Back from Vacation

I just arrived back from Mammoth Lakes, CA. I forgot to mention I was on vacation so if I haven't responded back to an email you know why. I had no Internet access for a week except the ten minutes I was able to sneak in at the health club. Which I should say was useless since my children were running around the place like a bunch of banshees.

Used Food Packaging to Gift Box

If possible I like to reuse items before recycling them. The gift box above was made from a used fruit bar box. Simple directions below.

Here's the box I started with. Any box will do and it can be any size.

Very carefully take the box apart. The less ripping the better.

Refold the box up inside out. Glue together. You now have a blank gift box to decorate anyway you want. If done correctly the box should look brand new.

*In the top picutre I glued some bottle cap liners to the box. It might be a fun project for a child to decorate the box with markers and stickers. It's a blank slate so the possibilities are endless.

Knit Transformer Washcloth

Transformers are all the buzz at our house right now. We're planning a Transformer Birthday Party for my soon to be 5 year old. In the midst of searching for ideas I found this pattern for a Transformer washcloth here. Tested it out and it looks just like the autobot logo. I can envision the squares used to make a blanket. Just a thought.

*row 25 has a misprint in the pattern, should be:MB4, K3, P5, K5, P1, K2, P3, K2, P1, K5, P5, K3, MB4.

New Site: Starving Crafter

I'm pleased to share that I have a new blog called Starving Crafter. The site provides a place to find the latest contests for artists, crafters, designers, and makers. It also provides some other useful resources. Please check it out and tell me what you think.

Almost Spill Proof Bubble Container

My children are notorious for spilling their bubbles within the first minute of playing with them. I can't count the number of bottles that have gone to waste. So I was determined to fix the problem and of course make something. Above is the final result and I'm happy to say it was a success. Directions below.

Supplies:
*one plastic container with a reusable lid, exp. cottage cheese container, yogurt container, tupparware, etc.
*exacto knife
*string or ribbon

1.Cut a large enough rectangle in the top of the lid so the bubble wand can be easily removed(refer to picture).

2. Cut two holes on the side of the container. Tie handle into place (just like a gift bag).

*The handle is optional, I made it for my two year old so she could tote it around easily. Otherwise the container was too big for her tiny hands.

*For a fun child craft project let them decorate the containers with puffy paint.

Knit Fireman Hat and Booties

I knit this hat/booties set for a baby shower. The Father of the baby is a Fireman, hence the theme. I used the booties pattern from the book "Knitting Pretty" by Kris Percival and omitted the eyelets. For the hat I used the pattern here. I also left out the eyelets and used cotton yarn instead for the hat pattern. It would be fun to make other themed sets like a nurse, or police officer. The possibilities are endless.

Funny Food Contest at The Crafty Crow

photo via Crafty Crow

The Crafty Crow is having a Funny Food Contest with five different categories: fruit, all vegetables, breakfast, lunch/dinner, and sweets. It looks like a lot of fun. To find out more about the contest, click here.

Creative Uses for Tchotchkes

Last weekend after attending two bazaars, a kid's birthday party and a community fair we acquired enough toys to host our own carnival. The picture above reflects only some of the loot, the rest of it is dispersed around the house (waiting to be stepped on in the middle of the night). Usually I just donate or throw away the toys when my children lose interest. But this seemed so wasteful and I just new I could use them for a craft project. So here's just one project I came up with for all those cast away toys.

I turned these two dollar flip-flops into something a little more fun. All I did was glue the toy sharks to the sandals with E6000 glue(this glue is water resistant and flexible). When choosing a toy to glue to the sandal look for something that is soft like rubber, has give, and is water proof.

Here's some other uses for those cast away toys:

Ice Treasures - I did this with my son's preschool, they loved it!

The Attirbute Game - Good to take along to a restaurant

I Spy Bottles - another hit at my son's preschool

Toy Bowling - tested this out too, easy for little hands to setup by themselves

Turning Photos into Shrinky Dinks

For another Father's Day project I thought it would be fun to convert a photo into a Shrinky Dink. It's a nice alternative to a framed photo and it doesn't take up much space. After creating this, my mind's been racing with other ideas. For instance, I'm planning on making a whole set of our family for monopoly pieces. ShrinkyDink busts perhaps? The possibilities are endless.

