By Paper Crafts Contributor, Lauren Romano.

Valentine’s Day flowers are lovely, but they’re also expensive and they die shortly after you buy them. A better option is to make paper flowers for yourself or to give as a gift. However, make small centerpieces instead of making a bouquet. It may sound complicated, but all you need is a little patience and a handful of inexpensive items.

What you’ll need:

• Tissue paper
• Mod Podge
• Scissors
• Ruler
• Short glass jar candle

Step 1. Cut tissue paper into squares. The smaller the squares the smaller the flowers. I cut each square into 5 inch pieces and alternated between using red tissue paper and one that’s heart-patterned.

Step 2. Take each square and fold it into a triangle. Follow that up by folding each triangle in half, then in half again.

Step 3. Hold each triangle so the fold faces to the left, then cut off the top of the triangle so you form a curve at the top.

Step 4. Next, cut off the lower point at a curve.

Step 5. Open up the triangles; each piece should look like a flower that’s missing the center.

Step 6. Make a cut in each piece from the top of the petal to the center so they are no longer solid pieces.

Step 7. You’ll notice the pieces have creased sections which is going to help with gluing the flowers together. Take one section and overlap the two ends until it’s the size you want for the outer layer. Don’t glue the ends down; instead, glue down the second or third section in.

Step 8. Repeat Step 7 for each layer until you get to the center. As you go along, make the layers smaller and put a small drop of glue on the bottom of each layer so they stick together.

Step 9. To make the center piece, roll one of the layers into a cone shape. Put a small drop of glue on the sides of the point, then stick it through the center of the flower layers. Pinch the layers around the point so they curve in.

Step 10. After the flower dries, place it on top of a glass candle holder. Opt for a candle whose coloring complements the colors of the flower.

By Guest Bloggers Melissa + Kellie, from the blog Icing Designs.

Not sure what it is, maybe it’s because Valentine’s Day is near, but we are loving all things wedding right now! Of course we love when brides incorporate DIY projects into their weddings, it makes things seem so personalized and special. We are just loving the idea of a fabric corsages! They are just as beautiful, if not more, than using real flowers. What a fashionable gift/keepsake to give your bridesmaids or flowergirl! If you are not a corsage person, wear it as a bracelet!

Here’s a tutorial to make your own Fabric Corsage!

By Guest Bloggers Melissa + Kellie, from the blog Icing Designs.

We are in love with paper flowers of any sort. These crepe paper flowers are so perfectly lovely. They are so versatile and can be used in so many different ways, and the best part…they don’t wilt! These are so easy to make you won’t believe it! We can not wait to show you how we used them!

All you need is crepe paper and hot glue…we layered the crepe paper with two colors to add some depth. The length of crepe paper you need just depends on how big you want your flowers to be. After you have both colors of crepe paper cut and layered just accordion fold them.

Then just take your crepe paper and start to wrap it around and start forming your flower. Then just put a dab of hot glue at the bottom every couple of inches, just to hold the flower in place.You can start to pull the top back a little to open the flower up as you go as well. After you have completely wrapped with flower around you can form it to be as open or closed as you want it.

So simple and so pretty aren’t they! The color combinations are endless as are the possibilities of how you can use them!

By Recycled Crafts Contributor, Anitra from the blog Coffee Pot People.

Here’s a bit of old news: Computers play a big part in our lives these days. They’re everywhere, aren’t they? Let’s dress up a monitor for a friend or relative who works in front of one with a little bit of cheerful whimsy, a Computer Corsage.

Your list of materials is short. You’ll need:

• A large-ish bead cone, small salt shaker, or tiny bottle
• Small dried or silk flowers and other bouquet fillers
• A snippet of self-sticking hook-and-loop tape, (such as Velcro)

If you’re using a salt shaker, you’ve got it made—just choose your flowers, cut the stems to length, and stick them through the holes in the top in a pleasing arrangement.

If you’re using a bead cone or tiny bottle, you may want to wrap the stems of your bouquet with a little wire before inserting them in the cone or bottle.

