Recycled Glove Christmas People

Dont you hate it when, every year, your child loses one of his winter gloves? Its a good thing those one-size-fits-all, stretch knit gloves are so cheap! Since youre stuck with that one glove that has no mate you might as well take a lemon and make lemonade. Use that single glove to create the cutest little person who is all set and ready for a snowball fight! Make a whole family of Christmas people by using gloves of different colors.

Take the knit glove and push the thumb inside. Stuff the four fingers and palm of the glove with cotton batting. Dont overstuff the fingers but try to make the two middle fingers a little fatter than the other two. Cut a piece of scrap fabric or ribbon to make a scarf. Cut little fringe at the ends of the piece then tie it around the cuff area of the glove. Position the tied scarf so that the ends help conceal the thumb area of the glove. Tie it down far enough so that you can turn the cuff down over it. When you turn the cuff down you create the neck of a turtleneck sweater.

Glue a wooden ball onto the turtleneck. The size of the ball can vary but should be proportionate to the glove. Glue on wiggly eyes, use sticker eyes, or even draw them on freehand. Draw a mouth on with a marker. Dab a little pink lipstick on the cheeks of the kid. Make a hat by cutting the cuff off a baby sock. Slide the cuff area over the wooden ball and leave the cut area sticking up. Fold the cuff up to make a brim for the knit cap. Cut tiny slits all around the cut area to make fringe. Now tie a piece of skinny ribbon or cord around the top area of the hat so that the fringe sticks up above it. Leave the two middle fingers of the glove as they are and bring the other two around to the front of the "body". Glue the ends of these two fingers together with hot glue. Now begin gluing tiny, white pom-poms on top of the hands. Glue them on in a pyramid shape or randomly glue them to the hands, stacking them up in front of the chest. To help the Christmas kid stand on his own, and to further conceal the area where the thumb was tucked in, attach the finished kid to an artificial tree branch, wired garland, a small tree branch or something similar. It should appear that the kid is standing right in front of it with some of the limbs or pine needles sticking out around the thumb area of the glove. The cute little Christmas kid is ready for a snowball fight and hell need some partners. Use different colors of gloves to make other people to join in on the fun!

Toilet Paper Cake

Diaper cakes, towel cakes - isnt it amazing the different types of craft cakes people invent? The cakes arent edible; they are made from stacks of gifts for a wedding, birthday, baby shower or other occasion. When you think of cakes which are decorations and not food you might not normally think of toilet paper. However, when you make a tiered cake from rolls of bathroom tissue youll create a gorgeous table decoration thats made from something we all need and use. With the price of toilet paper nowadays its a nice gift! You can make a plate or tray for the cake by cutting a circle of cardboard and covering it with cloth or paper. Make sure the tray will be large enough by arranging eight rolls of toilet paper in a tight circle. The tray should be slightly larger than the circle of toilet paper.

To assemble the easy party cake take those eight rolls of toilet paper and arrange them in a circle on the tray. Cut a piece of ribbon to wrap around them. The ribbon can be as narrow as an inch or as wide as three inches. A narrow ribbon will show more of the toilet paper but a wide ribbon will nearly cover the rolls. You can instantly give the toilet paper cake a theme for a wedding, birthday or other event just by the type of ribbon you use. Craft and fabric stores carry ribbon with all sorts of designs and images. Wrap the ribbon around the entire circle of toilet paper then tape or glue the ends so that one barely overlaps the other.

Stack five rolls of bathroom tissue on the eight rolls so that they form a slightly smaller circle than the eight rolls. Center these on the eight. Tie another ribbon around these five rolls and tape or glue the ends. Now set a single roll on top and wrap a ribbon around it. If you look down at the stack youll notice that you can see the entire opening of the cardboard tube in the top toilet paper roll and partial openings on all the other rolls. Use these to place the embellishments on the cake. If youre making the cake for a baby shower you can set rattles, pacifiers and small toys in the holes. If the cake is for a wedding slide the stem of an artificial flower into each hole. The cake can hold small stuffed animals, wrapped candies and many other things. Set something on top of the single toilet paper roll as the centerpiece for the cake. It can be a few more flowers, placed in the cardboard tube, a stuffed animal or even a candle in a glass container. The finished cake is humorous, useful, and actually does look really pretty!

