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Free Pattern – Easter Accessories for Toys

March 19, 2014

You know what your favorite toy needs for Easter? Adjustable bunny ears and a tiny embroidered egg!

I made these to fit The Oddballs – but guess what? They fit all kinds of things!

In a completely unscientific test, my daughter and I tried them on almost all the softies in the enormous pile on her bed.

(Seriously. I don’t know how she can sleep in there!)

They fit tons of random teddy bears and softies – including her old American Girl dolls. Look at Ivy in her cute bunny ears!

Ivy (American Girl doll) wearing felt bunny ears made with a free pattern from Shiny Happy World

Ignore the red splotches on her face. Jo was obsessed with diseases for a while and stuck clay dots all over Ivy’s face to give her smallpox.

FYI – red modeling clay will stain the skin of American Girl dolls.

And here’s the egg in Ivy’s hands. It’s tiny – just 2 inches tall.

You can make bunny ears and eggs for your favorite toys. 🙂

Close up on felt bunny ears made with a free pattern from Shiny Happy World

Here’s how.

Download the template pieces here.

Make the Bunny Ears

You’ll need. . .

scraps of wool felt in white and pink
two 12 inch pipe cleaners
matching embroidery thread
freezer paper

You can find links to all my favorite tools and supplies here.

Step 1

Trace or print the ear and headband pieces onto some freezer paper. Fuse to the felt and cut out all the pieces. Cut right through the freezer paper and felt together, then peel the freezer paper away. It’s the easiest way to accurately cut small shapes like this.

Step 2

Whipstitch applique one inner ear to one larger ear piece using thread that matches the inner ear.

Whipstitch that piece to a second larger ear piece, leaving the bottom unstitched. Leave your thread tail attached.

Easter Eggstras - Free Pattern for Easter accessories for toys from Shiny Happy World

(Whipstitch is slightly different from whipstitch applique – those links go to two different tutorials.)

Cut a pipecleaner in half. Bend it into a gentle curve and fold both cut ends down about 1/2 inch - short enough to just fit inside the ear.

Step 3

Slide the bent pipecleaner up into the ear. Fold the bottom of the ear in half and whipstitch it closed. Don’t cut off your thread yet.

Repeat Steps 2 and 3 for the second ear.

Step 3

Whipstitch the two headband pieces together, leaving the curve at one end unstitched.

Bend a pipecleaner in half. Measure it against the headband pieces and fold down the excess at the cut ends. Slide the pipecleaner into the headband and finish stitching the headband closed.

Fit the headband to whoever will be wearing it and mark where you want the ears to go.

Step 3 Whipstitch the two headband pieces together, leaving the curve at one end unstitched. Bend a pipecleaner in half. Measure it against the headband pieces and fold down the excess at the cut ends. Slide the pipecleaner into the headband and finish stitching it closed. Fit the headband to whoever will be wearing it and mark where you want the ears to go.

Step 4

Stitch one ear to the headband. I used ladder stitch but you could also use whipstitch.

I went around the base of the ear twice to make sure it was attached securely.

Attach the second ear.

green felt monster (made from the Oddballs pattern) wearing bunny ears made with the free Easter Eggstras pattern from Shiny Happy World

Done!

Now it’s time to make that fancy Easter egg.

You’ll need. . .

scraps of wool felt
matching embroidery thread
contrasting embroidery thread
small bit of fiberfill stuffing
Sulky Sticky Fabri-solvy

I used Periwinkle felt for the egg and matching thread DMC #156 to sew the pieces together.

Step 1

Trace or print the Easter egg pattern to some Sulky Sticky Fabri-solvy and stitch. You’ll be stitching right through the stabilizer AND the felt.

These are the thread colors (two strands throughout) and stitches I used - you should use whatever makes YOU happy. :-) All links go to video tutorials teaching the stitches.

Satin stitch the large circles in DMC #726.

Chain stitch all fat lines (including around circles) with DMC #722.

Use the same color to stitch the lazy daisy at one end of the egg.

Backstitch narrow lines and stitch stars with DMC #704.

French knots and running stitches between stars with DMC #3845.

