Tiered Terra Cotta Pot Plant Stand

When it comes to terra cotta pots there is seemingly no end to the sizes they offer at a craft store. From really tiny to humongous the rust-colored pots are timeless. Most people are used to seeing them outside or inside, holding real or fake plants, but generally theyre displayed with their original color. However, when you paint the terra cotta pots you have an entirely new creation thats bolder and more beautiful.

You can make a really unique plant stand by using assorted sizes of terra cotta pots. The tiered stand is made by first selecting the size you want the actual plant pot to be. Only one pot will hold the plant you choose and the other pots will be used to make the tiered stand. Keep in mind that, when choosing the pot you want to hold the plant, it should be somewhat small. Otherwise, when you add the larger and larger pots to form the cone shape youll end up with gigantic pots towards the bottom.

Youll decide how tall you want the cone-shaped plant stand to be by the amount of pots you choose. After selecting a smaller one for the plant, choose the next size larger, and the next size larger than that one, until you have several different sizes. Now youll decide on the designs you want to make on the pots. Paint all the pots the same color, if you want, or make something much more interesting by choosing a different base color for each terra cotta pot. After painting the pots, and allowing them to dry, create dots, stripes and other designs to make each pot different. These accents can be made with paint, markers, stickers, rubber stamping and similar methods. To assemble the tiered plant stand turn the largest pot upside-down. Take the next largest pot, apply hot glue inside the rim, then turn it upside-down onto the first pot. Contine adding another and another pot until the plant stand is as tall as you want it to be. When youve glued all but the final pot onto the stack, turn it right-side-up, and glue it to the previous pot. This final pot, then, will hold the chosen artificial plant or flowers. Make a different design by stacking the upside-down pots, then when you get to the top, glue a small terra cotta saucer on top. Place the final pot, with plant, on the saucer and glue in place. In fact, you can place a saucer between each set of pots, rather than glue the pots to each other, to create a totally different look. The finished, tiered stand is very unique and are appropriate for any room of the house.

How to Make Stand-Up Accordion Cards

When someone gives you a gift, or does something nice for you, its appropriate to send a thank-you card. Theyre all the same, though. A folded card that has images and wording on the outside, then a poem or other message inside. Those are nice but you can do something much more spectacular to tell that special person how much you appreciate them. Make a stand-up accordion card and theyll keep it forever. Theyve probably never seen anything like it so this "thank-you" will be very special, indeed! Use cardstock, poster board, thin cardboard or something similar to make the basic card. Poster board and cardstock come in assorted colors and thats perfect for choosing the design you want for the card. When using cardboard you can simply glue on gift wrap, scrapbook paper or similar coverings.

Use stencils or other methods to spell out a single word or phrase. Draw "THANKS", "I LOVE YOU" or another message. As you draw the letters make sure each one touches the next one. Each letter can adjoin the next by touching it near the bottom, near the top, or along the same side. After youve drawn out the message you want to give simply cut around the letters. Cut them out so that you leave each letter touching the next. So, when youre finished cutting, you have one long piece of paper that has the entire word or phrase connected.

Fold the cutout in an accordion-style manner, making the folds between each set of letters, and folding it right where one letter meets the other. Now all you have to do is stand up the finished card and see how it spells out the message. Fold it back up, make a special envelope, then send it to the recipient. They can stand it on a counter, mantle or other flat area to show it off to friends. You can make the finished card much nicer by using certain craft supplies to embellish it. Use stickers, paint markers, sequin, colored tape, glitter, buttons, fake jewels and similar things to make the design you want. Its nearly guaranteed that the recipient has never seen a card quite like this one. Some different cards you can make include "Graduation", "Anniversary", "Love", "Peace", a childs name or even the name of that childs favorite pet. The messages dont necessarily have to be in the form of gifts for others. Use the unusual technique to make a large centerpiece for a holiday table or just to set on your dresser. There are a lot of different ones you can make and there are many different ways to use them.

Foam Board Furnishings

You might have just gotten a new house or apartment but maybe you cant afford furnishings just yet. Or, you own furnishings but they havent shown up for some reason. Whatever your personal scenario, if you need cheap furnishings now, rush to the nearest craft store! There, youll find sheets of foam board that can help you easily build assorted furnishings you can use until you get the good stuff! With foam board and a glue gun you can make tables, storage bins and much more. Youll have the best luck cutting the foam board if you first draw the lines you want to cut, score across them with a sharp knife, then break the pieces off. Or, score repeatedly until youve cut through the foam board.

Cut four squares of equal size and glue them together to make a square shape. Set a game board, cutting board or similar item on top. These are perfect as plant stands, end tables and night stands.

Cut five squares of foam board - any size you want - but make the fifth square an inch larger, all the way around, than the other four. Glue the four equal-size ones together to make a square shape. Glue these onto the fifth piece. Make these really large or really small, depending upon the type of furnishings you need. Turn these so that the flat side is up and you have an end table or night stand. Turn them the other way and you have a clothing bin, hamper, magazine rack, or even a helpful basket. Make several of the foam board cubes and use them as a makeshift dresser. Stack two cubes side-by-side, and another set on top of those, or a different arrangement. Position them so that the openings face outward rather than up or down. Stack clothing and set them inside the cubes. Or, use these to store CDs, DVDs, books, toys, bath and body supplies and more. Make two of the square boxes as stated above, space them apart, and lay another piece of foam board across both of them. This arrangement can be a coffee table or even a dining table. Or, use the simple table to stack extra clothing, arrange office paperwork or to hold toys. Although the foam board table cant carry tremendous weight it can easily hold place settings, drinks, tv remote and more. Use coasters with the coffee table; youll ruin poster board if you get it wet. When your new furnishings finally arrive you can easily recycle the foam board into wall hangings, decor signs, closet organizers and more. For now, though, foam board is a cheap and easy way to get some furnishings now!

How to Use Crepe Paper for Sewing

Use start out sewing by learning a little about the machine, a little about thread, and a little about simple patterns. That gets you going, but if you plan to become really good at sewing, youll need to learn a lot of different things. Youll learn about setting and adjusting tension, setting the machine to do things like zigzag stitching, and even how to install elastic. Those kinds of things can be taught by someone who already knows, but over time, youll discover sewing tricks on your own, too. As problems or issues arise youll have to come up with solutions in order to finish the sewing project.

Even someone who is no expert at sewing knows that some fabrics are easier to sew than others. Cloth thats not too heavy, not too thin, and not stretchy, can be sewn without difficulty. But material which is wispy, really thick or loosely textured can be problematic. The good news is that you dont have to figure out how to fix those problems on your own. You have help! As you sew, the needle goes into a hole in the metal plate that covers the bobbin, and when sewing certain fabrics, the cloth can get pushed or pulled into that hole as well. Thats not a good thing. You have to stop what youre doing, probably take the needle out, then work on getting the material out of the hole. You can even end up with a hole in the material. Another problem is that are textured in a certain way can get snagged or caught in the feed dog.

Theres a cheap trick you can use when youre sewing challenging fabrics. Sew with crepe paper! You know, that colorful, crinkled paper that people use for decorating at parties. It works great to help difficult fabrics glide right along and sew up perfectly. Crepe paper is cheap so its ideal for working with tricky fabrics. When youre getting ready to sew, lay the crepe paper on top of the material, and align the edges of it with the edges of the cloth. Sew as you normally would to finish the seam. Afterwards, simply rip off the crepe paper. Okay, maybe "simply" isnt the word. Sometimes, the crepe paper will tear away and leave no traces behind. Other times, youll have to take tweezers and pick out small pieces under some - but usually not all - of the stitches. This usually happens when you sew small stitches close together or when you sew stitching such as zigzag. Still, tweezing is a small price to pay for the excellent sewing you can do when you take advantage of the amazing properties of crepe paper!

Walk This Way Birthday Party Game

Dont you love making each birthday party your child has completely different than previous parties? It keeps things fresh and new for yourself as well as the invited kids. When it comes to the games you play kids can get bored if theyve played that game before - whether at your home or the home of another birthday child. This year, get the kids active - indoors or outside - with a fun game that uses things you have around your house as the set-up.

Play "Walk This Way" with many kids or a few. Start by setting up four bases. These can be rocks, folded towels, magazines or something else. Set them up in a diamond shape inside or outdoors. Split the kids into two lines, near anyone of the bases, and that base will become "home".

At the count of three, the first two children will begin walking around the bases. First, tell one line of kids to walk in a clockwise manner and the other group to walk counter-clockwise. After that assignment, the kids in that line can only walk in that direction. Count to three and two kids set off walking, heel to toe, around the bases, with one of the kids going clockwise and the other, counter-clockwise. When they come to the point where they meet each other, the kids stop and quickly play a round of "rock, paper, scissors". The winner of that game continues going around the bases, heel-to-toe, while the other child goes back to his line. While the loser of "rock, paper, scissors" goes back to the line, the next person in his line begins walking, heel-to-toe, around the bases to try to stop the person who has quite advanced by now. When this person meets with the person still walking, another quick game of "rock, paper, scissors" is played. Continue in this manner, sending the loser back to the line, while the winner continues trying to make it "home". When one player makes it to the home base the next two people in line - one from each line - begin a new round, while the team that had the person come "home" receives a point. After everyone has had a turn going around the track, the points so far accumulated then determine the winning team. Some of the great things about playing "Walk This Way" at the birthday party is that it takes no certain objects, like balls or balloons, to play. And, the game can be played inside or out. Plus, "Walk This Way" can be played by really little kids or much older ones. Its the perfect game for a day of fun at your childs birthday party!

