I love all sorts of woodland creatures right now, including frogs.  I decided recently that I wanted to find a way to fit them into home décor, especially as it applies to children.  What resulted was this wood name plaque celebrating cute amphibians and in bright colors.  I made it with my own name for this round, but I have a friend that’s having a baby and I’m going to make one for her new little one.  If you want to make it too, gather these supplies:

Mod Podge Gloss

Demis Wood Plaque

Wood letters spelling the name of your choice

Wood frog embellishment

FolkArt Paint - Wicker White, Licorice, Yellow Citron, Metallic Green     

K&Company Paper Pad 12×12 Actopus to Zelephant

Beacon 3 in 1 Glue

Flat paint brushes of various sizes

Piece of scrap paper to cover the plaque

Scissors

Tape

The first thing I did was make a template for the plaque background.  I just took a piece of computer paper (old and printed on one side) and pressed it around the edges.  I know it seems very rudimentary, but it really works!  Grab a sheet of scrapbook paper you want to use and some tape - tape this down and then cut around the edge of your template with the scissors.  There’s your background!  Set it aside.

Paint your plaque with white paint.  Completely coat the front and the back.  Allow to dry.

Paint the letters of your name with several coats of the metallic green paint.  Allow to dry.  Use the end of your paint brush to make yellow citron dots on the letters.  Allow to dry.

Paint your wood froggie piece with yellow citron paint.  You are going to use several coats.  Allow to dry.  Go back with a smaller brush to paint the spots metallic green and then the eyes black.  Let the entire piece dry.

Tip: Use a medium flat brush to paint the frog piece and don’t worry about getting paint on the spots.  When you paint the spots, use a smaller detail flat brush and this time take great care painting.

I went back to my white plaque and decided to dress it up a little bit.  I first painted one layer of metallic green on the top edges - this was for when I put my paper down - in case the edges of the paper didn’t exactly meet the edges of the plaque, there would be some green there.

The next step was to use a medium flat brush to add the stripes around the edge of the plaque.  I did this freeform - no planning, no taping.  That’s the look I wanted!  I did one pass first and then went back to tidy up the edges.  It was really easy.  Just go for it!  Allow the plaque to dry.

When it’s time to Mod Podge is when I get really excited!  Use your flat brush to apply a medium layer of Mod Podge to the top of the plaque.

Place the paper piece that has been sitting around for awhile down on the plaque and SMOOTH, SMOOTH, SMOOTH!  I use a brayer, but you can use your fingers or even an old gift card.  Smooth until the paper is flat, and if Mod Podge comes out the side, wipe it away with a brush.  Allow to dry for 15 - 20 minutes.

You’re almost done!  Mod Podge everything to seal it - the entire plaque, the letters and the frog.  Give it all at least two coats and then let it dry.

Finally, use your Beacon glue to attach the wood pieces to the plaque.  You’ll see I glued my letters down a little funky - choose smaller letters and make them “dance” for large names.  Now you’ve got a name plaque for yourself or someone as a gift.

I’ve enjoyed, and still wear, my fingerless mitts, but spring is coming. Can you feel it? The candytuft in the front yard is already blooming, and the bulbs are up. There’s a fragrant narcissus next to the deck already perfuming the air, and March is, after all the month of spring romances.

That definitely calls for feminine touches of flowers, lace, and all things delicate. Let’s dress our hands in fairy gauntlets for spring!

You’ll need:

• A pretty handkerchief
• Two flower appliques, or flowers cut from lace
• Needle and thread
• Elastic string
• Fabric glue

To begin, make a pattern like the one shown below:

Fold a square of paper the same size as the handkerchief on the diagonal, and measure 4 inches from the point, on the fold. Draw a line straight down from that point. It will be four inches, too. Now measure from the point to about the length of the gauntlet you’re making. (Fold your handkerchief in half on the diagonal, and measure to the center to get that measurement.) Draw a line straight down from there, that’s about 4 1/2 inches long. Now “connect the dots”–draw a straight line from the 4″ line to the line you just drew.

