Think Crafts Blog - Craft Ideas and Projects - CreateForLess

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

Are we in full scurry mode yet? I know I am, gatherings to attend, and Arts & Crafts shows to prepare for. Honestly, there are times when I have so much to do, I just come to a full stop, not knowing what task to do next.

Efficiency becomes more important at this time of year than at any other, and I look for shortcuts.

I’d like to share a speed wire wrap hint: Do as much as you can assembly line style.

For instance, a simple wrapped loop has a number of steps. Fully described, they are:

1. Pick up spool of wire and wire cutters.
2. Measure out the length you need, and cut.
3. Put down the wire cutters, pick up the round nose pliers, and make a wrapped loop.
4. Put down the round nose pliers, pick up the wire cutters, and cut off the excess.
5. Put down the wire cutters, pick up the flat nose pliers, and squish the end of the wrap flat.
6. String on a bead.

That’s six steps, with six tool changes, per bead. Multiply that by the number of beads you need, say seven, and that’s 42 steps, with 42 tool changes.

Now, instead of that, try this:

1. Pick up spool of wire and wire cutters.

2. Measure out the length you need, and cut as many pieces of wire as you’ll need. (Say, seven.)

3. Put down the wire cutters, pick up the round nose pliers, and make all the wrapped loops.

4. Put down the round nose pliers, pick up the wire cutters, and cut off the excess on each of the seven pieces.

5. Put down the wire cutters, pick up the flat nose pliers, and squish all the ends flat.

6. String a bead on each of the wrapped loop eye pins you’ve created.

That’s still six steps, and six tool changes, but you’ve done all the beads.  You just saved yourself 36, count ‘em, thirty-six, tool changes. That’s a time saver, even if you’re making just one thing. If you’ve got multiple items to make, it really does add up.  It also has the advantage of being something you can do ahead of time, even when you don’t have the time or inclination to attempt an entire jewelry piece.

You can continue similarly with the rest of the piece you’re creating. 

If you’re making a bracelet, or other item that ends with a clasp, you’ll need to leave both loops unfinished on the end bead, one to attach to the chain of beads you’ve created, and the other to accept the clasp.

By General Craft Contributor, Amy from the blog “Mod Podge Rocks!”

Nothing tickles my fancy more than Halloween.  It’s my absolute favorite holiday, and one of the reasons is the bright colors and bold statements.  What other time of year can you yell “BOO” at someone?  In celebration of this wondrous time of year, I bring to you this festive hanging plaque. 

To create this Boo! Plaque, you’ll first need to gather these supplies:

• Walnut Hollow Basswood Rectangle 9″ x 12″ Plaque
• Plaid Folk Art Extreme Glitter, Orange
• Acrylic paint, orange, 2 oz.
• Acrylic paint, black, 2oz. with tip attachment OR black paint pen (fine tip)
• Mod Podge Gloss, 8 oz.
• Halloween scrapbook paper - 1 sheet
• Wood Letters to spell “Boo!”
• Craft Knife and Mat
• Craft Glue
• Buttons - 4 coordinating
• Flat Paint Brush
• Offray Black Grosgrain Ribbon (7/8″) - 1 foot
• Pencil
• Ruler

I started by laying out the wood letters on the plaque to get an idea of how I wanted to space everything.  I know - at this point it is hard to visualize the cuteness.

Time to add some color!  I poured out some orange acrylic paint and began with the plaque. I painted around the four edges and the back.  You don’t need to paint the entire front because you are going to put the paper down and cover it up.  I painted just two coats for good coverage.

You’ll need to paint the letters too.  Give the letters two coats of paint as well - don’t forget to paint the sides!  Allow the plaque and the letters to dry.

Grab your Extreme Glitter and paint your plaque and letters.  Anywhere that you painted with orange acrylic paint will need a coat of Extreme Glitter.  Notice that it goes on milky but dries clear.  Paint one coat and then wait 15 - 20 minutes to dry.  Apply another coat.  I actually did three coats total and set my plaque and letters aside to dry.

While everything was drying, I cut my paper.  My paper sheet was 12″ x 12″, and so I used my ruler and craft knife to trim the paper down to fit the plaque.  It’s relatively easy - just be careful with the knife!