Denim Flower Fashions and Home Accents

Sneak in there to the box full of things youre going to take to donate to charity and swipe just one pair of those old blue jeans. Youre going to simply adore denim flowers that you can make by cutting up old jeans. And, since the flowers can be used in so many different ways, one pair will give you jewelry, a picture frame embellishment, a belt accent, and much more. Grab the scissors - and the denims - and lets get started.There are different ways to make denim flowers but I love the circle method. Cut a circle of denim to be as large in diameter as you want the flower to be. Use something you have around your house - like a glass or vase - as a pattern for the circles. You could also use a stencil or just draw freehand. Cut another circle to be a bit smaller than the first, then cut more circles, and diminish them in size. Cut as many as you want to create the thickness of the flower that you desire.For each denim disk, use ordinary scissors to fringe the edges. Just cut from the edge, inward, but not all the way to the center. Do this all the way around, spacing the slits evenly apart. Stack the circles so that the largest one is on the bottom and the smallest is on top.You can sew the flower if youll be making something that will be laundered later. If not, just use hot glue. Stack the fringed circles, and if youre sewing, stitch through the stack several times. If you want a bead in the center of the flower, sew from under the flower, up, through the bead, and back down. If youre using hot glue, just glue them all together, then glue the bead in the middle.There are lots of different designs you can create using the denim circles. For example, instead of fringing the edges, you can use a paint marker or fabric paints to draw on petal shapes. Or, cut the fringe wide, and outline each fringe section with the marker or paint. Create something much different when you use one denim petal on the right side, then flip a blue jean circle over, and use the wrong side, to give the next petal a slightly different color. Instead of gluing one bead in the middle you can sprinkle tiny beads all over the center of the top piece.Make a pin by simply attaching the metal backing. Create tiny flower earrings by gluing on a piece of fishing twine to hang the flower on the wire, then a piece of denim over it to conceal. Glue or sew the flower onto a long strip of denim, and you can make a beautiful choker. Attach the flowers to headbands, belts, purses, tennis shoes, hats, zipper pulls, and more.

How to Make and Hand-Stitch Ribbon Roses

A simple piece of ribbon or two can sure make a little girls dress look much more elegant! You see them all the time, on Easter dresses or even womens blouses, those tiny roses made from ribbon. Theyre delicate and beautiful and can instantly change the look of many different things. The small roses - or larger versions - are so easy to make its a wonder more people dont use them for their home sewing projects.

The size of the ribbon you use, of course, will determine how large the finished rose will be. Wide ribbon is used to make larger roses; narrow ribbon to make small roses. Ribbon with wire in them are not suitable for making the garment roses. No matter what type of ribbon youre using youll do the same technique to make the desired roses.

Take a length of the ribbon and roll it over on itself a time or two. If youre hand stitching the flowers on, position the rose in its spot. Take a couple of stitches near the bottom of the ribbon and sew it to the dress. Now, fold the ribbon back so that its going around in the opposite direction. Take the ribbon around until it reaches the area near where you started this direction. Stop, fold the ribbon back, then begin taking the ribbon in the opposite direction once again. As you are creating the various rose petals youll be taking small stitches along the bottom edge of the ribbon to hold it next to the garment. Dont twist the ribbon so that its tightly balled; loosely make the wraps, this way and that, until the rose becomes as large as you want. When you get to the very end, fold it over a little, then take a few stitches to secure. To be clear, each time you wrap the ribbon around itself again, you are creating another layer of petals. Each time, youll wrap the ribbon to the area where you started, fold the ribbon back, then begin wrapping it in that direction. If you want to put leaves on the flower simply cut two small lengths of green ribbon. Fold each piece so that you create a point. Position the cut ends of the ribbon under the flower and stitch in place. Leave the point of the ribbon sticking out - one on each side of the flower, or one on the side and one at the top or bottom. If you dont do hand stitching you can still make the roses. Use dots of fabric glue to secure the petals of the rose as you create them. Use the same glue to attach the roses to garments and accessories. Use the stitched or glued roses to embellish clothes, purses, hair accessories, shoes, curtain tie-backs and more!

Birthday Party Beanbag Toss Rug

Isnt it fun to do new and exciting things at each birthday party you throw for your kids? Have a cake which looks different than last years; give a different theme to this years party, and come up with new games which youve never played at any previous birthday parties. There are even many games you can make yourself rather than purchase. One is a beanbag game. The ordinary type requires you to sew in netting behind the holes and that can be a big chore. When you make a floor beanbag game you can do so quickly and get on with the fun.

Cut two pieces of cotton to make the beanbag rug. Cut the pieces to be 40"x40". Stack the fabric so that the right sides face each other. Sew almost all the way around the squares but leave an opening in the middle of one side. Turn the squares right-side-out and sew the opening shut. Alternatively, if you dont sew, just use fabric glue. Lay one square so that the wrong side faces upwards, apply the glue around the perimeter of the square, then position the second square on top.

Use paint markers to create different areas on the fabric for points. Start with a star or other shape right in the center, color it in with the markers, then write the number "100" on it. Around the star, draw a circle, and color it in. Write the number "50" on it, several times, around the star. Rather than color in each shape completely - which can take a lot of time and several paint markers - you can use the markers to make each shape look different by just making dots, stripes or other designs. Draw a square around the circle and color it in. Write "25" on it, several times, around the circle. Now, draw another square around the previous square, and if you want, give this one fancy edges so it looks different than the previous square. Write "10" on it, several times, around the square. Now, write "5", several times, on the remaining area of the rug, all the way around each side. Make beanbags by cutting squares to be 4"x4". Stack two squares so that their right sides face, and sew almost all the way around them. Leave an opening so you can turn the bag right-side-out. Fill the bag with rice or beans and sew it shut. At the birthday party, kids can have three tries to throw the beanbags, and the numbers where the bags land will be tallied. The person with the highest score, of course, wins. Even though youll be playing the beanbag rug game at the next birthday party your kids will continue having fun with it long after the guests have gone home.

