Let’s Get Crafty!

Wow…Thursday…I’m totally unprepared forLet’s get Crafty today! Even after Steph posted last week! I’m still not prepared. Since I am such a flake 🙂 For this weeks Let’s Get Crafty I am going to just feature a challenge from Gingerscraps! It’s is a crafty challenge though 🙂 The “Candy Wrapper Challenge” is our “Hybrid” challenge! Now that is crafty right! Hybrid crafts are great! Cute name too huh. Shannon came up with that one, she is so clever!

For the month of March the hybrid challenge is so easy! I made it nice and simple so everyone could play along!

So, for march we are actually doing something pretty easy…although, some of you have probably never used your digi scrapping supplies to make “Home Decor” I do it all the time! Hey, these kits are so cute. Why not show them off in your home!
You can get very elaborate with these home decor projects, or they can be as simple as making a “LO” and printing, framing and putting on your wall.
So, let’s start with EASY! Printing, Framing and Hanging on the wall! Any one can do it!
Here is a real simple idea. Take a frame, maybe one that you go buy, or one that is sitting around your house. I have one in my dining room that I put some Valentines day “Digi Artwork” in for the month of Feb. I liked it so much I decided to replace the Artwork monthly for holidays or seasons.
Here is the Feb artwork…

Here it is with the March “Artwork”…

So, your challenge for the month is to get some kind of digi design up in your house somewhere! Anyway you like. you can go the easy way like I did or make something else! Just get some Hybrid juice flowing!

Visit us in the Hybrid Challenge Forum and get your Craft on!

Oh, hey I just thought of something cute to share with you for St. Pattys Day! I guess this post will have a little project..lol..funny how I just though of this! Last night my daughter had to make “Something Sweet” and take photos of it for her 12th grade photography class.  With is being St. Patty’s Day she decided to make these…

The ingerdients…Marshmellows, White Choc Chips, yellow Food coloring and Green Sprinkles!

Melt the chocolate chips, add some yellow food coloring, dip the marshmallow in the melted chocolate and sprinkle on the green! Done! Sweet and cute!! Display them in a cute container with some little decorations. (I used my St. Pattys Day Felties.) It looks like a party! 🙂

Wouldn’t your kids love to have this for a special St. Pattys Day treat!

Happy St. Patty’s Day! Here is a pinch from me if your not wearing GREEN!

Fowers, Flowers, Flowers on Let’s Get Crafty Thursday!

It’s Thursday! Yea! Time to get crafty! Well, is wish I had time. I have been busy, busy this week. No time to get crafty yet! But, I will, Oh yes, I will. But, do not fear! We have other crafty ladies in our midst. One of our very own GingerScraps Designers has been making flowers, flowers and more flowers! Stephanie! I’m taking about you! You GingerScraps fans know her as the talented designer Scrappy Cocoa! But..not only is she a fab digi designer! She is a crafty goddess too! Look at all these cute little flowers…cute models too 🙂

Oh and her handsome little son even took his tired little sisters place as a model.

They look great in Mom’s hair too!

Steph even made this cool Flower Necklace.

Even cooler..she shows you all the steps you need to know to make your own on her blog! It’s really fun and pretty darn easy too! Pop over to her blog and make some of your own! You can check out all of her fabulous digi designs while you are there too 🙂

Happy Crafting!

“Clock” Plate on Let’s Get Crafty.

First off, before I start my Crafty Thursday post I want to say Happy Birthday to my best friend, my sister Ginger! She is the strongest, prettiest, smartest, best-est sister ever! Oh and make sure you scroll down to the post below to see a little Birthday Secret!

As I was browsing around some of my favorite crafty blogs the other day I came across this oh so pretty plate. I was like, Oh so cute. I could Hybridize that idea! So today for Let’s Get Crafty we are making a “Clock Plate”. It’s not a “Real” clock :). But, it is so pretty hanging on my wall. The original idea came from this lovely Blog HERE, Vintage Sky.

