DIY Valentine's day wreath

My free time has been a little lacking lately, so when I had a free day I went to the fabric store and picked up some supplies to make a valentines day wreath.

My supplies I used were:

1/4 yard red felt
1/4 yard light pink felt
White patterned quilt square
Pink patterned quilt square
Fabric stiffener
Pearl embellishments
Hot glue gun
Scissors
Wreath

I started by cutting my felt length wise in about a 2.5" strip. This did not cover my wreath completely, so I aded a red strip at the top to cover it and I liked the look. Depending on the size wreath you want you may need to cut more than one strip of each. I started wrapping my strips together and adding hot glue after every 2-3 times around--always at the back. Once I had my wreath covered cut a small skinny strip of each color, twisted, then hot glued to the back. If I had a third color, I think it would have looked cute braided.
The flowers were the most difficult and time consuming part of this project. I used my Cricut and the Flower Shoppe cartridge to cut them out. If you do not have a Cricut, there are tons of cute flowers available at craft stores, and you would not need the quilt squares or the Pearl embellishments.

I started out by applying  fabric stiffener to my fabric. I like to apply it then microwave it for 30-60 seconds to help it dry, I have also heard of people using a blow dryer to speed up the process. Once it is completely dry, I put it on my mat. Now if you are having problems making your fabric stick you can use masking tape or painters tape on the entire surface or the edges  to help it stay in place. Set your depth to 6, your speed to 1 and your pressure to 6. Cut away! You may need to cut parts that did not cut completely from the Cricut.  I alternated colors but my biggest flower is 3" and they decrease in size by .5" and stop at 1.5" at the center. I assembled my flowers with hot glue and added a pearl embellishment in the center.
I positioned my flowers where I wanted and hot glued them on and my wreath was finished!

DIY Small gift box

This weekend we wrapped all of our presents at our house, and late Sunday night I realized I forgot to wrap my work secret Santa gift. I looked through all our leftover bags, and found nothing useful, aand my gift was too small to wrap. So I decided to make my own gift box!

I used an almost empty cold pill box, covered it with a thin layer of decoupage glue, and cut scrap wrapping paper to fit!

This ended up being the perfect size for what I needed. I work with kids and am perpetually fighting off a cold, so I have an infinite supply of boxes! These would be perfect for gift cards, jewellery, or other small gifts!

Happy crafting!

Simple Christmas card ideas

My goal this year was to make all of my Christmas cards, however, I did not realize how lofty of a goal this was until I started! I had a hard time finding inspiration so I thought I'd upload some examples for those of you looking!
Happy crafting!

Holiday Gift Ideas for at Home Crafters

Do you like to make crafts at home? Are you searching for the perfect gift for your crafter? Here are a few gift ideas which will help you or your loved one decorate your home.

Thanks to electronic precision and easy-to-use design, the Cricut Expression personal cutting machine makes it a snap to create beautiful cards, displays, scrapbooks, signs, and labels. Great for home, office, or classroom use, the machine features a generous range for small or large shapes and can accommodate materials from vellum to cardstock to vinyl. Creating a cut requires simply inserting a cartridge, loading the machine, making a selection, and pressing “cut.”

This Cricut Essentials Kit lives up to its name, as it provides all the essential tools and accessories needed for creating successful paper crafts with one of Provo Craft's Cricut personal electronic cutting machines. The perfect companion to a brand new Cricut, the kit enables greater flexibility and dexterity for making unique paper scrapbook embellishments, fun bulletin board letters, and custom stationery.
 

Christmas Card Maker. From your heart to theirs — keepsake cards you create using your home computer and printer! This all-in-one set includes our exclusive Dover Design Studio software with over 250 images, patterns, fonts, and artful greetings; video lessons; and templates for bi-fold cards, a postcard, and envelopes. A gallery of finished cards provides inspiration. Cards and envelopes not included. Mac and PC compatible.

Card Making with Cricut. Demonstrating the endless assortment of shapes and styles that can be made using the Cricut from Provo Craft, this guide helps crafters create unique and sensational greeting cards with ease. With simple instructions, imaginative sample projects for occasions such as baby showers and birthdays, and unlimited design options, this helpful reference explains how to impress friends, coworkers, and family with personalized homemade cards.

Mod Podge is 40 years old, but this classic decoupage glue still has its cool. Crafters of any skill level can create anything from paper keepsakes to jewelry to home decor items. The original formula, all-in-one glue sealer and finish, can be used to decoupage on nearly any surface. Quick-drying formula allows for multiple coat build up and projects dry to a matte finish. Cleans up easily with soap and water. Certified AP non-toxic and water based. 

What are your craft holiday gift ideas?

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Holiday Shopping

The holiday season is upon us! It's time to start thinking about what's on your shopping list. The easiest way to avoid all the inconveniences of holiday shopping lines and crowds is to order your gifts online. But what does this have to do with this blog? Well, why not help support this site and get your holiday shopping done at the same time? I would really appreciate it if you can help support this site by using our Amazon.com search box. It's simple to use: just type the name of the product you are looking for in the Amazon.com search box and it will automatically take you to the Amazon website of the product. Simply order the gift as normal and a (tiny) fraction of what you spend will go to this site. What am I going to do with the money? Put it all back into the site to make it even better! Help me help you.

How To: Easy to make Holiday luminaries

Today my sister-in-law and I went to a craft show and I was inspired. There were so many incredible things that I do not think I have time to make, but after a quick trip to Michaels and a lot of contemplation we decided to make luminaries.

I plan to make more in different sizes, and also square instead of a circle. I will post more as I make them!

 

 

Blurry, but a good idea of what it will look like light up.

Covered seam

What you will need:

1. Flameless LED Tealights (1)
2. Cardstock/scrapbook paper
3. Vellum
4. Christmas, winter, or holiday punch.
5. Glue
6. Scissors or paper cutter

You first need to cut your paper down to the size you want. I used 11X8.5 paper and cut it in half long ways (4.25") and then cut about 1" to make the final deminsions 4.25"X10".  As I have mentioned before, I have a Cricut and use it for most of my crafting, this project included. If you are using a Cricut make sure to move your blade down about 1.5" and over about 1" to center and allow room for overlapping. If you are using a paper punch, punch around paper, allowing room on both ends for overlapping to glue.

Flip your paper over after all designs are cut out and glue vellium to the back side of the paper. I found that my vellium wanted to curl up at the edges so I placed it under a book to dry for about 10 minutes, and it seemed about perfect. Be sure to get around the edges of your cutouts, or when you roll your paper the vellium will pull away.

 Once you have your design cut out and the vellium glued to the inside, bring the edges together and glue, making sure to wipe all access glue away. I used a hot glue gun to make sure I had a stron hold. If you do not have a hot glue gun, masking tape on the inside and outside to hgold the sides together while they dry may be a good idea. Another tip is to wrap it around something like a can or a peanut butter jar to dry. This way you can make sure you have a perfect circle!

I cut out trees, and glued red stars in the spaces between the trees. and a larger star to cover the seam where the sides are glued together. Other ideas are; gems, sequins, different punches, or bows.