That pattern fits my hand. To be sure it fits yours, open out the pattern and fold it around your hand. It should fit, but not too snugly, but we’re cutting the handkerchief on the diagonal (bias), which will lend stretchiness to it.

You’re done with the hardest part!

Fold your hanky into quarters, on the diagonal, and pin your pattern to it, with the long side on the fold, and cut. On the short side, the opposite end of the points, there will be another fold. Split that, which creates the two pieces you need:

On the short sides, away from the point, iron a narrow hem, but don’t stitch it yet.

Now, with the right sides of each gauntlet folded together, stitch the long sides, using a narrow seam, and then stitch the hem. 

You now have two tubes, with a pretty point on one end, and a straight hem on the other. All you need now is a way to keep them in place on your hands. To do that, thread a darning needle with a length of elastic string/thread. (I’ve chain crocheted mine, to make it heavier, but it isn’t strictly necessary to do that.)

Insert the point of the needle in the right side of one of the flowers and pull through, leaving a loop that will comfortably fit around your middle finger. Take a single stitch to secure it, tie a knot, and cut the thread. Repeat with the other flower.

On the wrong side of each flower, spread a thin coat of fabric glue. (I used Aleene’s Okay to Wash It.) Glue the flowers to the inside of the gauntlet, just below the points. Let dry, and you’re done!

One last thing: You still have two corners of your hanky left. If the hankerchief is a fair sized one, they’re actually large enough to make sweet little gauntlets for a child of age 3 to 6 or so.

Congratulations to Sheri K. who was randomly chosen as the winner of Free Stuff Friday and the CreateForLess Craft Grab Bag!

Sheri’s winning answer to “What’s your favorite pizza toppings” was…

Pepperoni and black olive. Don’t forget the cold beer for a really great meal!

Sheri’s prize includes a sturdy, canvas tote with the saying “I Craft, therefore I am”. Use this tote bag to cut back on plastic bag usage, and to stay stylish! In addition the CreateForLess Craft Bag includes a pack of each of the following:

• Sticky back Velcro
• Making Memories Jigsaw Frames and Flourishes
• Bo Bunny Buttons & Bling
• Making Memories mini tags
• Zig Painty Pens (2)
• Dill Thimbles Jelly Fingers (1)

Recently, I saw a very expensive set of glass pitcher and 4 glasses in a nice specialty store.  It made me want to have a picnic right then.  The glass was fused and had many colors decorating it.  I knew that I could make something I would like just as much.  Target had inexpensive blanks, I bought 4 glasses in a set for $1.99.  Can’t beat that!

I sat at my work table for a couple hours, put in a DVD movie and started glittering.  There is no pattern to follow.  Just make circles.  So easy and so pretty!

You Need:

Sparkle 21: 2 bottles each Vintage Sparkle, Ocean Sparkle, Jungle Sparkle (or other colors of your choice)

Clear pitcher and glasses

Try This:

Clean outside of pitcher and try not to touch the clean surface.

On surface of pitcher, randomly using three colors, make circles of Sparkle 21.

Make them close together.  Some circles will have one color, some two, some three.   Make circles travel up the sides of the pitcher as high as you desire.  Let dry completely before using.

Glasses: Repeat same process for glasses.

TIP: Sparkle 21 is permanent on glass.  Let it cure at least 48 hours before using.  It can be washed by hand.  Do not submerge in sink for extended period or put in the dishwasher.

Use colors that match your dishes, or wedding colors, or school colors.

Glitter on!

Sparkle

TGIF! Thank goodness it’s Friday! It’s Free Stuff Friday!

Every Friday we’ll post a giveaway on Think Crafts and all you have to do is comment on the blog post answering the question of the week. We’ll pick the winner and contact them via email. Deadline is midnight tonight and the winner will be announced Monday. One entry per person please.