Once you’ve created your tiny bouquets, simply stick one half of the hook-and-loop tape to the back of the holder, and the other half to the computer monitor’s edge.

Don’t you think this would bring a bit of cheer to an office-worker friend or relative?

By FloraCraft Designers from the Blog “Make It: Fun”.

It’s time for Back to School! Make this wreath for your classroom, your favorite teacher or just to get in the Back to School spirit!

Supplies:

• FloraCraft Foam Wreath, 14″ 
• Back to School Paper 12″ x 12″
• 2 1/2″ tall chipboard letters to spell “WELCOME”
• Paint marker, fine tip, blue
• Glue Dots, thin-small and thin-medium
• Two all purpose glue sticks
• 12″ paper trimmer to cut paper even with edges of letters
• 12″ x 12″ self healing cutting mat
• Precision tip scissors
• Craft knife
• Large paper clip
• School items: wood ruler, scissors, yellow pencil, spiral notebook, three crayons, paint brush and school glue stick.

Instructions

1. Use paper trimmer to cut approx. 1″ x 9″ strips from four sheets of paper. Note that to wrap wreath in paper strips, papers will slightly overlap along outside, but will overlap by about half the strips’ width on inside edge of wreath. This allows for even wrapping all around wreath. Apply glue stick to wreath, going all around wreath for several inches at a time. Wrap paper strip, with ends slightly overlapping on back. Continue going around wreath.

2.For hanger, on top back, use craft knife to make 1/4″ long, shallow horizontal slit (about 1/4″ from inside edge of wreath). Carefully insert knife blade into slit, angled up toward top and remove. Slightly separate curved ends of paper clip 1/4″. Insert shorter rounded end up into slit, creating hanger loop with longer end of paper clips. (Glue if loose.)

3.To cover letters, turn a patterned paper right side down on table. Apply glue stick to fronts of letters and place onto back of paper. Place paper on self healing cutting mat. Use precision tips scissors to cut apart letters. Then, use craft knife to cut paper even with edges of letters. Outline letters with blue paint marker. Let dry.

4.Refer to photo to evenly place letters at top of wreath, keeping in mind position of hanger on back. With top 2/3 of letters extending beyond edge of wreath, use glue spots to attach.

5.Use paint marker to write teacher’s name and class on first page of opened notebook. Refer to photo to plan placement of school items. Use appropriate size glue dots to attach.

6.Optional: Tuck children’s school pictures among items on wreath.

By FloraCraft Designers from the Blog “Make It: Fun”.

STYROFOAM Brand Foam:

• Wreath: 16″ Green
• Desert Foam Brick: 4″x4″x3″

Other Materials:

• Glass Cylinder Vase: 8″x4″
• Marble Accents ¾ lb: (2) Amber and (2) Green
• Four – Yellow Forsythia Branches
• Three – Yellow Confetti Rose Spray
• Five – Yellow Hydrangea Spray
• Three – Yellow Wildflower Spray
• Two – Yellow Straw Flower Spray
• Four – Green Grape Bunches
• Coordinating Sheer Ribbon
• 4.5 Yards Satin Ribbon: Moss Green (wreath)

Tools:

• Low-Temp Glue Gun
• Floral Pins
• Scissors

Instructions:

Centerpiece

1. Glue the Desert Foam brick into the center of the vase. Combine green and amber gems then pour into the vase to hide the sides of the foam.
2. Use floral pins to attach the grapes to the side of the foam brick allowing them to hang over the edge of the vase. Use low-temp glue to secure the pins in place.
3. Push in a yellow forsythia branch into the center of the foam, standing about 14″ tall. Cut three shorter branches and push them in around the first and secure with low-temp glue.
4. Cut 3 hydrangea stems to about 5″ and push them in evenly spaced around the branches. Cut the stems of the roses to 5″ and push them in between the hydrangeas and one into the center among the branches.
5. Cut the wildflower and straw flower sprays apart and insert them to fill in around the entire arrangement.
6. Cut lengths of ribbon and use a discarded flower stem as a tool to push loops of ribbon into the foam to add interest to the arrangement.

