Melanie Makes

Dollar Tree Fleece Infinity Scarf Tutorial

2017-12-06T11:41:00.002-05:00

My local dollar tree, had these fabulous buffalo plaid fleece scarfs. I knew I wanted to do something crafty with them. I originally thought it was going to make a pillow, but the fabric was a little narrow. I stared to think of other ideas and an infinity scarf came to mind. It turned out great and I am nice and cozy with it on.

Here is how you make it:

1. Cut yarn ends off and square up the fleece fabric

2. Fold and pin fleece fabric with right sides together and sew a 1/4" seam

4. Tun inside out

5. Wear

This is was a super simple and quick project that you or your recipient will love. I can't wait to make a few more and maybe need to take another trip to the Dollar Tree.
Happy Crafting!
Melanie

Prancing through the Snow!

2015-11-17T14:35:00.001-05:00

YIt's almost that time of year and I have begun making Christmas Cards for family and friends. I have been getting new supplies this past couple week and this is my first card. I used several of Tim Holtz's BigZ Dies from Sizzix. Love them!

I started off the card with a Stampin Up! Pear Pizzaz card stock card base. I used Tim Holtz's "Holiday Knot" Embossing folder to create the sweater background. On top of that I die cut a snowflake from Tim Holtz's Bigz die "Layered Snowflake" and a deer from the "Prancing Deer" die.

The gold foil "Joy" die cut is from Stampin Up!'s "Wonderful Wreath" framelits.

Finally, I added some burlap ribbon and a thin strip of gold foil and some sequins to finish off the card.

I really love the Bigz dies because you can cut through multiple pieces of card stock which is a time saver and very helpful when mass producing cards.

Hope this inspires your own Prancing Deer card!

Happy Crafting,

Melanie

Merry & Bright - Mass Production Christmas Cards

2015-11-10T09:00:00.000-05:00

Today, I wanted to share with you our family's Christmas Card from last year. I made over 40 in an assembly line fashion. The simplicity of it allows for mass production.

To make this card, I used the "Merry" Die from MFT is cut from glitter paper and the "&" is from Avery Elle', "We R Family" Die. Finally I heat embossed the bright greeting from Avery Elle's "Holiday Fill In the Blank" stamp set.

On the inside of the card we had a family photo framed using the "We R Family" die again.

Check out these dies if you are interested in CASEing this card.

Happy Crafting,

Melanie

Mario Make a Wish Birthday!

2015-06-19T07:43:00.002-04:00

Today's card is a fun kids card featuring a Punch Art "Mario" from Mario Brothers. I created this for one my son to take to a Marion Cart birthday party. I can tell you everything I look at this I smile.

I used a series of circles both plain and scalloped to create this Mario. Foam adhesive helped me achieve dimension. The radial checked background is the perfect backdrop for this Mario Cart race inspired card. I hope to do a tutorial soon, to show you the shapes and steps in making this fun card.

Happy Crafting,

Melanie

Masculine Happy Birthday Everyone Card

2015-06-17T06:30:00.000-04:00

Sometimes Masculine cards are tough to figure out. I have found that when you add corrugated card stock to a project or card it instantly makes it easier.

I used a standard A2 craft card base and added a piece of 4.25" x 3.25" piece of corrugated card stock to the upper right corner. The other pieces are the Die-namics "Happy" die from My Favorite Things, the Stampin Up! "Top Note Die" and the "Birthday" is from MFT "Happy Everything" stamp set. There is also a little jute twine in the upper corner to add some additional texture and interest.

Using these word dies has been so much fun, I hope that this gives you some ideas and inspiration to use corrugated card stock on your next project. Stampin Up! is now carrying it the new catalog. Let me know if it is something that interests you and and I would be happy to place an order.

Happy Crafting,

Melanie

Happy Everything Gift Bag

2015-06-15T15:35:00.001-04:00

Today's post is using another My Favorite Things Die-namics, "Happy" and the "Happy Everything" stamp set. I have used another die from this set before on a birthday card and loved how it makes a statement. Click here to check out the card.

I used a plain craft brown bag and cut the "Happy" out on some thin chip board and some teal foil paper. I adhered the layers together and glued onto the bag. I stamped and the "birthday" sentiment and added some glitter embossing powder to compliment the shinny "Happy".

This was perfect for the party. I hope this inspires you to use your WORD dies for more than cards.