Enter to win the CreateForLess Craft Grab Bag. Prize includes a sturdy, canvas tote with the saying “I Craft, therefore I am”. Use this tote bag to cut back on plastic bag usage, and to stay stylish! In addition the CreateForLess Craft Bag includes a pack of each of the following:

• Sticky back Velcro
• Making Memories Jigsaw Frames and Flourishes
• Bo Bunny Buttons & Bling
• Making Memories mini tags
• Zig Painty Pens (2)
• Dill Thimbles Jelly Fingers (1)

Question of the Week: What are your favorite pizza toppings?

If the comment box is not below, scroll to the top and click “comments”.

Congratulations to Glenda H. from Warrenton, OR who was randomly chosen as the winner of our 2010 Crafties Drawing and will receive a $100 shopping spree!

Glenda’s nominations for the best craft supplies are…

“The Best all around craft tool has to be a pair of Fiskars scissors. The Best organizer has to be Cropper Hopper. Best adhesive is Tombow for sure. Best scrapbooking supply is hands down the Coredinations Paper. Best New Craft Supply is the Cricut Expression, Best scissors is Fiskars hands down!”

Thanks to all who entered!

Make sure to check out the 2010 Crafties nominations. The votes are in!  It’s time to announce the winners of the 2010 Crafties Awards.  And to celebrate, they’re all on sale this week at CreateForLess!  Save on our Best Quilting Supply and Best All Around Craft Tool, this week only.  Plus see who took home the Golden Glue Gun Award…

I love fixing up old items that I find!  This tray above was a thrift store treasure - perfect and in good condition, great for organizing my art supplies.  The only problem was that it was kind of boring and need a little pizzazz.  Nothing boring for my shelves!  This revamp is so easy, you won’t believe it.  First, gather these supplies:

Wood tray

Scrapbook paper - I used Anna Griffin’s Riley Collection, 2 sheets each of 2 corresponding papers

Mod Podge Gloss

Flat paint brush

Craft knife and mat or scissors

Pen or pencil

Here’s the tray beforehand - do you see why I enhanced it?  It just needed something.

I measured the compartments to make sure that I cut the paper correctly.

Turn your paper with the print side facing down, measure and cut to fit the compartments.  I used two different (yet complimentary) patterns from the same scrapbook paper collection, which I think added a nice touch.

Grab your Mod Podge and brush and put a medium layer on the inside of each compartment.

Place the paper down and smooth, smooth smooth!  You’ll see I used an old gift card to do the smoothing.  It worked really well!  Continue to smooth and wipe away Mod Podge that comes out the sides (and it will).  Do all of the compartments and allow to dry for 15 - 20 minutes.

Paint a medium layer of Mod Podge over the paper in each compartment, being careful not to get it on the sides.  Wipe away if it does.  Allow to dry and you’re done.

Organizing has really never been this easy, or this cute!  Not only was this craft simple to make, but it was inexpensive.  With the Mod Podge I had on hand and the thrifted tray, I spent less than $5 making something I will use for a long time.  Yay!

Although the weather outside is cold and gray, inside I seem to have nothing but spring on my mind these days. And with our front door bare of its Christmas wreath, it seemed like a good time to welcome spring, even if it’s a little early, with a bright and cheerful wreath.

I started out wanting to make a paper flower wreath but with the inevitable rains and snows (eek!) of late winter and early spring, that didn’t seem like a great idea. What I needed was plastic. But where oh where could I find thin white plastic?

About this time I was pouring my kids a glass of milk. From a white plastic jug.

Light dawned.

The fridge and recycling bin were literally full, overflowing almost, with thin white plastic tubs, jugs and cartons. Which meant that not only could I make the wreath I had in mind, it would also be practically free!

Here’s what you need:

A Variety of milk jugs, yogurt containers and other white plastic items from the recycling bin. You’ll need more than you think so gather quite a few (hint: organic milk often comes in white milk jugs while non organic is more clear, a mix is fine but you do want more of the solid white variety)

Circular objects of different sizes to trace (cups, bows and lids work well, you want about 5 or more different sizes)

Permanent Marker

Hot glue gun and sticks

A dozen pretty buttons and/or sticky backed rhinestones in a variety of sizes

1 flat wreath form

10 inches of ribbon

Kitchen shears or other sharp scissors

Rinse all the containers in soapy water and allow to dry. Using kitchen shears, cut the tops and bottoms off the jugs and the bottoms off of any tubs, then cut a slit down the length of the remaining tube or square. You should now have roughly rectangular pieces of flat plastic. It they are curling too much, run them under hot water and lay them flat under something heavy for a little while to help them relax.

