Craft ideas, craft solutions

How to Make a Suet Bird Feeder

2012-01-22T03:09:00.000-08:00

How to Make a Suet Bird Feeder

by Jane Lake

Here is a free woodworking plan to make a simple, homemade suet feeder for the birds. The schematic plan was originally published in 1916, in the book, Bird Houses Boys Can Build, by Albert F. Siepert. But girls, ladies, or gentlemen beyond boyhood shouldn't be deterred; almost everyone will find this little birding project easy enough to do, as it requires only basic woodworking skills.

Suet Feeder Supplies

scraps of 1/2" wood, cut according to the diagram
wood glue
small hinges for lid
nails
chicken wire or 1/4 inch wire mesh
wire cutters
hand saw
hammer
pliers
double-pointed U nails
suet or suet cake

Suet Feeder Instructions:

1. Cut 1/2 inch thick wood according to the Suet Feeder Woodworking Plan.

2. Assemble wood pieces as indicated on the diagram, applying wood glue between each of the joins. Nail through the back of the main board to attach the angled side pieces to the front. Nail a small 3" x 1/2" wide shelf between the two sides to make the bottom of the feeder.

3. Attach the lid with metal hinges so that the lid rests on, and overhangs, the two sides. It should open upwards, allowing you to replace the suet as necessary.

4. Cut a piece of wire mesh about 1/2 inch bigger all around than the front opening. Fold over a 1/2 inch on each side so that the sharp wire edges will all be fastened inwards. Attach the wire to the front of the feeder with U-shaped nails, holding the nails steady with a pair of pliers as you drive them into place with the hammer.

Cautions:

- Children, of course, should always be supervised when using woodworking tools.
- Wear safety goggles when working.
- Be careful around the wire, as the edges can be sharp.

More Free Suet Feeder Plans

All you need is a log of suitable size, and a drill, to make this Log Suet Feeder, shown at left. Or look at the instructions and photos from the DIY Network showing how to make this easy
suet feeder, open on two sides, which is suitable for kids to make with a little supervision.

How to Make Oriole Food using an Easy Oriole Nectar Recipe

2012-01-22T03:07:00.000-08:00

How to Make Oriole Food using an Easy Oriole Nectar Recipe

If you are lucky enough to have willows, poplars, elms or cherry trees in your yard, you already have a favorable environment to attract orioles. If you don't, however, there are still several simple ways to attract orioles to your garden.

What Orioles Like to Eat

Orioles feed on insects and caterpillars, but also like nuts, suet, and fruit such as oranges, cherries, apples, pears or bananas. In additon to offering the oriole nectar from the recipe below, consider offering chopped fruit on a feeding platform, or nailing half an orange to a tree (simply hammer in the nail, then force the nail through the skin of the orange). Replace fruit daily to ensure the food is fresh and doesn't go moldy.

Nesting Materials

You could also leave various nesting materials nearby, to encourage the orioles to nest near your home. Good choices include cat or dog fur, natural fibre dryer lint, or short pieces (3-4 inches) of natural fiber twine and yarn.

There's no need to buy expensive Oriole nectar - make your own, from this simple Oriole syrup recipe:

Oriole Nectar Recipe

You Will Need:

1 part sugar/6 parts water

Instructions:

Boil the water first, then measure and add sugar, at the rate of 1/3 cup of sugar to 2 cups of water.

Let cool and store excess in refrigerator until ready to use.

Although commercial oriole food is usually orange colored, do not add food coloring, honey (which ferments), or artificial sweetener to this homemade oriole food recipe.

You will need to clean your feeder every few days, with hot water and a mild (10%) bleach solution to inhibit mold. Rinse thoroughly before refilling with water syrup.

How to Make Hummingbird Food

2012-01-22T03:05:00.001-08:00

How to Make Hummingbird Food
by Jane Lake

Bee balm, hollyhock, hibiscus, trumpet honeysuckle, clematis, impatiens, phlox and fuchsias are some of the common flowers that will attract hummingbirds to your garden. But hanging a hummingbird feeder where you can easily see it is probably the best way to observe the hummingbirds in action.

There's no need to buy expensive hummingbird nectar - make your own, from this simple hummingbird syrup recipe.

Hummingbird Nectar Recipe

1 part sugar/4 parts water

Boil the water first, then measure and add sugar, at the rate of 1/4 cup of sugar to 1 cup of water.

Let cool and store excess in refrigerator until ready to use.

Do not add food coloring, honey (which ferments), or artificial sweetener, which has no nutritional value.
You will need to clean your feeder about once a week. According to the National Audubon Society, this should be done by rinsing with one part white vinegar to four parts water. If the feeder is dirty, try adding a few grains of dry rice to the vinegar solution to help scrub it clean. Follow the vinegar wash by rinsing three times with clear, warm water before refilling with sugar solution.

The wing beat rate of hummingbirds varies by species, with the common Ruby-Throated Hummingbird averaging a wing beat of about 53 per second, seen by the human eye as a blur. The wings move in a figure eight pattern to produce the gravity-defying hover effect for which hummers are famous. The energy needs of this little bird are amazing - they must feed every 10 to 15 minutes throughout the day, consuming up to two thirds of their body weight in food. An important part of the hummingbird diet is sugar, from flower nectar, tree sap and, of course, backyard feeders.

Hummingbirds cannot smell and depend on their eyesight to seek out flowers and food sources. Inexpensive hummingbird feeders are readily available and will attract the busy little birds without the need for coloring the food - the bright red container and easy food source will keep them coming throughout the day.

Since hummingbirds are territorial, you may want to hang two feeders - one in the back yard and one in the front, to accomodate as many hummingbirds as you can. Hanging the feeders in a shady spot will discourage fermentation and spoilage of the nectar.

tiny holiday banner tutorial

2011-01-03T14:52:00.049-08:00

We're thrilled about today's guest post from our friend Jennifer! She gets crafty with oilcloth, paper, punches, and glitter to transform her kitchen shelf into festive holiday decor. I can't decide which I want more--the tiny banners or the cute bowls she has on her shelf! Enjoy!

Tiny Holiday Banners & Bunting Tutorial

As my family was growing up, I was always quoting to my kids a saying that I learned at church. “Use it up, wear it out, make it do or go without”. I hate going without, so this year I am making do –and its turning into a lot of fun. I was cleaning up my house trying to get it ready for Christmas decorating when I cam across some oilcloth tablecloths leftover from one of my daughter’s weddings. It gave me a great idea.

I measured the oilcloth to fit a shelf that I had in my kitchen and then used a ¾” circle to draw scallops on the oilcloth. After a lot of cutting, I had shelf liners for all five shelves.

They looked pretty cute by themselves, but I decided to decorate them with mini-banners to add a more festive touch. I made two mini banners. The first one was so simple. You just need two things, paper and string. I cut a long diamond shape from red dot paper, folded it in half and glued it to baker’s twine. Ta da! The first banner took me less than an hour, and that includes cutting.

The second banner was made from punches, patterned paper, glitter glue and a digital collage sheet that I bought last year. I punched hearts from red dot paper, circles from green dot paper, and scallops from red paper. I glittered my Santa’s and punched them out with a circle punch. I didn’t want the banner to have a wrong side, so I sandwiched the hearts and circles wrong sides together so that the pattern shows on both sides. I sewed the circles, hearts and scalloped circles all together. Then I glued the glittered Santa’s onto the scalloped circles over the sewing.

I think it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

{last mintue christmas decorations} 3D paper star wreath tutorial

2011-01-03T14:52:00.047-08:00

I had a bunch of this pretty Christmas paper left over from last year (it's Making Memories' Mistletoe line), so I decided to use it up before I didn't love it anymore. I've been meaning to make a star wreath for ages, and after seeing a friend's 3D stars lining the wall on her staircase (super cute idea, by the way), I decided to try them out. Easy and darling! Here's how to make a 3-D paper star wreath for yourself.

3-D Paper Star Wreath Tutorial

Supplies:
*Patterned papers
*Scoring tool (scoring board, bone folder, or stylus)
*Hot glue gun
*Wreath form (I cut my own out of chipboard, but you could use a wooden one from the craft store)
*Buttons, brads, and ribbon

1. Cut stars approximately 3" to 4" wide using a template or die cutting machine. I would've used my Silhouette, but it's on the fritz, so I used my trusty Slice machine. You could also trace a template. I used 12 stars, but you may use more or less depending on the size of your wreath.

2. Score a line from the top of each point straight down to the inside point. Do this for each of the five points.

3. Fold on each line. First, fold each line with wrong-sides of the paper together.

4. Then fold the short lines between points in the opposite direction to give your star dimension.

Repeat this for all stars. Aren't they cute?

5. Optional: embellish stars centers with buttons, brads, or rhinestones. I hot glued mine on.

6. I didn't want my white wreath form to show, so I covered it with green stars, cut just 1/2" smaller. This is also optional, especially if your wreath form is narrower or you have more stars. You can always overlap your big stars.

7. Apply glue to the inside points on the back and hot glue to wreath form.

8. Create a ribbon hanger with a piece of ribbon, and if you're froofy like me, you can add a big, fluffy bow or two. Glue to the back of wreath.

Hang and enjoy!

These 3D stars are also great as ornaments. Just glue a ribbon hanger to the back! You could also glue another star to the back to make it a little sturdier and more 3-D.

I also use them as gift tags. Or gift tags that are also ornaments!

giveaway winners

2011-01-03T14:52:00.045-08:00

Two of our giveaways have now closed and we thank you for entering.

The winner of our photo jewelry giveaway for a $50 gift certificate to their shop is...

Jessica :) who said...."I love the Mega Circle Collage Art Photo Pendant Necklace Kit - 2 inches"

The winner of our cozy toesies pattern giveaway is...
. (smilin chick) who said...."I really do love the foot cozies. Thanks for the giveaway and thanks for showing a new, easy, and useful craft"

Congrats to both of you! We have passed your email onto the sponsor so you should be hearing from them soon!

easy christmas card hanger tutorial

2011-01-03T14:52:00.043-08:00

Is it feeling like Christmas at your house yet? We had a major wind/rain storm in the Seattle area last night, and when I walked out the door this morning, I was greeted with the smell of Christmas trees! Never mind that it's because the storm blew evergreen branches all over the neighborhood. It smells like Christmas! Yea!

Today we're celebrating the fun of Christmas cards over at Make and Takes with our Holiday Card Garland Tutorial. It's a cute and simple way to display all the cute holiday cards you receive in the mail this time of year.

If you haven't sent your cards out yet, don't fret--there's still time! Go on over to Tiny Prints and order some, quickly! Right now they're giving $10 off order of $75 or more with code AFF75, or $10 off $49 for new customers with code AFFNEW!

a sweet rosette ring at a sweet price {last minute gift and stocking stuffer}

2011-01-03T14:52:00.041-08:00

Today I found myself in panic mode. I'm leaving for Utah for Christmas in less than a week, and I am still looking for last-minute gifts for friends! Yikes! Then I saw this deal over at HowDoesShe and immediately breathed a sigh of relief. Today these adorable Petite Rosette statement rings are on groopdealz for only $4. I am in love with these rings!!

This chic petite ring is a great way to accent your outfit, and add a pop of color!

AND they're adjustable! One size fits all!

TODAY ONLY: You can snag a rosette ring of your own for only $4!! ($7 regular!)

These little cuties will be shipped out to you by Dec. 17th, which means you should get them before CHRISTMAS! I'm having mine shipped to Utah so I'll have them for my girlfriends' brunch!

These also make sweet stocking stuffers!

And guess what?! Shipping is only $2 no matter how many you order! You can buy 1 or 20, and you will only pay the one-time $2 shipping charge! Woo hoo!

This deal is offered in five lovely colors you can choose from at checkout.

