Crafts

  • paper tree ornaments with wood star toppers fold paper tree ornaments using a wood star bead as the tree topper
    Crafts,  holidays

    Paper Tree Ornaments With Wood Star Topper

    I love making Christmas ornaments and today I have a fun one for you – paper tree ornaments with a wood star topper. It is amazing what you can make from a humble piece of paper. Plus, it’s pretty satisfying to create one or fifty of these. Not that I got carried away or anything. The thing that really sets these ornaments over the top is the wood star topper. Every Christmas tree needs a topper and I found the perfect wood star beads for this task. What I really like about this craft is that it is completely customizable to your Christmas decor colors. You’ll notice from the pictures…

  • how not to make a book pumpkin humorous tale of all the things that went wrong while making a book pumpkin
    Crafts

    From The Archive: A Crafting Fail

    This is, I hope, a humorous tale of a crafting fail regarding the time I tried to make a book page pumpkin. I wrote this story when we lived in Ireland and there are references to a backpack in this story. We did not have a car while we lived in Ireland and I often wore a backpack while running errands because that was the easiest way to get my purchases, even groceries, home. Enjoy! This is a cautionary tale should you fall down the Pinterest hole of comparison inspiration and decide you too need to join the throngs of DIYers making book page pumpkins. As I did. Please heed these…

  • denim turkey craft thanksgiving decor using upcycled denim jeans to make turkey art
    Crafts

    Denim Turkey Craft – Upcycle Denim Jeans

    Gobble, gobble! It’s time for a denim turkey craft using upcycled denim jeans. This is the craft you never knew you wanted. Until now. We often slide right from Halloween into Christmas in the U.S., but this denim turkey craft will give Thanksgiving its due. Let’s get started. Materials Needed For This Denim Turkey Craft old denim jeans and khaki pants cut into shapes for turkey tail feathers, beak, and wattle scrap of contrasting fabric, felt, or ribbon for the turkey body and head contrasting fabric or paper for the turkey background scissors picture frame of any size (I used a 10×14 frame) marker optional: hot glue Denim Turkey Craft…

  • easy to make wheat wreath using a gold floral hoop, dried wheat and hot glue
    Crafts

    Easy To Make Wheat Wreath

    Let me show you an easy-to-make wheat wreath today. What makes it easy? We’re not reinventing the wheel wreath. We’re not doing anything complicated that requires a lot of thought. We’re simply giving ourselves 15 minutes of wreath therapy. That’s a thing. A thing I just made up. But it works for me. I think it will work for you too. Grab your glue guns and get ready to set your creative spirit free for the next 15 minutes. Whatever you create, you create. Here’s what you need to make a wheat wreath: gold floral hoop (I used a 10-inch hoop) dried wheat hot glue gun and glue sticks ribbon…

  • diy halloween decals with duct tape make jack o'lantern faces with black duct tape to decorate your planters
    Crafts,  holidays

    DIY Halloween Decals With Duct Tape

    Oh yes, you can make your own Halloween decals with duct tape. Specifically, black duct tape. This is a super easy, smile-inducing craft that will make it look like you purchased some fancy vinyl decals online instead of using the roll of black duct tape that’s been jammed in the back of your junk drawer. Honestly, black duct tape has never looked better. The sky is the limit with this craft. I made jack o’lantern faces and bats. The jack o’lanterns were my favorite. However, you could make witch hats, cats, ghosts, or something I haven’t thought of. Let’s get started! Materials Needed To DIY Halloween Decals With Duct Tape:…

  • how to leaf stamp on wood using house paint or craft paint fresh leaves and a wood round
    Crafts

    How To Leaf Stamp On Wood

    Get ready because I’m going to show you how to leaf stamp on wood. It’s an easy craft that looks like a million bucks when you’re done. Plus, it’s a lot of fun! You really only need 3 basic things to leaf stamp on wood: paint, leaves, and a flat piece of wood. Two of those things you probably already have: leaves and paint. Let’s get started! Supplies Needed: Leaves (You’ll need freshly picked leaves that lie flat.) Wood rounds (Mine are 7-8 inches in diameter and come in an 8-pack.) Paint (I used house paint, but almost any type of paint like craft paint will work.) Ribbon Staple gun…

  • diy wood acorn wreath using wood acrons, wood beads, and wire fall wreath
    Crafts,  decorating

    DIY Wood Acorn Wreath

    If fall is your favorite season, you are going to love this DIY Wood Acorn Wreath. Bold words, I know. This wreath might not have pumpkins or spice but it does have an underrated but ready for its moment item – acorns. Yes, acorns. Wood acorns to be precise. If you didn’t know wood acorns were a thing, this craft is going to blow open the door of possibility for you. I, for one, can’t wait to see what you create. But let’s start with this Wood Acorn Wreath. Materials Needed: wood acorns (I used 16 acorns out of a package of 20.) 20 mm wood beads (I used 16…

  • grey and white striped bowl cozy from Crafty Wanda via Etsy in praise of bowl cozies
    Crafts

    In Praise Of: Bowl Cozies

    I recently visited an Amish market and a vendor was selling bowl cozies. Bowl cozies?!? I had never heard of such a thing. Have you? It’s SUCH a good idea. Do you know how many times my kids have spilled ramen noodles all over the floor because the bowl they microwaved their ramen in was too hot? Me neither. I stopped counting a long time ago. A bowl cozy is, in essence, a pot holder shaped like a bowl. You can microwave a bowl while it is sitting in the bowl cozy. This means you won’t burn your fingers handling a hot bowl out of the microwave. I didn’t even…

  • flagstones directly on the ground flagstone path metal awning painted with brush on hammered copper paint
    Crafts,  DIY

    4 Places To Use Brush-On Hammered Copper Paint

    You’ve probably seen hammered paint of all colors in a spray can but have you seen brush-on hammered copper paint made by Rust-Oleum? It’s the paint you didn’t know you needed until now. Prepare for your mind to be blown intrigued. The hammered paint does come in a spray can version, but I prefer the brush-on version. Here are 4 places where I’ve used brush-on hammered copper paint. On drip edge metal flashing: You might have a small shed like ours that has drip edge flashing right below the roof. Our flashing was looking a little worse for wear and I painted it with the hammered copper paint. The paint…

  • how to turn a clock into a picture frame a broken brass clock turned into a picture frame
    Crafts,  decorating

    How To Turn A Clock Into A Picture Frame

    What can you do with a clock that isn’t working? You can fix it, you can get rid of it, or you can turn it into a picture frame. Yes, it’s possible, under many circumstances, to turn a clock into a picture frame. Here’s how: First, start with any clock that has the potential to be a picture frame. This will most likely be a tabletop clock or mantel clock. I found this brass clock at the thrift store. Now, take apart the clock so that you can access the clock face. You might need a screwdriver for this part. Pay attention as you go or take a picture of…