Butteryfly Tree This craft project was inspired by something almost identical I saw in a fancy shop here in NYC. It cost almost $500, and I thought to myself, "hey, I can make that". And so I did! Start by printing out butterflies. I found mine online, simply google butterfly prints and millions comes up. Cut them out. Hot-glue or super-glue a small branch to a vintage saucer. Fold the butterflies a little, so they look more alive and simple hot-glue them all to the branches. Photos by Alexandra Grablewski
How to make Gak (Slime) We had a few days of rain around here so we made some slime to occupy our time inside. Just two ingredients and you will be able to really impress your kids! To make simply mix equal parts of liquid starch and glue together. We placed 1/4 cup liquid starch into a sandwich bag and added about 3 drops of green food coloring. Next add in 1/4 cup glue Mix well. Take it out of the bag and have fun! Looking for more ways to impress your kids? Need a way to use up the rest of the starch? You will find other rainy day activities here. Thanks Laci for asking us how to make Gak.
Uses Of Mason Jars <div class="greet_block wpgb_cornered"><div class="greet_text"><div class="greet_image"><a href=" rel="nofollow"><img src=" alt="WP Greet Box icon"/></a></div>Hello there! If you are new here, you might want to <a href=" rel="nofollow"><strong>subscribe to the RSS feed</strong></a> for updates on this topic.<div style="clear:both"></div><div class="greet_block_powered_by">Powered by <a href=" title="WP Greet Box WordPress Plugin" style="text-decoration:none;">WP Greet Box</a><a href=" title="WordPress Plugin" style="text-decoration:none;">WordPress Plugin</a></div><div style="clear:both"></div></div></div> Let’s check out some of the beauties I found… mostly with the help of my BFF, Pinterest . Herb Garden Lights
3D Picture I know you are invited to at least one wedding this summer. Bring your camera. This is a neat way to present a special wedding picture. It's an old paper trick call a tunnel card. I like to frame it in a shadow box and give it to the married couple. Materials: 4 copies of a photo that has a fore, middle and background. shadowbox frame mat 2 pieces of cardstock glue stick Tools: scissors In this sample, the frame and mat are 8" x 10". Leave one photo as is. Glue the pleated card stock to the back of the mat. You should have a photo that looks like this one.
String Balls Whattya need? BalloonStringScissorsGlueJar How do I make glue string balls? Step 1: Hang inflated balloon from ceiling. Step 2: Put string and glue in the jar with a hole in the lid. Step 3: Wait until dry (try to contain yourself). Created by Dane Holweger 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!
Earring Display This fun little shabby chic earring stand, made from an altered picture frame, is a great way to hang and display all your beautiful, dangling earrings. I had the idea for this project after we talked about my love affair with dangly earrings and how to display them. I don’t know about you, but I just love seeing them all hanging in a row! :) The next day I made this earring frame, and it was so quick, easy, and inexpensive to put together, I knew I had to share it with you! :) I spent a grand total of $5.34 on this project. Cost: Less than $10 Time: 30 mins Supplies: picture frame, 12′ of picture wire, acrylic paint & brush, staple gun (or nails/tacks, etc) I started out with a black 8×10 picture frame from Walmart, $3. Since the frame wasn’t real wood, I was a little concerned with how it would turn out once I painted it. But as you can see from the above images, this little inexpensive frame did great! Next, I took a piece of wire and laid it across the back of the frame.
Craft Website Paper crafts: mini grad cards It’s that time of year again – graduation season. I don’t know about you, but every year we know of quite a few graduates. Here is what you will need to make these cute little cards: 3×6 pieces of card stockblack and white card stockembroidery threadglue dotsbradsa template for your grad hats – I made mine by drawing a diamond for one piece. 1. 2. 3-6. 7. In my original card plan, there was no sentiment (which is why the stamping materials are not pictured in the supplies list). 8. 9. 10. Use glue dots to attach the hats and banners to the front of the cards and you are done! You can customize the cards to match school colors or to match your graduates favorite colors.
Fourth of July Star Jars These transformed mason jars are a fun way to both decorate an outdoor table for a 4th of July celebration or a safe way to entertain the kids during fireworks. Red spray paint Mason Jars Star stickers Newspaper Scatter star stickers onto the mason jar, make sure they’re stuck on very tight Screw on the mason jar lid and cap and place on top of a table covered in newspaper in a well ventilated area Spray with the paint from a nice distance around the entire jar until it’s coated well but without drips. Wait at least a couple hours for the jar to dry and carefully peel off the star stickers Place 2-3 battery operated votive candles in each jar and enjoy your festive 4th of July evening! Candle Holder I was messing around with different materials trying to dress up a little LED tealight, and this is one of the versions I ended up liking (plus it’s dirt cheap since it’s just thread!). I love me some textures. This may be useful for those with wedding venues that don’t allow real flames. Finding these* at the dollar store is what started this mess… 1) Get your hands on some thin cardboard that you’ll be recycling anyway. 2) Find some wrapping plastic (try to use something you’ll toss anyway!) 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 13. You can make different sizes and shapes. … and configure it however you want! * Batteries were included, and they lasted for many hours. Happy crafting! Mrs. Location: Sacramento Occupation: Tea Analyst Wedding Date: August 2008 Venue: Vineyard on the Delta
Crafty Moods If you know me by now, you know that I am obsessed with making any and everything into either a garden planter or a candle holder. I do not know where this infatuation came from but it's fun. I enjoy it. I love flickering candle lights and cozy gardens. There is something so magical about them both, especially on a summer night. Here is just another one of my ideas that suprisingly came out great! Things you will need: Super Sculpey or any baking clay Cubcake panFlower cookie cutter about 3.5 or 3.75 inches inches in diameter (I stretched mine out)Rolling pinCooking spray Find a flower cookie cutter big enough to cover the size of the cupcake pan's bottom. Use cooking spray to lightly coat the bottom of your cupcake pan. Anyway, this is my cookie cutter (never used it for cookies) it is big enough to cover the bottom of the cupcake pan and more. Place one layer over the cupcake pan's bottom and paste to the sides gently. See below. Press all three layers down firmly.
Painted Bottle Vases Crafting is near and dear to my heart and I realize that it is shamefully under represented here at The Apple Crate. So today I bring you a project that has long been in the making, recycled jars and bottles as vases! I have Martha Stewart to thank for the idea. She has a great tutorial on her website that I followed to make these. Lots of people are out there doing something similar, with either spray paint or acrylic paint. I started out by collecting old bottles and jars; things I went through in the kitchen and saved rather than recycled. The hardest part of this was actually cleaning all of the labels and sticky residue off! The tutorial was a little vague on what kind of paint to use. And here are my lovely jars and bottles! I was so excited to finally put some fresh flowers in and see how they looked. My smallest bottle makes a sweet bud vase in the windowsill. One of the great things about this project is how economical it is.