These are A Few of My Favorite Things, an on-going, once-a-month series that sheds some light on, well, my favorite items throughout my home. (To read through all posts in the series, click here.)
In this Craft Supplies Edition, I'll be looking at five of the essential items that I turn to most in my various craft projects. As we work our way through the Make the Most of Your Wardrobe series that I kicked off a couple of weeks ago, I thought sharing these would be particularly fitting! Read on to find out more about these crafting, ahem, staples, as well as some of the projects where I've put them to good use.
1. Staple gun: My parents got me this staple gun a couple of years ago when I wanted to reupholster my kitchen chairs. After a short safety lesson from my dad on how to use it, I got to work using it--and haven't really stopped since. It's such a great tool to have around especially for securing fabric, cardboard or paper. I love using it for framing artwork!
2. Spray adhesive: You'll see that I have two adhesives on this list. That's because I do a fair amount of gluing when it comes to craft projects. But different projects require different kinds of glue, and I love to use spray adhesive for instances where I don't want any glue to bubble up and show through, especially when using paper. I used it when I created the silhouette art for my bedroom to keep the silhouettes centered on the mats.
3. Aleene's craft glue: I have been an avid Aleene's fan since I was in elementary school and my mom and I would use it to bejewel my backpack or Trapper Keeper before school started up again. The thing I like most about this glue is that it gives a pretty sturdy hold and dries clear. I used it on my Billy Ball faux flower craft and when I made my corkboard travel map. (Note that this glue isn't meant for washable wearables. They do have other glues that can hold up to being washed.)
4. Utility knife: Some people call it a box-cutter, but whatever the term you prefer, this tool always comes in handy, whether I'm using it to cut big pieces of cardboard to prop up posters I want to frame (like here) or even to slice through fabric. It has some good safety features (folding up when not in use, for example) and the blade is really easy to switch out, though I only switch mine about once a year.
5. Sewing machine: This is one of the biggies in my craft closet. I have very limited sewing instruction and am mostly self-taught, so this computerized machine (although I have an older version of the one linked here) is a great help. If you've ever struggled threading the needle or bobbin, this really simplifies the process. And, I recently used its buttonhole feature for the first time and it literally did everything for me. Amazing! I have used this on almost all of my sewing projects, which you can browse in the Make the Most of Your Wardrobe series I'm currently posting.
You can view all of the previous editions of A Few of My Favorite Things here, including ones about my favorite gadgets to use in the kitchen, coffee-making supplies, books about love, and more!
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In this Craft Supplies Edition, I'll be looking at five of the essential items that I turn to most in my various craft projects. As we work our way through the Make the Most of Your Wardrobe series that I kicked off a couple of weeks ago, I thought sharing these would be particularly fitting! Read on to find out more about these crafting, ahem, staples, as well as some of the projects where I've put them to good use.
1. Staple gun: My parents got me this staple gun a couple of years ago when I wanted to reupholster my kitchen chairs. After a short safety lesson from my dad on how to use it, I got to work using it--and haven't really stopped since. It's such a great tool to have around especially for securing fabric, cardboard or paper. I love using it for framing artwork!
2. Spray adhesive: You'll see that I have two adhesives on this list. That's because I do a fair amount of gluing when it comes to craft projects. But different projects require different kinds of glue, and I love to use spray adhesive for instances where I don't want any glue to bubble up and show through, especially when using paper. I used it when I created the silhouette art for my bedroom to keep the silhouettes centered on the mats.
3. Aleene's craft glue: I have been an avid Aleene's fan since I was in elementary school and my mom and I would use it to bejewel my backpack or Trapper Keeper before school started up again. The thing I like most about this glue is that it gives a pretty sturdy hold and dries clear. I used it on my Billy Ball faux flower craft and when I made my corkboard travel map. (Note that this glue isn't meant for washable wearables. They do have other glues that can hold up to being washed.)
4. Utility knife: Some people call it a box-cutter, but whatever the term you prefer, this tool always comes in handy, whether I'm using it to cut big pieces of cardboard to prop up posters I want to frame (like here) or even to slice through fabric. It has some good safety features (folding up when not in use, for example) and the blade is really easy to switch out, though I only switch mine about once a year.