Wreath

1. Pin the end of the ribbon to the back of the wreath. Wrap the wreath completely by overlapping each wrap as you go. Pin again at the back.
2. Pin the two hydrangea blossoms to the center left side of the wreath. Pin three roses in a triangle around the hydrangea. Pin a bunch of grapes hanging from the bottom of the hydrangea and a bunch peeking out from above the
3. Pin the two hydrangea blossoms to the center left side of the wreath. Pin three roses in a triangle around the hydrangea.
4. Pin a bunch of grapes hanging from the bottom of the hydrangea and a bunch peeking out from above the hydrangea.
5. Pin a tall branch running up the left side of the wreath from the top of the hydrangea, pin another shorter branch coming out from the bottom of the hydrangea.
6. Pin stems of the yellow forsythia branch, straw flower and wildflower sprays to fill in around the hydrangea and roses.
7. Cut leftover leaves and glue around the wreath to fill in.

By FloraCraft Designers from the Blog “Make It: Fun”.

MATERIALS:

• STYROFOAM Brand Foam: Three – 1×12×36″ sheets
• STYROCUTTER PLUS or FOAM CUTTER
• Fabrics (3 coordinating patterns)
• 1″ wide ribbons (coordinate with fabric)
• White drawing paper (templates)
• Scissors
• Toothpicks
• Decorative head pins
• Small straight pins
• White tacky glue
• Glue gun
• Velcro

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Trace all the enlarged bug patterns onto the drawing paper. Click here for the Bees and Ladybugs Bulletin Boards pattern.
2. Cut the patterns from the paper and pin to STYROFOAM, with the straight pins. Use the Styrocutter Plus, following the instructions on the packaging, to cut the templates from the foam. Cut out three bee wings, the side view bee only has one wing. *Note: If using the foam cutter or serrated knife; trace the templates onto the foam with black marker, remove template and cut out shapes.
3. Use scrap pieces of foam to “sand” the edges smooth.
4. Position the wings where indicated on the patterns. Cut the edge of the wing that attaches to the body at a slight angle, this creates the illusion of flight, angling the wing away from the wall. *Note: The wings of the ladybug do not need to be cut at an angle.
5. Trace the body and wing templates onto desired coordinating fabrics and cut out. Place the paper templates from the bee bodies onto the fabric and mark the wing position, cut a ½” wide slit in the fabric where the wing will be attached.
6. Use the tacky glue to glue the fabric to the tops of the foam shapes, put down a continuous bead of glue around the very outside edge of the foam to ensure the edges of the fabric are held in place.
7. Glue ribbon to the edge of the bodies and wings; do not glue ribbon to the bees wings where they attach to the body. Cover all sides of the ladybug wings with ribbon.
8. To attach the bees’ wings; use glue gun to glue toothpicks into the wings, leaving about ¾” sticking out to insert into the body. Use the glue gun to glue the wings to the body; be sure to prop up the wings until they dry completely.
9. To attach the ladybug wings; use decorative head pins to pin the tips of the wings just behind the head, spread the wings open slightly and push in two more pins to hold in place.
10. Embellish the bees and ladybug with ribbons, cording, beads or scrapbooking embellishments. Attach to the wall with adhesive backed Velcro.

Check out more Bulletin Board ideas from FloraCraft:

Bulletin Board for Boys

Bulletin Board for Girls

By FloraCraft Designers from the Blog “Make It: Fun”.

Are you entertaining this Independence Day? Try these easy DIY centerpieces!

You’ll need:

STYROFOAM Brand Foam:

• Three – Cubes: 3″
• One – Sheets: 1″x12″x36″

Other Materials:

• Three – Silk Hydrangeas: Blue
• Fifteen – Silk Roses: White
• Red/White Ribbon: 1.5″ (approximately 3 yards)
• Blue Ribbon: 5/8″ (approximately 3 yards)
• Acrylic Paints: Red, white, blue and silver
• Straight pins

Tools:

• Design It: Foam Cutter or Serrated Knife
• Low-Temp Glue Gun
• Scissors
• Black Marker
• Paint Brushes
• Cardstock Paper

Instructions:

1. Cut six 13″ lengths of the wide red/white ribbon.

2. Glue two pieces of ribbon around the sides of each cube to cover. One piece at the top and one at the bottom, slightly overlapping where they meet. The top and bottom will be left bare.