Trace circles all over the plastic, squeezing as many in as possible. Make sure the different types of plastic have different sizes of circles on them. Labels can either be soaked off or taken into account when cutting the flowers. I left mine on to add extra patterns to the flowers since from the back they just see white.

Time to start cutting flowers! Start by cutting out the circles and then cutting almost to the center at the top, bottom and two sides so you have four even sections.

From there you can continue cutting until you have the number of petals you want. You can also remove wedges at the four points (or more) to make more widely spaced petals, cut a wavy edge or free hand small round petals.

Once you have all your circles cut into flower shapes, start layering them into flowers. Experiment a little with different combinations until you are satisfied and then glue the flowers together, finishing them off with a button or rhinestone. Be sure to leave a few flower pieces unlayered to help form a base layer on the wreath form.

Set your finished flowers around the form to decide on the layout of the wreath. Mark the spot where the top will be and where any gaps are between the flowers. Set the flowers aside and attach the leftover flower pieces to the spots where there were gaps and the ribbon (measure how long you will need in for your front door) at the top. Now you can glue the flowers onto the form to finish the wreath.

Since the wreath isn’t really even specifically spring like, it’s a great all purpose wreath for the whole year. But I find myself happily thinking of spring every time I see the bright white flowers festooning my front door. What about you? What crafty ways are you getting ready for spring?

Our question for Free Stuff Friday was: What is your favorite winter Olympic sport to watch?

Readers entered to win the Mable’s Crafs-a lot Tote Bag. The Mable Crafts-a lot Tote Bag is not only cute, but can be used to carry anything! This tote bag is large enough to carry your craft supplies, and sturdy enough to use while grocery shopping. Use this tote bag to cut back on plastic bag usage, and to stay stylish!

The winning comments were:

Jumi - My favorite Olympian event is ice dancing. Couples take full advantage of the opportunity to put on a good show. Routines, costumes, and personalities all combine to create a lively fun presentation.

Jean Della Vecchia - My favorite Olympic sport to watch is snowboarding. They are pretty amazing.

Marie - My favorite to watch is Curling and Ice Skating……both are intense to watch at least for me.

Erin Hansen - Hands down, hockey! Go team USA!

Trudie Lloyd - I love bobsled! That speeding down a track, barely in control in a tin can really gets me going.

Do you have a case of the Fridays? It’s been a long week and the weekend is closely approaching, but your afternoon is going by so slow! What could make your Friday afternoon better than free stuff!

Every Friday we’ll post a giveaway on Think Crafts and all you have to do is comment on the blog post answering the question of the week. We’ll pick the winner and contact them via email. Deadline is midnight tonight and the winner will be announced Monday. One entry per person please.

This week we are giving away the Mable Crafts-a lot Tote Bag to to 5 randomly selected winners!

The Mable Crafts-a lot Tote Bag is not only cute, but can be used to carry anything! This tote bag is large enough to carry your craft supplies, and sturdy enough to use while grocery shopping. The bag is black with a Mable Crafts-a lot design and quote, “I am not easily distracted…Hey, Look, GLITTER!” These water repellant and tear resistant totes are made from 100% recyclable and reusable materials and measure 13″ w x 11″ h x 5″ d. Made from premium non-woven polypropylene  with 20″ dual reinforced carry handles, hemmed opening, and matching cardboard bottom insert. Use this tote bag to cut back on plastic bag usage, and to stay stylish!

Question of the Week: What is your favorite winter Olympic sport to watch?

If the comment box is not below, scroll to the top and click “comments”.

I could not resist these brown candles, so chocolate looking.  They are non-scented, so they are a little less expensive too.  But, you know me.  I think even chocolate needs glitter! 