Happy Crafting,

Melanie

Stampin Up! Happy Birthday Everyone!

2015-06-14T09:33:00.000-04:00

Today's Birthday card showcases Stampin Up's new Hostess Stamp Set, "Happy Birthday Everyone". It has many sentiments that can be placed below, but I thought the Happy Birthday sentiment work great by itself on this bright card.

Below are the list of supplies Stampin Up! supplies that I used to make it:

Cardstock: Bermuda Bay, Pool Party, Watermelon Wonder, Hello Honey, Cherry On Top DSP
Stamps: Happy Birthday Everyone (hostess), Something To Say
Embossing: Ploka Dot Impressions Embossing Folder
Punches: Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack
Accents: Cherry On Top Washi Tape, Rhinestone Basic Jewels

Happy Crafting,

Melanie

Many Thanks Repeated Background

2015-06-12T08:04:00.001-04:00

Hello everyone,
It has been awhile since my last post, but I have gotten in some new supplies and I am on a roll. Some of my new goodies are from My Favorite Things (MFT) and Simon Says Stamp (SSS0 in making this "Thanks" card. Let me give you the details on how I made it.

For the card I knew I wanted to do a thanks background with all the thank you stamps sets that I had on my shelf. I used SSS Thanks, Stampin Up!'s Curly Cute, Express Yourself, and Made for You. I am loving the new Stitched Circles dies from SSS. These are great to give your card that little extra detail. The show piece of the card is the Thanks cut out with MFT Many Thanks die. The green glimmer paper give it a little sparkle to make it special. Finally, I used some Stampin Up ribbon and the flower from the Itty Bitty Accents punch pack.

I hope you enjoyed this card and it inspires you to look through your thanks sentiments to create a unique background of your own.

Getting inky means we are having fun!
Happy Crafting,

Melanie

Best friend on the Block, Lego Valentines

2015-02-02T10:58:00.000-05:00

If you have boys like mine they love everything Lego. When I asked them what they wanted to give for a Valentine and mentioned my Lego idea they were cheering with excitement. I originally came across this idea when I was planning a Lego Themed Birthday and thought it would make and affordable class Valentine as well.

The supplies you will need are child size ring blanks (purchased my from eBay), 2x2 Red Lego Bricks, 3"x 4" clear treat bags, Valentine Scrapebook Paper, Heart Punch and Printer.

Rings not your thing, stay tuned foe my next post, it will be Lego Key Chain.
Happy Crafting,

Melanie

I "Heart" Valentine's Wood Door Decor

2015-01-21T11:08:00.000-05:00

I wanted to share my latest non paper crafting project for this Valentines. I have been pinning a lot of pallet projects for inspiration, but haven't gotten my toes wet yet. We have been cleaning out and found this old shelf from my college days. We really didn't need it and were just going to donate and I thought WAIT, I can use that! This really wasn't quite the reuse of a pallet, but could be easily adapted.

Here is the old college book shelf, it had a good run, but I like it's new life much better. First I disassemble the bookcase. This was fairly easy since it was held with screws. Next I laid two of the shelves together, this was large enough to make my heart. To connect them I took one of the legs and cut it to size with a chop saw. Did I mention how much fun it was playing with power tools again, it had been too long. Architecture school wasn't all bad I guess :) Once my pieces were cut I them to the back of the two shelves.

I traced the heart on a large piece of paper and the transferred it to my wood slates. Then it was time to put the jig saw to work. Here is the rough cut out of the heart.

Then I sanded and spray painted it red, took it back to the sander for a little distressing. Next was to create the hanger. I used a wire hanger and wrapped it around a pipe to get the spiral shape. Then I twisted the ends into a loop and attached with a screw. Voila! I festive heart for my front door.

Hope this inspires you to get out your power tools.

Happy Crafting!

Melanie

Snowing Christmas Blessings

2014-12-03T17:09:00.000-05:00

There certainly is a chill in the air, so the perfect time to work on the snowy cards. This Christmas card showcases many Simon Says Stamps products. I just love the rolling stitched hills and snow falling background.

To create the blue panel, I first die cut the large rectangle from the "Bundle of Stitched Shapes" by Simon Says Stamp. One top of that to create "snow" I used Texture Past and the "Falling Snow" Stencil also from Simon Says Stamp.

