Looking for a fur hood crochet pattern? The Fable Fur Hood is a quick crochet pattern I made using Knit Picks Fable Fur, a new faux fur yarn made of a super soft fuzzy polyester. It looks almost like real fur (or like a really snuggly teddy bear), and it works up extra bulky, so this pattern is SUPER QUICK.

Seriously, it took me about an hour to make, and just used a bit more than one skein of Fable Fur.

Because the yarn is so furry, I did a very open-work rectangle made of double crochets in chain spaces. This makes the hood very light, and you can sink your fingers through the mesh if you want, but it still looks solid. Super quick and easy!

Project Materials:

• 2 Balls of Knit Picks Fable Fur, Bjern color, $4.99 each
• P-16 Hook (11.5 mm) or other jumbo crochet hook

Total cost: less than $10

To make your own Fable Fur Hood:

Ch 27

Row 1: Turn, ch 3, dc in 3rd chain, (ch 1 sk 1, dc in next stitch)* Repeat to end, with a dc in turning chain.

Row 2: Turn, ch 3, dc in ch sp, (ch 1, sk 1 dc then dc in next ch sp)* repeat to end with a dc in turning chain.

Row 3+ repeat row 2 until rectangle is about 28″ long. then fasten off.

To assemble: fold in half along the long side (like a book, not a hot dog bun!) and sew (or slip stitch) along the top of the “book” to make the top of the hood.

Add 2 chain tails to the bottom corners of the hood for ties.

For more info on this yarn, find Fable Fur at Knit Picks.

Check out my project on Ravelry.

*I was not paid for this post, but I do work for Knit Picks. This post was written on behalf of myself, and not my company.

The post Crochet: Fable Fur Hood Pattern appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Because I Crochet

Do you want to know why I have been spending all my free time in the past 3 months crocheting?

I got a new job!

I’m working at a yarn company developing a new secret crochet project! I can’t tell you everything yet, but if you are a crocheter too, it would help me a lot if you would pop over to take this 5 minute survey about crochet.

After you do that (and you can enter to win a $100 Visa card when you complete the survey), come back and I’ll show and tell some of the crochet projects I’ve been working on lately!

My Crochet Show & Tell

I’ve been posting most of my projects on my Instagram and Ravelry profile, but here’s a peek at some of my crochet projects:

Crocheted Easter Baskets

I crocheted some quick Easter baskets for my four sons — each of these took about an hour.

Puff Stitch Beanies

I started crocheting hats to practice with different yarns and techniques, and discovered that puff stitch beanies are a lot of fun to make!

(I called my hat crocheting the Heather Hat Project and ended up making 20+ hats of various styles and yarns).

Granny Square Welcome Mat

I made a giant granny square welcome mat for my cubicle at work (it also kind of looks like a flag for Granny Square Nation).

Rainbow Ripples

My sons started making requests, and the 11yo asked me to make a “black and rainbow” neck warmer (aka cowl), and I loved how it turned out so much that I made the exact same design a second time but stitched the top up into a hat.

Epic Afghans

I started crocheting afghans a few years ago. I didn’t know if I would make it through ONE because it was such a big project, but I had so much fun changing colors and yarns that it kept me going.

And then I made TEN MORE. I call them my “Epic Afghans.”

So that’s where I’ve been and what I’ve been up to. Do you crochet too? Let me know in the comments, and please go take my survey!

The post Do You Crochet? appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Project Materials:

• 3 skeins of embroidery floss, on hand or about $1
• Size 12 (US) crochet hook, on hand or about $1
• Chain or thread to string, on hand
• (optional) Jump rings and hardware, if you are using a chain, on hand

Total: FREE and upIf you are a beginning crocheter, I recommend making a couple granny squares with regular yarn and hooks just to get the hang of it. After you make a few, you will memorize the pattern, and it will be the perfect thing to crochet on auto-pilot (and a great way to use up your small leftover balls of yarn.

