How to paint a fun crazy quilt rock

I admit it.  I love quilts, but they take time and like many people have a limited amount of that!  So since leaving rocks has become a worldwide fad, I figured why not make a few quilt like rocks.  They are quickly painted and so much fun.  This crazy quilt rock is so easy and looks amazing when done!  You can leave your crazy quilt rock in a public place for someone to find, or just keep it yourself for a décor item or a paperweight.

Crazy quilts were quite a fad in the latter part of the 19^th century.  They were made into smaller quilts for framing or lap robes.  They were a way for people to use fancy fabrics and decorate them with unique stitching.  Your crazy quilt rock has all the elements but no stitching required!!!

The crazy quilt rock is so easy and is a fantastic craft for camp, girl scouts, church and senior groups, and more!

Materials:

Rock from a creek or river

Acrylic paint in desired colors

White acrylic paint for stitch lines

Pencil

Small flat brush

Line brush

Paper to protect your work surface

Instructions;

1.     First, wash and dry your particular rock.  Next, draw sections all around the rock with a pencil.  These will be your quilt blocks.

2.     Now fill in each section with a flat brush filling in each block with a different color acrylic paint. And let dry completely.

3.     When your paint is dry load a liner brush with some white acrylic paint.  Then, begin making stitch marks all around each block, varying the design of the stitches.  Try little X’s, or U shapes, diagonal lines, etc. this is where you can be creative just like they did in the 1800’s.  You can even write a message on a block such as “love”, or “peace,” etc.

4.     Let dry and your rock is ready to spread the love!

Be sure and visit Make it easy crafts often for more quick and easy craft tutorials, printables, and recipes

How to make an easy refillable travel duct tape wipe pack

Flushable wipes have come a long way.  Many are safe for septic and sewer systems. And if you are concerned one can always use a trash can.  They usually come in packs of 40 but some stores sell small packs of 10 for travel. These travel packs of 10 are a little pricey when you consider how much a larger pack sells for. So I figured why not make a refillable travel duct tape wipe pack? 

Public toilets and porta potties at sporting events are often out of paper and unclean.  All you need to make this refillable travel duct tape wipe pack is some duct tape, a Ziploc sandwich bag, and the plastic top opener that comes on soft packs of flushable wipes. 

Materials:

Duct tape in your choice of color or print

Recycled plastic top opener

Scissors

X-acto or craft knife

Ziploc bag

Cutting mat

Piece of corrugated cardboard

Hot glue gun and hot glue sticks

Ruler

1.  Cut off the plastic top opener from a used pack of a soft pack of flushable wipes and remove the entire plastic wrapper.

2.  Next, cut the bottom of a Ziploc quart sized storage bag to the size that will fit the wipes.  Don’t worry about it; you will be covering it with duct tape.

3.  Now working on a cutting mat, place a strip of duct tape across the bottom about an inch or so overlapping the bottom.

4.  Continue adding strips of duct tape across the bag until you have covered the entire side and reach the top (zipper) edge.  Now turn over and fold the sides and bottom edges to the opposite side. 

5.  Repeat step 3 and 4 or the second side.  Cover the entire back with duct tape.  Now cut a piece of corrugated cardboard the size to fit inside the bag.  Unzip and insert the cardboard. 

6.  Use a glue gun to attach the plastic opener to one side, center of the pack.  Make sure you only add hot glue to the edges around so that the opener will still open. 

7.  Open the opener and cut out the center duct tape area.

8.  Open the zipper area and fill with wipes. Take your refillable duct tape wipe pack with you wherever you go and fill it back as needed.

How to use nature for easy acorn Thanksgiving décor

Nothing looks more autumn-y than this acorn Thanksgiving décor!  It’s so easy to use acorns to decorate and for craft projects.  You will need to clean them and then heat in the oven for 10 minutes or more at 350 degrees before you use them but after that the skies the limit!

These are so easy to make look like zentangle designs and even pop on a face or two as a cute little surprise.  Set them around the table or in a centerpiece with a candle and your guests will fall in love with your acorn Thanksgiving décor. 

Materials:

·      Acorns and caps  (Many times the caps separate from the acorns which is fine because you glue them on after painting anyway.

·      Corrugated cardboard piece to work on

·      Acrylic paints in chosen colors

·      Sharpie markers, black, white, silver, and colors of choice

·      Fine sandpaper

·      Duct tape

·      Gloss acrylic finish

·      Small paintbrush and paper plate for palette

·      Aluminum foil

·      Hot glue gun and hot glue sticks

Instructions:

1.     First wash and dry all the acorns and caps.  Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and place the acorns on it.  Set your oven to 350 degrees and heat for at least 10 minutes.  Remove and let cool before working with them.

2.      Next, fold pieces of duct tape so that you have the sticky side up and attach to a piece of scrap corrugated cardboard

3.     Now use the fine sandpaper to lightly sand the acorns so that the paint will adhere. 

4.     Then attach the acorns wide side facing down to the sticky tape on the cardboard to hold it while you paint them.  You don’t need to paint the top areas since you will cover that area with the caps.  At the same time apply a coat of gloss finish on the acorn caps.

5.     For the next step, apply some paint into a paper plate or palette and using a small paintbrush paint each acorn.  Let dry and apply a second coat.  Let dry completely. 

6.     Now to make the design use a sharpie marker.  First, make a line all around the acorn close to the top.  Second, draw loops all around the bottom of the line.  Then make another line all around closer to the bottom. Now make small circle in between both lines centering between the loops.  Next draw lines from the circle to the center of the loops and the bottom line.  Continue all around. It will look like an X from the small circle.  (See photos)

 

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

7.     Now make larger loops under the bottom line all around.

 

Step 6

8.     Turn the acorn with the bottom semi-pointed end is facing you.  Draw a circle on the bottom and then attach with lines to the loops you just drew. (See photo)  Easy!

Finishing

9.     Attach the cap with some hot glue.

10. For an alternate fun surprise draw a face on a couple of acorns.  Use silver or white on the darker painted acorns. (See photo)

11. Place the acorns around the table or surround them around a holiday candle centerpiece.