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How to use graphics to make your own shirts (and everything else!)

September 21, 2020 by Bethany Leave a Comment

Show off your craft with DIY crochet themed swag! Use these cut files to make your own totes, hats, mugs, sweatshirts, car decals, literally anything you can think of! These files can be purchased individually or you can get them all (along with my entire pattern and video library) in my Endless Bundle! It keeps GROWING every month! Learn more here.
The post includes affiliate links, thanks so much for your support!

Emails are the best. Emails tell me a lot about how I am doing with Whistle and Ivy. They tell me where my blind spots are, where I can improve, where I am doing well. Seeing the blindspots is particularly helpful because I can work to fill those spots with helpful content.

One of those blind spots is explaing HOW to use my cut files.

This year I launched my new line of crochet-themed cut files. I have seen a despairingly different number between knit and crochet-themed items on the market and I set out to change that.

SIDE NOTE: all my cut files can be purchased separately, OR you can join my Endless Bundle and get ALL OF THEM, Plus my entire library of patterns, videos and courses!

Learn more here.



I started with my Stash Bustin’ tote. I decided that selling physical items maybe wasn’t up my alley, but I would LOVE to sell my files so you can take them and make whatever you want with them.

But how?

There are a few ways and I wanted to share them with you. I think you will enjoy DIYing your crochet swag, maybe as much as you enjoy crochet!

HOW TO USE GRAPHICS TO MAKE YOUR OWN SHIRTS (AND ANYTHING ELSE!)



1. Heat Transfer Vinyl

This one is my favorite. It has great results, low learning curve and quick turnaround. You need some sort of digital cutting machine for this method (Silhouette, Cricut, ect.)
You also need special vinyl that is heat transferable. I get all my vinyl from Expressions Vinyl (adhesive, removable, HTV, all of it!) It is high quality but much lower in cost from local craft stores. Check them out!

My friend Alexis from Persia Lou has created a wonderful tutorial for how to use HTV, so head over there and learn how. She is also a wonderful resource for customizing things with vinyl, so you may even get more ideas from here! Be sure to peruse around while you are there!

DON’T HAVE A CUTTING MACHINE?
You can also order a pre-cut design from Outdoor Design Co.! I have already checked with her and she does beautiful work.


2. Permanent Adhesive Vinyl

This works great for non-cloth items like a vinyl make-up bag or as a wall decal. You would simply cut it with your cutting machine and place it wherever you want it!
Here is a in-depth how-to for adhesive vinyl.

3. Freezer Paper
I used this method for YEARS before I got a digital cutting machine. I made many, many custom onesies and baby bibs for The Boy with this method. It is a labor of love and definitely takes more time, but it is really fun and gives you a great result.
The basic method begins with tracing your design onto freezer paper, then cutting it with a precision knife, then ironing it onto your item. Finish by painting it like a stencil. It’s actually a lot of fun!
Get in in-depth tutorial here.

4. Transfer Paper and your Home Printer
This method is super easy! You can buy special print and iron paper, print off your design and iron it to your bag, hat or shirt. Easy peasy! This works really well with full color designs.
Note that you will need 2 different kinds depending on whether your item is dark or light.
This is the dark cloth transfer paper. This is the light cloth transfer paper.

5. Order it
The easiest of all of these (although you will have a processing and shipping wait time) is to order your items from an online shop that specializes in custom items like Zazzle.
This is where I ordered my Crochet Prescription mug with my design on it. I wouldn’t know how to DIY that one, as the file is pretty complex. But I would LOVE to see your version. You can certainly use the Transfer Paper method for a shirt.

I hope you enjoy making some of your own swag!

I also have a few crochet patterns that use HTV as well. Check them out here:

Happy crafting my friends!

Crochet Project Labels – Free Printable

January 31, 2020 by Bethany 16 Comments

These printable crochet project labels are perfect for keeping your crochet project organized and labeled! Never again will you forget which hook you used on your WIP from last month, or the tips you figured out along the way. Print and cut these crochet project labels to keep one with each of your WIPs so you can stay organized. Another tip: keep your WIPs in sheer bags so you can see exactly what project is in each bag. 
This post contains affiliate links which means I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks so much for your support! 

free printable project labels for crochet projects print and cut

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Four Ways to Make Pom-Poms

October 8, 2019 by Bethany 8 Comments

DIY Pom-poms create a lovely finishing touch for many knit and crochet projects. Here are 4 different ways to make pom-poms for your handmade hats, baby items, blankets and decor. You will want to put pom-poms on everything! This post contains affiliate links which means I get a small commission if you make a purchase, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support! 

