lifting it up and moving to a different area. This will prevent wrinkles in the fabric and vinyl.

If you are doing multiple layers of vinyl you must be careful. When you weed the vinyl it comes on clear transfer tape. Please, please, please learn from my mistake and make sure the clear plastic from a different section is under the vinyl. I cannot tell you how many times this happened to me because I was in a hurry.

Most importantly have fun with it! We craft to calm our anxieties or to relax. We don’t want to stress out so much that it no longer is fun. We want to enjoy the destination, or finished project, for sure but we also want to enjoy the journey as well. Before I close out for the day I want to share with you another shirt that I made at the beginning that I am proud of. It gave me so many problems, such as putting the vinyl on the clear transfer tape, but in the end,  it was worth it and is one of my favorite shirts. Until next time, stay crafting my friends!

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Super Smash Trophy!?!

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Hey guys! So I have another exciting post for you today. So my husband today is having a super smash tournament with his friends today. So earlier this week he asked me if I could make him a trophy to give to the champion of the tournament. I thought about it for a couple days and looked online trying to find some sort of inspiration…well I didn’t find very much. I found maybe 2 trophies and they were 3D printed or you could buy it on Etsy for $30. So I thought to myself how could I make something that wouldn’t break the bank? So this is what I came up with.

It may look super complicated but it totally wasn’t. So the base of the trophy is a 5X5 round plaque that I bought at JoAnn Fabrics. I used a 50% off coupon and got it for $1. If you are looking for one you can find it here. I loved the detailed edging of this one. Then I used black glossy spray paint to give it a more finished look.
For the gold stand, my adventure took me to dollar tree where I found a package of three glass candle holders for $1. So I went ahead and picked that up. When I got home I got the one I wanted to use out of the package and use a metallic gold Rustoleum spray paint that I had from another project and used that to give it that first place feel.
For the Mario on top, there were many different ways that I wanted to do this but I figured that simple was probably best. I searched store after store to find a little 2″ Mario with no success. So then I turned to the internet and found a set of 18 Super Mario Action Figures all of them that were 2″ tall. You can find that set here. The set was $12.99 but I plan on either using them for cupcakes later or just selling the rest in my local buy sell trade. Then I used Gorilla Glue Epoxy to glue everything together.
I was almost done and so excited about my creation but I still needed some words on the trophy. So I downloaded the official Super Smash Brothers Font and cut it out with my Cricut on a permanent vinyl sheet and attached it. Then voila it was complete. I hope this is helpful in case anyone else wants to make a trophy but doesn’t want to spend a ton of money. Until next time, have craftabulous day!
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Fall in love with Autumn

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Hello everyone! Welcome back to my blog. So today I wanted to show you something else that you can make with the Cricut. This is probably my new shirt. You may not know this but Autumn is my FAVORITE season. I love the crisp air and beautiful leaves. Basically, I just love everything about it. Since Autumn officially starts on Monday I wanted to make a shirt in preparation. So here is a picture of my finished product.

This may look complicated at first but it is so worth it. The words in black are all 1 piece so that makes it easy. The leaves and words on the sides are in four different colors. I used orange, gold, medium yellow, and medium/dark green. The leaves are very easy to apply. The hardest part of the project is trying to align the “I live for autumn” and keep it straight but once you have it, you’re golden. The shirt is antique cherry red by Gildan that I bought at Michael’s for $2. If you are looking for the SVG file, you can find it here. That’s all for today. If you have any questions please send me a message. Talk to you soon!

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New Favorite Craft!

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Hello everyone! It’s been a while! Things have been super crazy but I’m back. I wanted to share with you something, a device that has changed my crafting life forever. That is the Cricut Explore One. Yes, it is an older machine but it is AMAZING! I have always wanted a Cricut especially when I started doing card making but they were just so expensive. I was looking through the local facebook marketplace and I found one for $80. Since then I have done so many different projects. So from now on, I’m going to share some of the different things I have created. If you wanted a tutorial on how to make these then please let me know and I would love to make one for you. Today I want to share with you my very first project.

