Think Crafts Blog – Craft Ideas and Projects – CreateForLess

By Guest Blogger Diane, from the blog Charmingly Creative.

I adore Halloween so I’d thought I would share a Halloween themed idea to get a jump on all of Halloween’s goodness. This card is fast and easy to make.

Materials and Tools:

• Scissors
• Cutting mat
• Suggested Halloween Stickers:
• Jolee’s Boutique – Witches and Cats Stickers
• Jolee’s Pumpkin Embellishment Stickers
• Spooky Tree sticker
• Martha Stewart Punch Around the Page Punch – Eyelet Lace
• Bracket punch
• Spooky Caption sticker
• Bazzill cardstock in white, orange, yellow and black
• Halloween Patterned cardstock

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

Using Rotary cutter trim Halloween patterned card stock to 5″x8″ and use large Zots or glue to adhere to front of card.

Punch out two orange, one yellow and one black eyelet lace border strips 8″ long. Glue single orange strip to top of patterned Halloween paper. Glue black, then yellow and finally orange on top of each other making sure to overlap pieces so you can see each color. Glue to bottom of patterned paper.

From yellow card stock trace and punch out three yellow brackets. Glue to upper top of patterned card stock making sure to evenly line up the three brackets. Place stickers on each yellow piece to create a scene. Add caption sticker to complete card.

By Cardmaking & Scrapbook Layout Contributor, Peg from the blog Peg’s Crafting Corner.

Sometimes a simple act of kindness such as receiving an unexpected card in the mail can bring a bright spot into someone’s day.  It’s nice to know that someone is thinking of you during those trying times.  What better way to let someone know you care than by creating this special card for that special friend.  Do you know of someone who could use a kind word or a special thought?  Create this special card and drop it in the mail to brighten someone’s day or change the sentiment and make it into a birthday card or even send it as a get well card.  The choices are endless. 

Supplies Needed:

• 12 x 12 Dark Green Cardstock
• 8 x8  Paper Pad-Le Romantique Collection by Graphic 45  
• Light and Dark Colored Pink Cardstock
• Light Bluish Grey Cardstock
• Vintage Photo Distress Ink
• Color Box Pigment Ink- Turquoise
• ColorBox Pigment Ink-Fresh Green
• Autumn Leaves Card Sentiments Stamps
• Stamp Blocks
• Spellbinders Labels 4 Dies
• Martha Stewart Butterfly Punch
• Hotfix Crystals
• Hotfix Tool or Battery Operated Hotfix Tool
• Distressing Tool
• Favorite Tape Runner
• Favorite Paper Glue (I like Tombow Mono Liquid)

Start by cutting the green cardstock to 10″ x 7″ and folding in half.  The fold will be the top of the card.  Distress the 3 open edges and ink them with green ink.  Cut a 6″ x 4″ piece of Loves Labyrinth (the one with the roses) paper from the paper pad and distress all of the edges.  Ink the edges using the Vintage Photo Distress Ink.   Adhere it to the card base using your favorite tape runner.

Punch 2 butterflies from the light pink cardstock and 2 from the dark pink cardstock.  Glue one light pink on top of one dark pink using your favorite paper glue and repeat with  the other 2 butterflies.  Glue onto the patterned paper with your favorite paper glue.  Place 3 crystals in a small curve behind the butterflies and adhere using the Hotfix tool.  Run the bluish grey paper and the 3″ x 2″ Labels die through your die cutting machine.   Stamp the “Thinking of You” sentiment or the sentiment of your choice onto the die cut paper using the Turquoise ink and a stamp block.  Place sentiment die cut on the card using your favorite tape runner. 

The next time you know that someone special to you could use a kind thought or a smile in her day you will be able to create this beautiful card to send out just to say I’m thinking of you or by using some of the other sentiment stamps in the Card Sentiments Stamp Set you can say happy birthday, hope you’re feeling better or even hi to that special person and bring a smile to her. 

By Spellbinders.

I’ve been looking for a fun fall decoration for my coffee table at home. I like to display photos of my friends, family and pets, but wanted something more decorated than just a frame. I was looking at the Spellbinders Idea Gallery, and the Apple of My Eye box was just what I wanted to make! It’s cute, fall themed and I get to use my die cutting machine. Perfect project!

This 4½ x 4½” box is a cute way to display photos. By attaching the ribbon to top and botton of the box, and adding your photos to the ribbon, the photos cascade down when you open it! Then you can decorate the box however you like. This box is decorated using the Nested Apples and Labels Twelve dies to the embellish the top of the box.

Supplies used:

• Small Paper mache box
• Classic Squares Large Die
• Labels Twelve Die
• Nested Apples Die
• Fall Patterned Paper
• Core’dinations, Pistachio Nut Chocolate Cardstock
• Fall Background Stamps
• Brown Twill
• Brown Ink
• Twine
• Red Felt for Trim
• Buttons

By Paper Crafts Contributor, Lauren Romano.

I really love all the aspects of Halloween from the creepy designs to the art of doing costume makeup. I enjoy the holiday so much that I give my loved ones little bags of treats. Although Halloween isn’t typically thought of as a gift-giving holiday, there are plenty of opportunities to use a creepy spider gift tag. Whether you’re giving a hostess gift or a bag of treats to your child, the recipient can also use the tag as a bookmark.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

• Orange gift tag
• Ultra fine black glitter
• Mod Podge
• Red glitter glue pen
• Spray glue
• Spider punch
• Newspapers

Step 1. Punch three medium-sized spiders out of black cardstock, then use the Mod Podge to adhere them haphazardly onto the gift tag.

Step 2. Use the red glitter glue pen to make bright red eyes on the spiders. You may have to do this step two or three times so that the glitter shows up well enough. Avoid using regular red glitter – when working with such limited space, the glitter could flake off or bunch up into a single pile.