3. Pull the hydrangea blossoms from the stems and glue a blossom into the top of each cube. Cut the small roses from the stems and glue four or five roses into each hydrangea blossom.

4. Make three small bows using the blue ribbon and glue one to the front of each cube.

5. To make the stars: Draw assorted sizes of stars onto cardstock paper and cut out. Pin the cardstock stars onto the foam sheet and cut out using the serrated knife. Use the scrap pieces of foam as sanding blocks to sand the edges of the stars smooth. Paint the stars with the acrylic paints and let dry. Pin blue ribbon around the outside edge of three larger stars and use as the base for the cubes.

By Guest Blogger Noel, from the blog “Stamping with Noel”.

Here is my second in a series of video flower tutorials.  I am having so much fun making these for you and hope you’ve had a chance try out my Gerbera Daisies Tutorial (here).  Today’s tutorial is for a red poppy.  These are one of my favorite flowers … there is something romantic about a field of red poppies in the sunlight (maybe this should have been a Valentine’s post, grin).

And, as before, I have created a PDF tutorial for those of you who like step by step tutorials in hand while you craft.  Just click here or on the Tutorial tab at the top of my blog.

What is your favorite flower?  Leave a comment on this post and I’ll see what I can create from your suggestions!

Happy Crafting,

Noel

By Sewing Contributor Jessica, from the blog “Life Sew Good”. 

It’s an easy 20 minute project that allows you to use up the ever-growing scrap pile (and don’t tell anyone: you don’t have to sew a stitch!)

You need:

• Scrap fabric: doesn’t have to match, but you need to be able to have some longer pieces
• 1 square of felt
• Hot glue gun
• Scissors
• Headband

First, Tear a few long strips of scrap fabric. The best pieces are about 1.5″ x 12″, although I used different widths and lengths. You can cut it if you prefer, but tearing it gives it the look I want!

For The “Flowers”:

1. Heat up your glue gun.

2. Beginning with one stip of fabric, begin to twist the fabric while rolling it up. I suggest using a dot of glue in the middle and then about once every roll.

3. Repeat making 3 “flowers”.

4. With a piece of coordinating felt, cut 3 circles the same size as your flowers.

5. Glue your flowers to the felt pieces. This will help keep them together and secure when you put them on the headband.

For the Headband:

1. Take a regular headband & a long strip of your fabric. Starting at the end, start twisting your fabric around the headband, gluing it conservatively. Make sure you tack both ends with glue.

2. Arrange the flowers on the on the headband & glue them in place.

By Recycled Crafts Contributor, Anitra from the blog “Coffee Pot People”.

Rosettes are all over the place right now, and no wonder—they’re so pretty! Useful, too, on clothing, cards, hats, jewelry, home decor—wherever you want a striking, and somewhat three-dimensional decoration.

I’ve been playing with the paper variety lately, and have come up with a way to make them that I think is pretty easy.

To make your own, you’ll need:

• Pretty paper, with a bit of body to it—scrapbooking paper, music sheets, heavy magazine pages, etc.
• A sturdy needle and thread
• A sewing machine, or other piercing instrument, such as a push pin
• Decorative “toppings”

Start by cutting a strip of the paper you’ve chosen. It should be half as wide and at least four times as long as the diameter rosette you want to make. The longer you make your strip of paper, the more “ruffle” will be left at the outer edge of the rosette.

