By Craft Trends Contributor, Gillian from the blog Dried Figs and Wooden Spools.

About the time my kids were toddlers, I made a decision to use photos (of them, naturally) as the main “art” in my home. On top of the photos I take (and there are many!) I’ve also had a photographer take portraits of my kids every few years. I love having their smiling faces all around me, but I’d love it even more if I had BIG photos of my kids everywhere! Unfortunately, the cost of giant, canvas mounted photos has prevented this from happening. Until now, that is.

The process of transferring photos to canvas, or wood, or even fabric, – using a decoupage medium - has made huge leaps of late, making now not just possible, but simple, to create your own large scale (or small, of course). While there are several tutorials floating around, these are the ones we like best. Click on the photos to find step-by-step tutorials!

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.

A lot of adults have as much fun on Halloween as the kids do. And why not? Why shouldn’t we get to play dress up, and watch scary movies, and enjoy the decorations?

Of course, not many grown-ups get to go Trick-or-Treating! So let’s make up for that a little and put together Altered Treat Jars for our fun-loving friends.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Halloween papers and stickers—black cats, skeletons, Jack-o’-Lanterns, etc.
• Ribbons and trims in Fall and Halloween colors
•  A small jar with a lid
• Treats to fill the jar
• Glue

Now, this is such a simple project, I don’t think directions are really necessary. Just take a look at the photos, the one above of the front, and the one below of the back.

Let your own imagination and creativity carry you along. Cover the jar with scrapbooking paper, or an old Halloween card front, decorate it and the lid with stickers, etc., and you’re ready to fill the jar and give it away.

Need help on what to put inside? There’s always candy, of course, including such yummy adult goodies as chocolate-covered coffee beans, but you don’t have to limit yourself to edibles. My friend just happens to love Halloween, and also does collage and card-making, so I packed her jar with black, orange, and purple buttons, beads, and flat marbles, a bunch of stickers, some purple ribbon, some ostrich feather, and another black feather I found outside, and two small paper punches of a cat and a bat. Get the idea?

Now that you’ve done a Halloween jar, I’ll bet you’re getting all kinds of ideas for others. Me, too! Here’s one I made this week for a friend who loves pink:

My jar had two flat sides, so it ended up having two “fronts”:

Oh, and one last thing: When you’re filling the jar, if you’re careful you can get the contents to show through nicely, and almost become part of the decoration:

You know, I can hardly wait to empty another jelly jar!

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

A lot of kids aren’t interested in receiving cards and often toss them aside, but here’s one that they will love to get and to use. After the birthday fun is over they can remove the fish tag and use it to mark the spot in their favorite book they’re reading or to use as a key ring just by adding a split ring or a swivel clasp. The card is easy to make and CreateForLess carries all the supplies you will need to do it. You will be able to have fun, too, by making one for each of the children in your family.

Supplies Needed:

• Orange, Blue and Yellow Cardstock
• White Cardstock to stamp on
• Orange Peel Stickles
• Distress Inks: Weathered Wood, Faded Jeans, Black Soot and Spiced Marmalade
• Laminate
• Hole Punch
• D’Vine Swirls Embossing Folder
• Ornamental Iron Combo Die and Embossing Folder
• Die Cut/Embossing Machine
• Ink Blending Tool
• Fiskars Boundary Waters Punch
• Fiskars Scalloped Tear Edger
• Stamps: Cute Fish Cling by Inkadinkado
• Card Sentiments by Autumn Leaves
• Your Favorite Markers
• Your Favorite Adhesive
• Circle Cutter or 2″ Circle Punch
• Scissors
• Aluminum Foil

To make the card:

Start by cutting a 10″ x 7″ piece of orange cardstock, fold in half and lay aside. Cut a piece of yellow cardstock to 6 ½” x 4 ½” and punch the circle in the upper left corner leaving about ½” from the left side.

Using the Tear Edger, tear a piece of aluminum foil using the large scalloped edge.

Place the aluminum foil on yellow cardstock and with the Weathered Wood Distress Ink and Ink Blending Tool make a quick upward motion starting on the aluminum foil and sliding up over the edge of it. Repeat with the Spiced Marmalade Distress Ink making sure to do the entire width of the cardstock. This will create the horizon line. You can lay this aside and allow to dry a little.

