Craft of the Week-11

Striped Bangle Bracelets

Use a basic decoupage process to ass bright tissue-paper stripes to inexpensive wooden bracelets.

What you need:

- paper towel
- white acrylic paint(dollarama!)

- unfinished wooden bangles($2 at Micheals)

- small bowls

- tissue paper cut into 3 inch stripes for small bangles, 6 inch for big

- Mod Podge craft adhesive (if you don't have this yet, now is the time!!)

- craft knife

1. Whitewash bangle: Dampen paper towel and dip into paint. Smooth paint onto the surface of the bangle, inside and out. Let dry.

2. Balance the bangle on a small bowl. For each stripe, brush one side of tissue with adhesive and smooth the strip onto the bangle. Leave the excess tissue at inner edge. Let dry.3. Trim excess tissue using craft knife. Brush adhesive over outside of bracelet to seal. Let dry. Ta Da! Your done! Wasn't that super easy!!??

Craft of the Week-10

"Homegrown" Tomato Pincushions

These whimsical sewing-box staples are just as sweet as garden-grown tomatoes, and you don't have to wait until summer to enjoy them!

What you will need:

- fabric(red or green pattern are nice)

- knowledge of sewing(which I am lacking)

- sewing paraphernalia(needles, thread, etc.)

- cotton batting(filler)

1. Cut a rectangle of fabric on the bias thats twice as long as it is wide. (the largest i made was 3 1/4 inches in diameter and required a 10-by-5 inch piece). With fabric facing right side up, fold in half as shown, and join ends with a 1/4 seam. Sew a running stitch around the top edge; tightly pull thread to cinch fabric, and secure with stitches.

2. Turn pouch right side out. Stuff with batting. Sew a running stitch around the open end; pull thread to cinch fabric. Tack shut with a few stitches and knot. To flatten, double-thread a cording needle with crochet thread and pull it through the "core" a few times. Mimic a tomato's fluted details by wrapping the thread around the cushion and back through the core several times. Knot the thread at the top to finish.

I would LOVE to see pictures if any of you sewers(is that right?) attempt this! I know you are out there! Patti, I'm talking to you!!

Craft of the Week-9

So you know how we(or at least me) never know what to get "daddy"(your husband) for fathers day. Well I have given up trying and decided to go straight to his stomach. These are wicked cute cupcakes that will make him smile...

Daddy's Day Cupcakes

you will need:

- chocolate cake mix(and whatever is required with that)

- M&Ms

- shredded coconut

- green and grey food coloring

- assorted chocolates(like Rolos or Pot of Gold)

- black(gross!) or grape string licorice

- jellybeans or mike and ikes

- icing

- chocolate sauce

1. Make the cupcakes as directed on the box.

2. While they are cooling, mix a small amount of green food coloring with your coconut.

3. Once the cupcakes are cooled you can go to town decorating them like the ones shown below!

This one has icing and green colored coconut covering it with a chocolate lawnmower on top

These ones are made to look like a grill with grey icing and various gummy candies to look like kabobs and the jellybeans make good hotdogs with a toothpick dipped in chocolate sauce and "grilled" on top of the jellybeans. Happy Father's Day!

Craft of the Week-8

So, i was thinking about what to do this week and seeing as its Mothers Day(really it should be called Mother-in-Laws day) and I am a proud mother of little crafters who SO want to make me feel special, this is what I found:

Mother's Day Newspaper

I found this template that you can print off at marthastewart.com and search:"mother's day newspaper". Its a fun, unique way for your kids to show their love to the best moms in the world, theirs!! Hope you have fun this weekend giving and recieving love! Happy Mother's Day to all the hard-working, guilt-ridden(don't we all feel guilt?) mothers in the world.