The focal point of the card was made with the "Village" dies and the "Stitched Slopes and Hills from SSS. I added an evening glow to the back of the building with some light yellow card stock. The Christmas Blessings sentiment is from the SSS "Christmas SSS101353" stamp set.

I hope you enjoyed this wintry scene. Can't wait to do more with this village set.

Happy Crafting,

Melanie

Merry & Bright Water Color

2014-11-24T16:44:00.000-05:00

Merry and Bright and full of color. I am really loving this trendy water color technique. It brings back memories of when I took art lessons as a child.

Here are the details on how you can make this card. For the water color background, I spread Peacock Feathers Distress Inks on my craft mat and spritzed with water. I then placed my cardstock into the ink and let it absorb. I after several dabs I turned over and let the water do the work.

Next, I used the large rectangle from the "Bundle of Stitched Shapes" by Simon Says Stamps. To add another layer of interest, I used Texture Past and the "Falling Snow" Stencil from Simon Says The "Merry" Die from MFT is cut from glitter paper and the "&" is from Avery Elle', "We R Family" Die. Finally I heat embossed the bright greeting from Avery Elle's "Holiday Fill In the Blank" stamp set.

Wow, I didn't realize that I used some many different company's products on this card. I really love it and hope it inspires you to dig deep in your supplies.

Happy Crafting,

Melanie

Trim the Tree with Christmas Cheer

2014-11-08T07:00:00.000-05:00

This Christmas card was inspired by one of my most popular blog posts that I did three year ago. You can check it out here. The tree is the main focal point and I think its curves are timeless and that is what everyone likes about it. So, why not use the same tree in another card? Well, that is exactly what I have done and I like this card as much as the previous one. Here is how I did it:

The tree I used from a Cricut Christmas Solutions, cut at 4.5" on green glimmer paper. I first used Simon Says Stamp's "Bundle of Stitched Shapes". If you look close you can see the stitching detail around the edge. I them made it into the background with a stencil and texture or embossing paste. The stencil is Tim Holtz's "Holiday Knit". I just love the texture it adds and it's subtlety behind the tree.

For the red banner, I stamped it with Stampin Up's "Sweet Essentials" Christmas Cheer sentiment. For the finishing touch, the holly and berries were added from Papertrey Ink's "Holly Jolly Die Collection".

I may be inspired to see what other backdrops I can come up with to support the star of this card. That tree is
Happy Crafting,

Melanie

Circle & Texture Happy Birthday Masculine Card

2014-11-04T08:32:00.003-05:00

Can I say, I love the new crafting supplies that I have gotten recently. I feel much more like myself when I can get in my craft room and have a few moments to myself. That is hard with three boys running around, but I am sure going to make more of an effort.

This was a fairly simple card that I made to celebrate my Father-in-Law's birthday this week and only took about 15 minutes to make. I used the "happy" die cut and the "Birthday" Sentiment is from My Favorite Things.

For the Chevron Background I used Texture Paste and a Tim Holtz Chevron Stencil. I only used the center chevron and masked over the ones I didn't need. I let that dry for a moment and the I punched out some circles. The largest circle is photo paper that I experimented with ink and water. I think it add a touch of whimsy to the card. The other circles were cut from scrap papers that I had on hand. I think enamel dots would look nice on this as well. I used foam dots and glues dot to assemble the layers.

I can't wait to get onto the next project. This was so much fun!

Happy Crafting,

Melanie

Fall Thank You for Teachers

2014-10-31T08:51:00.000-04:00

Today, I wanted to share with you the Fall Thank You I sent to my son's teachers. These are cute post it note holders with a fall theme. I give these out often to not only teachers, but friends and family.

For the chevron background I used Stampin Up's "Positively Chevron" Background Stamp in Versa Mark Ink and Clear Embossed it. The fall leaves are from a retired set from Stampin Up called, "Gently Falling".

I colored the leaves with distress inks and was pleased with how they turned out for my first try at using them.

I personalized the back with a punched out heart and stamped Bryan with Lawn Fawn's "Violet ABC's".

Super simple thank you for almost anyone. If you missed my post yesterday for the Halloween Treat Bags stop by here.

Happy crafting,

Melanie

Class Halloween Treat Bags

2014-10-30T12:38:00.001-04:00

Happy Halloween! I have missed my craft room terribly, but I have found my way back to make my son's Halloween Treat Bags for school.