four ways to make pom poms
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Crochet Tartan Plaid Technique – Learn how to crochet tartan

September 1, 2019 by Bethany 3 Comments

You love crochet plaid, now learn a new variation: Crochet Tartan! With just a few color stitch  and count tweaks, you can change the technique to traditional tartan plaid. The pattern is similar to my original crochet buffalo plaid technique with some slight changes. You will love working older buffalo plaid patterns with the new crochet tartan color work! This post contains affiliate links, which means I get a small commission if you make a purchase as no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support! 

learn how to crochet tartan plaid technique crochet pattern

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DIY Sheepskin Pom-Pom Tutorial

August 29, 2019 by Bethany 10 Comments

Looking for a new way to make pom-poms? Try these DIY Sheepskin pom-poms! They are the best of both worlds: round and plush like a yarn pom-pom, but with an extra woodsy texture of fur. They are even washable! This easy tutorial shows you how to make these pom-poms, your soon-to-be new favorite! 

how to make faux sheepskin pom-poms

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Crochet Tip: How to change colors in rows

October 30, 2018 by Bethany Leave a Comment

Today’s Crochet Tip Tuesday is brought to you by Krista from Rescued Paw Designs. On Tuesdays a share a tip to help your crochet skills! Today, Krista is sharing an easy tip on how to keep your stripes rows nice and neat when you change colors!

 

how to change color in crochet

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Crochet Tip: How to Dip Dye Crochet Projects

October 9, 2018 by Bethany 4 Comments

Today’s crochet tip comes to you from Make and Do Crew. She teaches you how to dip-dye your finished crochet items for a custom look! Turn your hard work into a  one-of-a-kind colored treasure. Choose to either color your crochet project all one color or use her tips to make your piece rainbow, striped or ombre. Read on!

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How to Make Knit and Crochet Slippers Non-Slip – 7 Tried and Tested Non-Slip Methods

August 28, 2018 by Bethany 55 Comments

Ever wondered how to make your knit or crochet slippers non-slip? I wondered as well and I decided to put 7 non-slip methods to the test to see which ways were the most effective. Read each item on the list for details about my experiment and see which non-slip method  was my favorite!
This post contains affiliate links. Click here for more information. Thank you! 

7 was to make slippers non-slip, crochet slippers non-slip methods 
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Crochet Tip: Chainless Foundation Stitches

August 21, 2018 by Bethany 9 Comments

Today’s Tip Tuesday shows you have to work a chainless crochet foundation in the three most-common crochet stitches. It’s easy and has a few benefits over the traditional chain foundation method.  Today’s post includes a video! Be sure to whitelist Whistle and ivy, so Adblocker doesn’t block the video from loading. 

Welcome back to Tip Tuesday! Today I am sharing how to work chainless foundation stitches in crochet. It’s a sweet little tip that comes in handy when working something long, and especially comes in handy when you are winging something long (any other pants-seat fliers out there?)

WHY CHAINLESS FOUNDATION STITCHES?

One way to make a long scarf (or other long item) is to begin with a foundation chain. This method is perfectly fine but it comes with 2 problems:

Problem #1: The foundation chain has almost zero stretch to it. If you are wanting to make a nice stretchy headband with a ch foundation, forget about it. The one edge with the chain foundation will not have the stretch you were hoping for. 

Problem #2: You get halfway through your stitch row and realize the piece is too short/long. What to do now? You will now need to FROG your entire piece and adjust the length of your foundation chain, hoping this time it’s correct.

The Fix:
The answer is crochet chainless foundation stitches! This eliminates the need for a foundation chain,  as you immediately begin by working the first row of stitches. 

The result gives you a much stretchier fabric and eliminated the need to frog way back to adjust the length. Yippee!
The method is simple, and once you master it with one stitch, you can master them all. 
Take a look at the vidoe below: 

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So easy but so useful! 

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How to Crochet a Straight Seam with Hdc Stitches

August 14, 2018 by Bethany 13 Comments

A few years ago I was designing this popular Bow Arm Warmers crochet pattern, when I hit a problem. It’s something that happens often, but because my projects were wider, it wasn’t an issue before: the diagonal seam.  These arm warmers had a seam wrapping around them like a spiral, and I didn’t like it one bit. But what to do? I wasn’t willing to change the stitch, hdc will always be my favorite, pretty little stitch. I didn’t want to crochet in continuous rounds either. So I experimented. I am pleased to say that I found an easy way to fix the problem: how to crochet a straight seam with hdc stitches. 
Read on for this simple crochet tip!

