Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Make a Leprechaun sparkle hat from a recycled K-cup




Since Christmas the top craft tutorial that everyone is asking me for is anything made with a recycled K-cup, and as always I aim to please. All it takes is an empty K-cup to make this cute little leprechaun hat to decorate your table or other small area.  They are easy enough to make a bunch and you can even use them as party favors filled with small candies.

You will need:

K-cup washed and filter removed

Green glitter

Shamrock foam sticker

Tacky glue

Small paintbrush

Heavy cardboard or mat board (I have scraps of mat board lying around and that is what I used)

Scrap of gold ribbon or cord

Compass with pencil

1.    Draw a circle 1 ½” circle with the compass on the cardboard and cut out. 



2.     Place the K-cup top side down and trace around in the center of the cut out circle.  Cut this circle out inside the line so it will be a bit smaller than the diameter of the K-cup.





3.     Place the ring around the cup and push down to the bottom edge to form a brim.

4.     Spread some tacky glue on the entire K-cup and cover with the green glitter.  Let dry.  Cover the brim with glue and sprinkle glitter on it as well.  Let dry.  Turn over and repeat the glue and glitter on the inside of the brim.  Let dry.





5.     Cut a 6-inch piece of gold cord or ribbon and glue around the hat. (see photo)



6.     When the ribbon has dried, attach a Shamrock foam sticker over the seam where the ribbon meets.  Glue a small jewel or miniature coin in the center of the shamrock.





Thursday, February 23, 2012

Easy Kids's craft, Spring Flowery Napkin rings (an inexpensive recycled craft)






You will need:

One cardboard tube from the inside of a paper towel

Scissors

Tacky Glue (Tacky glue has a thick consistency and does not bleed through the felt

Green felt

Pencil

Ruler

Foam flower shapes available at Craft stores

Clothespins are handy for holding the napkin rings till the glue dries.

Measure and cut four pieces off the cardboard tube to 1 ½” lengths.  Trim the rings evenly around.




Measure a piece of felt 1 ½” x 6”.  Cut four.




It is a good idea to put two fingers inside the ring to hold it while you are gluing.  Spread a generous amount of glue all over the outside of the ring. Attach the felt piece working around to cover. Overlap and glue the ends.  Let dry.  Trim the felt to the edges of the cardboard.  Ring base is made.




To decorate the rings glue pre-cut shapes over the seam line to cover. Layer the smaller flowers on top of the larger ones varying the colors. Add circles for the center. Be creative.   Use clothespins to hold the shapes on until completely dry.




Enjoy your napkin rings. They are great family craft for a rainy day.



Note:   Make sure to use Tacky glue.  Other glues will bleed through the felt.  When cutting the tubes it is perfectly okay if it flattens slightly.  Just puff it up again with your fingers.

Monday, February 20, 2012

Lucky Shamrock magnet, a recycled craft





I have amassed a large quantity of advertising magnets.  Pizza places, credit card companies and various others constantly send out little sheet magnets with their names and numbers.  Seriously how many magnets to a local pizza joint do you need on your fridge?  So I figured if they are going to keep sending them I am going to put them to a more “seasonal use.”  This is a great kids craft!

You will need:

A shamrock sticker or clip art printed off the computer

Black felt

Sheet advertising magnet (or if you don’t have any you can purchase sheet magnets at the craft store)

Tacky glue

Gold glitter dimensional fabric paint

Pen, scissors

1.     Spread some tacky glue on the back of the sticker.  This is to insure that it stays stuck.  Attach to the black felt.  If using clip-art, cut out and spread some glue onto the back.  Attach to the piece of black felt.  Let dry. 




2.     Cut around the motif leaving a quarter inch of black felt showing.  Place the prepared shamrock on the advertising magnet and trace around with a pen.  Cut out the shamrock shaped magnet.  Spread some glue on the back of the felt shamrock and attach to the magnet. Let dry.  Trim up any overhanging edges.

3.     Draw a line with Gold dimensional fabric paint all around the shamrock shape.  It can be a thin line or a thick one as desired.  Make sure you test the fabric paint on scrap paper first so that it comes out in an even line.  Let dry.  Stop throwing those advertising magnets away and make as many shamrocks as you want and deck out your fridge for St. Patty’s Day.  While you are at it why not try some Easter designs as well?


Wednesday, February 15, 2012

K- Cup Cactus Flower pincushion tutorial




K-cup crafts are something that everyone seems to be looking for these days so I put on my thinking cap (yes I have one) and pretty soon I was making cute little cactus Flower pincushions, and you can too!  Better yet you can make them for pennies…yes you will need four pennies in addition to some simple supplies you may have on hand.  Read on…

You will need:

Empty K-cup with filter removed and cleaned

Tacky Craft glue

Scraps of brown and yellow felt

Polyfil fiber stuffing

Terra cotta primer spray paint (or you may use acrylic paint in terra cotta)

Four pennies

Needle and thread

Compass, pencil, scissors, ruler

1.     Spray paint the K-cup with the terra cotta primer.  Make sure you spray in a well-ventilated area and let dry.


2.     Place the K-cup on a piece of felt and trace around the bottom.  Cut out.  Add some tacky glue on the bottom of the K-cup and attach the felt circle.



