CREATIVE CRAFTING

Posts Tagged ‘Crafts’

Like many of my polymer clay projects I find them online. So when I saw this little leprechaun I had to have it. It really is very simple to make and already I am getting a lot of feedback from friends when I wear it.

May your feet never sweat,

your neighbor give you ne’re a treat.

When flowers bloom, I hope you’ll not sneeze,

and may you always have someone to sqeeze!

HAPPY ST. PATRICKS DAY!!!!

Project Courtesy of Crafts For All Seasons

This polymer clay leprechaun is easier to make than you think! Polymer clay is one of my favorite mediums to work with. These step by step directions will show you how easy it is to create this spirited little character.

Things Needed:

• Polymer clay in the following colors:

• flesh colored or pink

• red

• green

• black

• white

• blue or green (for eyes)

• polymer clay glaze (optional)

• a pin to glue on the back

1. To begin the polymer clay leprechaun, the first step is to condition all the clay. You will need a one inch ball amount of the green and flesh clay. The other colors you will not need very much of. Work that clay and warm it up in your hands, until it is not crumbly and is soft and pliable.

Nothing warms up a home during the holidays than candles.  Something about the warm glow and fragrance that makes one feel relaxed and content after a busy day of shopping or getting home from work.

Using small winter squash as molds creates graceful shapes for these candles, and they can be made at home quite easily. Choose various colors of tablets to represent the range of harvest tones.

Materials and Tools:

• acorn and hubbard squash (and others, if available)
• beeswax or regular paraffin candle wax (allow about 1/2 lb. for each candle)
• yellow, orange, coral and/or purple wax color tablets
• candle wicks
• wick tips
• melon baller
• double boiler

Steps:

1. Cut off the tops of the squash and hollow out the insides. (For hubbard squash, scrape out the seeds with a large spoon. For acorn squash, use the melon baller to scoop out the flesh, following the natural grooves of the squash, making the grooves as deep as possible, and smoothing them with the back of a spoon.)

2. Melt the wax in the top part of the double boiler over–not in–boiling water.

3. As the wax melts, add color tablets. If you want to make different colored candles, melt the wax in batches, adding various color tablets each time.

4. Meanwhile, cut lengths of wick a few inches longer than the squash are tall. Attach the wick tabs to the wicks.

With the holidays almost coming up faster than some of us would like it is time to start thinking of ways to wrap our gifts.  Gifts should be presented to be one of a kind and a good way to do this is by using unique, personalized gift bags.

Gift bags do not have to be generic store bought items.  But should reflect your tastes and that of the person to whom you are giving the gift.  For that reason I suggest you dig out your scrapbooking papers, embellishments and other doo-dads and get to work having some fun and making personalized gift bags!

The Basics

Begin with simple, plain gift bags I have found that if I use a plain bag such as tan-colored I get better results. These plain gift bags come in a variety of colors and can be found at any craft store and even some scrapbooking stores. Once your bag is complete, stuff in some matching tissue paper to give your bag an extra burst of color!

Here are some ideas for different individuals in your life! Since I haven’t started mine yet I borrowed some ideas from Kayla Richards Filip at Scrapbook.com.

For Teachers

• school-themed patterned paper
• black-and-white dotted grosgrain ribbon
• assorted buttons
• red organdy ribbon
• plain #2 pencil

You may come across with various definitions of what a scrapbook is. And you may even have set one for yourself. But you see, of all those meanings associated with scrapbooks, there will always be one thing central to it- keeping memories.

Just like photos, scrapbooks are keepers of precious moments that you would always want to return back to. The moments that you have captured in photos and the moments of your creativity, deeply embedded in every page, note, captions and journals in your scrapbook.

One day, you’ll take a look at the scrapbooks you have created and they will deliver you back in time.

Not all of us are avid scrapbookers. Many may not even have tried starting one. However, we all have an idea of how to preserve our past. Well, scrapbooking is like that, only you would have to add up some creativity and art concepts into it.

The hardest junction might be to start from scratch. Scrapbooking may look simple for some yet the hours and the ideas you have to invest on them are so enormous that many find themselves initially frustrated. Or possibly, on wits end before an idea crops up.

We have prepared some guidelines in here that you may modify and apply in your own experiences. Basically, this is just a collection of ideas that will help shed light on the thoughts bugging in your mind.

Somehow you have to know your own style.

It doesn’t seem that long ago that my children were young. I was never a skilled crafter but what I like to call a “crafter wanna be”. In a lot of respects I am still not a skilled crafter. So what does this have to do with the subject at hand? Let me explain.

