Think Crafts Blog – Craft Ideas and Projects – CreateForLess

By Recycled Crafts Contributor, Anitra from the blog Coffee Pot People.

You know what I just hate? Losing a favorite earring. I can never let the singleton that’s left go either, because, who knows? Maybe someday I’ll find the lost one.

But probably I won’t. Which is why I’m so happy to have a way to use those lonely left-alones, one that is simplicity itself. You’re just going to move your remaining favorite earring from your ear to your collar!

This is what you do:

Just poke the earring through your collar, near the point, and put the earring back on it to hold it. Now, you may notice there’s a second cap in the photo above, a little white one. That’s one of those rubber stoppers they put on earring wires to keep them from coming off earring cards, or slipping out of your ears. You can use one if the earring post sticks out too far, to keep it from poking you.

That’s it. What was once a favorite earring is now a favorite pin!

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!

Twice a year the Craft & Hobby Association Conference & Trade Show (CHA) is held to discuss, what else, crafts! During the conference we get to see the new products manufacturers have been developing and get a sneak peek of the new designs and ideas. Industry experts come together to discuss trends and promotion of the craft industry. I like seeing all the incredible booths and displays!

At CHA we met the Crochet Dude and Tim Holtz! And our CreateForLess team had dinner with Mark Montano! Mark Montano! He delighted us with us entertaining stories and awesome craft ideas! Can’t wait for your next book Mark!

The Best Booth Award went to the DieCuts with a View & Blue Moon Beads!

The peacock is made with DCWV paper, glitter and lots of glue!

This display was made completely out of Blue Moon Beads.

I want to make this beaded waterfall for my bathroom! Check out more of the DCWV & Blue Moon Beads booth here.

An exciting part was the appearance by Tori Spelling! She is working with Darice on her jewelry making line {Styled} by Tori Spelling. What I loved about this new product line is you can make your own custom jewelry without needing tools or pliers.

You can mix and match the chains, pendants and beads to create and re-create your own designs.

Check out this video to see more of Tori’s designs!

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

Not sure what it is, maybe it’s because Valentine’s Day is near, but we are loving all things wedding right now! Of course we love when brides incorporate DIY projects into their weddings, it makes things seem so personalized and special. We are just loving the idea of a fabric corsages! They are just as beautiful, if not more, than using real flowers. What a fashionable gift/keepsake to give your bridesmaids or flowergirl! If you are not a corsage person, wear it as a bracelet!

Here’s a tutorial to make your own Fabric Corsage!

By Recycled Crafts Contributor, Anitra from the blog Coffee Pot People.

I love all the embellishments for clothing, bags, and other items being made from zippers these days, don’t you? Exposed zippers are a hot trend right now and this look is very easy to get. This is a simple flower pin to make, using just three things, plus a needle & thread:

• A brass zipper about 21 inches long; metal is best (I cut mine from a jacket I no longer wear) OR ZipR Trim
• A pin back or small circle of non-fraying material
• A “silk” leaf
• Needle & thread

Begin by separating the zipper into its two halves—simply unzip all the way, if it’s one that comes completely apart, or cut the stopper off at the bottom and then unzip it. Remove the zip-up thingy, which you won’t need. If you want, you can cut off the long straight piece at the bottom. If you leave it on, use that end to begin your flower.

Before you start working with the zipper, take your silk leaf, stripped off any supporting plastic veins, and stitch it to the pin back’s pierced disk or circle of fabric. You just need to do a couple of stitches in the center, as the stitching to attach the flower will add more stitches to it, too.

My flower has five petals, and I found that about 3″ of the zipper was needed for each one, so I put a dot every three inches, and then just “stacked” the dots. Begin like this:

Then just continue looping. It’s very like making a bow for a package:

Every so often, stitch down through the stack and pin disk to fasten the petals in place. That way they won’t get away from you.

When you have about 6″ of zipper left, start rolling the center of your flower, beginning at the free end of the zipper.

As you roll, take stitches to keep everything in place. When the zipper’s completely rolled up down to the petals, stitch it to the center of the flower, going through the pin disk or fabric circle as you work. Fasten off the thread and cut, and attach the pin’s back piece to the pierced front part. If you’ve used a fabric circle, you can sew a safety pin on the back now; make sure the pin is off-center, near the top edge of the circle, so that the pin doesn’t droop forward.

You’re done! What will you wear your pin on?

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

I usually only wear my wedding ring but it’s nice, at times, to have something pretty for my other fingers and this initial ring is just the thing.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 12 gauge wire
• Wire cutters and shapers
• Scrap paper and pen
• Pen or marker about as big around as your finger

1. On the scrap of paper, write the letter you want in cursive.

2. Cut a 5 inch piece of wire.

3. Using your wire shaper, bend the wire to follow the shape of the letter.

4. Center the letter on the pen and wrap the ends around so that they overlap by 1/2 inch. Trim off the excess and smooth the ends.

5. Crimp at the places where the wire crosses to accentuate the letter.

6. Slide on your finger to adjust the size.

By Guest Blogger, Blake Fields.

Rexlace bracelets are not just fashionable, but also incredibly functional for those who are often outdoors, and even those who often are not. Rexlace can be unraveled from the bracelet in case of an emergency to fish, create an outdoors shelter, use as shoelaces, or even temporarily fix a fan belt. The bracelets are simple and inexpensive to make. Additionally, the Rexlace can be used to make key chains, dog collars, or belts.

Begin by purchasing Rexlace. Generally, at least eight feet of Rexlace is needed for a bracelet. It is often sold by the yard or in a bundle; buying a bundle tends to be more cost effective and leaves room for mistakes or extra projects. Also, purchase clasps to use to close the bracelet. Two tiny carabiners or a set of side release buckles is ideal.

To start:

1. Measure the length of the wrist. This will determine how many feet of Rexlace to cut. If the wrist is eight inches, cut eight feet of Rexlace.

2. Fold the Rexlace in half. Attach one of the clasps to the fold by taking the looped/folded end through the clasp. Take the non-looped ends and thread them through the loop. This should create a snug knot to secure the clasp.

3. Take the second clasp piece and thread it onto the loose ends. If the wrist is eight inches, the buckle should rest about nine inches from the other clasp. (It’s good to leave room for slack). Do not tie this clasp down.

4. Now hold the clasp that is not secured firmly. This will be the end that the knotting will begin. Essentially, there should a straight length of cord from clasp to clasp, and then two lose ends that are threaded through the second clasp.

5. Take the left loose cord (cord 1) and cross it below the two straight cords (cords 3/4) at a bit of a right angle. This will create an opening on the left side. Take the right cord (cord 2) straight underneath cord 1 and then cross it over cords 3/4 into the cord1 loop that was created on the left side. Pull both cord 1 and cord 2 snug. This creates the first knot.

6. Repeat this now on the other side by taking cord 2 underneath cords 3/4 at a right angle. Cord 1 will go underneath cord two, then up and over into the loop.

7. Alternate sides until there is no more cord left.

8. Cut one side of any excess loose cord and use a lighter to melt it. This will seal the cord down and prevent the knots from coming lose. Repeat on the other side. Be very careful, as the cord will be hot. Use the scissors or a knife to hold the cord down if needed to ensure it seals to the bracelet.

For other projects, simply measure the inches needed and convert this into feet. Be creative and use different colors of cord and clasps.