The best part of this project is that it is great for a beginner and it is inexpensive. You can get these reusable cold cups from Starbucks for about $3. Then all you need to do is buy Permanent Vinyl.

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May the Fourth Be With You!

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Hello and happy Star Wars day! So this day is all about remembering the amazing movies that started it all and became a legend. I am not going to lie, I am a super nerd and love Star Wars. I will never forget the first time that I watched it and I have never stopped watching it. Though over the years Star Wars has seen many changes from the different Trilogies and so forth it is something that one and all love.

That being said today I have a very special video for you, how to make a TIE Fighter Amigurumi. You can watch the tutorial on my youtube channel by Clicking Here.

However, you can find the written pattern below:

Star Wars Tie
Fighter Amigurumi

©2019
by Jasmine’s Creative World. You may not sell or claim pattern as your
own. You can make and share or sell with written credit to Jasmine’s Creative
World. For any questions please contact: jasminescreativeworld@gmail.com
Materials:
G – Crochet Hook
Black Yarn
Dark Gray Yarn
Fiberfill (Or something to stuff in the cockpit)
Yarn Needle

Special Stitches:

Sc inc: Place 2 single crochets in the same stitch.

Sc dec: Insert hook in first stitch and pull up a loop,
insert hook into next stitch and pull up a loop. Yarn over and pull through all
three loops.
Magic Circle:
In Black:
Row 1: Ch1, 6sc
Row 2: 2sc in each stitch (12sc)
Switch to gray:
Row 3: (2sc in first st, 1sc in next stitch) repeat 6 times
(18sc)
Row 4: (2sc in first st, 1sc in next 2 stitches) repeat 6
times (24sc)
Row 5: (2sc in first st, 1sc in next 3 stitches) repeat 6
times. (30)
Row 6: (2sc in first st, 1sc in next 4 stitches) repeat 6
times (36)
Row 7: (2sc in first st, 1sc in next 5 stitches) Repeat 6
times. (42)
Rows 8-10: 1 sc in each row around.
Row 11: (dec, 1sc in next 5 st) (36)
Row 12: (dec, 1sc in next 4 st) (30)
Row 13: (dec, 1sc in next 3 st) (24)
Row 14: (dec, 1sc in next 2 st) (18)
Add the filling before continuing.
Row 15: (dec, 1sc in next st) (12)
Row 16: dec in each st around. (6)
Cut off and sew remaining stitches together.
Side Panels:
Magic Ring
Row 1: Chain 3, dc, ch2. (2dc, ch2) until you have 6 groups
of double crochets and chains. Sl st to ch3
Row 2: Ch3, dc. In the ch2 space dc, ch2, dc. Continue
around putting 1dc in each double crochet and (dc, ch2, dc) in each chain 2
space.
Row 3: Ch3, dc in next 2 st. In chain 2 space put (1dc, ch2,
1dc). Continue around You should have a total of 6dc between the chain 2
spaces. Complete the last ch2 space like normal then dc into last double
crochet then slip st to top of chain 3.

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Picking the Crochet Hook Size