Here is how I made them:

I used treat bags from the Dollar Tree, they came 40 for $1. Can't beat that deal. I then used the Top Note retired die from Stampin Up for the topper of my bag. I wanted to give that some glimmer so I sprayed it with shimmer paint. The Witches Hat is from another retired Stampin Up set, "Wicked Cool". I stamped in black clear embossed to give it some more shine and texture. I punched an oval and embossed it with the dots folder. If you look close you can see that I actually used the back side. The "BOO" sentiment, which I changed to "EEK!" later on is Lawn Fawn's Violet ABC's.

I folded the treat bag over and stapled the banner and topper. I then covered that up with the Witches Hat and oval punch with foam dots.

For the back I stamped my son's name Bryan on the back the the Lawn Fawn Violet ABC's. I am getting a lot of use out of that set already.

I hope you enjoyed and it in spires you to do your own.

Happy Crafting,

Melanie

Free Father's Day Card Printable

2014-06-06T11:25:00.001-04:00

I always struggle with creating masculine cards for my husband, dad and father-in-law. So I wanted to share with you a free printable (for personal use only) that I created if you struggle like me. This Father's Day Card was created with different Free fonts that I downloaded and imported into Photoshop. There I sized and placed them to my liking.

Here is how you can make one of your own with this free download. Click here to download file.

After you print the file onto card stock you will need to pull out your paper cutter or scissors would work too.

I trimmed at at 5.5" mark on the long side. The right hand portion will be your card base with the "Happy Father'd Day" sentiment on the inside.

Score and fold this portion of the the card.

Now I trimmed down the front of the card to 5.25" x 4" and matted a black piece of card stock that was 1/16" wider. This picks up the black lettering on the card and it feels very masculine. Here is where you can adjust accordingly to your personal liking. You could add your the recipients favorite color or leave white for clean look. I place some foam tape on the back to give this layer some depth.

I hope this inspire you to make this card or put your own fonts to work in a program like photoshop.

Enjoy and happy crafting,

Melanie

Affordable End of the Year Teacher Note Card Set

2014-05-20T14:26:00.000-04:00

If you are like me you like a good deal and I love Target's $1 section. I happened upon these cute black and white note cards sets. My wheels instantly were turning on how I could take these up a notch. You may have seem my other note card portfolios or gift card bouquet that I have done in the past for my son's teachers. I now have three sons and our family is going many directions, so I don't have the time to do projects from the past. This note card set will be equally special, but done during one or two afternoons while the kids are napping or still at school.

Here is the card set I purchased from Target's $1 bin:

Next, I used some Big Shot Alphabet Dies to cut out the monogram letters. I cut out 9 for each; 8 for the note cards and one for the front of the portfolio.

Note Card Portfolio Dimensions:
8" H x 9.5" W
Score at 2" along the 9.5" section
Score in half at 4.75"

I hope you enjoyed this project and it inspires you to make your own. They make a great gift or thank-you for anyone in your life. I went back to Target and picked up a few more sets for my shelf.

Happy Crafting,

Melanie

ConKerr Cancer Pillow Cases Service Project - Girl Scout Silver & Bronze Awards

2014-02-12T08:55:00.002-05:00

My nieces, Abigail McGovern and Victoria McGovern, have done this wonderful service project with Girl Scouts and sewing pillow cases for ConKerr Caner.

ConKerr Caner Pillow Cases is a wonderful way to volunteer your sewing skills and extra fabric stash. My nieces set such a great example on how we can all volunteer and help brighten children's day in a hospital with a bright colorful pillow case. Together, they made 39 pillowcases to donate and achieved their Silver and Bronze Awards. I am such a proud Aunt!

If you would like to lend your sewing skill or even teach your child a great way they can help, this is the perfect service project for you. See ConKerr Caner Volunteer page for more details.

I hope this inspires you to check out your fabric stash.

Happy Crafting,

Melanie

Colorado Inspired Wedding Gift Card Holder

2014-01-28T11:21:00.001-05:00

My brother-in-law go married in Colorado over the summer and the wedding decor was inspired by the beautiful mountains surrounding Denver. We gave the new married couple a gift card and I wanted to design a gift card holder that would be in keeping with this natural theme.