Next, punch the waves using the Boundary Waters Punch and 2 strips of cardstock measuring 1 ½”x 7″ and 2″ x 7″. Stamp the sentiment on the 1 ½” x 7″ piece.

Adhere all of the pieces to the card making sure to fasten only the bottom of the waves so that the tag can be placed in behind it. Highlight the edge of circle with the Stickles and allow to dry completely to add a little bling to the card.

For the tag:

Stamp the fish on white cardstock, color and cut out. Using the Ornamental Iron die, cut out the tag and place in the D’Vine Swirls Embossing Folder and run it through your embossing machine. Ink the raised areas of the tag either by inking the embossing folder before running the tag through or run the stamp pad across it after it has been run through the machine.

Adhere the fish to the tag and laminate it. Trim the excess laminate off.

Punch open the hole in the tag so that you can put in a piece of ribbon if you’d like or to add the key ring.

Place the tag behind the waves making it look like the fish has jumped out of the water. The card is now finished. The next time you give a child a card you can do it knowing there’s a little fun attached that will be used after the big celebration.

By Paper Crafts Contributor, Lauren Romano.

Anyone who’s ever paid to get their nails done knows how expensive it can be for a manicure and how ridiculously difficult it is to do certain nail designs yourself. If you have any scraps of decorative paper lying around your home, you can save money on professional manicures and prevent quite a bit of aggravation from trying to do certain complicated designs by yourself.

What you need:

• Decorative scrapbook paper
• Nail glue
• Scissors
• Top coat
• Double-sided tape (optional)

Step 1. Cut out ten circles from scrapbook paper and trim the pieces to the appropriate size for each of your nails. The easiest way to do this is to place the paper over your nail, then hold it down while you use a fingernail to crease the paper around your nail. If you’re having a problem holding the paper and creasing it at the same time, cut a small piece of double-sided tape and stick the paper to your nail while you crease it, then carefully remove the tape when you’re finished so as to not rip the paper.

Step 2. Use scissors to cut the paper exactly along the crease.

Step 3. Put a thin layer of nail glue on your nail, then apply the paper starting from one side of the nail to the other rather than just putting it straight down or placing it from nail bed to tip. Press it down quickly after applying – don’t hold it down too long otherwise you can leave a fingerprint mark in any nail glue that seeps through. Repeat this step for each of your nails.

Step 4. Put another even, thin layer of glue over the top of your nails. Don’t touch your nails or try to clean up any excess glue on the skin. Give it at least ten minutes before you use a cotton swab dipped in nailpolish remover to remove any of the excess glue.

Step 5. Use a top coat over the top of the nails, concentrating especially on the nail bed and on the tip of the nail. You can use a clear or glitter top coat depending on the look you’re going for, or buff them so they have a matte finish. As you can see in my photos, one picture shows black and white polka dot paper with a pink glitter top coat over it; the other is a red and yellow swirl paper that had the top coat buffed.

Although you have the nail glue and the top coat over the paper, be careful how you use your nails to ensure the design lasts as long as possible.

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

We just love these tissue paper flower cupcake picks, they are so pretty and dainty and can be made in any color combination. We also love that they can be clustered on a cake or placed individually on cupcakes for a beautiful, festive presentation!

Materials:

• Tissue paper, any color you wish
• Scissors
• Flat top wooden picks
• Hot glue gun/glue
• 1/8″ wide ribbon

Layer 6-8 sheets of tissue paper. Cut out a 2×2″ square. Fold the squares into quarters. Hold the folded tissue at the folded point.

Starting on one side, cut around to make a petal shape, being careful not to cut too close to the point. You can make your petals pointed, rounded, or any shape you wish!

Unfold the tissue and layer the flower shapes on top of each other, staggering the petals.

Poke a hole in the middle of the stacked flower. I have this wonderful little punch that makes a tiny hole, but a pin or even the end of the pick will do just fine. Slide the pick into the hole, leaving room at the top of the pick.

Place a dot of hot glue onto the end of the pick and let it drip down a bit.

Squeeze all of the layers of the tissue flower from the bottom and hold for 10 seconds or so.

