Make a Cement Patio Look like Bricks

We always replace things around our homes, like throw pillows, paint, rugs and d?cor items, because we often get bored with things and want to change it up a little. Other things stay the same for years, like the furnishings. Some things are much easier to redo or change whereas other things are more costly. One thing most people rarely give a make-over is a concrete or cement patio. It stays the same for as long as you own your home. Some people, however, do like to paint the patio, from time to time, just to give it a fresher look. Paint is the best make-over you can give to a patio but you can always take painting to a new level. Use a simple and fun painting technique to give that ordinary patio the look of bricks.

A slab of cement can have a completely different appearance just by painting it. Select a color of patio paint thats very neutral, like light gray, off-white or even a light tan. This will give your new brick patio its background. Follow the instructions on the can as for drying time, outside temperatures, etc.

When the patio paint has dried you can move on to the next step. Mix a few drops of raw umber acrylic paint into the patio paint then take a natural sea sponge and apply the paint to the cement. Lightly sponge on the new color, all over the first color, and allow to dry. Make brick stamps by using household sponges. Cut a sponge to be seven and a half inches by two and a quarter inches. A serrated knife makes it easy to cut the sponge into the brick shapes. Glue the sponge to a piece of wood to finish the stamp. Choose the brick color that you want to use, paint it onto the brick stamp with a roller, and youre ready to stamp. The roller helps you dispense the paint easily without over saturating the sponge. Mark out a grid on the cement with a chalk line tool. The contraption is just a box with colored chalk inside and a piece of string. When you hold the string taut, then pull it up and release it, a colored line is snapped onto the surface to use as a guide. Stamp the brick shapes inside the grid pattern on the cement. Each time you stamp a brick, align the sponge, then press down on it with the wood. Youll get a perfect brick shape and look every time. The finished brick-stamp patio is convincing until a person actually walks on it. Its fun, though, to create the fake brick look which changes the appearance of the patio as well as its surroundings. See fake, painted-on brick here.

Embroidery Hoop Turkey

Embroidery is beautiful but is really becoming a lost art. When some people think of embroidery they think of their grandmas needlework on hankies. In fact, your lovable grandma might have even left you some embroidery supplies, like thread and hoops. The thread probably isnt much good after all these years but those hoops sure can be useful. There are lots of things you can make from embroidery hoops and, if you already have them, thats a real plus. If you have none, theyre not expensive, and you can find them at craft stores and some discount department stores.When you use two different-size embroidery hoops you can make a cute Thanksgiving turkey, which youll want to display, year after year. An embroidery hoop is actually two hoops. One is slightly smaller than the other. You remove the larger one, lay your fabric on the smaller one, then reposition the large hoop over the small one. Theres a tiny screw on the top of the large hoop and, when you twist it, you tighten the two hoops to form one - with the fabric trapped between the two. So, take apart your two hoops and youll quickly make that Thanksgiving turkey to hang on the wall.Choose a fabric to represent the color of the turkey. The fabric shouldnt be too thick. Good colors include tan, brown, yellow, or orange. Cut a piece for each embroidery hoop. Lay the fabric on the appropriate hoop and tighten the ring around it. Do this to both hoops.Glue one of the embroidery hoops to the other to create the body and head of the turkey. Just position the small hoop on top of the large one so that two-thirds of the small hoop is on the large one. Glue in place with hot glue or another suitable adhesive.Cut two circles of black felt and glue them onto the small hoop to create the eyes for the turkey. Cut a yellow triangle for a beak. Cut a waddle from red or orange felt. The waddle can have the shape of a flat, wooden ice cream spoon, or even the shape of a deflated balloon. Glue it beside the beak.Cut colors of felt into simplistic feather shapes, and glue them to the underside of the large hoop, so that the feathers stick up above the hoop. Cut tiny feet shapes for the bird, from black felt, and glue them to the backside of the large hoop, so that they hang down below the hoop.The finished turkey is just adorable and can hang on a wall anywhere in the house. Its such an easy project - and cheap, too - but you end up with a cute Thanksgiving decoration that youll display for many years.Embroidery Hoop Turkey

Ship-in-a-Bottle-Type Wine Bottle Arrangement

It takes a lot of patience, and steady nerves, if you want to make a ship in a bottle. Youll invest hours of time, and lots of money, but the finished piece is magnificent. You can do something similar to create an interesting arrangement inside of a wine bottle. But you wont have to spend all that time and money; its a very simple process to "build" many different things inside the bottle. When youre finished, use the bottle as a table centerpiece, a mantle accent, or even as a gift.After the chosen bottle is clean and dry, you can begin creating the scene inside. Instead of putting things right at the bottom, you can make a pedestal for the scene. To do this, use a cylinder of Styrofoam or even wood. Youll find these at a craft store; choose one with a diameter the same size, or smaller, than the opening of the wine bottle. You can paint the pedestal or use it as-is.To insert a Styrofoam cylinder, first push a wooden skewer through one end. Apply some hot glue to the opposite end and carefully push the cylinder through the opening. Press the glued end against the bottom of the bottle and hold it until it sets. Remove the skewer.To insert a wooden cylinder, place a tiny dot of hot glue on one end. Stick a small-diameter, wooden dowel to it. Use this as the handle to put the cylinder in place. Apply hot glue to the opposite end, push the cylinder through the opening, and wait for the glue to set. Hold the cylinder down with a skewer as you pull the wooden dowel off of the cylinder.After you have a base in place you can add any number of details. Attach tiny, silk flowers, add shells, or even make foam shapes. When you cut a foam shape, like a boat, you can easily insert it into the bottle. After cutting the shape, and adding any details you want, loosely roll boat, and lower it onto the cylinder. With a bit of glue applied to the cylinder, you can easily attach the boat. If needed, use a skewer to unroll the foam shape.Craft stores have all sorts of miniatures that you could put inside the wine bottle. Lower miniature people, a flag on a pole, a rubber pet, or another choice, and glue it to the pedestal. You can also litter things on the inside bottom of the bottle itself, like tiny rose petals, bitty shells, beans, rhinestones, glitter, tiny stones, or other embellishments.When youre finished creating the scene you want, just cork the bottle, and set it anywhere in the house. It makes a lovely accent for a bathroom, kitchen, bedroom, or other area of the home.

Preschool Valentines Day Crafts

Little kids love holidays maybe moreso than the average person. They enjoy doing crafts, too, but their little hands often have trouble creating. When Valentines Day rolls around preschool kids want to get in on the fun. You can help them have a great time and get creative by purchasing a few inexpensive craft supplies. With these, they can make Valentines Day decorations, gifts and more.

Kids can draw around their hands to make special cards or small gifts. After drawing around one hand cut it out for the child or let him use safety scissors to cut it himself. The child can write "Happy Valentines Day" or "I Love You" on the hand, with your help. Cut out an image of both hands and the child can make a small gift. Use a glue stick to apply adhesive around the edges of a product lid, such as one from a spice jar. Wrap the wrist area of the hands around the lid to make a look of two hands facing each other. Now the child can set a small tube of lotion, candy bar or other object between the hands.

If you purchase cardstock hearts kids can make all sorts of cool things. The hearts are avaible in various sizes and colors at a craft store. A child can glue a pin backing hardware piece to the backside of the heart to make a Valentines Day pin. Or, tape a bunch of hearts to a string and hang it in the house as a heart-theme garland. Make something completely different with the cardstock hearts when you use several of one size then one larger heart. Glue the tip of one heart to the top part of another heart, on the backside, and continue adding more and more hearts in this manner. End with one larger heart on top of a vertical row of smaller hearts. Glue on wiggly eyes, pipe cleaner pieces and other embellishments, to the large heart, to make a Valentines Day caterpillar that hangs on a wall. Purchase two red, white or pink plates used for birthday parties. Cut one plate in half and use it with a whole plate to make a valentine holder. Put the half-plate on the whole plate and glue the edges together. They can decorate the plates with stickers, buttons or other embellishments. Poke a hole at the top of the large plate. Kids can put their valentines in this adorable hanger. Preschool kids miss out on all the fun that happens in school on Valentines Day. But, with a little help from you, they can still make decorations, cards and gifts for that special day. All of these projects are quite inexpensive and perfect for little kids with little hands.

Heart-Shaped Wedding Favors

People used to just get married, decorating around the chapel and reception room with flowers and bows, but nowadays its much more exciting. A bride now creates a theme for the wedding and sets about producing a look that will match that theme. The cake, decorations and even the party favors are then made or bought to go along with the chosen theme. One popular theme for any wedding - beach, chapel or otherwise - is a heart theme. Its not at all hard to find or make heart-shaped decorations and accents for the wedding and reception.Your guests will have many delicious foods to sample at the wedding reception, and going along with the heart theme, a delicious favor as well. Make heart-shaped pop-tarts and youll create party favors which are as beautiful as they are scrumptious. Even if your wedding doesnt necessarily have a heart theme the pop-tarts will fit right in.Use frozen pie crust or dough to make the heart desserts for the wedding. Start by allowing it to thaw then rolling the dough out just a bit. Dont make it too thin; just roll it out so that youll have a bit large dough piece with which to work. Alternatively, you can make your own dough.Use a large, heart-shaped cookie cutter to make hearts or just use a paring knife to cut out heart shapes. Youll need two heart shapes for each pop-tart you make. Set one shape from each pair onto a baking sheet.Spread a teaspoon of the chosen food on top of each heart shape thats on the baking sheet. This can be jam, preserves, peanut butter, chocolate or another choice. Spread the food nearly to the edges of the heart shape but not all the way to the edges.Use a small paintbrush, dip the brush in milk, then apply it around the edges of each heart. Lay the second heart on top of the first one, and do this to all of the pop-tarts. Use a fork to press down on the edges to crimp them shut. If you want, sprinkle on red baking sugar. If not, you can later make the pop-tarts whatever color you want. Bake the hearts until they just start to brown.After cooling the wedding desserts, and if you didnt use colored sugar, frost them with icing. Youll give them a much more elegant appearance; frost them in colors of white, pink and/or red.Freeze the cookies for a few hours so the frosting will harden. Place each cookie in a clear cellophane bag and tie it shut with a colorful twist-tie or a piece of curled ribbon. They favors are scrumptious, beautiful and fit right in with nearly any wedding theme.See heart pop-tarts here.

