Think Crafts Blog – Craft Ideas and Projects – CreateForLess

By Guest Blogger Kristen, from the blog “Make the Best of Everything”.

Wine charms are a very popular accessory for get togethers. Charms help people keep tabs on their drink. Here is a cute idea for coffee charms. Coffee charms can be used for groups of people who get together and drink coffee!

Here is how I made these.

1) Went online and Googled “Coffee Puns” to get some cute saying for my coffee charms, and printed them out on cardstock.

2) Glued the coffee sayings on miniture tiles.

3 ) I Found a few coffee beans/grounds from the coffee stash in the kitchen.

4) Purchased a few packs of “Hoop earrings”.

5) Hot glued everything together to make the Coffee charms!

6) Decorated some finishing touches with puffy paint.

7) Here you go! Coffee Charms!

Click to view larger photo

These were Really fun to make! I cannot wait to make more sets of these to gift to family members and friends!!

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

These little candles are a practically free way of making a sweet, simple Easter decoration for your table. If you don’t have block wax on hand, melt down old candle stubs to fill the eggs for a recycled version of this craft!

Here’s what you’ll need

• Eggs
• Candle wicking
• Dowels or pencils
• Egg carton
• Wax
• Double boiler

1. Crack the eggs at the top of the shell, removing about the top third of the shell. Rinse each shell and allow it to dry.

2. Set the wax to melt in the double boiler. Add scent or color if desired.

3. Place the eggs in the egg carton an fill 1/2 way with wax.

4 Cut the wick into 5 5 inch lengths. Tie one end around the pencil or dowel and then tie a knot about 1 1/2 inch down, trim off excess.

5. Lower the knot end of the wick into the wax and balance the pencil over the shell so that the wick is centered on the egg.

6. Allow the wax to cool and then top off with about 1/4 inch of wax to fill in the void around the candle (this happens during the cooling process).

7. Trim the wick and break off any shell that will come near the flame. Set in egg cups and light!

Easter is already next week!

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

I love those table top filing boxes. It allows me to keep my papers organized (Hint, Hint! They are the perfect size for sorting scrapbooking paper!) But I can NEVER find the little labels that come with them. I also tend to change what is filed where and with what in my desk filing box since most of what goes in there is in progress work so instead of writing and scratching out and writing again, I’ve started making chalkboard labels for my files. Easy, erasable and fun, I’m in love with them and I hope you will be too!

Here’s what you need:

Chalkboard Contact paper (or use Chalkboard paint)

Craft knife and stencil or Die cutting machine

1. Trace and cut or use a decorative tag shape die to cut out a fun shape from the chalkboard contact paper.

2. Peel off, stick to the front of your file and write (and erase) away!

By Scrapbook & Paper Crafts Contributor Jennifer, from the blog “So Many Products, So Little Time”.

I love to use Mini Alpha Stickers in my card marking.  I have a huge collection of various sizes, colors and fonts and I love that so many companies now create these tiny alphas.  Not only do they come in black and white, but they are now available in every color of the rainbow, so they can match any project.  If you aren’t a card maker, they are also great for journaling on a layout or in a mini album.

To make this card:

• Create a card base from white cardstock or use a premade card base.  You can also make the card base from the patterned paper – if it’s a two sided paper, you end up with a colorful inside to the card. I used My Little Shoebox “Green” Collection papers & stickers.
• Affix journaling sticker and tree sticker.  Cut another tree from patterned paper and adhere using pop dots for dimension.
• Add jewels to the tree trunks.
• Use the Mini Alpha Stickers to spell the sentiment.
• If you do not have this paper collection don’t worry.  You can use other stickers and papers and just use my card as a sketch to get you started.  

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

I used to be afraid of my serger.  I mean, I loved it and was so proud to have one (that I bought off Craigslist!)  It took me months before I even figured out how to use it.  I didn’t realize there were different stitch fingers, which changed my stitches from being wide to short or small enough to make a rolled hem.  It’s amazing how important those little manuals are.  I finally took a class because I knew there was so much more to my serger; I just didn’t know what! 

So, in celebration of National Sewing Month, dust off that serger, pull it out, and make this super simple project for a small child you know.  If you don’t have a serger, you can totally still do this project; I recommend that you use a walking foot if you have one to keep your fabric feeding through your machine properly.  As you may know, knit is stretchy, so you just have to be careful when sewing that it isn’t stretching.  Go slower than usual! 

Here’s the project:  recycle an old t-shirt and make pants out of it.  I’ve seen this before here and have always wanted to try it.  I hope you like my “serging” version!  It makes it all a breeze.

Here’s what you need:

Large old t-shirt
Pair of pants you want to make your pattern from
3/4″ non-rolling Elastic
Large safety pin
Ruler or measuring tape
Fabric Pen

1. Lay out your T-shirt flat.  Fold “sample pants” in half and lie on top of fabric, placing the bottom hem of the pants on the bottom hem of the t-shirt.  Trace a 5/8” seam allowance all the way around .  The top you want a 2” seam allowance for the waistband  Personally, I wanted the pants wider legged than my sample pants, so I just drew my line wider at the bottom.  Repeat on other side of t-shirt.

2. Cut out pieces.

3. With right sides together, using you serger or sewing machine, sew from the bottom of the leg to the crotch on both pieces.  DO NOT SEW THE CROTCH YET!!!

4. Now, turn one leg RIGHT SIDE OUT and one leg keep INSIDE OUT.  Put the RIGHT SIDE OUT leg inside of the other leg.  Yes, one leg should be inside the other leg, right sides together.  Make sure you line up the crotch all the way to the waist. 

5. Serge/sew starting at the waistband on one side, down toward the crotch, then up the other side—it looks like a big “U.”

6. Pull the inside leg out and you should see something resembling pants!  Serge all the way around the top of the waistband.  Then, fold the waistband over 2” and sew (I used a sewing machine for this) around, leaving about a 2” opening to insert the elastic.  ***If you do not have a serger do this:  first, fold over the waistband ½” and press, then over 1 ½” and press again.  Sew a seam close to the bottom of your fold, leaving the 2” opening to insert the elastic.  If you want to topstitch around the top of the waistband, now’s your chance!

7. Cut elastic.  General rule of thumb is the waist measurement minus 2”, but I would check it on your little one first!  Attach your very big safety pin to one side of your elastic, then feed the elastic through the waistband.  Sew the elastic back and forth several times to secure it. 

8. Finally, sew your waistband closed and viola! Pants!!