Print and assemble an August desk calendar

Scout Creative has done it again— another charming papercraft calendar you can download, print, and assemble. The August version is a hot dog cart with the calendar printed on one side. According to Scout, no matter what type of hot dog you enjoy, you'll relish this project. Get it here.

Make a felt hot air balloon mobile

Hot air balloons are floating all around the internet lately. I'm not sure they'll ever reach owl status, but their popularity is certainly on the rise. Make a colorful hot air balloon mobile from felt using How Joyful's free pattern (via Craft Gossip). Or if paper is more your speed, try the gorgeous woven versions at PaperMatrix— they've added new designs #3 and #4, plus a basic video tutorial on how to assemble the balloons.

Print and fold some paper cats

Sometimes you need to make a paper cat. A tiny, fat, round one to keep you company on your desk. If this is one of those times, get free printable templates from Toxic Paper Factory. Or if cats aren't your thing, try making cassette tapes or robots.

1/13/14 Update: it appears the template is no longer a free download.

DIY zippered pouch with gusset

Those who like to sew small, cute things (as opposed to large, ugly things?) might enjoy the zipper card pouch tutorial from Joanne at Craft Passion. My mom just tried it out and here's the result. Adorableness! Mum, did you put your Discover card on top because you knew I'd like the orange ball?

You can store some credit cards or a bit of cash in there.

Or put in some wallet-sized photos of your favorite grandchild to show off to friends and family. If you don't have a grandchild, maybe you have a pet or a houseplant.

Desktop wallpapers for creatives

Paste some motivational lettering onto your computer screen with these free wallpaper downloads. Get "Play Create Share" from Media Molecule or "Draw Something" from Seth Nickerson.

Satchel sewing pattern review

My mom, known to you guys as Grandma G, has made another bag! This is the "Too Cool for School Satchel" pattern from the book A Bag for All Reasons by Lisa Lam. The fabric is my Skiff print in Dawn. How fun is this? I'm always a sucker for hardware on handmade bags since it makes them look smart and professional.

Along with photos, Mum has provided a review of this pattern in case anyone else wants to give it a try. About this "Too Cool for School Satchel," she says:

This is a very cool bag, and it isn't as hard to make as it might look. Yes, there's a lot of fiddly work to it, with all the flap and strap tabs. They take some extra time and careful sewing to get the shape consistent, but they're not really difficult.

The hardest part was sewing around the curves, especially attaching the front pocket to its gusset, since there were a number of layers, and the curves were smaller than those on the main bag body. But again, it's just a matter of taking your time and sewing carefully to get a nice curve. I used binder clips to hold the thick layers of fabric together, which you can see in the photo, and that worked really well.

I'd recommend this pattern! The instructions are very clear and easy to follow, and everything you need to know is included in the book. The hardware adds so much for making the bag look great. One thing I would note when buying the buckles is that Lisa's buckles have a little bar across the male end for threading the tab through with no sewing needed. The ones I used did not, so I had to stitch the tab down, though it's not a big deal... just something to be aware of. If I'd had enough rivets on hand, I would've used them instead of stitching. I did add rivets to the strap tab (which you can't see in the photo), as Lisa did on her bag.

I would change one thing if I were to make the bag again. When carrying the bag, it tends to pivot at the points where the strap is attached, so it leans forward or backward. I think I would attach the tabs closer to the top of the gusset, even though all the satchels of any kind I've seen in photos online have the tabs lower like that. Maybe there's something else that would keep the bag from leaning one way or the other? Any ideas?

Print and fold a papertoy alphabet

Digitprop has posted a clever papertoy alphabet you can download, print, trim and fold. Each of the 26 characters is a person, animal, or object whose name starts with that letter. Fun for kids to play with or personalize their own rooms. For tips on assembling the letters, click here.

Free font: Qumpellka No. 12

On the hunt for pretty script typefaces that don't cost a penny? Check out Qumpellka No.12 (scroll to the bottom of the page for download options). And for more typographical pleasure, visit We Love Typography, a visual roundup of gorgeous lettering by amazing people. Search by color or keyword for extra fun.