That's crafty

I live with an amazing seamstress and a crafter who can make practically anything out of Capri Sun pouches. My brother can form incredible gadgets out of Legos, and my dad is always coming up with new uses for all of the old circa 1977 stuff we have lying around the house.

And then there is me, the one who quickly becomes bored and frustrated with sewing anything. I'm the daughter that came home from college with busted shoes or buttons that needed to be sewn on because I seem to have fumble fingers when it comes to stitching (although I DO know how to sew buttons on, I'll have you know). I'd never be the one who'd sew all the costumes for the school play or help with the bridesmaid dresses. That's just not me.

That's why I LOVE looking at pictures and reading tutorials done by people who actually know what they're doing. It inspires me to make stuff when I actually have a space of my own and room to keep all the stuff I make. So if you're like me and just don't have the crafter's touch, or you do, but you want some more ideas, here are some of my favorite links:

1. Ruffles and Stuff: This lady is a preacher's wife and stay-at-home mom that is constantly posting these fun outfits she makes for her daughter, along with bags, belts, and even ways to decorate. She even has a tutorial on how to turn jeans into skinny jeans (and she did it for her two-year-old daughter, which is adorable). My favorite one is her refashion of an ugly velvet dress.

2. Etsy: This is a huge network full of crafters who make handmade everything. I actually follow them on Twitter so that I get updates in Tweetie (this cool gadget on Macs made for Twitter updates) when they send out posts of their favorite new stuff. My new favorite part of Etsy, though, is their shop by color feature, where you can pick your favorite shade and they scan the entire community for something that matches. If none of that made sense, I'm sorry. But if you're interested in it for real, sign up for a Twitter account if you don't already have one and follow Etsy. I promise it will color your world :).

3. Instructables: I stumbled across this one day when I was trying to figure out how to make an earring holder for all my earrings that seem to get lost. Within seconds, I found tons of homemade ways to hold your jewelry, including using mesh and picture frames. After I looked around for awhile, I realized what a cool site this was. It shows you, with pictures and clear instructions, how to make practically everything. And I know it's a little early to be looking for Christmas stuff (unless you're one of those people who have their shopping done in July), but if you like Altoids, you'll love this tree.

So there you have it — my favorite places to browse for handmade or DIY stuff online. Now, if only I had the motivation to actually do some of these...