Now, at first, when I tried making these, I just sat and pleated the strip of paper, and then joined the ends of the paper, and it did work, but the paper was so like a spring, it kept leaping from my fingers, and sproinging itself into unwanted shapes! So I did this:

You can see two rows of punches along the edges. I ran the strip through the sewing machine, without thread. The more closely spaced set of holes is what the machine did on the longest stitch length, but that seemed too small a spacing. On the other set, I put the machine on the longest length stitch, and the widest zigzag it would do, and then fed the paper through, letting the needle go through the paper only on one side of the zigzag, which worked nicely.

A sewing machine is quick and easy, but if you don’t have one, use a push pin. Laying the strip alongside a ruler, or on graph paper, will help you get even spacing.

The next step was to take a nice big needle and, using good strong thread, do a running stitch through the punched holes:

As you can see, the paper begins to pleat itself as the needle goes through. Squish the pleats together while they’re still on the needle, and then slide the paper off, doing that until you’ve reached the end of the strip. If you wait to do the pleating until afterwards, it will be harder to get the folds exactly the same width.

Now, carefully pull the thread tight, until the ends of the pleated paper meet each other, putting the needle through at least the first several holes again. I went all the way around again, just for the added strength:

Surprisingly, I found it wasn’t necessary to glue the ends of the paper together, but you may want to.

Secure your rosette by taking several stitches across the center in two or three directions, slipping the needle under the thread going through the paper.

Turn the rosette over, and top with your adornment of choice:

Want to play some more? Vary the width of your paper strip. Here you see what happens when your strip is scalloped on one edge, and an oval (egg!) shape made by using a strip that is twice as wide in the middle as it is on the ends:

It’s Spring! What will you find to use your colorful embellishments on?

By The Spellbinders Blog.

I created a pocket card filled with words of friendship for a dear friend’s birthday. I used Grand Ovals and several of the Winter die templates from Spellbinders.

With the Grand Calibur, I cut/embossed scrapbooking paper with Grand Ovals #6 (the smallest sized die template being #1). I scored on the long side at 2″ and 5 ¾” to make a gatefold.

Then I used a scrap piece from the same paper and cut a pocket for the card - trimmed it to fit and then glued the three sides.

I used Musical Memories paper to cut Blossom Three #1, #2, #3, #4 and #5 (I cut a couple extra pieces). The die cuts were layered and secured with a brad. In a protected area, I misted a combination of Dragonfly, Purple Pansy and Gold Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist on to the die cuts. I let dry between each color so they didn’t bleed together. Before it was completely dry, I scrunched the die cuts to form a dimensional flower.

When the flower was completely dried, I added a pearl in the middle and attached it to paper.

I cut/embossed using the die templates Labels Eighteen #4,  Wonky Rectangle #4 and Reverse Wonky Rectangle #4 and created three tags.

I cut/embossed Creative Page Tabs and adhered them on top of each tag. I hand wrote some of my favorite sentiments for a personal touch.

Now it’s ready to be sent to my friend! Here’s a second look at the finished card.

Supplies: Spellbinders Grand Calibur, Grand Ovals, Creative Page Tabs, Wonky Rectangle, Reverse Wonky Rectangle, Labels Eighteen and Blossom Three; Tattered Angels Dragonfly, Purple Pansy and Gold Glimmer Mists;  SCRAPBOOK ADHESIVES By 3L EZ Runner; Glue Dots; Xryon.

Grand Ovals Tip: Grand Ovals coordinates with the original Nestabilities Classic Ovals LG, and stack and layer with Grand Scalloped Ovals.

It’s May Day and it’s been a wet one for us in the Northwest. Considering the recent national headlines of tornados and winter storm warnings, it’s time to bring some spring indoors! This tutorial is brought to you by DCWV Diary.

SUPPLY LIST:

• The Cotton Bloom Stack
• Circle stencil tool (or assorted cans or jars you can trace around the bottoms for a circle)
• Paintbrush and water or water spray bottle
• Assorted silk flowers
• 5) Wooden dowels
• Floral wire
• Floral tape
• Yellow grosgrain ribbon
• Orange grosgrain ribbon
• Assorted white buttons
• Assorted orange buttons
• Mason jar
• Pencil
• Die cut butterfly shape
• Die cut machine
• Hot glue gun
• Scissors

1. To create folded circle shape, cut a 1″ circle from a piece of paper.

2. Using the same patterned paper, cut another circle twice the size (2″) as the first circle.

3. Using a paintbrush and water or spray bottle, wet the larger circle.

4. Lay the smaller circle inside larger one.

5. Fold edges of the larger circle to cover the inner smaller circle. As the circle dries, the folded shape will remain intact.