Fluff and carefully separate the layers.

Tie ribbon underneath the flower, to help keep it in place. If you choose you could even create a two toned flower by using two different colors of tissue paper.

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

My kids always seem to be breaking their crayons to bits and then claiming that they can’t possibly use them in that state. While I’ve given up trying to convince them that they can, in fact, use short bits of crayons, I haven’t given up on the bits being useful. This is one of my favorite ways of reusing broken crayons and it never fails to delight.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Broken crayons
• Pill bottles
• Tin can
• Pot, water and access to a stove
• Tongs

1. Sort the crayons into color groups and peel off any remaining paper.

2. Break the crayons into small pieces and put the reds into the can.

3. Heat the water to a gentle simmer and set the can in the water to melt the wax.

4. Pour the melted crayons into the bottom of the pill bottle, being careful not to shake the bottle until the wax is set.

5. Once the crayon is hard, repeat the process with the remaining colors, allowing each to cool and harden before adding the next layer.

6. When the last color has started to set, put the bottle in the freezer to harden completely. This should take about 10 minutes. Remove them from the freezer and turn them over, tapping them firmly on the counter to release the crayon from the pill bottle.

By Paper Crafts Contributor, Lauren Romano.

I was left with a small piece of scrapbook paper after using the majority of it, and loved it so much I wanted to immediately use it for something else. I got a wooden bracelet and combined the two, which allowed me to reuse excess materials and wear something that looks unusual. The mix of bright and dark colors works with a variety of outfits and makes the accessory stand out.

What you’ll need:

• Wooden bracelet
• Mod Podge Hard Coat
• Scrapbook paper
• Scissors

Step 1. Cut the scrapbook paper into thin strips. The length depends on how wide the bracelet is. Measure it by wrapping a test strip from around the outside of the bracelet to the inside where they’ll overlap; trim the excess. As far as the width, the pieces are going to overlap, so factor in that only half of the width of the strip is going to show. If you want more of each strip to show, cut wider strips; cut them thin for less to show.

Step 2. Apply Mod Podge to the outside of the bracelet and only on an inch at a time. Put each paper strip down overlapping over half of the piece you applied before it. To avoid creating bumps or creases, pull each strip taut, then place it down with the ends hanging over either side of the bracelet. Do this around the entire bracelet until you’re back at the beginning piece.

Step 3. Apply a layer of Mod Podge on the inside of the bracelet. Use your finger to apply Mod Podge onto the ends of the strips and press them to the inside of the bracelet. Work your way around the entire bracelet, then do the same for the ends on the other side; overlap the two ends on the inside of the bracelet. Let it dry thoroughly before continuing.

Step 4. Place the bracelet over your four fingers to keep it steady while you work on it. Apply a layer of Mod Podge onto the outside of the bracelet, smoothing down all the pieces as you go along. When the bracelet is completely covered, hang the bracelet on something straight to let it dry. I hung mine on a single chopstick and put either end of the chopstick on two containers leaving space in between so the bracelet can hang freely without knocking into anything. After it dries, apply another coat of Mod Podge.

Step 5. Before moving the bracelet, test it with you finger to make sure it’s completely dry and doesn’t feel tacky. Give it plenty of time to dry thoroughly before wearing it.

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 Guest Blogger, Brenda Dean from the blog “Stamping with Brenda”.

I love the Scallop Square Punch but sometimes I just want to give it a little pizzazz and I think that giving it a decorative edge is just the thing to take it from nice to WOW!

The decorative edge is quick and easy…and no, I did not freehand it! I cannot draw a staight line!

Just the thing to make this card something special. Try it on your cards and let me know if you agree!

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

Look at these fancy clothes pins! We wanted to start off with a little, fun DIY project.

Just trace the size of the clothes pin onto your decorative paper and cut it out. Or if you prefer cut a piece of ribbon that will cover the clothes pin. Then just hot glue the paper or ribbon right onto the clothes pin.

To embellish you can either make a bow out of ribbon or a rosette out of paper. (DIY, instructions here) Add a little crystal in the center and your ready to glue it on to the top of the open end of the clothes pin.

