Articles : Design & Crafts

Making Environmentally Friendly Candles

2009-01-19T18:31:00-07:00

Find out how soy candles burn longer, are fun to make, and help the environment. If you are like millions of other people, you love the soft glow and fragrance of a burning candle. Today, there are so many different options to include materials but we now see people who love working on projects making candles at home. Even better, making your own candles allows you to be as creative as you like, save money, and use ingredients that are completely safe to the environment such as soy. The benefit of using soy is that is that the substance comes from soy beans. Because this is a type of crop that can be renewed year after year, soy is what we now call a “green” material. Additionally, soy is ideal for candles, burning clean and lasting a long time. Therefore, if you want to make candles at home for your own enjoyment or as gifts, start by purchasing soy, which can be found at your local craft or hobby store. You will also discover that soy is an easy substance to work with and once the candle has been designed and created, it burns cleans. Unfortunately, candles made from paraffin wax burn hot and dirty. However, soy produces white soot, which does not have the same sticky feel. This means you end up with cleaner air and no film on surfaces near the location of the candle.

Crafts with Old Glass Bottles

2009-01-12T17:39:00-07:00

Tips for turning old glass bottles into works of art. Years ago, you would take glass bottles back to the store and in return, be given anywhere from five to 20 cents. While there are still a few states where glass bottles can be returned for money, most often the bottles are either discarded in the trash or recycled. However, if you want to make some unique creations, consider using your glass bottles instead of tossing them out. Keep in mind, glass bottles could be anything from soda to liquor to body wash, and so on. Of course, the first thing you want is to wash the bottles out and then allow them to air dry completely. Then, consider the many possibilities. For instance, rather than spend good money on an unusual style of glass vase, consider using a glass bottle. If you like, you could paint the outside or wrap it with paper or fabric. From there, the level of embellishment depends on how plain or fancy you want the bottle to be. Simply fill the bottle with water for fresh flowers or you could add good soil to the bottom and using a thin straw, gently embed a plant into the soil.

Paper Projects for all Ages

2009-01-05T17:00:00-07:00

Children and adults alike can enjoy these projects featuring paper and other affordable supplies. If you have a printer, especially one that prints in color, you can do all kinds of things beyond that of the office. In fact, colored printers have become so affordable and technologically advanced that more and more people are using them to make beautiful craft projects. For instance, you could use your printer to create coloring pages for the kids, greeting cards for the holidays, and much more. In addition to projects you can find online and print directly from home, a great project for kids or adults is making beautiful creations known as Origami. This Japanese art form uses paper that is folded into a variety of shapes that ultimately represent things such as flowers or animals. Although Origami is a longstanding form of art in the Asian world, it is also a very popular craft project in today’s society. If you enjoy mobiles that sway in the breeze outside or even have a woodpecker that you need to scare off from the house, you can purchase inexpensive items from a hobby store and make your own project. For instance, you will find thin tin sold in a variety of colors that can easily be cut into shapes or twisted. Using nylon string, also sold at the craft or hobby store, you can begin to build the mobile and then hang it outdoors.

Potpourri Lighted Jar

2008-12-29T12:26:00-07:00

Tips on how to make a bright decoration This is an easy and fast craft that will look great as a decoration in your own home or make an awesome hostess gift or a gift for teachers, friends, aunts, grandparents, etc. To make this project you’ll need a small single strand of Christmas lights (you could use colored or white), a wide mouthed mason jar, potpourri, ribbon, glue, fabric or a doily, and other embellishments. Begin by putting a little bit of the potpourri in to the jar. Then put in the strand of lights. Keep adding potpourri and arranging the lights. You’ll need to play around a little bit as you are doing this to figure out exactly how much potpourri you want inside the jar and to position the lights how you want them. Be sure that you let the cord of the lights run out through the back of the jar. I usually use a little piece of tape and tape the cord down in the back just so it doesn’t move around too much.

Homemade Christmas Gifts

2008-12-22T17:28:01-07:00

Nothing is more sentimental than homemade Christmas gifts from the heart. With Christmas just around the corner and the economy in its current state, we see a large number of people looking at the option of making homemade Christmas gifts. While this might seem like cheating, the truth is that homemade gifts are far more treasured since they take time and love to make. Therefore, if you want to do something extraordinary for the people you love this holiday season, why not make gifts instead of buy them. A very easy gift idea is the Christmas tree ornament. You can visit your local hobby store and purchase plastic or glass globes for very little money. Then, choose something special for each recipient to put inside the ornament. Using craft paint, you can then paint the year and a seasonal message. Ornaments are used year after year and often, they end up on the tree for as long as the person is around to celebrate this holiday.