Three Clothes Hanger Gifts for a Bride

Everyone needs hangers so they would make a nice gift to give a new bride. Ordinary hangers arent fancy enough to give as a gift but, when you give a make-over to regular hangers, you can craft a gift unlike any other that the bride will receive. Since there are many different ways to make-over hangers, you can give the bride the perfect set for her. Whether its a set of wooden hangers, or wire hangers, you can turn them into designer versions.

Make a set of wooden hangers to give to the bride - and the bridesmaids - before the wedding. Anyone would love a hanger that spells out a name or other word. The hanger later becomes a treasured memory from the occasion. Use bendable wire and spell out "Bride", "Bridesmaid", a persons name, the word "Love", or another word. No matter what word you write, start and end with the wire up. The upwards-facing wire is necessary to attach the wire word to the coat hanger.

It can be helpful to print out the word you want to make with the wire and then use it as a pattern to bend the wire. Lay the wire on the word and bend and curve it to match the printed word. Drill, or have two holes drilled, on the bottom of the wooden hanger. Dispense hot glue into the holes and put each end of the wire into one of the holes. With the hook of the wire facing left, the word should read from left to right. Wrapped hangers also make a nice gift for a bride. Plastic hangers look much more impressive after being wrapped with ribbon, yarn, cord, beads, or fabric. Begin at the area where the triangular piece of the hanger turns into the hook. Use hot glue to secure the end, wrap the material all the way around the triangular part of the hanger, and then wrap upwards around the hook. Use hot glue to secure, here and there, as you wrap the hanger. Make a slightly different version by wrapping the hanger with foam first. Wire hangers look like designer versions when you wrap two of them together. It can help to put a piece of clear tape around the two hangers, at a place on the hook, and at a couple of places on the triangular area, to hold them together as you wrap them. Wrap with ribbon, yarn, or another material, as described with the plastic hangers. A wrapped hanger looks so elegant when you attach a silk flower to the front of it. After the hanger is wrapped you can simply glue the flower, a bow, or other embellishment on, right where the hook meets the rest of the hanger. The new bride is going to adore them!

Closet Nursery

Are you stressing over the fact that you live in a small place and youre expecting a baby? Are you worried because there is no extra bedroom to turn into a nursery? Sure, its a nice idea that the baby would have his or her own room, decorated and set up like nurseries are, but whats more important is that the baby is loved and taken care of. A crib can be set in the living room, your room, or even in your own hallway. Stop crying over there being no nursery; create one! Look around your home to see if you can find a makeshift nursery - like a closet, or a recessed area. Its a little disturbing to think of your baby in a closet, but when you get the nursery all fixed up, you wont feel that way at all.

A closet might not sound like the best place to put your baby but thats because you havent tweaked it yet. It just needs a crib, and some other baby-theme elements, and it will be a nursery - even if its a small nursery. Roll the crib on in there and you can do other things to make the room look more appropriate for a baby.

If the closet has a bar for hanging clothing, you could use that for holding the babys clothes, or you can remove the bar. Thats particularly appropriate if the bar will have clothing hanging directly over the crib. If there is a shelf above the bar, fold the babys clothing, and store them on the shelf. Under the crib, theres lots of room for the babys needs. Seasonal or too-large clothing can be stored in small bins under the crib. Put the lids on the bins and youll have an area for setting powder, oil, booties, and similar things. There should also be plenty of room for storing diapers; stack them under half of the crib and put bins under the other half. On the walls around the crib you have room to hang baby pictures, put up small shelves, and otherwise decorate. The wall area is important because, otherwise, you just have a crib in a closet. Frame baby-theme fabric to create nursery art, or just cut felt letters, and stick them to the wall with double-sided tape. If you still need room for hanging certain clothing, consider a freestanding coat rack. You can leave it tall, or cut and remove a section, to shorten it. Or, you can build your own with spindles from a home improvement store. Set it just outside of the closet nursery and use small hangers to hang the childs coat, sweaters, and similar things, on the coat rack. The nursery might be small, but its suitable, and made with love.

Baby Shower Gift Cube

At the upcoming baby shower, the new mom and the guests will think youve put out lovely decorations, but in reality, theyll actually be gifts! You can make the most adorable gift boxes that look like baby building blocks that can hold small surprises for a new boy or girl. Make as many or as few as you want then set them around as baby shower d?cor. When its time to open the gifts just present them to the mom.

Cube-shaped boxes are necessary to make the gift cubes. The boxes must have a lid thats hinged by a fold. Close the lid and glue the flap in place so the lid can no longer open. If the box is white you can use it as-is. Otherwise, paint the box the color of your choice and allow to dry.

On four sides of the box glue on a piece of scrapbook paper, gift wrap or fabric. Make each side look different by the supplies you choose. Set the cube on a table. Forget the top and bottom of the cube, and for now, decorate only the four sides. Do so by first gluing the chosen paper to each side. These papers should be just a fraction smaller than the side of the cube, all the way around so that you can see the paint. On these four sides glue a letter to spell out "BABY" - one letter on each side. This can be done by cutting the letters out of other paper or by using stickers. After the lettes are in place you can then decorate the other sides any way you want. Cut around the paper on one side of the cube that features a "B". Cut up one side, across the top of the paper, then down the other side, but dont cut across the bottom. This creates a small door by which the gift can be viewed. Now youll make a small closure for the door. One way to make it is to simply attach two pieces of ribbon. Glue one ribbon to the decorative paper and the other ribbon to the box itself. Tie these together to close. Another way to make the closure is to glue a tiny square of cardboard inside, at the top, just behind the cut area of the box. With the door open, glue the piece so that the edge of it is along the edge of the cut area of the box. The cardboard piece should hang down slightly, so that when you open the box you can see it. Attach a small Velcro dot to this cardboard piece and the opposing dot to the door. Inside the cube you can place a small stuffed animal, booties, a rolled-up garment, socks, hair accessories, gift cards or other small objects. As the beautiful cubes sit around the room no one knows theyre actually gifts. The new mom will love them!

Beach Wind Screen

Ah, the beach; what a wonderful slice of heaven! The scent of the warm air, the waves gently rolling in, the beautiful scenery - theres no better place on earth! Its nice to play in the water, lie out in the sun, play with others on the sand - or just sit quietly and read a book. Well, thats not happening, is it? The nice breeze that others love is not the most favored part of the beach experience for a reader. You simply cant keep your place while your pages keep flipping and turning, and in the meanwhile, your hair is blowing in your face or the sand is kicking up and stinging you. Not a fun time! You wont have to deal with any of those issues anymore after you make yourself a quick and easy wind screen. The portable wind blocker is easily rolled out to block the wind or rolled back up to take home. It can be used by someone who just wants to read or even by a mom who wants to protect her young baby.

For this project were going to use a really long piece of canvas, however, you can use another choice of thick fabric and adjust the measurements to make a much longer, much shorter or even a taller version. Use a piece, for this project, which is 6 yards long by 54" wide.

Along the two longest sides of the material, fold under a half-inch, then sew along to hem each side. Where the hem begins and ends, sew these small areas shut, and this will ensure no sand gets trapped inside the hem. Start at one short end and fold it over three inches. Sew along the raw edge to form a pocket for a dowel rod. Do the same to the opposite end. These two end pockets will hold the dowels for the ends of the wind screen but youll need extra pockets between these two. Measure and space evenly between the two end pockets to form two to three more rod pockets. With each of these, fold the canvas to make the three-inch pocket, then sew straight down to secure. Use two-inch wooden dowels to prop up your wind screen while at the beach. Simply push one dowel into a pocket, and into the sand, stretch the fabric out, then push in the next dowel. Do this until the screen is where you want it. Make it a wall to block the wind thats coming from one direction, or make a screen - with four dowels - and make it into a square that surrounds a baby. No matter what your particular situation youll never be bothered by the wind again! See the wind screen here: http://www.marthastewart.com/268280/portable-windscreen?backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/sixty-beach-ideas

Copper Pipe Garden Trellis

There was a time when copper pipe was in every home. It was a plumbers nightmare. It seemed as though each time you fixed a water leak on a copper pipe, and you turned the water back on, youd spring another leak. Thankfully, theyve invented newer and better plumbing supplies for our homes these days. You can still purchase copper pipes and fittings at large home improvement retail stores or you might actually have some old pipe lying around in the garage or basement. Use it out in your garden or yard and you can create a trellis youll love.

A copper pipe trellis is unique and rustic. Dont think that it will be difficult to build because its really not. If you can cut the pipe yourself, using a pipe cutter, and you already have the pipe and fittings, you can build a trellis without ever leaving your home or spending a dime. If you purchase copper pipes at a home improvement store theyll generally cut it to the sizes you specify, free of charge.

Draw a ladder shape on a piece of paper. The top of your ladder, though, should have a bar that runs across it. Decide how tall and how wide you want the ladder to be. Each rung is one copper pipe, and each side piece of each rung is another pipe. So, for each section of the ladder youll need one rung piece and two side pieces. Use figures on the paper to see how wide to cut the rung pieces and how long to cut the side pieces. Each rung should be the exact same size as the others; each side piece should be the same as the other side pieces. Use copper pipe elbows and "t" fittings to adjoin the ladder pieces. Start by laying the top rung on a flat surface. Connect an elbow joint at each end of it. Lay the second rung at an area below the first one, add "t" fittings at each end, then connect the two rungs with a pipe on each side of the ladder. Continue doing this until you add all the side pieces and all the rungs. Its helpful to use glue made for pipes to hold the elbow and "t" fittings in place. At the bottom of the ladder youll leave off a rung that would go at the very end. This leaves two pipe ends pointing downward so that you can push the trellis into the dirt. The copper pipe trellis is unusual yet beautiful. Simply plant vine-type flowers or plants along the base of the trellis and let them climb. The weathering on the pipe ladder, after its been outside awhile, turns the color of the pipe and makes it even more beautiful than it originally was. See a copper pipe ladder here.

Chicken Wire Wedding Seating Cards

So many people feature expensive seating cards at their weddings but the cards dont have to be that intricate. If they look pretty, they guide the guests to their seats, and you have a place to display them, thats all you really need. Youll have all of that, as well as a cute, rustic accent for the wedding, when you use chicken wire. Who knew chicken wire could look so beautiful! When you use it as a background for the escort or seating cards you have a lovely arrangement for a country wedding, or an appropriate accent for a wedding with any theme.

