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If Oprah is the queen of daytime and Madonna the queen of pop, then Terri Ouelette is the queen of crafts.

Catalog Printing

That's what craft enthusiasts call the former news anchor, whose indie-fashion innovations have helped women around the world revamp and expand their wardrobes.

"I'm the antithesis of a Martha Stewart," says Ouelette, known by fans simply as Terri O. "I make mistakes and I overcome. Nothing I do is perfect nor should it be.

"I take the fear factor out of crafting," says the author of "Terri O's Easy Embellishing: Instantly Accessorize Everyday Objects (Sterling 2006). "A lot of people don't start because they're intimidated by it. The whole point of crafting is to be free and fun."

Ouelette embellishes and stamps handbags, glues trim on purses and jeans, takes iron-ons and bleach pens to jean jackets, and even has a vest made out of men's neckties. It's all part of her "fashion personalization."

"My big push is, 'Just do it,'" she says. "Just craft. Embellish your jeans. Add bling to your purse or jacket. Customize your kids' notebooks for school. Do what you like, not what the books say to do."

Ouelette, host of "Crafting with Terri O" on QVC, and a frequent guest on shows on the Discovery, HGTV and TLC networks, says indie fashion has been around for years. It has gained increased attention lately, though, thanks to a younger fan base, she says.

An increased desire among families to spend time together at home rather than going out, along with the struggling economy, are also contributors to indie fashion's popularity.

"People are finding ways to do things themselves and are looking for projects to do at home," she says.

For Ouelette, indie crafting is all about function.

"I'm not really an artist. I don't look to create to hang it in a gallery or get it in a magazine," she says. "I create because I need something."

While others crafters may crochet an elephant tusk holding a platter of spaghetti, Ouelette says, she's more likely to crochet a cool scarf or sweater.

Her fondness for crafting developed early on. As a child, she and her older sisters would accompany their mom to view model homes and get decorating ideas.

"My mom would say, 'We can do that ourselves.' We were like the original indie crafters," she says.

Back then, collage arts -- "all kinds of crap stuck to a canvas," Ouelette explains -- were popular. One of her mother's canvases had pieces of her nephew's underwear and dental floss.

"We were like, 'Mom hung Tommy's underwear on the wall,'" Ouelette laughs.

While Ouelette was a news anchor and features reporter for "Good Morning Arizona," the 8:45 a.m. time slot of the 5 to 9 a.m. show opened up. Producers agreed to let her do a short craft segment. After her first one, they asked her to do one live every day.

Stainless Steel Pendant

While still with "Good Morning Arizona," she started "Home with Terri O." Ten years later, she left news, started Epiphany Productions and hosted and produced "On the Go with Terri O."

Ouelette credits her laidback approach for her success in the crafting world.

"When you put something together, there is no right or wrong," she says.

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