So easy right! These are just really cute to be used so many different ways. You can use them to hang a letter garland at a birthday party, or use them to hang photos on a clothes line at a shower or party! You can even just use them to clip a baggie closed, or put glue a magnet on the back and you can use it as a clip on your fridge. These would be really cute to add to a “house-warming” gift basket as well!

By Guest Blogger Jeremy Fordham.

“The Drab Age is over. Color is coming into its own again. Until very recently people were literally scared out of their wits by color. Perhaps this was a hangover from our Puritan ancestors. But whatever the reason, brown, grays and neutrals were the only shades considered ‘safe.’ Now we know that lovely, clear colors have a vital effect on our mental happiness. Modern doctors and psychiatrists are convinced of this!”

The words of famous interior designer, Dorothy Draper, crystallize the idea that colors affect us, changing and influencing our moods as we encounter them in daily life. Yet, why does yellow seem cheerful and green seem restful? Why does a tango dancer hold a vibrant, red rose in his or her teeth and not a white one? Why do some colors clash while others work together in harmony?

The fine arts form an academic field full of depth and exploration into the psychology of color theory. Many Ph.D. programs in this realm have produced artistic leaders in the design field, all of whom will tell you that color harmony is rooted in a psychological interpretation of color –and that colors have warm and cool temperatures, mainly based on what we associate with them.

For instance, yellow, red and orange are considered to be warm colors because they remind us of the warmth of sunlight or the coals of a campfire.

At the other end of the spectrum, blue, green and violet are considered cool because they remind us of the depths of the ocean, the green of trees and wildflowers in spring. These objects have been present in the environment since man arrived on the planet, and the response to color is an ancient part of us.

Color also evokes mood, possibly because of the way we physically react to light. Red is thought to create a sensual, passionate mood. When exposed to red light, heart rate and blood pressure increase, causing physical excitement and sometimes rage. An office painted red tends to increase tension in the workplace, but also productivity. Conversely, blue light reduces heart rate, blood pressure and respiration, creating a sense of calm, relaxation and rest. Thus, blue is commonly used in doctor’s office waiting rooms for this very reason. It also stands to reason that a combination of red (danger) and blue (calm) would not result in a harmonious experience for a nervous patient.

Cultural connotations also come into play when considering the psychology of color, sometimes outright and sometimes on a subliminal level. In China, red symbolizes good luck. Elsewhere, black means evil and red means danger. Similarly, in Egypt, yellow means prosperity, while it is often the symbolic color of cowardice in the Western world. Blue is sacred in Islam and Christianity, but for different reasons. When asked why a particular color has a particular meaning, people from different cultures often have no answer other than “it’s always been that way”.

The intensity of color also has an emotional effect. For instance, lavender and deep purple are two different shades of violet. Painting a room in pastel lavender gives a light, airy effect, while walls of deep purple are intense and dramatic. Pink and rose are both shades of red, but pink is dainty while rose is sensual. It would also seem that mixing too many different intensities of different colors would send enough mixed signals to make a person flee a room.

Even fashion trends affect what colors mean to us. For centuries, black was considered the color of mourning, death and negativity in the Western world. However Coco Chanel changed all that when she introduced the “little black dress” in 1920. Suddenly, black was sexy, elegant and seductive. To this day, women look for the perfect little black dress for their wardrobe, wearing it with different accessories until it wears out. Likewise, when a new fashion trend highlights a different color, it’s often called “the new black.”

If black can be combined with any color to create a harmonious effect, why can’t purple or orange or sky blue? Color harmony can be achieved in several ways. The basic color wheel is red, orange yellow, green, blue and violet. Thus, first and foremost, colors that sit next to each other on the color wheel can be used in a color scheme. Different saturations of a single color create a monochromatic color scheme that can be harmonious. Secondly, an analogous color scheme combines three adjacent colors on the wheel. For instance, one can design a room in red, orange and yellow or yellow, green and blue. A third way to create a harmonious scheme is to use colors that are opposite each other on the wheel. Red and green, or violet and yellow are two examples of color opposites. This type of color combination has the highest contrast and most dramatic effect.