Grey, Floral, Ivory, Tiffany blue and PINK

Remember, this deal is only good for today through GroopDealz, so GO, GO, GO!

colby's kettle corn giveaway

2011-01-03T14:52:00.039-08:00

Colby's Kettle Corn is a great company that offers healthy, delicious kettle corn at a great value. Colby started this process at the age of 14 and has come such a long way. He really knows what he is doing. You can read his story here. Here is what Colby tells us, “Some people think that kettle corn is a flavor of popcorn. That’s what our competitors want you to believe. They offer ‘Air Popped!!!’ kettle corn, or ‘Microwave kettle corn.’ What a lot of people don’t realize is that kettle corn is not a flavor of popcorn; it is a process in which popcorn is made. Quite simply, true kettle corn is made in a kettle. Not all of our flavors are Salty Sweet, but they are all authentic kettle corn. We offer a variety of flavors to satisfy everyone’s desires. Try them all, my guess is that you’ll have a hard time finding your favorite.”

Well, I was lucky enough to do that. I received some of Colby's Kettle Corn to try and it is delicious! They have 4 delicious flavors.

Chili Cheese Obsession...

Cinnamon Sugar Sensation...

Salty Sweet Addiction...

and White Cheddar Passion.

I loved all of the flavors, but if I had to choose just one, I would pick the Salty Sweet Addiction. My husband couldn't get enough of the Chili Cheese Obsession. It has quite the kick!

I especially love that Colby's Kettle Corn is made in a nutritious way. Here are some of the healthy advantages:

Peanut free
Gluten free
No cholesterol
Low sodium
Vegetarian friendly
No GMO’s
No preservatives
No trans fat
No MSG
Low calorie
Good source of fiber

I can really feel good about eating it and giving it to my kids. Today, Colby's Kettle Corn is giving away a free variety 16 pack ($50 value!) to one of our readers. What a great treat to have on hand for the holidays. It would also make a great gift! All you need to do to enter is visit Colby's Kettle Corn and then come back and tell us what flavor you would most like to try, or your favorite thing about Colby's Kettle Corn. There is also a holiday special going on. You can save 40% off your entire purchase (excluding shipping). This giveaway will end Monday, December 20th at 11:59 pm PT.

{free crochet leaf patterns} and new hat patterns for babies, kids, and adults - in my shop!

2011-01-03T14:52:00.037-08:00

FINALLY! My two new crochet hat patterns are now in my Etsy shop. I know, I promised them by the end of last week, but there were a couple of technical difficulties, and all the Christmas prep has really thrown me off! They're ready to go now, though, and you still have time to make them before Christmas! The Lizzy Cloche takes me less than an hour to complete, and the All-Star Beanie just under two hours! Plus there are tons of yarns on sale right now at the craft stores, so these are great, inexpensive gifts! I also posted some adorable jewelry in my shop that were left over from a craft fair I did in Seattle. Another great last-minute gift!

The All-Star Beanie has to be my favorite boy hat ever. Although I'm working on one in girl colors that is going to be fabulous! There are 7, count 'em 7, sizes in this pattern. I covered the whole range--from 0-6 to Adult, and everything in between. Plus you get the cute star pattern that you can use on lots of other projects! I seriously love this hat.

I have been wearing my Lizzy Cloche crocheted hats almost non-stop these days. (I've made it for myself in several colors!) My husband gives me the worst time about the huge flower, but I love it! If it's a bit big for you, no worries. There are three rosette sizes in the pattern, so you can choose the one that fits your style best. This pattern is the big girls' version of my Ava Cloche pattern, and it comes in sizes from 12 months to Adult.

If you love the Ava Cloch e, here's a new one I just made in pink. It's sooooo sweet! I am in love with it! The Ava Slippers came out adorably, too!

I added a little leaf to each, and I wanted to share the leaf pattern with you! It's quick and easy, and makes such a great addition to my crocheted rose pattern (in both the Ava and Lizzy patterns). Or it would be adorable with any of my other flower patterns, like the five-petal flower and the six-petal flower. Enjoy!

Long Leaf Crochet Pattern
Size G hook, worsted weight yarn

Ch 10. Sc in 2nd ch from hk. Sc in next ch. Hdc in next 2 chs. Dc in next 3 chs. 2dc in same ch.

Continue on back side of ch. Dc in next 3 chs. Hdc in next 2 chs. Sc in next 2 chs. Sl st to beg ch. Fasten off. Stitch to project, hiding the end under your flower.

Short Leaf Crochet Pattern (For bootie pattern)
Size G hook, worsted weight yarn

Ch 7. Sc in 2nd ch from hk. Hdc in next 2 chs. Dc in next 3 chs. 2dc in same ch.

Continue on back side of ch. Dc in next 3 chs. Hdc in next 2 chs. Sc in next ch. Sl st to beg ch. Fasten off. Stitch to project, hiding the end under your flower.

beasties project and book giveaway

2011-01-03T14:52:00.035-08:00

Cyclops and witches and zombies-oh my! Welcome to the wondrous world of Beasties, where mythic and imaginary creatures come alive using simple materials, such as scrap fabric and thread. Beasties: How to Make 22 Mischievous Monsters That Go Bump in the Night is a great book written by Diana Schoenbrun. From Werewolves to Yetis to unidentifiable yet adorable beast, these projects allow crafters to push the limits of their imaginations to sew a menagerie of whimsical beings.

What I love about this book is that it is perfect to introduce children to sewing starting around age 6. Older children can work more independently depending on their skill level. Parents can work with the children to make each project. The book is all ages and teaches crafters to sew plush monsters called Beasties and includes photos of the characters in sets. What a fun activity to do together! I know my son would love to have these creatures on his bed!

Diana was nice enough to share one of the Beastie projects excerpts with us. This little Tomte is the perfect craft to try right before Christmas since he looks like a little elf!

In Sweden this creature watches over the farmhouse at night and tidies up any leftover messes. He protects and brings good luck to the family who dwells there. In order to keep a Tomte happy, make sure there is a toasty fire and a bowl of warm porridge and butter waiting for him. An unhappy Tomte will become red in the face, make a mess of the farm, and tie your horses’ tails together.

Finished size: 5 ½ inches wide by 6 ½ inches high (including hands)

Materials
fabric:
-5 ½ x 5 inch red-and-gray-striped cotton knit
-scrap of white faux fur, felt, or fleece

felt:
-1 sheet of gray
-1 sheet of blue
-scrap of yellow

trim:
-1 pom-pom

floss:
-navy blue

thread:
red, gray

stuffing

Preparation
Cut from patterns:
From cotton knit: 2 hat shapes
From gray felt: 2 body shapes, 2 hand shapes
From blue felt: 2 shoe shapes
From yellow felt: 2 shoe shapes (you will notice that the yellow shoes are slightly larger than the blue)
From faux fur: 1 beard

Cut freehand:
From blue felt: 1 rectangular piece 1 ½ x 8 ½ inches for vest

Instructions
1. Pin hat pieces to body pieces, right sides facing in. Machine sew together.

2. Choose one of the hat/body pieces for the front. From the top measure ⅝ inch down the center of the body and mark a tiny dot for the nose. Measure ½ inch to the left and right of the dot, and mark tiny dots for where the eyes will be. Place pom-pom nose. Sew from the back side of the felt and through the back of the pom-pom, making two or three stitches to attach. Next, take three strands of embroidery floss and sew a French knot for each eye.

3. Place front hat/body piece, right side facing up, on your work surface. Place hands 1 ¼ inches down from the hat/body seam, along the sides. Hands should be pointing in toward the body with the thumbs facing down. Place the other hat/body piece, right side facing down, on top and pin. Begin from right corner and machine sew around, leaving a 2-inch opening on the bottom to turn right sides out and to stuff.

4. Turn hat/body right sides out and fill with stuffing. Sew a small whipstitch to close the opening.

5. On the blue shoes sew laces with red thread by making four cross-stitches. Place yellow shoes behind the blue ones and sew a whipstitch around to attach shoes together, leaving a small gap. Put a pinch of stuffing into shoes, sew them shut, and place shoes along the bottom seam 1 ½ inches in from the corners. Sew a small running stitch to attach.

6. Cut armholes in the felt vest rectangle: Measure 2 inches in from one end and make a fold as shown in the diagram. Cut a tiny half oval at the center of the fold. Unfold felt and you should have a small oval hole cut out. Repeat on other side. Gently bring the Tomte’s hands through armholes so the vest opening is in the front.

7. Place beard on head so eyes and nose go through opening. Sew two stitches at each corner to secure the beard.

How adorable! You can find this and many other great projects in the Beasties Book. Today, one lucky reader has the chance to win one of these great books! To enter, tell us in the comments section who your all-time favorite monster is. You have until Tuesday, December 21st at 11:59pm PT when this giveaway will end.

make your own jewelry with photos and paper

2011-01-03T14:52:00.033-08:00

So many great ideas for Christmas, so little time! I have a long list of posts I hope to share with you before the holidays are over, so watch for multiple posts per day for the next week!

This one has to be the quickest and easiest gift I've ever put together. I was looking for simple Christmas gift ideas for the ladies I work with at church, and I had seen a friend's necklace that had the 2011 theme for our youth group that I wanted to make. I hadn't been able to find really nice quality pendants anywhere locally, so I contacted one of our fabulous sponsors, PhotoJewelryMaking.com, to see what they could recommend. They sent me several different options to try out and share with you. I ended up making several gifts, then purchasing the supplies for the necklace for my church friends so we could get together in January and make them together! (We have waaay to much fun crafting together.) So here are a few ideas for seriously EASY Christmas gifts, LDS YW 2011 theme gifts, craft day with your friends, or just a necklace for yourself!

This piece used the Copper Beaded Edge Circle Pendant with the Krystal Clear-Itz Glass small round glass tile. It's kind of hard to tell from the picture, but it's a domed glass piece and it is so pretty! It magnifies the wording and makes it look more expensive than it really is. But I have to tell you the most amazing part. It might look easy to type up and size the wording for a necklace like this, but it probably would've taken me about an hour and a lot of trial and error to get the size exactly right for the pendant. I'm pretty good in Photoshop, but it still takes me time. So I tried their EZ Photo Resizer Software and was SO impressed! All you do is save your text (or photo for photo jewelry) as a JPEG file, open it in the software, and put in your jewelry piece's measurement (which they provide on the Web site and packing list). Then you can crop it to fit exactly. I printed these off and punched them with my 1" circle punch, used the Instant Seal-Itz photo strips to stick my glass tile over it, and super glued it to the pendant. Voila! Five minute necklace.

I did add a couple of other things to it, as you can see. The Double-Sided rectangular pendants are even easier to make. They can stand alone, or you can pair them with another pendant like I did. Each rectangular pendant has a plastic sleeve that slips out of the pendant. You open up the little folder, place your photo or patterned paper or text inside, and slide it back in the pendant. Two-minute pendant! And they're double-sided, so you can put different papers on each side, or two photos, or text and paper, or paper and a photo. . .you get the idea. I also added a little flower charm (by Making Memories' Vintage Groove jewelry line). And when you get bored with it, it only takes 2 minutes to change it to a whole new piece of jewelry!

This one features the Six B's from Gordon B. Hinckley on the back.

Another unbelievably easy Double-Sided pendant with charm (also by Making Memories' Vintage Groove jewelry line). I put a different paper on the back so I could easily flip it around for another outfit.

Here's another version of the LDS Youth 2011 theme. I used the Krystal Clear-Itz Bottle Cap Covers that you can just stick on top of your photo/text/patterned paper. One-minute pendant. I think we have a winner! These are great for bottle cap magnets and pendants, too (wish I would've had those when I did my bottle cap magnet class a while ago!).

They also sell resin kits if you want to try that. Liquid resin is poured over the top of your photo or patterned paper and allowed to dry 24-72 hours. It sets hard and clear. I made a couple of little pendants with the resin and they turned out great. My favorite part about their resin kit is the amazing instructions! They give you step-by-step with tons of tips and tricks to make your resin pendants turn out beautifully. I've used it before, but I always get nervous when I do it--there are a lot of specific steps that I'm always afraid I'm going to mess up! But they made it really easy. These two pendants were actually made with the Bracelet Making Links, because I wanted to be able to hang a charm or jewel from the bottom of it. But they'd make really cute bracelets, too!

