Think Crafts Blog – Craft Ideas and Projects – CreateForLess

By Guest Blogger Jenny, from the blog a bird in the hand.

Here is a tutorial for creating and using your own fabric stamp. The fabric stamp I made was carved out of an eraser. The only supplies you’ll need are an eraser, craft knife and fabric paint. I used an owl charm to help create my design, you can use a stencil or free-hand a drawing to stamp.

Start with an eraser. I chose to cut the stamp in half since I was making a smaller stamp.

Sketch out your design with a pencil. I traced an owl charm on mine. I kept it fairly basic so that it would be easy to carve.

Using whatever knife or carving tools you have, start cutting away at the eraser. I found it easy to slice down around the design and then into the side of the eraser.

Continue working until you have cut out the whole design. Now start stamping! Do a few practice ones on paper to start. I chose to stamp on some fabric bags I had on hand but it was challenging to stamp on the uneven surface.

 You can leave it like that or do what I did next and trace around your design. I wanted to add details and let the whole piece pop a bit more.

By Guest Blogger Diane, from the blog Charmingly Creative.

 Here is a quick and easy Punch Art Bunny to make for Easter. I made this hippity hoppity bunny for an Easter card using various sizes of heart and oval paper punches. I have included an example of a card where I used the Bunny as the focal point.

What you’ll need:

• Martha Stewart Confetti Heart punch
• EK Success Paper Shapers 1″ Scallop Circle punch
• EK Success Paper Shapers ¾” X 1½” Oval punch
• EK Success Paper Shapers 1.25″ x 2″ Oval punch
• Fiskars XL Heart punch
• EK Paper Shapers Punch Medium Circle 3/4″
• Fiskars ¼” Circle punch
• Pink, Dark Brown and Tan cardstock
• Darice 10mm Wiggly eyes
• Scissors
• Self-healing cutting mat
• Art Institute clear Glitter glue and/or Glue Dots

Instructions:

Punch the following from:

Dark Brown Cardstock

• Four ¾” X 1½” Oval
• Two Hearts
• One 1″ Scallop Circle

Pink Cardstock

• Two ¾” X 1½” Oval
• Two 1.25″ x 2″ Oval
• Six ¼” Circles
• One Confetti Heart (use larger heart)

 Tan Cardstock

• Two ¾” Circles

To assembly glue Pink ¾” X 1½” Ovals slightly below brown ones for ears. Glue small Pink ovals to bottom of each foot and then glue three ¼” Circles to top of each foot. To create the Bunny head flip Heart upside down so the pointy end is facing the top and then glue Tan circles slightly overlapping each other on lower part of Heart and glue small Pink Heart in center for nose then attach eyes. Glue ears behind head.

To create body take second Heart right side up and glue head on top. Then trim 1″ Scallop Circle in half placing halves together and rounding the cut edge with scissors trimming off a little of the scallop to create two small hands, glue to body near bottom of head. To complete Bunny attach feet on either side.

I have included an example of a card where I used the Bunny as the focal point.

By Guest Blogger & Crafty Bride, Kadee Robertson.

I am getting married in September to the most wonderful man ever. I am a typical bride and need to stretch my pennies as far as I can. I’ve been addicted to Pinterest since becoming engaged. While browsing Pinterest, I found a jar wrapped in twine. It was so simple, yet I loved the natural texture of it. I wanted to try it myself and make my own one-of-a-kind vase for a table centerpiece.

Items needed:

• Glue gun and glue
• Jar of any shape or size
• Jute or hemp twine (I used jute)
• Patience!

Recommended items:

• Wax paper
• Wood Craft stick

I gathered my materials, I happened to have a Pace Picante salsa jar on hand, so I used that. I liked the hour-glass shape. I then laid out a few pieces of wax paper. I didn’t want the glue to get stuck to my counter. Turn on and heat up the glue gun.

I then put an inch of hot glue around the base of the jar. I worked from the bottom up. I recommend starting as close to the bottom as possible. I glued an entire circle of glue around the bottom of the jar and laid the string around it and just kept circling up. I put a dab of glue about every 1/4″ or 1/2″ turn around the jar. Don’t use too much glue or it will ooze out. I just kept winding the jar around and around with dabs of glue every so often.

At one point I touched the hot glue and gave myself a nice blister on my finger- avoid that step Later I started using a wooden craft stick stick to hold the string to the glue for a second to give it a chance to adhere.

I did not cut the string at all. I didn’t want there to be any loose ends, I just kept unwinding it from the spool. My entire project was just one loooooooong strand.

The closer to the top of the jar that I got the more frequent I had to use glue as the jar tapered inwards, again, I just used a dab of hot glue. The biggest problem I had was getting the glue and the string to adhere to the top of the jar where the lid screws on.

This project took a lot more time than I expected, but I love how it turned out. I hope you like it too.

By Guest Blogger Diane, from the blog Charmingly Creative.

Make this Easter card for someone special. Gather your cardstock, paper punches, and your Spellbinders Grand Calibur and let’s make an Easter basket card! Time to complete this project: 10 minutes.

What You’ll need:

• Fiskars Grass Edge Punch
• Martha Stewart Tulip Punch
• Martha Stewart Chick Punch
• Martha Stewart Easter Egg Basket Punch
• Spellbinders Nestabilities Standard Circle Large dies (using 3¼” & 2¾”)
• Spellbinder Grand Calibur
• Purple, Yellow, Green and Polka Dot cardstock
• Orange & Yellow Glitter cardstock
• Scissors
• Self-healing cutting mat
• Art Institute clear Glitter glue

Instructions:

Using Purple cardstock and 3¼” Spellbinder Circle run through machine. Then take the cut 3¼” Circle and center the 2¾” circle die on top and run through machine again. This will give you the handle for the Easter Basket. Cut the Polka Dot cardstock about 3½” x 1″ and trim off sides at an angle. Glue Basket at bottom of handle.