Christmas Light Topiary

Topiaries are so beautiful and just perfect to use in many different situations. A pair of topiaries can flank your front door, a single topiary can add a little greenery to a kitchen, or a few topiaries can add a lovely element to a garden. But those topiaries are trees. For Christmas, try making a topiary of lights. When you make a ball of lights you can use it to create a substantial Christmas decoration, inside or out. And your topiary can be a centerpiece, a decoration beside your front door, a garden accent, or anything from your own imagination.Some women shy away from certain crafts, like those that require you to use power tools. They think such a craft is too hard for them. The same might be true of using certain materials. Many women, for example, think theyre not strong enough to bend wire, so they dont take on projects requiring them to work with wire. But when you make a Christmas topiary - using wire - youll find it oh, so simple to do.Purchase wire that bends easily yet holds its shape. Wire is sold on a spool, with a listed "gauge", and thats how you determine how tough it is. If you need help, just ask a clerk at a large home improvement store to assist you in finding an appropriate gauge of wire. Most wire rolls allow you to feel and even bend the end of the wire to check how pliable it is.Using heavy gloves, begin wrapping the wire into a ball shape. The wire should be really easy to bend yet sturdy. Continue wrapping, this way and that, until you create a large ball. The wire shouldnt be wrapped tightly; there should be many open spaces between the wires. Bend the end of the wire over another wire, using needle nose pliers, if needed, to end. Or, tape the end to secure.Take a long strand of Christmas lights and begin wrapping them around the ball, this way and that, in no particular order or pattern. The best lights are white lights on a white cord. As you wrap them around the ball, use bread ties, or tiny pieces of very pliable wire, to attach the lights. If you have no tiny wire pieces you can also use duct tape, available in white.After the ball of wire is surrounded by a ball of lights, you just have to decide where you want to display it. The ball will become a lighted topiary when you set it on a birdbath, or in a garden urn. Or, use it as a centerpiece when you set it on a plate in the middle of the table. The Christmas topiary is a substantial decorator piece that is also cheap and easy to create.Christmas Light Topiary

Closet Door Headboard

Have you ever lived in a place that had those sliding wooden doors over the closet? When they install those doors they smoothly roll from one side to the other, allowing you easy access to your clothes and things. After awhile, though, they can give you a lot of problems. Maybe the hardware becomes loose so the door wobbles rather than glides. Or, the tracks become dirty and the rollers no longer give the door a smooth movement. If youve had about enough of those faulty, non-sliding doors, take them down. Why not give the closet a make-over while creating a unique headboard for the room at the same time. A couple of sliding doors makes a pretty headboard thats easy to hang.After taking the doors down its necessary to remove all of the rollers and hardware. Its a simple matter of unscrewing a few screws. You wont have to worry about any nicks or marks left by the hardware; that side of the doors wont show. Wipe the backside of the doors down with a dry cloth and youll be ready to hang them.Screws or nails can be used to hang the doors but, unless you putty and paint them, youll be able to see them. If the doors are lightweight - which most sliding closet doors are - consider a different method. Using good quality, double-sided tape, or glue strips, you can hang the doors without hardware. Make strips of the tape or glue on the wall then press the doors against them.There are many different headboards you can make with closet doors. Hang just one door, horizontally, or hang two doors, vertically. Place the bottom edge of each door on the floor, or raise them up, and create a much taller headboard. The tall headboard can look regal when you surround it with molding, or even mount wooden or wrought iron embellishments on the top corners. Create a different look by mounting such an embellishment right in the center of the complete headboard.Although the wooden headboard looks lovely you can make it look extremely different by cutting pieces of fabric or wallpaper to be smaller than each door, and glue them onto the wood. Or, cut the material into shapes, like hearts, and create an arrangement on each door. You could even do a rubber stamp design to create a border around the headboard.Youll have a lot of fun making the closet door headboard; it will look lovely on the bed and will give a special element to the entire room. Since it only takes a short amount of time to make it, you wont have to give up your entire weekend for this enjoyable project.

Suitcase Scrapbook

Its crazy how, one minute, something doesnt mean anything to us at all - like Grandmas apron. Suddenly, shes gone, and that apron is a cherished reminder that you would never part with. Over the years, we lose friends, family, and even pets, and its always sad. Some of us put memorials on the graves of our lost loved ones, others collect things that used to belong to a person. If youve got an old suitcase, you can turn it into the most unique and precious scrapbook of all. Make a suitcase scrapbook to cherish the memories of a loved one, or a pet, or make a different type of scrapbook. A suitcase scrapbook can be dedicated to a fun time in life, rather than the loss of a life. No matter what type of scrapbook you want to make, a suitcase is the perfect place to make it.

Use a suitcase as you would a scrapbook. That is, fill it with pictures, awards, postcards, letters, and more. If you want, decoupage fabric or paper on the outside of the suitcase to give it a particular theme. When you cut the material into small squares its easy to glue them, this way and that, to cover the outside of the suitcase, and create an interesting look. You can even decoupage photos on the case.

Inside the case, remove the linings. You can then attach the memorabilia inside. Decide on the way you want the display to look. One display is made by opening a suitcase in the usual manner, and glimpsing the things on the inside of the lid, and of the case itself. A different display is made when you stand the case up on one side, and then open it. That way, it opens like a book. The second type is a nice display for a memorial that will be left in place. Open the suitcase in the manner you want and begin decorating the inside with photos and other things. Align pictures around the inside walls of the case and/or lid. Or, mount a single, large picture on the lid, and fill the rest of the suitcase with things that go along with the particular theme. Use peel-n-stick hangers to hang certain things, like medals or jewelry. Glue on large pockets to hold notes and letters. You can even make shelves, or section dividers, using thin wood or cardboard. The memorial suitcase can be made to remember a lost love but doesnt necessarily have to be for a sad occasion. Make one to celebrate school, the birth of your child, years of vacations, or your life with the person you love. Or, make one to show off your collectibles, like action figures or dolls.

Easy Gingerbread House that Doesnt Get Eaten

Lots of people make gingerbread houses for Christmas. They use the house as a decoration, a table centerpiece and as a treat for kids and adults. If you love making gingerbread houses, but hate it that all the hard work just gets eaten, you can make a gingerbread house that will last for many years! And, its much easier to make than an edible cottage! Instead of making cake to begin your gingerbread house just use cork! Youll find slabs of cork at most any craft store and its perfect for creating a beautiful cottage without the hassle and the mess! There are no foods to clean up after, no dishes and pans to wash, and the cottage can be displayed for many years! Download a gingerbread house template and draw those shapes onto the cork. Decide on a base for the house. It can be a piece of painted cardboard or even a block of wood. The base can be decorated or not. To create the house of your dreams simply glue the house pieces together and glue the cork cottage to the base.

There are so many things you can use to decorate the cork house. First, use white dimensional paint - or another color - to conceal the seams on the cork and to add a decorative touch. If you want, sprinkle glitter onto the wet paint. Use the paint yet again to draw lines across the cork so you create the appearance of wooden planks or logs.

Decorate the roof with things like flat marbles, fake jewels, sequin, pom-poms or other supplies. Create a door by simply cutting three sides of a square. Bend the door on the uncut side and leave it slightly ajar or close it all the way. Make windows by cutting out circles, squares or other shapes around the house. Use the dimensional paint and glitter to create a snowy look around windows and doors. A short list of things you can use to further embellish the gingerbread house includes buttons, ribbon, roping, cord, craft pebbles, craft foam and sand. Simply apply hot glue and attach the objects you want. Cork can even be used to make walkways, a patio or other features for the cottage. Add fake trees or bushes from a craft store, tiny rocks which line the walkways, and similar embellishments to create the finished gingerbread house you want. A cork cottage is perfect because its inexpensive, easy to make, and it wont get eaten! You can set it out, year after year, and enjoy it just as much as you did the first time you saw it! Its a nice way to add a Christmas touch to the dining table or other area of your home.

How to Have a Baby Shower by Mail

One of the saddest things is to watch a beloved family member or dear friend move far, far away. Everything changes. You cant just zip over to the persons house anymore, its not as convenient and cheap to call her, and you rarely - if ever - see each other anymore. With the invention of email and the web cam people who have to relocate can still keep in touch with family and friends. That helps a little but the missing person still doesnt get to be present for birthdays, weddings, anniversaries and holidays. If you know a person who has moved away, and shes expecting a baby soon, you can thrill her with a nice baby shower. How? Do it by mail! One way to have the shower is to actually throw a party as if the mom-to-be were local. Have a baby-theme cake, decorations and games. Take pictures during the shower or even record it on a digital camera. This can be burned to a DVD so the new mom can see the festivities from afar. Each person can bring a gift for the baby and all the gifts can be placed in a single box. Address the box, send it out, and surprise the woman; she wont be expecting the generous box of baby gifts.

If the real baby shower is out of the question, the new moms friends and family can still drop gifts off to ship. Send out an invitation-type card that explains the unusual baby shower. Select a person who will gather the gifts and ask all the women to contribute to the cost of the shipping.

You can have a theme for the baby shower, and announce that in the invitations, or there can be no theme at all. Some possible theme ideas include a bath time shower, a toy shower, a clothing shower or even a gift card shower. With gift cards you save a huge amount on the shipping of the present. Consider placing some additional things in the box so that the woman will get the best experience out of her lonely baby shower. Without her friends and family nearby she could be sad right now. Send some comfort foods, like chocolates, and she can enjoy them as she views the baby shower photos or Dvd. Other things you might include with the babys gifts are pampering things for the mom, like bath salts, a candle, some body wash and similar items. The mom-to-be is already away from her friends and family and she might be thinking theyve forgotten her. When she sees the large box coming - or a bunch of small boxes - shell be shocked and thrilled at the same time. She might be far away but shell know shes still in their hearts.

Assorted Desks Anyone Could Build

So, youve finally gotten that house youve always wanted. Maybe you dont have all the things youll need to fill it right at the moment, but, its coming, its coming. Some people have to sacrifice in order to buy their first home but its well worth it. For now, you might have to keep your clothes stacked in baskets until you can get a new dresser. Or, maybe youll have to turn a cardboard box upside-down and cover it to make a bathroom table. Youll get by. In the meanwhile, where are you going to set up your desk? No desk? Thats okay. You might not know this but you can easily build a desk that will work for now, and, in fact, you might love the desk so much youll just keep it! Chances are that you dont have every single thing you need to build an easy desk, but it sure is a simple process to get everything. If you have an end table, coffee table or similar object - one that has ordinary legs - youre nearly all the way there! But, theres just a 50-50 chance that you have the last part of the puzzle: bed risers. If you have bed risers - and that table - youve got a nice laptop desk.

