Information Needed For Your Own Doodle Bug

Make notes to clarify what you want from the drawing.

If you have decided to purchase a Doodle Bug, and just want to make sure that FamilyBugs has all of the necessary information to make the perfect Doll, this is a great place to be! Not only do we love creating a precious doll out of your incredible pictures, but we definitely want to get it as close to perfect as we can.

Please provide any additional information you think we may need about the drawing when it is mailed to FamilyBugs. You can make a photocopy to write directly on, use post-it notes, or painter’s tape as shown in the example below.

• Are there any areas of questionable color? Look closely, sometimes a heavier coloring hand can make it just seem like it’s a darker or even different color.
• Legs are tricky, do you want them as drawn, or made in 3D so that your doll can stand on its own?

These two animals were drawn in very similar styles. The one on the left has the legs created as-drawn. The one in the right has been made in a more 3D style,

• What about symmetry? Do you want those ears to be the same on both sides, or should we depict the shape and size differences from the drawing to the doll as well?
• It’s a flat drawing, so does the other side look exactly the same, or is it different somehow?
• Are any of the pieces removable? Maybe a hat, or clothing item, or an accessory of some sort.

Doodle Bug Sizing Requirements

So, there is a drawing that you would like turned into a doll? You have definitely come to the right place! We strive to create a doll as true to the original drawing as possible, and we need a few specifications met so that we can strive as close to perfection as possible!

• Legs, arms, and appendages must be at least 1 cm in width. We cannot make or stuff anything much smaller than that. If your drawing has some legs that are thinner and some that are fatter, we will make the necessary adjustments within the 1 cm requirement. In the example below, all legs were made the same size. Please, nothing fatter than 8 cm, thank you.

Legs are JUST within the 1 cm width

• Tails, hair, or other fuzzy additions to the drawing may be thinner. Note that these will not be stuffed and will remain flexible and floppy. If arms, legs, or appendages have been drawn as single lines, they will be recreated as string for the doll.

This tail is flat, and bendy

• Please, nothing much fatter than 8 cm. That is still a pretty large drawing and doll.

This guy was just under 5 cm

• We also ask that no body part be much longer than 20 cm. It must all fit on a standard 8.5″x11″ sized piece of paper

His whole body measured out to 16 cm. A perfect size!

• It is recommended that drawings be made on standard 8.5″x11″ paper sizes
• If there is a drawing that you just REALLY want converted to a doll, but it is not within our recommended measurements, all is not lost! We will simply charge an additional fee of $30, with 3-days longer processing time.

This elephant was all over a bit too small and had to be adjusted. It is possible, but the proportions of the doll may vary from that of the drawing.

Thanksgiving Crochet Pattern Round-upi

From turkeys to cornucopias, pilgrims and Indians, to pumpkins and gourds…Thanksgiving is looming ever nearer! But if you are tired of crocheting the same old generic pumpkins and giant turkeys, why not try these crochet patterns to spruce up your holiday decor!

I really enjoy this Harvest Crow from PamsPatterns. Definitely not your typical Thanksgiving decor, but with scare-crows and sunflowers being very much “fall”, I think he fits right in. Plus, he looks pretty well-done from what I can see.

The idea of newborn cocoons is a fun one. They are so versatile. My kids were all a bit too old by the time I discovered the novelty, so I’m not sure how practical they are…but definitely great for photo shoots. This corn on the cob cocoon from June Bugs Crochet is definitely different and worth considering for all of your baby needs. I think if you were to swaddle the baby, then wriggle them into the cocoon, it might make for easier passing around to the relatives (if you are so inclined).

Is there such a thing as “thanksgiving gift giving”? I’ve never heard of it, but for the more generous of you out there, this gift basket from Yarnovations might be a must!

I love most of Planet June’s patterns. I’m not sure what these mushrooms have to do with thanksgiving, but they are pretty adorable and very well-done to boot. I definitely recommend checking out all of her patterns!

There aren’t a whole lot of crochet wreaths out in the market. There might be a desire for them, if done properly (hint, hint). This fall-themed one by Crochet Shop Carolina would be adorable on someone’s door to welcome feast goers for sure! I’m not sure if the little animal is suppose to be a hedgehog or a possum, but either way it’s pretty cute…oh, if I were to actually read the description, it is a hedgehog 😛

This acorn pattern by Caper Crochet is absolutely precious! How much fun would it be to make up a bunch of these, give them to the children attending your feast, and letting them pelt each other (preferably not within reach of breakables…so, send them outside!)? OR, as favors for all of your visitors. Whatever you want to use them for, I love it!

