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.

Polymer clay shamrock pendant tutorial

Deck yourself out for St. Patrick’s Day with this one of a kind shamrock  pendant. This makes a great teacher's gift as well!  This project is easy enough for kid's to do with supervision. (Mom or Dad can do the baking)

You will need:

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

Shamrock candy mold (do not use for candy making, clay use only!)

Rolling pin or dowel (Clay use only!)

Waxed paper to work on

Aluminum foil, cookie sheet, and home oven

Masking tape

X-acto or craft knife (you may substitute plastic clay tools for working with children)

Sculpey glaze

Small paintbrush

Jewelry findings—Glue on bail, 18 inch or longer green ball chain

E6000 glue

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.     Break a small piece of marbleized clay off and push in the candy mold.  Use the rolling pin to press it in.  Remove from mold and cut around excess with the X-acto or craft knife.

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

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

6.     Dab a bit of E6000 glue on the flat side of the glue on bail and press to the back.  Let dry completely, overnight is best.  Thread a ball chain through the top of the pendant. 

Note:  Do not use a microwave oven!  When doing this project with children (older children and teens) please  let mom or dad do the baking and glue the bail on the back of the shamrock. 

Recycled coffee cup sleeve for St. Patrick’s Day

Before you toss that sleeve from your convenience store coffee cup, why not up-cycle it into something to use and over again.  Better yet, why not recycle it into something a little more seasonal. Using just a few supplies you can re-do that sleeve St. Patrick’s Day style.

You will need:

Paper corrugated coffee cup sleeve

Green felt

St Patrick’s day seasonal felt shapes (available at any craft store)

Tacky craft glue

Scissors

Ruler

White colored 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 green felt.  Use the white colored pencil or any color that will show up to trace around the sleeve.  Make sure you leave a ¼” extra on the side that will be glued to the top of the sleeve.

3.     Cut out the felt piece.  Add a generous amount of glue on the outside of the sleeve and attach the felt piece. 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.

Note:  You can even add some seasonal St. Patty's Day ribbon to further decorate these sleeves!