From Yellow cardstock punch 9 Yellow chicks and glue three on top of each other so you have three complete layered Chicks.

Punch out Green cardstock with Grass Edge punch and trim two strips long enough to fit behind the Basket for a layered look and glue in place. Punch out Tulips from yellow cardstock and cut a strip long enough to go behind Basket and glue behind the grass.

Using the Easter Egg Punch and glittered cardstock punch Yellow and Orange eggs, saving the baskets for another project. Glue eggs in grass and two chicks to front of basket. You can create a bow and flowers to go around the handle and add the remaining chick once you glue piece to card.

By DCWV Diary

Today I want to share a tutorial from the DCWV & Blue Moon Beads CHA booth. Remember this gorgeous tree covered in butterflies, beads & jewelry? There were some gorgeous beaded butterflies mixed into the tree. I think these would be so fun and easy to make and mix into your spring & Easter decorations. You could use any color paper and really customize them to your space.

 Supplies & Tools:

• DCWV Brights Cardstock Stack
• DWC Butterfly Template
• Blue Moon Beads – Glass Beads
• Papercrafting adhesive
• Craft wire
• Bead Pliers
• Scissors
• Pencil

Directions:

1. Print and cut out the Butterfly template. Trace desired sizes onto your chosen shades of cardstock and cut them out. *Note: For every small butterfly, you will need a large one (and vise versa).

2. Adhere the body of one small butterfly onto the body of a larger one; repeat until you’ve glued your butterflies together.

3. String beads onto your craft wire and attach them to the body of the butterfly. Repeat until finished.

I know the template doesn’t include the intricate butterfly piece on the top layer. You could use a electronic cutting machine for that, use your Xacto knife to make your own pattern or simply just use a full wing piece on top. Or use a butterfly punch. It is still a beautiful, creative element!

By Guest Blogger Diane, from the blog Charmingly Creative.

Here is a sweet card you can use either for Spring or Easter and easy to make. Time to Complete: 10 minutes

What You’ll Need:

• Any Martha Stewart Punch Around the Page (I used Eyelet Lace)
• Martha Stewart Grass Punch
• Bunny Punch
• Hydrangea Punch
• Tulip Punch
• Fence Edger punch
• Fiskars 1/8″ circle punch
• EK Success Tri leaf punch
• Memory Box Puffy Clouds & Twiggy Tree dies
• Purple, Yellow, Brown, Pink, Green, Tan, White and Green & Gold glitter cardstock
• Spellbinders Grand Calibur
• Black pen
• Scissors
• Self-healing cutting mat
• Bone folder
• Rotary cutter
• Art Institute clear Glitter glue 
• Glue dots

Instructions:

Trim Purple cardstock with Rotary cutter to 8″x10″. Score the cardstock in the middle at the 5″ line and use a bone folder to crease the edge of paper to form 5″ x 8″ card.

Punch out the following:

• One brown bunny and glue a 1/8″ white tail and draw a black eye with a pen.
• One green grass strip & one yellow tulip edge strip each about 4.5″ long.
• Using White cardstock and the fence punch, punch two times which will get you a fence about 4.5″ long.
• Two Yellow Eyelet lace strips 5″ long.
• With Green glitter cardstock punch out 19 leaves for tree.
• You will need to punch six sets of Hydrangeas and six Gold glitter 1/8″ circles for center of flowers.

Run brown cardstock through die cutting machine using the Twiggy Tree die and White cardstock using the puffy Clouds die. (Note: if you don’t have Twiggy tree die or Clouds use a tree sticker instead and hand cut cloud shapes.)

Glue the Yellow Eyelet Lace pieces on the top and bottom of card.

Note: Glue these pieces to each other before gluing to card. Trim the Grass and Tulip strips to fit the fence. Glue the grass to front bottom of fence. Glue the tulips behind fence.

I made the flowers using the small Hydrangea punch gluing one flower on top of the other, slightly turning the one on top. I added a Gold glitter cardstock circle using the 1/8″ punch to the flower centers. Glue flowers to grass and bunny in place. Glue leaves to tree and attach tree behind fence close to the center. Now glue entire piece to front of card, add clouds to complete.

By Crafts for Learning Contributor, Danielle from the blog Crayonbox Learning.

This activity is fun for all ages groups and can be incorporated into learning activities celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. The best part is that all of the materials needed can be found at CreateForLess. This cute and festive pin activity is fairly simple to create.

Materials Needed:

• Shamrock Template (click to open)
• Green buttons in various sizes, shapes
• Pin back
• Glue
• Tag or chipboard
• Scissors

Step 1. Print off the shamrock templates onto card stock. For my example, I glued the card stock piece onto a piece of tag board scrap to make the back more rigid. (You need the shamrock to be fairly sturdy to hold the weight of the buttons.)

Step 2. Using different sized green buttons, begin gluing onto the shamrock template. I used different kinds of buttons that I have had collected. I filled in the open spaces with really small buttons. (Be sure to supervise young children as some buttons can pose a choking hazard).

Step 3. After the buttons have been glued on, let dry. Depending on the type of glue you use, it may take a few hours for the glue to be completely dry. I used Tacky Glue for my example as it dries clear, and it also is stronger than glue sticks for long term use.

Step 4. Once the buttons are completely dry, you can then add the pin back. Let completely dry before wearing the pins.