When the Extreme Glitter is dry (about 20 minutes), you can Mod Podge the paper to the plaque.  Begin by applying a medium layer of Mod Podge to the plaque.  I usually start on one side (in this case the right) and lay my Mod Podge down with the brush.  Make sure to get the corners well!  I coat the plaque with a strip of Mod Podge and begin laying the paper down - adding more Mod Podge and smoothing as I go.  It’s hard to paint such a large area with Mod Podge at one time because it begins to dry quickly - so try my technique.  It works!

When the paper is completely adhered to the plaque, either smooth with your fingers or roll with a brayer (like I did above).  You want to work back and forth around on the paper, smoothing thoroughly.  You can’t smooth too much!  If Mod Podge comes out the sides, its okay - wipe it away with your brush.  Let this dry for 15 - 20 minutes.

Seal the paper by Mod Podging over the top.  Apply a medium coat just as you did previously.  Allow to dry for a few minutes and then apply another coat.  Don’t worry if some gets onto the Extreme Glitter edge.  Just wipe that away with a brush.  Allow your plaque to dry for 15 - 20 minutes.

You’re in the home stretch!  Glue the letters down to the plaque with craft glue.  I put the letters at funky angles to add interest to the project.

Here’s where you can have some fun embellishing!  Feel free to get creative.  I added about a foot of ribbon at the top to hang.   I also decided the letters needed a little something, so I grabbed my trusty black paint with a tip pen.  For those of you who don’t know what this is, it’s an attachment that goes at the end of a 2 oz. paint bottle to give it a writer tip.  Don’t have one?  NEVER FEAR!  You can use a paint pen to get the same effect.  Just make sure it’s a fine tip.  Outline the letters with lines and dots.  Don’t worry if your lines aren’t perfect - neither were mine - it just adds to the spooky effect!

I finished my plaque with four buttons in the corners for a little added “flair.”  Feel free to embellish with whatever you have in your stash that you think works.  Don’t be afraid to get creative.  Remember to allow your project to dry for 24 hours before hanging.  Happy Halloween!

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

Every crafter knows October is not too early to start thinking that. Come to think of it, a lot of us know even January isn’t too early. It’s my favorite holiday, my favorite time of year, and puts me into a virtual crafting, cooking, wrapping frenzy, all of which I consider huge fun.

A SEASON OF JOY, a collection of heartfelt creations for the holidays, is my newest boatload of inspiration between book covers treasure. I knew it was going to be good the minute I saw the cover. I needed to make the things in it.

And the book is spiral bound! It lies flat, so you can manipulate materials with both hands, while checking what you’re supposed to do next. I’m not a huge fan of holding books open with whatever heavy object is handy, so that was a big plus for me.

Another Plus: It’s a very attractive book. Each project is beautifully photographed,  the paper the publisher has chosen has a lovely texture, and leafing through, the pages make a rather lovely “scrrtching” noise against the wire spiral.

More To Love: Not only did I find myself wanting, planning, to make all kinds of things in this book, I soon realized that every single one of them was so simple it took only a few lines of text to explain.

The Book Sections: Ornaments, Wreaths & Garlands, Cards & Cardholders, Home Decor, Homemade Gifts, Tags & Wrapping, Children’s Projects, Activities & Parties, Scrapbook Pages.

Several Favorites Projects:

Please welcome our newest blog contributor, Anitra from the blog “Coffee Pot People“. Anitra will be our Recycled Arts Contributor.

Anitra’s motto: “Use it up. Wear it out. Make it do, or do without.” Live with that long enough, and you’ll never want to throw anything away, so best to turn it into art!.

Frazzles!

Feeling frazzled? Lots of us are, with the school year underway and all the fall and winter holidays on the horizon. So let’s make a card, and not just any card, either. Let’s make a Frazzled card!

 Here’s what you’ll need:

• Blank card and envelope
• Fabric large enough to fit the card, front and back (fabric samples work well)
• Button
• Rayon or other embroidery floss
• Glue or double sticky tape

The first thing you’re going to do is choose your fabric. If you have one of those fabric sample books flip through it until you find a piece you like. They’re nice, because they have a paper backing around the edge, but any piece of fabric you like is good.