If you're too scared to try resin (or just aren't patient enough to wait for it to dry like me!), you will be amazed at how awesome the Krystal Clear-Itz look. I compared them to the pendants I did with resin and couldn't tell the difference. But they only took a few seconds to mount, and I didn't have to worry about smudging them, or having air bubbles show up, etc. This is the way to go if you ask me! There are also square glass tiles that look really professional, too.

By the way, look how pretty this pendant is on the back!

There are also Krystal Clear-Itz stickers to fit in the Keychains, which are great gifts for grandparents or guys.

Of course we love all our sponsors because they keep our blog going, but I really love it when I can say first hand how awesome a sponsor is. Love, love, love PhotoJewelryMaking.com. At first I wasn't sure I would use their stuff because I wasn't as interested in the photo jewelry, but when I starting thinking of all the other possibilities with patterned paper and text, I was sold. And I used their 10% off coupon this month to make mini kits for my January craft night with my friends! You can use it too, just enter gift10 at checkout!

scrappy ribbon wreath ornament {tutorial}

2011-01-03T14:52:00.031-08:00

Yes, I'm still busy making up ornaments, neighbor gifts, and last minute tags for Christmas! I've always been a Last-Minute Lucy. I suspect a few of you are, too, so the next few days are for you. Sometimes procrastination pays off! Or if you're a planner, put the next few posts in your file for next year!

This simple wreath is made up of bits of leftover ribbon--the tiny scraps I can hardly bear to throw away (see my ribbon jars in this post). Here's a great way to use them up.

Scrappy Ribbon Wreath Ornament Tutorial

Supplies:
*Small scraps of ribbon or fabric strips
*Craft wire and wire cutters

1. Form your wire into a circle shape in the size you want your wreath to be. I bent mine around a glass that happened to be sitting on the table by me. Cut wire and wrap the ends together to secure.

2. Start tying your ribbon on. I tied some of mine with a double knot, and some with just one knot. This helps the ribbon ends go different directions, which I think looks better. But play around with it and see what you like best.

Keep scrunching the ribbons together and adding more until it's full. Then I cut my ribbon ends in a "V" to tidy them up.

4. Tie a longer piece around and tie in a knot to create a loop for hanging. These are darling on the Christmas tree, on top of a gift, or, if you made it larger, on a door or wall.

We also loved this fabric version of the scrappy wreath by Living the Swell Life (which is an adorable blog--if you don't know it you must spend a few hours there).

holiday pretzel kisses {last mintute christmas treats}

2011-01-03T14:52:00.029-08:00

These little treats are simple to make a huge hit at Christmas! I made up a batch for neighbor gifts this weekend.

Holiday Pretzel Kiss Candies Recipe

Ingredients:
*Small, waffle-shaped pretzels
*Hershey's Kisses (plain old chocolate are good, but my favorite are the Candy Cane Kisses--any variety of Kisses or Hugs will work)
*Red & green M&M's
*Cookie sheet and parchment paper

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or wax paper). Spread out pretzels.

2. Put a Hershey's Kiss or Hug in the center of each pretzel.

3. Heat oven to 170°. Place baking sheet in oven for 6 minutes. Kisses will just begin to melt and look shiny, but will not lose their shape.

4. Gently top each Kiss with an M&M, with the "m" side down. It should immediately push the Kiss' point down, but if you have to press it into the Kiss, you may need to heat them a little longer.

Place in the freezer until the Kiss is hard again (i put my whole cookie sheet in my big freezer, but you could wait for them to cool and put them on a smaller plate if you don't have that much room in your freezer). Package them in a cello bag, add a bow and a tag, and you're good to go!

how to make snow globe

2011-01-03T14:52:00.027-08:00

Here's a fun activity for the kids while school is out for winter break. Make your own snow globe! It's way easier than you think.

Snow Globe Tutorial

Supplies:
*Wide-mouth canning jar with lid and screw-on ring
*Winter themed ornament or figurine (make sure it will fit in your jar!)
*Glitter
*Waterproof glue (like Gorilla Glue)
*Ribbon no wider than the lid ring of your jar
*Optional: white texture paint by Plaid

1. Glue your ornament or figurine to the inside of the canning jar lid. Forget that you are seeing my hot glue gun in the picture. Hot glue won't hold very long in water--use a strong, waterproof glue like Gorilla Glue (follow directions and drying time on the label)

2. OPTIONAL: If you want a snowy scene, you can cover the inside of the jar with some of Folk Art's white Texture Paint. Just dab it on with a foam brush. Let it dry at least 24 hours. (This is a time consuming step that is not really necessary. Once the lid is on the jar, you really don't notice it anyway.)

3. Fill your glass jar with water, leaving about 1/2" not filled. Pour a small amount (about 1/4 tsp.) of glitter into water. I used Stampin' Up!'s Dazzling Diamonds glitter for a snow effect.

4. Once your glue (and texture paint if you used it) is dry, put the lid on the jar and screw the ring tightly on. Use hot glue or Gorilla Glue to glue around the edges of the ring to keep kids from opening it up and spilling glitter water all over your carpet. You can also glue a piece of ribbon around the ring (so it looks less homemade!). Shake and enjoy!

You can make these for non-winter related figures as well. For example, we made one using a plastic dinosaur and red glitter (to represent lava raining down at the end of the dinosaur era). Get creative (so you don't lose your mind while the kids are ot of school)!

christmas gift tag exchange {easy christmas gift idea}

2011-01-03T14:52:00.025-08:00

Last week I joined my cute friends from Lasting Memories for a tag exchange party. We each made 12 tags and traded them while enjoying lots of good food (my contribution coming to this blog soon!) and good conversation. Tags also make a great gift, because everyone can use them at Christmastime!

Here are my tags for the swap. I just punched a circle out of sheet music scrapbook paper, punched a star out of plain card stock, covered the star with glitter glue, and dunked it in my german glass glitter. Then I popped the star up with a pop dot and added a little tinsel and a jingle bell. Festive, eh?

Here are all the tags I received at the swap. Amazing, right?

These are a few of my favorites. My friend Annette went all out with these gorgeous tags featuring an accordion fold circle (see the tutorial here).

This tag was made of thin wood, washi tape, sequins, and a hilarious mustache button by my talented friend London who makes killer chipboard buttons (check out her shop right now!).

This glitter tag by my friend Kim looks so fancy, but it is so easy to make! Martha Stewart makes a great glue stamp pad that allows you to stamp your image with a stamp and then sprinkle glitter on it. That's it--it's that easy!

My vintage-loving-friend Marilyn (the recipient of this cute vintage button jar) make this beautiful tag with stamps and buttons in her favorite colors--red and aqua.

My friend Kayleen and I got together a couple of weeks ago and had a tag-making day. We each made 5 of 5 different tags (okay, she made 6 and I made 5--I'm slow). Then we put 1 of each in a cello bag and tied it with a little ribbon and a tag for a fun gift for a brunch we put on last week. It was almost a gift for ourselves because we got to spend quality papercrafting time together AND we each ended up with a set of the tags for ourselves!

top 10 ways to use glitter {we've been featured!}

2011-01-03T14:52:00.023-08:00

We are so excited to be guest posting over at Tip Junkie today, one of our favorite craft blogs of all time! Tip Junkie has been featuring Top 10 Holiday Trends all month, and today was our day. Check it out to see our top 10 ways to use glitter this holiday season. We've featured some of our own posts, and some of our favorites from around blogland. Go visit us at Tip Junkie, and then check out all the other crafting trends for this year!

hot chocolate syrup or wine bottle scarf pattern {easy christmas neighbor gift}

2011-01-03T14:52:00.021-08:00

This year some of my friends got a bottle of peppermint hot chocolate syrup/flavoring with my famous homemade marshmallows. To dress up the bottle a little, I crocheted a tiny scarf to tie around the neck of the bottle. They only took 2 minutes to make and they looked adorable! This would make a great hostess gift, too. I found the syrup at my local restaurant supply store (Cash & Carry for all your Seattleites). They have about a million flavors!

Hot Chocolate Flavoring Syurp OR Wine Bottle Scarf Pattern

Size H hook
Worsted weight yarn

Ch 50. Hdc in 2nd ch from hk and in each ch across. Ch 2, turn. Hdc in each st across. Fasten off and weave in ends.

That's it!

To go with the syrup I gave a cute plate filled with homemade marshmallows. Now I have to brag. Can you believe I found these beautiful plates for only $1 each?! I went to the Rosanna warehouse sale in Seattle and scored. I love that they are not specifically Christmas-themed and can be used all year. Quite a steal.

Here they are all wrapped up.

I was able to make the tags quickly in Photoshop using Cosmo Cricket's Jolly By Golly Elements digital tag set from Jessica Sprague's store (which is all 20% off right now, by the way!). I used the "replace color" feature in Photoshop to match the color of the tag with the plate. I know, I'm a little over the top. But it really was quick and easy!

The tag reads: May the spirit of the season (and a little hot chocolate!) warm your heart this Christmas.

So glad to have my gifts all done and out the door! Now I can relax!

fluffy pumpkin dip and cinnamon sugar chips recipe

2011-01-03T14:52:00.019-08:00

A friend shared this appetizer (or is it dessert?) at a recipe swap recently and everyone gave it rave reviews. Try it for your holiday party--you won't regret it!

Fluffy Pumpkin Dip with Cinnamon Sugar Tortillas (via www.ourbestbites.com)

Pumpkin Dip
16 oz. light Cool Whip, thawed out
1 (5-ounce) packet of vanilla pudding (instant)
1 small can of Libby's pumpkin - (15 oz.)
1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

In a large bowl, mix together pudding, pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla. Gently stir in Cool Whip.This takes about 5 minutes to get the mixture smooth. (After mixing, I usually stick this in the refrigerator
for a while before serving it.)

Cinnamon Sugar Tortilla Chips
Flour tortillas (I used about 7 large tortillas) and holiday cookie cutters
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. sugar
Butter flavored Pam cooking spray

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix cinnamon and sugar together in a bowl. Use metal cookie cutters and a cutting board to cut your tortillas into desired shapes (use leaves for fall, gingerbread men, trees, stars, etc. for Christmas). Place them on parchment or foil-lined baking sheets.

Spray all of the tortilla cut-outs with butter flavored cooking spray on the top side that is facing you.

Sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar mixture. Tip: I put the cinnamon-sugar mixture in an empty spice bottle so my kids could help sprinkle it on. They loved it! Lightly spray again with cooking spray to make sure the cinnamon sticks.

Bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Place the chips on racks to cool off. Serve with Pumpkin Dip.

This is so yummy! But make lots of chips--they'll go fast!

favorite christmas stories for children

2011-01-03T14:52:00.017-08:00

As we get close to Christmas, we hope you are all enjoying time with family (instead of madly sewing and crafting like we know some of you are!). Our friend Jennifer shares her favorite Christmas books for kids that she and her family have enjoyed over the years. We hope you'll enjoy them too, and maybe start your own Christmas book tradition!

Christmas at our House – Family Story Night

When our girls were growing up, one of our family traditions was to read a Christmas story each night before bed. It took me many years of buying one or two books each year before we had enough stories to read one every night in December. Each year as I shopped for the special book, I tried to pick something very special – the illustrations might be wonderful or the story was especially touching. When the girls were very little I wrapped each book and they took turns choosing one. The story was a surprise. As the years went on the wrapping fell by the wayside because it became a chore, but we read stories together every year until the girls left home.

Let me introduce you to just a couple of our very favorite Christmas stories.

Hoshmakaka, a camel, is the star of the book “The Last Straw” by Fredrick H. Thury. Hoshmakaka is an cranky older camel who complains about his gout and sciatica when he is asked to carry a load. He ends up carrying all the wisemen’s gifts to the Christ child. After adding more and more gifts during his journey, a small child gives him a piece of straw for the the Christ child’s bed. – This piece of straw ends up being the last straw for
Hoshmakaka and he falls to his knees in front of the Christ child. My children loved the illustrations and seeing Hoshmakaka loaded down with so many gifts. They also loved that he complained about his gout and sciatica, so much so that “my gout, my sciatica” became a code phrase in our family for being near our limit. Hoshmakaka, the grumpy camel, has to be
one of our family’s favorite Christmas characters.