Step 3. Start from the hole of the gift tag and make a swirly and squiggly line from the top of the gift tag down to the bottom. Make certain parts of the line thicker than others; don’t worry if the line is a little jagged in some areas.

Step 4. Over a spread out sheet of newspaper, sprinkle ultra fine black glitter onto the glue line – don’t sprinkle it all over the glue, only sprinkle it in spots and let some of the red glitter show through. The line will appear as if it’s a thick, disgusting looking worm.

Step 5. Tilt the tag back and forth so the glitter sticks onto the glue and also spreads over the rest of the tag. Considering how fine the glitter is, it may not move easily so tap the tag a bit to shift it. Let the tag sit untouched until it is completely dry.

Step 6. You could leave the fine glitter spread on the tag as is, or if you prefer, use a very light coating of spray adhesive to ensure it sticks on. Don’t touch the tag until it fully dries otherwise you could leave fingerprints.

By Paper Crafts Contributor, Lauren Romano.

Although there are a lot of beautiful cards on the market, it’s hard to find one that’s exactly what you’re looking for and that the recipient would like. A little encouragement can do wonders for someone who isn’t feeling at their best, and this bright card in cheerful colors can lift the their spirits.

What you’ll need:

• Blank card
• Cardstock
• Scrapbook paper
• Ribbon Bow
• Rubber stamp
• Ink pad
• Embellishments
• Glitter glue pen
• Scissors
• Book
• Mod Podge

Step 1. Fold the blank card in half, then using Mod Podge, adhere the scrapbook paper onto the front of it. Press it down, then place it in between the pages of a heavy book for an hour so it flattens. Make sure no glue is leaking from the edges of the card otherwise it will stick to the pages of the book. When it’s dry, trim the excess paper.

Step 2. Use the Mod Podge to attach an embellishment onto the left side of the card. I chose a bright orange butterfly to match with the fall colors, but any type will do.

Step 3. Glue the cardstock onto the right side of the card, press it down, then let it dry before you trim off the excess; it doesn’t matter if the cardstock side is less than the left side. Choose a bright solid color cardstock that accents the scrapbook paper. It should be a light enough color that you will be able to clearly see the writing when you use the rubber stamp later on.

Step 4. Use the glitter glue pen to draw a vertical line along where the cardstock and paper connect.

Step 5. Glue a bow onto the top right side of the card. Match the bow to the other colors on the card.

Step 6. Choose a rubber stamp that has a positive quote, then stamp it under the bow.

By Tonya from the Spellbinders Blog.

Tonya used her Grand Calibur Machine to die cut and emboss the larger pieces of this beautiful 5″ tall bird hose. She used the Labels Four Die for the roof, front and back. The Standard Circles Die once cut and embossed becomes the hole in the front.

Spellbinders Die Nestabilities Labels 4

Then Tonya embellished her little home with bling, and decorated it using her Presto Punch Machine. She used the Petal Pack, and the circle, flower, leaf punch templates included with the machine to create the blooms.

• Standard Circles Small
• Labels Four Small
• Grand Calibur Machine
• Presto Punch Machine

Additional Supplies:

• Self-Adhesive Jewels
• Patterned Paper
• Decorative Brads
• ColorBox Antique Pewter Pigment Ink
•  Your favorite adhesive

By Craft Trends Contributor, Trent Jaxon.

Hello Again!

It’s time for CHA Sneak Peek Round 2. This time I will be sharing with you all of the hottest products coming out for Scrapbooking and Paper Crafting. It gets its own separate post because there was an abundance of great new products at this show. It’s going to be an awesome year for Paper and Scrap!

Lets start from the “bottom and work our way up” shall we? PAPER!

We saw some great new collections from K&Co, Bo Bunny, and Imaginesce. Die Cuts With a View had a couple of new lines outs. The one that got the most buzz at the show was their “Immortal Love” collection. That’s right crafters vampire themed paper. Sure to have the inner tween girl in you just aflutter. The only questions I have is whose team are you on? Team Notion or Team Belle (my two puppies)?

DCWV Immortal Love coming soon to CreateForLess!

Paper Accents has some great new products that debuted at the show. Their new One Sheet Wonder and Detail blending papers are perfect for your inks and Copic Markers and their felted Chalkable cardstock was great. I also really liked their new Denim and Stonewash jeans textured papers. Their most popular new line is Glitz. This is a superior line of glitter cardstock. It is low odor, low rub-off and it can easily be used with most hand punches and die-cut machines. It is available in 18 fantastic colors in both 12×12 and 8.5×11. Get some today!

Working our way up lets talk about inks and other liquid mediums. Ranger has released a new line of Distressed Stains by Tim Holtz. This line offers a fast and easy way to cover a large area with distress color and they are fully compatible with all of your regular distress inking products.

Tattered Angels is a new addition for CreateForLess. Their Glimmer Mist, Glimmer Glam and Glimmer Glaze are all great products. This versatile line makes it easy to add just a hint of sparkle up to a rich dimensional bling on all of your projects.

We also saw some great new line additions from Colorbox Inks, ClearSnap Smooch and Glitter Shakers.

Now lets get some embellishments on those pages and cards! EK Success has a plethora of great new stickers. The most popular line at the show was their line of Cabochon Dimensional Stickers. They look great and are an easy way to add depth.

Tim Holtz Ideaology brings us some awesome new metal, glass and acrylic embellishments. Great for all projects these will especially appeal to those of you that enjoy steam punk themes.

Jenni Bowlin brings us a great slice of vintage Americana. Her chipboard shapes were amazing as were all her embellishments and kits.

We also saw some amazing new lines from Bo Bunny, Imaginisce, K&Co, and Stampendous. The best part is you can find all of these wonderful products at CreateForLess!