6. Repeat process using different sized circles from varying papers.

7. Cut out additional circles from varying papers (do not fold these papers, keep flat).

8. To create a flower, layer and adhere the different sized folded and flat circles together.

9. Adhere silk flowers, ribbons and buttons to the centers of circles.

10. Wrap each wooden dowel with floral tape and adhere to the backs of each flower.

11. Trace and cut out leaf shapes from green printed papers.

12. Glue leaves to the stems of flowers.

13. Fill a mason jar with assorted orange buttons and insert flowers into mason jar.

14. Curl floral wire around a pencil to create a spring shape. Insert into jar.

15. Tie Mason jar with orange ribbon.

By Guest Blogger, Sue from the blog “Heart Jewelry”.

As a Mom I have always loved receiving home made gifts from my children and I know other Moms feel the same. Before doing my current heart jewelry blog, I owned and ran a Kindergarten and we used to do lots of different craft projects for the children to give as gifts to their Moms and Grandmas. One of my favorite pieces are these easy to make and inexpensive chenille stem flowers in a pot, which could make a great Mother’s Day gift in a few weeks. Fresh cut flowers are lovely to have but they don’t last very long, but this will last long after the event that they were given for is over. Although it needs some adult supervision, it is one of the least “messy projects” and is very quick to make.

Here’s what you need:

• Chenille stems – any bright flower color will do but you need green or brown ones for the stems
• Yellow, white or orange pom poms
• Glue
• Flower Pot – 4″
• Easter grass or green tissue paper

What to do:

1. Fold the colored pipe cleaners into flower shapes.

2. Take a green or brown pipe cleaner for the stem and wrap the top around the center of the flower.

3. Take another pipe cleaner the same color as the stem and wrap it around the stem to form leaves.

4. Glue a pom pom into the center of each flower.

5. Bend up about 2 ½ inches at the bottom of the stem and twist it round itself to make the bottom of the stem a little firmer.

6. Put a small amount of Easter grass or crumpled tissue paper into the bottom of the pot and arrange your flowers. Add more grass or crumpled tissue to support your flowers and fill your pot.

By DCWV Diary

I think it would be so fun to make these with bright, spring paper and put them on your walls or front door! So different and would totally set the springy mood in your home!

• The Black Currant Stack
• Poinsettia template
• Foam brush
• Black lace ribbon
• Tulle
• Beads
• Rhinestones
• Glue gun

1. Trace and cut template shape from Black Currant Stack. Each poinsettia requires one circle base shape and 15 petal shapes.
2. Wet a foam brush with water and wet the back of petal.
3. Wait about 30 seconds for water to soak into petal. Pinch petal center vertically to create a vein.
4. Pinch smaller horizontal creases to create additional veins.
5. Curl and pinch edges of petal by rolling around pencil.
6. Repeat to create additional petals.
7. Adhere petals around circle base.
8. Adhere lace, tulle, beads, and rhinestones to the centers of poinsettias.

By Recycled Crafts Contributor, Anitra from the blog “Coffee Pot People”.

Okay, so call me crazy, but when I walked into one of my favorite stores and saw their silk flowers were on sale for really, really cheap, the first thing to pop into my mind wasn’t “Floral Arrangement.” Nope. It was “Headbands!”

You may want to make some of your own. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Artificial flowers
• Headbands of the non-stretchy variety
• Glue & glue gun

First a note on the type headband to use: I used a couple my granddaughter had that were hard plastic covered with fabric. They worked well, having that porous cover. The slick plastic kind are not a great surface for glue gun-type glue, so you’d want to use an adhesive that works well on plastic.