Cargo Shorts Scrapbook

When they first came out with cargo shorts werent you thrilled? You suddenly had a way to carry many different things at once. Whereas women generally have a purse for all of that, guys were formerly limited to what they could cram into the two front pockets, and two back pockets. With cargo pants, though, you have those four pockets, and several more. But do you have a pair of them that you no longer wear? Are the pockets still intact? If so, you can make a cute and unusual scrapbook.

Its helpful to iron cargo pants before cutting them up to make the scrapbook. The flaps on the pockets are often sticking out, or wrinkled up, and ironing can start you out with smooth, flat fabric, for the book. Cut out pockets from the shorts, choosing ones with flaps. They can be different sizes; thats fine. As you cut them out, stay very close to the stitching on the pockets.

Stack the pockets so that the largest one is on the bottom and the smallest one is on top. Position them so that they align on one side. Then, use a grommet kit, or eyelet maker, to create two holes on the aligned side. Make sure the holes are both below the flaps on the pockets. With the eyelets or grommets installed, all you have to do is insert a notebook ring in each hole. There are many things you can do to embellish the unusual scrapbook. Write on the pockets with a paint marker to give them themes. Or, use fabric glue to attach anything from lace, to rhinestones, to appliques. The finished scrapbook is so cute. Slide pictures, note cards, and other things, into the pockets to preserve. Dont have any cargo pants? You can use pockets from old jeans in a similar manner as the cargo pants pockets. Just cut off two pockets, and sew or glue them together, stacking them so that their wrong sides face each other. Make a few sets of the double-pockets, stack them, and insert grommets or eyelets. After that, you can simply add the notebook rings to finish. When you add a plastic pocket to each denim pocket set, you can create even more places to display photos and such. Just cut a pocket of plastic to be slightly smaller than the pocket to which it will be attached. You can sew the clear pocket on before sewing or gluing the two denim pockets together. Or, just glue the clear pocket on after making the double-pocket. The pocket scrapbook is unusual, small, but precious. Set it on a coffee table to show off to friends or carry it around in your purse. Its adorable and a lot of fun to make.

Paper Mache Dollhouse

When you go shopping for dollhouses just look at them to get ideas for decorating and design; dont really buy one. Spend a fraction of the cost and make your own dollhouse which will look completely professional. Paper mache boxes help you design a dollhouse that your little girl will play with for years. The paper mache house is lightweight, too, so she can easily carry it with her anywhere she goes.

Look around at a craft store and choose the paper mache boxes you want. Theyre available in many sizes so you can build a large house or a much smaller one. Look for square or rectangular boxes which are deep and wide. Choose an even number of boxes - one box for each room of the dollhouse and two boxes for the roof.

Remove the lids from the paper mache boxes and save them for another project. If you want, spray-paint the outside of the boxes and allow to dry. Cut a piece of scrapbook paper or fabric to cover the inside bottom of each box. These will become the back walls of the rooms. Cut a long strip of the same or different paper to cover three of the four inside walls. The fourth wall will become the floor; leave it as-is or, later, cut vinyl, carpet or other material to cover the floor. Cut windows out of the sides or bottoms of the boxes. These can be left open or covered with cellophane. Apply glue to one side of one box and stick it to another. Make two sets of these. Stack one set on top of the other and glue them in place. Now you have a 2 story house which has four rooms. If you want to add another story, you can, as long as it has just the two rooms. To make the roof, take one box which is the same size as the others, and cut one of the long sides off of it. Take the remaining flap and pull it over to the corner. Cut off half of the bottom of the box so that you have a triangular-shaped box. Tape the flap in place at the corner and at the bottom of the box. Do this to two boxes. Stack these on top of the dollhouse so that it creates a roof which slopes to the sides. If youd like the house to have more rooms, they dont have to be under the roof. Add another box onto the side of the house and put up tiny "railings" to make a rooftop deck. Do the same to the other side, if you want. There are no limits to the decorations and furniture you can place inside the new dollhouse. Cut fabric to make rugs, use bottle caps to make seats and a table, and find other things around your home to further embellish the dollhouse. Your little girl will treasure it.