Some parents are skilled crafters. Others are doing well to cut paper in a reasonably straight line. No matter which group you fall into, crafting with your kids can be beneficial for all involved.

Few things bring families together like crafting. Here are some of the good things that come out of crafting with your kids.

• Crafting builds creativity. Developing minds need a creative outlet, and crafting provides the opportunity for kids to use their imaginations. It helps them learn to solve problems, and it could lay the groundwork for a lifetime of interest in art. For parents, getting creative can help reduce stress and promote using the brain in ways that we don’t have a reason to use it every day.

• * Crafting teaches kids to follow directions. This seems like a very basic skill, but we all know adults who can’t seem to follow directions. When kids craft, they learn the consequences of not following directions when their projects do not turn out as expected. This instills in them the importance of doing things the right way the first time.

Ever wonder what to do with those left over blocks?  The ones that show up and you have no idea which building set they belong to?  Or how about the little matchbox cars that no one wants to play with anymore?  Doll accessories?  Puzzle pieces?  I can think of a hundred uses for this simple craft projects.

The size of the magnet is going to be determined by the size and weight of the toy.  For instance a matchbox car/truck will take more than one magnet, it might take two or three to hold it up.  Whereas the Lego blocks should only take a small amount.

The end result is limited only by your or your child’s imagination.   Make Christmas gifts for the grandparents out of leftover toys.  As a would be grandparent I can safely say that anything made especially for me by one of my grandchildren would be cherished.

So have fun with your creativity!

Materials and Tools:

small plastic toys
strong, quick-setting glue
disc magnets

Steps:

1. Gather small items to turn into magnets. Building blocks (shown) work great as do any lightweight toys such as dice, plastic figurines or puzzle pieces. Other options are sea shells, smooth river rocks or glass gems.

2. Add a blob of glue to magnet and attach item. Press firmly until the two pieces begin to bond then set aside and allow glue to fully cure.

Finding interesting polymer projects to post on here is not a problem.  The problem is after I try them which ones do I post?

Carol Duvall who is the “queen of crafts” as far as I am concerned always had wonderful ideas and instructions for most crafts, but she is no longer on TV.  So I have to rely on other sources and my own imagination.

My daughter collects watches.  So I am in the process of making her one for her birthday, which is coming up.  Happy Birthday Jenn!

Project courtesy of Lynne Manning of Milton, Mass.

Materials and Tools:
blue, white, pink and black polymer clay
watch with watch attachments
15″ elastic
20 large-hole 6mm beads, silver colored
super glue
pasta machine
acrylic roller
thin slicing tool
cardboard
clay-dedicated oven

Steps:

1. Condition your polymer clay by running it through the pasta machine about 20 times.

2. To make the face cane: Draw a face design in a 2- to 3-inch circle. Start making the eyes of the cane by rolling a black snake 2 inches long. Run some white clay through your pasta machine at the #1 setting. Wrap this around the black snake, making sure the ends meet. Smooth the seam. Do another wrap with the white clay. Make sure to smooth the ends again.

3. Run some black clay through the pasta machine at the #5 setting. Wrap this around the white clay, making sure the ends meet. The end of the cane will sort of look like a bullseye. Flatten this piece slightly lengthwise so that the ends look oblong.

I found this project at Better Homes and Garden Magazine, and I thought why couldn’t you do this out of polymer clay?

All you need to make these out of polymer would be a 4×4 tile.  Roll the colors of clay out that you want, in the designs that you want, wrap the edges of the tiles.  Play around with designs and colors.  After baking I would be sure and seal the clay with sealer.

You could use the tiles as trivits for drinks, hang on wall for decoration, use as a stand alone candle holder…any number of uses come to mind.

Of course if none of that appeals to you and you want to just make the fabric wall art..here are the directions.

Fabric Wall Art

Make a triple trio of fabric-covered wall plaques to add spice and splash to a special space in your home. Designer Tari Colby wrapped three fabrics over artist’s canvas squares and secured the fabric using a staple gun to make this quick, easy, and inexpensive textile display.

Although Tari used 6×6-inch prestretched canvases as the foundation for this project, you can use any size for your wall art. Cut fabric 1-1/2 inches larger than your canvas on all sides.

Wrap excess fabric to the back of the canvas frame, pulling it taut and smooth. Staple to the frame beginning at the center of each side and moving to the corners. Miter the corners and secure with staples.