Remember as you are making these, perfection is not the key, glitter is.  Just have fun with your Big & Glitzy.

I used Big & Glitzy Glitter Glue because it sticks better to most surfaces.  It is also made of big chunks of holographic glitter…so pretty.  And, unlike kid’s glitter glue, the colors fit home decor.  Since turquoise is THE color of the year, I new my chocolate brown candles would be trendy and fabulous.

You Need:

Big & Glitzy Glitter Glue: Aquamarine, Nugget

Sparkle Gems: 8mm round Amber

Pillar candles: brown, size of your choice (mine are 6″ and 3″)

Try this:

With the 6″ candle,  working on one side of the candle at a time, draw a rectangle of Aquamarine that is the height of the candle.  Inside that rectangle, draw a smaller rectangle of Nugget. 

Add dots of Nugget between Nugget and Aquamarine rectangles. Set amber gems into dots where desired. 

Repeat, alternating colors for rectangles.

Prop the candle up so it cannot roll, let glitter glue dry.  Repeat on next section of candle.  Continue until rectangles go all the way around the candle.

For the 3″ candle, working on one side of the candle at a time, apply dots of Nugget.  Set amber gems into dots.  Prop the candle up so it cannot roll, let glitter glue dry.  Repeat on next section of candle.  Continue until gems go all the way around the candle.

Another 3″ candle: Alternating colors, draw narrow rectangles on one side of candle. Prop the candle up so it cannot roll, let glitter glue dry.  Repeat on next section of candle.  Continue until rectangles go all the way around the candle.

TIP: To save the candle, burn down in the center a couple of times, blowing it out before the edges get melted.  Place a tea candle or votive in the hole.  Burn the votive.  Replace the votive as many times as you want.  This is also a way to add some scent to your burning candles: use scented votives.

Change up the colors to whatever suits your mood or décor.  This set would make a nice centerpiece, don’t you think?

Glitter on!

Sparkle

Last week our Free Stuff Friday question was What was the hardest skill for you to learn?

The winner’s comment was:

Marissa - I think if we are talking about crafting, I had the hardest time learning the traditional start of the beading stitch Ndbele/Herringbone. It took me SO many tries. I would get frustrated and my boyfriend sitting nearby said “I can’t believe you enjoy something so much that you swear at so often.” I just smiled and tried again.

Marissa will receive The 60 Minute Family Scrapbooker Kit by Autumn Leaves with 1 album, 10 page protectors, 92 adhesive embellishments, 10 glittered layout pages, 10 base pages, 10 chipboard stickers, 35 alpha stickers and an idea booklet.  Pages are pre-finished with embellishments or glitter, and the kit contains 159 pieces.

I love capturing memories through photographs, and I particularly like interesting ways of displaying them.  Regular frames are nice, but photo memory blocks add a wonderful touch to your home décor - and you can get very crafty with them!  Consider using a photo memory block to decorate your child’s room or you desk at work.  Here’s how I made mine.

Wood Memory Block - mine is a 6″ square

FolkArt Acrylic Paint, coordinating colors - I used Lemon Custard, Hot Pink and Yellow Citron

Mod Podge Matte, 8 oz.

Scrapbook paper, 1 sheet per canvas - I used K & Company’s Berry Sweet papers

Embellishments - I used K & Company’s Berry Sweet collection, as well as a few buttons, paper flowers and rhinestones from my stash

Craft Glue

Flat Paint Brush

Craft Knife and Mat or Scissors

Ruler

Start by trimming your paper to fit the sides of your wood block.  My craft mat has a ruler guide so I was able to quickly measure and cut a 5 1/2″ square - I wanted to leave a 1/4″ border around all side of the paper so that I could see the paint.  I cut six squares out of three sheets of paper, choosing coordinating papers so that they would look good together.

Paint your block with the acrylic paint and flat paint brush.  You don’t have to paint the entire side of the block since you’ll be applying paper over it; just paint the edges.  I applied three coats to each side.  Allow to dry.

