Think Crafts Blog – Craft Ideas and Projects – CreateForLess

By General Crafts Contributor Melissa, from the blog MeloMomma.

What do you do with all the tons of Valentine Cards your child brings home from school? Normally they get tossed after being looked at for a day. Or they get strung through the house making a frightful mess.

Well, I have come up with a fun solution. Not only will you have a place to display your favorite Valentine cards, but you and your child can have fun making this card holder!

Oh, yes, if you were wondering… the clothes pins do still work after being attached to the cookie cutter! This Valentine card holder is adorable, pretty, and 100% functional!

What you will need:

• Clothes pins
• Heart shaped cookie cutter
• Ribbon
• Lace
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks

Directions:

Place the clothes pins in a circular shape. Before gluing them, place the cookie cutter on top to assure that they all fit (as shown in photo).

Using a hot glue gun, glue the cookie cutter to the clothes pins.

For added hold glue around the cookie cutter on both the inside and outside.

Cut lace to fit both the inside and outside of the cookie cutter.

Secure the lace with the hot glue gun.

(A close up of the lace)

(A view of the backside)

By Paper Crafts Contributor, Lauren Romano.

There’s something about a beautiful gift tag; it can make even the most boring gift bag or box seem perfectly decorated. With a few materials, you can make a French heart tag that’s ideal for attaching to almost any present. It adds a sweet touch whether the gift is for your love or one of your friends.

What you’ll need:

• French book pages
• Ribbon
• Scissors
• Mod Podge
• Cardstock
• Hole punch
• Heart embellishment

Step 1. Cut a rectangle out of any color cardstock you wish, just make sure it’s proportionate to the heart embellishment you chose.

Step 2. Use a very thin layer of Mod Podge to adhere the French book pages to the cardstock. I used antique French dictionary pages from a book that was broken and going to get thrown out. Quickly and carefully use your finger to smooth out all the bubbles. Give it at least an hour to dry before moving onto the next step.

Step 3. Punch a hole in the top of the tag.

Step 4. Choose any type of heart embellishment you prefer, then use Mod Podge to attach it onto the center of the tag.

Step 5. Choose a color of ribbon that matches the heart embellishment. Use Mod Podge to attach the ribbon onto all four edges of the tag, then cut another piece and tie it through the hole. Trim off any excess only after the ribbon is already dry.

If the tag starts to curl while it’s drying, place a piece of wax paper over it and put a book on top for a few hours so it dries flat.

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

Home is where the heart is! Why not make these Heart Houses this Valentine’s Day? All you need is paper or cardstock, scissors and glue. A quick, cute and funky project for Valentine cheer.

How to make the Heart House:

Trim around the outer lines of the house and the roof. Fold the roof in half widthwise to make the peak. Fold along the tab ends and sides of house as shown in the template.

Glue where indicated on the model. I found it better to glue the house together first, before putting on the roof. Line up the peak fold to match the top of the triangular top of the house.

Glue the roof to the tabs of one side of the Heart House. Glue the other side of the roof to the remaining side of the Heart House.

You’re done!

Ideas for Heart Houses

Make a few houses for a table centerpiece, or a shelf display.

Cut out windows, cover the inside window spaces with lunch paper. Pop the finished house over a LED light source, for night time illumination.

Download Blue Heart House

To use as a gift box glue the house onto a card base. Make it a little larger than the house and paint it green or use green card. Pop a gift inside the house before joining the roof.

Download Pink Heart House

To use the house to play with, cut along the top and bottom lines of the windows and down the middle. Fold open for shutter type windows.Cut along the top and down one side of the door. Fold door open and make paper dolls for your Heart House.

To make your own house, trace the template and design your own windows and doors, then make them up.

Have Fun! Happy Crafting!

*Design by Mina Keenan

By Craft Celebrity Mark Montano, from the blog Mark Montano’s Big Ass Blog.

How many sweaters do you have in your drawer that you really should toss but don’t because you think you might wear them again? My guess is at least three. Well, I’ve got a way to make more room in your dresser and put those sweaters to use. I guarantee these Sweeter Sweater Gloves, when made with girly sweaters in pretty colors and matching knit gloves, will not only be warm, but also very glamorous.

YOU’LL NEED:

• Sweater you’re about to toss
• Scissors (Fiskars are the BEST!)
• One pair of knit gloves
• Straight pins
• Sewing machine with matching thread (I love my BERNINA)

HERE’S HOW

Evenly cut off the sleeves of the sweater in a length you like. If you want your gloves to end at the elbow, then cut them off at the elbow. Pull the cutoff sleeves up your arms by the cuffs. The cuffs of the sweater should be tight enough to keep them in place on your upper arms. But, if they’re not, pinch them and see how much you will need to take in. Also see how much, if any, you will have to take in the sweater sleeves at the wrist. If you do need to take in the sleeves, do so by gathering the extra material along the seam of the sweater and stitching, and then cut off the excess.