5. Sewing machine: This is one of the biggies in my craft closet. I have very limited sewing instruction and am mostly self-taught, so this computerized machine (although I have an older version of the one linked here) is a great help. If you've ever struggled threading the needle or bobbin, this really simplifies the process. And, I recently used its buttonhole feature for the first time and it literally did everything for me. Amazing! I have used this on almost all of my sewing projects, which you can browse in the Make the Most of Your Wardrobe series I'm currently posting.
You can view all of the previous editions of A Few of My Favorite Things here, including ones about my favorite gadgets to use in the kitchen, coffee-making supplies, books about love, and more!
: If I had to recommend any one book to someone who's married, this is the book. I've read it twice now, and expect that I'll read it plenty more over the course of my marriage. It's Scripturally based on the underpinning from Ephesians that husbands are called to love their wives and women are called to respect their husbands. The book is divided into a section for husbands and a section for wives, and each one walks through why those two needs are so pivotal, how they can practically go about tending to those needs, and why those needs are so important for that gender. It was eye-opening for me to get a glimpse into how my husband's need for respect is so different from my own for love and what I can do to show my husband that he does truly have my respect. (
: I read this book when I was still single and thought it was a one-of-a-kind title, addressing women's tendency to romanticize romance and put it on a pedestal above the Divine Romance we are called to have with the Lord. It's convicting and eye-opening in a good way that will really help you weed out your heart's intentions.
: I've 
: This book takes Song of Songs from the Bible and teaches couples how they can learn from this age-old book and use it to transform their relationship into one as madly in love as the one captured in the verses. By looking at this book of the Bible, the author points out the relationship wisdom that's hidden in there and how couples can apply those insights to their own marriage. I loved that it was truly rooted in the Bible, and consequently, it helped me learn as much about the Song as about my marriage!
: This book is one I often recommend with a grain of salt. I think it's filled with some really great insights that will call you to be a more gracious, humble and helpful wife. But the author's tone at times can be a bit condescending and negative, something of a "tough love" approach I suppose. She calls women to rise above the pettiness and bitterness that can turn a marriage sour and to practice unconditional love, whether our husbands deserve it or not. Never an easy task, but she shares many testimonials of how this approach has transformed other women's lives. One of my favorite takeaways from the book was encouraging women to learn how to do stuff for themselves, such as simple household tasks and fixes. Because if we have a lengthy honey-do list and our husbands fail to tend to those tasks, they can prove fertile ground for sowing arguments and resentment. Avoid all that by trying to take care of things yourself, if possible. Plus, you'll likely feel much more efficient that way!
: Something of a silly title, I read this right before my husband started dating. Great timing because it really gave some really interesting and helpful insights into how men and women treat and act in relationships differently. Although it's the only book of these that's not labeled as being from a Christian standpoint, it does uphold a lot of Biblical viewpoints on relationships, such as mens' desires to be leaders and what that means for women. One of my favorite insights from the book was how the author touched on how many women bemoan the fact that their boyfriends (or spouses, for that matter!) aren't as helpful as they were early in the relationship. The author said that many women interpret this as a sign that the man doesn't love them anymore, but really it's just that now that you're closer, he expects that if you want him to do something, you'll ask. He's happy to pitch in, but he just needs to know what you need. 
: This an old-school era, pour-over coffee maker that is supposed to give your coffee a "fuller flavor." I'm not the coffee purist in this household, that's my husband. But I do like it because it's all glass, which eliminates the worry about making coffee in a plastic container. (For the same reason why folks make a fuss about not microwaving things in plastic or leaving water bottles in hot cars.) It does take a bit more work (you boil the water yourself and pour it over the grounds which sit in a filter in the top of the carafe), but I think it's worth it! Plus, it just looks cooler.
: I'm not one to buy special-use gadgets and gizmos for the kitchen. I don't see the need for an avocado pitter or a tupperware specially for my sliced tomato. However, when I found myself using up spoon after spoon to stir my cream and 
: While you certainly can boil water in a sauce pan on the stove, it's a lot easier with a kettle that tells you when it's ready. We like this one because you can easily open the spigot by pressing the button on the handle and then close it again by pressing a different spot on the handle. Plus, it's got a pretty silhouette and that whole stainless steel look going that has been the stealing the stage for some time now.