Bed risers are sold at discount department stores and at some home improvement retailers. Theyre made to lift your bed a little higher than it is. We wont get in to geometry, but theyre somewhat cube-shaped, the bottom as well as the top are square, but the top is a smaller square than the bottom. So, they taper towards the top. The top is recessed so that, when used in the normal manner, a bed leg is placed into the recessed area and, therefore, the legs wont slide. These risers are not expensive and are perfect for building your homemade desk. They come in a pack of four for under ten bucks.

It doesnt take a genius to figure out the rest. Simply set four risers on the floor and stand the coffee table or other legged object on them. The great thing about the risers is that, if your coffee table desk isnt high enough, you can just stack another riser onto each of the existing ones. Do this until the stacks are tall enough to accommodate you. The risers are also helpful in other ways. Keep from having to bend so much by placing things on the risers, like footlockers, cedar chests and bookcases. Make sure you support these things in the middle as well as at the corners. With the risers so inexpensive, and the desk so easy to build, youll have your desk within minutes of coming back from the store - if you even have to go to the store!

Cheap Animated Character Clothing

Do you look at the Disney character and other designer clothing, wishing you could purchase it for your child - or yourself - but move on to the less expensive clothing aisle? Many people do the same thing. When budgets get tight, clothing is one of the first things we cut from the list of things we need. No matter what type of Disney or other characters you or your child love youll find that the clothing and gear is always much higher than something similar without the logo or image. Theres a way you can appear to have designer clothing unlike any that friends or family have; theyll all wonder where in the world you got it - and on your budget! A fabric store is just one place where you can purchase cloth with copyrighted images and logos. You can easily find Disney characters, princesses, animals and other images on inexpensive cloth. One or more images appear over and over on the fabric, and when you use those to update your clothing, youll seemingly have all the latest designs without spending any money! Cut images from the fabric and sew them onto everything from shirts to jeans to jackets. Its easy. Just position the fabric where you want it, and sew around it, staying as close to the edge as possible. When youre finished, simply trim away any excess, if necessary. Sew a puppy on the ankle of a pair of jeans, a large Mickey Mouse on the back of a sweatshirt, or even a Daisy Duck on a jean purse.

Hand stitch small images onto pockets or even use fabric glue to attach them. The glue is sold alongside cloth and works well to hold lightweight materials to each other. Most brands of the glue withstand the washer and dryer but check the label before purchasing. Also, test a small piece of the fabric to see if the glue seeps through and darkens the particular fabric youve chosen.

With fabric glue you can also attach Disney or other cartoon images onto belts, vinyl purses, book bags and totes, shoes, and even things around the house, like a lampshade. Besides cloth from a fabric store you can also use bandanas to create cheap outfits with animated characters. Cut small images from it and attach them to clothing and more. Or, position the entire bandana on the back of a jacket, tuck the edges under to fit the shape of the jacket, and sew around it. Disney and other animated character clothing is awfully expensive but that doesnt mean you cant have them. Yours will just look like the latest fashions that no one yet has!

The Easiest Strudel Ever

Making strudel can be an all day affair when you start from scratch. Peeling and coring apples, boiling them until soft, mixing up the dough - its quite a process. But you cant beat a lovely strudel for dessert or even for breakfast. If youre like me, and you just dont spend that much time in the kitchen anymore, youll appreciate a strudel you can make in a short time. In about a half-hour or so you can have a scrumptious strudel that no one will know was cheap and easy. A crescent roll strudel takes just a few minutes longer than it would take you to just bake the rolls.Crescent rolls bake in a few minutes and that makes them perfect for creating a quick and easy strudel your family will love. Unroll the crescents but dont pull them apart. Lay them out flat on a baking sheet. Open another roll, lay them beside the first set, and barely overlap the two. Add another can of crescents, if you want, until the dough is as long as you want the strudel to be.When you purchase canned pie filling you can quickly turn ordinary crescent rolls into fabulous strudel. If youre making apple strudel, spread the fruit filling across half of the crescent roll arrangement, but stay at least a half-inch away from the very edge. You have options for how you want the strudel to be. For example, you can sprinkle raisins over the apple pie filling, or you can just sprinkle cinnamon and sugar over it. Or, if you prefer, stir raisins into the apple pie filling before putting it on the crescents. Other strudel pie filling you could use include blueberry or cherry.After all the strudel stuffing is on the crescents, fold the other half of the dough over the fruit, and pinch the edges around the three sides. Set the strudel in front of you so that the fold faces you. Using a paring knife, cut vertical slits in the strudel, from one end to the other, leaving large spaces between the slits. Cut only the top and not the bottom of the rolls. The slits will keep the strudel from exploding while baking.Separate an egg, brush the egg white on the top of the strudel, then sprinkle the whole top with sugar. Bake it according to the directions for baking the crescent rolls. Remove and allow to cool partially before serving. Or, place in the fridge for awhile and serve cold.When a person normally decides to have strudel, its an hours-long process, but with crescent rolls, youll have that delicious strudel in a matter of minutes. I made these often and my family and friends love them.

Floor Doodle Duvet

Sometimes, parents today dont know just how great they have it. When my kids were young, and got their hands on a magic marker, the day was going to end badly. If one of them scribbled on the wall, it was possible that I could scrub it off, but if the drawing was done on the bedspread, it was trash; most marker scribblings were permanent. Nowadays, there are washable markers, and kids can scribble on all sorts of things. Still, you try to contain their enthusiasm by giving them a certain place where they can scribble. And, that place can be a duvet, which can be the childs bed cover, or a doodle mat for the floor.

You dont have to make a complex creation to give your child a doodle duvet. Just throw together a simple blanket-type of floor mat, and your child has a unique place to draw, color, and scribble. Start with white fabric and you can make the duvet look like a piece of notebook paper - perfect! The perfect fabric is cotton, linen, or another lightweight, non-stretchy type.

Cut two pieces of white fabric to be the size that you want for the duvet. Also cut a thin piece of flannel, cotton batting, or another thin but filling material. Decide if you want notebook paper lines on both sides of the duvet, or just on one side. Make them before sewing the duvet. Use a blue paint marker to make the horizontal lines down the duvet. Remember to leave a large, white space, across the top of the "paper". Use a yardstick to draw the horizontal lines, and space them evenly apart. Although you can space them as you want, a good size is 6" to 10", between each line. When the blue paint has dried, draw a red line - with a paint marker - down one or each side of the blanket, to make a margin line. When all the paint has dried you can sew the duvet. Stack the two white pieces of material so that their right sides are facing each other. Lay the filling material on top, and pin it all together. Sew almost all the way around, but leave an opening for turning. After turning the duvet right-side-out, sew the opening shut. Its optional but, if you really want a convincing piece of notebook paper, make three holes down the left side, and sew around them. You have various choices when making the duvet. For example, you can sew the lines onto the blanket, rather than drawing them. But no matter how you make it, give it to your child with some washable markers, and your child can create the design on the duvet, over and over again.

Flowerpot Candy Gift

Anytime you need a last-minute gift for someone, be it a child, a man or a woman, you can quickly make one thats appropriate and inexpensive. Use a clay pot to make an unusual gift that offers flowers and candy for any occasion. Make the bouquet large or small, with regular or sugarless candies, and with an assortment of choices along the way.

Choose the size of pot you want to give then paint or otherwise decorate it in the manner you wish. Stencils make it easy to create a quick design but you can also use paint markers, colored tape, adhesive jewels, stickers or other craft materials. In addition to the pot youll also need a popsicle stick - or craft stick - for each flower you want to make. Paint the sticks green and allow to dry.

Cut a block of Styrofoam to put in the bottom of the pot. Before placing it, wrap it with a piece of colored cellophane, gluing the Styrofoam to the cellophane. Now add some glue to the cellophane so you can affix it to the bottom of the clay pot. Pull the cellophane up so that it sticks out above the pot. Craft foam is really inexpensive and comes in a variety of colors. The foam is found at any craft store and is perfect for making flower petals and leaves. Cut flower shapes with pointed petals, ones with round petals - any number of different flowers. If you want, make large flower shapes, then smaller ones from different colors, and glue them in a stack. This will give the finished flowers more of a 3-d look. Glue a flower design to the end of each stick then use double-sided tape to secure a candy to each one. Use miniature candy bars, individual gumballs or jawbreakers, or even peppermint patties to make the center of each flower. Mix different candies in the bouquet or use all the same candies. Cut leaf shapes from green foam and glue one or two to each popsicle stick. Or, use plastic or silk leaves to create the greenery. In fact, if you want, you can mix some plastic or silk flowers amongst the foam creations for variety. After all the flowers and leaves are in place the candy bouquet is complete. However, you can give it a glitzier look by curling ribbon, taping it to skewers, then positioning the ribbons, here and there, amongst the flowers. Use holiday-theme cellophane, foam colors and candies to make potted flower pots for Christmas, Halloween or Easter. Or, use regular candies and gift the flowers for graduation, a birthday or other occasion. It makes the perfect gift every time!

Unusual Uses for Nail Polish

After you finish painting your nails use some of that polish to help you fix things around the house. Nail polish offers you many ways to repair, improve, and organize things in your home. For example, if you have a loose screw on a toy or other item, you can apply a coat of clear nail polish to it. Tighten the screw, apply the polish, and when its dry, the screw will stay tight.The writing on certain labels, like those used in gardening, can smudge and smear since theyre generally written in marker. But if you coat the labels with clear nail polish you prevent that from happening.If you rarest use envelopes youll often find that, when you do, either the flaps are stuck and you have to tear them apart, or the adhesive is no longer good enough to hold the envelope shut. Yeah, you could run for a sponge, and a dish of water, but by the time you do that, you could just swipe clear nail polish across the adhesive to seal it.Who hasnt struggled when trying to thread a needle? The solution? Just apply a bit of nail polish to the end of the thread. Allow it to dry totally and it will glide right through the eye of the needle. Just cut the nail polish end off after the needle has been threaded. The same basic technique works for shoe laces. Apply the polish to the end of a shoelace, which has lost its aglet, to keep it from fraying at the end.A green ring around your finger or neck tells everyone youre wearing cheap, costume jewelry. Theyll never know, though, if you paint the inside of the particular jewelry piece with clear nail polish. The polish can wear off after you wear the item many times, so reapply when necessary.When you store things in colored bins you can easily tell which one contains what when you apply a stripe from a color of nail polish. Just make a nail polish stripe on each bin - a different color for each one - and you can easily distinguish them. Or, write on the bin with the nail polish, to spell out "Christmas ornaments", "art supplies", or other things.Dont you hate it when things like shaving cream leave rusty rings on your sink or tub? When you paint the ring on the bottom of the can with nail polish - clear or colored - youll do away with those rings for good.Now that youve discovered the many ways you can use nail polish, youll want to keep a nice supply on hand. You dont have to use your quality nail polishes around the house; just visit your local dollar-theme store to purchase cheap versions, which work just as well.