For my version the first step..well the second, the first was to go to the Thrift Store and find the perfect plate. Measure the plate and design a clock in Photoshop, or do what I did and find one in your digi stash! There are tons of kits that have clocks in them! The clock I used was a freebie I downloaded forever ago, by Digital Anemona. Re size to the size you need for your plate and print!

(Don’t mind those little squares at the bottom, those are for some scrabble tile necklaces I’m making)

Then cut it out and use some ModPodge to attach to your plate. Cover it with another layer of ModPodge to seal it.

It will dry clear.

When it’s dray make a little “hanger” on the back like this. I used my glue gun, but it came off a few days later..lol..so then I used super glue. That is holding so far!

Add a long piece of ribbon of lace to “hang” the plate. It’s really being held by the little tab we made. But it looks like it’s hung with the long pretty ribbon. Just tie the long piece to the short piece.

Ta DA! Here is the finished product.

Close up…

That’s it! Easy and cute!

Have a Crafty Thursday!

Jewelry Holder on Let’s Get Crafty!

Hi my little crafty friends. Today we are making some thing very pretty but very practical at the same time. I don’t know about you all, but my necklaces were a hot mess! I had them hanging on this really cute wire holder that sits on top of  my dresser. My boys are always messing with it and they are always getting knocked over. LOL. They were just all twisted up and getting broken. So, I went on a google search for Home made Jewelry Holders. There are a lot of options. This little tutorial will show you what I made. There are definitely a lot of different ways to make these Jewelry Holders, but this seemed like the best option for me.

First of all you will need to gather your supplies. You might even have some of this stuff laying around. If not, hit those thrift stores again! Everything I used I either had already or got it at the Thrift Store. You will need thses items.

Gather your supplies. My frame did not have a back so I had to create one out of cardboard. Then I placed the batting (I see that I forgot to put batting on the list, you need batting) on top of my cardboard and cut around it.

Like that. Glue the batting to the cardboard, or frame back if your frame has one. Then take your fabric and place the batting covered cardboard, batting side down on the fabric. Pull it tightly around to the back and glue with your glue gun. Take your trims and do the same this. Pull them around tightly and glue them to the back, Like this. Don’t glue the trin down on the front of the fabric. Only on the back.

Now if your frame had a back you can put it back on now. My frame did not have a back, so i got out the trusty old duck tape and taped on the back. It’s bright green duck tape too…haha, but no one needs to see the back right. I also put 2 cup hooks on the side for even more places to hang necklaces.

Now hang it on your wall and display all your pretties.  You can hang the necklaces from the trim, or stick pins into it and hang stuff there too. Hang them on the cup hooks too. The trim works great to clip hair clips onto also. Here is my Jewelry Hanger on my wall. See how the pretties hang right off of the trim. Cute huh.

Check out this Blog for even more Jewelry organizing ideas! There are tons! Have a great Crafty Thursday! Let’s Get Crafty people!

Let’s Get Crafty, Valentine Decorations!

It’s that time again! Time to get crafty!  Today I have a bunch of cute ideas for Valentine Decorations that you can make your self 🙂 For some reason I just love to decorate for Valentines Day. I guess it’s all the pink and red and hearts! So cute! Every year I seem to make something new to display in Feb. This year is made a couple of new things. These little home decor crafty items were all made with stuff I had around the house. I did not have to go and buy anything. Which is a good thing! I know I’m not made of money. Now, if you are thinking…I want to make something like that but I don’t have such and such around the house. Just to let you know, the things I did use all came from the Thrift store 🙂

The first thing I made was a cute little Family Photo Holder. I picked up two scrabble board games at a thrift store a while back. No, I do not play Scrabble..I just buy them to make projects. LOL.

Here are the items I used…Oh and a glue gun too…

And here is my Scrabble Tile Family Photo Holder.

