Think Crafts Blog - Craft Ideas and Projects - CreateForLess

Blog Contributor, Crafty Mom and Writer, Gillian, from the Blog “Dried Figs and Wooden Spools”.

Sometimes, the most frustrating thing about being a mom comes when I go to set the table only to find it littered with  Play Doh crumbles, cookie cutters, marker lids and scraps of construction paper. Is it worth the battle to get them to clean up their “masterpieces” or is it just plain easier to stop what I’m doing and clean it myself.

As my children have gotten older and bigger, the little art table in their playroom has gotten, well, too little, hence the chaotic dining room table. When we announced to our son we were going to mover earlier this summer I asked him if there was anything he would like in the playroom that he didn’t already have. After nixing the idea of the full sized dinosaur model, the TV and the wall-o-Playmobil we found some common ground with the idea of a new art table. His complaint, as I had heard countless time before, was that it was just too small, and too low for his seven year old legs.

In the weeks before the  moves I checked out art and play tables at every store from Target to Pottery Barn with little success. It was my mother who gave me the idea of cutting the legs down a little on an dining room table. Thank goodness for mothers! Of course, it was so simple. Well, simple as long as I could find a suitable and affordable table to cut down.

It took a little looking but I finally spotted a battered kitchen table at our local Habitat For Humanity store, a steal for only $30 with three chairs included. It was ugly, but hey, that’s what paint is for, right?

After sanding and priming the table legs and  top I  painted the base of the table the same color as the playroom walls and the top the shade of the trim, and then the fun began. Using a roll of wide painters tape I blocked three inches of the white from the edges in and then let the kids go to town with craft paint covered hands. When the hand prints had dried I pulled off the tape and let them do the same with their finger tips around the border of the table.

The next day I sketched out words on each side of the table, suggested by my son, DRAW, PAINT, COLOR, BE CREATIVE and then filled them in with a silver paint pen before coating the whole thing with a few coats of polyurethane.  

The result has been an easily cleanable table with plenty of room for building rockets, rolling out pink PlayDoh (the only color we’re allowed!) and generally having a good time without needing to clean up before dinner. Something we all appreciate.

Recently I spent a day making greeting cards. It’s relaxing and brings a smile to my face. I have more cards than I’ll ever use, but I just can’t stop at one or two. I found a wonderful organization that sends unused greeting cards and stationary to our troops overseas so that they have a way to send news and love to their friends and family back home. CardsForHeroes has sent over 126,731 cards to our troops.

This simple stamped card is perfect to send to an organization like Cards For Heroes.

Find your cardmaking supplies on CreateForLess.com and your buck goes a long way. I’d be lost without my card blanks, which save time and energy. I always love using mirror paper to mat my card front images and embellishments. We can make such a big difference to our troops using our creativity.

Blog Contributor, Crafty Mom and Writer, Gillian, from the Blog “Dried Figs and Wooden Spools”.

When my son was a baby he absolutely could not sleep unless the room was totally dark. The room darkening shades on the market were well out of my budget so I resorted to the use of heavy quilts thumb-tacked over the windows which was effective, but not the most attractive looking solution. Over the years I’ve made all sorts of window treatments for his room and his sisters in the various houses we’ve lived in. Most of them have been far better looking than the old blanket over the window set up, but none were quite as effective.

We have, once again moved into a new house and while room darkening is not as crucial as it once was, it was still important when I set out to decorate the kids new (shared) room. I didn’t want to spend a lot of money because, let’s face it, they’re kids, they like to destroy things. I especially did not want curtains since my daughter has recently become obsessed with swinging from things Indiana Jones style and like many parents, I have a mortal dread of the strings that go along with Roman shades and mini blinds. I  also wanted an attractive, custom look. The solution?

Roller Shades!

Roller shades are about as economical as you can get when it comes to window treatments. The thinner, sun filtering variety ran about $3 at our local Home Improvement store and the thicker, room darkening ones were only slightly more. The problem is, they’re ugly. The white vinyl surface looks more like a shower curtain liner than something you would hang on a window. The saving grace of these is that they are eminently customizable. You can wallpaper them, you can tear the vinyl off and attach heavy fabric to the roller or, if your like me,  you can cover them with leftover sheeting fabric.

Now I know I’m not the only one whose linen cupboard is full of flat sheets that the kids don’t ever use. You know how it goes. You make up the bed with freshly laundered sheets, tuck them in and by the time you come back kiss them goodnight, the flat sheet is either a) crumpled up at the foot of the bed and doing an excellent impression of a strange beast hiding under the covers or b) on floor getting all dirty again. So into the cupboard they go, there to languish and not fade in the wash like the fitted sheet until the pain in no way matches. Well, I say put those sheets to good use! Repurpose them into shades!