Step 2

Cut around the edges of the egg pieces, soak off the Sulky Sticky Fabri-solvy in cold water. I usually drop the pieces face down in a bowl of water, let them soak for 15 minutes or so (longer is just fine – I often forget about them and fish them out hours later) and then rinse off the soggy stabilizer under cold running water. If there are any stubborn bits, a quick hit with the kitchen sprayer usually does the trick.

Lay them out on a towel to dry. Don’t wring, twist, or even smoosh them. Just let them dry.

Step 3

Whipstitch all the pieces together. I like to sew two pieces together, then sew two more pieces together, then join the pairs as the final step.

I made the design slightly different at the top and bottom so you could easily tell them apart. 🙂 Make sure all the single French knots are together at the bottom of the egg and the single lazy daisies are together at the top.

Done!

Even if you don’t play with dolls, it would be so pretty to make up a little basket and fill it with some of these tiny stitched eggs. 🙂

Happy stitching!

Play with some felt! Try the Oddballs – a fun pattern for silly monsters.

Zoom Loom Review

March 13, 2014

I knit. I crochet. I spin. I’ve tatted. I’ve tried almost every needlecraft I’ve ever heard of… except for weaving.

Why the gap in my fiber experience? I’ve always thought weaving was a little bit scary. There’s a warp, a weft and a lot of technique. It all seemed really complicated. And looms are usually big and non-portable.

That’s why I was super excited when I got a chance to try the Zoom Loom.

The Zoom Loom is a portable weaving loom. It’s fitted with pins that (along with the instruction manual) tell you exactly how to wind your yarn and where to do the weaving.

Look at me, I’m weaving!

Why I love the Zoom Loom

The instruction booklet that comes with the Zoom Loom is easy to follow, and I was super excited to weave an adorable little square on my first try!

Isn’t it pretty?

The great features about the loom are:

it is small
the pins on the loom show you exactly where/how to do the weaving
each square requires a precise amount of yarn, meaning you can wind small balls in advance
the instructions are very easy to follow!

But… it’s not a complete substitute for a full loom

I enjoyed making my small square, and The Woolery’s webpage has suggestions for turning these squares into bigger projects.

However, the Zoom Loom isn’t a substitute for a full loom. Some things I noticed:

because the pins are fixed, each ‘weave’ is a fixed space apart. My piece made with sock-weight yarn feels a little flimsy, and I suspect a bulky would not fit.
if you’re looking for a project to throw into your purse, you might be disappointed. Although more portable than a regular loom, you cannot simply stop in the middle of winding the warp and head out.
you are limited to 4″x4″ squares. Although there are project suggestions, every project is composed of small squares.

Get yours!

Sound fun?

Go forth and start weaving!

Interview with Heidi Bears!

March 6, 2014

If you’ve been on Ravelry or Pinterest, you’ve probably seen Heidi Bears‘s gorgeous stuffed animals! She creates totally unique designs using the African Flower Motif.

I’ve been a fan and I’m thrilled that Heidi agreed to come over and have a chat with us!

Hippo by MissWorld

Hippo by Ravelry user, MissWorld

Interview

Stacey: I have to say, your concept of putting the African Flower Hexagon together to make animals is absolutely stunning! When did you first get the idea to experiment with the technique?

Heidi: Thanks Stacey! I think it came about as I was fiddling around with the basic hexagon pattern to see if I could make a pentagon and other polygonal shapes. Some of these were quite different in 3D shape to the hexagon, and while sitting in my kitchen one day, I thought, “Hmmm…. what if I combine this polygon with this polygon, maybe I can make it look like something…”

This led to an enormous amount of testing, crocheting, frogging, re-testing until I finally put together the pattern for Lollo Bear. I had spent several years as a Teddy Bear pattern designer and maker, which I think helped with the ability to “see” how different parts would fit together. Naturally (since I love and collect artist bears), my first design idea was for a teddy bear.

Heidi Bears Lollo

From the time I released Lollo Bear, my day job started demanding much more time, so my designing took a back seat. At the beginning of 2013, I had the opportunity to take a break from my regular job and concentrate solely on designing. At that point the kinds of items made from crochet motifs, seemed to consist of bags, blankets, scarfs and hats with the odd clothing item thrown in.