Here is how I created it:

I used Stampin Up's "Top Note" bigz die to cut the gift card holder as well as the interior pocket. To create the gift card holder I folded a 4.25" x 5.5" piece of card stock in half. I place the folded edge just below the cut line on the Top Note die. I then cut another Top Note from the dies and cut it in half. I ran some tombo adhesive around the 3 side of my interior pocket and glued it to the folded I just made holder.

Next, I needed to create the embellishment on the front. I embossed the outer pocket with the Stampin Up "Woodgrain" textured impressions embossing folder. Cut a piece of burlap from the Apothacary Framelits dies, stamped and clear embossed a sentiment from the "Label Love" Stampin Up stampset. I used stampin write markers on the "Tags Til Christmas" pine cone image for the rustic feel.

Now it is time to assemble, I used Stampin Up dimensional, glue dots to hold it all together.

I hope you enjoyed this gift card holder and may it inspire you to get crafty for a special occasion.

Happy crafting,

Melanie

Creepy Crawly Halloween Teacher Favor

2013-10-30T10:04:00.000-04:00

Do you ever wonder what to do with those cute little sticky note pads that you see in the $1 at your favorite store? Well, I just love to give them for gifts or favors. This year I found some really cute Halloween ones at my Target store and I knew they would make the perfect little gift for my son's teachers.

I cut the craft card stock 3 1/4" x 6 5/8" and then scored at 3 1/4 from both edges. These dimension might vary depending on the sticky note pad, so always measure twice and cut once. Then I just adorned the front with some layered paper and the retired Stampin Up set, "Batty for You".

For the packaging, I used a clear bag and topped it off with embossed craft paper. I cut the topper using Stampin Up's, "Labels Collection" framelits.

Great quick gift for those you want to know you appreciate them. If you are looking for more ideas you can stop by and see what I did for the teachers last year, Click Here.

Happy Crafting,

Melanie

Driving Me Batty

2013-10-26T15:09:00.002-04:00

This year is the year of the Bat in my family and my three sons are going to play the part.

I love to do simple sewing and this really fits the bill, because with three boys you know there isn't a lot of free time. This cute design is from Alpha Mom website, you can visit her site to download a PDF of the steps.

I made a different mask which I got from Blog 5 to 9.

Together, they make the perfect bat. As far as time, this only took me about an hour. The second costume went even faster. Need something

quick and easy, look no further.

Happy Crafting.

Melanie

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas Series - Part Five

2013-10-04T06:30:00.000-04:00

Welcome back to Part Five in the "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" Series featuring Stampin Up's "Merry Little Christmas" in the 2013 Holiday Mini.

Today's is the final post in series and I have sure had fun creating with this set. For this card I features the "Merry Little Christmas" stamp set along with the "Beautifully Baroque" set that is new in the catalog this year. The background is stamped with the Beautifully Baroque set in Versa Mark ink. I then stamped a craft brown piece of card stock and cut in out with the Window Frame framelit. Added some bakers twine, faceted button and ribbon to finish it off.

If you missed out on Part One, Part Two, Part Three or Part Four of the "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" series, please check them out for more inspiration on this stamp set.

Happy Crafting,

Melanie

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas Series - Part Four

2013-10-03T13:15:00.002-04:00

Welcome back to Part Four in the "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" Series featuring Stampin Up's "Merry Little Christmas" in the 2013 Holiday Mini.

Today's post is very similar to yesterdays in the elements that I used. This one is a little more festive and sparkly which is perfect for the Holiday. I set the sentiment off with the snowflake from the Snow Flurry Bigz die and the Season of Style cut with an Apothecary Accent framelit. For the background I used a sponge dauber and versa mark ink that I then heat embossed with red glitter embossing powder. I really love the sparkle to set the tone for this card.

If you missed out on Part One, Part Two or Part Three of the "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" series, please check them out for more inspiration on this stamp set.

Happy Crafting,

Melanie

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas Series - Part Three

2013-10-02T14:15:00.004-04:00

Welcome back to Part Three in the "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" Series featuring Stampin Up's "Merry Little Christmas" in the 2013 Holiday Mini.

In today's post, I am featuring a rustic card. I set the sentiment off with the snowflake from the Snow Flurry Bigz die and the Season of Style cut with an Apothecary Accent framelit. The wood grain embossed background adds the rustic feel.

If you missed out on Part One or Part Two of the "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" series, please check them out for more inspiration on this stamp set.

Happy Crafting,

Melanie