Step one: Pull the flowers from their stems, and remove the sepals, the ring of green leaves around the base.

Step two: The layers of petals will easily separate after they’re “plucked”. That’s not great for making them stay on the headband, so put a drop of glue between each layer. And since you’ve taken the flowers apart anyway, you’re free to put them back together any way you please. My granddaughter and I opted to use three different colors  flower and reassemble them as tri-colored blossoms.

Once you’ve reassembled your blossom(s), decide where on the headband you want to put them, and then glue them in place.

That’s it!

My granddaughter and I made two headbands, this one:

And this one:

Pompoms. Those flowers look remarkably like pompoms. I had actually intended to bring some of the pompoms I’d made for a second headband, but left them home. Meggie lives an hour away, so there was no going back for them, but I do want to just say, “You could do this with pompoms, too!”

By Recycled Crafts Contributor, Anitra from the blog “Coffee Pot People”. 

Halloween is coming, and fairies, princesses, goblins, and super heroes will soon be knocking on our doors, hoping for Treats. Of course, the adults in the group are getting a treat, too—the pleasure of seeing all those happily costumed little folk. For me, an additional joy is helping with creating the costume, and I especially love embellishing those little fairy wings.

Here’s what you’ll need to do it yourself:

• Wings (I got mine at a dollar store)
• Silk flowers, two of one color, and one of a coordinating color, OR three all the same
• Floral wire, two pieces each about 24″ long
• Coordinating wire and tinsel garland
• Needle & thread, glue, pliers

Take each piece of the floral wire and use the pliers to make a small loop on each end. Bend the wires into a gentle curve. Take the garland and wind it around and around the wires, making several tight loops on each end to secure.

Now use the needle and thread to tack the wire in place, starting at the small length of material that joins the wings together, and working from the back. I tried a whip stitch on one side, but decided it showed up too much. Tacking in two or three places worked as well, and didn’t show on the front, especially when I maneuvered an element of the garland over the stitches.

The next step is to disassemble the flowers, removing them from their stems and taking out the plastic bits that hold them together.

You now have several layers of petals, each with a hole in the middle.  Poke the free end of the floral wire through the layers, and use the pliers to make another loop, large enough to keep the layers from falling off.

Finish up by gluing something decorative over the wire loop. I used a flower from the garland. Other things you might use: large spangles, flat jewels, pompoms, buttons, or stickers.

Now take your third flower and disassemble it. Cut another length of the wire garland and poke one end of it through the flower, and making a loop as you did with the other flowers. Secure this flower to the middle piece of the wings by winding the garland around and around it, tucking the end of the wire out of the way when you’re done.

That’s it! You have a very special set of wings for your little one.

Just one more note about embellishing wings. The things we used for this set are very lightweight, and the wires the flowers are on are relatively short. Using heavier items on the ends of the wires, or longer wires, may cause the wings to want to tilt backwards. If that happens, add a balancing length of wire to the bottom of the wings’ harness.  It doesn’t have to be heavy, or very long—just extending the width of the harness with a loop of wire that rests against your child’s back will keep the wings from overbalancing.

By Recycled Crafts Contributor, Anitra from the blog “Coffee Pot People”.  

Did you know that not all hummingbirds migrate in the winter? It’s true! And not only do they survive winter temperatures very well, feeding them year-round is a Good Thing, and will garner you what very few people see: hummingbirds at your feeders in the dead of winter. For a very good article on this subject, visit here.

That said, let’s get busy and make our own hummingbird feeder, and give those hardy little hummers something to eat!

