Creative Crafting

Archive for the ‘Holidays’ Category

It is never too early to start preparing for Christmas. One of the more traditional holiday customs is the sending of cards to friends and family.

With the current economic conditions the cost of buying the cards and then the postage to send them can equal the cost of two or three meals for the family. While we all can agree that sending a greeting card is a great way to liven someones holiday, it is not always the most cost effective.

I have had to do a lot of tightening of the belt in the past, and still do, so years ago I came up with the idea of having our children make the Christmas cards for family. The grandparents loved them and the kids had a great time making them.

I recently returned from a short visit to Pennsylvania. While there I noticed in a magazine these pumpkins. So naturally (for me anyway) I looked them up when I got home. I decided to try it and it was not only fun, but easy and fast. I used acrylic paints that I had on hand. I put them out on my porch yesterday, and the neighbors love them! Give it a try and see if you agree!

Give orange a rest -- a coat of blue paint makes no-carve pumpkins jump out of the shadows.

You probably have seen these before, either online or hanging in windows, I know I have. I always thought they would be hard to make. Not true! These little window hangers are fun and easy to make and look great in your windows! Give them a try!

I made mine with my favorite medium which is Polymer Clay. I used cookie cutters to cut out the shape of the pumpkin. I then sandwiched a twisted wire into the center of two cutouts. It was fun, easy to do and would make a great project for the kids.

What you’ll need:

* Orange craft foam
* Green craft foam
* Brown chenille stick
* Brown or black marker
* Suction cup hanger
* Orange glitter glue
* Paintbrush
* Scissors
* Hot glue gun
* White craft glue
* Pattern

How to make it:

Decorating your house for Halloween does not have to be expensive. Most of the materials you need are laying around the house anyway, so why not “recycle” them. I never thought of doing this, but will this year.

CRAFT MATERIALS:
Corrugated cardboard
Pencils or markers
Craft knife
Glue stick
Orange tissue paper
Painter’s or masking tape
Lamp

Time needed: Under 1 Hour
1. Measure the inside of an appropriate window and cut corrugated cardboard to fit tightly. Draw a face on the cardboard, then cut out the pieces with a craft knife (a parent’s job).

2. On the interior side of the cardboard, use a glue stick to cover the openings with orange tissue paper.

3. Set the cardboard in the window and use painter’s or masking tape to hold it in place. Place a lamp near the window to light your house-o’-lantern.

You won’t believe how easy it is to create this Fall centerpiece. Even little kids can do this one! It looks great on a holiday table or as an Autumn decoration around the house, and it’s made of mostly recycled materials!

You’ll Need:

* Sturdy paper plate
* Paint (Fall colors)
* Scissors
* Three toilet paper tubes
* Yellow tissue paper
* Glue
* A sponge
* Fall colored ribbon
* Pinecones
* Silk or real fall leaves
* Raffia

What to Do:

1. Cut the toilet paper tubes so that they are in three graduated sizes. Refer to the picture if you don’t know what I mean.

2. Sponge paint the toilet paper tubes and both sides of the paper plate. In order to sponge paint, just dip the sponge into the paint and tap it onto the surface you’re painting. In the example, I used orange, brown, and green paint and tapped the colors onto the tubes and the plate. Let the paint dry completely before you continue.

When illuminated, these votive holders cast an eyeful of moody shadows on the walls.
CRAFT MATERIALS:
Glass votive holders
Black construction paper
Hole punch
Mod Podge
Paintbrush
Black paint

Time needed: Under 1 Hour
1. Tear a sheet of black construction paper into about a dozen small rectangles that measure roughly 1¼ inch by ½ inch. Use a hole punch to add two eyes to each piece.

Step 2  Brush a portion of a plain, glass votive holder with Mod Podge, affix a paper rectangle, then paint more Mod Podge over it. Add the other pieces the same way, making sure the edges overlap.

3. When the candleholder is dry, use a tiny paintbrush and black paint to add little round pupils inside the eyes.

Since seasonal jewelry often has a whimsical sense of fun, try experimenting a little by mixing and matching. Here’s an example of what I’m talking about with these candy corn and pumpkin lampwork beads , which were used for making earrings for Halloween. Wear a matching pair or mix them up and wear one of each.

A friend found these earring and used 24 gauge round gold-filled wire that she curled on the end to form a wire coil head pin, then added the beads, and finished the top of the earrings by using the wire wrapped loop technique. Once the dangle part of the earrings were assembled, she just added a gold-filled ear hook.

With his toothy grin and a pumpkin bucket, this cool cat is ready for a night of trick-or-treating! Reminiscent of vintage figures, ours is fashioned from plastic foam, dowels, and painted papier-mache

What You Need

* Green floral foam block
* 3/16-inch dowel
* Drill and drill bits
* 3-x-5-inch oval wood base
* Wood glue
* Celluclay instant papier-mache
* Resealable plastic bag
* Plastic modeling tools
* Toothpick
* Water-bottle lid
* Acrylic paints: gray, black, white, orange, neon green, lavender, and yellow
* Unused pencil eraser
* Matte-finish spray
* 26-gauge black wire

How to Make It

Create the Cat “Skeleton”