Easy Glass Cupcake Stand

One of the most fun things about being a crafting person is when you can look at something elegant and costly and realize theres a way to make a similar piece - but much cheaper. Its a fabulous moment because, instead of paying a whole lot of money for something youd love to own, but could never afford, you can make it for a price thats well within your budget. Everyone will think youre hiding a secret bank account but, in reality, youre just creative! You will certainly be creative when you design your own glass cupcake stand for a wedding or other special occasion.Have you looked at the frame-less mirrors at a craft store? Available in assorted sizes, from tiny to huge, the mirrors come in various shapes, like circles, squares, diamonds, ovals, and rectangles. Since there is no frame involved you can purchase the mirrors at a very reasonable price. For instance, a dinner plate-size mirror can be under ten bucks, with slightly smaller ones being even cheaper. Use the mirrors to make a cake stand and youll be finished with it in little time.A good place to get the "poles", which go between the stacked mirrors, is at a dollar-theme store. Glass candlesticks can often be found there, at a buck a piece. Theyre also common at yard sales and flea markets. Alternatively, you can purchase the plastic type, which look nearly identical to the glass version. Theyll look even prettier if you use a paint marker to outline certain areas with gold.Build the cupcake stand by first placing one of the mirrors on a flat surface so that the mirror side faces upwards. If you want to put a base on the bottom of the mirror, a rubber ring works great. Youll find one at a hardware or home improvement store. Use any industrial glue, suitable for glass as well as rubber, to add the base, and stack the glass.With the first glass piece in place, glue a candlestick in the middle of it, and then glue a mirror on top of it. Continue to add a candlestick and a mirror, until the cupcake stand is as tall as you want it to be. All the mirrors can be the same size, or they can diminish in size as they go up. To finish, glue a glass bead or glass knickknack - found at a craft store - in the center of the top mirror. Or, glue a candlestick on top, and then glue the bead to the top of the candlestick.The glass cupcake stand is a beauty to behold but a simple thing to make. Protect it in bubble wrap, and a sturdy box, to keep it in perfect condition. Your family will cherish it over the years and use it many times.

Hanging Reception Banner

If youre having the wedding reception at a place where there is a tree with low branches, you can make a nice hanging banner that features a beautiful monogram. Guests will know which house at which to arrive while you display the gorgeous flag. Dont have a tree outside? Use a sign post instead.

There are many different types of fabric you can use to make the announcement banner. Lightweight fabrics tend to blow in the wind whereas heavier materials will hang still on a day with little wind. Fabric stores sell material made just for creating outdoor banners. Although it doesnt usually have an elegant look it gives you an inexpensive option.

One way to make the banner is to simply cut a rectangle of fabric, hem around all four edges, then fold it in half. Slide a cord through the folded area then sew across the material so that you adjoin the two sides of the cloth while creating a narrow pocket for the cord. Sew around the remaining three sides. Leave the cord long so that you create an upside-down "v" shape that holds the flag. Make a different banner by using two large squares of lightweight material. Stack one on top of the other so that the wrong sides are together. Sew around all four sides, staying close to the edge. Sew a second perimeter of stitches an inch or so from that set. Use a grommet kit to attach two metal holes to the top corners of the flag. Tie a piece of roping through the holes to hang it. No matter what type of banner you make youll create a beautiful floral monogram when you use silk flowers. Choose small flowers, like daisies, violets or similar types. The flowers will simply be attached with fabric glue to spell out the letter or letters you want. If you use flowers with stems the stems will have to be removed before gluing the flowers to the banner. Use a stencil, or draw freehand, and make a dot-type letter outline. Space the dots evenly apart and use them to make a giant letter or letters on the flag. Use fabric glue to attach the individual flowers onto the dots. With some fabrics you can even use hot glue to attach them. Make a banner that has a large letter representing the last name or make two letters - the first letter of the mans and the womans name. Make both letters from the same types of flowers or make each letter look different by choosing two colors and types of flowers. Hang the banner on a tree, garden sign post or even a nail on the front door. It makes a nice announcement sign thats also a wedding keepsake.

How to Make an Anti-Depression Box

Some people realize theyre suffering from depression, seek help, and get better. Others suffer from depression their entire lives. There are varying degrees of depression. Some people have moments when theyre down, but its only for a day or so, on occasion. Others suffer from clinical depression thats crippling. Recommendations for depressed people range from taking medicine to receiving counseling depending upon how severe the depression. No matter how mild or severe your depression is theres one thing that some experts recommend to help you recover - even if its only temporary. Make an anti-depression box! Create a box that features things which once gave you joy. Did you like coloring books and crayons when you were a child? Was there a day when you loved to play with a Slinky? Things which have given you pleasure, a smile or a good feeling - even if that feeling was many years ago - can help you now. Place things in your box like a joke book, an inspirational poem book, a photo album of your kids when they were young and similar items.

Obviously, there are some things which would be too awkward to put in a box, like a piano or a set of drums. You dont necessarily have to use a box for your depression beater. Make a list instead. List things you like, such as watching funny videos, listening to music and other things.

If you make an anti-depression box keep it in the room where you go when you are depressed. This is often a bedroom. When you realize youre shutting yourself away from the rest of the world, or you see that you are depressed, bring out the box. Even if you dont feel like coloring or playing with the Slinky get the box out anyway. Touch the things in the box, pick them up and make the effort to do something that is in the box, even if you dont do it right or well. For example, even if you dont feel like coloring a nice picture just pick up the crayons and scribble. Sometimes thats all it takes to get in the mood. Once you start coloring - or doing something else from the box - youll often find that the depression eases. If you use a list instead of a box keep it on your night stand or another handy place. List things on it that once gave you joy. Choose something from the list and do it. Youll find that the list can be very helpful in decreasing depression. A box of fun things wont necessarily cure you from depression forever but it can be one step to helping you get better - even if only for that day! Resource: www.helpguide.org

