Revamp an Easter basket

You know I have a lot of Easter baskets stored in my basement. The dark, storage area is very conducive to basket growth.  As I take them out though, some of them seem a bit worse for wear. What is a gal to do?  Feathers, glue gun and just a few minutes is all you need to re-vamp it in style!

You will need:

An old Easter basket

Some dyed guinea feathers or regular colored feathers

Glue gun and glue sticks

1.     Heat up your glue gun.  Start adding feathers to the rim of the basket, overlapping as you go.  Make sure you attach the feathers in the same direction.  Vary the colors.  Note: Glue gun glue is very hot!  Be careful not to touch the places where you add the glue.  The feathers will stick pretty quickly.

2.     Work all around until you reach the first feather.  Add a dab of glue onto the base of a feather and stick it under the first feather to cover. 

                                                                           

St Patrick’s Day Blessing Heart Plaque

I always decorate my foyer with a seasonal theme so I like to design things I can hang or just set on the entry table. There are so many St. Patrick’s Day blessings and Irish proverbs that you can use.  Simply search the Internet and decide on one or use the ones I have provided. 

You will need:

Home computer and printer

Printer paper

Heavy corrugated cardboard scrap

Laser cut rectangular wooden frame with hanger (available inexpensively at craft stores)

Mod Podge decoupage glue

Metallic green acrylic paint

Small paintbrush

Tacky craft glue

Pencil

Scissors

Wax paper to cover work surface

1.     In any word processing program, set your font size at 36 pt. and the color green.  You may want to make the words bold type. Decide on a quote, blessing or proverb. Choose your font.  There are even quite a few St. Patrick's Day fonts that you can get for free on the interent. Use your home printer to print out the page on all-purpose computer paper.  This will be your decoupage print.

2.     Place your frame on top of a piece of heavy corrugated cardboard.  You can pick up lots of heavy cardboard free for the taking at any Costco type stores. My cardboard was white on one side and tan on the other. Trace the inside dimension of the frame with pencil.  Cut the cardboard rectangle out making sure you cut out ½” larger around than the pencil markings. (See photo) Just follow the outline and with a ruler measure ½” bigger.

3.     Protect your work surface by covering with a sheet of waxed paper or newspaper.  Brush on a coat of metallic green acrylic paint on the front of your frame.  Let dry.  When it is dry apply another coat and let dry.

4.     Place the corrugated cardboard rectangle on top of the computer print out and trace with a pencil around.  Cut out

5.     Brush some ModPodge on the cardboard rectangle and immediately place the prepared printout on top.  Smooth with your fingers, and then apply another coat of the Modpodge.  Let dry.

6.     Turn the wooden frame to the back and run a bead of tacky glue around the edge.  Attach the decoupage rectangle onto the back and let dry.

7.     If the frame has a hanger attached you are done, glue on a piece of ribbon or

A well-known Gaelic blessing follows:

May the road rise to meet you

May the wind be always at your back

May the sun shine warm upon your face;

The rains fall soft upon your fields

And, until we meet again,

May God hold you in the palm of his hand.

Recycled coffee cup and sleeve-- grown-up Easter basket

We all love to get an Easter basket and just because we are no longer in grade school doesn’t mean we should have to forget it.  Recycle a paper coffee cup and corrugated coffee sleeve to craft a cute little Easter basket. (Sort of) You can fill with some Easter grass small candies or why not some mini coffees or K-cups for your favorite coffee lover.

You will need:

Paper corrugated coffee cup sleeve

Paper coffee cup, rinsed and dried

Spring print felt

Easter felt rabbit or egg shapes (available at any craft store)

Tacky craft glue

Scissors

Pencil

Marker

Two clothespins (for holding the sleeve while the glue dries)

1.     Before taking apart the sleeve make a line with a marker on the inside where the two ends meet.  (This will help with reassembly)  Note which side is on top.

2.     Carefully take apart the sleeve and lay on top of a piece of spring print felt.  Use the pencil to trace around the sleeve on the unprinted side of the felt making sure that the printed side will fit correctly on the outside of the sleeve. Add a ¼” extra felt on the end that will be glued to the top of the sleeve.  