Crocheting with embroidery floss is a little bit challenging. One, it’s small, so it’s a bit harder to work with, and to get a comfortable hand position and work flow. The good news is that it doesn’t take too long to adjust to the reduced scale. Two, the six strands of floss aren’t twisted together like yarn, so the individual strands can get caught in your work a lot more. You can combat this by slightly twisting the floss with your index finger and thumb as you go. You can also pull out the offending stitches as you go and redo them, or pull the loops through your work to hide them.

Hook: My crochet hook was a steel hook, size 12 US (.70mm/size 5 UK). A hook a couple sizes larger would probably be fine!

Pattern:I just used a classic granny square pattern. I don’t need to re-write it for you! If you want to learn how to crochet a granny square, here is an excellent visual tutorial at The Purl Bee: [how to crochet a granny square]

Homemade Simple Gifts

I have always been a huge fan of handmade gifts. As a crafter, it’s only natural, right? I am lucky to be part of a family that also appreciates handmade gifts and makes it a practice to exchange gifts that aren’t store-bought. I know, I’m so spoiled!

While not all handmade gifts exchanged in our family are smash hits, they are all appreciated and they somehow seem more meaningful than something purchased in the $10 or less aisle of a big box store.

The best handmade gifts I’ve given or received have been: duct tape wallets (for the guys), hand-roasted coffee (yum!), quilts, and special items decorated by my three boys (always a win for the mommies, right?).

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I’ve been really focused on crochet lately. Last year, I started my first afghan, and I quickly got hooked (ha ha, get it?) on crocheting afghans! I just finished my 11th afghan last week, and I’m already halfway done with my 12th. Scroll down below to get a glimpse of my most recent afghan.

After I spent over $100 on my first afghan, I realized that I would not be able to keep making them if they cost that much. So, I started looking for cheaper sources of yarn, and I was thrilled when I found bags of yarn at my local Goodwill for about $7. I was able to get enough yarn to complete an afghan for about $30, which was much more reasonable! Of course, since I like to use neon yarn in my afghans, I still end up buying a few brand new skeins once in awhile.

Over at eBay*, I have come up with 9 Ways to Save Money on Knitting and Crochet. I use several of these methods, and I look forward to trying a few more of them! (*I wrote that article as part of a paid collaboration with eBay.)

So, ready to see my most recent afghan? Check it out (you can click on the right side of the photo to scroll through my album):

And here's my 11th #epicafghan – already started on the twelfth! #crochettherapy

A post shared by Heather Mann (@dollarcraft) on May 7, 2017 at 6:42pm PDT

The post How to Save Money on Knitting and Crochet appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Image by flickr user Suedehead. Licensed via Creative Commons.

Once you start buying yarn, it can be hard to stop! Lately, I have been buying yarn at Goodwill – I usually get a bag of 7-10 skeins of mixed yarn for about $6.99 (sometimes as low as $3.99, though!). I have a 3-drawer dresser filled to the brim with all my yarn! But since yarn is so pretty, it can be fun to display it in a useful and pretty way.

Over at eBay*, I’ve written about Pretty Ways to Store Your Yarn Stash, so go check out these great ideas! (*I wrote that article as part of a paid collaboration with eBay.)

Here are some of my recent creations (I am addicted to creating stash-busting afghans!):

Finished my 9th #epicafghan last week. This one was 100 stitches wide, so it worked up so much quicker than my previous ones. Still large enough for a twin size bed.

A post shared by Heather Mann (@dollarcraft) on Apr 1, 2017 at 2:59pm PDT

A closeup of the #epicafghan for @justdiysara

A post shared by Heather Mann (@dollarcraft) on Sep 9, 2016 at 7:19pm PDT

My fourth #epicafghan is finished! Green tones, basket weave crochet stitch with three strands at a time.

A post shared by Heather Mann (@dollarcraft) on Aug 9, 2016 at 11:01pm PDT

My second epic crochet afghan is done… On to the third!