Chopstick Hair Comb

Sure, you love eating Chinese food with chopsticks but do you really need twenty sets? Save a few sets for yourself and the family but gather up the rest of them and make a cool comb. You can make a really nice comb using few skills or tools and it will be a comb that is so unusual yet absolutely useable. Something like a hair pick, the chopstick comb is a half-moon arrangement that works as well as a pick. And, since it can be decorated in many different ways, the pick also makes a nice gift for someone you love.Decide what you want to use as the handle for the comb. It can be a piece of corrugated cardboard, fiberboard, plastic cut from a milk jug, leather, or another material. Youll cut two half-circle shapes to make each comb. Draw a line along the edge of the material; this line should be as long as you want for the width of the comb. Draw an arch to connect one end of the line to the other and to create the half-circle shape. Cut two of these; its important that they be identicalLay one of the comb pieces on a table and begin aligning chopsticks across it. If you want, paint the chopsticks before using them. Lay them so that the points of the chopsticks are hanging off of the straight edge of the comb piece. They should protrude beyond the straight edge but can be as long or short as you want. All the teeth of the comb, though, should align straight across at their points. Lay the other comb piece on top and align it with the bottom piece. Draw a line, from one end of the arch to the other, to mark where to cut the chopsticks.Cut the chopsticks using a sharp knife or small handsaw. Cut each one slightly below the drawn line. It can be helpful to number each chopstick - at the wide end - so youll know its placement on the comb. Without that step, just align the pieces, after theyre cut, so that theyre in order of how they will go on the comb.Spread strong glue all over one of the comb pieces and position the chopsticks on it. Apply glue to the second comb piece and place it on the chopsticks so that the sticks are sandwiched between them. Clamp the arrangement overnight or just set a heavy book on it.There are many things you can do to improve the look of the comb. Glue fabric onto cardboard or plastic to give it a nicer look. Attach cording around the arch and youll hide the area where the cut ends of the chopsticks are. This comb is unusual yet really handy and, when you make a pretty version of it, its can be a cherished heirloom or a nice, handmade gift.Chopstick Comb

Chess or Checker Lap Table

For someone who is bedridden - injured or sick - life can be really sad and boring. But it wont be when you make that person a chess or checkers lap table. The patient can sit in bed while the table straddles the legs. With the chess or checkerboard in place on top, theres no telling how many hours can be enjoyed. The chess lap table is even great for someone who is practicing alone. The bonus is that, the lap table is so simple to make, you wont be surprised to see the bedridden person - or even a child - make the table in no time.If youve got a nice-size cardboard box you have nearly everything you need to make the lap table. The box should start out to be at least as wide as your hips - with a couple of inches to spare. It can be slightly larger but not smaller than that. A square box is especially easy to work with but a rectangle thats slightly larger than a square will work.The perfect box is one that has a bottom without flaps. If the box has a one-piece cardboard thats exactly what you need. That way, your chess board wont have a split, right down the center. Turn the box upside-down so that the bottom of the box is facing upwards. The cardboard piece facing up will now become the top of the lap table.Cut part of the original top half of the box off - if needed - so that its as tall as the height you want for the lap table. A good height is nine to eleven inches. Then, on the sides of the box, cut an archway on each. Cut two archways, on opposite sides, and the game can only be set one way in front of you. Cut four archways and you can set the lap table on you in either direction. The archways should each be tall enough to allow your legs a comfortable amount of room.What remains of the box is a tabletop with four legs. Paint the top white, and allow to dry completely. It could take more than one coat to get full coverage. When the paint is dry, use a square, rubber stamp, a marker, or another method, to draw or paint black squares. Youll need eight rows across, and eight down, with each row alternating black and white squares. Its helpful to look at online pictures of chess boards to see the arrangement. Alternatively, you can often find black and white contact paper that makes the tabletop much easier to craft.To stabilize the box - and make it look much less like cardboard - wrap the legs, as well as the edge of the top, with duct tape, or colored electrical tape. Get out your chess pieces, sweet-talk a visitor, and maybe youll get to use your new lap game today.

Book Lovers Necklaces

Love poetry? A good mystery? The Bible? No matter what your literary love, it can easily be turned into a lovely necklace, and one that you design yourself. Dont worry if youre not a jewelry designer; anyone can make a literary necklace from pages out of their favorite books - or even from a newspaper. You wont ruin your book and you have lots of choices for making your necklace a one-of-a-kind jewelry piece, which will definitely get noticed.One way to turn written words into a necklace is to first scan a page or, cut a page from an old, worn-out book. Other paper choices include a travel brochure, a hymnal, a magazine, or even a map. When you scan a page you can change the background color and even the font and word color. Glue the page - or pages - to a piece of thin cardboard, a piece of foam board, or even a thin, wooden circle from a craft store. Each choice gives you a slightly different appearance to the finished charm.Use a quarter, a penny, or another object, to draw the circles you want on the book pages. Seek out particular words or phrases that can be captured on each charm. Cut out the circles and create a hole in each one. For the book pages that are glued onto cardboard or foam board, you can just poke a hole, near the edge, with a nail. For a wooden circle disk youll need to drill the hole, or hammer a nail through it.The book lovers necklace is a lot of fun to make because you can design it in any manner you want. Use just one chain, and hang just one large charm, or connect two chains and hang different sizes of book page charms. Hang one chain lower than the other and you can create a fun necklace that displays several book page charms in a staggered manner.Finish the charms using your choice of techniques. You can burn the edges of charms that are attached to cardboard. For thick foam board-based charms, you can glue a metal ring around each one, or apply glue around the edges, and roll the charms in tiny seed beads. You can even give the charms a look of glass by applying an enameling resin to them.Use a jump ring to hang each charm onto a regular link chain. If you want, hang a bead on each jump ring. The bead will dangle even more if you put it on its own jump ring, and then hang it on the charms jump ring.The book lovers necklace is a cute way to show off your literary love. Make one for yourself and one for someone else you know who loves reading. You, as well as that other person, will enjoy the attention the interesting necklace draws when you wear it.