Too much of a good thing, however, can lead to a room, outfit or painting that triggers headaches instead of pleasure. Too many dramatic colors overwhelm the eye. Top interior designer Van Day Truex notes, “The easiest approach to any strong color is to use a lot of it, thus unifying a room. However, beware of too many strong colors unless you happen to like living on a battlefield.” On the other hand, too many pastels or neutrals make a design seem flat and uninspired.

Color harmony can also be defined as different colors with similar tones that converge without high contrast. For instance, architect Frank Lloyd Wright used color palettes drawn from the landscapes surrounding his famous residences. One of his most noteworthy buildings, Samara, illustrates Wright’s use of rust, green, turquoise and red, to bring the outdoor colors inside, creating harmony with nature.

Interestingly, product designers and marketers often utilize color psychology when creating packaging and advertising for their products. Focus groups have shown that red foods are perceived as sweeter than foods of any other color. Icy blues and silvers often denote frozen foods, while green is often used for “healthy” foods. Orange is used in the packaging of laundry detergent because orange is perceived as fresh, invigorating and clean. Would orange juice sell as well if it were packaged in bright blue cartons? Probably not!

The color spectrum has been with us since Sir Isaac Newton learned to refract light with a prism, and the turning color wheel shows us how to organize colors in harmony. Impressionist painter Claude Monet once said, “Colour is my day-long obsession, joy and torment.” A basic appreciation of color theory and its psychology helps ensure color schemes that avoid discord and enhance our lives.

 By Guest Blogger Vicky, from the blog “Alpha Design”.

In January this year I was overjoyed when my niece gave birth to a little baby girl. There was a rush within the family to buy presents for this new addition and I saw many of them giving things like clothes and toys but I wanted to do do something a bit different. Something that marked her birth and would be a keepsake for her in years to come. So, I decided that I would paint her a canvas with her name and birth date on it.

I looked online for ideas and after much deliberation I decided that I would use an owl theme. I know from my card making that Owls are very on trend at the moment and so this seemed like a good choice. I created a mental picture of what I wanted it to look like and went out to a local craft shop to buy a canvas. I got a small square canvas and then I went to my local DIY store where I bought a number of paint tester pots. Acrylic paints soon add up in price and so this seemed like a great way to save some cash.

After all of this, I armed myself with a paintbrush and just went for it. I had only previously painted two canvases before this and so this seemed like quite a big task of myself. Eventually (after a few weeks of hard work!) I finished my picture. I used raised paints that come in a nozzled tube to add the writing and the rest of the picture is just done with my tester pots. I added the buttons on as eyes to make it a little more 3dimensional and interesting.

I hope to do much more painting as I really enjoyed the whole experience. Here are a couple of things I learned along the way:

• It is best to draw out the picture you see in your head and keep it next to you the whole time. I also kept a few example pictures that I found on the internet with me too.
• If you are going to mix your own colors then make sure that you have more than enough. There were a couple of times when I got into a bit of a panic because I thought that the color I had mixed would run out!
• Have a break in order to refocus. After sitting for a few hours you can get quite tired and a bit bleary eyed. I found that I painted much better when I had regular breaks and a chocolate biscuit!
• Practice writing in paint on a piece of paper first so that you get it right on the canvas!

My niece really liked the unique present and it will look great on her pink bedroom wall!

By Crafts-a lot Contributor, Mable who is an avid reader of craft blogs & magazines and has aspirations to improve her crafting skills. Join Mable on Facebook to socialize and share with other crafters!

Playing with clay was one of my favorite activities as a kid. I could make a dinosaur, dog, palm tree, whatever my little heart desired. Now as an adult I have a little more dexterity, and I want to work with polymer clay. I love the intricate details you can add with polymer clay.

Since I was trying a new skill, I went to YouTube to find some video instructions. I started with polymer clay bead tutorials because I love beads! I wanted to learn some basic techniques for rolling, cutting and adding details to the beads.

This first video shows how to mix and roll clay to make marbleized clay beads.

I need to get a clay pasta machine! This video shows how to shape, add embellishment and add the beading hole to your clay.

By DCWV Diary

Time is such a crazy thing! I feel like I was just posting about having a new Kindergartener! And now, he is a 1st grader! I have to admit, I have mixed emotions. I hate that my baby is growing up. But I am SO happy to have a break from school and strict routine! I think I have a new appreciate for SUMMER now that I have a child in school.

