by Kathy Cano-Murillo - Jun. 26, 2004 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

There is a lovable, cuddly underground movement happening these days - stuffed monsters. I think of them as the next generation of the traditional sock monkey because they are little animals you can create to your liking. Stuffed monsters are so addictive to make. Once you draw a shape, cut and sew it and attach simple facial features, it will look cuter than a Hello Kitty Waffle Maker.

Shawn Smith, 28, of Chicago, has been making and selling monsters at www.shawnimals.com since 2001. He has a theory on why so many crafters are going soft.

"The abundance of fantastic characters and creatures in cartoons, comics, video games and movies right now may be stoking the desire," he says. "Sewn plush is a really direct way to turn doodles and sketches into real-life things."

For more inspiration, here are some other Web sites to check out:


• uglydolls.com
• peg-legstudio.com
• biggerkrissy.com
• mypapercrane.com
• littleandthegirl.com


Stuffed Monsters

Supplies:
1 piece of typing paper and a pen
Scissors
2 pieces of felt, 9 1/2 inches by 12 inches
Straight pins
Needle, thread, sewing machine or fabric glue
Buttons or googly eyes
Trim, fringe, beads, embroidery thread, ribbon, sequins, yarn or any other embellishments
Fiberfill stuffing



Directions:

Fold the piece of paper in half. Use the pen to draw half of the outline of a creature (just as you would draw half a heart) and then cut out the shape with the scissors. Unfold it and lay it on top of the two pieces of felt. Lightly trace around the shape with the pen. Pin the pieces of felt together in the center area of the creature. Sew around the outline of the shape, but leave an opening at the top. Trim the excess felt from around the shape, leaving a quarter-inch halo. Decide whether you want to flip the creature inside out or leave it with the seams showing. Sew or glue on the face (eyes, nose, mouth, cheeks, teeth) using buttons, felt, beads or embroidery thread. Stuff the creature until it is firm. Use the chopstick to move the stuffing into pointy corners. Sew or glue the top closed. Add any extra embellishments you like.

Variations: Use other kinds of fabric, such as faux fur, velvet, fleece, satin, denim or cotton. Make some creatures abstract, without arms or legs, and just add eyes to give them character. Use embroidery thread to add more detailed features to their expressions. Insert a dryer sheet as part of the stuffing to use as a room freshener.

***
CLICK HERE to see my crafty videos at LifetimeTV.com!

Other links:
STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR

* All content/photos copyright, © Kathy Cano-Murillo, 2007. For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com * for awesome crafty resources check out DuncanCrafts.com

Labels: fabric, kids, sewing

There's no better feeling than having the coolest decorated gift at the party.

Recently, I was cruising the gift wrap aisles and came across a set of metallic nesting boxes (a steal for $4.99 at Target). They looked a bit plain for my taste, so to spruce them up, I used some fabulous rubber clay molds made by the Polyform company. Each bendable mold contains nine or 10 designs and is sold in themes. I went for a travel theme and used the African, Egyptian and Asian motifs. After baking them, I highlighted the clay pieces in metallic paint to match the boxes. Now all I need is a party.

Supplies
1 set of nesting gift boxes
Assorted Polyform clay molds in Egyptian, African and Asian themes
Assorted colors of Premo or Sculpey oven-bake clay
Craft knife
Silver and gold acrylic paint
Hot glue
Cookie sheet

Directions: Take a small hunk of clay and press it into the center of the mold. Spread it to the edges with your fingers. Carefully bend the mold to remove the clay. Working on a flat surface, trim away excess clay with the craft knife. Continue the process until you have the desired number of pieces to apply to your boxes. Bake them on a cookie sheet in the oven at 175 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove and let cool. Using your finger, lightly dab silver or gold paint over the top of the clay designs to add subtle highlights. Attach to box with hot glue.

Tips and variations: These motifs can also be used to decorate picture frames, jewelry, light-switch covers, mirrors, journals, scrapbooks and more.


***
CLICK HERE to see my crafty videos at LifetimeTV.com!

Other links:
STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR

* All content/photos copyright, © Kathy Cano-Murillo, 2007. For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com * for awesome crafty resources check out DuncanCrafts.com

Labels: home decor, inside, multi-culti