No-Sew Tutu for Little Girls

Not everyone knows how to sew or has a machine to even consider sewing. Those who dont sew are stuck having to go out and purchase the things they want - but only sometimes. There are a few things you can do to create sewn items yourself without the need for needles and thread. One of those things is a little girls tutu. Although others sew a tutu for their little girl, or go out and purchase the costly garment, you wont do either! Tulle - a fabric which is often used for bridal veils - is perfect for creating the tutu. Tulle is a netting-type material thats stiff yet comfortable to wear. Available in assorted colors, tulle is not terribly expensive, and youll only need about a yard to make a tutu. Purchase it in white, pink, purple or choose a different color. In addition to the tulle youll need a long ribbon thats a quarter-inch wide. A satin ribbon works great, but whatever ribbon you use, it should not be the wired type.

Lay the tulle out on a table and fold it in half, lengthways. Measure from the girls waist to her knees. This will be the width to which youll cut the tulle. Cut the width on the fold. Measure around the girls hips then triple that measurement. This will be the length to cut the fabric.

Keep the fabric folded but adjust it a bit. Pull the back piece down a little so that the front piece is a few inches shorter than the back. Just below the fold, begin making small holes for the ribbon. Since the netted material is already full of holes youll simply making some of those holes a tad larger. To do this, measure an inch down from the fold and cut one hole to go through both tulle pieces. This hole should be just an inch from the very edge of the fabric. Continue making these holes, one every inch, until you get to the opposite end. Make sure the front holes align with the holes on the back piece of tulle. Thread the ribbon through the back of the first hole then through the front of the second hole. Continue threading the ribbon in and out until you get from one end to the other. Leave a foot or sew of ribbon hanging off of each end so you can tie on the tutu. Where the ribbon enters the first and last holes, tie a knot in each end, so the ribbon wont slip out of the holes. You can make a much fuller tutu, if you want, by cutting two pieces of tulle - on the fold - so that you actually have four layers of fabric. Follow the above instructions for creating the holes and threading the ribbon. The finished tutu is every girls dream!

Thanksgiving Day Pumpkin Sweep Game

No matter how much planning you do for your Thanksgiving day, no matter how much food you make, or how beautiful you get the table to look, there can still be spur-of-the-moment things on that holiday. For example, all the kids indoors might be getting a little rowdy and you might suggest that they go outside to play. What can they do outside? They can always have a pumpkin sweep contest. In that game, kids race across the finish line in an unusual way. Youll need a couple of pumpkins to get started.Decide on a line where the kids will begin the game. The line can be marked by laying a yardstick down on the ground, or even by creating it with flour. Make a finish line, too, and make it at least several yards from the starting line.There are different ways to play the game. In one version, give a pumpkin to each child, stand them behind the line, and call "go". With another version, two kids race at a time, and all the kids are lined up behind one of the two players. As teams, one person will "go" with the pumpkin, bring it back, and give the job to the next player.To move the pumpkins, give each player a broom. Dont have that many brooms? Other things they can use to move the pumpkins along include sticks, or even their feet. Its a good idea to mark each pumpkin, though, so no one gets confused on which pumpkin is whos. Just use paint, fingernail polish, or even a marker, to write a number on each pumpkin. It can be helpful to give each child a sticker with that number on it.The most fun youll have out of the pumpkin race game isnt to just sweep the pumpkin across the finish line, on a level piece of ground between the two lines. Youll have more fun if the players have to sweep the pumpkins around corners, down hills, and around other tricky places.If youre playing the first version of the game, the first person who gets the pumpkin across the finish line is the winner. In the second version, each player on the team has to go across the line, and sweep the pumpkin back to the starting line, and the first team that finishes, is the winning team.Kids will have lots of fun playing the pumpkin sweep game but, just in case, keep a couple of extra pumpkins on hand. You never know when one of the pumpkins might get destroyed, especially if youre playing the version where the kids kick the pumpkins to the finish line. Thanksgiving only rolls around once a year so, instead of kids getting reprimanded for being underfoot inside the house, they can all go outside and have a great time.