Chicken wire is very inexpensive and, although its not usually described as "pretty", it can be. The wire - found at a home improvement or gardening store - is sold by the roll. Since you wont need a whole roll of it for the seating cards you might consider using the remainder of it for another project. For the escort card arrangement youll need to cut a rectangle of wire to be the size you need for the amount of guests youll have. The wire is easy to cut with wire cutters. When youre finished cutting it out, frame it, and the seating card holder will be finished.

You might find it easiest to cut the chicken wire if you first decide on a picture frame for it. Choose a large frame; you can often find an old one - holding a hideous print - at a thrift store. Paint the frame to give it a new look, whitewash it for a faded look, or leave it as it is for a rustic appearance. Remove everything including the glass. Use the cardboard, which comes with the frame, to draw the shape that you need onto the chicken wire. After cutting the wire, its up to you if you want to paint it. Put the chicken wire in the frame and then slide on the backing. Or, just tack the wire to a wall, and trim around the edges with anything from feather boas to flowers. Make the escort cards from ordinary card stock or scrapbook paper. When theyre finished you can simply clip each one onto the chicken wire, using a clothespin. Nowadays, you can find clothespins in miniature versions - perfect for use with the chicken wire - and in assorted colors. Its easy to blend the clothespins in with the color scheme of the wedding. Chicken wire can be painted gold for an elegant wedding, neon for a colorful wedding, or left as-is for a rustic or country affair. Its unusual but perfect, cheap but beautiful. Youll love it for your seating card arrangement and you can use the excess wire as a place to hold flowers on a wall.

Burner Cover Accessories for a Girls Room

Who would think that an ordinary burner cover could have so many uses? Originally meant for covering unsightly eyes on a stove, top the burner covers go way beyond usefulness in the kitchen. They can become organizers for a girls room, d?cor for the same room and more! Burner covers usually come in sets of four: one large and three small ones. Youll need one of either size to create a magnetic photo board. If the burner cover already has a suitable scene on it the girl can simply hang it on the wall and use it to hold pictures. Use a piece of magnetic sheeting, found at a craft store, to stick the photos to the burner cover. Simply peel away the adhesive backing and place the picture on the magnet. If you want to cover the image on the burner cover use contact paper, scrapbook paper, fabric or a similar material. Place pictures all over the burner cover or feature just one picture in the center.

Use button magnets to create a different arrangement on the wall. Cut lengths of ribbon or narrow lace and position them on the burner cover. Secure one end of the ribbon to the outside of the cover with a magnet. Stretch the end to the opposite side and use another magnet to secure the opposite end. Space the magnets evenly, all the way around the burner cover, on the outside. Under each magnet position the end of one of the ribbon pieces. This cris-cross effect of ribbons can hold photos, notes, phone numbers and more. Simply slide the items under one of the ribbon pieces.

Use a leftover vinyl floor tile to turn a burner cover into a dry-erase board. Peel and stick the tile to the burner cover then trim away the excess tile. Tie a string around a dry-erase marker - found at places that sell other markers - and glue or tape the end to the top of the burner cover. Make a jewelry organizer for necklaces and bracelets by hanging the burner cover on the wall. Arrange button magnets all over the cover and youre done! Just hang chains and similar jewelry on the individual magnets to organize them. Make a message board by using a burner cover and old Scrabble tiles. Just cut a small square of magnetic sheeting and stick it to the back of a tile. Girls can use the letter tiles to spell out messages of peace, make a "Keep Out" sign or write an inspirational phrase. If youve got burner covers that arent being used hand them over to a girl. She can make a whole set of coordinating organizers and other fun things that give her room an instant make-over!

Fake Belly Button Ring

So, all your friends are getting their navels pierced and, although you want to have a belly button ring yourself, you might not actually want to go through the piercing. Its expensive to have the piercing done, but even worse, is the pain. Its agonizing to have a navel piercing but you dont really have to do it. Just fake it! You can quickly have navel accents of jewels or other things, without having the actual belly button piercing. No one will ever know!Have you ever heard someone refer to a belly button as an "outie" or an "innie"? The type of belly button you have makes all the difference. A fake belly button ring works if you have an "innie". That is, your belly button doesnt protrude out from your stomach. An "innie" allows you to seemingly have a navel piercing without the pain and cost.Double-sided tape is just the trick for keeping a jewel or other accent placed in the belly button. You can find the tape at many different stores; purchase a quality tape to make sure your navel rings stay put. The stickier the tape, the better the jewel or ring will stay. Cut a piece of the tape, which produces a square, and round the corners to make a circle, which is a little smaller than a dime. Stick the tape in the belly button, making sure the entire sticky surface is facing outwards.Once you have the tape in place your only problem will be trying to figure out what to wear as the ring. A craft store is just one place where you can find something to use as a navel earring. One beautiful choice is a rhinestone. Available in many colors, shapes, and sizes, a rhinestone sparkles and easily sticks to the double-sided tape, particularly if its a peel-n-stick jewel.A button is another good choice for a belly button ring. The perfect button is a shank button - one that has no holes on top. The shank slides easily and comfortably into the navel, and adheres well to the double-sided tape.Look in a craft store department where miniatures are sold and youll find many more choices for a belly button ring. You can buy a tiny wooden shape, paint it with metallic paint, and make it look like a metal earring. Or, choose a small trinket from the jewelry-making aisle.The dollhouse department offers a wealth of choices for the navel ring. Choose a tiny drawer pull, or something even sillier, like a dollhouse clock face. Have fun with the belly button accent pieces but know something ahead of time: everyone will be asking you where youre getting your unusual belly button rings!

Christmas Candy Necklaces for Little Girls

If you have a little girl, or one will be coming to visit on Christmas, consider making her an adorable candy necklace unlike those youve seen before. Other candy necklaces are gross! The candies on those necklaces arent wrapped. Kids pull them on over their heads, wear them next to their skin, and bite the candies off of a stretchy cord. Most people pass on purchasing those for kids nowadays but children dont have to go their lives without a candy necklace! Make a different candy necklace for the special little girl in your life and put it down in her stocking as a Christmas surprise. Or, let her make the necklaces herself. She can make one to wear and one to give out to friends.

Hard-tack candies, which are individually wrapped, are perfect for creating holiday necklaces. Many of them feature wrappers and/or candies inside the wrappers which have colors and images that look great for Christmas. These particular candies have a cellophane or other wrapper which is twisted on each end to keep the candy inside. Those excess pieces of cellophane which stick out beyond the twist makes it easy to create a Christmas necklace.

Start by placing one candy beside another and overlapping their wrappers. Position the cellophane from one candy over the cellophane from the second one. Staple or tape the two wrappers together. Add another candy, staple or tape it, and so on. Continue doing this until the necklace is as long as you want it to be. Make sure it will fit easily over your head before adding the last piece. Create different necklaces according to the types of candies you staple or tape together. Individually wrapped Tootsie Rolls as a necklace will look much different than wrapped cinnamon candies. Look for unique shapes, candy colors and wrapper designs to create assorted necklaces. Make the necklaces with all the same candies or alternate different varieties. Make a matching bracelet or even matching earrings with candy! Of course, when the candy is gone the necklace or other jewelry is gone, too. Since earring backings are really cheap (although you have to buy them in packs of several) the candy earrings are a unique stocking stuffer that doesnt cost much to throw away when the candy is gone. Of course, a child can wear the wrapped candy jewelry for awhile before giving into temptation and gobbling them! Make the necklaces for Christmas and other holidays; make them for birthday parties and other occasions. Little girls will love them!

How to Make a Pipe Cleaner Wreath

If you have some cardboard lying around your house you might want to make use of it by turning it into new Christmas ornaments. Although cardboard might not seem like a fancy material to use for ornaments it doesnt matter. When you use it to make assorted wreaths youll have all kinds of nice directions. Make a Christmas wreath for your door, smaller ones to use as Christmas ornaments and even more wreaths to tie onto gifts. Youll want to make many Christmas wreaths when you see how easy and beautiful they can be. Use pipe cleaners to turn the cardboard into Christmas decorations and youll be surprised at how fuzzy and cute they are! Cut a circle of cardboard as large or small as you want the wreath to be. A bowl or similar object can serve as a pattern. Cut a hole out of the center to create the wreath shape. When you make a cardboard wreath it has a flat appearance. If youd like it to be a little puffier simply cut a piece of foam to glue to the front of the cardboard. Or, roll paper towels and tape them in place around the front of the circle.

Decide what color you want the wreath to be. Pipe cleaners come in a huge assortment of colors. Choose furry white, furry green or even metallic gold or silver. For a small wreath it wont take that many pipe cleaners but larger wreaths will take many.

Glue the end of one pipe cleaner to the backside of the wreath. Wrap it around the outer edge of the cardboard, across the front, around the inside edge, then back around to the backside. Continue wrapping pipe cleaners in this manner until youve completely covered the cardboard. As a pipe cleaner comes to its end, glue that end in place, then glue the end of the next pipe cleaner next to it, end-to-end. A dot of hot glue at the ends of the pipe cleaners is all thats needed to hold it in place. After youve covered the cardboard you can then add a bow and other decorations. Ornaments can simply be hot-glued to the pipe cleaner wreath. Create a bow or purchase one. Thread the end of one more pipe cleaner through the back of the bow and use it to tie the bow onto the top area or bottom area of the wreath. Or, just apply hot glue to the back of the bow and glue it in place on the wreath. Pipe cleaner wreaths are cheap and simplistic but they turn out really fuzzy and adorable. Its the perfect wreath project for a child if an adult assists or supervises with the hot glue. The finished wreaths can be displayed throughout the house this Christmas!

How to Change Your Bra Without Removing Your Shirt or Dress

Should we even bother discussing the reasons why a woman might need to change her bra in a place where she simply wont be able to remove any clothing to do so? The bra strap has broken, the darn thing is just too tight - youve been breast-feeding and have had an accidental leak. No matter what the reason - and there are many - you may, one day, have to remove the bra youre wearing and switch to another, without total privacy.