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Crochet Tip: How to keep your yarn from getting tangled

August 7, 2018 by Bethany 23 Comments

Your quick crochet tip of the week: how to keep your yarn from getting tangled when working with two colors. You will be surprised at how easy this little tip is, and how much frustration and time you will save by using it! Be sure to scroll down and watch the video. 

 

how to keep yarn from getting tangled when working with two yarns

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DIY Fur Pom-Poms

October 19, 2017 by Bethany 32 Comments

This post contains affiliate links(learn more here). Thank you for supporting Whistle and Ivy!

Last year, when I put out my Buffalo Plaid Slouchy Hat, I wanted to add a fur pom-pom for the perfect finishing touch.  I went to every local store I could think of and no one carried them. I decided to publish the pattern with a yarn pom-pom instead and order a fur one online for later. After searching, I finally found a shop on Etsy that sold beautiful ones, only for the shop owner to take a fall/holiday break. Nooo! 
I scoured the internet, wondering if there was possibly a way to make DIY Fur Pom-Poms. I couldn’t conceive that it was possible to make them! I found a tutorial and the main technique was much easier than I though!  I made a fur pom-pom the way she described, cutting the circle out with scissors. But… it looked like it had a bad haircut on the bottom, and it wasn’t hidden when sewn in place. Plus, it made an incredibly hairy mess.
What to do? 
Then my husband suggested using my Precision Knife to cute the fabric back. 
Of course!

How to Make DIY Fur Pom-Poms - Make your won trendy fur pom-poms with this simple tutorials. They are easy to make than you think! Click for more

Blocking Afghan and Blanket Squares

July 25, 2017 by Bethany 4 Comments

Learn an easy method for blocking crochet projects. This beautiful hand-crafted blocking mat will help give your finished projects a nice, finished touch. It especially works wonderful for blanket squares but can also be used for other small crochet projects. This post contains affiliate links. Click here for more info. Thank you for supporting Whistle and Ivy!

 

Blocking Afghan Squares: Learn a simple method for blocking finished afghan squares to make your finished afghan much nicer!
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How to C2C – Solar System CAL Day 1

July 24, 2017 by Bethany 20 Comments

Hey everyone! Welcome to Day 1 of the Solar System CAL. For all the details, you can read more here. For those of you who already know how to work a c2c, this day will be very simple for you! For those who are new to c2c (corner to corner), this day will only be slightly less simple as you take a few minutes and learn how to c2c.

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5 FREE Pretty Yarn Wallpaper Photos

July 15, 2016 by Bethany 4 Comments

Don’t you love the look of your yarn stash? I keep my yarn organized by color (mostly), and I love how pretty and bright it is in the corner of my office, stacked (sometimes neatly) on a tall bookshelf. I was thinking about how pretty it would be to have beautiful yarn on my devices too, so I whipped out my camera and snapped a few photos of some of my favorite colors of yarn. They turned out nice, so I wondered if maybe you wanted pretty yarn wallpaper on your devices too?  I have a few you can choose from. I also sized them for a phone and a tablet.  

 

5 FREE Pretty Yarn Wallpaper Photos - Whistle and Ivy | Do you love soft and pretty yarn? These 5 beautiful wallpapers are perfect for you.

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How to Make a Pom-Pom (And Attach it!)

November 2, 2015 by Bethany 46 Comments

Happy Fall! I’m not sure why I never thought about posting this how to make a pom-pom tutorial before. I’ve recently had several readers leave comments wondering how to make a pom-pom, which are the perfect finishing touch for crochet hats and scarves. Although I have a Clover pom-pom maker, and I find it’s a very useful tool, it’s not necessary to make a pretty one! This tutorial will show you how to make a pom pom and almost as important: how to attach a pom-pom to your finished project. 

Hand making a pom-pom with yarn

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16 Clever Yarn Ideas

March 20, 2015 by Bethany 13 Comments

Crocheting will always have my heart, and will always be my favorite things to do with yarn. But, if you are like me, you end up with a bunch of yarn scraps, remnants or small balls that you don’t know what to do with! Throwing it away is definitely off the table, but what? I searched through Pinterest and Google and found some very fun and very clever ideas.Here are 16 yarn ideas to get your creative juices flowing and I am sure you can come up with a bunch more ideas! 

 Crocheting is fun! But sometimes it’s fun to make something different with yarn. Check out 16 Clever Yarn Ideas.

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