Creative Crafting

Sorry, I am a little late with my Christmas decorations this year. But it is worth the wait. So many new ideas that I have been busy trying as many as I can possibly manage.

For those who are not regular readers, I am big on handmade gifts. Whether for the Christmas holidays or anytime of the year. Nothing says I care more, than something you made. So in keeping with that thought over the next several weeks I will try and post one craft a day leading up to December 25. Then I am taking a short holiday to get ready for Valentines Day.

So here is my first entry into the 21 days of crafting!

This pretty-as-a-package pincushion is the perfect gift for a crafty friend. Cover a foam square with fabric (wrap it like a gift) and secure along the edges with fabrics glue. Glue on beads and tie on a ribbon bow.

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.

It is cold and rainy here in Michigan; a typical Halloween day for the Midwest. I have been trying to find a fun recipe for cupcakes this morning and I ran across these.
You are probably wondering what this have to do with crafting.

Look at this picture. These would be so easy to make out of Polymer Clay. All you would need is a small clay pot. You can purchase them at your craft store for pennies on the dollar. Then you would take the clay color of choice and drape them over the upside down pot. Add eyes, noses, hats, even card holders which can be made out of wire, and you have the perfect, inexpensive Halloween table decoration. You could even blend the clay to make varied color combination.

Why not carry this idea into the next season. Use the pot, some green clay and make a Christmas tree with ornaments. Oh! the ideas keep flowing!

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.

I love digital scrapbooking and I’m always on the look out for great new digital scrapbooking goodies. I’ve found a great one that I thought I would share with you:

“Scrapbook MAX 2.0 is finally here – and everyone is  loving it! After years of research, development and requests, your “digital scrapbooking software wish-list” is now a reality. Scrapbook MAX 2.0 is the fastest, easiest and most creative scrapbooking software program available”

They are offering introductory pricing, a free 30 day trial and an exclusive “Life is Beautiful” expansion pack at no extra charge. It’s packed with goodies and you can’t get it anywhere else.

Here are some of the great new features of the software:

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.