Camping Chess or Checkers Game

The next time youre at the store getting things for your next camping trip, run over to your nearby craft store and pick up a couple of pieces of felt. That way, when you get home, you can throw together a cool chess or checkers game, which is great for taking camping. Dont worry that the game will get dirty or ruined; its washable!Buy or cut a 12"x12" piece of white felt. Use a ruler to draw rows that are 1-1/2"x12". You will create 8 rows of 8 squares. Mark off the individual boxes - each square is 1-1/2". Leave the white squares as they are, and color in the black squares with a permanent marker. You dont necessarily have to color each square so that its solid black. It could be black and white striped, or even polka-dotted, as long as the black squares are easily distinguishable from the white ones. You could even substitute black for green, red, or another color.Take another piece of white felt, draw 4 rows of 8 squares, and cut them out. The white felt squares will be changed so that they become the chess or checker pieces. Cut pieces of peel-n-stick Velcro - or Velcro dots - and stick one to the backside of each of the white felt squares. Youll use only the scratchy side of the Velcro and not the soft side. Youll need just a small piece for each felt square.You can do any number of things to make the game pieces. You can just write "king", "queen", or other names, on the felt squares with a marker. Or, you can use rubber stamps to put an image on each piece. Since rubber stamps can be a little costly you can also use a chess-theme stencil to create commonly-recognized chess piece images. Just draw them onto the white felt, or cut out the shapes to be smaller than the white felt pieces, and glue them onto the squares.Make the images for each players pieces be similar but not exactly the same. For instance, the images can look exactly alike but you could make them one color for one player, and a different color for the other player. Or, put a marker dot on each corner of each players pieces so that the color of the dots reflect which player they represent.Play chess or checkers as you normally would and, when youre finished, you can even roll it up, tie it up, and toss it in your backpack. Just roll the felt - with all the pieces in place, and tie a ribbon around it. Glue or sew one area of the ribbon to an area on the felt to keep the ribbon in place. Take the game to the beach, on a camping trip, or anywhere you want to have some fun.

Figure 8 Leather Scrap Necklace and Bracelet

So, you dont make jewelry because its too tedious and eye-straining? Plus, you have to use all those tools, pick up tiny, metal links, open them, shut them, thread wire through this and out that - no wonder you dont bother making jewelry very often! Hey, throw all of those beads, wire, clasps, and implements, in a bin for now. You can make a beautiful necklace or bracelet using no metal, no beads or expensive implements - its so exciting. If you can draw a figure 8 on a piece of leather - or another material - you can make gorgeous jewelry with no hassle.If cutting small things doesnt bother you at all youll love the figure 8 chain jewelry. Of course, a punch or die cut will make it much easier but, even if you dont have such a thing, you can still cut the designs yourself. Its a little time-consuming but not at all difficult.The size of the figure 8 you draw will determine how large the necklace or bracelet will be, in width. So, if you make a figure 8 with wide circles on the top and bottom, youll end up with a wide-link design. To determine the size each link will be, cut one figure 8 from paper, fold it in half so that the holes of the 8 are stacked, and that shows you how large each "chain link" will be.Its very important that each figure 8 you cut is the same size. Use a stencil, if youre cutting with scissors, and youll create the perfect figure 8 each time. To decide how many youll need, measure around your wrist or neck, decide how tall one figure 8 is, and cut that figure in half. No matter how youre cutting the figure 8, cut out the number itself, then cut out the area where the hole is, on the top as well as the bottom.To assemble the necklace or bracelet, fold one figure 8 in half so that the holes are stacked. Put half of the next figure 8 through the hole - through the bottom and out the top - then fold it in half. Continue sliding in the next figure 8, and the next one, as the chain grows. When you get to the last one, glue or sew it shut, after folding it in half like the others. Stack the holes on the ending chain link on the holes of the first link, and sew or glue them in place, to finish.The figure 8 necklace or bracelet is a fashion statement that doesnt require you to spend a bunch of money, or put in hours and hours to make it. Create one with all the same colors, or a jewelry piece featuring various colors of links. The necklace and bracelet looks as fabulous with jeans and a tee as it does with an evening gown.

Ramen Noodles Wallet

One of the most fun things about being a crafting person is figuring out how to use ordinary things in unusual ways. Thats especially exciting if you were going to throw the object away, and now youve thought of a new use for it. Imagine how many boxes, cans, wrappers, and other things, would have been thrown away by now, if it hadnt been for unusual crafts? Now you have all sorts of new things and youve your part to save the planet. You can save even more trash from the landfill when you save wrappers from things youve eaten. One such wrapper is a Ramen Noodles wrapper. It makes the cutest little change purse and, when it gets dirty or worn out, its disposable! A Ramen Noodles or other envelope-type product, makes a great wallet or coin purse. For a Ramen Noodles creation, carefully slice along the top of the bag and dump out the contents. Use a damp cloth to wipe out the inside of the bag. If you want to strengthen the bag, cut a piece of cardboard for the front and back, and tape or glue them inside. Instead of cardboard you can use Fun Foam, or stiff plastic.

There are tutorials online that show you how to install a zipper in a pouch or envelope like Ramen Noodles but why go through all of that trouble? And, if you dont sew, youre out of luck on this project. But theres a way that anyone can turn a Ramen Noodles or other pouch into a coin purse or wallet. Just use Velcro. Cut a strip to be as long as one cut edge of the bag, then cut it into a much thinner strip. Peel-n-stick Velcro might not hold well for some craft projects, but it sticks exceptionally well on a Ramen Noodles or similar wrapper.

To attach the Velcro, barely fold the cut edge of the wrapper under, and then stick the Velcro over it. Do the same to the opposite side, with the opposing piece of Velcro, and the change purse is already finished. The extra-large change purse can also hold bills, photos, credit cards, and many other things. If it starts to show too much wear and tear, simply throw it away, and make another one in minutes. Besides a Ramen Noodle package you can use a powdered cheese packet from a box of macaroni and cheese, a Kool-Aid envelope, a toll house morsel bag, a small potato chip bag, a pack from a sample size of dog or cat food, or even a single-size envelope of coffee, made for a coffee maker. The cute change purse - no matter which one you make - is so cheap that its easily disposable when it starts to get worn out.

Unusual Wall Sticker Designs

If you think that a pack of stickers is a childish thing you havent seen todays stickers. Large, bold, clear-back stickers instantly add character to any setting in the home. Stickers are no longer childish by design; you can find stickers of trees, flowers, wild animals, vehicles, and more. With these stickers you can make extremely cool settings and scenes for your home. March a parade of elephants across the fireplace mantle or fly birds over an indoor ficus tree. There are no limits to the unusual accents that you can make.

One fun decal project for your house is done over the peephole in the door. A great sticker could be an owl, an eagle, a teddy bear, a peacock, or another animal. Cut a hole out in one eye of the animal and center the peephole in the eye hole. The adorable arrangement makes the front door look awesome.

If you have plants, flowers, or indoor trees, use stickers on the wall next to them. Fabulous sticker choices include butterflies, ladybugs, raindrops, or rainbows. Extend the indoor garden by adding stickers of tree branches, pussy willows, or vines. In the kitchen, you might enjoy setting up a China cabinet that includes decals. You can now find stickers of dishes, teapots, toasters, blenders, and other kitchen-theme items. When you mount stickers to the back, and set dishes and stuff in front of them, you create dimension and interest. A mantle offers up a bunch of ways to decorate with stickers. Align vehicles that are driving or mount a row of hot air balloons. Create a parade of vehicles, people, and balloons, or make a subtle line of wild animals, marching across the back wall of the mantle. Face stickers can make all sorts of home accents look whimsical. Put a face on a mirror, a lampshade, a cabinet door, or even a bed foot board. Choose from complete-face stickers or select the features that you want. Stick on a pair of eyes or a pair of sunglasses instead. Add a beard and mustache or choose a nose and mouth. The face stickers are definite eye-catchers when visitors drop by. Stickers look great when you first put them on, but later, the edges can start to curl. To prevent that, you can apply clear fingernail polish to some decals (depending on what theyre mounted to), or you can just re-glue the edges. There will probably come a time, though, when youll have to remove the sticker altogether. Thats okay; that gives you an opportunity to create yet another design.

Wedding Favor Candy Boxes

Whether youre giving out cookies, candy, candles, bath fizzies or other choices for party favors at your wedding youll need a container for them. There are lots of different ways to package the party favors but none so pretty - and easy - as a homemade candy box. Since the boxes can be made as long or short, deep or shallow as you want, theyre perfect for most any type of party favor.

When you use a simple technique to make the boxes youll see that you can, over the years, make many different kinds, for many different occasions. Start by drawing a square or rectangle on a piece of cardstock. Its easy to find cardstock to match or coordinate with your wedding colors. To make a perfect square or rectangle on the cardstock use something you have at home, like a box, can, basket or other object. Draw around it but dont cut out the shape.