Whether youre in your car and cant take off your shirt or dress, or another scenario is happening, you can easily swap bras in a minute. If people can see you from where you are, they can detect movement, but they wont see you take off your shirt! Removing the bra without removing clothing is easy to do. If youre wearing a bra that fastens in the back, reach under your shirt or dress, and unhook it. Reach up through the sleeve to get a hold of one of the bra straps. Pull it down to your hand, take your hand out of the strap, then do the same on the other side. Now all you need to do is reach under the front of your shirt or dress and pull the bra out.

If youre wearing a bra that hooks in the front, reach under your garment, and unhook it. Reach up through the sleeve of the shirt or dress and pull the strap down to the wrist. Take the hand out of the wrist, do the same to the other side, then reach behind you, under your garment, and pull the bra out. To put a bra on without removing your garment sit down first. Lay the bra in your lap so that the inside of the bra is facing upwards. Position the straps near your knees and position the band that goes around the bottom of the bra towards your stomach. Remove one arm from its sleeve, slide it out at the hemline, then slide it through the strap of the bra. Slide your arm back into the sleeve and position the bra strap on the shoulder. Do the same to the other side. Reach in the front of your garment and position the bra how you want it in the front, then reach around back, and fasten it. Any adjustments can be made by reaching in through the neckline or the sleeve. There are lots of reasons why a woman might need to change her bra without the luxury of total privacy. However, with this guide shell know what to do in the future if such a scenario is really happening. Keep in mind that certain conditions might prevent you from being able to change your bra as mentioned. If your garment sleeves are fitted and slender, for example, the trick might not work so well!

Assorted Heart Wreaths

Hands-down, Valentines Day is the most romantic holiday we celebrate. Love poems, heart-shaped candy boxes, beautiful roses, and d?cor in shades of pink and red are traditional ways to celebrate Valentines Day. Right off the bat, lets hang a gorgeous wreath that features the colors of the holiday as well as the heart shape that symbolizes the love we feel on this special day. The wreath for the front door is easy to make when you use Styrofoam.

A Styrofoam heart shape can be found in the section of a craft store where they sell floral pieces. The green heart is exactly what you need to create the Valentines Day wreath you want. The hearts are available in several different sizes so you can easily make a large wreath for the front door and a smaller one for a bedroom door.

Use floral pieces with wire stems to make one type of wreath. Arrange leaves, flowers and stems, and similar things, to cover the heart shape completely. Tie a bow from wide, wired ribbon and attach it to the top of the heart. Or, thread a length of ribbon through the hole of the wreath and use this to hang it. You can make a much different Valentine wreath by using pink, white or red lace or cloth. Cut a really long strip - or several strips which have been sewn together - and use it to wrap the heart shape. Just hot glue the end of the ribbon to the heart and take the cloth around and around the shape until youve covered it completely. Create a matching or coordinating bow and hanger for the finished wreath. You can create a really glitzy look in no time by spraying the heart shape with adhesive then sprinkling on red glitter. When the adhesive has dried you can help preserve the look by spraying the entire wreath with clear lacquer. That will help keep the glitter from falling off over years of usage. A florist-type Styrofoam heart is much different than a white Styrofoam shape. The florist type works well with wired floral pieces - and so does the white - but the green doesnt work well when using hot glue to attach embellishments. Use the white Styrofoam heart to make a design that will use hot glue but either the green or the white for a wreath that will hold wired plants and flowers. A heart-shaped wreath, covered in flowers, lace or other materials, doesnt have to serve as a wreath. Lay one on a table and set a candle in the middle to create a Valentines Day centerpiece. Or, stand a small heart wreath on a plate stand on the mantle. Youll love the look!

Flower Wedding Straws

Isnt it funny how the most simplistic thing can be absolutely gorgeous? When it comes to choosing the particulars for your wedding youll often find that a simple vase of flowers or an understated place setting is actually very elegant and perfect for the occasion. Its not so much about the amount of money you spend. Its about the tiny details which come together to create a wedding of perfection.

Speaking of tiny details, the drinks you serve at the wedding reception will surely be delicious, but they can also be pretty. When you make drinking straw flowers youll serve drinks that are refreshing and beautiful at the same time. Youll be amazed at how the flowers will brighten up the drink and the party.

Baking cups, used for making cupcakes, are perfect for making straw flowers. Theyre available in zillions of designs and colors, from neon shades, to metallic types and more. Use them to make parts of the flower. In addition to the baking cups purchase a much smaller version. These tiny cups, often called candy or nut cups, will help make the rest of the flower. In addition to the cups youll also need some pretty green paper. Check the scrapbook section of a craft store; youll often find paper with a leaf motif. The perfect straws for making the flower embellishments are the ones which bend. That way, the flowers you add to the straw wont be coming in contact with the face. To start, cut leaf shapes and poke a hole at one end. Dont make large holes in the leaves; they should slide snugly over the straw. Slide one or two onto the straw. Flatten a baking cup and use it as the outer petals. Poke a hole in the center and slide it onto the straw, positioning it on top of the leaves. Poke a hole in the center of a candy cup and slide it onto the straw to finish the flower. You can make all sorts of different flowers by cutting some of the baking cups to have large or small, scalloped edges, pointed petals or even heart shapes. Make additional petals by flattening the candy cups, cutting either of the cup types down to smaller sizes, or combining plain cups with metallic ones. Its really easy to make assorted flowers in different colors by using various colors of baking and candy cups. Combining different colors and types, plus cutting the edges to have various shapes, you can literally make hundreds of different straw flowers without making the same one twice. Theyll add just another delicate touch to an already stunning wedding.

Feather Epaulet

I love crafts that help you make one outfit look like many. It doesnt matter to me whether that craft has a simple name or a fancy one. When you make an epaulet you create a gorgeous clip for a dress, blouse, or even a jacket. An epaulet might sound fancy but its easy to make and looks snazzy on many different types of outfits. The dress clip is especially lovely if you make it with feathers. You can find a small assortment of feathers at a craft store but youll have many more choices if you order online.

Cut two ovals of felt which will blend in with the particular feathers you want to use. For example, white felt for white feathers or black felt for dark feathers. When using feathers of more than one color choose the prominent color of the feathers and select felt that closely matches it. Cut the felt pieces to be about three inches wide and four inches long.

To prepare for attaching the feathers onto the oval pieces, separate them into categories, of long, medium, short, and those that are tiny and delicate. Set one oval in front of you so that one of the short sides faces you. Use hot glue and begin attaching feathers onto the felt. Just place a dab of hot glue on the quill and stick it to the top, rounded area of the felt. Work your way down, adding rows of feathers, using only the largest ones for now. Place some of the feathers so that they go straight down and others so that they point out to the sides. After the first layer is complete, do another layer, using the medium feathers. Then, add another layer of small feathers and a final layer of wispy ones. Make the other oval in the same manner. Purchase a snap-type barrette and use one for each oval. Apply hot glue to the top of the barrette, turn it upside-down, and stick it to the backside of the felt oval. Position it so that it is at one of the rounded ends - the end that the quills are facing. Also, the barrette should be glued so that it goes, vertically, down the center of the oval. There are lots of things you can do with the epaulet. Make one of feathers or one that features rhinestones. Wear only one, by clipping it to the shoulder, or wear one on each side. Or, just clip one at the middle, front of your dress or blouse for a unique look. You can also gather the side of a knee-length or higher dress and clip the barrette for an interesting hem accent. Wear them for Halloween or wear them to dress up an office outfit after hours. Theyre fabulous. Feather Epaulet

Raw Fabric Headboard

How much is a piece of fabric? A few bucks? Even if you purchase more costly cloth, what is that, twenty bucks? For the price of a couple yards of fabric you can make one gorgeous headboard thats unusual, cheap and stunning. Thats because, when you shop at a large fabric store, you can find fabric with cartoon themes for a childs room, elegant fabric, like satin, for a womans bedroom, or even bold stripes, polka dots and other designs for a modern look. With hundreds and hundreds of fabric types to choose from youll easily be able to make a unique headboard that states your style while accentuating your bed.Although there are many different fabrics which work well to make the headboard try to choose something thats not too heavy, not too thin, and a fabric which wont easily unravel. Decide on the design for the headboard before shopping for the fabric. An alternative to regular fabric is to use a flat sheet as the cloth. trim off any hems starting the headboard project.Measure the width of the bed to decide on the length of the fabric. The headboard should go down the wall to the bottom of the mattress but can reach as high up the wall as you want. Decide on the height then purchase fabric to accommodate it. Some fabric designs will allow you to hang them vertically as well as horizontally but fabric with certain designs can only be hung vertically. Make sure youre aware of this before purchasing fabric.It literally takes under an hour to make most any headboard from fabric. You can simply cut it to the size you need and hang it on the wall or you can give the material decorative edges. Cut around it with special scissors or make a scalloped edge with regular scissors. You can even cut the fabric into a giant heart, diamond or semi-circle or other shape.Buy liquid starch or mix powdered starch up according to package directions. Mix it in a bucket or even in the sink. Soak the chosen fabric in it until its completely saturated. Remove it from the liquid, squeeze out the excess, then stick it to the wall. Smooth out the wrinkles with something like a credit card or ruler. Its a good idea to put towels down on the floor to catch any drips.When the fabric is dry your new headboard will look gorgeous. If you want to embellish it, glue roping around the edges, attach wooden letters from a craft store to make a monogram or even outline around the cloth with a wide-tip paint marker. The fabric headboard is one of a kind and as beautiful as it is inexpensive.

Hardware Charm Bracelet

Okay, a hardware charm bracelet might not be the most beautiful charm bracelet there is. After all, a piece of metal from a hardware store cant possibly compare to a pewter football, a gold ring, or another fancy charm, that a person can buy for a bracelet. However, when you combine certain hardware pieces, and use them in the same fashion as you would a charm, you can make an unusual charm bracelet-type jewelry piece, which youll love with jeans, t-shirts, and other everyday fashions.Start out with a chain that you already have. It can be a ball or a link chain but it must have its own closure. You can make a necklace or a bracelet using just the chosen chain and some wire. Purchase really thin wire - copper or another type; it should be a little larger in diameter than thread.Look around at a home improvement or hardware store and youll find many different types of small metal pieces. There are hooks, and tiny caps, and even metal washers. One particularly nice combination for a charm bracelet is the metal washers and "s" hooks. Purchase small ones and, along with your wire, you can make the cute charm bracelet.Start with the front of the chain facing you, and the clasp facing away from you, and find the exact middle of the chain. At that area, position one of the metal washers, right next to the chain. Cut a piece of wire, string it through the washer, and through one of the links of a chain. If you have a ball chain, wrap the wire between two of the tiny balls. Bring the wire back through the washer, and through the chain, a couple of times. Snip the wire off and push it closely against the chain.Move over an inch or so and hang an "s" hook on the chain. Just measure from the washer, to where you want the hook, and attach it. Squeeze the top of the "s" closed with pliers and then push the closed end against the chain. Slide the wire through the opening at the top of the "s" (even though youve closed it theres still an opening), and wire it through a link, or between two balls, of the particular chain.On the other side of the washer, measure the same distance between it and the "s" hook, and follow the same steps to add the "s" hook to that side. That is, one "s" hook should be on each side of the washer, and each "s" should be spaced equally away from the washer.On the other sides of the "s" hooks, add a washer to each side, and continue alternating washers and "s" hooks, until youre finished. Wear it in a casual manner with nearly any outfit you own.