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Welcome fellow crochet enthusiasts! So last we talked about the many different kinds of yarn. This week we are getting into the tool of your craft, hooks!
The come in many different colors, styles, or even specialty ones. But how do you know which ones to get? Better yet, how do you know which one to use?
A crochet hook is like having the proper brush for an artist, it can either be your friend or your enemy. So let’s talk about hooks a little further. I would recommend getting a good set of crochet hooks. I know this sounds cheesy but a good set of hooks starts you out on the right foot. The kind  I would recommend are the ones with the ergonomic handles because it will ease you into getting a feel for holding the hook and your hand will hurt a lot less. Then when you crochet more and more you will already have a good pair. You can get a set of these online or they have a very nice set at Walmart. If you don’t want to commit you can buy them separately also.
They also have your basic hooks, they are usually made out of aluminium. These ones are cheaper and the brand varies by where you get them. These ones are also very nice. You can get a nice and cheap set on Ebay. You can always make or buy the softer handle at a later time. These are also a good starter hooks.
Then you have the specialty hooks. Recently there has been greater emphasis on hooks that light up. These are pretty nice also because you can crochet even in a darker environment or can use them with dark yarn and be able to see the stitch better. These I wouldn’t really recommend for beginners though because they are made out of plastic and personally I have a fear of them breaking especially when still learning about tension. As you progress in the knowledge of crochet these might be a good option as well. They also have hooks that are made out of wood. Though I do not have experience with these particular hooks I know a lot of people really like these also.
So which size to use? The size greatly depends on the pattern you are using or the yarn. As mentioned in the previous post, most patterns will give you a recommended hook size. It is important to follow that size because otherwise it will mess up the pattern. When I was first starting out this was one of my major mistakes. I thought that I knew better than the pattern and created a mess. But what if they don’t list a hook size? Remember you can always look at the label for the yarn for guidance.
Depending on where you live they will label the hooks differently. In some places they prefer to use letters. For example US-J. Some places like to categorize with the metric system use such numbers such as 9 mm. Again, you need to look at the pattern and your area to be sure which kind to use.
So now that we know the basics of the yarn and hooks and you have them ready we can start to crochet. Next week we will get to start. Our first project that we are going to do is a washcloth. It is fast and easy project and will not be so overwhelming. Now you want to make sure that you get 100% cotton yarn. A good brand is Lily Sugar and Cream yarn. You can get a small skein for a good price in many colors. I can’t wait to start crocheting with you! I’ll talk to you soon!
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All About Yarn

Jasmine HustonLeave a comment
Hello! I am so glad to be back with you another week to share the next installment of the new to crochet segment. So today we are going to talk about yarn. it is a very important subject because it is mostly what your project is made of. Below I have a label for a skein of yarn. We are going to go through the various aspects that you need to look out for before you start.

L

 
 
Yarn Weights: There are many different kinds of yarn in different weights. The weight of this particular yarn is outlined with a red box. If you use the wrong weight yarn for a pattern it may come out too big or too small. So right now we are going to run through the different kinds of yarns.

0 – Lace (Often crochet thread)
1- Super Fine (Often can use crochet thread)
2- Fine
3 – Light (Often Called DK Light)
4 – Medium (Often called Worsted Medium, this is the standard size.)
5 – Bulky
6 – Super Bulky
7 – Jumbo
Hook Size: Another thing that we need to notice is outlined in blue. This is the recommended hook size for that particular yarn. When following a pattern they may tell you which size to use. If not then you can follow this guide. If you want something to be more lacy, then you can use a bigger hook than recommended. If you want something tighter, then you can use a smaller hook.
Washing (Care) Instructions:
Regardless of whether you are keeping a project or gifting it to someone else, it is important on how to take care of it. But where can you find the instructions because every yarn is different? Outlined in a pink box is the care instructions right on the label. This label for example says that you CAN machine wash and dry it. However you CANNOT Bleach or Iron. Why would other yarns let you do things some will not? You must consider that yarn can be made of many many things. Some are made with wool, cotton, rayon, ect. With each of the different types it has it’s own specific care instructions. Once you get your yarn and are ready to start, what if you can’t decipher the care instructions? Lion Brand has provided a fantastic guide for all the symbols that you can find here: http://www.lionbrand.com/learn/yarncare

L

 Yarn Length: Many patterns will tell you that you need so many ounces or yards for a project. Have can you be sure that you will not run out before finishing the project? On the label sample above you will see such information outlined it purple. So if you need 1,000 yards of yarn for a project you can tell by this label that you would need 3 skeins to finish the project. This brings me to another point. Before starting a project it is important to purchase at one time all the yarn you will need. Why? First of all, when you go back they may not have the yarn or it might be discontinued. Second, the colors might be off because of a different dye lot. It may read as the same color but it may be lighter or darker.
Naturally, of course, every label will look different and the location may be in different areas but it is important to look for these things when picking yarn for a project.
I hope that this post was helpful to you and you are one step closer to starting your project and learning how to crochet. The next post in this section will be all about yarn hooks. Thanks again for joining me. See you next week!