Cut a paper or thin cardboard pattern to make the sides of the box. To do this, draw a triangle and cut it out. The bottom of the triangle should be the same size as one of the short sides of the rectangle or one side of the square. If youre making a square-bottom box, just cut one triangle, but if youre making a rectangle design, cut a triangle to fit the short sides as well as another to fit the long sides of the rectangle. Youll decide how tall the triangle will be according to what youre packaging. For a square-bottom box, lay the triangle bottom against one side of the box, then draw around it. Do this to all four sides. For the rectangle-bottom box, draw a short triangle on each short side and a long triangle on each long side. Cut out the finished drawing. Poke a hole at each tip of each triangle. Fold one of the triangles over and crease the line where it meets the square or rectangle shape of the cardstock. Do this to all four sides. Set the party favor on the box bottom and pull two opposite sides up and together. Thread a ribbon through the two holes and tie it once. Bring the other two sides up and together, thread the ribbon through, and tie this ribbon in a bow. Arrange it so that all four ribbon ends come together under the bow. The miniature candy boxes work great to hold any number of party favors and theyre not difficult to make. Plus, cardstock is very inexpensive so the wedding favors wont be costly. When theyre all aligned on a table for the guests to take they make a lovely arrangement of colorful boxes and bows - and they conceal a special gift inside each one!

Giant Mouth Pumpkin Candy Dish

Every year, its fun and exciting to put together a Halloween party for friends and family. Of course, you simply cant decorate the party room exactly as you did last year, and serve the same, identical foods again. No, each year you have to do something a little different; add a few new decorations to mix with the old ones, or come up with new treats for everyone. This year, youll grab attention with a handmade candy dish that can be a centerpiece or can just sit on the porch for trick-or-treaters as they drop by your house. All you need to make the candy dish is a pumpkin - and some candy.

There are different pumpkins you can use to make the candy dish but some are better than others. A pumpkin that is really round is ideal and that pumpkin can be large or small, depending upon how large you want the candy dish to be. For your own family a small pumpkin might be fine, but for a larger crowd, youll need a large, round pumpkin. Clean and dry it before making the candy dish.

You dont have to be an expert at carving pumpkins to make a giant mouth jack-o-lantern that will serve as the party candy dish. Just draw and cut any two eyes and, if you want, a nose. Then, draw and cut a huge mouth. The mouth should be large enough for a persons hand to easily reach inside. Make sure that, when you position the eyes and nose, you leave plenty of room to cut the huge mouth. Go about carving the pumpkin as you normally would but theres no need to cut off the bottom or the top. You can easily scrape out the meat and seeds through the giant mouth. After the face is in place, and the inside of the pumpkin is clean, you can set a bowl inside to hold candy or just place a pile of wrapped candies in the mouth. If you want to illuminate the mouth, use miniature flashlights, and secure them inside. Position the flashlights to the inside, sides of the pumpkin, so that they cant be seen in the mouth. Hold the flashlight against the inside of the pumpkin, go across each flashlight with a thin strip of fabric, ribbon, or even roping, and secure the ends of it to the inside of the pumpkin by using push-pins. The glowing, giant mouth of the candy dish is an inviting image for kids or adults. Set the jack-o-lantern on a food table or outdoors for trick-or-treaters. Sadly, the pumpkin candy dish wont still be around next year but, thank goodness, you can always make another one when Halloween rolls around again. Giant Mouth Pumpkin Candy Dish

Playing Card Headboard

Need a headboard? Been looking around and youre still in shock from the prices? Maybe you havent even located just a headboard - every one you find comes with the rest of the bed, which you dont need. Its easy to create a headboard, especially if you love playing cards. When you use ordinary playing cards you can easily make a unique headboard using cards as the theme.A playing card headboard is perfect for many types of people. Maybe you have other game-theme items in the room. Or, youre just hoping for a really cheap headboard that looks fabulous. It literally takes very little time, money, or effort, to make a fun and unique playing card headboard.Poster board, or even Styrofoam, make a lightweight and inexpensive choice for the headboard itself. Later, you can add the cards to give it the look you want. Buy a single piece - or more than one piece - to make the headboard size you need. Its easy to cut poster board or Styrofoam with a sharp knife.After you have the piece(s) you want, they can easily be stuck to the wall using double-sided tape, or even glue strips. You might want to paint around the outside edges in a color that matches a color on the cards, or another choice.Its up to you if you use miniature cards, or jumbo ones. Just measure one card to get the width and length. Draw a grid onto the poster board or Styrofoam so youll end up with perfectly even rows. It can be helpful if you draw the same grid on a piece of paper, then write what card you want to put in which square.Use spray adhesive to attach the cards to the headboard. That way, the glue grabs quickly, and you wont have to worry about cards sliding down as the adhesive dries. There are any number of arrangements you can do with the cards. You can align them, from smallest to largest, you could put kings or queens on the corners, or even alternate red and black cards. You could paint the poster board or Styrofoam, then make a border of cards. Its also easy to make a monogram by using all black cards as the background, and red cards to spell out the letter(s). Or, make other designs by the way you combine different colors.You dont absolutely have to use regular playing cards to make the headboard. Use cards from other board games, like Monopoly, Sorry, Phase 10, or others. The unusual card headboard is fun to see and exciting to make. With a quick trip to a home improvement store, you can purchase the needed material, and have your headboard before the end of the day.

Old Album Cover Scrapbook

Certain record albums from long ago can be worth a lot of money but others have little value at all. If youre an album collector, or you just have an empty album cover lying around in the basement, it can have a new life. Old album covers make unique, retro-style scrapbooks that are different than anyone elses! The type of album jacket you need is one that has only two sides and the album slides between them. Album covers with that open up are not suitable. With a sharp knife slit the three closed sides of the album cover to separate it into two pieces, the front and the back.

Make one type of scrapbook by taking a stack of paper and placing it between the two album panels. The papers should be a tad smaller in width and length than the jacket. Poke two holes down the side of the stack of paper and two more on the sides of the album jacket panels. An ice pick or a nail works great to puncture the album cover.

Align the paper on the back jacket piece then position the front jacket piece on top of the paper. With all holes aligned thread a length of ribbon through them. To do this, bring one end of the ribbon up through the bottom jacket, through the paper, and through the top jacket. Take the opposite end of the ribbon and do the same through the holes on the opposite side. Tie the ribbon together on top of the jacket, at the side where the holes are. Make a different scrapbook by using plastic homework covers. These are large, paper-size pockets made of see-through plastic. They have holes already on the sides making it easy to thread the ribbon through. With this type of scrapbook you simply slide your photos and embellishments into the pockets. There are other things you can make when you start with an old album cover. Instead of adding paper or pockets with holes do something a little different to create a unique note pad or journal. Attach a band of plastic or vinyl across the back jacket, on the inside. Run it from one edge to the other, about a fourth of the way down from the top. Now you can purchase paper that features a cardboard cover and slide the cardboard piece into the band. The cardboard piece can be removed and thrown away when the pad is empty. Recycling old album covers is a fun way to use those retro jackets to make something new and exciting. Start looking for some at yard sales, flea markets and thrift stores if you dont already have any. Youll enjoy the project so much youll end up making several!

Wedding Reception Yard Sign Display

Its often the case that the reception is at a completely different location than the wedding itself. With that being the case you can guide your guests to the reception by placing some signs out in front of the building. Make a collection of signs, which can also hold a group of balloons, and every guest will find the way without a problem.

Foam board makes it quick and easy to create the reception signs for the yard. Purchase a large slab and cut the pieces yourself. Or, purchase several individual pieces which are all the same size. Youll find foam board in various sizes at a craft supply store and its not expensive. The foam board is very easy to cut making the reception yard signs a breeze to create.

If youve chosen foam board which has to be cut, draw lines to create as many signs as you want, then cut the separate pieces with a sharp knife. A good size for each sign is 10"x14", but they can be a different size, if you prefer. Foam board is just foam with a paper cover on each side. The yellow foam will show on the sides of each piece so paint these white to begin making the signs. A permanent black marker works well, against the white foam board, for creating an elegant look for the signs. But, you can also use gold, silver or another color of marker to create the signs. Use stencils to create a border around each sign then write assorted things on the signs. Under the wording, draw a long arrow that points the way, and do this to each sign. Make one sign which says "Mr. & Mrs.", another that says "Cake This Way" and another that says "Reception". Other choices for some of the signs include one that says "Flying Bouquet", "Join Us" and "Dancing". Make all six signs or create your own wording. At the top of a couple of the signs - or each sign - poke a hole through the foam board with a nail and use this hole to tie on balloons which are attached to satin ribbons. To stand the signs in the yard simply push two stiff wires into the bottom side of each sign. Push the other ends into the ground. Gather the collection of signs so that some in the back stand a bit taller than the others. This will ensure that arriving guests can read all the signs. The collection of wedding reception signs is one you can have fun with while guiding your guests to the right place for the party. Youll definitely get their attention with the balloons blowing in the wind above the humorous or facts-only signs you accumulate on the lawn.

Thumbtack Decorator Balls

When you need a couple of thumbtacks to hang a poster, or for another reason, its crazy how many you actually have to buy. You cant just buy a tack or two; you have to purchase the whole pack. Its enough thumbtacks to last the average person for a lifetime. So, instead of letting those tacks just sit in the junk drawer why not give them a purpose? Tacks can be used to make all sorts of decorations, and accents on existing decorations. Youll enjoy a project to create beautiful decorator balls to fill vases, baskets, or plates.

Decorator balls are all the rage and have been for many years. They are available in so many different types that it can be challenging just to choose a single type. Wooden balls, glitter balls, map balls, photo collage balls - theyre all beautiful and worthy of displaying in your home. One person might set a single ball on a pedestal whereas another person might display a collection of the balls in a container. But instead of choosing decorator balls from a catalog or website, and paying ten bucks for one ball, make your own with thumbtacks. Since the tacks come in many different colors you can easily create ones that go along with the color scheme of any room in your home.

Purchase one or more Styrofoam balls to create the arrangement that you desire. You can mix various sizes of balls or make ones that are all alike. It can be helpful to paint each ball to be close in color to the shade of thumbtacks youll be using. That way, when youre finished attaching the tacks, the white ball wont be seen between the tacks. Ordinary thumbtacks - the metal type with the flat heads - look gorgeous when you attach them to the Styrofoam balls. When you shop online - or locally - you can find tacks in colors of gold, silver, blue, green, orange, purple, and more. Start by wrapping a tape measure, string, or similar piece, around the center of the ball. Use it as a straight edge to draw a line around the middle of the Styrofoam. Push a tack into the line, put another beside it, and continue until you cover the whole line. The tacks should be side-by-side and as straight as possible. Continue making another row around the ball, and another, until you cover half of the ball. Turn the ball around and do the same to the other half. Pile the finished balls in baskets or vases to display them in the living room, kitchen, bedroom, or elsewhere. Theyre eye-catching, cheap, and add a pop of color to any room.