Directions Below.

Supplies:
ShrinkyDinks Paper - There are two kinds you can buy, regular and printer friendly. For this project I used the regular kind only because that's what was on hand. I'm sure the printer friendly ShrinkyDinks paper would work better since it's made for the printer. You can purchase this at most craft stores

E 6000 glue (found at most craft stores)

scissors

Here's the picture I started with (8 1/2" by 11"). I recommend one that has a clear outline of the figure. Also, select an image with good contrast.

I changed my image to a black and white picture simply because this is how I envisioned the project( you could keep it in color. Print the image on the ShrinkyDink paper. Let dry. Cut out the shape of the image (refer to picture above). Place in oven and follow the ShrinkyDink's directions. As soon as you take it out flatten it with a book.

Cut out a right triangle of the ShrinkyDink paper and shrink it. Glue to the back of the image with E6000 glue. Done.

Sea Glass Earrings

I am always trying to instill in our children the virtues of giving. For Birthdays and Christmas I try to have the children make things for relatives and friends. I have found that the children take a lot of pride and joy in this as well. So for the past year we've been collecting sea glass at the beach with the intention of using it for a gift.

This is what we made with the sea glass, earrings. I got the idea from a Martha Stewart magazine. But instead of drilling holes in the sea glass like the magazine instructed, I simply glued them to some earring posts with E 6000 glue. I attached the earrings to a cute candy box I saved ( picture above). Inside the the box I will insert a tiny scroll saying where the sea glass came from and how it was hand picked by my son, he chose the color too. Then I'll have him sign the letter.


We were able to make four pairs of earrings from all the sea glass(top picture). The challenge is finding pieces similar in color and shape.

Here's what the earring posts look like. I purchased a set of 60 for $3.00 at a craft store.

*E 6000 Glue should only be used by Adults


What do you have your children make/give for gifts?

How To Make Personalized Poker Chips

I created this craft with the intention of using it for a Father's Day Gift. This project is easy and relatively inexpensive. Directions below.

Supplies
Plastic Poker Chips (you can even find these at the dollar store)

Rubber Stamp - You can either make one or buy one. I made my stamp for the poker chip above. Here's a good tutorial if you want to make you own stamp. If you opt to buy one, initials might be nice.


This stamp pad is the crucial piece to the project. The ink is permanent and will adhere to most surfaces, particularly plastic. You can get this at most craft stores.

This ink will not wipe off or smudge even if the poker chip gets wet, I tested it.


Directions: Get a good amount of ink on your stamp, and stamp the poker chip. That's it.

Success Tips
*Let the chips dry for at least 2 hours.
*Once you stamp the poker chip you will not be able to wipe the ink off. So practice with your stamp first.

Here's another "How To" idea for Father's Day, click here.

I've been tagged

Top Left: Me, Mother in Law, Aunt who made the cake in the post below, my children

I've been tagged for a meme by Chicken Legs. So I decided to add a picture to go along with it. I don't know about you but I always wonder what other bloggers look like. I'm going to change the rules a little for this meme. Instead of tagging people, I'm requesting you tag yourself. Here's the catch, if you do the meme you have to post a picture of yourself. So if you're interested, send me an email and I'll add your site/link to this post.

Here's the meme questions.

1. What was I doing ten years ago? Going to college.

2. Five things on my to do list today.
*Grocery Shopping
*Bring son to speech
*Pick up a form at the School District Office
*Order pictures
*Create a craft for the next "How To" post.

3.Snacks I enjoy. I've been trying to eat better so snacks usually include pecans or fruit.

4.What would I do if I was billionaire? Pretty much the same things only I'd have a bigger house. I'd be more generous.

5.Places I have lived. Connecticut and California

Baseball Birthday Cake

Last year we had a baseball themed birthday party for my son. And now with baseball season in full bloom I thought I would share this cake idea with you. This would be a great cake to make for a T-ball party as well. My Aunt made this cake from scratch but you could easily by a sheet cake and decorate it yourself. She used cinnamon and sugar for the sand. The bases are made from marzipan (you could also use stick gum). The baseball people can be purchased at most party supply stores, or Michaels.

For a special touch I wrote the last names of all the children on the back of the plastic figures with a fine point, black sharpie. At the end of the party they were given out as part of the favors.