Turn the sleeves inside out and place the gloves in the end that you cut off, matching up the openings (the fingers of the gloves should be pointed toward the sweater cuff end).

Place a couple of straight pins in the openings to hold the gloves in place.

Sew the raw edge of the sleeve to the opening of the glove using a 1/2″ seam allowance.

IMPORTANT: Make sure you stretch the fabric while you’re sewing so that the glove opening stretches when you put them on. Turn the sleeves right side out.

By General Crafts Contributor Melissa, from the blog MeloMomma.

Did you have any New Years Resolutions? I know I did! I wanted to get organized! To begin my organizing, I went through my dresser. If I had not worn it in 6 months, I tossed it. Then a big red light went off in my head! DON’T THROW AWAY those old shirts! That is perfectly good material!

Oh… the brain of a crafter!

So, I bring to you the T-Shirt Wreath! It is so simple! No sewing anything and it takes under 15 minutes! I bet you have a few shirts you’d be more than happy to sacrifice, right?

What you will need:

• 12″ Wreath mold ( I used a flat wood one, but foam works as well.)
• 2-3 t shirts or pants (soft fabrics work best)
• Scissors
• Clear craft glue
• Decorative beads or flowers

Directions:

Cut old shirts or pants into long strips. The strips should be approx. 2 inches wide and 12 inches long.

You do not need to cut the strips nice and neat. It will not matter!

Fold the strip into half and tie it around the wreath mold as shown in the photo.

Continue to tie all the fabric around the mold. I made a pattern with mine, but you can do anything. It all looks neat! Trim the edges so that all the tied pieces are about the same size. Decorate with beads or flowers.

Use a clear tacky glue to secure the beads. Tie one more piece of fabric around the top to hang it. (I used a draw string from the pajama pants I cut up.)

By Paper Crafts Contributor, Lauren Romano.

Unfortunately, we can’t always live near our significant other, but that doesn’t mean the love for each other diminishes. It’s important for your partner to know that no matter how far you are from each other, the love is still there. One cute way to provide a reminder on a constant basis is to make and give a “Love Knows No Distance” Magnet. It’s easy to make, involves using materials that would have ended up in the trash, and costs very little to make.

What you’ll need:

• Colored cardstock
• Mod Podge
• Marker
• Scissors
• Red felt
• Pencil
• Map
• Magnet sheet

Step 1. Choose the map you’d like to use as the background. One option is to use any map you have, another is to choose a map that’s specific to your location. If doing the latter, make sure your city is visible.

Step 2. Pick any colored cardstock you wish, then use the Mod Podge to adhere it to the back of the section of map you’d like to use. Give it some time to dry before moving onto the next step.

Step 3. Use a pencil to draw a heart shape on the back of the cardstock. I’m horrible at drawing hearts (one side always looks lopsided), so I printed out a template and traced it onto the back. Cut out the shape once it’s drawn perfectly.

Step 4. Peel the paper backing off the magnet sheet and stick it onto the back of the heart, then cut off the excess so the magnet covers the entire back.

Step 5. Use a black marker to write “Love Knows No Distance” across the heart.

Step 6. For a final touch, cut out a small heart shape from a piece of red felt, then use the Mod Podge to adhere it underneath the wording.

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

There are so many amazing DIY party hats out there, this is just our take on them. All you need to start is your favorite scrapbooking paper, a cheap paper party hat, ribbon (satin or sheer), crepe paper, faux feathers, embellishments of your choice, scissors, a stapler and a hot glue gun! This would be a fun project for New Years!

You can take apart an old or new paper party hat (that you can get at any party store) just to use as a template. We already had a template that we have been using. Just trace the shape of the hat onto the back of the paper you are making your new party hat of. Once traced just follow the lines and cut.

Then just wrap the end of the hat around and shape into a cone and staple. (You can use a glue gun if you want to glue the seems together.)

Its okay if there is a little hole in the top. Use your glue gun to put a dab of glue in the hole at the top of the hat and then stick your feathers in.

Next your are going to take your crepe paper and glue it around the bottom of your hat. Make sure that you glue the crepe paper in the middle so that there is an overlay on the top and bottom. (The middle of the crepe paper should be toward the bottom of the hat).

Then take the top of the crepe paper and pull in down and little bit and the bottom and pull it up just to give it some dimension.

Then you are going to take your two even strips of ribbon and glue them on the inside of either side of the hat. You can use any kind of ribbon you like, satin or sheer. We also glued a strip of different textured ribbon in the middle of the crepe paper.

Lastly, we just embellished the front with a paper rosette with a gem in the middle.