Balloon Lights

Materials:Round balloonsString, yarn, tissue paper or other materialWhite glueWaterMiniature Christmas lights Ive said it many times: just because something is cheap doesnt mean it isnt fabulous. Thats one of the best things about being a crafter. You can take ordinary, inexpensive craft supplies and turn them into something useful, beautiful or both. If youre having a party, getting married or have another special event approaching there are some fabulous lights you can put together that will really help you create the look you want. The lights wont cost a lot of money and they look great outside or indoors.

Purchase balloons and use them to make hanging lights over a food table, around a deck or elsewhere. The color of the balloons doesnt matter at all. You will, however, need balloons which, when blown up, are round. Purchase large ones to make big lights for the event or small balloons for smaller lights. Youll need one balloon for each light.

There are various ways to make the lights. You can use lightweight string, yarn or even strips of tissue paper. You can use streamers - no plastic ones - and cut them into strips to use for the lights. Remember that the color of the material you use will be the color of the finished light. No matter what material you use youll need watered-down white glue to apply it to the balloons. Stir together one part water with two parts white glue to make the paste. Blow up a balloon and tie it in a knot. Set it on a glass or other implement to keep it from rolling. Set it so that the knot is facing the inside of the glass. Dip the chosen material in the glue and get it sopping wet. Run the material between your finger and thumb to remove the excess then lay the material on the balloon. Continue dipping another and another piece of the material into the glue and positioning it on the balloon. Do this until the entire balloon is covered but do not cover the knot. Allow the glue to dry overnight. When its completely dry, use a pin, and insert it by the knot to pop the balloon. Remove the balloon by pulling it out of the small hole where the knot was. Insert Christmas lights which have miniature bulbs into the holes of the balloons. If needed, wrap a piece of tape around each hole of the balloon to secure the light strand to it. Hang the lights wherever you want, and when the party is over, pack the lights and put them away until the next special event. Theyre useful and gorgeous!

T-shirt Halter Top

Do you own way more t-shirts than you really need? Dont we all? Some of them might have been purchased a long time ago even though they still look new. Many of us own so many t-shirts that some of them just dont take on too much wear and tear. These t-shirts which were never your favorites might well be after you turn them into stylish halter tops. If you can sew even a little youve got all the talent you need to turn a t-shirt into a halter! Lay the shirt out flat on a table. Start cutting a few inches down from the underarm area. Cut straight across to the opposite side. Use a tape measure or yardstick to make sure you make an accurate cut.

Now decide on how wide you want the halter to be. Women who wear "A" or "B" cups do not need to cut the fabric wide; women who wear larger cup sizes will need to cut a wider strip of the t-shirt material. When youre finished cutting youll have a wide or a narrow band of continuous material.

Along the top edge of the cloth, fold under a half-inch, then once again. Pin all the way around then use a straight stitch to hem. Do the same to the opposite side of the fabric. Now you have a wide - or narrow - band of continuous material which has been hemmed along both edges. Youre basically finished! Cut a long piece of ribbon or cloth cord to make a tie for the halter. Find the front center of the top and tie the middle of the cord around it. Tie it only once. You can also cut a slender piece of t-shirt material, sew it like a spaghetti strap, and use it to tie the halter. To wear the halter you simply tie the string or ribbon around the back of your neck. Make a slightly different halter from a t-shirt by starting with the initial band of cloth. The t-shirt must be the type which has no visible side seams. Cut down one side of the fabric so that it becomes one long piece. Open the fabric up and twist it once, in the middle. Bring the ends together and sew across them. This will become a seam which runs down the back. Make sure you try the halter on first to see if you need to trim some off the ends to create a tight fit. Hem both ends. Scrunch the ends up so that they arent so wide, then sew across each end. Now sew buttons and buttonholes, snaps, hook and eyes or even Velcro to secure. The cute twist in the front is easy to create yet looks very stylish. This design, if snug, wont require the tie. Either halter top is really simplistic yet looks great with jeans as well as skirts!

Aprons for Your Arms

People who dont wear aprons are playing clothing roulette, arent they? At any time, that one splatter can hit you right on one of your favorite garments and its ruined. Aprons from the older days simply covered the front of the body, from the waist, to somewhere above the knee. After someone ruined a few bodices or shirts they came up with the idea for an apron that covered the front of the shirt as well. No matter what kind of apron you wear, though you arent completely protected in the kitchen. Since most people dont want to wear a hazmat-type suit just to protect their clothing from grease spatters and spills, may I offer a helpful suggestion? Aprons for your arms! Kitchen sleeves can protect what your apron doesnt cover! A quick way to make arm aprons is to just cut the sleeves off of an old garment. Cut them straight across, near the shoulder. The sleeves you cut off should be ones that are a bit large on you so that theyll easily slide over sleeves youre already wearing.

The perfect sleeve is one that already has elastic around the wrist. However, you can use a cuffed sleeve, cut off the cuff, then sew elastic around the wrist area. Yes, this will make the sleeve shorter, but unless the cuff is huge - something from the ?70s - it wont matter. The sleeves dont have to reach all the way to your shoulder; they can just come up above the elbow to protect your sleeves. Fold the raw edge of the sleeve down, where youve cut it from the shirt, and sew elastic around it. Simply slide the sleeve over your garment - or bare arm - when cooking.

If you dont have an appropriate shirt from which to cut the sleeves you can just make sleeve aprons from fabric. Select the material, fold it in half, and mark it with chalk or other implement. Measure around your wrist, add three inches to that measurement, and draw that on the fabric, starting at the fold and drawing over. Measure around the upper arm, add three inches or so, then draw that measurement, from the fold, over. Now connect the two lines to finish the "tube" which will become an arm apron. Turn the fabric so that right sides are together and sew down the long side of the fabric, opposite the fold. Sew elastic around the wrist area as well as around the top of the sleeve. Slide the sleeves on, when cooking, to protect your garments - or arms - from grease spatters or other such kitchen accidents. Youll save your clothes and protect bare arms from small burns!

Hidden Compartment Beach Pillow

We all know about the problem of where to hide your money, keys and other things at the beach. It can be uncomfortable and risky to wear it on your person if youre in a bathing suit. And, thieves know of all the places you can hide things - in the sand, under your towel. There are very few places to hide things while at the beach. In addition, no one wants to walk all the way to their car every time they want a cold drink or other refreshment. The only other choice is to assign someone the unfair task of staying out of the water and guarding the belongings. You wont have to worry anymore about your money and keys when you make a simple beach pillow that has a secret compartment. Then all you have to do is worry about someone swiping the pillow!Purchase a cylindrical piece of foam at a craft store or upholstery supply place. The length of the foam can vary but a nice size is 15". The diameter of the foam, too, can vary. Select something that is at least 7" in diameter. Choose foam that has a medium density.Youll make it easy on yourself when cutting the foam by using a serrated knife. Cut an old candle with the knife to transfer the wax. That makes cutting the foam a breeze. Cut a slit in the foam, from one end to the other, down one side. Cut the slit so that it goes all the way to the center.Cut a towel or other piece of fabric to be four inches wider than the pillow is long. Wrap the towel or material around the foam. When you get back around to the end where you started, continue wrapping a few inches more. Cut the fabric off there.Remove the foam from inside the material. At each end, turn the fabric over a quarter-inch, then an inch, and sew around it, so that you create a long pocket that you can use for threading a tie string. Thread the chosen cord or tie through the pocket; do the same to both sides. Tie two knots in each cord so that the ends cannot slide into the pockets. Leave several inches of cord hanging from each end so youll have plenty of room to tie them shut.To use the secret compartment pillow simply spread the foam apart at the slit and slide in keys, money, jewelry and similar things. Its easy to reach in through the slit in the towel to find the slit in the pillow.Now you can swim and not worry about someone swiping your money. You do, however, still have the problem, referred to above, of making sure no one steals the pillow itself. Not only is it great for hiding things but its also very comfortable to actually use!

Cold Drink Bug Covers

There are certain things you know youll be enjoying this summer: walks on the beach, backyard games with the kids - cold drinks while relaxing on the deck. Nothing can keep you from enjoying one of your favorite seasons - summer. Except bugs. It can get pretty frustrating when a bee is buzzing around your head while youre sunbathing or when a gnat or fly takes a dip in your drink. Now youve got that covered! You already own lots of glasses with lids - you just dont know it yet. You likely already have what you need to make covers for glasses of any size. Whether youre enjoying a soda or a mixed drink, milk or water, if youre having it outdoors, youll have it covered. After making the drink lids youll never have to worry about buggy beverages again! One quick way to create a lid for a drink is to use a baking cup - a cupcake wrapper. Since theyre available in many different colors and designs you can choose a type that helps you create a theme for a party or just select a color you like. You can even purchase metallic ones which can give mixed drinks, like at a wedding, an elegant look.

Lay the cupcake wrappers (you can do a stack at a time) on a flat surface and use a knife to cut an "x" shape, right in the center. Thats it! Now all you have to do is slide a straw through the "x" and place it in your drink. These glass covers are disposable.

You can make a different type of drink cover by using a butter bowl lid, circle of thin cardboard, or something similar. With the lid or cardboard piece simply use it as it is or change the look. Glue a piece of paper or cloth onto one side of the object and youll have a decorative drink cover for any occasion. Use a sharp knife, as stated above, to create an "x" for the straw. These dont necessarily have to be thrown away. Use a damp cloth to wipe off the undecorated side of the glass cover. Other things around your home can be turned into drink covers, too. Plastic lids from peanut butter, coffee jars or mayonnaise jars can be converted so you avoid bugs in your drinks. Just hold a pair of pliers with a pot holder and hold a nail with the pliers. Heat the nail and push it through the center of the plastic lid to make a hole for the straw. Yes, summer is a lovely time of year, featuring parties, weddings, picnics or just a relaxing drink alone. Its a carefree time, and with your new drink covers, even the bugs wont bug you! See cupcake wrapper drink covers here.

