DIY Friendship Necklace As soon as Lauren and I saw this editorial in Flare Magazine, we knew we had to recreate these awesome, friendship bracelet-like necklaces. We promise they are super easy to make and the perfect way to pass the time during those long summer roadtrips. To make a 2-tone necklace, cut a long piece of rope and wrap two different colors of embroidery thread around its own bobbin. Tie a starter knot along with the two colored threads you are using, leaving at least 3 inches of slack, Tape down the slack to a flat surface or safety pin it something that will help keep it in place (feeling nostalgic yet?). To alternate colors, simply put the inactive color (red) in your left hand and the new active color (purple) in your right. Once you’re done knotting, add a few nuts and/or washers to the necklace.
Bell shaker – with added bling! By Kate on April 15, 2011 M y two boys are like little squirrels and after every walk they come home with pocketfuls of natural treasures. As a consequence I keep finding little stashes of sticks, pine cones, feathers, stones, soil and acorn cups around the house…and in the washing machine! From their stash I ‘borrowed’ a stick and some acorn cups to make this cool shaker…I’m developing a soft spot for handmade instruments!! The idea comes from a wonderful bottletop shaker I saw on the web. They are very easy to make and you only need a few basic tools. ♥ First you need to find yourself a bit of fallen branch with a ‘y’ shape bit in it! I used some bells, acorn cup and wooden beads to thread onto the fishing wire. If you don’t have bells handy then you can use bottle tops (hammered flat)….or old keys would work a treat. Just remember full supervision for those under three because of the little bits.
DIY Brooch Bouquet Remember I mentioned my fiance's family visiting me this weekend? It was INCREDIBLY productive! One of the things I want to share with you today is the brooch bouquet we worked on. Not to sound overly sensitive (okay okay, I am), but it is so amazing how Jose's family AND community are a part of this wedding. What I mean is that Jose's Mom, Mama Nels, is very close to the women at her church. She mentioned my search for brooches in my crazy idea to create a brooch bouquet. I have felt the support of Jose's family beyond what I can describe. Let me just throw out there that in the beginning I had some rough trials. See this mushroom? My first idea was to use a half sphere styrofoam to stick the brooches into along with a square bottom that I would trim later for the base. I then wrapped it in tissue paper to cover it up Then I used these hair pins I bought at a thrift store to hold the half sphere and square (and for decoration)... Like this After that I took wire Enter brainstorm. Like this!
Tutorial: Homemade Sidewalk Chalk by Michelle Vackar, Modern Handmade Child One of our favorite outside activities at our home is drawing with chalk on the driveway. You can play hopscotch, four-square, and of course draw and create silly stories. What you will need: • Toilet paper or paper towel tubes • Scissors • Duct tape • Wax paper • Small bucket or disposable container to make the recipe • ¾ cup of warm water • 1 ½ cups Plaster of Paris • 2-3 tablespoons of tempera paint • Paper bag or a “mess mat” ** we made six tubes of chalk – we simply doubled the above recipe Step 1: If you are using paper towel tubes, cut each tube in half, so it is roughly the length of a toilet paper roll tube. Step 2: Cover one end of each tube with duct table to hold the contents within. Step 3: Cut as many pieces of wax paper as you have tubes. Step 4: Pour the warm water into your bucket. Step 5: Next you will want to pour the tempera paint into the Plaster of Paris mixture and stir so that it is mixed thoroughly.
stick + drill = threading game By Kate on April 29, 2011 Aren’t sticks brilliant! I’m certainly getting carried away with them at the moment and have a big pile building up on my windowsill. All you need to make this threading game is a drill, saw and some sandpaper….and a stick of course. I took the cut the bark off mine because it was a bit yukky… Free toys = Smiles all round…hurrah! stencil with freezer paper (harry potter tee) Yes, I am a nerd. I came up with a brilliant idea for a Harry Potter t-shirt and I couldn't resist. "Expecto Patronum!" However, you can make whatever kind of design you want with a freezer paper stencil. I learned about the joys of freezer paper back in my early college days. Basically, freezer paper is backed with a plastic coating that will stick to soft surfaces when ironed, but it peels off cleanly and easily. To make a sweet t-shirt you will need: paper & pencil a t-shirt an iron a piece of cardboard or poster board fabric paint & brush Start by drawing your design on some regular old paper. My design kept getting bigger, so I taped two sheets together. Next, place your design underneath a sheet of freezer paper and trace it neatly with a sharpie. The marker gives your lines greater width making it easier to cut them out and paint them in later. Now place a piece of cardboard under your freezer paper to protect your table while you cut. Important: Set these shapes aside.
rolled paper flowers {tutorial} |&jones design company Welcome to flower week – five days of simple and delightful flower projects. I could probably do three weeks of flowers because there are so many different ways to create them, but I’ve limited it to five of my current favorites. Before we get started, let me make a few disclaimers: 1. I find inspiration for projects all over the place {online, in shops, in magazines}, then figure out how to re-create them on my own. 2. 3. Okay, so let’s begin. Here’s what you’ll need: :: paper {either cover or text weight} :: florist wire :: scissors, pencil, glue gun STEP ONE: cut irregular circle This circle is approximately 8 inches, but you can do any size you wish. STEP TWO: cut spiral Start at the outside edge and cut in a spiral fashion to the center. I like a sort of bumpy shape so that the petals end up a bit irregular If you aren’t so sure about your cutting skills, feel free to draw your spiral before cutting. STEP THREE: roll your blossom start at the outside edge and coil tightly And your flower grows.
Rainbow Cake in a Jar | The Family Kitchen I’ve always had a penchant for sunshine in a jar. Doesn’t the very phrase itself, “sunshine in a jar,” roll off your tongue and fill your mouth with magic? While I’ve never yet found myself a sunshine in a jar, I think we may have just concocted it in our kitchen tonight. In this simple recipe, a basic white cake is turned into a slew of bright colors, baked to perfection, then topped with a creamy white frosting. Cakes baked in jars can be topped with traditional metal canning lids and stored in the fridge for up to five days. They make a great treat to ship to someone, so long as you can ensure delivery to it’s final destination within 3 days. Rainbow Cake in Jar 1 box white cake mix made according to package instructionsNeon food coloring in pink, yellow, green, turquoise, and purple3 one-pint canning jars1 can vanilla frostingRainbow sprinkles Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Scoop about 1/2 cups of cake batter into five small bowls.
Glass Etching Have you ever done any glass etching? Well, neither had I before today. But wow. Such an easy, yet sweet little touch that you can add to any glass. Check out my new and improved etched Trifle Bowl. The perfect bowl for desserts of all kinds…..and even a great place for fresh fruit on the counter. Glass etching is also a great way to stamp your name on your pyrex dishes, to make sure they come back to you. And how about adding a little extra detail, just because…… (Edited to Add: The font used here is called Smiley Monster and I downloaded the font for free here.) Sweet in every way. Are you wanting to make your own? (This technique permanently etches your glass. First, you’ll need a piece of vinyl with an adhesive back, like the vinyl you buy for vinyl wall decor. Then peel away the shapes, leaving the negative space all in one piece. The Silhouette code for the bird/branch is: bird_on_branch_C00044_23067 01/18/2010 Then peel the vinyl backing away. See how there are air bubbles? Good luck!