Now that your wood block is dry, apply the Mod Podge.  Use a medium layer and coat well. Apply the paper to the center of the block and smooth it down thoroughly with your fingers or a brayer.  If Mod Podge comes out the sides, that is fine - simply wipe it away with your brush.  Apply the papers to all sides of the block and allow to dry for 15 - 20 minutes. 

TIP: I applied Mod Podge to the corners and edges of my paper before smoothing down - this helps since the edges are the first thing to dry!

Next add a coat of Mod Podge on top of the paper.  Allow to dry and add a second coat, covering the whole block.  The fun part is next!

Now add the images and embellishments with craft glue.  Get creative!  I planned my picture sizes first and printed them all out before I glued anything down.  You don’t have to fill the entire block with one photo; check this finished side out:

You can also do a few photos on one side and add embellishments around them.  I had so much fun!  Here’s another finished side:

Add photos and embellishments to all sides, except for the bottom and the top (unless you want to).  Now I have something for my desk at work to remind me of my sweet dogs when they are at home and I’m in front of the computer.

Despite the fact that the state I currently live in was once the capitol of the Confederacy we’ve had far more snow this winter than any of the years I lived in Oregon. In fact, the past two months have done a pretty good job of reminding me of my childhood in Northern Idaho. And with all that snow has come a lot of snow days. Snow days that cancel school and snow days that just cancel everything. With two kids in a smallish house, I’ve had to come up with a pretty steady stream of crafts and activities. Some have been good, some have lasted about thirty seconds and some have been a downright hit. At the top of the list for my son was this little project, which we spent an entire snowy afternoon on. 

Remember back when we were in elementary school and played around with the Ed Emberly’s Thumbprint book? Well it’s still around and just as fun as ever. And even if you don’t happen to have the book hanging around, you can still help turn your kids thumb and finger prints into just about anything they can dream up. And what better way to illustrate a story of their own making?

Here’s what you need:

Stamp pads in various colors (I sometimes just use washable markers with my daughter, just color the pad of their finger and stamp quickly, less mess for the little ones!)

White cardstock or thick copy paper

Black marker

Black pen

Ruler

Start by having your child write or dictate a story. It’s a great time to talk about the basics of story arcs and how they need a beginning, middle and end for a good story. As they write (or dictate) estimate how many “scenes” the story will have and draw a square for each on the paper.

Most comic books have a variety of sizes of squares so keep that in mind, and don’t forget to add a box for the title and the “the end” frame. Write each line in its box and read through the story with your child so they know what’s going on in each box before they get started. It’s a good idea to make a few examples of animals and characters they might want on a separate sheet of paper if you don’t have a thumbprint art book, just to get them started.

Then let the stamp and draw away. In the end you’ll have a (probably hilarious) memento of just what kind of story was bobbing around in their head at that moment in time. In fact, we ended up laminating the pages of our sons to make sure it was well preserved. I know I never want to forget the story of a pig that loses his “singing lung” and has to learn to trumpet!

How about you, have you introduced any crafts inspired by your childhood fun to your kids?

My husband and I recently had the pleasure (not to mention mild shock!) of attending his son’s 50^th birthday party. It was a family celebration, and the attendees ranged in age from four years to 74 years.

What do you do at a party with that wide an age span, encompassing both sexes, other than eat ice cream and cake and watch the birthday gifts being opened?

Our son, Jeff, had the perfect solution, and I’m only sorry I didn’t get the camera out earlier, because once we got started on our activity, all I could think was, I’ve got to share this! It’s great!

We had all settled in and were standing or sitting around the family room when Jeff got our attention and told us to team up in groups of two or three, choosing a partner or partners we thought we’d like to create something with. We were soon laughing, wondering aloud just what we’d be doing, and standing in little clusters before being led out to the garage.

There, Jeff had set up a large table, with small, identical, piles of materials places all around the edge. In the center of the table were jars of nails, hammers, and a big glue gun. As each team chose a station and examined the assortment of wooden pieces, Jeff explained the “game”.

Each team was to build whatever they wanted out of the pieces they’d been given. The only stipulation was that we had to use every piece, although we were free to cut or break any piece, or alter them, as we wished.