To make the shades, you first need to carefully measure your window width. Don’t assume that all your windows are the same width, they can vary by a 1/4 of an inch and with roller shades, that 1/4 of and inch matters. For a truely room darkening effect you’ll want to get the style that hangs on the outside of the window frame so that it covers the whole window. Since neither of my children are that picky anymore, I chose to hang mine along the inside of the frame and measured accordingly.

Once the shades have been cut for you at the store, determine how much you will be pulling out. If you plan to pull the shade to it’s full length, you’ll need to cover the entire thing, but if the shade is much longer than the window, just plan of covering as much as you need plus about six inches.Lay your sheet out on a flat surface and spread the shade(s) on top to decide where you want to cut. For this project, I was able to cover three shades from one flat sheet with a little fabric to spare.

Cut the fabric, leaving a little overhang on each side and about 2 inches at the bottom. Take the shade outside and lay it flat on a clean surface and spray the entire thing with a slow setting spray adhesive. The benefit of the slow setting variety is that it actually benefits the sticking power to wait a few minutes before adhering the fabric, which gives you plenty of time to bring it carefully inside and back onto your flat surface. Position the fabric on top of the shade, making sure to leave that two inch overhang at the bottom. I found that the best way to smooth out bubbles was to pull firmly at the sides of the fabric, starting from the bottom and smoothing as I went up. Once the entire surface is covered, spread some tacky glue on the overhang and carefully fold it over, trimming if necessary to create a smooth effect on the reverse side. Trim the excesss from the long sides and hang.

Finished!

Depending on the fabric you used, you may want to dab some fray check along the edges once the shade is hung and then re-trim any stray thread that may have come loose. Once it’s dry you can roll them up to the length you are looking for and stand back and admire your work.

Click here to read more of Gillian’s blog.

Welcome Guest Blogger and Crafter Anitra Cameron, for the Blog “Coffee Pot People”.

Necessity Breeds a New Wire Wrap Technique

This may be new only to me, but I love it anyway.

One of the things I like about a car trip, if I’m not driving, is that bright expanse of free time. Really free. I can’t do dishes, or laundry, or weed the flower beds. I have to sit, and if I’m going to do something, the options are limited. Reading, going over my music, crocheting, or what I did yesterday, beading.

I worked on Button Stack Bracelets, finishing three I’d already started, and almost a fourth, brand-new one. On that one, I did all the button stacks first, and then turned my focus to creating the chain to put the stacks on.

Finished Bracelet

Now, where was that 20-gauge gold wire…? Oh, no! I was sure I’d put it in, but it was nowhere to be found! I stared at what I had, a spool of 24-gauge that was much finer than I’d want to use for a bracelet chain. What to do?

Ooooh. The idea was ripe for the plucking, and solved a problem that had nothing to do with the lost wire: I don’t like it when the end of a wire can be felt, and when I’m doing a wire wrap on a bead, that happens all too often. Up until yesterday, the only solution was to struggle with the wire until it would properly tuck in, or file the end down if it proved too stubborn.

But what if I worked with a fine wire, doubled?

Here’s what I came up with:

Gather your tools and materials–

Two sizes of wire shown for comparison

• 24-guage wire
• Wire snips
• Round nose pliers
• Flat nose pliers
• Bead

Cut a length of wire about six inches long, then fold it in half.

Loop it over one side and pull taut

Flatten the doubled end with your flat nose pliers as tightly as you can.

Squish!

Measure your folded wire against the bead you’ll be using, leaving enough length for wire wraps on both ends. 

That looks about right

Start a “regular” wire wrap, working with the cut ends of the wire.

So far, so normal

 When you’ve done a wrap and a half or so, lay the ends flat against the rest of the wire length. If your wire ends are longer than the bead you’re using, snip them off.

Those ends will be hidden inside the bead

Slip the bead over the doubled end of the wire, and complete the wrap. I’ve shown what would be the first bead in an assembly, and not left it open to accept another.

No sharp ends anywhere

If you cut your folded wire extra long, you can have extra fun.

Curls and Loops

I finished the bracelet this morning, and am quite pleased with it.

Click here to read more from Anitra Cameron.

As promised, ideas to avoid craft blooper messes!

Protect Your Work Surface & You

To make clean-up easier and avoid messy stains, make sure to thoroughly cover your work surface. Items like newspaper and paper will work, but most craft products will soak through. Wax paper works well because glue or paint will not stick to it and will better protect your table or counter.  You can also use old vinyl tablecloths to cover tables and floor space. To protect yourself usually smocks work best to cover your clothes while crafting, but you can also get a lot of coverage with an apron or large t-shirt.