You’ll need:

• A feeder nozzle, available at pet stores, and bird feed suppliers (Portland area: Back Yard Bird Shop has them)
• An empty bottle with a neck the right size for the nozzle
• Sturdy but flexible wire, roughly 16 gauge
• Flat marbles and/or small glass tiles
• Wire cutters
• Pliers
• Glass adhesive such as E6000

To begin, clean your bottle thoroughly and let it dry. Lay it on the table and cut enough wire to go up one side and down the other with enough extra to leave a nice size hanging loop:

On each end of the wire make a wire-wrapped loop:

Now cut a piece of wire about five inches longer than the circumference of the neck of your bottle where the shoulder begins to widen:

Thread this wire through the loops of your longer wire:

Loop the short wire around the neck, and twist to fit. Don’t try to make it a tight fit. Just tighten it enough to be near the shoulder of the bottle:

Position the wrapped loops of the long wire so they’re on opposite sides of the bottle neck, smooth the wire down the sides of the bottle, and bend it sharply over the bottom, twisting at the center to create a big loop:

Glue flat marbles to the bottom of the bottle in a pleasing pattern. Be sure to put at least one or two of the marbles directly over the wire. That creates a kind of glass-wire-glass sandwich, and will keep the wire from coming loose. Stand your bottle in a glass and let the glue dry.

At this point, your hummingbird feeder is ready to use. All you need to do is fill it, put the nozzle in, and hang it up. But wouldn’t it be fun to decorate the sides? That’s what my mom, aunt, daughter and I did, and here are our finished feeders:

By Kid’s Craft Contributor, Gillian from the blog “Dried Figs and Wooden Spools”.

In the last few weeks, my summer flowers have begun to fade and the mums are starting to make a showing in my garden. Fall is on the way. From one of the windows of our house we have been watching tiny, bright yellow birds feast of the shriveling heads from our row of sunflowers. It’s been so much fun watching them flit and fly around the plants that I decided to spread the wealth around the house so that we had a view form every window with these sunflower head feeders.

If you don’t have sunflowers growing in your yard, you can sometimes find them through crafts stores, florists or even your local farmers market.

Here’s what you need:

Two sunflower heads per feeder
Floral wire
Ribbon
Needle-nose pliers
Wire cutters
Embroidery needle

1. Use the wire cutters to trim the stalk of the flowers back as far as you can.

2. Cut a 12 inch piece of wire and thread it through the back of one of the flowers. If the wire is bending, use the needle to make a hole in the flower before you push the wire through. Use your pliers to pull it out the front side of the flower and then thread it back through to the back about 1/4 of an inch over from where the first hole is.

3. Using the same wire, repeat the process with the other head so that the two flowers lie back to back.

4. Pull the wired tightly and twist together to secure. Trim ends.

5.  Thread the ribbon between the two heads below where the wire connects them. Bring the two ends of the ribbon up over the top of the flowers and tie a knot just at the edge of the flower heads. Tie another knot in the ribbon about 8 inches up, leaving a loop in between knots.

6. Hang from a tree near a window and watch the birds flock!

By Recycled Crafts Contributor, Anitra from the blog “Coffee Pot People”.  

I love art in the garden, and for a long time I’ve wanted a gazing ball. Why can’t I make one? I wondered just a day or two ago. I decided to give it at try, and take you along with me!

My materials were few:

• A plain, round light globe, vase, jar, or other clear sphere
• Spray paint in shiny metallic silver or gold

First, true confession: I bought two spherical light globes for this at a thrift store, but they disappeared! They would actually be my first choice for the gazing balls, but I did have a small, round vase and a large, perfectly round, jar—no flat spot anywhere, except for where the lid screwed on. Use what you have; it doesn’t even have to be round, as long as it’s a shape you like.

The instructions are as simple as the list of materials. Make sure your sphere is perfectly clean. Protect your work area, and/or work outside. Choose the color you want for your gazing ball, and spray paint the inside of the sphere. Be patient and don’t spray too much at a time or the paint will run. Just short bursts of paint will do it, overlapping until the glass is completely covered.

My spheres aren’t quite a shiny and mirror-like as I’d hoped they’d be, but I do think they look pretty great in the bird bath against the fence. I added a white light globe to the grouping, and have been enjoying the sight of them.

You could also dazzle them up even more by painting a water-proof glue on the outside of your sphere and sprinkling on glitter, in either a matching or contrasting color. I’m contemplating a swirl of gold glitter on the silver ball…What do you think?