Dip-Dyed Wooden Spoons

A set of ordinary wooden spoons is not an expensive investment. You can purchase two or three spoons in a set, at a dollar-theme store, for a buck. And, to go along with the wooden spoons, you can find a wooden salad set, complete with wooden spoon and wooden fork. The wood items for your kitchen arent costly but they arent all that attractive, either. But if youre interested in the designer version of the implements prepare to pay several times what the plain spoons would cost. Save your money, invest in a bit of paint, and create your own designer wooden spoons. You can make them match your kitchen, create a set for a friend - featuring his or her favorite hue, or otherwise give ordinary wooden spoons a punch of color.

Buy one or more colors of paint and itll be really easy to add the colorful accents to the wooden spoon set. Its fun to watch the plain, brown or tan spoons be transformed into spoons that look as though they came from a high-end store. The best paint is indoor house paint in a glossy finish. Although a gallon of paint offers enough depth for dipping a wooden spoon, you can use a smaller amount, pour it into a vase, and use it for dipping. Just make sure that, whatever container you use, its tall enough so that you can dip the entire handle - or a portion of the handle.

A potato chip clip, or similar clip, works great to hold the wooden spoon as it dries. Clamp the chosen clip onto a string or cord and hang it over newspaper. Dip the spoon handle in the paint, allow the excess to drip back into the can, and then clamp the bowl end of the spoon onto the chip clip. Allow it to drip-dry overnight. It might be necessary to dip the spoon once again to get the shade and coverage that you want. Many wooden utensils have holes where you can hang them and, as you dip the spoons in paint, it could clog up the holes. Just wait until the paint has dried and push in a toothpick, ice pick, or similar implement, to open the hole on each spoon. Youll quickly turn a ten dollar wooden spoon set into a hundred dollar designer deal when you dip-dye them with paint. Its so easy to have vivid colors, like blue, green, yellow, red, white, or orange, to match the colors in your kitchen. Even though many people store their wooden spoons in a container where they go in handles-first, youll want to store your so that the handles show. Theyre so colorful and pretty that youll want any kitchen visitor to see them.

Pot Lid Organizer

When and how did we end up with so many lids? Now it seems like we have a lid for every pot and pan, one for every plastic container, and a few more left over. Where did they all come from? Dont you hate it when you have to dig and search through mountains of lids that slide and wont stay stacked? Theres simply no way to organize them in a cabinet. You can put them in a large drawer but, there again, youll have to dig through them to find the one you need. Eliminate all that clutter and frustration by making a useful lid organizer. While youre at it, make another. If you have an organizer for pot lids, and another for plastic lids, life will be even easier!You dont really need any tools besides a hot glue gun to make a pot lid organizer. Purchase a flat piece of wood to get started. The wood neednt be extra thick or heavy. It will be used as the base for the pot lid organizer.Purchase wooden dowels from a craft store or home improvement store to finish the organizer. The dowels should be small in diameter - a quarter to a half-inch. They can be anywhere from five to seven inches long, each. At a craft store you can purchase the dowels in small bags with a few in each bag. But, if you purchase longer ones at a home improvement store theyll cut them to the size you specify without charge.Use a ruler to make rows of dots on the wood. Make a dot, leave a space of a couple of inches, then make another dot. Do this to create evenly spaced rows on the wood. Be sure to leave room between the rows so that you can place a pan lid between each set of rows.Use hot glue at each dot to attach a dowel. Thats it. Just set the organizer inside any cabinet and slide a single, large lid between each two rows, or group several flat, plastic lids together and slide them between two rows.Instead of dowels you can also use long nails. Just hammer one into each dot so that its steady. If you have no wood base, nails or dowels you can still make a suitable organizer.Cut a thick piece of cardboard to use as the base. Tightly roll thin pieces of cardboard into rod shapes and tape around the ends, and the middle, to secure. Glue these to the areas indicated by the dots.After making the pot lid organizers your kitchen cupboards will stay neat and tidy. And, with all the stress of digging through lids out of your life, youll be in the kitchen, singing a happy tune!See a pan lid organizer here: http://www.marthastewart.com/photogallery/25-kitchen-organizers#slide_8

Fake Birch Logs

I just go crazy when I see a television show or internet site featuring a craft that someone has put together from something ordinary. When people get creative, and make fabulous creations from next to nothing, it just triggers something inside my crafters mind. I simply have to make it! Youll feel the same way when you see fake birch logs. Theyre perfect for setting inside the fireplace during summer months and ideal for making Christmas crafts, centerpieces and more.

Before the internet crafters were limited to what they could do. Sure, craft stores sell thousands of different items for crafting anything you can imagine, but there were always things that your local craft store didnt carry. Now, we can just sit down, do a quick search, then order whatever we need. Do that, order corrugated wrap, and you can easily make fake birch logs for any project you have in mind.

Birch logs are so pretty because of their white bark. When you use cardboard and plaster youll make lightweight logs that look like the real thing. Cardboard wrap is corrugated on one side and flat on the other. You can order it in various widths to make the size of logs you wants. Roll the cardboard so that the corrugated side is on the inside, and roll it until the log is as large around as you want. Apply hot glue to the edge of the cardboard to secure it. Make tiny versions of the logs, cut them small and roll them to be small in diameter, then hot glue them to the log. Just use a craft knife to cut one end of the limb at an angle, then use lots of hot glue to attach the angled side to the log. Attach one or more of these cut limbs to create the look of a real birch log. Use a disposable container and mix two parts plaster with one part water. Using disposable gloves, mix the plaster well. Smooth out any lumps then use the mix to coat the cardboard log. Scoop a little bit of the plaster up in one hand, and, working over newspaper, wipe the plaster from one end to the other on the log. Apply it thinly so that you can still see some of the brown color, here and there, around the log. Do the same to the attached branch pieces. Stand each log on one end to dry. The fake birch logs look so real you wont believe it. Stack them in or beside a fireplace, or set them on a covered porch. Use them to make centerpieces for holidays or other occasions. Make gifts for friends or use them for your own home d?cor. Theyre spectacular. Fake Log Video Tutorial

Thanksgiving Bingo

Love bingo? Cant go to the bingo hall because youre getting everything ready for Thanksgiving? Dont stop playing just because its a holiday. Make a Thanksgiving bingo set and you, your friends, or just the kids, can play for fun or prizes. You can make a simplistic version of the game, or spend a bit more time, and create a bingo set thats much more detailed.Use card stock or even thin cardboard to make the bingo cards. Write "TURKEY", "GOBBLE", or another word across the top of the card. Although "BINGO" has five letters, you can choose a word with five to six letters, ideally. Just write the word across the top of each card stock piece - one card for each player - and spread the letters apart.Draw squares on the card stock under each letter of the chosen word. If the word has five letters, make five squares under each letter. If the word has six letters, make six squares under each letter. The squares should be about two inches each.The card stock can quickly have a Thanksgiving theme when you attach paper or card stock details to it. Glue on small pumpkins, turkeys, leaves, or other accents, at the top corners, or across the top, above the chosen word.On each square, write something thats related to Thanksgiving and/or the fall season. You can write single words or short phases. Some suggestions include "Thanksgiving", "turkey", "dressing", "pie", "family", "friends", "leaves", "acorns" or "pumpkins". For each word you write on a card, write it again on a square of paper.Make each card different by adding some words to some cards, eliminating some words from other cards, and shuffling the order in which you write the words on the cards.When Thanksgiving rolls around, craft stores are full of small trinkets, which work well for making bingo markers. Buy tiny pumpkins, turkeys, or other shapes, and use them to cover words as they are called. Or, just purchase tiny card stock shapes as the markers. The shapes are sold by the bag and are not expensive.Put all of the word or phrase cards in a hat, bowl, or other such thing, and have someone pull and call the words. As each word is called, that card is set to the side to later verify a winner. Players cover the called words on their cards to try to get a vertical, horizontal, or diagonal row covered. The first person to do so calls "bingo" and is the winner. You wont want to stop there, though; play another round of Thanksgiving bingo - its a lot of fun for kids or adults.Thanksgiving Bingo

Edible Fishbowl for Kids

Dont you absolutely love making fun foods for your kids? Its so enjoyable to watch them giggle and have a blast while eating pancakes with a face of fruit and whipped cream or cookies shaped like Santa. Many people create these special types of foods when the holidays roll around but kids love silly foods any time. If your kids have been especially good today why not surprise them with a special food treat? Theyll love a dessert that looks exactly like a fishbowl - complete with fish! The dish you choose is important if you want to create a convincing fishbowl. The bowl should be clear, of course. It can be a regular bowl or one thats on a pedestal. Although you can use a bowl that has etching or other designs the ideal bowl has none. These designs can distract and take away from the overall appearance of the edible fishbowl.

Its really easy to make the fishbowl dessert when you mix up Jell-O as the water in the bowl. Jell-O comes in many flavors and colors and youll select the Jell-O that is blue to make the fishbowl. Follow the directions on the package and boil the specified amount of water. Stir in the Jell-O and stir until its completely dissolved. Add the specified amount of cold water and stir well. Pour the Jell-O into the individual bowls and place them in the refrigerator. Allow the Jell-O to stay there until it has set completely.

Another option for making blue gelatin is to mix up regular gelatin, according to the instructions on the package, and put in a few drops of blue food coloring. No matter if you buy blue Jell-O, or make it yourself pour the Jell-O into the individual bowls and place them in the refrigerator. Allow the Jell-O to stay there until it has set completely. When the Jell-O is set remove it from the fridge. Use Gummi fish candies to finish the fishbowl. To do this, insert a knife an inch from the edge. Cut a short slit and use the knife to hold the gelatin back. Slide in a Gummi fish candy then remove the knife. Go around the bowl, making the slits and adding the fish, until you have as many as you want. You can also add a few to the center area of the bowl by using the same method. Kids will giggle and have a great time eating the fishbowl dessert thats really easy to make. Although its usually easy to find Gummi bears or worms locally it can be difficult to find the Gummi fish. However, there are several places online that sell them. Order the Gummi fish and the rest is a breeze!

