Think Crafts Blog – Craft Ideas and Projects – CreateForLess

By Crafts for Learning Contributor, Danielle from the blog Crayonbox Learning.

With Easter right around the corner, the Bunny Book would make a great gift idea. Add some crayons and wrap in cute cellophane for an inexpensive party favor or for classroom parties. Young children learning to write, love to make little books and practice writing on any piece of paper that they find. I created this project with young learners in mind, but it also can be adapted for adults too!

This bunny book is a simple project that can be made as a group project or with light supervision. You can create different variations by changing the colors of the cover, or adding different types of paper for the pages, or adding embellishments to the cover.

Materials Needed:

• Bunny Book Template (included)
• Cardstock
• Writing Paper
• Glue Stick
• Scissors
• Stapler

Optional:

• Scrapbooking Scraps
• Colored Paper
• Squiggly Eyes

 Instructions:

1. Print and cut out the Bunny Book Template.

2. Fold 1 piece of 8.5 x11″ cardstock in half (width).

3. Unfold cardstock with the fold vertical.

4. Glue the bunny cut out flap onto the top, right side of the cardstock. You will want to adjust the bunny cut out so that the head is sticking up above the closed book (see above picture).

5. Fold a 2nd piece of cardstock in half and glue it on top of the previous piece covering the bunny cut out flap. This will provide a sturdy cover for the book.

6. Fold in half 3-5 sheets of writing paper. You can use lined or unlined.

7. Place the writing paper fold on top of the fold of the bunny book cover.

8. Staple the bunny pages and cover along the fold.

9. The book is finished, and now can be embellished.

All of the materials used for this activity can be found at CreateForLess.com.

By Kid’s Crafts Contributor Stephanie, from the Blog Geek with Glasses.

Enter an enchanted world with this adorable, durable crown! My daughter, like most children, loves fairy tales.  A lot of fairy tales include a prince and princess, king and queen, or super hero of some kind.  Crowns are a big part of the dress up accessories.  We have made all kinds of crowns such as paper ones that tear and the wearer is heartbroken, then the fix is to tape it or staple it and it’s never quite the same.  Felted crowns are beautiful but as with all things felt – in a house with shorthaired dogs, felt is a magnet.  I have spent many an hour with tweezers trying to pick the fur out of the felt toys.  So, one day I was at the fabric store and they had a large bin of Leather Remnants, a beautiful selection of colors and textures, and I thought this would make an indestructible crown fit for a king, queen, princess – you get the idea.

The benefit of this crown is that it is completely adjustable, it can grow with the child.  This crown will be 19″ in circumference, with the laces pulled tight it fits my 3 year old fine. Loosen up the laces a little and I’m sporting the crown. PLUS – it can be wiped down with a damp cloth.

Supply List:

• Ridged Leather remnant – 19″ x 6″
• Eyelets
• Leather Lace
• Leather Punch
• Crown Patterns
• Pen
• Eyelet Setter

First, print and cut out the Crown Patterns, trace it on the backside of the leather, make sure to mark the eyelet holes.  The patterns provided are set up to trace one side, then flip it on the center edge to make a mirror image to trace the rest of the crown.

I use basic scissors to cut the leather, nothing fancy.

Once the crown is cut out punch the holes for the eyelets.  I have a punch that uses a hammer but there are hand held punches that work like a paper punch.  If you don’t have either of those a nail and hammer will work. 

Push the eyelets through the hole from the front (good side), set the eyelet, by setting the eyelet setter on the back of the eyelet and hammer.  A couple of whacks is all it takes, be careful not to hit it too hard or the face of the eyelet will misshapen.

Next, lace up the eyelets like a shoe using a leather cord and tie a bow.  Place it on your head and take over a kingdom!

We like the simplicity of the leather, but these crowns can be decorated with gem stickers or glitter glue.

By General Crafts Contributor Mina, from the blog Mina’s Journal.

Make these wee night light lanterns for the wee ones you know to help settle them to sleep, or to set a mood!

Craft Materials:

• Small boxes – lightbulbs or food packaging for example
• Marker or pencil
• Craft knife
• Cellophane or clear plastic
• White glue
• LED lights
• Craft Paint

How to Make the Night light Lanterns

Carefully pull the the packaging apart, so it is still in one piece, but will lie flat.

Draw your designs onto the packaging. I used the inside of the box so the paint would cover better.

Simple shapes are cool. You can see here I’ve used hearts, stars and small square and rectangle shapes like a building at night time.

Cut your designs with the craft knife and paint the surface of the box.

Cut cellophane to cover the cut out spaces and glue to the inside of the box.

Note about Lining the Boxes

For large designs, the spaces look better if they are lined with something like cellophane. For small designs, there is no need to line the boxes.

You could line the window spaces with colored cellophane.  Bend the existing folds of the box the opposite way than they were intended, so your box will keep its shape. Glue the side edges together. Fold the ends of the box back in.

Pop your lights in when you are ready!

A Note about LED Lights

The LED lights I used here are childrens’ finger laser lights. They are safe, small and have a switch – all enclosed in plastic housing. They are cheap – there are four in the set I got in colors white, blue, red and green.

Ideas for the Night light Lanterns

For little ones:

• Stack on top of each other for buildings.
• Change the nightlight Lanterns and / or the colored lights around each night as a pre-sleep activity.

There are more sophisticated uses for these things for grown ups.

• Set the scene for romantic dinners
• Use in the bathroom to have your bath with (Don’t forget the bubble bath!)
• Use in ‘your space’ for quiet contemplation or relaxation

Have fun with these and create your own ambiance! Happy crafting!

By Craft Trends Contributor, Gillian from the blog Dried Figs and Wooden Spools. Check out our Craft Trends board on Pinterest!