Recently we had Art’s Night at the Elementary school. Each of the children either make a piece of art or preform a visual art piece. Of course, my little guy wanted to use scrapbook paper and punches, lol. What a kid. He loves his punches!!

This is what he created…

I love it! He drew the picture of the frog and then punched out pieces of scrap paper and filled the image in. When he was finished, I went over his pencil lines with a permanent marker. He added the googly eyes and signed his name! I was so impressed with how it turned out!

This could be done with any kind of image! It is for sure going on his wall in his room. I love finding great ways to use scraps up and this is for sure one of them.

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 The Spellbinders Blog.

Last week, I was reading a post on Julie Overby’s blog about how she created an Easter basket. It was so easy and fast that I had to make my own. Thanks for the inspiration, Julie!

Using the Grand Nestabilties Grand Labels Four #6 and #5 (the smallest die template is #1), I cut/embossed two different pattern papers in the Grand Calibur. Then I adhered the papers together.

On a score board, I placed the die cut on the long side. I scored a line at 4 1/2″ and 5 1/2″ to make an inch fold in the middle.

Using Classic Square LG #5, I cut/embossed two squares for the ends. I scored at 3/4″ and 1 3/4″ on the sides. For its bottom, I scored 1/4″ and cut with scissors the short score lines to fold into the ends.

Then with adhesive tape, I adhered the square die cuts to the ends to create the base. What a great shape!

Next I embellished the front by cutting/embossing with Floral Doily Accents Border, Flowers, Long Doily and Floral Doily Motifs Large Doily. I trimmed the border and then adhered it to the front.

I added a rhinestone swirl to the front before layering the die cuts with a combination of EZ Runner and White 3D Foam Squares as shown. I loved how I can easily layer the different pieces in the Accents and Motifs Collection to create a beautiful design in my projects!

Grand Nestabilities Tip: The difference between die template sizes within a Nestabilities set is ½”, which becomes a ¼” border when layering. The Grand Nestabilities increase in size from the original set, and maintain the same increments between die templates.

These shaped containers may be my new favorite projects to make!

By Paper Crafts Contributor, Lauren Romano.

Finding the exact type of party favors you want can be a hassle – the ones you end up giving out may be nice, but they’re typically missing that extra-special something you wanted. A better option is to make your own so you can personalize them the way you want. I know, I know – most are too much of an annoyance to make, they take too much time to create and they cost more than store-bought ones. Not necessarily true!

These candy party favors are incredibly inexpensive and are easy enough that you can make a group of them in less than an hour.

• Decorative Scrapbook Paper
• Toilet paper tube
• Candy
• Ribbon
• Tissue paper
• Two mini roses
• Mod Podge for paper
• Mini butterfly punch
• Scissors
• Pencil
• Ruler
• One large scalloped edge circle (optional)
• Paper flower embellishment (optional)

Step 1. Rip off all the stray pieces of toilet paper off the roll so it’s an even surface.

Step 2. Place the toilet paper tube on the paper and use a pencil to mark the paper on either end of the tube. Use a ruler to make vertical lines on these points from edge-to-edge on the paper, then cut the piece out.

Step 3. Put a thin layer of Mod Podge on the tube, then wrap the paper tightly around it; for thin paper, you may need to go around twice. Trim the excess paper, then glue the end down.

Step 4. Fold a sheet of tissue paper in half, then in half again to form a square. Roll the paper into a tube shape so it will fit inside the toilet paper tube, then glue the edges of the tissue paper together. Slide it into the tube, then tie a ribbon on one end to close it off.

Step 5. Fill the tissue paper with candy; use the eraser end of the pencil to pack the candy in. When it gets to the edge of the tube, tie off the other end of the tissue paper with ribbon.

Step 6. Wrap a piece of ribbon vertically around the center of the tube and glue down the ends.

Step 7. Make a bow out of the same type of ribbon (or use a store-bought bow) and attach it onto the vertical ribbon.

Step 8. Punch small butterflies out of the same paper you wrapped around the tube. Glue a butterfly punch every two centimeters or so onto the vertical ribbon.