Another family favorite is “Don’t Forget Me Santa Claus” by Virginia
Mayo. This delightful book has no words, only illustrations, so the story
changed every year depending on who was reading it. The storyline is
about a darling baby in red striped pajamas who is determined to get Santa’s
attention after having his Christmas stocking overlooked by the Jolly Old
Elf. The baby has darling expressions, particularly when he is letting Santa
know how he feels about being forgotten. In our family when Dad read the
story it was hilarious, with all the kids chiming in when he said “don’t forget
me Santa Claus”.

I’ll Be Home For Christmas is the title of this Toot and Puddle book by
Holly Hobby. Toot and Puddle are two dear piggy friends. Puddle likes to
stay at home and Toot likes to travel the world. When Toot promises to be
home in time for Christmas, Puddle starts getting everything ready at home
for a wonderful celebration. Toot has travel trouble and Puddle wonders if
he will ever make it, but in the end the two friends are together at Christmas.
Watching Puddle work so hard to make everything just so for Toot’s arrival
reminds me of how hard my mom worked to make Christmas a magical
time of the year. When my kids left home it was my turn to make sure
that Christmas at our house had all the magic that they girls remembered
from when they were growing up. Reading this book reminds me of how
much we all love each other and how hard we work to please our family at
Christmas time.

This list hardly scratches the surface of the many delightful Christmas books that we have enjoyed over the years. Everyone in the family has a different favorite. After the kids left home, I thought about dividing the books up among the girls, but this year I have read to a daughter in Germany and grandchildren in Oklahoma over the webcam. I won’t have to give away my collection. I can read with my family, wherever they are, for years to come.

giveaway winners

2011-01-03T14:52:00.015-08:00

We have two very special giveaway winners to announce today!

The winner of our colby's kettle corn giveaway with the prize of a variety 16 pack is...

Sandy

who said, "I love salty and sweet together, so the Salty Sweet Addiction would be one I would love to try. Thanks for the giveaway!"

The winner of our Beasties Book giveaway with the prize of a book is...

Laura B.

who said, "This is SO perfect! I'm getting my 7 year old her first sewing machine for Christmas! My favorite monster is Sully from Monsters Inc. Thanks!!"

Congrats to both of you! I have passed your email addresses on to the sponsors so they should be getting a hold of you.

free photo canvas offer - ending soon!

2011-01-03T14:52:00.013-08:00

Just wanted to share two quick deals with you that are ending soon! I'm a sucker for a good (free) deal.

First, there are only a few days left to take advantage of the FREE 8x10 or $55 off a larger photo canvas from Canvas People! That's the right--the deal ends December 31, 2010. So if you've been wondering if you should order one, do it now, before you forget, or you'll miss this great deal! I ordered an 11x14 canvas for the parents of the sweetie I nanny and it turned out so beautiful. For reference, the "A" in the photo is about 8" high, so about the size of the 8x10 canvas you can get for free. I am sooo glad I got the 11x14 version--it just looks so nice in the bigger size! So you can either choose a free 8x10 or $55 off an 11x14 (or larger). Either one is a screamin' deal!

Our friends at The CuteKid are actually offering a FREE 11x14 canvas from Canvas People AND a free 1-year subscription to Parents Magazine when you enter their 2010 CuteKid contest. And December 31st is the last day to enter the contest for a chance to win a $25,000 college scholarship! So if you're thinking about the 11x14 canvas and you've got a cute kid, you should check it out.

Let me know if you have any questions about the canvas photos. I really love the way mine turned out and I'm so excited for her parents to open it Christmas morning!

holiday wishes

2011-01-03T14:52:00.011-08:00

We wish you the warmest of holiday seasons filled with love, peace, and joy. Also lots of wonderful time spent with great family, friends, and food (and hopefully a bit of crafting)!

hand-cut snowflake banner tutorial

2011-01-03T14:52:00.009-08:00

Yea! Something fun to do on Christmas day, courtesy of that crafty Jennifer. We'll be making a few of these for sure once the fun of unwrapping is over! Merry Christmas!

Snowflake Bunting Tutorial

I’ve been trying to think of a couple of fun projects to keep everybody busy on Christmas Day. As soon as I saw this idea at How About Orange, I knew that we would be cutting snowflakes.

I picked up a big pack of Christmas tissue paper at Costco a few weeks ago, so I had plenty of paper work with. I cut a stack of tissue paper into 6 inch squares and started playing with them while I was waiting for my husband to finish one of his projects. It was so fast to make them. I had a stack of about 6 or 7 in just a few minutes. Once I mastered the basics, I started looking for some patterns online. There were lots, but I really fell in love with the Christmas tree and snowman designs that I found here. I was able to draw the tree onto tissue paper and cut it out. I was pretty impressed with myself.

Once I had cut a whole stack of them, I was wondering what I should do with them next. I ironed them flat and then used baker’s twine to make them into a banner to hang in front of my window. So easy, so cute and so much fun to make, just watch out for all the teeny, tiny paper pieces that are left over from cutting. They are all over my floor and I think I will have to get the vacuum out to clean them up

better late than never {happy new year cards}

2011-01-03T14:52:00.007-08:00

For all my fellow procrastinators out there, I am not the least bit ashamed to admit that I am sending Happy New Year cards this year. Happy New Year is good for at least all of January, if not into February, so procrastinators rejoice! You still have time to send holiday cards!

I just sent these out today, and they'll get there the first week in January. Perfect. I went with Tiny Prints for two reasons: 1, I love their designs, and 2, I love the heavy matte paper they use. Oh, and 3, they'll mail them for you! You pay a little extra to print the addresses and for the postage, and they take care of the mailing. Awesome--one more thing off my list for 2010.

This was my first order with Tiny Prints and I was impressed. I encountered one slow spot when trying to proof my envelopes, but other than that it was pretty slick. And because I was a new customer, I was able to use this coupon code for $10 off: AFFNEW (ends 12/31/10). If you've used them before, there are other coupon codes for 10%, 15%, and 20% off, depending on how much you spend (ends 12/29/10). You've only got a couple more days to procrastinate if you want to use the coupons, but if you want to wait a little longer, I give you permission to send your Happy New Year cards anytime in 2011. You're welcome.

holiday peppermint mud pie recipe

2011-01-03T14:52:00.005-08:00

Ones last recipe for 2010. An oldie but a goodie. My friend Vanessa (who doesn't really read this blog but always gets referred here by her mom and sister-in-law--hi Fifes!) asked me to make this for a church activity and I couldn't believe I'd lived this long without the recipe! It's easy and sooo yummy. Perfect for your New Year's celebration!

Holiday Peppermint Mud Pie Recipe

36 Oreo cookies, crushed (I ended up using the whole bag because you can never go wrong with more Oreos!)
1/2 cup margarine, melted (can use butter, but margarine works better!)
1/2 gallon ice cream, softened (we use Peppermint or Candy Cane for the holidays, or any mint chocolate chip ice cream is good for traditional mud pie)
1 jar fudge ice cream topping.
1 8oz. container Cool Whip

Mix cookie crumbs and margarine together. Press into bottom of 9"x13" pan, reserving some crumbs to sprinkle on top. Freeze 20 minutes. Spread 1/2 gallon of softened ice cream over cookies and freeze 20 minutes. Heat the jar of fudge ice cream topping for 10-15 seconds in the microwave and spread over the ice cream. Freeze 20 minutes. Spread Cool Whip on top and garnish with cookie crumbs. Freeze at least 20 minutes or until ready to serve (Vanessa recommends making it the night before).

You can't believe how fast this went. I also sprinkled crushed candy canes on top in addition to the cookies. Really cute. (Sorry, no pic--my pan was gone before I could get a picture!)

vintage pillowcase apron you can really use {sewing tutorial}

2011-01-03T14:52:00.003-08:00

Happy New Year!! Hope you all had a safe and happy end to 2010. I was folding laundry and listening to a book on my iPod when the new year hit (while everyone else in my house slept), but hey, that's my life right now and I'm happy with it! The best part was waking up to Anne of Green Gables on PBS--my husband turned it on to wake me up. I did wake up, but his plan was foiled when I stayed in bed to watch it all morning. 2011 is bound to be a good year with that start! (I know, I'm a nerd, but I'm not afraid to admit it!)

I'm so excited to start the year off with a fabulous and quite ingenious tutorial from the fabulous and ingenious Jennifer. It's a pillowcase apron with an inventive addition. You're going to want to run right out and make it. Good thing it's a holiday weekend!

Pillowcase Apron with Towel Tutorial

When my mother was downsizing her house last spring, she gave me a whole stack of old embroidered pillowcases. I really loved them, but I knew that I wouldn’t be using them for pillows. I already have a whole stack of them that I was given when I got married that I’ve never used. Last spring I saw a friend wear an apron to work that was made from an embroidered pillowcase. I loved it and knew right away what I was going to be doing with that stack of pillowcases. I made this apron for my newly married daughter, who is living in Germany. She loves blue and I knew that she would really like to have one of her grandmother’s pillowcases.

I used this tutorial by Crafty Dame to make the apron. It was really fast and pretty easy, although if I make another one I am going to make the waistband (not the ties) a little bigger and have less gathering in the skirt. It took just about an hour to make it.

My husband teases me that my life is always form over function (he’s an engineer). While it is true that I tend to make things more pretty than functional, it’s not always the case. I knew while I was making this apron that it would be hard to use in the kitchen because I wouldn’t want to get it dirty. I also know that I am always looking for a kitchen towel to wipe my hands or wipe up messes, so I decided to add a kitchen towel to this apron.

I sewed buttons to the waist band of the apron. I tried to make them match the embroidery. I didn’t worry too much about the size because I wanted them to be a decorative element if you didn’t have the towel attached.

I used a bar mop which I folded over about 5 or 6 inches and sewed button holes into it.

The bar mop just buttons on and off over the apron and is perfect for wiping hands, cleaning up messes, protecting the apron from grease and can even be used as a hot pad in a pinch. When it gets dirty just unbutton it and throw it in the washer. The bar mop is not anywhere near as pretty as the apron, but I thought it made the apron a lot more functional.

kids helping hand towels

2011-01-03T14:52:00.001-08:00

It's a new year. That means I can resolve to keep my house cleaner this year. To do that I really need the help of the little boys who contribute to many messes at my house! I heard of an idea to have the kids decorate their own hand towels to use when they clean up. This way when I want the table wiped off, or there is a spill, they can run right to their own towel and help me out.

This is an easy, cheap, fun activity to do with your kiddos. The supply list is simple as well. I found a big pack of towels on clearance at Target. All you need after that is crayons, newspaper, an iron, and ironing board (or use your counter top with several layers of towels for protection).

You can have your child use the crayons to decorate the towels however you like. I helped trace my boys' hands on the towels since I called them helping hand towels. Then I had each boy write his name so he would know which towel was his. Make sure you pick a dark enough color and press hard so the color is bold.

After you are finished coloring on the towels, place them face down onto a thick layer of newspapers. Using the cotton setting on your iron, apply some pressure and iron all over the towel for several minutes. Replace the newspapers since a layer of crayon will come off of the towel and then repeat. After this, you can wash and dry the towels and the crayon will stay!

I have noticed that it does fade over time, but my boys loved this activity so much that I won't mind making more in a few months! Best wishes for a clean home (and happy helpers) this year!