When using paint, cover tools or areas you might touch with petroleum jelly.  Cover your door knob with a light layer of Vaseline, and then when you leave the room and touch the door knob, the paint and Vaseline will easily wipe up.

Cleaning Craft Tools

The sooner you clean your tools after a session of crafting, the easier it will be.  Keep a tub of warm water or some baby wipes near your craft area so you can easily grab them when you need to.  

If you are painting and can’t get the paint off your brush, dip the brush in fabric softener or hair conditioner to help remove stubborn paint. Also if you plan on painting again tomorrow or just need a break, wrap your brush in cellophane or a Ziploc and stick it in the freezer. It will just take a few minutes to thaw, but then will be right back to where you stopped painting.

Happy Birthday Think Crafts!

Thanks to all of you who read Think Crafts!

Think Crafts is turning 1 year old today! It wouldn’t be a Birthday Celebration without presents! The 13th person to email us at info@thinkcrafts.com and tell us what blog post was their favorite, will receive this K&CO Birthday Scrapbook kit!

We really loved having all of our guest bloggers and blog contributors this year. They helped make Think Crafts a unique place where people can come together to share their creative passions, plus get the latest trends, project ideas, tips and techniques. 

Come join the fun!

Interested in Guest Blogging?

Got a project idea you would like to share? A craft tip to tell us about? Then sign up to be a Think Crafts Guest Blogger!  

Think Crafts blog posts are written by a wide variety of craft experts, from creative moms and scrapbookers to craft professionals and designers.  We cover a broad range of craft categories, including paper crafts, sewing, quilting, kid’s crafts, needlearts, jewelry making and more. Our blog topics typically include craft projects, tips, ideas or products.  This is a great opportunity for you to write and share anything craft related. 

If you are interested, simply email us at info@thinkcrafts.com with your blog post title, text and attach any pictures.  We will let you know if your post was approved or not, and when it will be posted on Think Crafts.  Please also contact us if you have any questions or would like further information regarding guest blogging.  We look forward to hearing your ideas!

We reserve the right to edit a post. Not all blog submissions will be posted on ThinkCrafts.com. Submission of an entry grants CreateForLess permission to use the submitted content for promotional purposes.

I am the marketing assistant at CreateForLess and I really enjoyed reading (and laughing!) at some of the submissions in our latest drawing. So in honor of our Craft Bloopers Drawing, I thought some of our readers might be in need of some ideas and tips for clean-up and removal for these craft mishaps. I searched the web and interviewed crafters to find ideas and products to easily remove glue.

What a Mess!

Glue Removal

We’ve all been there - knocked over the glue, dropped the glue, used too much glue… Here’s a list of common household items that will safely, and easily remove glue from a hard surface such as floors, tables, walls and counters. Please test in an unnoticeable area first to make sure there will be no damage to the surface.

• Rubbing Alcohol - Dissolves glue to the point it should wipe off
• Vegetable Oil or Peanut Butter - Put a little bit on a clean rag, and allow it to sit on the stain, wipe away with soap and water
• Vinegar, Mayonnaise, Nail Polish Remover, Margarine, Baby Oil, - Soak rag with any of these and allow the rag to sit on the stain for a while (even overnight)
• Baking Soda & Water Paste - Rub the paste gently into the glue, then wipe off with a warm, wet cloth
• WD-40 - Allow to sit for 5 minutes, then wipe up

Just soak any of these on a cotton pad or apply a dab on area:

• Toothpaste
• Hair Spray
• Windex
• Lighter Fluid
• Paint Thinner
• Goo Gone
• Furniture Polish
• Hand Lotion

Removing Glue Stains on Fabric

Glue - To remove a glue stain, soak a rag in a small amount of mild laundry detergent mixed with water. Allow rag to sit on the stain. Soak another rag in a small amount of ammonia and water. Remove the first rag, cover with the second. Repeat as necessary.

Super Glue - Soak cotton pad in acetone nail polish remover, then dab the stain and let it sit. Scrape off any loose glue (a dull knife will work) then repeat as necessary. Do not put fabric in the dryer until stain is removed. Putting it in the dryer will allow the super glue stain to set.

Rubber Cement - Avoid wiping and smearing the glue. Scrape off glue with a dull edge then spray area with stain remover. When washing use hottest water that won’t damage the fabric.

If all else fails, try Glue Remover. Check back next time for tips for avoiding craft blooper messes!