Category: Sewing

Easy ‘cheater’ patchwork quilt squares

Posted on November 11, 2019 by

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The easy quilt squares are a fun way to use up tiny fabric scraps that would have otherwise ended up in the garbage!

Category: My Handmade Home, SewingTags: , , , , ,

DIY sensory compression sheet

Posted on August 6, 2019 by

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They’re called “compression sheets” or “sensory sheets,” and basically they’re designed to a person into their bed so they feel cozy and secure — hence calming them down, making it easier to sleep, etc.

Category: DIY, Our Son, Sewing

The link between mental health and creativity

Posted on June 14, 2019 by

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Once I fully understood the connection between my mental health and creativity, it changed my life.

Category: Craftiness, DIY, It's all about me, Life lessons, Mental health, Sewing, Woodworking

I’m Heather Laura Clarke. I’m journalist and blogger in beautiful Nova Scotia, I have an 9-year-old son and a 7-year-old daughter, I married my high school sweetheart, and this is the story of my handmade life.

I have depression and anxiety, and I fight like hell every day to keep it from taking over my life. Making things isn’t just a hobby — it’s part of what keeps me alive.

Whether I’m decorating a room, busting out my power tools to build furniture, getting muddy in the pottery studio, sewing clothes for my kids, or cross-stitching a swear word, I’m all about using my creativity to craft a life I love.

@HFXHeather on Instagram
As a writer, I LOVE anything with quotes all over it — and our house has sooooo many lettered signs and canvases! Today I rounded up allllll of my top sign-making / lettered canvas-making tutorials in one spot. . These make super meaningful (and inexpensive) Christmas gifts, so get on it! 🎄 . Some of the tutorials — like this one — don’t even require ANY PAINTING. For real. This is a black canvas from @michaelsstores with sparkly stickers on it. It took me about 30 seconds to make! . #DIY #diychristmasgifts #handmade #handmadegiftsarethebest #handmadegifts #handmadegiftideas #linkinbio I’d call this a work in progress, but it really doesn’t feel like work at all. . . . #oilpainting #oiloncanvas #oilpaint #impastopainting #impasto #learningisfun When you’re a person who makes things (lots of things!) sometimes someone asks you to make something you’ve never made before ... and it’s fun to figure it out! . . On Sunday I made this rag doll from start to finish (including an elaborate outfit) in less than 3 1/2 hours. I filmed the whole thing so the tutorial is over on my IGTV! Click the little TV icon on my Insta profile and you’ll see it. . . #handmade #igtv #sewing #embroidery #handmadedoll #ragdoll #ragdollsofinstagram You know you’re a professional DIYer (strangely, not an oxymoron) when you’re painting on top of your washer and dryer. ✌️ . . Today’s post is all about how I helped my sis and her husband with their living room when they decided they were ready for a new colour scheme. . . #DIY #painting #fusionmineralpaint #DIYlife #homedecor #budgetdecorating My nutty Nutcracker babe 💕 . . . #dancer #ballerina #dancemom #bunhead #daughter #thisisseven It’s been a couple of years since I took a pottery class and, oh, how I miss it! . . I never would have stopped, except it was getting too difficult to get all of my work done since the classes were 3+ hours long — in the middle of the school day — but I know I’ll be back again someday. Hmm, am I Frosty the Snowman? 🤔 . . Quick little “handmade mug tour” is up in my InstaStories (and in the “Pottery” highlight bubble) if you’re curious what kind of (hilariously wonky) pieces a beginner can make. . . #pottery #potter #potterywheel #potterymug #potterymug #handmade #hobby #creativityeveryday
@HFXHeather on Twitter
My Top Posts
DIY dog crate cover
Easy DIY sofa tables
Easy hairstyles for Crazy Hair Day
Super easy quilt top for beginners
How to sew a cozy nap mat
Our board game wall
The online shopping trick that just saved me $108.49
DIY monkey bars
How to transfer photos to wood (without a million failed attempts)
DIY Signs + Lettered Canvases
PREGNANCY blog posts
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© Heather Laura Clarke and Heather’s Handmade Life, 2009-2019. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Heather Laura Clarke and Heather’s Handmade Life with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.