We had each been given two wooden circles with a hole drilled through the center, a piece that appeared to be the corner of a square piece of wood where a circle had been cut from, a couple of sticks roughly ½” X ½” X 4″, scrap of a 2X4, and a largish piece of very thin wood, which Jeff told me later was a door skin, cut into rectangles. You, of course, could use any scraps you had lying around, or cut scraps into interesting shapes, just making sure everyone got the same things.

After we’d made our “sculpture”, and named it, we were to visit all the other ones that had been made, and vote for the one we thought was the best.

There was so much whispering, chatter, and laughter, with every single person a happy participant, from youngest to oldest.

Here are pictures of three more projects, and while you might not be able to tell from looking which team had the 4-yr-old, which teams had cabinet maker partners, or which were comprised of a woman and child, I’ll bet you can tell we all had fun!

Happy Friday! Kick off your weekend and enter to win this 60 Minute Family Scrapbooker Kit from Autumn Leaves.

If you have photos piling up, think you don’t have time or simply want lasting memories for your friends and family to cherish, then Autumn Leaves Scrapbooker Kits are just for you. The 60 Minute Family Scrapbooker Kit comes with 1 album, 10 page protectors, 92 adhesive embellishments, 10 glittered layout pages, 10 base pages, 10 chipboard stickers, 35 alpha stickers and an idea booklet.  Pages are pre-finished with embellishments or glitter, and the kit contains 159 pieces.

Every Friday we’re posting a giveaway on Think Crafts. All you have to do to enter is comment on the blog post answering the question of the week. We’ll pick the winners and contact them via email. One entry per person please.

Question of the Week: What was the hardest skill for you to learn?

If the comment box is not below, scroll to the top and click “comments”.

Because my two kids, a boy - 7 and a girl - 3, share a room, our decorating scheme walks a fine line between girl and boy, between little kid and big. I’ve been a little weary of hanging much art so far, finding everything too one way or the other. But I also get tired of blank walls very quickly, so this week I decided it was time to tackle the wall above their beds. We needed color and fun and something they each loved. And in the end, their favorite books seemed like a good place to start. I should also say that this decision also happened to come about after picking up the dustcovers from those favorite book off the floor one too many times.

If your kids are like mine, they have very little use for dust jackets, and since I try to buy hardback copies of books that I suspect will get a lot of use, we have a lot of them hanging around. Sometimes they stay on the books and gradually disintegrate, eventually being sucked up bit by bit through weekly vacuuming. Sometimes I pull them off right away and tuck them in a cupboard where they sit, taking up space. This is, I think, a better solution than either of the two.

Here’s what you need:

5-6 sheets of scrapbooking paper in coordinating colors (and coordinating with your dust jackets)
Book dust jackets of various sizes
Old frames in various sized
spray paint
foam
Mod Podge
Sewing machine
Ribbon
Paper cutter

Start by matching your dust jackets to frames, deciding which look best where. Paint the frames to match the color scheme of the paper you have chosen and/or the bedroom decor. You can either keep the glass in the frames or choose to leave it out all together. I choose to leave it out, just in case jumping on the bed led to pictures falling on the floor or heads!

Cut a piece of foam core to fit into the back of each frame snugly.

Trim the dust cover neatly so that you have an even rectangle or square of just the front. Reserve the scraps.

Cut and piece the scrapbooking paper so that it covers the edges of the foam core just slightly more than the gap between the dust jacket and the edge of the frame.

Using Mod Podge (I’ll refer you to our own Mod Podge Amy for her excellent tips) decoupage the paper and then the dust jacket onto the foam core.

Once dry, pop your new art into the frames, securing with a staple gun or tape.

With the remaining paper and the scraps of the dust jackets, help your children cut even triangles (or, if they dont feel like a geometry lesson, you could do it yourself). Cut two lengths of ribbon for the beginning and end of the bunting.

Help your children decide on an order for the triangles to fall in the bunting, stacking them from first to last in a pile.