My Link Exchange

2011-01-03T14:50:00.012-08:00

You can add and find any information like where to find free printable template, beads craft show booths, where to buy brown craft paper, wholesale craft books. art supplies etc.
Leave comment or emailme to add your link here
List of my link :
1. Health care - Fitness
2. Camera and Camcorder Store
3. Gadget Store
4. Gardening Tips
5. Free Kids crafts idea
6. Movie Review
7. actionfigures and toys store
8. Car Accessories
9. Footwear store
10. Jewelry online store
11. Prom Hairstyles
12. Watches Store
13. Baby Product

Printable Animal Craft Template - Fish Craft

2011-01-03T14:50:00.011-08:00

This is a Free Printable cute Fish craft template for preschool craft and kid crafts

Craft Supplies :

Craft Instructions to make craft:

Print craft template

the craft: cut out the craft templates

Construct your craft template

Your Animal craft (Fish crafts) is done! You can make it as gift craft

Craft Template - printable craft:

I'm not 100% satisfied with this template, and like to change it later. Any suggesstions are very helpfull.

free printable birthday cards

2011-01-03T14:50:00.010-08:00

You can modify this free printable birthday cards template for party invitations, greeting cards, Wallpaper or powerpoint templates background. This file is psd format. There are many layer ( text, foot print picture, flower ). You can add your own image like your baby handprint etc
Download template here

Printable Elephant Craft Template

2011-01-03T14:50:00.009-08:00

This is a cute handcrafted elephant project for preschool and kid crafts

Craft Supplies :

Craft Instructions to make craft:

cut out the templates. Make duplicate for elephant legs and body

Built your craft template

Your Animal Elephant craft is done!

Origami paper planes

2011-01-03T14:50:00.008-08:00

This is easy origami paper airplanes. It is good to start learn origami

origami instructions . Step origami folding instructions :
- Fold the sheet in half along the line and then open it out again
- Fold the two top corners in to the center line
- Then fold the top large triangle over so that the two flaps formed in step 2 are underneath the large triangle
- Fold the two top corners into the center line again
- Fold the small triangle up over the two flaps
- Fold along the center line so that the small triangle is on the underside of the plane on the outside along with the two flap
- Fold along the line then turn the plane over and do the same to the other side
and your airplane Done! I will post others origami instructions later. Like how to make origami sphere and how to make origami flowers. Just wait my other post.

Rabbit Craft - Free Printable Animal Craft Template

2011-01-03T14:50:00.007-08:00

This is a Free Printable cute Rabbit craft template

Craft Supplies : sole or paper, Craft Glue, Scissors

Craft Instructions to make craft:
1. Print Rabbit template.
2. cut paper or sole templates with Scissors. Make duplicate rabbit legs and body
3. Construct and use Glue if nessesary
4. Your Animal Rabbit craft is done!

Cow Craft Template

2011-01-03T14:50:00.006-08:00

After two months, i finally had time to finished one cute new kids craft. Another animal crafts : Printable Cow template.

You can make this cute animal with sole, thick paper or Funky Foam.
Tools and craft supply you need :
Scissor
glue
paper
pencil
Craft Instructions :
Print the Craft Patterns on paper
Sticking on sole, thick paper or Funky Foam with glue
Cut template with Scissor
Duplicate cow legs and body
Build your cow toy
Done!!

For next posts, i will post free clipart like christian clipart and free christian powerpoint backgrounds.
If you have any suggestions, please leave comment. Thank

Learn to quilt - need sewing machine

2011-01-03T14:50:00.005-08:00

For those who want to learn to quilt you must have sewing machine. When you want to make sewing patterns, clothes and embroidery you need sewing machine too. If you really want to start learn about quilting and make sewing patterns, clothes and embroidery or else, I suggest you to buy sewing machines for beginners.

As beginner, you should consider to buy sewing machines for beginners that will be functional and easy to use. It doesn't matter how much you pay for the machine, you have to feel comfortable using it. So you must only choose a machine that's right for you.
Buy new sewing machines for beginners and start to learn make your own sewing pattern and clothes. I hope some day you can make your own Prom Dress and Wedding Dress.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Craft

2011-01-03T14:50:00.004-08:00

This is craft of the famous animal : Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
It is a song and popular Christmas story about Santa Claus's ninth and lead reindeer who possesses an unusually red-colored nose that gives off its own light, powerful enough to illuminate the team's path through inclement weather.

Craft Instructions to make craft:
1. Print craft template and Print craft template and stick on sole, thick paper or Funky Foam with glue
2. The craft: cut out the craft templates
3. Construct your craft template
4. Your Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is done! You can make it as gift craft

Foreign Language Learning for your kids

2011-01-03T14:50:00.003-08:00

There are lots of benefits if you have ability to speak and read more than one language. Individuals who speak and read more than one language have the ability to communicate with more people, read more literature, more job opportunities and benefit more fully from travel to other countries. As example if you go to Spanish, you don’t need the translator if you want to talk with local people because you already learn to speak Spanish and have ability to speak with them. What I want to say is learning foreign language has many benefits for us.

How about your children? What is the benefit for them if they learn foreign language? Some study shows that the benefits of second language learning for children can be dramatic, affecting children neurologically, psychologically and socially. What is even more interesting and new about studies on brain development is the revelation that early exposure to more than one language actually builds a more powerful brain.
Teach your child to learn to speak Spanish, learn to speak Italian, learn to speak French and other language even before they can speak. Research shows that kids' brains are especially receptive to learning a second language before the age of 10 years. I hope this information useful for you.

Three-Dimensional Quilling: Making Characters (Quilling series) (Paperback)

2011-01-03T14:50:00.002-08:00

Mastering three-dimensional quilling—rolling, scrolling, coiling, and fringing narrow strips of paper to create exquisite designs—is made easy in this informative and inspiring book that includes step-by-step photographs and clear instructions.
Projects include making fun finger puppets; a frog with long, lanky legs; a wonderfully curly poodle; a fairy; and an angel.Explanations on making the basic required coils are provided and five fabulous projects show how to create quirky three-dimensional characters by using specialized paper, a quilling needle, and precision scissors.

Get more information and Buy Three-Dimensional Quilling: Making Characters (Quilling series) (Paperback)

Gift Bakets

2011-01-03T14:50:00.001-08:00

When you have special event like birthday, baby shower, house warming, anniversary or others event, I think you already prepare for some gifts for your guests, friends and your family. And if we talk about gifts, we can’t forget about gift basket to put your gifts and make your present looks nicer.
Gift baskets are a perfect idea for almost any occasion and any moments. Whether you are giving a Gift Bakets for Christmas or just the gift for an everyday gift, it is definitely something that will bring a smile to their face that receive your present and make yourself feel great about your gift selection.
If you looking the perfect give for someone, it will be great idea if you not only choose the right gifts as your present but you can also choose the right basket and decor it as same theme with the event. If you have an upcoming special event, you can build your custom your gift basket by yourself. And if you don’t have enough time to build your own gift basket, you can buy your Gift Bakets.

Today you can find and search many gift baskets on internet. Lot of store offers their gift basket for every event. Compare and choose the Gift Bakets that you need.

Kangaroo Craft

2011-01-03T14:50:00.000-08:00

This is cute Kangaroo Craft with her Baby Cangoroo.
You can make this cute animal with sole, thick paper or Funky Foam.
Tools and Craft supplies you need :

Scissor
glue
paper
pencil

Step:

1. Print the kangoroo craft template
2. Duplicate body,legs
3. Construct your craft template
4. Your Cangoroo Craft is Done!

Craft idea from wax

2011-01-03T14:49:00.023-08:00

Candle and wax are useful for our life. Long time ago the use of candles is for the light when night came. Candle also is a part of tradition in many meditation practices. Candles can give you great feeling of a little warmth and light in the room while you are meditating. Some specialized candles make aromatherapy with soy wax and they will fill the room with a pleasing perfume aroma producing a sense of relaxation and calm.
Candle can help us to create romantic moment in our life. You can put candle in candle jars and create a beautiful romantic candle lit bath with a couple scented jar candles and some pillar candles. You can find idea using search engine to find new idea for your romantic moment with candle light.

There are also many good crafts made by wax or candle. There are many other uses of candle and wax. So if you interesting to use them just find candle making supplies and order as you need and make new craft idea from wax.

Unique Halloween costumes

2011-01-03T14:49:00.021-08:00

When Halloween day come, people get ready for this moment. They decorate their home with Halloween theme and accessories like ugly head from pumpkin. And off course, they also ready for the Halloween party. Sometime people from adult, teen and kids make their own crafts like mask or Halloween costume and accessories for their Halloween Party. They make their Halloween accessories for their own, someone special for them, for their mother or father or their Childrens Costumes and even they make Halloween accessories and costume for their pet! Yes no doubt, Halloween is excited moment for everyone for every ages. For some people this moment can be the one of the sweet memory that you will always remember and you will never forget for the rest of your life when something special happen on that day.

For you who don't have time to prepare for yourself and your family for Halloween accessories and costume. There is a good news for you. Now you can buy your need online. Today there are lot of Halloween store that have largest selection of unique adult and kids Halloween costumes, accessories, and party supplies on the Internet. You can buy Adult Halloween Costumes, Sexy Costumes for yourself or unique costumes for your kids or maybe costume for your pet to make them more funny. Just choose costume you like and buy from prom store that provide high quality product. Happy Halloween!

Cute Birthday Card Template

2011-01-03T14:49:00.019-08:00

This is a cute birthday card template for your kid. This printable birthday template format is PNG.
You can add some addition picture behind transparent area with image editing software like adobe photoshop or with free image editing software.
This birthday template file size is 227kb. You can open and then save the file or Download this cute birthday card template.

This birthday template file size is 227kb. You can open and then save the file or right klick and download this cute birthday card template.

Unique gift basket craft

2011-01-03T14:49:00.017-08:00

Everyone will happy when they receive gift from someone else. Especially when that gift is from someone special. A gift can make relation more closer that before, show how much you care about someone and many other benefit by giving a gift to someone else. For you who want to make a gift for your family or your friends, it would be great idea if you arrange and put your gift on the gift basket to make your gift looks more nice and beautiful.
For you who love to make craft, you can make your own Unique gift basket craft. This can make they who receive your gift will very glad to see your nice present; your lovely Unique Gift Baskets.
For you who run a business, sending a good gift to your client can make your company more prestigious. This an outstanding way to promote strong company performance by giving gift to your client. And this can let your employees know you appreciate their contribution by sending special gift baskets to them.

What ever gift basket you need, now you can order them from online store. Whether you want to find Gourmet Gift Baskets or you want to buy Spa Gift Baskets. Just choose the type of gift basket you need and make sure you buy from store that provide high quality gift baskets.

Halloween Recipes & Crafts (Paperback)

2011-01-03T14:49:00.015-08:00

I DEFINATELY RECOMMEND this book to anyone that has kids or that is a kid themself when it comes to Halloween!!! The book is divided into:

History of Halloween
Outdoor decorations
Indoor Decorations
Jack-o-Lanterns
Devilishly Delectable Treats
Party Favors & Crafts
Ghoulish Games
Creepy Costumes and Menacing Makeup

Some ideas are not all that original but there are a few things in here that will help you find insperation for your Halloween parties and costums

Get more information about halloween book, halloween recipes, halloween party ideas and Buy Halloween Recipes & Crafts (Paperback)

Green printing to keep our environment health

2011-01-03T14:49:00.013-08:00

When make a craft we usually use template to make our work easier than make a craft from scratch. We use Craft template to make lot same crafts. To make the printable craft template we need a printer to print our new kids craft idea template. When we cut the paper and only use the template there are lot of pieces of waste paper. You will throw these pieces of paper in waste-paper basket, and then move to dustbin. And tomorrow a garbage truck will take your garbage to garbage dump.
Today environmentally issue is become serious problem in this world. Soil contaminated with dangerous material, climate change known as global warming and other environmentally issues that can make our old world go to very bad condition. These all environment problems can make our life in very dangerous situation.
Why I talk about environmentally issue when we make craft template? Well friends, we can participate to keep our environment by not using dangerous material that can pollute our environment and soil. From today when you want to print a craft template consider about green printing. If order high quality brochure printing, make sure you choose a printing company that provides environment friendly green printing process.

