Think Crafts Blog – Craft Ideas and Projects – CreateForLess

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

My friend Peter has a huge clock in his kitchen with a collage of his friends. It was my inspiration for this very large wall clock. Sending special thanks to all of my friends for their endless inspiration today.

YOU’LL NEED:

• Plastic box frame that is 18″x24″
• Image that is enlarged to 18″x24″
• Florescent orange Krylon spray paint
• Contact paper
• Scissors *FISKARS make the best scissors (and their Teflon blade is perfect for cutting sticky stuff!)
• Craft knife
• Clock that you can take apart
• Drill and 3/8″ drill bit
• Spray adhesive
• Clear packing tape

HERE’S HOW:

1. Enlarge your image to 18×24. Staples can do this easily for a few bucks. *This image is from a Dover book with mortised images that are perfect for clocks.

2. Place your image inside the frame to decide where you want your clock to be placed.

3. Drill a hole in the frame for your clock parts.

 4. With your image inside the frame cut out your oval in contact paper to use as your stencil for the florescent paint. *I cut out leaves and clovers and added them to the oval so that it would have some interest.  I placed one on the lower right corner and randomly.

5. Peel and stick your oval and your flourishes to the frame.

6. Spray paint the frame with the Krylon florescent paint and let dry for 5 minutes and carefully remove the contact paper. If you’re having a hard time getting it off, take the tip of your craft knife to lift an edge.

7. Place the cardboard inset inside your frame and cut out a hole in the area where your clock parts will fit.  My clock was square so I traced it and cut out the exact size.

 8. Spray mount your image to the cardboard inset and put it inside of the box frame.

 11. Tape your clock in place with packing tape.

12. Put on your clock hands and you’re done just in time.

By Guest Blogger & Crafty Bride, Kadee Robertson.

I am getting married in September to the most wonderful man ever. I am a typical bride and need to stretch my pennies as far as I can. I’ve been addicted to Pinterest since becoming engaged. While browsing Pinterest, I found a jar wrapped in twine. It was so simple, yet I loved the natural texture of it. I wanted to try it myself and make my own one-of-a-kind vase for a table centerpiece.

Items needed:

• Glue gun and glue
• Jar of any shape or size
• Jute or hemp twine (I used jute)
• Patience!

Recommended items:

• Wax paper
• Wood Craft stick

I gathered my materials, I happened to have a Pace Picante salsa jar on hand, so I used that. I liked the hour-glass shape. I then laid out a few pieces of wax paper. I didn’t want the glue to get stuck to my counter. Turn on and heat up the glue gun.

I then put an inch of hot glue around the base of the jar. I worked from the bottom up. I recommend starting as close to the bottom as possible. I glued an entire circle of glue around the bottom of the jar and laid the string around it and just kept circling up. I put a dab of glue about every 1/4″ or 1/2″ turn around the jar. Don’t use too much glue or it will ooze out. I just kept winding the jar around and around with dabs of glue every so often.

At one point I touched the hot glue and gave myself a nice blister on my finger- avoid that step Later I started using a wooden craft stick stick to hold the string to the glue for a second to give it a chance to adhere.

I did not cut the string at all. I didn’t want there to be any loose ends, I just kept unwinding it from the spool. My entire project was just one loooooooong strand.

The closer to the top of the jar that I got the more frequent I had to use glue as the jar tapered inwards, again, I just used a dab of hot glue. The biggest problem I had was getting the glue and the string to adhere to the top of the jar where the lid screws on.

This project took a lot more time than I expected, but I love how it turned out. I hope you like it too.

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

I am well aware that there are large numbers of (perhaps misguided) folks out there that don’t like the taste of Peeps. For me, spring just isn’t spring until I’ve roasted a few over my stove, but for those who might like some non eating uses for the marshmallow treats (and for those of us that can’t get enough) here are some fun little peep projects for your spring delight.

Peeps Wreaths! I wouldn’t recommend them for outdoors as that might get….messy, but for inside? Awesome.

Too colorful? How about this one?

I love these bunting and their reuse of paint chips!

 A Peep Tree! Who can resist?(the Peeps Sushi is pretty funny too!)

Would you use Peeps in your spring decor? Check out more ideas on our Craft Trends Boards.

By General Crafts Contributor Melissa, from the blog MeloMomma.

At first glance would you guess that this gorgeous candle is made with egg shells? With Easter right around the corner this is really appropriate, but you certainly don’t have to wait for Easter! I just saved a few shells from hard boiled eggs. It’s simple elegance!

 What you will need:

• Mason jar
• Egg Shells
• Food coloring
• Water
• 2 Bowls
• Tacky glue
• Rhinestones
• Floral décor (the puffy balls are actually cut up floral arrangements… fake flowers would look very nice too)
• Tea Light Candle

 Directions:

Rinse and dry the egg shells.

Add a few drops of food coloring to a bowl of water.

Add the eggs and allow them to soak until you are happy with the color they become (I left mine for several hours while I ran errands). Remove the shells and let dry.

 Cover the mason jar in tacky glue. Gently place the egg shells against the tacky glue. Leave some open space for the light to shine through. Add a few rhinestones. Arrange the puffy balls around the top. Allow to dry.

Place a tea light candle inside and enjoy!

By Paper Crafts Contributor, Lauren Romano.

One of the best parts of being outdoors is seeing birds fly overhead. Bring some of that beauty indoors by making paper birds to hang around your home. You don’t have to stick to standard colors; you can use any colors you wish or even any patterns. It requires very little time and money to put the project together.

What you’l need:

• Colored paper
• Glitter glue
• Card stock
• Ribbon
• Small hole punch
• Mod Podge
• Black marker
• Scissors
• Pencil 

Step 1. Cut a basic bird shape from a piece of colored paper, then make two separate wings out of the same paper. On the very tip of the wings, leave a tiny rectangle shape which you’ll use to attach the wings.

Step 2. Bend the rectangle inward so you don’t see it, then glue it onto each side of the bird so the wings stick outward.

Step 3. From the cardstock, cut a curved piece for the bird’s stomach and another piece for the beak, then glue it on using the Mod Podge.

Step 4. Use glitter glue to outline the wings and belly, then make detailed lines on the tail and wings.

Step 5. Using the marker, draw on the eye and the mouth.

Step 6. Make a small hole at the top of the bird, then put a ribbon through and tie it into a loop.

Step 7. If possible, hang a bunch of the birds in front of the top of a window.

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!