With so many amazingly talented people in the designing world, it can be extremely hard to produce something completely different, unusual and original when trying to establish a name for oneself as a designer. With the background I had in writing the pattern for Lollo, it appeared that there was nothing else on the Internet that I could find that was similar to my motif toys idea, in my style, so I decided to try and pursue that avenue.

Hippo from Ravelry

Hippo from Ravelry user, SteffiFalunIt took me several months to put together the pattern for Happypotamus, but during this time I learned a lot about polygons and how they act and what works and what doesn’t when putting them together. I like designing toys as they are smallish projects and when made well, appeal to both child and adult alike. I will branch out into other kinds of items when the time comes, but at the moment I still love thinking up ideas for animals, so until that well of inspiration runs dry, toys are it!

Your style is certainly unique… I can’t picture anyone doing a better job of creating an original design niche! What attracted you to the African Flower pattern over other motifs?

I love symmetry and balance in design. I can’t stand seeing a skew picture or lamps that are not symmetrical…the flower is both pretty and appeals to my love for symmetry…

African flower from Heidi Bears

Were you nervous about taking the step of writing up the instructions? I mean, it’s a lot of steps!

Absolutely! My previous profession had nothing to do with my current work, so I had no experience in writing a crochet pattern… I pretty much winged it, hoping more than anything, that I hadn’t left any important bits out.

My goal was to provide a really detailed newbie’s guide to making Lollo, and from the feedback I have received over the years, it seems to have done the trick. However, I have since developed a much more streamlined approach, which, although it still has all the detail a crocheter may need, doesn’t run to such a big pattern anymore!

Can you tell us a bit about the yarn culture in South Africa? Is crocheting and knitting popular? What are yarn stores like?

Yes, knitting and crocheting are very popular here! Over the last few years, we have seen a wonderful increase in local indie dyers providing us with gorgeous and affordable natural fibre yarns that come in a much bigger range of colors than can sometimes be found in retail lines. I use yarns from two amazingly talented and lovely ladies, who use local merino and other fibres to dye up the full range of colors you see in my animals.

Similarly, there are more “indie” yarn shops popping up. There are a couple of traditional LYS too, but the growth has certainly been in the online indie shops!

I know that you’re also a sock knitter… what’s your favorite method for knitting socks?

Definitely toe-up two-at-a-time with a short row type heel.

toe up sock knitting from Heidi Bears

My favourite is the Sherman heel… hides any holes perfectly! I am experimenting with all kinds of new heels and toes (just for fun), but knitting them in baby sized socks. They are from a wonderful new ebook teaching just that.. sock anatomy and all the variations you can get for heels and toes… learning is growing, so I like to keep trying new techniques!

Tell us a bit about yourself! Hobbies? Family? Pets?

Well, I am very happily married to the most awesome guy… we’ve been married for 20 years and are still best friends. We live in beautiful South Africa. We have two lovely (and adored!) girls and a pitbull, who is, if the truth be told, is more like a cat in many ways. Likes his comforts, worships the girls and gets spoiled waaaay too much.

I love learning new things and over the years have tried pretty much all the different types of hobbies you can find… I quilt, sew, paint, knit, lampwork, make stained glass… at one stage I ran a photographic studio and at one time even tried my hand at carving full sizes rocking horses! I am terrified of being bored, so I like to have loads of stuff on the go at the same time. I love the color pink, use only natural fibre yarns and have a stash that is shameful (except I can claim I neeeeed all that yarn for my work 😉 ).

I hear you… I’m a bit the same way with hobbies! Your new sea turtle is fabulous! What animals are on your brainstorming list?

Heidi Bears Sea turtle

Thank you very much! I have a string of designs all worked out and ready to write up…the problem is the pattern writing takes a tremendous amount of time. I take around 500 photographs for each pattern that I write. I then edit the best ones for colour, focus, composition etc. I then annotate each one. Then I start the actual pattern writing, which also takes a lot of time, so the write-up is essentially the delaying factor.