Candy Kabobs for Any Occasion

There are very few gifts that are perfect for just about anyone and any occasion. Its hard to find a present that can be a Christmas gift, a goody in an Easter basket, a birthday party favor, a treat at Halloween, and will make happy a child or an adult. But, when you make candy kabobs youll find they fill the bill no matter what the occasion.

There are lots of different things you can use to make candy kabobs, but to make any of them, youll need wooden skewers. Begin making the kabobs by sliding on the foods you want. Many candies are individually wrapped which is not the best look for the candy kabobs. Instead, remove the candies from their wrappers and then slide them onto the sticks. When finished, you can wrap the kabobs to keep them fresh.

Youll find that some foods are much more ideal than others when it comes to sliding them on the skewers. For example, marshmallows are a delicious addition to the kabobs but dont slide easily. Spraying the skewer with non-stick cooking spray can help. Be sure you leave part of the stick clean as this will serve as the handle for the kabob. Also, foods that dont slide easily should be reserved for the top part of the skewer. Some of the foods you can use to make the candy kabobs include Snickers, Milky Way, Three Musketeers, Peppermint Patties, Rice Krispie treats, gummy candies, cereal rings, dried fruits, caramels, specialty holiday candy, candy necklaces or bracelets, licorice stick sections, soft cookies, pieces of cakes or brownies and even fudge. Some foods that dont work well are chocolates with nuts, candy bars with crunchy or cookie centers and M&Ms. Combine various candies and other goodies to make each kabob or just slide several mini candy bars or other foods to make a kabob that has all the same treats on it. Make unique designs by sliding on a candy, then a stack of cereal rings, and do this several times. Come up with other pleasing arrangements or just randomly slide various foods onto the sticks. When youre finished wrap each candy kabob in a piece of clear or colored plastic wrap. Tie a bow around the bottom of the stick to gift. The unique kabobs are perfect for parties, holidays, special occasions or just to gift to a friend in the hospital. Theres no one who doesnt like the kabobs - you can even make sugar-free versions for diabetic friends! Now, no matter what the occasion, you know exactly what to give. Its a treat that will be well-remembered by the recipient!

Rice Krispie Treat Baby Shower, Wedding and Party Favors

Nearly everyone loves Rice Krispie treats. Theyre not expensive to make but are really delicious and suitable for kids as well as adults. The simple treat can be used as a nice gift for guests at a baby shower, wedding or party.

Make the Rice Krispie treats by melting 3 tablespoons of butter in a large sauce pan. Stir in 10 oz of regular marshmallows or four cups of mini marshmallows. Stir well as the marshmallows melt. Remove from heat and stir in 6 cups of Rice Krispies. Pour into a well-buttered pan to set. When the treats are ready, cut them into small squares.

Another choice is to purchase Rice Krispie treats which are already packaged. The individually-wrapped treats mean less hassle and mess. Whether youre using Rice Krispie treats you made, or ones you bought, purchase sucker stickers and put one into each treat. Insert it into one of the short sides. With the homemade treats you can cut them to the size you want; with the store-bought type, if needed, you can cut them into smaller pieces for little kids. You can color the Rice Krispie treats by using white chocolate, candy-coating discs. These can be found at some large craft stores and places which sell baking supplies. Melt the discs in a double-boiler and stir in a couple of drops of food coloring to make the color you want. Make blue or pink for a baby shower. Color red for Christmas or Valentines Day. Try yellow, green or another color for a wedding - depending upon the colors in your wedding scheme. Hold the stick of a Rice Krispie treat while you hold the treat over the melted chocolate. Quickly brush or spoon the chocolate on the top - or all over - the Rice Krispie treat. Lay it on wax paper. Use a yellow duckie, silver wedding bells or another embellishment on top of the treat. You can purchase shaped candies which are flat at craft stores or places that sell cake decorating supplies. Press one into each Rice Krispie treat before the chocolate coating dries. The Rice Krispie treats dont necessarily have to have a particular theme - they can just be delicious. Press small, easy-to-find candies into the chocolate coating, like M&Ms, chocolate chips, peppermint patties and similar foods. Wrap the finished treats in clear cellophane bags then tie a ribbon around them. The clear cellophane protects the edible gift while allowing the recipient to see the colorful, tasty treat. Theyre ideal for parties, showers, weddings, holidays and most any other special occasion!

Clothes Hamper Craft Station

I remember many years ago when my sewing and crafting area was the kitchen table. We lived in a small apartment and there just wasnt any room for a table of my own. I always felt the pressure to hurry and finish the sewing or craft project before it was time for the next meal. That was often impossible. Instead, I had to gather everything off of the table and find a new place for it, wipe down the table, and prepare the meal. Then, it was time to clear and wipe the table, and set all my craft stuff back on it, until the next meal. That was quite a lot of hassle. If youre in a similar situation, and there simply isnt much room for craft supplies, look around the place a little more. Is there an empty corner? A place on the wall, near the floor, that isnt taken? Make a clothes hamper craft station and it can be easily pushed into that area, or pulled back into play, any time you want.

The type of hamper you use can vary. It can be rectangular and plastic, round and wicker - it can even be a plastic trash can. In addition to the hamper, purchase a rolling board. Youll find one at a home improvement store or you can make it yourself. Its a simple, square board that has wheels on the corners. Many people use them for moving plants around or even scooting their computer tower under the desk.

Buy glue dots to help hold the hamper to the base. Place the dots around the perimeter of the bottom of the hamper and then set the hamper on the rolling board. Now you can do all sorts of things to make the hamper more useful as a craft station. For example, hang "s" hooks around the top of the hamper and you can hang bags of supplies, craft rings and wreaths, lengths of cord or ribbon and more. Tie a piece of wide elastic around the hamper and use it to hold knitting needles, folded fabric, zipper-lock bags and other things. Just trap the items between the hamper and the elastic. For crafting books, open a book halfway and straddle the elastic with it. There is room for several pieces of elastic to be wrapped around most any hamper. Fill the inside of the hamper with gift wrap, a yardstick, long dowels and other craft supplies. Some supplies can be in tied bags or arranged in stacking baskets. Youll see that you have lots and lots of room for storing assorted craft supplies in the hamper craft station and all you have to do is wheel it up to the couch, table or other working area, and roll it back when youre finished. Hamper Gift Wrap Station

Home School Dry-Erase Linoleum Writing Board

When I first set up my home school it was a lot of fun but a lot of work, too. I had much to do with stocking the classroom, ordering books, laying out the curriculum and study plans - it was quite an undertaking. As I was looking through catalogs to find a large chalkboard I couldnt believe the prices. Its hard to run a classroom without a chalkboard - that is, it used to be. When someone invented the dry-erase board everything changed. You no longer had to use dusty chalk and get it all over your hands and clothes. As I commented to a friend about the huge amount of money required to get a nice chalkboard he suggested a dry-erase board. A large dry-erase board would also cost a bunch of money, but not after his suggestion, which was linoleum. Linoleum works just like a dry-erase board and can actually be cheaper.

Look at discount stores for a linoleum remnant. A small remnant can make quite a large dry-erase board for the home school. Linoleum is really easy to cut with scissors but, if you purchase a piece and use the whole thing, you wont have to do any measuring or cutting - that makes it much easier to get the linoleum and get it hung.

You can glue the linoleum to the wall or you can use tacks to hang it. Linoleum tends to not lay flat when its first removed from the roll. It can be very helpful to lay the linoleum outside in the sun before hanging it, or at least lay it out flat inside. The longer it lies the easier it will be for it to hang flat on the wall. If youre gluing the linoleum, simply coat the backside with vinyl adhesive, and stick it to the wall. If youre tacking the linoleum, start by placing a tack at each corner, then putting a few more around the perimeter. If you have no linoleum remnants, but you have some leftover, peel-n-stick tiles, use them to make the dry-erase board on the wall of your classroom. Whether you glue or tack the linoleum, and whether you use a single linoleum piece or the peel-n-stick tiles, its a nice, finishing touch to attach molding around the perimeter. If you purchase the molding at a large home improvement store theyll cut it to the sizes you specify. Just use finishing nails to attach the molding and complete the dry-erase board. Do math, write instructions, draw and otherwise use the handy dry-erase board. You can use it just as you would a chalkboard but without the mess. Purchase dry-erase markers and erasers at most any place that sells regular markers or art supplies.

String Candles

Not in the mood to make new candles today? True, you have to have a certain frame of mind to do all that water boiling and wax melting, pouring, molding, and more. But sometimes you just feel like doing a candle project without really getting involved in a huge mess. There are many ways to change the look of a candle, including carving images into the wax, gluing on fake jewels or other trinkets, or even wrapping the candle with lace. Of course, many things you can attach to a candle will have to be removed before lighting that wick. So, its especially nice if you design a candle that doesnt have to be torn back apart after all your work to create it.

There are definitely many things you can add to a candle to change it and one of those things happens to be string. Yes, the string will also need to be removed before catching fire but, with this technique, you can make a lacy design that borders the bottom of the candle and can be easily removed when necessary - and that will be awhile.