The next thing I made was a cute little Valentine Garland for my window. For this one I just used some Hemp yarn, and old book (my Mom make purses out of books, so I took the insides of one of the books she tore up to make a purse) I cut some hearts out of the book pages. Then I strung a few together by poking holes into the hearts and threading the hemp yarn threw the holes, I took some mini wooden clothes pins and clipped the hearts to the “clothesline” that I strung in my window. I added the hearts that I had already made out of felt. Look how cute it is. And so easy to make! You can even take the really easy way out and instead of making the hearts out of felt get the “I Love You Felties” in the GingerScraps store, just print and cut out.

This one I just finished this morning. I saw this cute idea of the alphabet somewhere and thought it was so adorable. This is just a simple Hybird project. I used the Alpha from Happy New Year by GingerScraps(recolored), the Hearts, Wings and burgundy paper are from Angel Mail by, Wyld Web Designs and the craft paper is by GingerScrapsin the Life 365 paper pack.  Then I just printed and put it in a frame I got a Wal Mart forever ago.

So, there you have it! I made all three of those cute and fun Decorations with out even going to the store. LOL..They make my little home look so happy. Go make some for your self! Craft Time! Yea! See you next Thursday!

Let’s Get Crafty: Cutest Pedestal Goodie Stand

Have you missed me? It’s time to get crafty! Yea! I have missed doing these posts…it gives me an excuse to get crafty. Today is a fun one, and totally cheap..oh does that sound bad…how about inexpensive. That’s better. This whole project was my Mom’s idea, she is THE QUEEN of crafting. She does it all! She is amazing. I could do years worth of Crafty Thursdays with all the stuff she makes. This is where my sister Ginger and I get our artsy genes from. My Mom LOVES to make beautiful items that look like they came from one of those cute little boutiques, out of stuff she has around the house or finds at yard sales and thrift stores. She was the Queen of Up-Cycling before it became cool 🙂

So, this is what we are playing with today. Plates and candle holders. We probably all have one of those plates laying around that looks so cute but you never use it. And a mismatched candle holder. You just don’t want to throw away. Heck if you don’t just go to any Thrift Store. There are tons of super cute plates and candle holders you can pick up for next to nothing! My Mom took a bunch of her plates and candle holders she had gathered over the years and made them into the Cutest Pedestal goodie stand. Perfect to serve you yummy cookies, muffins, fruit, gosh everything looks great on these Pedestals!  Let me share with you some of the one’s my lovely Mother has created. Then I will show you step by step how we made mine 🙂

Here are my Mom’s creations…

Now aren’t those adorable! I just had to make one and I had the perfect plate. When my husband was in the Army we were stationed at Fort Bragg, in Fayetteville NC, lot’s of great memories there. One day I was looking around in my local Thrift Store..by the way, I’m in CA now. No where near Fayetteville, NC.  I found this plate that said Fayetteville NC on it! Can you believe that. All those years I lived there and I find the Fayetteville plate in CA. LOL. Of course I had to have it, and the price of .75 cents was just right! Now I have had this plate sitting in my cupboard for a while and when I saw my Mom’s Pedestals, I knew I wanted to do that with my special plate. Oh course my Mom had the perfect cream colored candle holder for me to use 🙂 Thanks Mom. Of course she got the candle holder at the Thrift Store too. So let’s get started.

First step (after you choose the perfect candle holder and plate that is) is to clean any dust off of your candle holder and plate. Then take some sandpaper or a sanding block and sand the bottom of the plate and the top of the candle holder. I used a sanding block.

Next, take some nail polish remover and clean it again real good removing any dust from the sanding.

Next you will want to lay your plate down with the front of the plate towards the table then lay your candle right in the middle of your plate. Get it nice and centered. Take a sharpie and draw a circle all the way around the candle holder.

It will look like this.

Take your glue, I used gorilla glue, it is super strong super glue. Don’t use the cheapo super glue. Get the good stuff. You an also use epoxy, but I didn’t want to deal with the mixing and mess, so I just used Gorilla Super Glue.