I am currently writing up the pattern for what I think will be a very popular animal and have also test crocheted two completely new and different bear patterns. I love bears! Everyone loves bears! I had read a comment by someone that a bear is a bear is a bear… this couldn’t be further from the truth! It’s like saying “a human is a human is a human… they all have two arms, two legs and a head…” Obviously people are incredibly different despite having the same basic anatomy, and bears are no different. These bears (plus two other totally different bears which will follow) will be focused on making what would traditionally be called an “artist bear”. The regular crocheted and knitted bears have been seen by some as the “humbler cousin” …something I really want to change. The cleverness of the first two designs is that they are self-shaping. I have purposely created them in such a way that they have a little hump (as bears do), they have fat tummies and shaped limbs…all of which is achieved by simply constructing the bear as directed. The patterns will have a whole section devoted to finishing techniques, which will allow the bear maker to create something unique and of artistic quality. Yes, of course it may just be for a grandchild, but it will be the best bear anyway!

I also have plans to release my first shawl pattern this year. It’s for a really unusual geometric pattern that creates a shallowish triangular shawl. I am very excited about it and have started dyeing and testing up yarns and yarn combinations for it… also there is a secret line of new toys that is in the process of being created. This is something I am sooooo looking forward to seeing as it’s a totally different take on my current line….

Thank you so much for joining us, Heidi! Be sure to check out all of Heidi’s amazing designs on her Blog & Pattern Shop!

All photos courtesy of Heidi, unless otherwise specified.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes Recipe

March 2, 2014

I know, right!

Peanut Butter & Jelly Cupcakes.

Jo loves taking these classic flavor combinations and turning them into cupcakes – and this one was a gem.

Start with delicious peanut butter cupcakes. (Scroll down for the recipe.)

Fill them with your classic Concord grape jam.

Whip up a batch of Jo’s Basic Buttercream Frosting and mix in 3/4 – 1 cup of grape jam.

Pipe it onto the cupcakes and enjoy. 🙂

I love how you get different flavors as you eat your way through this cupcake. Around the edges there’s no jam filling, and less jam frosting – so the dominant flavor is the slightly salty peanut butter cake.

As you get closer to the center you start getting more grape flavor from the jam filling – with an extra little burst of jam right in that center bite.

Delicious!

Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Makes 24 cupcakes

Ingredients

1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line your cupcake pans.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
Cream together the butter and peanut butter.
Add in the white and brown sugars and beat well.
Add the eggs one at a time and beat until barely mixed.
Add the vanilla and combine.
Add 1/3 of the flour mix and stir until not quite mixed.
Add half the buttermilk and repeat.
Add half of the remaining flour mix and stir.
Add the rest of the buttermilk and stire.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the last of the flour mix. Stir until barely combined – then scrape down the sides of the bowl again and stir by hand until combined.
Divide into cupcake pans and bake 20-24 minutes.

Enjoy!

Best,
Wendi & Jo

Tips for Getting Back to Knitting after an Injury

February 27, 2014

Do you remember when I severely cut my thumb?

Three months later, I still only have partial sensation on my right thumb. And I’m right handed. The doctor told me that it might take a full year for the nerves to completely heal.

But you won’t catch me complaining… it could have been much worse. Did you know more than 500 Americans lose a limb every day? My numb thumb is a piece of cake.

Tips for Getting Back to Knitting/Crocheting

There are still some things I can’t do. I definitely notice that my hand is ‘not normal’. But I’d like to share a few insights that will help you get back on the path to knitting/crocheting as quickly as possible after an injury.

Talk to your doctor

This may sound obvious, but your doctor is the best one to advise you on treatments/therapy you should be doing to recover after your injury. Don’t hesitate to mention that you have a needlework hobby! A doctor may automatically ask about your line of work… and forget to ask about other goals you may have.

doctor illustration

It’s completely okay to say, “I crochet as a hobby, do you have recommendations for improving my fine motor skills?” Vanessa from MMAAC recommends bringing a notebook with you that contains questions you have for your doctor.

Accept the ‘New Normal’

For now, I can’t lift items one-handedly (at least, not reliably!) and I find myself relying more on my left hand. I’m very fortunate that for the most part, I can knit and crochet similarly to how I did before.