Purchase twine at a craft store and you can make string designs that are truly gorgeous. And, since there will be no mess involved, youll really love the finished candle. The twine you should buy is the type which comes on a roll and is waxed. Generally available only in white the twine can help you make the candle border of your choice. Heat a small area of the candle, near the bottom edge, with a blow dryer. Stick the end of the twine to it by simply pressing it into the warm wax. Create the design you want, making swirls, waves, or other designs, as you go along. Continue to heat small areas of the wax with a blow dryer; it takes about 30 seconds to get it nice and warm. The waxed string is then easy to press into place. Use a bone folder tool or even a disposable knife to press the string onto the wax. Curl the twine or otherwise shape it and continue pressing the designs into the warm wax. When you keep the design down towards the bottom you can leave the twine accents in place until the wax burns down to about an inch away from it. At that time, just peel the string off the candle; its as simple as that. You can make varying designs by using twine of smaller and large diameters and by the way you arrange it on the candle. Not good at creating designs? Just make circles of twine - one above the other - to make an easy string creation. The finished candles are gorgeous enough for a wedding yet understated enough to display any day in your home.

Thread Bird Nest

People are so fascinated by pets and animals that they often collect things that are related to the types of animals they like. Some people wear zebra-look clothing, others wear snakeskin belts and hats. If birds are your thing you probably have birdhouses, a birdbath, and maybe even a collection of ceramic birds. I know of a really cheap craft thats helps you create adorable little bird nest decorator pieces that youll love. Use ordinary thread - yeah, even the tangled up thread in that drawer - and make bird nests of assorted colors to display around your house.

If you have tangled thread, cut out a big bunch of it, and use it for a bird nest. If you dont already have some tangled thread, unwind a bunch of thread, then rough it up to entangle it.

Although you can really use any color of thread you want for the bird nest youll create the best one if you dont mix odd colors together, like red and blue thread. But, some colors can be combined to make a nice nest, like brown and beige. In the end, your nest can be any color(s) you want. Shape the thread into a nest shape - the best you can for now. It can be helpful to place the thread in a bowl or other object to get the general shape. Sprinkle embossing powder over the nest. Youll find the embossing powder at a craft store; it will serve as glue for the nest. Lay a piece of parchment paper on a piece of foil and put them on a baking sheet. Bake the nest in the oven at a low temperature until the powder melts. Keep a close eye on the thread so you dont burn it. After removing the nest from the oven use implements of choice to shape it further as it cools. A spoon, a pencil, or even a handle from something, could be used to shape the nest as well as the indentation in the center of the nest. Purchase small wooden eggs at a craft store and paint them the colors you want. Apply glue to one side of each egg and settle it where you want it in the nest. If you want to make the nest even sturdier, cut a piece of thin cardboard, and glue it to the bottom of the nest. Make sure the cardboard is small enough so that it cant be seen when the nest is sitting on a shelf or elsewhere. If you want, add an extra accent by gluing on a tiny bird from a craft store. Youll probably go crazy and make a little bird nest for nearly everyone you know because thread is so inexpensive, and so are wooden eggs, but the finished nest is absolutely adorable, even if they are cheap. Thread Bird Nest

Old Album Earring Organizers

Finding yourself more and more bored today? Looking for a fun project that can help you get organized? Get a nail and poke holes in an album! When you do, you can create just one of several earring and jewelry organizers, which is also a noticeable room accent. Use a 33 LP - an album - to make your choice of earring and/or jewelry organizers.

Poke holes in an album to make a really cool earring organizer. An easy way to poke holes in an album is to slide a potholder onto your hand, hold a pair of pliers, and with them, hold a nail. Heat the nail over a flame or a burner, and push it through the album. You dont need a huge nail and a huge hole; just make a hole large enough to slide the wire of an earring into. Create a pair of holes, side-by-side, with a small space between them. Make more and more sets of holes, all over the album, in a certain pattern or randomly.

On the back of the album, use double-sided tape, and stick it to random places on the backside, without covering any holes. The tape pieces should be stacked so that they are thick. Stick the album to a piece of foam board, wood, cardboard, or another material, or just stick it to the wall. The tape pieces will keep the album from lying flat against the board or wall, and allow room for hanging the earrings. Hang the board and then hang many pairs of earrings on the album. Make a different jewelry holder by using a large, thick, round magnet. You can find one at a home improvement store, or order one online. Glue the magnet, or use double-sided tape to secure it - and position it over the round label of the record. The magnet allows you to simply stick earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and other jewelry pieces, to the top and sides of it. Using small but strong magnets, you can make a jewelry organizer that features the magnets on the back. Glue or otherwise attach the magnets to the back of the album and hang it up. If the magnets are strong enough you can just touch the jewelry piece to the front of the album, and a magnet on the back will grab it. If the jewelry organizer you make still shows the label on the record, its an option to cover it up. Just cut a circle of cloth or decorative paper, and glue it over the original label. Instead of making holes in the record, you could use peel-n-stick, plastic hangers, and hang necklaces, bracelets, and hoop earrings. The finished organizer is unique, useful, and cute in a bedroom with a music, retro, or teen theme.

Old Magazine Kitchen Accents

If you subscribe to a couple of magazines a month you can end up with a bunch of them at the end of a year. There are many things a person can make from a magazine and some of them are quite nice. In fact, you can make the cutest kitchen set including a bowl, a trivet, and a set of coasters, and use up some of those useless magazines. The kitchen accent set takes a bit of time but, if you have the magazines already, its virtually free.Start making a coaster by ripping a single page from a magazine. Fold the page in half, lengthways, then fold it in half again. Continue folding it in half until you have a strip that is about a half-inch wide (the amount of times you fold it will depend on the size of magazine youre using). Make many strips before getting started on the coasters, trivet, and bowl.Begin rolling the first strip, from one end to the other, so that you have a flat and tight circle. When you get to the end of that piece, connect another. To do that, slide the fold of the new piece into the open end of the first piece. Or, just tape them to each other. Continue adding more, and rolling the strips, so that the circle becomes the size you want for a coaster. Use a tiny piece of double-sided tape, or quick-dry glue, to secure the end. Then, coat the top of the coaster (the side with the folded edges of the strips) with decoupage adhesive, or a clear, waterproof glue.To make a trivet, follow the instructions for a coaster, but make it much larger. To make a bowl, curl strips of paper as you do with the coaster or trivet, and make the circle as large as you want for the bottom of the bowl. Then, when youre ready to make the sides, wrap the next paper around the circle, but this time, come up about an eighth of an inch. Wrap it all the way around (adding more strips where needed), then take the next wrap up an eighth of an inch. Continue wrapping, taking each wrap up an eighth of an inch, until the bowl is as tall as you want. When creating the sides of the bowl use glue that dries in seconds.As youre making the bowl, make the bottom, then coat it with glue, as instructed for the coaster. Do so before creating the sides. Then, as you make the sides, glue each strip in place as you wrap it. To finish the bowl, just glue down the end.The magazine bowl can hold fruits, odds and ends, a silk plant, a real flower in a container, and any number of other things. The set, as a whole, is colorful, and gorgeous in the kitchen as well as other rooms of the house.

Dryer Sheet Carnations and Other Flowers

Is it laundry day already? Go ahead and put the clothes in the washer, and before you get them in the dryer, you can make a vase full of gorgeous flowers that smell great. Laundry day is enough of a challenge so you wont be required to get a lot of materials and supplies together or make a huge mess across the kitchen table. Just take a few of the dryer sheets and use them to make the flowers! Dryer sheets are perfumed and perfect for creating assorted flowers. Used dryer sheets wont retain their shapes as flowers so use fresh, unused dryer sheets to start. Take three or four of the sheets and lay them flat. Stack them on top of each other. Turn the stack so that the long sides of the sheets face you. Fold the side over an inch, then turn the stack over and do that again. Continue this, folding the sheets in an accordion style until you get to the other end.

Take one short end of the accordion, align it with the opposite end, folding it in half. At the fold, slip in a green pipe cleaner, then twist it tightly. Leave the remainder of the pipe cleaner hanging down to be used as the stem. Start peeling the layers of the dryer sheets apart to create the flower.

You can make the flowers look different by cutting the ends of the accordion fold. After folding, cut the short ends so that theyre rounded or cut them to have a point at each end. You can even cut them so that there are two small points at each end. Whatever cuts you decide on do the exact same thing to the opposite end. Each cut you make creates a completely different flower. After all the flowers are made, set them in a vase, then paint them. Use any number of things to create the tint you want at the tips of the flowers. Some things that work great include paint, nail polish, lipstick or even markers. Or, use a different technique to glitter the tips. Lightly brush glue over the dryer sheets then dip the flower in glitter. This works better than glitter glue which tends to run. Another technique you can use to make different flowers is to scribble or make other designs on the dryer sheets before stacking and folding them. Make stripes, dots or other patterns, and when you turn them into flowers, youll have unique designs that look fabulous! If you want, embellish the finished flowers by gluing on a few fake leaves. When the dryer sheets lose their aroma simply spray them with air freshener, perfume or something similar. The finished flowers look great anywhere in the home!

Scented Cookie Dough Ornaments

Some people purchase traditional wrapping paper, gift tags, bows and decorations to create a holiday theme at Christmas. Others like making and trying and making new things each year. If you fall into the last category you might be interested in making some cookies this year. You make cookies every year for Christmas? Well, make a few extra and you can use them to decorate! You might not know it but cookies make fantastic Christmas tree decorations, gift embellishments and more! Make a batch of scented cookies and youll have all the decorations you need while creating a lovely aroma throughout the room where the finished ornaments will hang. In a large bowl combine four cups of all purpose flour, a cup of salt, a quarter-cup of cinnamon, three tablespoons of nutmeg and two tablespoons of ground cloves. Stir these together. Pour in a cup and a half of warm water then mix all the ingredients well. As you stir the ingredients youll start to form a ball of dough. Soon, it will be impossible to stir it so get rid of the spoon and use your hands! (Note: although the cookie dough is edible it doesnt taste good!) Lightly flour a surface and roll out the cookie dough. Roll it to be from a quarter-inch to a half-inch thick. Use cookie cutters to create the ornament shapes you want or try other objects instead of cookie cutters. Drinking glass, lids from jars or bottles and similar things work great. You can even create Christmas cookie shapes by using an image cut from a magazine or a coloring book. Lay the image on the dough then draw around it with a toothpick or paring knife. In lieu of all these methods you can also just pat the cookies out to create simple shapes like squares, circles and ovals.