Step 9. Attach a small mini rose onto the ribbon that ties either end of the tissue paper closed.

Step 10. If you prefer, add a small tag onto the candy party favor. For this tag, I attached a paper flower embellishment onto a large scalloped edge circle and used a ribbon to tie it around one end of the favor.

By Guest Blogger, Brianna Davis.

We love a good party favor, but there’s no doubt that they can get pricey, especially if you have a hefty list of party guests. Luckily, bloggers are coming up with new ways to gift party-goers with trinkets and tasty treats for weddings, birthday parties and other get-togethers on your social calendar.

DIY Party Favors for Weddings

DIY weddings party favors have taken over the world of wedding blogs. That vintage touch is easy to achieve when you have the right materials, so read on for DIY ideas for wedding party favors.

1. Charlotte’s Fancy – Creative Party Favors If your wedding will go into the wee hours of the night, this goodbye package of doughnuts and milk will be the perfect thing to hit the spot of guests who’ve danced the night away. It’s a fairly inexpensive project you can DIY with the help of a few friends and family members and takes minimal skill, so if you aren’ that crafty there’s no need to fret.

2. Giver’s Log – DIY Hot Chocolate on a Stick Wedding Favors Keep your guests energized with a sugar fix. These DIY hot chocolate on a stick project is simple for those who know their way around the kitchen and can be made in large batches. It’s also a very cheap project that you can knock out within a few hours and then move on to other wedding plans.

3. My DIY Wedding Favors – Tea Party Favors Give your wedding guests a few tea sachets to help them unwind after the big day. The tea bags can be bunched in a tulle sachet or simply tied together with a ribbon that coincides with the colors for the wedding.

4. Do It Yourself Weddings – DIY Candles Wedding Favors If you’re looking for a DIY bonding experience for your family and bridesmaids, whipping up DIY candles will do the trick. Making your own candles is a lot easier than it sounds. You can choose the colors and scents and create DIY stick-on labels emblazoned with the bride and groom’s names or a love quote or quote from one of the couple’s favorite songs.

5. DIY Wedding Planning – Sweets in a Jar If you need a simple, fast DIY party favor, look to these jars with sweets inside. You can fill jars with candy or baked goods and you instantly have a sleek, attractive DIY wedding favor that can be adorned a custom label and ribbons that coordinate with the wedding’s colors.

6. Ruffled Blog – DIY Ribbon Wands Wedding Sendoff If you’re over the rice or bubbles for the sendoff at the end of a wedding, consider these DIY ribbon wands. This is a simple project that can be done months in advance so you aren’t scrambling to finish up at the last minute. A mix of colors works well for festive pictures.

7. Whimsy Girl – Oreo Truffles Wedding guests will say yum to these delicious truffles. Making candy is very simple and when you have a lot of hands involved, the work goes by in a flash. The icing looks classic in white, but feel free to incorporate icing in the color of your wedding too. Truffles can be bundled in bags or put into small jars in conjunction with the DIY project mentioned in this article.

8. My Cakies – DIY Cupcake in a Jar Guests will adore these jars of layered cakes and frosting. You can choose trendy flavors like red velvet or dark forest chocolate or go classic with vanilla. This is an easy project that anyone can do since it takes basic baking skills and no one says you have to make the cupcakes from scratch. If you aren’t good at baking, boxed baked goods are your friend and no one will mind once they’re digging in to these cute party favors.

9. DIY Wedding Planning Guide – Glitterati of Cupcakes If you’re comfortable in the kitchen and looking for a major wow factor, these cupcakes are the perfect way to add bling to your wedding. These glitzy cupcakes can be handed out to guests as they leave or made available for noshing after the cake has been cut and folks are looking for something to munch on. They’re different from basic cupcakes because it’s all in the decorating details. The majority of the work comes in when decorating the cupcake wrapper.

10. Green Wedding Shoes – DIY Cupcake Topping Bar What better way to get your guests in the DIY action than with a cupcake topping bar? You and your wedding party do the dirty work and create a slue of cupcakes with very little frosting on top. Then set out an array of fresh berries and syrups for guests to top their cupcakes with.