Put your glue on your plate right on the inside of the circle that you just drew. Like this. Be quick, it dries fast. And don’t use too much. Just enough.

Now, stick your candle holder right on top of the glue. Press it down and hold for like 20 seconds. You can wipe off the ink now too if you want.

Now to seal it even more for a nice smooth tight hold. We took some Aleene’s Jewel it glue and went all around the edges where the plate and candle holder meet. You could also use clear caulk. It works too. Just make a nice smooth bead all around the edge and smooth it with your finger.

Place a nice big book on the top for a while while the glue dries.

Now you have a beautiful Pedestal Plate Stand to place your yummy goodies on top of. Here is mine.

From the top. (Yes, I know my plate has a little chip, but it’s ok, it’s a special plate)

My kids ate all the cookies, but it looks great with fruit on it too 🙂

Now doesn’t that look easy and fun! Go out and make your own! Please share with us if you do! Have a happy Thursday and go get Crafty!

Let’s Get Crafty: Acorn Nativity

It’s time to get crafty! Who’s ready? OK…I’m not…hahaha. I haven’t had any time to craft in forever. But, I do have a really cute project to show you. It is my very favorite Christmas decoration. My daughter made this for me when she was about 11. She is 17 now. I pack it very carefully every year.

This is a project that you don’t really need any money for. When Kayla made this she just went searching around the yard at her Grandmas house. She found a few things in the craftroom and a little hot glue. She made this all on her own one afternoon. Came up with the idea in her own cute little brain. 🙂 I love it.

I know a lot of your kids would have fun making something like this. I know all my kids love Nature Crafts. You can find inspiration anywhere. Right in your own back yard!

Here is her “Acorn Nativity Scene”

And here are some close ups. Pretty darn cute isn’t it.

Now go out on a Nature Hike and make one for yourself!

Let’s Get Crafty: Old Jeans

OK..Wow, it’s Thursday! What a week! I am not prepared for this at all! LOL! I thought it was Wednesday! Ha Ha! Well, I don’t have a tutorial for you today. But, I’m sitting here thinking, what the heck can I post about. Hmmm…looking at both of my sons sleeping on the couches. I have some pretty cool couches…there is not one person in the world who has my couches.

Well, yes of course, they are “home made” It all started years ago, my Dad, he is funny about jeans. If he get a tiny speck on his jeans he won’t wear them anymore. But, my Mom, being the crafty queen of the family, thinks, I can’t just throw these away, someday we will do something great with all these jeans.

Then there is me, I love denim, my living room is blue and yellow. A few years ago I bought some denim couches. They were pretty cute when I first bought them, but after a while I realize, this is not very good fabric they used on these couches. It’s like the cheapest, thinnest denim. If you spill, it stains…not good for a house full of kids. Bummer…I was about to have my 4th baby. Company coming to stay, and these couches look like crap.

Mom..help me! My Mom, she is amazing. She can make something beautiful out of nothing. So, we start thinking, I really love the idea of my denim couches, but these need help. “Hey, Julie dear daughter, I have a huge box a your Dad’s jeans I have been saving for years, lets remake your couch with them!” So, we cut and pinned and stapled and sewed. Well, Mom did most of the work and I sat there huge as a house 9 months pregnent braiding the trim for the arms. 🙂

I love my Jean couches, there are even pockets on them. My little boys love to put their cars in the pockets. The cover zips off so I can throw them in the wash. They are indestructible…and that is saying a lot in my house!

So, I will stop babbling and show you….

Pretty funky aren’t they! I love them! We have a new coffee table and new desk, repainted the living room since we made these couches. But the couches live on! It’s like your favorite pair of comfy jeans…only bigger.

So, I hope this inspires you to reuse something you thought you might throw or give away in to something fabulous!

Of course, you can always start of with something simple like a purse.

Yes, even after making a whole couch, we still had enought jeans left over to make a few tote bags.