If that isn’t true for you, it might be time to have a talk with yourself about your expectations. You can only do what you can do, and lamenting over your loss of ability is only going to cause heartache.

Set Reasonable Goals

Think about where you’d like to be (remembering what’s reasonable!) and create concrete steps you can do to get there. Physical therapy may be a component of this.

goal setting

Can you crochet for 5 minutes a day? Do it consistently, and you might find yourself at 10 minutes. Baby steps.

Research Alternative Techniques

There’s more than one way to knit! If an injury is plaguing you, look into other techniques that may be more comfortable. Is your Tennis Elbow making knitting a pain? Perhaps knitting continental (holding the yarn in your left hand) is less painful.

holding crochet hook like a pencil

Or maybe try holding your crochet hook a different way? Or swap to an ergonomic hook? There are lots of possibilities!

Reach out to Chat

Don’t be afraid to be open about your injury- you never know when a game-changing suggestion will come your way! There are a number of Ravelry Groups dedicated to particular injuries… you never know where you’ll find a great suggestion that will help!

Have you had an injury?

Did it affect your knitting/crocheting? Any recovery tips you’d like to share?

Pattern Review – Wee Princess Pea: A Purse-Sized Fairy Tale Playset

February 26, 2014

Wee Princess Pea – a purse-sized fairytale playset designed by Larissa Holland at mmmcrafts

This post contains affiliate links. That means I make a little commission if you buy something after clicking through. All affiliate links are marked with an *.

First of all – can I get an AWWWWWWWW?

How about an OH WOW!

I want to start adding the occasional pattern review to Shiny Happy World. Books get reviewed all the time. But lots of us like to buy individual patterns – especially PDF patterns – and reviews can be helpful for that, too. So as I find patterns I admire in my internet roamings – patterns that I think you all would enjoy – I’ll be dropping in an occasional review.

I’m starting with this one because it’s pure awesome. 🙂

I’ve admired Larissa’s Wee Mouse in a Tin House* before, but when I saw the level of detail and cuteness in her Wee Princess Pea Playset it totally knocked my socks off. Look at all the stuff you make! That’s a bed, a pillow, a stack of mattresses, a ladder (to climb to the top of the stack), a bedspread, a doll in a nightgown with a removable robe and crown, and a closet – with a hanger where you can hang the robe. All the little bits and pieces pack neatly into the two Altoids tins used for the bed and closet, and they tuck into a little drawstring bag (not pictured here).

WOW!

The pattern is amazing.

With something this small, that needs to fit into the two Altoids tins, precision is a must. Larissa’s pattern pieces are drawn beautifully and well labelled.

One of the things I love about digital patterns is that there’s no need to skimp on instructions or step-by-step photos. The pattern can be as long as it needs to be without the space considerations of a printed book.

Larissa takes full advantage of that. She writes very detailed instructions and includes plenty of very clear photos illustrating every step.

This was a new way of making pipecleaner people for me, and I never felt lost or even a tiny bit confused at any point. That’s my doll to the left. I switched thread colors when I got to her legs because I didn’t have enough of the skin color I used on the body and arms. I like how it looks like she’s wearing tights. 🙂

Jo loved that looooong hair.

Larissa is also very detailed in her materials list. I didn’t always have what she recommended on hand and had to make a few substitutions. I didn’t have any eyelet lace trim, but I had this sheer sparkly stuff that I used as my overskirt. And I didn’t have the right size ribbons for the shoulder straps and sash – but I did have a bit of old rhinestone trim that I’ve been looking for a way to use.

Overkill?

Maybe. But also totally fun. 🙂

One thing that I especially appreciated was her detailed information about what glue to use in what situation. I am NOT a glue person so it was really helpful that she didn’t just instruct me to glue pieces together. She said where I needed to use craft glue, fabric glue or hot glue – and why. Very nice!

The project is almost all hand work and glue, with a little bit of easy machine sewing for the mattresses, bedspread and drawstring bag.

The robe was intended to be a mix of hand and machine sewing, but you can’t expect me to make a teeny-tiny little felt robe and not blanket stitch around the edges.

