BAZAAR CRAFT LOOKS AT KITS
French General
Bracelet Jewelry Kit
$24
frenchgeneral.com
Ooh la la! Make yourself a vintage-
style charm bracelet with trinkets that
look like they came from the Paris
flea market. It comes with everything
you need in a cute little tin — you just
supply your own tools. Choose from a
variety of charm themes and colors.
Cathy of California
Pincushion Kit
$8
cathyofcalifornia.com
For a mere 8 bucks, not only do I have
a stylish pincushion, but I had fun making
it too. The kit comes with a styrofoam ball,
a piece of vintage material from Cathy’s
personal collection (which makes each
pincushion kit unique), some felt to create
flower petals, a decorative bee and flower
bud, and of course instructions. (Necessary
scissors, pencil, and pins are not included.)
Now that I’ve learned the secret to pincushion construction, I’m inspired to
make more as gifts using different
shapes and my own fabrics. —Carla Sinclair
Dritz
Gripper Plier Kit
$14
joann.com
When Moxie taught me how to needle-felt a
wristband, she whipped out her Dritz Gripper
Plier to fasten the snaps directly on the felt.
I ended up getting one right away because it’s
a great crafty tool to help fasten anything
from bags to baby clothes. The kit comes with
plenty of large snaps as well as tiny eyelets,
perfect to get you started.
A little bit mod, a little bit hilarious, these fuzzy lamp
dimmers will astonish and delight anyone who walks
through your door. Using conductive yarns, IFM has created a cuddly pompom that senses the electrical current
in your body to control your lamps. If perfection is what
you’re after, you should probably shell out another $5
and buy the completed dimmer, but if you want to teach
your kids (or yourself) a little more about “soft” electronics, the kit is a great way to go. It took about half an hour
to put together, and after a little time in the dryer and
some trimming, my pompom looked pretty darn good.
I spent a good five minutes turning my bedside lamp on
and off when I was done, just for the thrill of it. —AO’R
ElectroPUFF
Lamp Dimmer Kit
$28
ifmachines.com