Fox craft

2011-01-03T14:49:00.011-08:00

This is New Kids crafts idea : cute Printable animal Fox Craft emplate.
You can make this cute animal with sole, thick paper or Funky Foam. The important think is the foam thickness. You must adjust the hole to fit with your craft material tickness. You must adjust The yellow template to fit with your sole or Funky Foam thickness.

Tool and Craft Supplies :

Printer
paper crafts or sole
Scissors
Glue

Step to make:
1. Print the Fox craft template
2. Duplicate the Blue body and fox legs template
3. Construct your craft template
4. Your cute Fox Craft is Done!

Christmas Greeting Cards

2011-01-03T14:49:00.009-08:00

Christmas is near! The New Year will come soon. Send your holiday eCards to everyone! This Free Greeting Cards is free for you. If you want to edit Christmas Greeting Cards and want to recompose the lay out, you can download the psd version here.

If you have any suggestions for craft idea, don’t hesitate to post your comment.

Cute Goat Craft Template

2011-01-03T14:49:00.007-08:00

This is craft template of cute animal goat.
What you need to make this cute animal craft are:

Printer
cissors
Glue
paper crafts
funky foam or sole

Instructions to make craft:

Print craft goat template
cut your template with scissors
arrange and construct the template and use the glue if necessary
Your Animal craft (goat crafts) is done!

Thickness of the template can be customized with your craft supply you have.

Special Kids Costumes

2011-01-03T14:49:00.005-08:00

Almost every people like party, especially the children. For children, party is a time that they are waiting for. Kids love party because they can play and laugh together with their friends. That moment make them very happy.
Soon we will celebrate Easter. Are you already preparing Easter Costumes for your kids? Or maybe the old costume already outdate and broken. Your kids will very happy if you give them new costumes for their party. You can create your kid costumes by finding great costume ideas on internet. Or maybe you don’t have time to create your Kids Costumes and you want to buy at online store. The choice is your
There are lots of Prom Shops online today. You can check their price and compare with other costume store. You can find Halloween Costumes for your entire family. Give your children special Kids Costumes for their party and let them enjoy their party.

Poodle craft template

2011-01-03T14:49:00.003-08:00

You can make this cute little dog with sole, Funky Foam or thick paper. The important thing is you must adjust the hole to fit with your craft material thickness.

Tool and Craft Supplies :

Printer
paper crafts or sole
Scissors
Glue

Step to make:
1. Print the Poodle template
2. Duplicate body and legs template
3. Construct your craft template
4. Use glue as necessary
5. Your poodle craft is ready to play

Ferret Craft Template

2011-01-03T14:49:00.001-08:00

Well, let's start again to make a new kids craft. This is a good and cute craft template for kids.
To make this cute animal template, prepare your thick paper, sole or Funky Foam.
Craft supplies and Tools you need :
glue
paper
pencil
scissor

Step Instructions :

Print the animal ferret craft template
Make copy of body and Ferret legs and use scissor to cut the part of the templates
Combine all part of the templates.
Use glue if necessary
Your Ferret Craft is Done!

french dresses paper garland

2010-12-22T14:34:00.000-08:00

The lovely recipient of the butterfly quilt lives in one of the most beautiful cities in the world-Paris. So, I thought it would be fun to also make her a garland that she can use to announce to her friends and neighbors that the baby is here. A real fun "It's a Girl!" announcement--in a sophisticated French style. Here's what I came up with--beautiful French dresses on a satin ribbon. This simple garland would look perfect hanging on a chic Parisian door. (Well, at least I think so.)

I just used some white chipboard that came as packing material in a box. I hand sketched the dresses and then cut them out. I then traced the chipboard dresses onto coordinating cardstock. After the dresses where all cut out and ready; I embellished with ribbon, buttons, and my sewing machine.

This garland was so fun to make and I was able to do it in one evening. I love how they turned out and I think I am going to have to make about 50 more. Ooh la la!

christmas gift tag exchange {easy christmas gift idea}

2010-12-22T14:31:00.001-08:00

holiday pretzel kisses {last mintute christmas treats}

2010-12-22T14:31:00.000-08:00

how to make snow globe

2010-12-22T14:29:00.000-08:00

Poodle craft template

2010-12-22T14:26:00.000-08:00

You can make this cute little dog with sole, Funky Foam or thick paper. The important thing is you must adjust the hole to fit with your craft material thickness.

Tool and Craft Supplies :

Printer
paper crafts or sole
Scissors
Glue

Step to make:
1. Print the Poodle template
2. Duplicate body and legs template
3. Construct your craft template
4. Use glue as necessary
5. Your poodle craft is ready to play

Ferret Craft Template

2010-12-22T14:25:00.001-08:00

Print the animal ferret craft template
Make copy of body and Ferret legs and use scissor to cut the part of the templates
Combine all part of the templates.
Use glue if necessary
Your Ferret Craft is Done!

Halloween Costumes

2010-11-07T14:14:00.000-08:00

Make these simple chair covers for Halloween craft, then customize them for any celebration at home or school.

Materials

Felt
Fabric glue or needle and thread

Pins
Repositionable glue (we used nontoxic Aleene's Spritz-On Reposition-It Tacky Glue, available at craft stores)

Instructions

The Slipcover:

This easy slipcover, made from a few yards of felt, serves as a backdrop for a year's worth of decorations.

First, decide how far down the back of your chair you want the slipcover to hang. Measure from that point up and over the top of the chair, then down to the seat (or stop at the arms if your chair has them). This is the total length of felt you'll need for each cover. Now measure the width of the chair back at its widest point; add to that measurement the thickness of the chair back and 1 inch for the seams (1/2 inch per side).
For each chair, cut a piece of white felt to fit your measurements. Ours ran 1 1/2 yards long and 2/3 yard wide.
Fold the felt over the chair and pin the sides in place. Remove the cover and sew up the sides or glue them together with fabric glue. If you sew them, turn the cover inside out.
The Decorations

To haunt your house with this friendly spirit, simply download the
ghost template.
Trace the templates on to felt (or other lightweight materials such as ribbon) and then cut them out. (We glued white felt pupils onto the black eyes.) Dimensions will depend on the size of your chair covers.
Spray the back of each piece with a thin layer of repositionable glue, then press them onto the slipcovers or layer them on top of one another. (If little hands peel off any of them, just apply another layer of glue and press them back on.) Tip: If you get a clump of glue, spread it out with a paintbrush so it doesn't leave a mark on the white felt.
Store the pieces in plastic bags, preferably with the sticky sides facing away from one another. Next time you use them, spritz on another layer of glue.

Tips:: Check out these other chair covers for all the different seasons!

Cagey Ghosts Craft

2010-11-05T15:27:00.000-07:00

Out-of-use tomato cages are a restless bunch. Come Halloween, they haunt front porches as glowing ghosts.

Materials

Tomato cage
Duct tape
String lights
Twist ties

Socks
Sticks
Marker or craft foam (for facial features)
White twin sheet

Instructions

To make one, set up the cage as shown. To form the head, use duct tape to secure the rounded prongs of the cage. Thread the lights through the cage, and secure them with twist ties.
For each arm, ball up two socks and duct-tape them to a stick, placed in the ground.
Add marker or pinned-on craft foam facial features to a white twin sheet, then drape it over the structure.

Awesome Arachnids

2010-11-05T15:22:00.000-07:00

Suction cups let these cute-yet-creepy spiders lurk overhead, just like their living counterparts!

Materials

Chenille bump pipe cleaners
Small suction cup
Glue dots

Pom-pom
Red artificial gemstones or googly eyes

Instructions

Form the spider's legs from four equal lengths of chenille bump pipe cleaner and a small suction cup, as shown.
Use glue dots to affix a pom-pom body on top of the knob and red artificial gemstones or googly eyes.

A Wreath for All Seasons

2010-11-05T15:03:00.000-07:00

Show your family's true colors with an ever-changing wreath

We all know that first impressions count, so why not help your front door put its best face forward? This decoration extends a warm welcome to guests and allows your family's personality to shine. Starting with a store-bought grapevine wreath, you can have the whole household get into the act of customizing the embroidery-hoop ornaments in endless ways (we suggest a few easy techniques here).
Go beyond the holidays by hanging ornaments that celebrate achievements, announce happy events like birthdays and graduations, or cheer on a team. Add or remove ornaments each season, and the fun — and that terrific first impression — can last all year long.

Materials

Embroidery hoops (see tip below)
Solid-color fabric or canvas
Paintbrush and paint, paint pens, or other decorating tools (see instructions for details)
Outdoor Mod Podge

Greenery, faux berries, or other seasonal extras
Grapevine wreath
Floral wire

Instructions

For each ornament, measure the hoop, then cut a fabric circle that's an inch larger in diameter. Sandwich the fabric between the rings of the hoop, then pull the fabric taut and tighten the screw. Trim any excess fabric.
Decorate the ornaments (see ideas below). Let them dry, as needed, then apply a coat of Outdoor Mod Podge for weatherproofing and let it dry. Attach the ornaments and greenery or other extras to the wreath with lengths of floral wire. For the greatest durability, hang the finished wreath in a protected spot.
Stamp simple shapes by applying acrylic paint to a halved apple or a leaf, then pressing it onto the fabric (practice on paper first). Add details with a paint pen.
For a 3-D effect, use strong glue, such as Crafter's Pick The Ultimate, to adhere collage materials like the fishing line shown here (made from a bit of cord) and metal charms.
Acrylic paint and a brush are great for creating bold images like our pie design, and for livening up the hoop frames (paint them before adding the fabric). For more detailed designs, such as our horse drawing, use fabric markers or paint pens.
Create ornaments from photos — like the dog portrait shown here — with inkjet-printable cotton sheets (we used Jacquard brand, available at craft stores). Follow the package instructions to transfer a digital shot or scanned drawing to the fabric, then use a paint pen for extra flourishes.

Tips:: The embroidery hoops used here are 3 to 5 inches wide and cost $1 to $2 each at craft or fabric stores. For another creative hoop craft, check out our

How to Make a Photo Album OUt of a CD Jewel Case

2010-10-22T05:13:00.000-07:00

Learn how to make a cool photo album or brag book using a CD case. This makes a special gift by personalizing it for grandma, a special aunt, or best friend. You can give it to them blank and let them fill the pages or you can fill the pages with pictures, sayings, etc.

* Age Guideline: 8 Years +

* Time Required: 45-60 minutes (Does not include drying time)

The above age and time guidelines are estimates. This project can be modified to suit other ages and may take more or less time depending on your circumstances.

Materials Needed:

* CD Jewel Case

* Cardstock

* Ribbon

* Miscellaneous Craft SUpplies

* Craft Glue

* Stapler

* Scissors

Instructions:

Cut several pieces of cardstock about a half an inch smaller than the CD case. Cut as many as will fit inside the CD case. Stack your cardstock pieces on top of each other, lining up the edges, and put a couple of stages along one edge to make a booklet.

Now you can simply place this little booklet inside the CD case, or you can glue the stapled edge to the spine of the CD case. If you do glue it in, be generous with the craft glue and let it dry completely before you try to flip the pages. When you flip the pages of the book once the glue is dry, make sure you do so by folding the page close to the binding rather than pulling at the page and the binding.

Now your CD brag book is now ready to be decorated. Add a ribbon so you can tie the CD book closed. This is optional, but recommended. I added two ribbons. Embellish to your heart's content!

Make a Photo Ornament Using Noodles

2010-10-22T05:09:00.000-07:00

Guide to DIY Fashion, explains how her and her family makes fun photo ornaments using noodles!

* Age Guideline: 3 Years +
* Time Required: 30-40 minutes (Does not include drying time)

The above age and time guidelines are estimates. This project can be modified to suit other ages and may take more or less time depending on your circumstances.

Materials Needed:

* Cardboard
* Noodles
* Craft Glue
* Silver Spray Paint
* Glitter
* Ribbon
* Scissors

Instructions:
Cut the piece of cardboard into an oval shape, approximately 4" x 6" (or whatever size you want). Poke a hole near the top edge big enough to thread ribbon through later. Glue a variety of noodles onto the cardboard, leaving an area in the center clear for your photo. Let the glue dry.