I just had to!

And I love how it turned out. 🙂

Here’s the final scene I made. . . Want to make your own?

You can get the pattern here.* And take a look at everything else in Larissa’s shop* while you’re at it. In addition to adorable playsets, she also designs lovely felt pieces, super-cute dolls and softies, and a stunning 12 days of Christmas felt ornament pattern collection.

Happy sewing!

Best,
Wendi

Am I crocheting inside-out?

February 25, 2014

Am I crocheting inside out?

I’ve been getting asked this question a lot recently, and when I get the same question more than once, I know it’s time for a blog post!

It’s pretty common for folks on discussion boards to say that you have to crochet with the right side facing out. This makes beginners feel very anxious when they are crocheting with the right side on the inside of the work. They think they’re doing something wrong if they’re crocheting inside out. 🙁

Good news! There’s no right way to crochet, as long as you know which side is the right side and turn your piece appropriately before you are finished.

So today I’ve created a little video for you about crocheting inside out.

I hope the video has shown you the two possibilities, and convinced you that crocheting inside out isn’t a big deal!

Here are handy links to all the crochet troubleshooting posts. . .

Return to the main table of contents for Let’s Learn to Crochet Amigurumi.

Happy stitching!

Video – How to Needle Sculpt Softie Toes

February 25, 2014

Needle sculpting!

That’s how I made the cute kissable toes on that softie?

Do you think that’s probably really hard to do?

Not at all! Take a look at the video and see how easy it is. 🙂

See?

You will need one specialized tool for needle sculpting – a long doll needle. You can find the ones I use here. That’s it! Now you just need some thread – and a softie that’s ready for sculpting.

Those adorable toes belong to Bertie Bunny.

Bertie Bunny - an adorable bunny pattern from Shiny Happy World

Happy sewing!

Best,
Wendi

Free Tissue Pack Cover Pattern

February 24, 2014

‘Tis the season for sniffles. Which means it’s the perfect time to pull out this cute little monster tissue pack cover pattern and whip up some cute gifts! It’s super easy and the pattern is free.

Oh – and if a little case of the sniffles turns into a full-blown cold with a cough and achy chest – take a look at this post for instructions to make a Vicks Vapo-rub scented rice bag – complete with this monstrous rice bag cover to help scare away the cough.

Here’s how to make the tissue pack cover.

Throughout the pattern, the links go to online video tutorials demonstrating the techniques used.

Materials You’ll Need

6″ x 7″ rectangle of fabric for the outside
6″ x 7″ rectangle of fabric for the lining
two 6″ pieces of white rickrack
1″ colored buttons
two 5/8″ black buttons
sewing machine, thread, basic sewing tools

Instructions

Step 1

Draw a line 1/8 from the short edge on the right size one of your fabric rectangles.

Watch a video here showing how to embed rickrack in a seam.

Step 2

Position one of the pieces of rickrack so that the line you drew in Step 1 is just barely showing in the valleys at the top edge of the rickrack.

Step 3

Sew the rickrack in place, right along the line you drew.

Step 4

Lay the second rectangle of fabric face down over the first, with the rickrack sandwiched between the layers. Sew them together using a 1/4″ seam allowance.

Step 5

Open the piece up and flip it right side out. Press. See how the rickrack makes nice teeth?

Fold the piece in half and mark the midpoint with a pin. Arrange the button eyes on either side of the center point. I’ve stacked black buttons on top of blue buttons but you can use any combination of buttons and felt you like to get the effect you want.

Sew the buttons in place, sewing only through the top (purple) layer of fabric.

Step 6

Repeat Steps 1 – 4 to embed rickrack in the seam at the other end of the rectangle.

The two rectangles of fabric should be right sides facing, with both short ends sewn together (with rickrack embedded in the seams) and eyes sewn to the purple layer at one end only. At this point, the long sides of the rectangles should still be unsewn.

Step 7

Sew the long side seams. Leave a couple of inches unsewn in the center of one side so you can turn it right side out.

Clip the corners up to (but not into) the stitching to eliminate extra bulk.

Step 8

Turn it right side out and use a chopstick to carefully poke out the corners so they’re flat. Press the whole thing.