Used CD Baby Book

You baby is going to love the new books you make for him or her from used CDs! You might have already done many crafts which recycle CDs, but until you make a baby book, you cant appreciate just how useful those old CDs are. You can easily make a book for your baby, a notepad or even a photo album by using up those old CDs.

To make a baby book start with two CDs. Cover the front and back of each CD with paper or cloth. Lay the CD on the fabric, draw around it, then cut out the circles. Glue one circle to each side of each disk. Youll be able to instantly give the baby book a suitable theme when you choose scrapbook paper or fabric that features images of baby animals, toys, or other such things.

After the CDs are covered begin cutting circles from cardstock. Cut circles to be just a tad smaller around than the CDs. That way, the pages of the book wont stick out from the book cover. Stack as many of the cardstock circles as you want to make the book. Use a hole punch to make holes in the paper but a hot nail to create holes in the CDs. Use a marker or pencil to make two dots on one of the covered cds. Make each dot a half-inch from the edge and leave a space thats an inch and a half between the two dots. Do the same to both CDs. The cardstock pieces you cut should have holes which align with the holes youve made on the CD book covers. Purchase two binder rings from an office supply store and you can put the book together in a minute. Simply slide one ring through both CDs as well as the paper. Use the second ring to do the same to the opposite side. Now write on the cardstock pages, glue on pictures, or even attach felt cutouts to create the book you want. Use a similar method to make a cute notepad. Cover the CDs on their fronts and backs then cut circular pieces of note paper. Stack the paper on top of one CD and cover the stack with the other CD. Insert the binder rings to hold it all together. Kids can make a little photo album by using the same method for creating the baby book or notepad. This time, use cardstock or note paper. Tape or glue a photo to each page. Give the pictures a more finished look by attaching a scrapbook frame around each one. With all the different books, notepads, photo albums and similar things you can make youll quickly use up all those old CDs that had scratches or that no one ever used anymore. Its a great way to recycle old CDs while creating new and useful things!

Cupcake Liner Valentine Treats, Gifts and Cards

Want to give out a really special candy treat to kids this Valentines Day? One that theyll always remember; one theyve probably never seen? Go to the store and get some cupcake liners and youll be all set. No, youre not going to have to make a zillion cupcakes for the kids at school; use the cupcake liners in an unusual way to make Valentines Day treats, cards and gifts! Use paper cupcake liners and youll make some interesting cards or treats for the kids. Flatten two cupcake liners as much as possible. White or pink liners are nice but you can actually use any color. Put two of the liners together so that there right sides are facing each other. Lift the edge of one so that you can brush on a little white glue. Press the two liners together then move along to the next section. Do a section at a time until you are left with a small opening.

Choose one side to be the front of the Valentines Day treat. Decorate this side by creating a theme for a boy or girl. Gift wrap, scrapbook paper or even pictures cut from magazines work perfectly to decorate the cupcake liners. Cut the paper to any shape you want and glue it to the liner.

If you want, you can cut a piece of lace, then glue it to the liner. The lace should be somewhat smaller than the cupcake liner. Glue the picture or theme paper to the lace. Somewhere on the front - or the back - write the childs name. Use the cupcake liner as lace around another piece you cut for the front. Cut a heart, glue it to the front, then glue on dried flowers, a name tag, a sticker or other embellishment. A different way to accent the liners is to use decorative hole punches. Punch hearts or other shapes around the edges of the liners. Later, thread satin ribbon or even yarn through the holes - but this is optional. Fill the cupcake liners with candy, gift cards, a folded card or something else. Dont overfill or youll have trouble gluing the treat bag shut. Some candies are more suitable than others. For example, a Hersheys Kiss isnt ideal but a flat, miniature candy bar - or more than one - fits right in the liners. If youll be filling the liners with loose candies, such as Red Hots, put them in a small cellophane first. The cupcake liners craft can be used to make valentines, party favors, gifts for friends and more. They dont absolutely have to be for kids. Depending upon what you fill them with, and how you decorate them, the liner Valentines are appropriate for anyone!

Four Seat, Childs Pallet Art Desk

When you think about building a substantial furniture piece - like a desk - for your home, you already know youre going to have to be some sort of a woodworker. Youll need heavy wood, power tools, assorted measuring devices, and a friend or two to help. Of course, its all worth it, since youll end up with an impressive piece of furniture, which you can use for years. People who do crafts - mostly women - are often turned off by the thought of all of that physical labor. Although they love to save money, and do most projects themselves, theyll just go out and purchase those big items. But you wont think that way when you find out how easy it is to make a new art desk for a childs room, or even a desk for yourself. When you make a pallet desk, you create an art desk, which can seat up to four kids, or a work desk, which can accommodate yourself and your mate at the same time.

An old wooden pallet makes a large desk, with storage openings, but a pallet is often rough and scarred. Thats okay, though. Sand the pallet nicely and then decide how you want it to look. You can leave it as it is, in an unfinished wood state, or you can paint it for a fresh, colorful look. Paint the whole pallet one color or paint each board of the pallet with a different color.

When you shop at a large home improvement store you have many choices for the legs on the desk. You can purchase legs at the store and theyre made for everything from coffee tables to kitchen tables. Or, you can have a piece of wood cut to the length you need for each leg. The legs dont have to be fancy, they just need to hold the desk up and be sturdy. When you buy the legs, which are already finished, they also come with the hardware needed to attach them. Its easy enough to attach the legs to the bottom of the pallet. Turn the pallet so that the underside is facing upwards. Screw the leg hardware piece to a corner of the pallet, and do that to all four corners, to mount the legs. When theyre in place, the pallet desk is finished. Scoot a chair up to just one long side or set a chair at each of the four sides. With the openings, which are all the way around the pallet, there is plenty of space for storing writing implements, art supplies, and other things. However, there is no solid bottom to the pallet. If you want, slide cut pieces of wood, or even stiff cardboard, in through the sides of the pallet, to make larger shelves for paper, folders, and more.

Lightweight Shelves You Build for a Childs Room

Many kids get hurt every year when they decide to climb on bookcases or shelves. Unable to bear the weight of the child the shelf often tips over and lands on the kid. Still, if your child owns lots of stuffed animals, toys, games and similar things you simply cant get by without shelves. There is an easy solution: build lightweight shelves for your kids room and he or she will never get hurt on them! You dont have to be any sort of carpenter to do so; if you can use a hot glue gun youre good to go! Foam board is just what the doctor ordered when it comes to building lightweight yet sturdy shelves. The foam board is sold at most any craft store and comes in a variety of sizes. Its not expensive and is easy to cut and assemble. There are so many different things you can use to assemble it that no two shelf sets ever have to be identical.

Pringles cans, paint cans, coffee cans and similar objects can be used along with the foam board to make the shelves. Decide how long you want the shelves to be and how tall you want the stack of shelves. The objects you choose to use along with the foam board will decide how much space will be between each set of shelves.

Cut the foam board to the sizes you want the shelves to be or use entire sheets of foam board to make each shelf. The latter keeps you from having to do any cutting at all and makes the whole project much simpler. If you are cutting the board down to other sizes, though, use a sharp knife but not a serrated one. Now mount the boards to the chosen base. If youre using paint cans, for example, paint them or cover them in something like cloth, wallpaper or even contact paper. Arrange the four cans on the floor so that they will meet the foam board at each of the four corners. Before gluing, set the foam board on the cans, just to check the position of them. Use hot glue around the can tops to secure. Other adhesives can be used in place of the hot glue. After positioning the foam board on the paint cans glue four more paint cans to the top four corners and add another sheet of foam board to make the next shelf. Continue until you have stacked the shelves as high as you want. Although foam board cant hold a bunch of extremely heavy objects it can hold everything from shoes to toys to electronics. Its an easy way to build no-hassle shelves that can never tip over and hurt a child. Although the shelves can tip over they are too lightweight to cause any real injury.

Easy Sewing Project: Doily Barbie Doll Dresses

For most people recycling means separating paper from glass, plastics from cardboard. For people who love to craft it can mean something completely different. Recycling can repesent a method in which you take something that used to serve a particular purpose and make it into something else. If you do a little crafting and sewing youll enjoy recycling old doilies into new outfits for a Barbie or other doll. Theyre quick, easy and beautiful! Doilies vary greatly. Some are large, some small. Some are all tatting and others feature a cloth piece surrounded by tatting. Still others have a lace trim and no tatting at all. The type of doilies you choose for making Barbie doll clothes will determine the kinds of outfits you can create. Ones that are all tatting arent appropriate unless you first sew a thin piece of fabric to the back of the doily.

It literally takes only a couple of minutes to turn a doily into a Barbie doll skirt. Stand the doll on a table, fold the doily in half, and hold it up to the dolls waistline. This will help you determine the length the finished skirt will be. If the doily hangs on the table below the doll you should choose a smaller doily.

To make the skirt simply cut a hole for the waistline. For a fitted skirt cut the hole so that the waist is a little larger than the dolls. If you intend to add elastic cut the hole to be somewhat larger. For an elasticized waist simply sew a piece of narrow elastic around the waist, folding the edge of the doily over it. Stretch the elastic a little as you sew and it will help to gather the skirt around the waist. To make a fitted skirt, hem around the cut area of the doily then cut a slit down the back. Attach a small piece of Velcro as a fastener for the skirt. Make a dress in a similar manner. Cut a hole in the doily so that it can be slipped over the doll. When the dress is worn the hole goes around the chest and back area of the Barbie doll. Hem around this area, make the slit in the back, then attach the Velcro as you did with the above skirt. Or, sew a piece of elastic around the cut area. There are many ways to change the look of the dress. Tie a belt around the waist, add a single strap, or add two straps. Straps can be made from strips of cloth, lace or ribbon. With the skirts or the dresses narrow ribbon can be threaded through tatting on the doily to create yet another design. You - and your dolls - will adore the new outfits you make in minutes!