Lay all the cookies on a non-stick baking sheet but do not grease the sheet. Before placing them in the oven use a straw or toothpick to poke a hole in each one. With a straw, push it down through the cookie, then remove the tiny dough piece within the circle created by the straw.

Bake the cookies at 200 degrees for about an hour. Remove from the oven and allow the ornaments to sit at room temperature until they are cool. Use acrylic paints to embellish the ornaments or omit this step and hang them as-is. If youve painted the ornaments, allow it to dry, then spray the ornaments with polyurethane to protect. When its dry thread a ribbon or string through each ornament and hang them on the Christmas tree or tie them onto gifts. Theyre adorable!

All About Community Supported Agriculture

Most of us are aware of the many difficulties farmers have, within recent years, encountered. Many farmers have been forced to shut down the farm for good; others are following closely on their heels. We wont discuss the reasons behind all of that right now; lets concentrate on how we can help our own local farmers. Have you heard of Commuity Supported Agriculture (CSA)? Its a way that we, as normal food consumers, can pay in advance for some of our foods and that money goes towards supporting your regional farmers. In exchange, as the crops come in, youre first in line to receive the goods.There are good and bad elements involved with CSA. For example, some farmers save their best produce to sell at farmers markets and other places while providing CSA members the smaller or inferior produce. Not fair. Should you try a CSA group, ask for referrals so you can talk to others who are involved with that particular group. See if theyve been satisfied with their memberships. Or, participate in a CSA group which breaks down the farmers categories, like produce, meat, and dairy, and try out one category before joining others.Some CSA groups make you sign up for every category as a total package. Others allow you to choose categories. You pay a certain amount for the entire package, or for the chosen categories, in advance. This money will go to help the farmers plant, tend and harvest. Later, when the crops come in, you will receive 12 or 24 weeks of those foods - depending upon the group and/or subcategories. Some groups have a pickup once a week. Others have two per week. Most seasons run from June through August. Make sure you understand the entire program before signing up with a Community Supported Agriculture group.Some foods will be chosen by you whereas others are pre-selected and you simply pick them up. Amongst foods that you select yourself are fruits and vegetables. Others which are chosen for you include most any meat, fish or foul. Some packages offered by the CSA groups include meats, fruit, vegetables, beans, grains, milk and eggs.The amount of each food you receive is dependent upon the share package you sign up for. Half-shares feed one to two people. Full shares feed between four and five people.Check to see if you have a CSA group in your town - many large cities have them. Its also possible to start your own CSA. Read more about the groups, how to volunteer, prices on the packages or how to start your own CSA by visiting Local Roots, NYC.

Glued Home Accents for a Man-Cave

One guy might go to the basement, sit down on an old couch, and call it his man-cave. Another guy could spend thousands to get just the right furniture, a pool table, man-theme decorations, and similar furnishings. But you dont need a lot of money to have many man-theme items in your cave. If you can afford glue youll have fun creating all sorts of man-theme home accents for your special room. Easily turn ordinary tables, lamps, and other furnishings into ones with a manly theme, simply by using glue.

A really good adhesive choice is decoupage. Made especially for attaching paper or cloth to most any surface, the glue is found online, or at your local craft store. Dont worry; you probably wont be the only guy in there. Along with the glue youll need pictures. Print them from the internet, cut them out of magazines, or use old calendars as the source for the images. Instead of paper pictures you can even use thin fabric. In fact, youll find cloth with lots of guy themes, like sports, cars, or nature, at most any fabric store.

Make a man-cave table by simply cutting a piece of the chosen paper or cloth, and gluing it to the table top. Create a man-cave lamp by cutting fabric and making a band of it around the top and bottom borders of the lampshade. You can even cut out pictures of women in bikinis and glue them onto plates (only for display). Themes you could do for the man-cave include sports, famous women, motorcycles, cars, trains, the Armed Services, or even a nature-scene theme. With decoupage adhesive you normally have to apply it to the surface, place the paper or fabric where needed, and cover the top of the material with a layer of the glue. Allow to dry and, if needed (probably not), use fine steel wool to buff it. Although the glue is white when applied, it dries clear. By gluing, you can do a huge project or a small one. Make a collage of pictures across the top of a bar counter, and lay glass over it. Or, just decoupage a sports picture onto your favorite drink holder. Things you can glue pictures to, in order to finish the theme in your man-cave, include walls, baseboards, beer bottle lamps, planters, doors, drawer fronts, and head or foot boards. Materials you can use include fabric, scrapbook paper, gift wrap, wallpaper, newspaper, comic book pages, printed cellophane bags, and beer bottle labels. When you finish doing all of that gluing, your man-cave will be ready for presentation - but only to the guys!

Yogurt Cup Wind Chimes

Sure, you can find unique wind chimes all day long, whether you shop locally, online or through a catalog. If wind chimes is your thing you probably drool over ones you see while browsing but you might not have ever attempted to make any yourself. There are many different wind chime arrangements a person can make but few are easier than the one you make from a yogurt cup. The beaded wind chime set is so easy that even a child can do it! You dont absolutely have to use a yogurt cup to make the chimes. Similar cups, like an individual applesauce cup or even a Styrofoam coffee cup work just as well. A quick way to change the look of the cup, and to create a nice design for the chimes, is to use colored tape. Regular colors, like blue, red, yellow or white are generally available in dollar-theme stores and other retailers. Metallic tape, like silver or gold, dispenses like Scotch tape and is sold at craft stores.

After decorating the cup the way you want use a hot nail to poke a hole on the bottom of the cup, in the center. Its important that the hole be exactly in the center for the chimes to hang properly. Hold the nail with a pair of pliers and hold the pliers with a potholder. Heat the nail and simply insert it into the yogurt cup. Fold a piece of ribbon or cord in half and insert the ends into the hole. Tie them together inside the cup to make the hanger.

Use string or twine to create the beaded patterns that will hang from the wind chimes. Fishing wine works well because its virtually invisible and is stronger than thread and most string. Cut the pieces to be as long as you want then string beads onto each one. A dab of glue will hold the first bead on permanently. Leave about 3" of twine hanging off the end of each beaded strand. Attach the strands to the cup by using ordinary tape. Clear packing tape works best. Place the bare end of each strand into the cup and tape it from the inside. Leave a small space and position the next strand. Place the strands so that the final bead is up against the rim of the cup and the entire bare part is inside the cup. Excess pieces of twine can be trimmed after the strand has been taped onto the cup. Make various beaded wind chimes by making all the strings the same length or each strand a different length. Combine different sizes, shapes and colors of beads to make even more varieties. The wind chimes are so easy and beautiful youll soon have many - each one of them different than the next!

Snowman Sock Gift

If its come down to the wire, and you still need a few more small gifts, get those people a snowman. Well, dont get them one; make them one. Make a snowman for Mom, one for Dad, one for each of the kids, one for Grandma, well, one for everyone you know! Theyll get a kick out of receiving a cute Christmas snowman from you and the bonus is that the snowman is really a pair of socks! There are different things you can use to turn a pair of socks into an adorable snowman. The type of socks you need to use is tube socks. These have no distinct heel or toe and are perfect for creating a snowman gift. The socks can be ones which are solid white or ones which feature a stripes around the top.

Slide one sock onto your hand and slide the other sock over that one. Remove both socks so that one remains inside the other. Align the top bands of the socks and make sure the seams at the toe area are also aligned. Cut a square of cardboard or even a piece of plastic from a milk jug. Slide the piece into the sock and position it so that the seams of the socks goes across the bottom of the cardboard or plastic. This piece will help the snowman stand.

Snip the corner of a bag of rice and pour some of it out so that the rice can easily move around inside it. Tape the bag shut and slide it into the socks. Move the rice around to make sure it will stand okay. Tie a ribbon or fabric piece around the socks so that you separate the rice bag into two portions. The top half will be the head and the bottom half will be the body for the snowman. Divide the rice so that the head half is slightly smaller than the body. Tie another ribbon or fabric piece around the socks, above the head. Turn the socks down to create the snowmans hat. Use adhesive, wiggly eyes from a craft store and stick them onto the snowmans face. Use double-sided tape to attach a simple felt nose and mouth. A different way to create the snowman sock gift is to use two Styrofoam balls. Place the cardboard or plastic square in the sock, slide in a large ball, then a smaller one. Tie a ribbon between the two balls and another above the head. Fold the socks down and make a face for the snowman as stated above. The snowman sock gift is an unusual way to give a pair of socks and the recipient cant help but smile. He or she wont know its a pair of socks until you tell them. Make sure you do, though, or theyll be putting their sock snowman out as a decoration every Christmas from here on out!

Lace Wall Butterflies

When you use cardboard to make new things for your home you can spend next to nothing while creating something gorgeous or useful. If you have some white cardboard around your house, or thin cardboard that you can paint, you can make some lovely wall butterflies that have a lacy look. These are great for a baby girls nursery, a little girls room, or even on the living room wall, around a vase of flowers. With cardboard being free, and the supplies you need being cheap, you can easily make all sorts of different butterflies! You can download butterfly templates online, use butterflies from a coloring book or other source as the patterns, or you can just draw butterflies freehand. Make large ones and small ones. Make butterflies that show the side view or ones seen from the back. Cut the cardboard butterflies then decide how you want to decorate them.

Cut a piece of lace to be the size and shape of the butterfly and glue it onto the cardboard. Instead of lace you can use satin, denim, or other fabric choices. After gluing on the fabric you can then use any number of craft supplies to embellish them.

Make one butterfly by painting the cardboard blue, pink or another color. Cover it with white lace and you instantly have a butterfly with two colors. Make a white cardboard butterfly with a white lace cover and youll make something a little different. No matter what materials you use to cover the butterflies there is a whole list of things you can use to embellish them. Glue small-diameter roping around the edges of the butterflies to distinguish the wings and add dimension. Glue on fake jewels to make spots on the wings. Or, use sequin or glitter instead. Attach buttons, fake pearls, tiny beads and similar things to create a huge assortment of different butterflies. If you dont have a lot of embellishments you can use simply decorate with a marker. Its easy to color over certain patterns you see on the lace to create a butterfly with one extra color or many different colors. Use a silver or gold marker on white lace to make an understated yet elegant butterfly. Or, use colorful markers to make monarchs and more. When youre finished creating all the butterflies you want youll find it really easy to hang them with double-sided tape. Stick the butterflies to a wall, basket, picture frame, mirror, vase, lamp, lampshade and many other areas. Theyre beautiful and instantly add a little charm and elegance to most any room of the house!