: Okay, truth be told: I do not enjoy mopping. At all. I'm fine wielding a broom and sweeping things into a dustpan. But a mop? Not my cup of tea. That being said, it is still something that has to be done. Given that reality, I like this mop that we got for a wedding present because it doesn't involve hauling a huge bucket of water; we just fill a spray bottle with a water-vinegar mixture. Also, you use washable terry-cloth covers so that you're not pushing dirt atop dirt, which makes the task a bit more bearable!
: Such a handy tool to have around, especially since we now have to hand-wash everything. It is great for getting into the nooks and crannies of all our water bottles, glasses and skinny-mouth jars. The one shown here is fancier than mine, but I picked mine up at a dollar store and it's worked just fine! 
: I was looking for a good way to clean some of the gunk that had burned on to one of my pans, and came across a recommendation for Bon Ami. The best part about it is that it is safer to use than other cleaners because it doesn't contain any chlorine, perfumes or dyes. I found it at Publix for 89 cents and figured I might as well give it a try. This has now become a staple that I use for all my deep cleaning, whether it's on stained pans, dishes or even my bathroom floor.
: I already mentioned 
, 
and 
. These three are the heavy-hitters in my kitchen nowadays and make slicing and dicing a breeze!
: I put off buying a scale for awhile but now I use it quite often, especially when I'm altering recipes or even just wanting to mail a package and know how much it weighs! This one is handy because you can also put a dish on it and zero out the dish's weight so that you're only weighing the food you put into it.
: I wanted to get away from using aerosol spray cooking oils, and discovered the Misto, which is a manual, natural alternative. Basically, you pour whatever oils you want into the container, and then pump the top up and down to build air pressure in the canister, which then allows you to spray the oil evenly. I use this whenever I'm sauteeing or even to coat the inside of my bread pan. (Try it if you decide to make my 
: We originally got a large plastic cutting board, but I found that having a smaller one has been so much handier and less of a chore to clean. I just keep it on my countertop all the time, for easy access, and then chip-chop away! (Note that this is similar to my cutting board, but mine is a no-name brand. It's roughly the same size, which is what matters most to me!)
: Ah, finally having a funnel. Before buying this handy convertible funnel, I ended up crafting ones out of leftover cereal boxes or sheets of paper. Needless to say, this is quite the improvement! Plus, I love that all three pieces fit together, depending on how large or small of a funnel-mouth you need to use. I was hoping to find a funnel that was metal rather than plastic, but I never had any luck. 
: It took me awhile to give cast iron a try, but now that I have, I will never go back! This is pretty much the only skillet I use, so much so that it stays on the stove-top all the time. (Although part of that is also likely due to the fact that it's pretty big and doesn't really fit anywhere else!) I also love it because it's so simple to clean up; no soap needed! 
: Sometimes I try to multitask a bit too much, resulting in dishes that end up extra-crispy (or worse). So a timer quickly became essential. (This one also allows you to take the temperature of your food, but we don't use that option very often.) I like that this one has strong magnets on the back (our previous timer met an early death by falling off the fridge) and a loud beep that you can't ignore.
: This book has been a standby in my kitchen, because invariably I have a recipe I want to try, only to discover I have run out of eggs or don't have allspice in my spice collection. Detailed with specific substitutions, this book has the well-researched answers with thorough recommendations of how and when to make certain substitutions. You'll be surprised at some of the easy swaps you can make!
: This is the gadget that I, surprisingly, use the most in the kitchen. I love being able to whip up bread in just a couple of hours, without having to run to the grocery store. I'm still doing a lot of experimenting, but I have nailed down some homemade standbys, including pizza dough, hamburger buns and bagels. The version I've linked to here isn't the exact same one I use, although it's the same brand. Mine is one my mom has had for years (likely a decade) and has kindly let me experiment with for the past year! Given that it's lasted for so long, I feel like I can really recommend this brand! Plus, it's pretty affordable, too.
: I received this as a wedding present, and while at the time I didn't do much baking to speak of at all, I now find that I use this baking stone at least once a week, for everything from pizzas to cookies. So much so that it's now covered in gnarly black and brown stains that it proudly wears like battle wounds, because as they say, "The worse it looks, the better it cooks." (