These cow dolls from Pams Crochet might be one of the best things Ive come across in a long time. They are patriotic, and summery, and Christmas-y, and halloween-y, and a bit of some thanksgiving-Ness thrown in there too. This is how I need to be marketing all of my crochet dolls 😛

I think we need to work together to expand this list! Please, find some “interesting” crochet patterns that are marketed as Thanksgiving, or fall. Comment below with your treasures, and not only will I edit this post to include it, but I will also include a link back to you. So, free publicity on your part, and a really fun, interactive, list on my part.

Unique Fall Crochet Patterns

Fall is a beautiful time of the year. The colors, the weather, the flavors, the smells, the activities…ah, it’s a happy time. For the crochet artist who doesn’t have a hook in her hand all year long, fall signals a time for Yarn, scarfs, hats, sweaters, and cozies. The days are shorter giving more time during the evening, and the outside activities start to dwindle as the weather becomes colder. While some can easily decide what to crochet next, some will spend countless hours perusing the internet to find the perfect project. Instead of making another basic crochet accessory, why not try out these unique crochet patterns just perfect for fall!

Wearing food? Only if you are bold enough! These scarfs from Fierce Pixy Boutique are adorable. I know several teenage and college-aged girls who would love to add these to their wardrobes. And, she offers a discount if you want to purchase several patterns at once, score!

There is a whole slew of “interesting” Crochet vest patterns out there in the world. I am personally pretty fond of this fringed toddler vest by Beauty Crochet Pattern. However, I kind of want the fringe to go all the way around the vest instead of just on the front flaps. I imagine it’s pretty warm, though.

Personally, I don’t think crochet shorts should be a thing…but, there seems to be plenty of disagreement about that. Take these men’s shorts by Mermaid Cat Designs for example. If you don’t use the right yarn, though, there might be future problems to deal with. Bound to keep you warm during the cooler morning hours and not too hot for those warmer afternoon times that are typical of fall days.

As someone with poor blood circulation with constantly cold hands, I am a big fan of fingerless gloves. There are lots of options to crochet your own, but I kind of really like these geometric ones from BLASK studio. Colorful, tasteful, and functional. I might be making these for myself this fall 😊

Every year I make my mom some slippers for Christmas. Usually one pair will get her through the first six months of the year, so my goal is to make her two of them. Unfortunately, I don’t always manage my time well enough to get them done in time. I’ve made her some elf slippers before, and I think I will make some for her again this year. Don’t you just love these by Hookedo Patterns?

There exists a plethora of unique crochet patterns for hats, but these whimsical holiday hats from Uniquely More caught my eye. They remind me of a Christmas trees a little bit.

Have you found any deliciously unique crochet patterns this fall? Because I think this list definitely needs to be expanded! Comment below, and I’ll be sure to include them next time.

Unique Halloween Crochet Patterns

Halloween might be one of my favorite holidays, always has been. I spend months planning and preparing and making my children’s costumes. And during the month, I peruse Pinterest and Etsy almost nonstop just enjoying all of the themed creations that everyone is making. The colors are beautiful, the weather is perfect, and it’s the beginning of cookie season for me (my sugar cookies are amazing!).

Most of the time, October is also when I also participate in a big craft show that is in town. In the past this has been a great way for me to get rid of a growing inventory that I don’t want to hold on to. However, it’s also become increasingly harder as my children get older, and I’ve opted to not participate this year. I cannot even begin to explain how much stress is not sitting on my shoulders this year. So, now I can focus on growing my online business and make amazing costumes for my kids this year.

There are TONS of Halloween related Crochet patterns floating around. I mean, zombies and ghosts, witches, spiders and jack o’lanterns, bats, cats, and a whole slew of other generic Halloween things. Then there are Costume-related creations: Spider-Man, Harry Potter, Jack Skellington, Princesses…the list goes on forever! So, his month for “Telling Tuesday”, I wanted to focus on more unique Halloween-related Crochet patterns for you to enjoy. I mean, these artists have been so clever, and I think that they deserve to be shared. So, I hope you enjoy 😊

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These Halloween Burgers from AmigurumiFood is just adorable! I would be tempted to make some of these myself, and I sure would love to know how she came up with the idea to make these! Really, ALL of her patterns are delightful and I recommend you check out her whole shops.