Holly Wreath Ornament

2008-12-15T13:50:00-07:00

Instructions on how to make a holly wreath ornament which features a photo. I love ornaments that incorporate a child’s photo. These not only look great hanging on your own tree but make awesome gifts for grandparents, aunts, uncles, godparents, friends, teachers; basically anyone who loves your child! This holly wreath ornament is simple to make and prominently displays your favorite photo. Get your child to help you make this ornament. Materials Needed: Red foam Green foam Scissors Ribbon Hole Punch Glue or scrapbooking adhesive Photo of your choice Glitter (optional) Instructions: 1. Make a circle with the red foam by tracing something round. I traced a cup to create my circle. Then cut out the circle. 2. Trim your photo to fit the circle if needed. (I suggest using a copy of the photo and not the original!) Adhere it to the circle. Don’t worry if the photo itself is not round, it will not show.

Easy Christmas Ornaments for Children

2008-12-08T13:43:01-07:00

Tips on how to make your own Christmas ornaments. Looking for some easy Christmas ornaments that children could make? Well, look no further, I have a few easy ideas for ornaments that the kiddos will enjoy making. Beaded Candy Cane In order to make this ornament, you will need a red or white pipe cleaner and red and white pony beads. Cut the pipe cleaner in half and loop one end so the beads will not come off. Begin putting the beads on the pipe cleaner alternating between white and red until the pipe cleaner is full. Loop that end as well so the beads stay on. Now just bend the pipe cleaner over at the top in order to make a candy cane shape. This ornament is so easy to make that your kids will want to make a bunch and fill your tree with them!

Recycled Christmas Ornaments

2008-12-01T13:33:01-07:00

Save some cash and recycle by making some ornaments out of things you already own. Go green this Christmas by making some ornaments out of things you already have. Not only will you be recycling but you’ll also be saving money during these tough economic times. CD Ornaments Use old CDs to make Christmas ornaments. You can decorate them in different ways. Decorate them by covering them with patterned scrapbook paper and stickers. You could also paint the CD a solid color and then embellish it with stencils or by free handing a design with a complementary color. Tie a ribbon through the middle of the CD and loop it to create a hanger for the CD ornament. Old Greeting Card Ornaments Old greeting cards can make great ornaments. They often have pretty scenes or cute images on them. Cut out the scene or image, glue it on to a piece of heavy cardboard to make it sturdier and then embellish it using glitter, paint, or whatever you have. Add a piece of ribbon looped to the back to create a hanger for the ornament.

Button Wreath Ornament

2008-11-01T13:25:00-07:00

Easy Ornament using Buttons Have left over buttons hanging around the house or do you have a large jar of buttons like I do? I have an easy craft for you to use up some of those buttons! A ornament made out of buttons will not only use up some of those buttons you have lying around but also will make a nice addition to your Christmas tree. In order to make this project you will need a circle stencil, heavy cardboard, buttons in assorted sizes and colors, strong glue such as E-6000, and ribbon. Using the circle stencils cut a circle out of the cardboard. You may need to use a craft knife to cut out the circle. Now, cut out a second smaller circle so that you now have an area to glue the buttons on with a big hole in the middle. It will basically look like a wreath form.

Quick Embellished Photo Frames

2008-10-28T21:57:00-07:00

Embellish photo frames in under twenty minutes Looking for a quick and easy craft project? This one is great to do with kids or a group of friends. And it makes a great gift. Items Needed: Clear Plastic Photo Frames (I used magnetic ones this time, but you can use the kind that stand up as well. These were under a dollar each at Wal-Mart.) Craft Glue Embellishments (Let your imagination run wild. You can use buttons, puzzle pieces, fake flowers, ribbon, rhinestones, small jewels, etc…) Special Photos Puzzle Frame Choose an old puzzle that has missing pieces. It’s easier and looks better if you use a puzzle where the pieces are larger. I used about 20 pieces on this 4x6 frame. Glue the pieces around the edge of the puzzle using craft glue. Overlap the pieces as desired for a more layered look. Let the frame dry for about six hours then insert your photo and enjoy! Flower Frame Choose artificial flowers of your choice. I used daisies because they are my favorite flower. This particular kind of fake flowers have little glue dots on the back, so all I had to do was stick the flowers on the frame. So simple! If the flowers you choose, does not have adhesive on the back, then just attach the around the edge of the frame using craft glue. If you used craft glue, you’ll need to let your frame dry for about six hours. If you didn’t use craft glue, your frame is ready for you to insert the photo and enjoy!