String Art, 1974

This is so super-'70s-hippie-kitsch that I just can't contain myself....that, and the fact that I remember doing these in art class when I was about 8ish. Oh, the possibilities!

Ad of the Day, Volume Two: Craft Ideas, 1974-75

I have a couple of more ads for you today, poppits! The first is from 1974. It's for a craft publication. Notice that most of the things in it are needlepoint, macrame, and crewel.....

Then, an ad for 'Decorating and Craft Ideas Made Easy' Magazine, 1975. One year later, the focus was on quilting. Quilting, quilting, quilting!...oh, and notice the Applehead creeping around to the left of her feet. *shivers*

Coming up later tonight....crafty '70s purses! Stay Tuned! And don't forget the Old Oak Festival is this weekend!

The Scariest Craft Craze of the '70s: Applehead Dolls, 1973

If you don't want nachtmares for the next couple of weeks, read no further. If you do, you're truly sick and twisted and that's probably why we get along so nicely!

Alright my dears, are you ready to be terrified? How about freaked out? Damaged beyond belief? Well look no further, my little ghouls...and boys. Today, the Doll brings you...well, dolls. But the most morbid, the most demonic looking, the most creeptastic dolls of all time: APPLEHEADS.

Yes, peanuts, you heard me right. Dolls with heads made out of decaying apples.


This is from a magazine from 1973, when they were all the rage, but these were still around in the '80s at craft fairs. I even remember being freaked out by some in the Baileyton post office when I was little. But I've not seen any in ages...thankfully. They ARE truly scary.

Yes, friends, they even had their own museum for these kooky, kitschy, monstrosities.

Should you be wacky and warped enough to want to make your own, they very kindly give detailed instructions:

Just so you know, if you think these things are scary now, just wait a few years. Once they really start to decay, they start looking like mummies. How would you like to wake up to one of these staring at you from your nightstand in a semi darkened room?




This one's actually for sale on Etsy. She's actually kind of cute...in a Leatherface kind of way...

Well, that's enough creepy for one morning! Toodles, sweet-peas!!
xx

More Sensational '70s Shadowboxes!

Everning my little bon bons! I've found more great shadowboxes for great kitschy krafty inspiration! Enjoy!

These aren't nearly as kitschy as the ones above, but they're still pretty darn cute!...



Just a few more days until the Old Oak Festival! Keep tuning in for the rest of this week for more great '70s arts and crafts!

Fashion Painting, 1974

Here again, I must apologize for the lack of patterns...apparently my grandmother swiped these too!

Don't forget the reason I'm doing these crafty 1970's posts currently....it's to promote and lead up to the revival this coming weekend (April 19-22) of the Old Oak Festival at Tusculum College in Greeneville, Tennessee! The festival started in 1975 and ran for almost twenty years before being cancelled...and this will be the first festival since it was phased out twenty years ago! If you're in the area, stop by!

Ad of the Day: Artex Textile Painting 1974

Magical crafting...apparently brought to you by the horse from The NeverEnding Story....

This reminded me of the Good Morning Starshine scene in A Very Brady Sequel



And here's another Artex fashion painting ad from the same year....

I'm not sure what I think about this...although I DID enjoy the puff paint craze of the early '90s...of course, I also enjoyed Milli Vanilli.......HEY, I was too young to know better, ok??!!!

Batik, 1974

I've never tried Batik myself, but this article from 1974 makes it sound soooo easy!

Sozzels, my dears, but the pattern for the owl was NOT on page 49...actually, it may have been, but my copy of the magazine has no page 49! But us creative types don't need someone else to make a pattern for us, do we? "Heck no!", I hear you cry! "We'll make our own wise little owl!" Once you've done that, here's the instructions for making your very own batik!....

Ad of the Day: Shadowboxes, 1974

Remember these? We had one in my house when I was little as did most of my friends...a holdover from the previous decade! And I love them! In fact, I've been mulling over making one for a while now, beans, corn, wheat, dried flowers and all! So earthy! So crafty! So Seventies!!!

Here's a not so great photo of the one I remember as a kid hanging behind my nanny! (this pic was taken at my first birthday party...I'm the little baby!)...
xx-
DollyBird