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!