Take your blank card and open it out flat, and lay it face down on the fabric. By “face down” I mean that you should put the side you’ll write on down, and what would normally be the front of the card facing up. That’s because you’re going to trace around all four sides of the card now, and if your pencil slips you don’t want the marks to show on your finished card.

You can see that my fabric is already nearly the size of the card, but that’s because I had a fabric sample that size. Once you’ve marked your fabric, cut it with pinking shears just outside the marks. You want the fabric to be a little larger than the card. If you have enough fabric, cut a strip as long as your card is wide, maybe an inch wide.

Now choose a button that coordinates with your fabric. Flat buttons work best, but buttons with short shanks can be used, too.

Fold the fabric piece you’ve cut in half, so you’re looking at the front of your finished card. Take the button you’ve chosen, and play with positioning it a bit. Maybe it will look best centered on the card, or maybe near one of the corners. Maybe it wants to sit, centered, near the lower edge. Just move it from place to place until you like what you see.

Thread your needle with the embroidery floss, but don’t tie a knot. Rayon thread is crinkly, and will give shine and a lot of texture. Other option are regular floss, or yarn.

This is where the “Frazzled” part comes in. You’re going to sew the button to the fabric, but not from the back like you’d usually do. Push the needle in from the front, and pull the floss through until an inch and a half or two inches is left, sticking out of the button. Bring the needle through the other hole in the button, and cut the thread, again leaving a tail an inch and a half or two inches long. You can leave longer tails if you like; it’s all up to you.

If your button has four holes, do that twice. Pick up the thread tails and tie them in a knot.

You're almost finished!

Glue the fabric to the card. You can use rubber cement if your fabric has that paper backing. Otherwise, double-sticky tape is the way to go, as the rubber cement may show through the fabric. Glue the extra strip of fabric you cut to the flap of the envelope.

My finished card

Frazzles are really very tactile. You’ll find people want to stroke them, and play with the shiny floss ends.

A few favorite frazzles

I thought an electric, automatic bias tape maker was such a cool idea. I had to learn more!

“With Simplicity® Bias Tape Maker you can fold and press 12 yards of bias in 60 seconds. No more tediously trying to press bias tape into shape and burning fingertips. Several folder sizes are available, depending on the finished width you need, and the temperature of the pressing unit is adjustable for various fabrics. There’s even an auto-shut-off (after 10 minutes of non-use) for safety”.

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.

Welcome Guest Blogger Anitra Cameron, from the Blog “Coffee Pot People”.

Do you ever get the urge to just make something? Maybe you don’t have a lot of time, but there’s that need. It was that sort of a day for me. When time is limited, earrings can feed the creative hunger I feel, and anyway, the beads and buttons were already out, because I’d finished a bracelet just before going to bed last night. Since I’d been working with green, I just dug around in the green button baggie until I found a pair of buttons I liked.

Then I turned my fifteen minute project into two that took considerably longer by deciding to do this tutorial. Well, a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.

You’ll need the usual array of beading tools–round-nose pliers, flat-nose pliers, and wire nips. And also:

Pick out your beads

Fine gauge wire (I used 24 gauge)
2 matching shank buttons
4 matching flat, square beads (other shapes would also work–they just need to be flat)
2 seed beads

I’m going to assume you know basic wire wrapping technique (just enough to make a wrapped loop) to keep this brief, and also because I know others have already put tutorials for that up, and mine wouldn’t be as good.

So start by cutting a length of the wire roughly a foot long. You want to give yourself enough to work with. Make a wrapped loop on one end, and the thread on a flat bead, a button, and another flat bead.

Threading on

I noticed when I was working with my beads that the hole ran at a bit of a slant. If yours are similarly drilled, put the off-center hole against the shank of the button. Also, check to see whether one side of each bead is prettier or more evenly colored, and be sure to put the nicest side facing out.

Twist

That’s a lot of words for something that really happens almost intuitively, so study the picture below and go with your instincts.

Almost Done

I think they turned out rather well!

To read more of Anitra’s blog, click here.