Free 4th of July Project for Kids

 Here’s a fun, quick craft the whole family can help create! This sparkly wand, featured in Marie LeBaron‘s Make and Takes for Kids: 50 Crafts Throughout the Year, would be perfect for little ones to wave at this week’s patriotic parades, backyard barbecues, and firework displays. Click on the picture for instructions. Happy 4th, everyone!

Free Project for Summer Scrapbooking

You’re sure to make lots of memories during your summer travels, whether you’re spending a quick weekend at the beach, trekking into the mountains, or visiting faraway family. Later this summer I’ll be taking my first cross-country trip with my toddler, which is sure to be unforgettable in ways both good and bad! Scrapbooking is a great way to preserve those memories and create keepsakes that your kids can revisit again and again. This free Envelope Mini-Book project from Teach Yourself VISUALLY Scrapbooking, by Rebecca Ludens and Jennifer Schmidt, is a great way to remember a special trip. Just click on the link above for detailed instructions!

For many more scrapbooking ideas and all the how-to information you need to design beautiful pages and projects of your own, check out Teach Yourself VISUALLY Scrapbooking.

Support Livestrong and Get a Free Book!

One of our favorite Wiley craft authors, Chris Franchetti Michaels, is raising money for Livestrong and asked us to help spread the word. Better yet, she’s giving away a free jewelry making or beading book to each person who contributes via her Livestrong donation page! (Supplies are limited.) Click here for details. Good luck, Chris!

Sabrina Soto Home Design Giveaway Winner!

Thanks again to everyone who entered the Sabrina Soto Home Design giveaway! Just in time for the weekend, I’m pleased to announce the winner: Aida Rodriguez! Congratulations, Aida!

Want to meet Sabrina in person? If you’re in New Jersey, you’re in luck! She’ll be signing books at the Cherry Hill Barnes & Noble on June 4 at 7:00 pm and at the Freehold Barnes & Noble on June 16 at 1:00 pm.

Happy Friday, everyone!

A Sneak Peek Inside Sabrina Soto Home Design

Thanks to all of you who have left such nice comments about Sabrina Soto and her book! If you haven’t entered our giveaway yet, there’s still time–leave a comment on Monday’s post by Friday at noon EST!

Love Sabrina and intrigued to hear her advice on decorating? Here’s a sneak peek inside the book: Sabrina’s tried-and-true System of Trios for choosing a color scheme–a key element in any room design, and one of the most fun parts of decorating. Set against earthy brown tile and crisp white cabinetry, the mid-range green used in this bathroom and bedroom sets a restful tone and unifies the spaces.

Photo courtesy of Pratt & Lambert Paints

Make sure to check back Friday afternoon to see if you’re the winner of a copy of Sabrina Soto Home Design and a $200 American Express gift card!

Introducing Sabrina Soto Home Design

I’m thrilled to announce a new book that I know readers of this blog will love: Sabrina Soto Home Design. You may have seen Sabrina on TV as Target’s Style Expert for the Home, or you may have seen her amazing show The High Low Project on HGTV, where she shows how to re-create a high-end room design on a realistic budget. We love Sabrina’s can-do attitude and DIY spirit, and we’re thrilled to have her as part of the Wiley family. Home Design is a fantastic decorating primer that tells you everything you need to know about how to take your own creative ideas and use them to design rooms that are both beautiful and functional. You’re sure to find ideas on everything from arranging furniture to choosing color to using accents in stylish and savvy ways. Check back here on Wednesday for a sneak peek into the book.

To one lucky winner we’ll be giving away a copy of the book and a $200 American Express gift card–use it to jump-start that DIY project you’ve been wanting to tackle! Leave a comment on this post by 12:00 EST on Friday, and I’ll announce the winner Friday afternoon.

Reinvention in First Grade + Giveaway

Earlier this year my daughter’s first grade teacher invited me to come in and do a craft with her class. Right about the time I was casting about for just the right project, we were busy editing away on Maya Donenfeld’s just-released Reinvention: Sewing with Rescued Materials.

While an adult-level sewing book would not have been my first place to look for a project for 16 first graders, I just kept coming back to one project – the Nature Notebooks. I knew the kids would love the idea of recycling and the involvement of paint and stamping would allow a nice level of personalization. They all love journaling and the light level of sewing gave them all a big sense of accomplishment when they were done.

Take a look at the gallery to see how they came together and how wonderfully they turned out!

I should also note that all of the kids now want a sewing machine, most especially the boys.

Huge thanks to all of the kids for their hard work and creativity, to my daughter’s teacher for the invitation, and to Park Tudor School for allowing me to spend a morning with her class.

Maya- your project was a winner! There truly is something for everyone in your finished book and I, for one, am looking forward to making the rest of them.

And, now for the giveaway. We’re so excited about this book that we’re dying to share a copy with one lucky reader. Leave me a comment and on Monday I’ll pick a winner to receive a copy of Reinvention.

Where’s Karen?

If any of you are going to be attending Quilt Market this weekend, you can play a quick game of Spot-the-Author. Co-author of Sewing for Boys, Karen LePage of One Girl Circus, will be walking the floor. See if you can spot her and say hello.

Your best bets will be to stop by the Timeless Treasures booth where she’s sewn some of their Washi fabric into projects from Sewing for Boys. She also sewed some sample garments for Cloud9 Fabrics.

Author Roundup for Spring Quilt Market

If you are lucky enough to be headed to Kansas City this weekend for the Spring Quilt Market trade show, take a few minutes to catch up with our authors. Patty Young, Joanna Figueroa, and Anna Maria Horner can all be found in their booths and presenting at various times.

Patty Young can be found in her booth, #3024-3026. Drop by her booth and she may tell you when she’s planning on a suprise book giveaway and signing in her own booth.

Or on Thursday, at her Schoolhouse from 12:45 – 1:15 p.m., Room 2503B.

On Saturday, she’ll do a book signing at 3:00 in the United Notions booth, #110-117.

And on Sunday, she’ll have a book signing at 11:15 in the Brewer booth, #2824-2833.

Joanna Figueroa can be spotted in her own booth, #136 & 237. She’ll also be hostessing a surprise book signing and giveaway in her booth. I bet if you stop by, she’ll let you know when to stop back.

On Thursday you can meet her at her Schoolhouse at 12:10 in Room 2505B.

And on Friday at 1:00 she’ll be doing a book signing at the MODA/United Notions booth, #110-117.

Anna Maria Horner should be easy to catch up with in her own booth, #2010-2012. I bet that she’d even spill the beans on the topic of her next book, if you’re really nice.

A Glee-ful Announcement – Sewn Hats

Normally, you wouldn’t be seeing an announcement about a book that is not yet on store shelves. But, like many of you, we love to watch Glee. After this week’s episode, Prom-asaurus, we just had to post a free pattern for you. You see, one of the main characters, Brittany, totally rocked a mini top hat with her prom dress. Well – we just happen to have a mini top hat pattern in an upcoming book, Sewn Hats! And, it’s one of the hats that has gotten a ton of comments any time it has been out and about – I just know it is going to be one of the favorites.

So, for all of you Gleeks who want to recreate a little piece of their favorite show, here’s a link to our version of an embellished mini top hat. Click here for the free pattern!

Look out for more great hats designed by celebrated fabric designers, pattern designers, and bloggers in August, when Sewn Hats hits bookshelves! (Although, you can pre-order now!)