How to Build a Riverbank Clay Oven

There are different types of soil around the country. Some dirt is dark and some is light brown. Some is more like sand than dirt. Other areas of the country are hosts to clay-like soil. If you camp or fish near a river that features clay-like soil youre in luck! Youll be able to bake delicious meals that you normally wouldnt be able to unless you took along your own camping oven. Forget that! Build a clay oven and youll be able to bake a pie, a casserole or other things that require baking.

The best place to build a clay oven is at a riverbank that stands about as tall as a mans waist. If youre standing in the grass, and you have to look down to see the river, youre probably standing on a good place to build the clay oven.

Start by driving a stake through the grass, straight down into the ground, about three feet from the front of the bank. The stake should be about as big around as your arm. Hammer it down a couple of feet. If you think youd like to build the clay oven again and again, each time you camp out or fish, keep a stake in your vehicle. Its much easier to drive a stake thats pointed at one end than a log of wood you find near the river. Go around to the front of the bank and begin digging out a hole. The hole you dig should be just large enough for you to put your fist in. Inside, youll dig a much larger hole, so that you create an "oven" with a tiny, fist-size opening in the front. Continue digging out the dirt until you reach the stake. At that point, you can pull out the stake, and youve created a chimney for your oven. Wet your hands and pat the soil inside the homemade oven. Smooth the clay on the inside of the oven by wetting and patting the soil until it is smooth all the way around. Work towards creating a round oven which features a flat bottom. After the clay oven is shaped, place some dry firestarter and wood inside, light it, then allow the clay to bake. That finishes the oven! Now you can use it whenever youre ready. To use the oven, lay rocks inside on the bottom, then start a fire. Get the fire rolling pretty good then scrape out the hot coals and ashes. Place the baking dish on the rocks, cover the hole in front, then cover the chimney hole. The holes can be covered by stacking rocks or packing clay over them. The food will need no turning or adjusting at all. Just leave it inside the oven until theyre done - usually a few minutes longer than what you would bake it in a regular oven at home.

Moss Wedding Monograms

Youre going to have lots of fabulous things at your wedding, from the flowers, to the gown, to the foods. But if youre browsing catalogs or websites to find large, striking decorator pieces, youre throwing away good money for no reason. There are many impressive projects you could do without having to invest precious time and money. Mossy letters are one example of a large piece you can make for your wedding. The letters are beautiful as a centerpiece or even a mantle decoration. Youll see just how easy they are to make and, then, you can take that extra money and get something nice for your bridesmaids.Styrofoam isnt too expensive and you can find it at any craft store. When you buy a Styrofoam slab - thick or thin - you can easily cut the letters yourself. Although there are online places where you can order the letters youll save a bunch of money when you cut them yourself. Its not hard. Use a serrated knife and cut an old candle with it. The wax that is transferred to the knife helps to cut the Styrofoam with ease.Print out the letters, numbers, or characters you want. You can find nice fonts to print but make sure theyre simplistic enough for you to cut. Adjust the sizes, if needed, and print out the characters. Lay the papers on the Styrofoam, draw around the letters or numbers, and cut around them out of the Styrofoam. If needed, sand them with ordinary sandpaper. Its super easy to sand and shape Styrofoam with sandpaper.Use craft moss to cover the letters or other characters. You can find moss, sold in bags, at most any craft store. Hot glue works great to attach the moss to the numbers and/or letters. Just take a clump of the moss, put some hot glue where you want it, and lay the moss on it. Cover the whole front, and the sides, but not the backs, unless the characters will be standing in a place where others can see the backs.With thick Styrofoam, the letters or numbers can stand up easily on their own - if you put no moss on the bottoms. Stand the finished letters on a mantle, table, counter, or elsewhere around the wedding or reception room. Use the first initial of you and your mate - along with an ampersand, make a mossy set of letters representing the year youre getting married, or even make a mossy word, like "Love", or "Forever".The mossy monograms are truly striking and make a huge statement. No matter where you place them, or what you spell out, the fuzzy letters will get lots of attention - but not more than you!Mossy Monograms

Womans Silver Anniversary Accessories

Youll look fabulous at your 25 th wedding anniversary party when you make your own silver accessories. You dont need much time, money or skill to make jewelry, hair accessories, clothes and more. All youll need is silver fabric and, of course, youll be the hit of the party.

Purchase a padded headband and give it silver accent that are gorgeous. Silver on white looks great but you can add silver touches to another color of headband, if you prefer. Just use a silver paint marker from a craft store to draw hearts or other designs on the fabric of the headband. Use stencils or make images yourself - or color the whole headband with the silver marker.

You can make a striking necklace by just using two wide strips of silver fabric. Cut them both to be long enough to wrap around your neck with a couple of inches to spare. Lay the fabric strips on top of each other so that their right sides are facing. Sew around three sides, turn the bands right-side-out, and stitch the opening shut. Attach a Velcro dot, and its opposing piece, as a closure. Or, sew on ribbons to tie on the necklace. Choose a bauble for the necklace and attach it. One quick accent that you can do is to glue on a large, fake jewel with fabric glue. Make a smaller version as a matching bracelet. Cut two rectangles of silver fabric, stack them with right sides facing, and sew around three sides to make a quick clutch purse. Turn the pieces right-side-out and stitch the opening shut. Fold the arrangement into thirds. First, fold one third and sew along the sides. Then, fold the other third over that one and attach a closure to it, like a Velcro dot or snap. With a piece of silver fabric you can make an easy shawl. Just cut a large square and hem around it. Cut a hole in the middle and hem around it. Now, slide the hole of the fabric over your head and its ready to wear. Make the shawl from lightweight fabric and it makes a lovely dress cover-up. Cut a really long rectangle of silver material, hem around all four sides, and youve got a tie belt that can embellish a dress or blouse. Cut the piece much wider, and not as long, and wrap it around your shoulders. Use a pin to connect the two ends at the neckline or shoulder. Since its your silver anniversary its fun to dress up nicely and accent your outfit with touches of silver. Make any or all of these accessories and youll feel like a million bucks. Thats as it should be on this special, 25 th wedding anniversary.

Nursery Rhyme Baby Quilt

Quilt making doesnt have to be a huge, complex, mathematical wonder. You dont have to cut squares, which are then cut into rectangles, which are then cut into triangles. Sure, those quilts are gorgeous and are often put on display in ones home. But if youd like to make your baby a keepsake quilt, and you dont know that much about quilt making, you can easily sew up a blanket that features a nursery rhyme you - and/or your baby - love. You wont have to put out a lot of effort in to create the quilt and, as your baby grows, he or she will cherish this quilt. And, maybe one day, youll see your grandbaby wrapped in it.Decide on the size you want for the quilt. Cut ordinary squares to use as the pattern for the quilt. The squares can be small - but not tiny - or can be rather large. Keep in mind that you will be writing parts of the nursery rhyme on some squares so they should at least be large enough to write short words on them. Also, the fabric should be a type that will allow you to easily write on it with a paint pen.Select a favorite nursery rhyme for the blanket. You dont necessarily have to write the entire nursery rhyme on the quilt blocks. For example, if the quilt will have the theme of "Mary Had a Little Lamb", you can write "Mary" on one block, "Little Lamb" on another, or "White as Snow" on yet another block.Another option is to write titles of nursery rhymes on some of the blocks. Write "Mary had a little lamb" on one, "Hey Diddle, Diddle" on another, and so forth. Youll find paint markers in a huge variety of colors and types - like glittery or metallic - so you can create the perfect look for the baby quilt.When youre finished writing on the blocks, sew the squares together to form the top of the quilt. Then, cut a piece of sheet or other fabric to use as the backing. Stack the backing, the quilt front, and a piece of batting, which is the same size as the fabric pieces. Sew around all four sides but leave an opening on one side - not by the corner. Turn the quilt right-side-out, and sew the opening shut. To keep the batting from bunching while laundering, take a few stitches at each place where the corners of the quilt blocks meet.The nursery rhyme quilt is unique and lovely but you could also make a baby blanket with another theme. Write the names of animals, famous princesses, famous sports people, or other words, on the quilt blocks. Youll be astounded at the beauty of the new quilt; your child will grow up cherishing it forever.

Beginners Sewing Project: Easy Change Pouch

When you first learn to sew, after learning the workings of the machine and a little about fabrics, it can be somewhat aggravating. Until you have some practice youll likely hit the pedal too hard and go flying down a piece of material, run off the sides of it, and even get the thread all tangled. But, in no time youll learn to at least make a straight stitch and a zigzag stitch that can help you create all sorts of sewn garments, curtains and more. If youve mastered those two stitches you can easily make a change pouch that uses an old cd as the pattern! Choose fabric for the pouch thats suitable. Nothing stretchy, nothing too thin. Select material that wont fray after being cut. If you have material that will unravel you can first treat it with a no-fray solution found at stores that sell fabric. Felt works great to make a hassle-free change pouch thats inexpensive and appropriate for this craft.

Lay the fabric out and use a cd as the pattern. Simply draw around the cd twice and cut out the two felt circles. Cut straight across one of the circles, taking off about a third of the material, but leave the other circle complete. Position the small circle on top of the larger one and stitch around them.

First, make sure both circles are aligned at the bottom. Where the corners are at the top of the cut circle, mark these areas onto the large circle. Use a zigzag stitch to sew between the two dots, around that area of the large circle, staying right at the edge. If need be, use your hand wheel to position the zigzag stitches so that they fall right next to the edge. This stitch can be most any size but avoid really tiny, close zigzag stitches or really wide ones. The stitch youve just sewn is only a decorative stitch to prevent that area of the large circle from looking unfinished. Now, position the small circle on top of the large one once again so that their wrong sides are facing each other. Begin sewing from the zigzag stitches, down and around the arc of the felt, and back up to the other side. Use a straight stitch for this and stay close to the edge. When youre finished, fold the flap of the large circle over the smaller circle. Add a closure such as a Velcro dot, a button and buttonhole, or even a snap. The change purse can be embellished by using fabric glue or stitches to attach a cloth flower and leaf, an applique or even a felt letter. Its an adorable creation thats perfect for giving as a gift or using yourself!