At your sewing machine, place the end of one piece of ribbon under the starting edge of the first triangle and start stitching using a straight stitch and a 1/4 inch seam allowance. As each triangle is done, run the next through, leaving only a few stitches between each. Sew the second piece of ribbon to the back of the last triangle and back stitch to secure.

Using the ribbons as hangers and arranging the art and bunting across the wall, hang your new kids art and stand back to admire. When your kids fall out of love with one book and in with another, or you just need a change, you can decoupage a new dustjacket right on top of the old ones, creating an up to day display of their reading habits.

By Guest Blogger, Sparkle E. Glitter from the blog “Sparkle Studio”. 

I am in love with the Retro 70’s trend that is flooding the market right now.  Since I was not there the first time around, I am embracing all things 70’s.  I love the bellbottoms, the love beads, the mini skirts, the platform shoes, and I especially love tie dye.

So, I combined my tie dye love with my glitter love and here is the result.  Sparkle’s Tie Dye Take Out Box.  You can make one of these take out boxes in a few minutes, but remember to give your box plenty of drying time.  I used Sparkle 21 because it sticks to the plastic surface really well, and it comes in amazing colors.

Here is what you need:

Frosty white plastic take out box

Sparkle 21: Lavender Sparkle, Blue Suede Sparkle, Limeade Sparkle

Toothpick

Try this:

1. Make a thick line spiral of Lavender Sparkle on one side of the box.

 2. Add a thick line of Blue Suede Sparkle next to, but not touching the Lavender spiral.

3. Add a thick line of Limeade Sparkle next to the Blue Suede Sparkle.

4. Use the toothpick to scribble between the colors.  Draw some Lavender into the Blue Suede.  Draw some Blue Suede into the Lavender.  Blend all the lines together.

5.  Repeat on the other three sides if you want to cover the box.  Let dry.

You can use this same technique for faux tie dye on fabric as well.  Sparkle 21 is washable! It comes in many groovy colors, pick three you love to personalize your tie dye take out box.

Glitter on!

Sparkle

Our question for Free Stuff Friday was: It’s almost Valentine’s day, so tell us about your first Valentine!

Typically we choose the winner of Free Stuff Friday by randomly selecting a winner, but this week our winner was chosen by a nomination from Viktoria because her story was sweet and inspiring.

The winning comment was from:

Vie - The one that stands out in my mind goes back many years. My hubby and I were going through a very hard time in our marriage. I did not know if we would make it to our next anniversary. On valentines day, I got up early for work, he was still sleeping. I left a card for him. When I got to my truck he had decorated it with ribbons and hearts and a big card inside that said HONEY BE MY VALENTINE PLEASE  and then it said in tiny, little letters (FAKE IT TILL WE MAKE IT). I looked up and he was standing there with a smile on and nothing else !! Well we lasted 27 years more..

Vie will receive this Amber Bracelet Kit by Janlynn. Create the look of a high-priced collectible bracelet, for only a fraction of the cost! These designer inspired beads will fit on any charm bracelet, and you can arrange the beads anyway you like! The EZ-Bead clasp lets you change the beads at any time, with no tools necessary. Kit includes 7 handmade glass beads, 8 lead-free/nickel-free metal beads, 7.5″ bracelet featuring EZ-Bead clasp and one jewelry pouch.

TGIF! Celebrate Friday by entering to win! Enter to win this Amber Bracelet Kit by Janlynn. Create the look of a high-priced collectible bracelet, for only a fraction of the cost! These designer inspired beads will fit on any charm bracelet, and you can arrange the beads anyway you like! The EZ-Bead clasp lets you change the beads at any time, with no tools necessary. Kit includes 7 handmade glass beads, 8 lead-free/nickel-free metal beads, 7.5″ bracelet featuring EZ-Bead clasp and one jewelry pouch.

Every Friday we’re posting a giveaway on Think Crafts. All you have to do to enter is comment on the blog post answering the question of the week. We’ll pick the winners and contact them via email. One entry per person please.

Question of the Week: It’s almost Valentine’s day, so tell us about your first Valentine!

If the comment box is not below, scroll to the top and click “comments”.