Once upon a time, my best friend decided to make herself a whole set of dishes at a paint your own pottery place. It was a great idea and in the end, she had a truly one of a kind table full of dishes but it took a long time to complete. Which was understandable, because back then, going in and painting, and then waiting for the store to glaze and fire the piece was really the only way, unless you had your own personal kiln at home. Now a days, however, there are other options, the best of which, in my opinion, are the new ceramic pens that, once baked, turn plain dishes into one of a kind treasures which are dishwasher safe and will last a lifetime (or until you drop them!) I’m currently working my way through a set of thrifted white coffee mugs myself and now that I’m in the swing, I think I may move onto plates as well.

Available in lots of colors, ceramic pens look like your run of the mill paint pen but the paint can be set permanently and simply with a few minutes in the oven. This means that anything that can stand the oven can be decorated to your hearts content. The possibilities are endless!

I love love love these tea cups with their drawn doily saucers.

And how fun are these postcard mugs?

Personalized mugs, an excellent gift idea and also great way to cut down on the washing up, no more loosing your mug and having to get a new one!

But you don’t have to stop with dishes. These mason jars would look great lined up on a shelf with bulk ingredients in them, wouldn’t they?

Check out our pinboard for more ideas and send in your photos of your own ceramic pen projects!

By Paper Crafts Contributor, Lauren Romano.

Whether you’re serving hard-boiled eggs for a party or you’re painting eggs for Easter, using an egg holder is the best way to keep the egg displayed beautifully without it rolling around all over the table. It’s incredibly easy to make and you can decorate it any way you wish, including personalizing it with someone’s name. All you’ll need is a few supplies to put the project together.

What you’ll need:

• Cardstock
• Scissors
• Large embellishment
• Egg
• Glitter glue
• Mod Podge or double-sided tape

Step 1. Cut the cardstock into a strip that’s large enough to hold the egg. Depending on your preference, you can make it tall and thin so the egg balances on top or short and wide so it holds a larger portion of the egg. Use the egg as a measuring device.

Step 2. Glue the ends of the strip together so it creates a large loop.

Step 3. Place a large embellishment on the front of the loop. Use Mod Podge or double-sided tape to secure it if it’s not self-adhesive.

Step 4. Use glitter glue to make dots all over the holder. The best way to pull it off without smearing the glue is to hold the loop in between your fingers with your thumb on the embellishment and pointer finger on the inside of the loop.

Step 5. Give it plenty of time to dry before placing the egg in the holder.

By General Crafts Contributor Mina, from the blog Mina’s Journal.

Make these cardboard tube holders for your pens and pencils to organize your craft area or funky up your desk. An easy ‘rainy day’ activity or for when the kids say they are ‘bored’. Most houses will have the basic materials at hand.

These were made with help from a wee guy who just turned four. He had a lot of fun deciding what colors the arms and feet should be, applying the paint with a sponge and loves to stack them like a totem pole. Maybe I’ll make up some tribal tubes for just that purpose. His two year old brother likes to put them in different orders, sometimes color, sometimes according to the shapes on them. (I haven’t quite worked out his logic!)

Craft Supplies

• cardboard tubes
• card for the arms
• acrylic paints
• thick black marker
• wiggly eyes
• white glue
• craft knife
• scissors

Craft Technique

Base coat the cardboard tubes. I used cut pieces of kitchen sponge. It provides a quick and even coverage.

Decorate the tubes with a marker. Use simple shapes like stars, swirls, dots, stripes.

Glue on the eyes. Add faces. A few well placed lines to show expression is all you need.

Cut out base from card and glue to the bottom of the cardboard tube. You can download some base shapes to use.

Download Feet Template

Or download plain shapes to use as a template. Resize them if you need to.

Download Plain Feet Template

Cut a rectangle from matching card for the arms. Make a slot in each side of the Pen Pal with a craft knife to place the arms through. Bend the middle of the arms to the inside of the cardboard tube to make more room inside the tube.

Add pens to your pals, and you’re done.

Easy Craft Ideas

• Further embellish with ribbon or yarn bows for shoe laces
• Use glitter glue to add some sparkle to your drawn designs
• For small children, let them put stickers on the cardboard tubes instead of painting them
• Draw eyes instead

Have fun and Happy Crafting!

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

*This project will work best with a serger, but you can use a zig-zag stitch on a regular machine. The seam intentionally is showing on this scarf so make sure to follow the instructions, making sure your seams are on the RIGHT SIDE!

I had a friend buy me a scarf like this for my birthday and I loved it so much! I had to make one myself. Part of the fun of this project is finding a new way to wear your old stuff. I had a t-shirt that was too big, one that was too small, some extra fabric from making a skirt, and a couple of Goodwill finds that I used to make this gem. You can use any stretchy fabric, which means you could even throw an old polo shirt into the mix to add some texture.

I used 5 different fabrics, but you could use as little as 3; it depends on how big your shirts are, how many patterns you want to play with, and how big you are making your scarf.

Here’s what you do:

1. Cut 28 rectangles measuring 7 ½”H x 6″W (this makes a reasonably long scarf)

2. Divide your rectangles into 2 equal piles of 14 each. One will be for the front of your scarf; one for the back. Choose what order you want to place your fabrics for each side & pin in a line WRONG SIDES TOGETHER.

3. One side at a time, serge or zig-zag the rectangles together straight across. The seam should be seen on the RIGHT SIDE OF YOUR FABRIC!!

4. Once each side of the scarf is complete, pin them WRONG SIDES together. The seam should be showing!

5. Serge or Zig-Zag stitch all the way around the scarf.

Ta-da! Awesome new scarf!