 

3.     Squirt a bit of tacky glue in the inside of the K-cup and drop in the four pennies. See, I told you it would only cost you pennies! (This will weigh down the pincushion)



4.     Measure and cut out six 1-inch by 1-inch squares from the yellow felt.  Put a drop of glue on the corner of one square and pinch together. (Petal made)  Add some glue to the inside edge of the K-Cup and attach the pinched edge leaving the other edge hanging over. (See photo) Put some more glue on the rim and press the petal down.  Repeat for the five other felt squares.  There will be six petals.






5.     Using the compass cut a 3-inch diameter circle from the brown felt.  Thread a needle with some heavy thread (embroidery floss works great) and gather around the circle.  Add a bit of polyfil fiber stuffing to the center and pull the thread tight.  Secure with a knot.





6.     Spread some glue on the interior sides and bottom of the K-cup. Squeeze the polyfil stuffed circle with your hand to compress and push it down inside the K-cup.  Let the glue dry.






I told you it was easy…it the coming weeks watch for more K-cup crafts.  I appreciate all comments and feedback. 




Monday, February 13, 2012

Make a cardboard sewing Valentine’s Day card (craft with the kids)




Anyone remember those little cards with holes in them for kids to sew with big plastic darning needles?  They were fun and they taught us finger dexterity.  I know I would sew them and then take the stitches out and sew them again. These Valentine cards are a take on those old fashioned sewing cards.  With a little help from mom or dad you will have a little hand made keepsake Valentine’s Day card you can treasure forever!

Scrap corrugated cardboard

Darning needle

Pink raffia

Scissors, ruler, pencil

Blank pink greeting card

Tacky craft glue or Mom or dad can use the glue gun for faster setting

1/8 “ hole punch

(Mom or dad can do steps 1, 2 and 3 if the child is too young)

1.     Make a heart pattern in a desired size by folding a piece of paper in half and drawing a half heart on the fold.  Cut out and open for a perfectly symmetrical heart.




2.     Trace the heart pattern on the corrugated cardboard and cut out.

3.     Measure 1 inch from the bottom point and punch a hole.  Continue punching holes in an arc around the heart in ¾” intervals.  Punch holes around the edges in the same way.




4.     Thread the darning needle with a length of raffia.  Knot the end.



5.     Give it to the kids and let them have some fun.  Let them be creative with the sewing.  Anything goes.  Help them tie a knot on the back to secure when the length is exhausted.  Trim any pieces of raffia that are hanging over the edges.



6.     Spread a thick layer of Tacky glue on the back of the heart, or if desired mom or dad may apply some hot glue and attach to the center of a blank greeting card.


 

It’s fun to let them write their own greetings!

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

How to make a magnetic Valentine's Day Heart bookmark




This quick to make magnetic bookmark is so easy that you may want to make a bunch and give them out as Valentine’s to your friends.  You can easily sign them before you add the contact paper.

You will need:

Magnetic sheet, one side adhesive

Scrapbook paper in desired print

Tacky craft glue

Small amount of clear contact paper

Glitter fabric paint, red

Pencil, ruler, scissors

1.     Make a pattern of two small hearts, one a bit larger than the other. (To make a heart pattern fold a piece of paper in half and draw a half heart on the fold. Cut out. Open and you will have a symmetrical heart.)  Play around with different sizes and shapes of hearts.



2.     Using the heart pattern, cut out a large one and small one from the magnetic sheet.  Cut out a small and large heart from the scrapbook paper as well.





3.     Remove the adhesive backing from the large magnetic sheet heart, line up the corresponding large scrapbook paper heart and attach.  Trim around any overlapping edges. Repeat with smaller magnetic and scrapbook paper hearts. 


4.     Cut a strip of scrapbook paper 6 inches by 2 inches.  Fold 2 inches down from one end. On the unprinted side of the scrapbook paper you can write your Valentine a message if you desire.


5.     Cut two pieces of clear contact paper 6 ½” x 2 ½.” Lay one piece of contact paper adhesive side up and remove the backing.  Place the scrapbook strip print side down on top and adhere.  Remove the backing from the other piece of contact paper and place over the strip already attached to the contact paper.  (Like a contact - paper sandwich)  Trim any edges that do not meet.  Refold where you folded it 2 inches down from the top.
Add your message here


6.     Spread some tacky glue on the larger of the two hearts and adhere to the front of the bookmark (short edge)


7.     Spread some tacky glue on the smaller heart and attach to the area of the back where it meets the front heart, thus magnetizing the two together. (This will keep it on the page)  Let dry completely.  When dry you may decorate the front with small dots of glitter fabric paint if desired.




Hint:  Try varying the scrapbook papers on the hearts to make them stand out even more!