Yarn Eggs/Balls Everyone else seems to call them Yarn Eggs but I guess the shape of my balloons was more round, cuss that is how they came out... I hope you guys are somewhat excited about this all. I have worked really hard on getting this right and am finally happy with the product. Okay so here it is, Step by Step how to guaranteed good results: Step1: gather your materials: scissors, paper mache (pot, flour, water, sugar), balloons, yarn/hemp (and my yarn was 100% acrylic so I guess that cotton nonsense was just that), newspaper (i used plastic bags but made more mess), some way to hang the drying balloons (ie. hanger) this is the paper mache Step 2: Make the paper mache (warning: this recipe makes a lot). I got this from the blog, carolyn's homework. It is super quick and easy and all you need to do is, Combine ½ cup flour and 2 cups cold water in a bowl. Boil 2 cups of water in a sauce pan and add the flour and cold water mixture. Bring to a boil again. Remove from heat and add 3 tablespoons of sugar.
Photo Collage Star Tutorial This post has been updated. You can see the new and improved post here. My dear and crafty friend MyLyn told me about this project back when we were looking for fun, hand-made presents for Christmas this past year and I just loved it so much that I made one for myself. She had come across it (somewhere) on the internet. I looked and looked and could not find it. So I've made up a little tutorial for you so you can make your own! You'll need: A large, metal star-preferably one without any embellishments. Scrapbook paper in 3 coordinating prints 10 pictures-you will probably want to plan ahead which pictures will go where on your star so that you have the right orientation (I recommend black and white pictures if using colored scrapbook paper-it's a little too much with color photos AND color paper) Glue stick-make sure it's acid-free and safe to use with photos (think scrapbooking glue) Mod Podge and brush Paper and photo patterns. Got all that? Hang and enjoy! Check out more fun stuff at
Turn A Bar of Soap Into Liquid Hand Soap I have a confession to make: I hate bar soap. It gets dirty, is annoying to handle, and takes too long to use up. Despite this, people like to give me bar soap as a gift, which I feel guilty not using. So I’ve been buying liquid hand soap at $3 a bottle and putting the bar soap in a box with the intention of finding a use for it. Then it occurred to me that I might be able to convert the bar soap into liquid hand soap. So I tried it and was thrilled to find that it works great! Glycerin is made from plant oils and is commonly used in soaps, shampoos, and moisturizers. Ingredients: 1 c soap flakes 10 c water 1 Tbs glycerin Equipment: Cheese grater A large pot Measuring cup and spoons A spatula for stirring A soap container with a hand pump A container to hold excess soap Funnel Directions: First, grate the soap. One bar of soap yielded a little over 1.5 cups of flakes. In a large pot, combine 1 cup soap flakes, 10 cups water, and 1 Tbs glycerin. You can also use this soap as body wash.
Suzy's Artsy Craftsy Sitcom: Feature Friday- Faux Metal Wall Art Looking for the Faux Metal Wall Art? Since this project was originally published on The Sitcom in December 2010, it has been my most popular project by far. Who knew that a bunch of toilet paper tubes and an idea would become so big? You can now find the full tutorial and FREE patterns on Suzys Artsy Craftsy Sitcom here: Faux Metal Wall Art I want to personally thank all my readers for making my Faux Metal Wall Art so popular! A similar project to check out would be my Faux Metal Filigree Frame. For more tutorial fun, please check out my Tutorial Page. Signing you up! If you enjoyed this post...
How to make gift bags from newspaper | How About Orange - StumbleUpon When I bought something at a store recently, the clerk handed me my purchase in a bag made from a newspaper. I liked it very much and had to make some more—thus today's DIY recycled newspaper project: gift bags made from the Wall Street Journal. You can vary the dimensions, of course, but here's what I used to create a bag that's 5" tall, 4.5" wide, and 3" deep. Stack two sheets of newspaper on top of each other. This will be a two-ply bag for extra sturdiness. Cut out a rectangle that's 15.5" wide and 8.25" tall. Fold a flap 1.25" down from the top. Cut two pieces of cardstock or chipboard to 4.25" x 1", then glue them on the widest two panels just under the top fold. Put glue on the outside of the 0.5" tab and bring the left-most panel over to form the body of the bag, aligning the cut edge of the panel with the folded edge of the flap. Upend the bag so the 2" flap is now up. Put glue on both flaps and fold them inward to form the bottom of the bag.
Glass Etching | Make It and Love It - StumbleUpon 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!