Tissue Paper Flowers

What You Need

• Tissue paper in one or more colors
• Scissors
• Chenille stems or florist wire

Instructions

1. Stack eight pieces of unfolded tissue paper on top of one another, and cut them in half.
2. Take one stack of the tissue paper and fold one of the shorter edges down ½ to 1 inch from the edge. Make another fold the same size, but fold it back. Continue to make accordion-style folds until you’ve reached the other edge.
3. Use the scissors to round each end of the folded tissue paper. If you like, you can also cut a slit in the middle of each end.
4. Wrap a chenille stem or piece of floral wire around the center of the folded tissue paper, and twist to hold it together.
5. Very carefully, separate the layers of tissue from the ends to the center. Fluff as needed. Arrange some of your tissue paper flowers in a vase, glue them to a grapevine wreath, or use them to create a pretty centerpiece.

These easy-to-make spring decorations are great for welcoming the season without spending a lot of money. By creating your own décor, you can get your home all decked out for spring for less than you would pay for one or two ready-to-use items. So instead of going on a shopping spree, get creative!

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Craft: Soapmaking for Kids

Soap making is a fun and useful hobby. But making lye soap can be rather dangerous, so it’s not exactly suitable for children. However, that doesn’t mean that youngsters can’t get in on the soap making fun. There are other ways to make soap that are simpler and less hazardous. Here’s a recipe for glycerin soap that is appropriate for preschoolers and older.

What You Need

• Glycerin soap (either bars or blocks)
• Soap dye
• Soap mold
• Microwave safe container
• Spoon
• Knife

Instructions

1. Cut a bar of glycerin soap into three pieces. If using blocks, cut two or three pre-measured pieces. (Only an adult should do this step.)
2. Place the glycerin soap in the microwave safe container, and microwave for about 20 seconds or according to directions that came with soap blocks. Stir, and continue microwaving 10 seconds at a time until the soap is fully melted.
3. Add soap dye. For pastel colors, use only a few drops. For darker colors, keep adding dye until the desired color is achieved.
4. Pour the soap into the mold and set aside. Allow to harden for an hour.
5. Once soap has hardened and cooled completely, pop it out of the mold. If it is stuck, place it in the freezer for a few minutes and try again.

Tips

• Use caution when removing soap from the microwave, and stir carefully to eliminate air bubbles. Soap that is heated too long or unevenly can erupt out of the container, causing burns.
• If you prefer, you can melt the soap in a double boiler over low to medium heat.
• If you would like a scented soap, you can add a couple of drops of fragrance oil. Just make sure it’s safe for use on the skin, and remember that a little bit goes a long way.
• Want a layered bar of soap? Add color to half of the melted soap, pour it into the mold, and let sit for about 5 minutes or until a “skin” forms on top. Then slowly pour the rest of the liquid soap (mixed with another color of soap dye if you like) on top.
• You can make a swirled soap by waiting until you have poured the soap into the mold, adding drops of dye, and swirling with a toothpick.
• To make a simple yet elegant soap on a rope, pour half of the liquid soap into the mold, let sit for 5 to 10 minutes, and place a strand of beads on top. Then pour the rest of the soap on top of the beads and let cool completely. This makes a wonderful gift!

Craft: Winter Sun Catcher

Winter is most often associated with cold weather and snow. But even though it’s chilly outside, the sun still shines beautifully on some days. This frozen sun catcher takes advantage of both the sub-freezing temperatures and the sunshine to add beauty to your porch or lawn.

What You Need

• Water
• Food coloring in a color of your choice
• Shallow disposable aluminum pan (pie pans work nicely)
• Round orange slices
• Dried flowers
• Pressed pine needles
• Small pine cones
• Cranberries
• Sturdy twine
• Scissors

