More Stars...

I've been experimenting with more of those Recycled Plastic Christmas Stars...

This time I'm using bread bags.

The plastic has been spun to give the plarn some some twist - which gives better stitch definition.

The print on the bread bags makes for a more colourful decoration..

But I still prefer the simplicity of the plain white ones which I showed you yesterday.

Recycled Christmas Stars

I'm loving these RECYCLED Christmas Stars... and I just know I'll be making a squillion of them this Christmas Season.

Especially since all you need to make them is a plastic shopping bag and a tea bag string, plus a pair of scissors and a crochet hook.

Oh - and an iron and a couple of sheets of baking paper or brown paper bags.

So firstly, I cut the bags into plarn - which is plastic yarn - just one continuous length of plarn about 2.5 cm (1 inch) wide.

Then I crocheted the plastic into the stars using this pattern here. It's in German - but don't be deterred by that! There's a simple chart, and since there are only two rounds of crochet needed, the chart is very simple and easy to follow.

One thing I did different from the pattern: I didn't begin with a magic ring. I thought that tightening the ring would overstretch the plastic tail and BREAK it. So instead I worked a ch-4 loop at the beginning.

Because the stars were a bit soft and tended to curl in on themselves, I decided to iron them flat. Nothing fancy - I just popped the stars between two sheets of baking paper and held the iron over them until they started to melt a little. The iron was just on it's usual setting, which I think is the cotton one - not the highest setting, but one down from there.

Then I sat them flat while they cooled. 

The ironing process shrank the stars a little, and fused them. The plastic actually melted and the stitches stuck together. it created a thinner but stronger star - more suitable for hanging on the tree.

If you look closely at the photo above, you'll be able to see where the plastic has fused - especially around the centre hole.

Once they were cooled, I just threaded a tea bag string through one of the holes near the tip - and knotted the end to form a loop.

I'm thinking these will look brilliant on our tree this year!

Fixing Suff

Most of my craft time lately has been spent "Fixing Stuff".

There's been some Pattern Writing for Captain Fizzlepop, that wonderfully colourful clown...

And some Sketching and Planning for our December Challenge...

But mostly I've just been Fixing Stuff (or trying to)



This cushion was in fabulous condition - except for those buttons.

Poor thing was starting to look MOST bedragled - that star was definitely losing its shine!

Of course I didn't actually HAVE the ones that had dropped off - so I improvised with some round buttons instead.

As always, it took more work than I expected - about 20 buttons needed to be stitched on.



And I think it works.

In fact it worked better than I anticipated...

You kind of get so caught up in the overall pearlescence (is that even a word?) and shine... that you lose track of the individual shapes of the buttons.

Love.

Sometimes I Swear...

I know it's Not Nice...

and I know it's Not Ladylike...

and it's certainly Not A Good Example to my children...

But HOLY MONKEYS, sometimes you Just Have To...

And I DID swear while making this star!!!



It all started out in a very civilised manner... with four strips of recycled paper



But by the time I reached Step 10 - I was cursing!

I mean, just LOOK AT STEP 10... can you make any sense of that at all???

I got about this far when my paper started to tear apart...



So it was time for fresh paper.

And just what am I using for paper?

Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines...

As you do.



I found this old book when cleaning out the other day...

I know it's mine, because I've put my name on the front cover.

TWICE!



Yes.

You read correctly.

School Music Camp 1982.

(Man I keep some crap)

It even had a little Journal in it...



Look at that... we watched Greece! Could that possibly have been Grease, do you think???

Awww - the memories!

Anyway, back to that wretched star...

I got there in the end and although I love the way it looks, I don't know if I can muster up the patience for a second one!



Looking for something else to read?

I'm linking up with Rhonda at Down To Earth... who has some sad news today about her chooks}