Have you ever made a craft item suggested on one of those home improvement programs?

On Sprout channel they show craft ideas for kids and me and myd aughter definately took their idea and tried it with varying results.

I fashioned a fireguard from the finest Belgian chocalate one time. Last time I listen to Big Bird’s domestic improvement tips…..harumph!

I never have.
My mother used to watch Martha Stewart and she would just shake her head over the crap that they’d make.
The birch-bark frame sent her over the edge.That’s why they jailed Martha,you know!

:-) one that did my head in was “how to make a handbag out of your leftover plastic bags” and the presenter then wove plastic bags together into these sort of tote bags….

@ucme – chocolate fireguard huh? Nice :-D And @lucillelucillelucille she definitely got what she deserved then.

@12Oaks I think there are some great craft ideas to do with kids. Those I grant you are useful. The coke bottle curtain and plastic bag totes… pass!

I’ve always wondered how the redecorations that were done in two days – you know, the show where people swapped houses, and redid a room – held up. I reacall one where they glued hay to the walls of a living room in a beautiful Victorian home. The woman came home and lost it.

@BarnacleBill That home with the straw on the walls was in my town and the women who owned the home were NOT HAPPY. They had a two year old at the time and, even on the show, kept commenting on how unrealistic that was (not to mention ugly as sin).

I see things like helpful hints and allow them to roll around in my head as creative ideas to do something better. Do you remember when Legg’s pantyhose actually came in plastic eggs? When my cousin had a new baby, I took cute pastel baby socks and put six pairs into one of those egg cartons designed for 6 eggs and wrapped it. She loved it!

I’m an avid crafter, but the stuff has to be USEFUL! I’m all over re purposing stuff, but I’m not into making junk from perfectly good stuff. It’s such a waste of time and money!

I’ve probably made all sorts of stuff through the years. One of my favourite things is melting plastic grocery bags to make a type of fabric and then making reusable grocery bags from it. I get all sorts of compliments on them.

Oh.. I made a trivet from corks that I still use. ...hmmm… what else….

I think if I ever started a craft blog it would NOT be filled with that pointless, useless, waste-of-time shite that some of those tv shows make.

I remember the show Trading Spaces, which is what i think you guys were talking about above. I used to like that show, although they did do some hideous stuff. I remember once they covered a wall with record albums. I remember once they covered bathroom walls with fake flowers (how would that hold up to a dusty bathroom?). I remember once a lady told them don’t touch the fireplace, and they did something to the fireplace like cover it with sheetrock and she came home and left the room crying. They said that their policy was do un-do anything the homeowners did not like.

I remember once Martha Stewart made a shower curtain. She used a grommet gun to make the grommet holes – it looked so simple and yet elegant but I never did that.

I remember the guy Christopher Lowell, who used to do incredible stuff with rooms – stuff that’s too detailed to get into now but he was good. He no longer has a show. Of course all these shows make it look so simple. I think the amount of work the hosts do is minimal.

What I have done is had someone cut plywood into a bed-width piece and I had him round the corners. I covered it with batting and then fabric and made a head board. I kind of thought of that idea myself.

@jca I painted my front room after being inspired by Trading Spaces. My wife since made me do the walls more traditional, but the ceiling still stayed. My bathroom wall paint was alsi inspired the same way. It still is like that.

I love to knit and crochet, and it has to be sweaters or blankets I make, something useful. I’ve tried most needle work techniques and enjoyed doing them. I’ve made my own cushions and curtains, but as soon as I read or see styrofoam ball, I’m gone. One of those decorating shows used sewing pattern sheets on the woman’s bedroom walls. She started ripping it down before she even looked at the rest- show over.

I am a long time crafter, but I will not wear the jewelry made from computer parts, and I think rags that are woven into rugs or place mats are usually gross.