A post shared by Heather Mann (@dollarcraft) on Mar 12, 2016 at 4:47pm PST

The post How to Store Your Yarn Stash appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

The reason I started this website was because of inspirational projects like this stylish crocheted twine and leather basket. Yes, it’s actually made from dollar store materials! How would you use a pretty basket like this one? I think I’d like to use it in my bedroom to add some quiet style to my bedside (and I could keep some of my extra books in there). Find the instructions for this basket over at Make and Do Crew: [Dollar Store Twine & Leather Basket]

Supplies Needed:

• 6 balls of dollar store twine, $6
• Thrift store leather belt, $1 and up

Total: $6 and up

The post Make a Stylish Twine & Leather Basket appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

We’ve seen a lot of clever flip flop makeovers over the years, but this one just might be the best! Jess from Make & Do Crew combined flip flop soles with cotton yarn for a light-airy pair of slippers that is perfect for summer! For this project you might even want to “splurge” on a $3 or $4 pair of flip flops instead to get a more sturdy foam sole to work with. [how to make crocheted slippers with flip flop soles]

Project estimate:

• Flip flops, $1 and up
• Yarn, on hand or $1 and up

Total: $1 and up!

The post Make Crocheted Slippers with Flip Flop Soles appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Oh, yarn scraps.  If you’re a knitter or crocheter, you probably have a ton of them.  What do you do with all of those bits that are too short for most projects but too long to just throw away?  Heidi from Hands Occupied came up with this easy crochet tutorial, turning bis of pretty yarn into adorable rings!  It’s a great beginner crochet project, as it takes very little time and very basic stitching.  [how to make crocheted rings]

Project estimate:

• Yarn scraps, on hand
• Crochet hook, on hand

Total:  Free!

The post Make Crocheted Rings appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

If you’ve ever done much knitting or crocheting, you’ve probably found yourself left with the limp, hollow shell of a center-pull skein, or bought yarn in a hank. In both of these cases, conventional wisdom says you should ball the yarn to make it easier to use for the next project, but buying a ball wonder can be an expensive proposition. However, Karen from I Always Pick the Thimble has a trick up her sleeve, using a pill bottle to wind her own center-pull balls! Oooooh, fancy! [how to make a center-pull yarn ball]

Project estimate:

• Yarn, on hand
• Pill bottle, on hand

Total: Free!

The post Make a Center-Pull Yarn Ball appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

I love my flip-flops, but I must have comfort in addition to the convenience of slip-on summer shoes. My solution? To crochet a cute and comfortable cushion around the straps with a dollar store bandanna. This project is quick and easy, and only uses one simple crochet stitch that anyone can do.

Project Materials:

• A pair of flip-flops, $1
• One bandanna, $1
• A crochet hook (I used a US J or 6mm hook), on hand or $1
• Rotary cutter, mat and ruler OR scissors, on hand
• Hot glue and glue gun, on hand

Total: $2

How to Crochet Bandanna Flip-Flops:

Part 1: Creating Bandanna Yarn

1. First we have to prepare the bandanna “yarn” by cutting the bandanna into 1/2″ strips.

I used a rotary cutter, ruler and mat, but you can also just cut 1/2″ strips with your scissors, or even cut notches in the bandanna and then rip the strips.

2. Next knot your strips together at the ends to create one continuous piece of bandanna “yarn.”

Part 2: Crochet Around the Flip-Flop Straps

1. Knot the end of the bandanna yarn around the bottom edge of a flip-flop strap. Trim the knot and hot glue the yarn to itself to secure.

2. Place your hook behind the flip-flop strap and catch the yarn with the hook. Draw it back behind the strap so you have a loop around your hook.

3. Place your hook across the front of the flip-flop strap and catch the yarn with the hook. Draw it through the loop on your hook. You will now have a new loop on your hook.

4. Repeat this process — hooking over and under the flip-flop strap, until the entire flip-flop is covered with crochet.

5. When you get to the end of the flip-flop, pull the yarn through the final crochet loop and pull to tighten. Glue edge of yarn to the bottom of the flip-flop strap with hot glue.

6. Trim any long pieces of bandanna knots, if desired.

It takes about ten minutes per flip-flop to crochet.

You can also use scrap fabric instead of bandannas. Or even yarn!

The post Tutorial: Crocheted Bandanna Flip-Flops appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.