 Leave 1/4" extra on the end that will be on top

3.     Cut out the felt piece.  Add a generous amount of glue on the outside of the sleeve and attach the felt piece, leaving the extra ¼” unglued.  Let dry.

4.     Use some tacky glue to add the seasonal felt shapes to the felt making sure you do not place any on any fold lines.  Let dry.

5.     Use the inside guide line to reattach the sleeve with some tacky glue.  Glue down the ¼” extra felt to cover the seam.  Use two clothespins to hold the sleeve until it is completely dry.

6.     Put the decorated coffee sleeve on recycled coffee cup and fill with Easter grass.  Add some small coffee packs or K-cups on top and a few coffee flavored jellybeans or candies if desired. It's fun to make more than one.

Polymer clay four-leaf clover earrings

Deck yourself out for St. Patrick’s Day with these unique and one of a kind four leaf clover earrings.  They are quick and easy to make with just a few supplies and bake hard in your home oven.  Make as set for yourself, your BFF and one for the teacher.  Be sure to check out the matching Pendant too!

You will need:

Polymer clay blocks in three colors, lt. green, dark green, and white

Mini seasonal cutters for clay (available in craft stores)

Rolling pin or dowel (this should only be used for clay)

Waxed paper to work on

Aluminum foil, cookie sheet, and home oven

Masking tape

X-acto or craft knife

Sculpey glaze

Small paintbrush

Pointed stylus

Needle nosed pliers

Jewelry findings—small bails and fishhook ear wires (Or earring posts if you like that style of earring)

E6000 glue (for post earrings only)

1.     The blocks of polymer clay come with four separation lines.  Slice ¼ section off from each of the three colors with the X-acto or craft knife.

2.     Lay the three separate color sections side by side. Condition the clay by squeezing with your hands.  Twist the three colors several times to blend and marbleize the clay.

3.     Use a rolling pin or large dowel to roll out the blended clay to approximately ¼” thickness.  Use the four-leaf clover cutter to cut out a motif for each earring. 

4.     Using a pointed stylus make a hole in the top of each earring. (If you are making post style earrings you may skip this step.)

5.     Cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil.  Set your oven at 250 degrees and bake the earring motifs for 10 minutes. When done, let cool completely.

6.     Tape a five-inch piece of masking, tape down on each end, sticky side up to your work surface. (This keeps the pieces in place while you are glazing them) Place your baked motifs on the sticky side and brush a coat of Sculpey glaze on top.  Let dry.  When they are completely dry, turn over and brush some glaze on the opposite side.  

7.     Use the needle nosed pliers to squeeze the bail through the hole in the top of the earring.  Open the fish hook ear wire and feed it through the bail loop.  Squeeze all loops back together tightly.  If you are making post earrings use some E6000 glue to attach a post earring back and let dry completely.

Note:  Do not use a microwave oven!

St. Patrick’s Day Shamrock ribbon barrette

Sunday, March 17th is St. Patrick's Day. Wear your green in style with this quick to make barrette...and don't get pinched.

You will need:

St. Patrick’s Day grosgrain ribbon

Ironing board and iron

Ruler

Tacky Craft glue

Green sparkle chenille stem

1 ½” barrette

Glue gun and glue sticks

Clothespins

Pencil

1.  Cut three pieces of 3/4"” wide St. Patrick’s Day holiday (or green) grosgrain ribbon.  Measure and mark the center of each piece.  (1 ¼”)

2.  Use your guide mark to fold up each side of the ribbon, and carefully iron it down flat. Turn over and fold under the two corners of each of the upturned sides of ribbon. Use the point of the iron to carefully tack it down.  (See photo) Finish by ironing the entire heart shape flat.  Make two more for a total of three ribbon hearts.

3.  Open the ironed down sections and add a dab of tacky glue to adhere.  A clothespin is helpful in holding the glued edges until they set. You may iron it again if desired.  Let dry.

Front side

Back side

4.  Roll one end of a green sparkle chenille stem into a circular shape.  Use your glue gun and glue sticks to attach the circular shape onto the center of a 3” metal barrette.  Let dry.  Attach the three heart shapes onto to the top of the glued on chenille stem.  (See Photo)  Let dry.  Curl the remaining chenille stem at the bottom.