In a well ventilated area, spray the entire noodle-covered oval using spray paint. The ornament here was made using silver spray paint, but you can use whatever color you like. While the paint is still wait, sprinkle on some glitter. Let the paint dry.

To finish the ornament you simply glue a photo in the center of the oval and thread a piece of ribbon through the hole and tie it into a loop. Hang up your ornament and enjoy!

Halloween Costume Ideas for Couples

2010-10-12T12:37:00.000-07:00

Looking for great Halloween costume ideas for 2 ?

These ideas should help spark your creativity whether the Halloween costumes are for a couple, a parent and child, or siblings. For even a better effect, switch rolls - woman dressed as the man typically would... If you have an idea that should be listed here, please submit it to be posted using this simple form! If you prefer to browse through couple costumes by category, check out this collection.

| Costumes for Groups | Make Your Own Costumes | Costume Photos |

Abbott and Costello
Adam and Eve - (compare prices)
Aladdin and Jasmine - (compare prices)
Angel and Devil - (compare prices devil) (compare prices angel) (make)
Ariel and Sebastian from Little Mermaid (shared by Jax)- (compare prices mermaid)
Austin Powers and Vanessa - (compare prices)
Autumn Leaves and Tree - (compare prices leaves) (compare prices tree) (make leaves) (make tree)

Baby Boy and Baby Girl - (compare prices) (make)
Bamm-Bamm and Pebbles - (compare prices on bamm-bamm) (compare prices on pebbles)
Barbie and Ken - (compare prices) (make barbie)
Barak and Michelle Obama (shared by Katie) - (compare prices)
Barney and Betty Rubble - (compare prices)

Batman and Catwoman - (compare prices batman) (compare prices catwoman) (make batman)
Beatnik Couple (shared by kking) - (compare prices) (make)
Beauty and The Beast - (compare prices)
Bee Keeper and Bee - (compare prices) (make bee)
Beavis and Butthead
Bert and Ernie (shared by Katie) - (compare prices bert) (compare prices ernie)
Big Bad Wolf and Little Red Riding Hood - (compare prices red riding hood) (compare prices wolf) (make wolf)

Biker Couple - (compare prices) (make)
Bill and Hillary Clinton (shared by Katie) - (compare prices)
Black Eyed Peas (shared by Eric) - (compare prices) (make)
Blair Waldorf and Chuck Bass (shared by Kat)
Bonnie and Clyde - (compare prices)
Boxer and Ring Girl - (compare prices boxer) (compare prices ring girl)
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie (shared by Katie)
Brick Layer and Brick (shared by Trisha Conrad)
Bride and Groom - (compare prices bride) (compare prices groom)
Bud And Sissy from Urban Cowboy (shared by Zach) - (compare prices on cowboy) (compare prices on cowgirl)
Bug and a Can of Raid (shared by Lu) - (compare prices bug) (make bug) (make raid)
Burger King and The Dairy Queen - (compare prices king) (compare prices queen)
Bullfighter and Bull - (compare prices)
Butler and Maid - (compare prices butler) (compare prices maid)
Butterfly and Caterpillar - (compare prices butterfly) (compare prices caterpillar) (make butterfly)
Buzz Lightyear and Woody - (compare prices buzz) (compare prices woody)

Captain John Smith and Pocahontas - (compare prices pirate) (compare prices indian maiden) (make pirate)
Cardiac Arrest (shared by Michelle) - (compare prices on police) (compare prices heart) (make)
Carver and Victim from Nip Tuck (shared by Micah)
Cat and Fish - (compare prices cat) (compare prices fish) (make cat)
Cat and Hairball - (compare prices cat) (make cat) (make hairball)
Cat and Mouse - (compare prices cat) (compare prices mouse) (make cat)
Caveman and Cavewoman - (compare prices)
Cereal Killer and Victim - (make)
Charlie Brown and the Red-Haired Girl (shared by Mary) - (compare prices) (make)
Chef and Head on a Silver Platter - (compare prices) (make)
Christmas Tree and Gift - (compare prices) (make tree) (make gift)
Chucky and Chucky's Bride (shared by Mary) - (compare prices)
Claw Game and Stuffed Animal - (compare prices animals) (make claw game) (make animals)
Cleopatra and Julius Caesar (shared by Katie) - (compare prices cleopatra) (compare prices julius caesar)
Clothesline (shared by Annie) - (make)
Cookie and Glass of Milk - (compare prices)
Corpse and Widow - (compare prices on corpse)
Cosmo and Wanda from Fairly Odd Parents (shared by Angela)
Couch Potato and Grumpy Housewife - (make potato)
Couch Potato and Remote Control - (make potato)
Cowboy and Indian - (compare prices cowboy) (compare prices indian)
Crocodile Hunter and a Crocodile - (compare prices)

Danny and Sandy from Grease - (compare prices boy) (compare prices girl)
Delivery Man and Package - (compare prices)
Devil and Angel - (compare prices devil) (compare prices angel) (make)
Doctor Evil and Mini Me
Doctor and Death (shared by Tammy Smith)- (compare prices doctor) (compare prices death)
Doctor and Nurse - (compare prices doctor) (compare prices nurse)
Doctor and Patient - (compare prices doctor) (compare prices patient)
Dog and Beth the Bounty Hunters - (compare prices)
Dog and Owner (shared by niapeas) - (compare prices) (make)
Dog and Fire Hydrant - (compare prices) (make)
Donald and Daisy Duck(compare prices)
Donkey and Elephant - (compare prices donkey) (compare prices elephant) (make elephant)
Dora the Explorer and Diego (shared by buc5win) - (compare prices)
Dragon and Damsel in Distress - (compare prices dragon) (compare prices damsel) (make dragon) (make princess)
Dragon and Knight - (compare prices dragon) (compare prices knight) (make dragon)
Dragon and Unicorn - (compare prices dragon) (compare prices unicorn) (make dragon) (make unicorn)
Drew Carey and Mimi Johnson (shared by Crisha)
Dudley Doright and Nell

Edward Cullen and Bella Swan from Twilight (shared by Katie) - (compare prices)
Elvis and Priscilla Presley (shared by Katie) - (compare prices)
Exterminator and Mouse (shared by kking) - (compare prices)

Farmer and a Farm Animal - (compare prices farmer) (compare prices animals) (make animals)
Father Time and Mother Nature - (compare prices mother nature) (make mother nature)
Fireman and Dalmatian - (compare prices fireman) (compare prices dalmation) (make dalmation)
Fisherman and Fish - (compare prices fisherman) (compare prices fish)
Fisherman and Mermaid - (compare prices fisherman) (compare prices mermaid)
Flint Lockwood and Sam Sparks (shared by Jenna) - (make)
Flower and Bee (shared by hhqueenie) - (compare prices flower) (compare prices bee) (make flower) (make bee)
Fly and Fly Swatter (shared by Aimee) - (compare prices)
Fly and Sticky Fly Trap - (compare prices) (make fly trap)
Football Player and Cheerleader - (compare prices football player) (compare prices football cheerleader)
Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein - (compare prices) (make)
Fred Astaire and Ginger Rodgers
Fred and Wilma Flintstone - (compare prices fred) (compare prices wilma)

Gangster and Flapper - (compare prices gangster) (compare prices flapper)
Garbage Bag Pregnancy (shared by Jayne) - (make)
Ghost Prom Couple - (make)
Ghostbuster and Ghost (shared by kking) - (compare prices ghostbuster) (compare prices ghost) (make ghostbuster) (make ghost)
G.I. Joe and G.I. Jane (shared by Sarah) - (compare prices)
Gilligan and Mary Ann - (compare prices)
Goldilocks and a Bear - (compare prices goldilocks) (compare prices bear)
Gomez and Morticia Addams - (compare prices)
Good Witch and Bad Witch from Wizard of Oz (shared by Lucy) - (compare prices) (make)
Greek God and Goddess (shared by Tammy) - (compare prices) (make)
Green Eggs and Ham - (compare prices egg) (compare prices pig) (make egg) (make pig)

Hannibal Lecter and Clarice Starling (shared by Tabitha) - (compare prices)
Hans Solo and Princess Leia - (compare prices hans solo) (compare prices princess leia)
Hansel and Gretel - (compare prices hansel) (compare prices gretel)
Hawaiian Punch Costume (shared by jkeeton44) - (compare prices hawaiian) (compare prices boxer) (make)
Hercules and Zena - (compare prices hercules) (compare prices zena)
Hershey's Kiss and Hug
High School Musical Characters (shared by Katie) - (compare prices)
Hillbilly Couple - (compare prices) (make)
Holly Golightly and Paul Varjak (shared by Katie)
Homer and Marge Simpson (shared by Katie) - (compare prices)
Hula Dancer and Drummer - (compare prices) (make)
Hunchback of Notre Dame and Esmeralda - (compare prices hunchback) (compare prices esmeralda)
Hunter and Buck (shared by Lisette) - (compare prices)

Jack and Jill
Jack and Rose from Titanic (shared by Katie)
Jack and Sally from Nightmare before Christmas (shared by kking) - (compare prices)
Jacob Black and Bella Swan from Twilight (shared by Katie) - (compare prices)
Jane and George Jetson (shared by kking) - (compare prices)
Jeannie and Major Nelson - (compare prices jeannie) (compare prices astronaut)
J.F.K. and Jackie O. (shared by Katie)
Jim and Pam from The Office (shared by Sara)
Joe Dirt and Brandy (shared by Leisa) - (compare prices)
Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash (shared by Katie)
Jolly Green Giant and Sprout (shared by Wendy) - (compare prices)

Kermit and Miss Piggy - (compare prices kermit) (compare prices miss piggy)
Ketchup and Mustard - (compare prices ketchup) (compare prices mustard)
King and Queen - (compare prices king) (compare prices queen)
King Kong and Fay Wray - (compare prices)
King Leonidas and Queen Gorgo (shared by Jacquelyn) - (compare prices king leonidas) (compare prices queen gorgo)
Kurt Kobain and Courtney Love (shared by Jovana)

Labyrinth Characters (shared by Nikki Thurman)
Lassie and Timmy - (make)
Laundry Basket and Static Cling - (make laundry basket) (make static cling)
Laurel and Hardy
Lawyer and Car Accident Victim - (make)
Lifeguard and Swimmer (shared by Stacey Skorupski)
Lion and Lamb - (compare prices lion) (compare prices lamb)
Lion Tamer and Lion - (compare prices lion)
Little Bo Peep and One of Her Sheep - (compare prices bo peep) (compare prices lamb) (make bo peep)
Little Orphan Annie and Daddy Warbucks (shared by Katie) - (compare prices)
Lone Ranger and Tonto
Love Birds (shared by kking) - (compare prices) (make)
Lucy and Ricky Ricardo - (compare prices)

M and Ms Candy - (compare prices)
Mac and PC (shared by tinadra1)
Macaroni and Cheese
Mad Hatter and Alice In Wonderland - (compare prices)
Magician and Bunny - (compare prices magician) (compare prices bunny) (make magician) (make bunny)
Man and Mail-Order Bride (shared by Katie)
Marilyn Monroe and Joe Dimaggio (shared by Katie) - (compare prices marilyn) (compare prices baseball)
Marilyn Monroe and John f. Kennedy (shared by Katie) - (compare prices)
Mario and Luigi - (compare prices) (make)
Maytag Repairman and Washing Machine
Me and My Shadow (shared by kking)
Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley (shared by katie) - (compare prices)
Mickey and Minnie Mouse - (compare prices)
Milo and Otis (shared by Katie) - (compare prices cat) (make cat) (compare prices) (make)
Miss America and Nerd - (compare prices nerd) (make miss america) (make nerd)
Monkey and Banana - (compare prices monkey) (compare prices banana)
Mork and Mindy (shared by Tori) - (compare prices)
Mouse and Cheese - (compare prices mouse) (compare prices cheese)
Movie Star and Producer (shared by Anisa)
Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head - (compare prices) (make)
Mummy Bride and Groom - (compare prices) (make)