Crayon Decor for a Childs Room

When you think about giving a make-over to a bedroom you often think of buying paint or wallpaper, new rugs, curtains and that sort of thing. But, if youre feeling a little light in the wallet you might be putting off that make-over until your ship rolls in. Even though its nice to buy curtains and things for the make-over you dont necessarily have to get the more expensive room accessories to give the room a new look. Just change a few things and the room will look totally different for only a little money. For the price of a box of crayons you can give a childs room a make-over, so not only is it cheap, but youll absolutely love the new look! Glue crayons around a plastic drinking cup and make a vase, pencil holder, eyeglass holder or other accessories. Although glue doesnt often work well for the crayons themselves it will adhere to their wrappers. Glue the crayons around a cardboard box to make something similar. These boxes and cups are easy to make and can be set on a night stand, dresser or other areas.

Take existing picture frames in the childs room and give them a crayon make-over. Glue a crayon to the bottom, top, and sides of the frame to create the new theme. If the crayons are too long across the top and bottom of the frame just cut equal amounts off the ends. Do the same to light switches. Glue a whole crayon to the two long sides of a plain switch then cut two crayons down to a smaller size and glue them to the top and bottom of the switch cover.

Cut a ribbon thats long enough to make a curtain tie-back. Glue assorted crayons, point sides down, across the ribbon. Leave a small space between the crayons and do only the front of the tie-back. These give a crayon theme to the bedrooms curtains in a few minutes. Glue crayons together, side-by-side, to make coasters and more. Make a square of the crayons for a coaster or make the arrangement much longer to make a runner for a dresser or night stand. Or, make a background for a collection of friends pictures by hanging a runner of the crayons on the wall. Glue a picture to the crayons, leave a space, then glue on another. Continue that pattern until youve added all the pictures you want. Glue crayons to lampshades, trash cans, cornices, clocks, mirrors, baskets and more. It doesnt take a lot of effort to give a bedroom a whole new look when you use crayons as the d?cor. Youll love how just a few crayons can give the room such a different appearance, and best of all, it cost very little!

Troubleshooting Tips for Sewing Machines

When it comes to sewing the simplest things can cause all sorts of trouble. For example, if you dont have your bobbin wound correctly you can find it hard - or impossible - to sew well. When sewing machines act up most owners call a repairman. That can be quite expensive and even unnecessary. Some sewing machine issues can be easily fixed by you! One common sewing problem - the fabric bunching up as you sew - is very simple to fix. First, keep in mind that you should always use the same weight of thread on top as you do in the bobbin. Unless youre doing a type of specialty sewing youll always use the same weight of spool thread and bobbin thread. Also, make sure the bobbin has been wound correctly. Do not wind bobbins by hand or overfill them. Although most machines have a feature which automatically stops the winding of the bobbin when its full, some dont. Stop short of filling the bobbin all the way.

If your tension isnt set right you can experience anything from having the fabric bunch up as you sew to thread that breaks as you stitch. There is a test you can do to see if your thread tension is too tight. Start by threading the machine with one color on top and a different color of bobbin. Make sure both threads are of the same thread weight. Fold a piece of fabric in half, sew across it on the bias line, then remove it from the machine. Hold the ends of the fabric and pull quickly, hard, until one thread breaks. If the spool thread breaks the upper tension is too tight. If the bobbin thread breaks the tension is too loose. If neither breaks, or they break simultaneously, the tension is right.

Before ever calling a sewing machine repairman make sure to check that the threading is done correctly and that the needle is in the right position. If a single thread guide is missed the machine will not sew correctly. Also, its not hard to get a needle in backwards and thats an expensive lesson if you call a repairman! The thread itself can cause many problems if it is old. The thread can break, can cause the bobbin thread to wad up, and can cause the fabric to bunch. Never use thread that is really easy to break, is dusty, or has been around for years. Its better to buy a new spool of thread than to have a garment fall apart the first time you wash it! Its expensive to call a sewing machine repairman especially if you can do the job yourself. Check the needle, the thread and the tension before ever calling for assistance. Likely, youll be glad you did!

Felt Cherry Pie

Arent you having the time of your life creating fake foods for your little girls play kitchen? Oh, youre not making them for her; youre making them to display in your own kitchen? Thats okay, too! Isnt it fun, though, to make fake cookies, candies and other goodies for play or show? Some of them end up looking quite convincing, actually. And, since many of the fake foods are made from felt, you dont have to worry that youre spending over your crafting budget! Materials: Red and tan felt Metal cake pan (optionanl) Sewing machine Needle and thread What would be really nice for you to show off, or for your little girl to serve to her guests, is a realistic cherry pie. Youll need a sewing machine to make it but not much talent. If you can sew even a little bit you can make the delicious-looking cherry pie.

If youll be placing the fake pie in a real pan, use a round cake pan rather than a traditional pie pan. To make the pie, turn the cake pan upside-down, then draw around it onto red felt. Cut two of these circles.