Fold it in half and mark the center points on both sides with pins.

Step 9

With the eyeball (purple) side facing up, fold the toothy edges into the center.

Pin in place.

Step 10

Sew the short edges using a 1/4″ seam allowance. This will close up the turning hole and sew the sides of your pack in one move.

Repeat for the other side.

Step 11

Turn it right side out. Ta daa! A tissue pack! Monstrous on the outside, nicely finished on the inside.

Fill it with a pack of travel tissues (I like to take them out of the pack first - all the different brands seem to open different ways) and he’s ready to go.

Get well soon!

If you like this silly tissue pack cover pattern, sign up for the Shiny Happy News! Members get a weekly email with crafty tips and tricks, links to free patterns, special discounts, and more. 🙂

A Peek Behind the Scenes at My Product Photography Set-Up

February 20, 2014

Remember that survey at the end of last year? A lot of people asked how I do all my product photography. People asked about how I get those seamless colored backgrounds, what kind of lights I have, what kind of camera I use and more.

So here’s the scoop!

My product photography set-up is amazingly uncomplicated. Paper. Foam core. A window.

I’m not kidding.

There it is. My window. I don’t have any lights so this is it.

Early in the morning the sun shines right in there – which is not so good for photography. Too much glare. That means I shoot all my photos in the afternoon – or I have to tape a piece of plain white tissue paper over the window to filter the light a bit.

That’s my big Ikea-hack ironing board I use as a table. I’ve got a piece of foam core sitting on it for a stable surface. On top of that I’ve got a backdrop of two pieces of foam core that are taped together (hinge-like) with masking tape. It’s easy to fold up and store away, and easy to set-up for a quick shoot.

My backgrounds are big sheets of paper in my favorite colors. See how this one is pinned low to the hinged foam core so that it covers part of the “floor” too? That’s how I get a seamless background.

This is what it looks like from the inside. That white board to the right bounces all kinds of sunlight back onto whatever I’m shooting and fills in the shadows nicely. I can often lean in and use my elbows as a tripod, but I also have a little tripod that I set up sometimes.

This is how I shoot almost all of my cover images.

For most of my step-by-step photos and photos of finished objects that don’t need to stand up, I use this shorter set-up.

It’s pretty much the same as the first set-up, but the foam core sheets I use for the frame are about half the height, and the background paper doesn’t wrap up the side.

With this set-up and a step stool (or sometimes a small ladder) I can shoot straight down onto whatever I’m photographing.

Here’s what it looks like from above.

Look at the amount of light inside the box, compared to the light outside the box. It’s amazing what just two white surfaces can do! Sometimes I’ll box in that third side too (I just prop up another sheet of foam core) but usually it doesn’t need it.

I like the way this set-up gives me just a little bit of soft shadow on each object- nothing harsh or distracting.

That’s it! Dead-simple and dirt-cheap product photography.

Oh – and my camera is a Fuji FinePix S700 – nothing too fancy or expensive. I like the grip on it – I can shoot one-handed when necessary. I think it has a manual setting – but I’ve never used it. I like to just point and shoot. 🙂

Update – my Fuji finally died so I bought a new phone with a much better camera – the Google Pixel 2. I love it – especially that it wirelessly sends all photos to my laptop. Fancy!

Oh – and that sweet monster is Byron. He’s one of the Oddballs and totally fun to make. You can get his pattern here.

Do you have any more questions? Just ask in the comments here and I’ll answer them.

edited – Abby asked a question in the comments about why I use colored backgrounds instead of white. You can read my answer in the comments, but I actually have a photo of Byron against a white background that I can show here side by side with the green.

I don’t think the white looks bad – but the green background is more shiny and happy. 🙂

Happy Thursday!

Best,
Wendi

Make the Bunny Ears

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 3

Step 4

Now it’s time to make that fancy Easter egg.

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Why I love the Zoom Loom

But… it’s not a complete substitute for a full loom

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Interview

Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Tips for Getting Back to Knitting/Crocheting

Talk to your doctor

Accept the ‘New Normal’

Set Reasonable Goals

Research Alternative Techniques

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