Napolean Dynamite and Deb (shared by Andrea) - (compare prices)
Night and Day (shared by Ms. Shawn) - (make)

Obama and McCain (shared by Amanda) - (compare prices Obama) (compare prices McCain)
Oreo Cookie Couples Costume (shared by Dapper Dan) - (make)
Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne - (compare prices)

Pac-Man and Ghost (shared by Alex)
Pair of Blue Jeans - (make)
Pair of Dice - (make)
Pair of Eyeballs - (make)
Peace (hippie) And Quiet (mime) (shared by Ben) - (compare prices hippie) (compare prices mime) (make hippie)
Peanut Butter and Jelly
Peter and Lois Griffin from Family Guy (shared by Bridget) - (compare prices)
Peter Pan and Tinkerbell - (compare prices peter pan) (compare prices tinkerbell) (make fairy)
Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater and a Pumpkin (shared by Allie) - (compare prices pumpkin) (make peter) (make pumpkin)
Phantom of the Opera and Christine (shared by Heikki Mustonen) - (compare prices)
Pirate and Parrot - (compare prices pirate) (compare prices parrot) (make pirate) (make parrot)
Pizza and Beer (shared by Maureen and Michael) - (compare prices beer) (compare prices pizza) (make pizza)
Plug and Socket (shared by Sammy) - (compare prices)
Plumber and Toilet - (compare prices)
Police Officer and Convict - (compare prices police officer) (compare prices convict)
Popeye and Olive Oil - (compare prices)
Priest and Nun - (compare prices priest) (compare prices nun)
Prince and Princess - (compare prices prince) (compare prices princess) (make princess)
Prince Charming and Cinderella - (compare prices prince charming) (compare prices cinderella) (make princess)
Princess and a Frog - (compare prices princess) (compare prices frog) (make princess) (make frog)
Princess and the Pea - (compare prices princess) (compare prices pea) (make princess)
Princess Zelda and Link (shared by Jonathan)
Prisoner and Ball and Chain (shared by Marc) - (compare prices prisoner) (make)

Queen of Hearts and Joker - (compare prices queen) (compare prices joker) (make)

Rabbit and Carrot - (compare prices rabbit) (compare prices carrot) (make rabbit)
Raggedy Ann and Andy - (compare prices)
Rapunzel and the Prince - (compare prices rapunzel) (compare prices prince)
Redneck Couple (shared by kking) - (compare prices) (make)
Refrigerator and Refrigerator Magnet - (make)
Regis and Kelly
Retired Victoria Secret Model and Photographer (shared by Mary Hull) - (make)
Road, and Road Kill - (make road) (make road kill)

Robin Hood and Maid Marian - (compare prices robin hood) (compare prices maid marion)
Robinson Crusoe and Friday
Rocky and Bullwinkle - (compare prices squirrel) (compare prices moose) (make moose)
Romeo and Juliet - (compare prices juliet)

Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask (shared by Libby)
Salt and Pepper
Sam Adams and St. Paulie Girl (shared by kking)
Santa and Mrs. Claus - (compare prices)
Scarecrow and Dorothy - (compare prices) (make)
Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler - (compare prices scarlett) (compare prices rhett)
Scooby Doo and one of the Mystery Gang - (compare prices) (make)
Shark and Shark Attack Victim - (compare prices) (make)
Sheik and Harem Girl - (compare prices sheik) (compare prices harem)
Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson - (compare prices)
Shrek and Fiona - (compare prices) (make)
Siamese Twins
Smartie and Dum-Dum Candy (shared by Kkjones) - (make)
Snow White and a Dwarf - (compare prices snow white) (compare prices dwarf)
Sonny and Cher - (compare prices sonny) (compare prices cher)
Software Pirate and World Wide Web - (make software pirate) (make world wide web)
Spaghetti and Meatballs
Spider and Spider Web - (compare prices spider) (make spider) (make spider web)
SpongeBob and Sandy the Squirrel - (compare prices spongebob) (compare prices squirrel) (make spongebob)
Square Dance Couple (shared by kking)
Squirrel and a Nut (shared by Lisette) - (compare prices squirrel) (compare prices peanut)
Starsky and Hutch
Stepford Wife and Husband
Stock Market and Stock Broker (shared by Rai)
Superman and Lois Lane (shared by Katie) - (compare prices superman) (make superman)
Superman and Wonder Woman - (compare prices superman) (compare prices wonder woman) (make superman)
Sylvester Cat and Tweety Bird - (compare prices sylvester) (compare prices tweety)

Tarzan and Jane
Taylor Swift and Kayne West (shared by Shanna Phillips)
Thing 1 and Thing 2 (shared by Wendy) - (compare prices)
Tooth Fairy and Tooth (shared by angelash831) - (compare prices fairy )
Toothpaste and Toothbrush
Toothbrush and Bottle of Listerine (shared by Jodie)
Tortoise and Hare - (compare prices tortoise) (compare prices hare) (make hare)
Traffic Light and Speed Bump - (compare prices traffic light) (make traffic light) (make speed bump)
TweedleDee and TweedleDum - (compare prices)

Uncle Sam and the Statue of Liberty - (compare prices uncle sam) (compare prices liberty) (make)
Upper and Lower G.I. - (make)

Vampire and Victim - (compare prices) (make)
Ventriloquist and Dummy - (compare prices)
Venus and Serena Williams (shared by Katie)

Wall-E and Eve - (compare prices) (make)
Wayne and Garth (shared by Katie)
W.C. Fields and Mae West
Weatherman and 'Chance of Rain' - (make)
Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown (shared by Katie)
Wilbur and Orville Wright
Willy Wonka and a Golden Ticket (shared by JJ) - (compare prices willy )
Willy Wonka and an Oompa Loompa (shared by Tori) - (compare prices willy ) (compare prices oompa loompa) (make oompa loompa)
Winnie the Pooh and Tigger - (compare prices) (make)
Winter and Summer
Witch Doctor and Head Hunter (shared by Bumblebee)

Zookeeper and Animal - (compare prices zookeeper) (compare prices animals) (make animals)

Remember, if you have a great Halloween costume idea, please share it with everyone on the Family Crafts Forum or submit your ideas to be posted using this form!

Made Diffuser Bottle Craft

2010-10-01T07:54:00.000-07:00

How to Decorate and Personalize an Empty Diffuser BottleRe-Made Diffuser Bottle CraftSubmitted by Stella Stella explains how she transformed an empty diffuser bottle into a colorful and useful work of art. Stella thinks this is a very easy project and a great way to recycle bottles, and I couldn't agree more! Age Guideline: 8 Years and Up Time Required: 60 minutes (Does not include drying time) The above age and time guidelines are estimates. This project can be modified to suit other ages and may take more or less time depending on your circumstances. Materials Needed:
One empty diffuser bottle Sea Shells Glass Beads Blue Stained Glass Cobbles E6000 Glue Craft Stick - (for applying glue) Instructions:
Clean the bottle of all labels and glue. Lay the bottle down flat on your work surface. Stella used a towel to hold hers in place. Glue on the glass cobbles. Glue on the sea shells. Glue the on beads. Let the glue dry completely before moving or using the diffuser bottle.

Halloween Card to Craft

2010-09-26T15:15:00.000-07:00

Halloween Card to Craft - Happy Halloween Card With Spotted Black Cat This spooky black cat looks unique with its orange spots. You can of course substitute any Halloween paper you like if you would prefer a different look. In just a few minutes this card using scrapbook paper, die cuts and clear stamps will be completed and ready to give. Supplies Needed: - white card - orange patterned scrapbook paper and black scrapbook paper covered with orange spots - white cardstock - Sizzix Big Shot - Sizzix dies “Squares, scallop #2” and “Cat and Moon” - Sizzix embossing folders of choice (to emboss the orange card background and the white square background behind the cat) - Fiskars clear stamp set “Halloween Night” (see picture below) - black pigment stamping ink - clear embossing powder - orange fiber ribbon - quilter’s ruler or standard ruler - craft cutting knife - decorative edged scissors - 3-D foam tape - stick glue This is the stamping set from Fiskars that was used for the card. Instructions: 1. Cut and emboss a sheet of orange patterned scrapbookpaper to cover the front of the card. 2. Cut a piece of fiber ribbon to fit the card lengthwise and glue it using stick glue to the left side of the card. 3. Die cut the larger black patterned paper scallop out using the Sizzix die and set it aside for the moment. 4. Cut 2 orange patterned paper squares measuring 6 and 6.5 cm and glue the smaller square centered onto the larger square. 5. Cut a black square measuring 5.2 cm and glue it centered onto the smaller orange square. 6. Cut and emboss a white square measuring 4.8 cm and glue it onto the black square. 7. Now take the square “sandwich” and adhere it onto the black scallop using 3-D foam tape. 8. Die cut a cat from the spotted paper and adhere it onto the squares. 9. Stamp and emboss the Halloween message and a spider onto a 3.5 x 8.3 cm rectangle. Adhere the rectangle onto a piece of black patterned scrapbook paper and cut it out with a 4 mm border using the decorative edged scissors. Now adhere the rectangle to the top of the card. 10. Glue the scallop onto the card below the rectangle.

Plushie - Standing Dog

2010-09-21T13:57:00.000-07:00

Matterial

1/2 yard of polar fleece or woolen felt
2 buttons for eyes
1/2 inch ribbon for bow
Toy filling
2 skeins of embroider thread

This sewing pattern shows you how to make a standing dog plushie which makes a great snuggle baby toy.

Using the pattern below print off the pattern sheets to fit onto an A4 sized paper.

Dog Plushie Pattern 1

Dog Plushie Pattern 2

Cut out all your pattern pieces following the pattern sheets.

This pattern is sewn together using embroidery thread in a blanket stitch finish. You could also sew this pattern together using a sewing machine.

Sew inner leg to the body piece on both legs.

Sew down the back seam,

Sew in the tummy gusset

Sew soles to the bottom of the feet.

Assemble the head -

Stitch the head gusset to both sides of the head, the gusset goes from the nose to the back of the neck.

Sew the button eyes into place

Stitch the ears into place

Stitch the head to the body leaving a gap for filling.

Using toy filling stuff the dog to suit your plumpness. Finish off by sewing the bottom closed.

Light Bulb Reindeer Craft

2010-09-17T15:02:00.000-07:00

Use these free directions and pattern to create a reindeer Christmas tree ornament using an old light bulb.

* Age Guideline: 6 Years and Up
* Time Required: 30 minutes (Does not include drying time)

The above age and time guidelines are estimates. This project can be modified to suit other ages and may take more or less time depending on your circumstances.

Materials Needed:

* Light Bulb
* Newspaper
* Paper Mache Paste
* Paint
* Craft Foam or Felt
* Ribbon
* 3/4-Inch Red Pom-Pom
* Craft Glue or Hot Glue Gun and Glue Sticks
* Paint Brush
* Scissors

Instructions:
I put 3 layers of paper mache on my light bulb first. Read this article about how to paper mache.

Paint the light bulb with brown paint. Let the paint dry completely. I set the neck of the light bulb into an empty film container. This worked great while the paint dried!

With the neck of the light bulb pointing up, paint eyes and a mouth on the reindeer. Glue on the red, pom-pom nose.

Cut two antlers out of fun foam or felt using the pattern below. Glue one to each side of the light bulb neck.

How to Make Your Own Bath Salts ?

2010-09-06T15:25:00.000-07:00

Sheryl explains how to make colored bath salts. A fun gift idea.

Materials:

Bottle or Jar
Epsom Salts
Food Coloring
Perfume or Essential Oil

Instructions:
Combine the desired amount of Epsom salts (enough to fit in your bottle or jar) with food coloring. Mix well so color is even. Add your perfume or essential oil and mix again. Spread the mixture out on a sheet of wax paper to dry for a couple of hours and then put it in the bottle or jar.

While the salts can be used right away, the perfume or essential oil will blend better with the salt if it is allowed to set in the jar for a few weeks.