Cut six strips of tan felt to be an inch wide and long enough to reach from the edge of one red circle to the opposite edge. Cut the long sides of the tan strips with pinking shears. Lay one of the red circles on a table and place three of the tan strips on it. Align the ends of the strips with the edges of the circle and space the three pieces evenly apart, in a vertical manner. Now, weave the other three strips in and out of the first three, horizontally, as you would do lattice crust on a real pie. Place the second red circle over the first one, trapping the tan pieces between them, and pin it all together. Sew around the circles making sure to catch the edges of the tan pieces as well. Cut a slit in the middle of the red circle that you didnt lay the tan pieces on. Use this slit to turn the pie right-side-out. Use cotton batting to stuff the circle so that the top part with the tan strips takes on a short dome shape but so that the bottom piece with the slit in it stays flat. use a needle and thread to sew the slit shut. Place the finished pie in the cake pan to display. To make a pie without a real pan, cut a piece of tan felt to wrap around the pie, fold the top edge down and hem it, then hand-stitch or glue the band around the pie. Youll giggle every time you show someone the fake pie when you see their reaction. Or, if the pie is for your daughter, shell love putting it in her fake oven and serving it to her guests!

Pot Holder Purse

Some people love to sew and will do it for hours. Others know how to sew but they prefer much quicker projects. If you can sew well - or not so much - youll appreciate a quick and easy project to create a cute purse for a little girl - or one for yourself. Use pot holders to make the bag and youll be finished with it in just a few minutes. How often do you get to say that you can make a quality accessory for so little time - or money?A couple of square pot holders work great to represent quilt blocks on a purse. Use just two "quilt blocks" and make a small purse for a little girl. Use extra pot holders and you can make a larger purse. The perfect pot holder is a square one with the loop of material for hanging it. Cut the loops off of two pot holders and youll be ready to get started. Or, crochet your own pot holders, and use them. If all you have is quilt blocks, sew them up, and use them.Its the easiest purse in the world: you stack two pot holders so that their right sides face each other and sew around three sides. Make sure that, if the pot holders have images, they are facing the same way. Leave an inch or so not sewn, at each top corner, so you can attach the purse strap. After turning the purse right-side-out its a quick-sew job to attach the strap.You can make a strap from a length of wide ribbon, a lightweight chain, cord, or a piece from a little girls belt. Choose the handle and put one end at one corner of the purse, and the other end at the other corner. Sew these in place and the purse is finished. If you want, you can sew on a snap, Velcro dot, or other closure, at the top inside area of the purse.To make a larger purse, lay two pot holders side-by-side. Do a zigzag stitch so that you adjoin them. Make two sets of two, then stack the sets so that their right sides face each other. Pin and sew around three sides, following the above instructions for attaching the strap. Make a slightly different purse - whether large or small - by sewing a piece of wide ribbon around three sides of the first pot holder, then sewing the opposite side of the ribbon around the second pot holder, to adjoin them. The ribbon band makes the purse a little wider, and gives it a flat bottom.With so many pot holder designs you can choose from - especially online - its fun to make just the purse you desire. Make one featuring your favorite cartoon characters, a particular season, or even a holiday. Since theyre so cheap and easy youll definitely want a collection of the adorable purses.

Fashionable Soda Bottle Necklaces

Is there even a single plastic bottle in the landfill these days? Now that all of us are working so hard at keeping America green, and recycling and reusing as many things as possible, the landfills might be starting to see a reduction in the amount of plastic bottles that end up there. Once you see how many stunning necklaces you can make with soda bottles youll definitely hold on to every one you get. Youll be sporting so many new necklaces - even bracelets - that it will seem as though you have a never-ending supply. Youll have something like that because youll quickly become addicted to making new, gorgeous jewelry.There are so many different necklaces you can make from a soda bottle that you might have more choices than you can handle. Pierce the side of a water or soda bottle so that you can cut the plastic. Cut the top off, cut the bottom off, and cut up the side so that you can open the main part of the bottle to lie flat - sort of. Then youll come to the first choice you have to make: the shapes. Cut triangles, diamond shapes, or others, to create just the necklace you want.Use tempera paints to paint the plastic shapes. They can all be the same color or can be a variety of colors. Use a hole punch to make a hole at the top of each shape. After that, youre ready to add the embellishments you want. Make a shell necklace by attaching many small shells to each plastic piece. Or, sprinkle jewelry findings all over the plastic to create a sparkly, metallic look. Tacky glue works well to hold the chosen embellishments to the plastic.There are all types of different necklaces you can make by using assorted things as the accents on the plastic pieces. Glue on rhinestones, buttons, tiny photos, flat flower petals, glitter, confetti, coins, or other choices. When youre finished designing the plastic bottle pieces you can then hang them on a chain that has links. Open a jump ring, feed it through the hole of one plastic shape, then snap the ring shut over a single link in the chain. Leave a space, fasten on another piece, and so on, to create the perfect necklace or bracelet for you.Twenty-ounce water and soda bottles can differ tremendously. Soda bottles often have a flat area around the center of the bottle, whereas many water bottles have ridges. The ridges can give dimension and extra interest to each dangler. Use different types of bottles, various colors of paint, and assorted embellishments, and you can create a huge number of costume jewelry pieces for just a few bucks.