HelloHAPPY has designed this hilarious octopus scarf. I only wish I had the confidence to wear something like this out in public 🤣 octopus.

I don’t think a unique idea went into this particular crochet creation, but it is VERY well-designed and amazingly intricate. An almost lifelike skull pattern by designshop would be a perfect table centerpiece for you Halloween party. It’s bound to turn heads and start conversations, too.

Monster hand puppets? What! Knotbygranma has these hilarious novelties that any child would enjoy playing with. Great for use in a library story time program, or an elementary aged school. Just full of Halloween-themed potential.

I’m suppose to be a Mockingbird for Halloween this year (our family is doing “Texas-themed”, and the mockingbird is the Texas state bird), but, I really really want to make some of these monster feet from KnitsForLife for myself. I can be a monster mockingbird, right?

Creativity hiatus

Ever been there?  When you just have a huge influx of ideas and inspiration, and you just create and create and create and then before you realize it, a whole two months has past since you’ve done anything else related to your craft-business?  I’ve go so much going on right now in the realm of creating that I’ve neglected my social medias, my advertising, my blogging, my bookkeeping…pretty much everything else.  And I’m STILL super excited and eager to keep working on these new creations that even while I am writing this I am itching to get back to my creating.

So, what do I have going on?

• I’ve got a few new crochet purse patterns available to purchase.  These are SO CUTE!  I actually made one for myself, and have gotten so many compliments on it, that I just had to create some patterns to share with all of you as well.  There are three different purse patterns currently available (small hand-bag, messenger bag, draw-string backpack), and the only thing different with all of them is the size/shape of the base and handles/straps.  Other than that, it is virtually the same pattern.  Very customizable to your color palate and a few other personalization options.  I just LOVE all of the different ways that you can crochet these purse patterns and each one can be so very different and unique.

• I got a brilliant idea for my crochet dress-up dolls to take dressing-up to a whole new level: WIGS!  So, along with my Crochet Disney princess dresses that are continuing to increase in number, all you have to do is crochet one generic-looking doll, and then you can change her dress, AND her hair, to give a full-bodied appeal.

• Also: I’ve been working really hard on the crochet-along that I’ve got going on Ravelry with new outfits for my crochet dress-up doll every month/season!  If you are on Ravelry, you should totally come check it out, because that is the only place that I list ALL of my doll’s clothing for free (for limited times, of course).  Right now I’m working on the summer outfit, which is wedding attire.  I’ve got three different wedding dresses in mind for her, along with a veil/tiara (or both!), a bouquet of flowers, and a tiny little garter belt for her groom to remove and toss!

Just recently though, I lost another one of my crochet hooks.  Between the couch eating my hooks, and the children trying to imitate my crochet abilities with their pudgy uncoordinated toddler fingers, I decided that too many of my hooks have gone missing and ordered some new ones.  While I REALLY wanted to get these bamboo crochet hooks (mostly just to try out with my curiosity), and I LOVE this aluminum crochet hook deal (they were all sold out when I was doing my research to get crochet hooks), I finally settled on this incredible deal that also comes with a nifty carrying case.  Only set-back is that these crochet hooks are getting sent out from Hong Kong!  It’s been almost two weeks, and my hooks are just now in New York!  They’ve got to make it south-west to Texas before I leave for the summer.

To summarize everything else: I’m Ba-ack!!!!  Now, I can let the craft-selling information overload loose on your creatively open and eager minds, mwahahaha!

How to earn an income from a crafting hobby

Did you wake up this morning dreading going to work? Does your situation make it impossible to work outside the home? Maybe it is time for you to consider changing your hobby of crafting into an income.

First of all, there are thousands of different craft related products that you could sell. There are patterns and tutorials, novelty supply products (like special yarn, unique scissors, maybe pouches to keep everything organized), the products themselves.

Secondly, there are dozen different venues you can choose from. Online sites like Etsy or Artfire, Amazon, or EBay, blogging or your own website. Brick and mortar shops like consignment or thrift. Some can be very successful selling whole sale to boutiques, or with craft fairs and indie shows.

Thirdly, and last of all, you are the boss. You control how many hours you work, when you take off days, and how you spend your time. The flexibility itself might be enough to convince you.

I am not going to lie, it will be very difficult and require a lot of hard work to get things started and to maintain your own little business. But if you are stuck in a dead end job that you hate, then maybe just maybe it is time to consider getting paid for your favorite hobby instead!