Instructions

1. Run enough water into a pitcher or bowl to fill the aluminum pan. Add food coloring until the desired color is achieved.
2. Pour colored water into the pan until it is about a quarter of an inch deep. Keep the rest of the water for later use. Place the pan in the freezer or outside overnight so that it freezes solid.
3. Cut two pieces of twine, each about a foot long. Place the end of one piece about halfway down one side of the ice, and run it along the side up to the top, leaving the remainder outside of the pan. Do the same on the other side with the other piece of twine.
4. Arrange the orange slices, flowers, pine needles, pine cones and cranberries on the surface of the ice. When you have arranged them to your liking, slowly pour another quarter inch of the colored water into the pan. The pieces might move around a bit when you pour the water in, but if you pour the water slowly, they shouldn’t move too much.
5. Place the pan back in the freezer or outside overnight so that the new layer of water will freeze into ice, locking your design in place.
6. Sit the sun catcher out in your home at room temperature until you can easily remove it from the mold. Or if you prefer, run warm water over the back of the pan until the sun catcher is released.
7. Find a nice spot outside, and tie the pieces of twine together to hang your sun catcher!

Tips

• For best results, use a light color of food coloring. Darker colors could soak into the orange slices and change their color.
• Keep in mind that the sun catcher will eventually melt. Consider putting it in a spot where it will be in the shade for at least part of the day to keep it looking good longer.
• If it’s nice and cold outside, consider doing the entire project on the porch or patio. That way you won’t have to move it after adding the decorations and the water, and the items won’t shift around as much.

Shoe Crafts for Kids

The right shoes can be the icing on the cake of a great outfit. Funky, embellished shoes are quite popular among the younger set. This provides a great opportunity to bring out kids’ creativity! Here are some shoe crafts that your kids will love (and that you can enjoy with them as well).

Paint Your Shoes

One of the simplest ways to make shoes unique is to paint them. This works well for many types of flip flops, as well as cloth sneakers. All you need is some fabric paint and a pencil to get started. Just draw your design on with a pencil, and when it’s just right, fill it in with paint.

For added flair, you could add some studs or colorful rhinestones. The stick-on kind may work, but they tend to come off easily, especially when you put them on something you’re going to wear. A Bedazzler will attach them much more securely.

Spruce Up Your Shoelaces

Snazzy shoelaces can add pizzazz to any pair of sneakers. You can easily tie-dye shoelaces by mixing two or more colors of fabric paint with an equal amount of warm water. Tie knots in the laces about an inch apart, then dip each individual section into the dye, alternating colors. This can get messy, so be sure to cover the work area and protect the kids’ clothing!

Make Your Own Charms

Shoelace charms look great on sneakers. There are kits available that have everything you need to make your own shoelace charms. You can also buy individual supplies at your local craft store or online.

For Crocs lovers, it’s easy to make your own snap-in charms. Using Fimo clay, you can make any kind of charm you can imagine. You can paint it with acrylic paint once it’s dry. There are also rubber plugs that you can buy online or in craft stores to glue to the back of any kind of charm. Using these, you can make charms out of virtually any type of material, including plastic, metal, and rubber.

Decorating your shoes is a fun way for kids to express their individuality. It’s also a great project to do with the family or friends. With just a few simple craft supplies, they can have hours of fun making their shoes unique.

Pottery: Apply Glazes Successfully

You’ve created a beautiful piece of pottery. You’ve painstakingly hand built or thrown it, and perhaps carved an intricate design in it. Now all that’s left to do is glaze and fire it.

Glazing pottery can be accomplished in several ways.

Here are the basics of each technique:

• Dipping – One of the simplest ways to glaze your pottery is to dip it. You simply put a medium-thick glaze into a container larger than the pottery and immerse your piece for a few seconds. This method is quick and easy, and it provides a nice, even coat. Another advantage of dipping is that it allows for the application of glaze to the outside of a pot and not the inside.
• Pouring – When glazing the interior of a piece of pottery, pouring is a common practice. Just like it sounds, it involves pouring glaze onto the pot. It is left there for a few seconds, then quickly poured back into the glaze container. The glaze used for this technique is of the same consistency as that used in dipping.
• Brushing – Glazes that are brushed on should be thicker than those for dipping or pouring. They are best applied with a synthetic sable brush. Brush marks should not be an issue, as glazes made to be applied with a brush are formulated to resist them.
• Sponging – Applying glaze with a sponge can produce a unique look. Fine-textured sponges make for a fairly uniform coating, while more porous sponges add character to the finished product.
• Spraying – Those who produce large quantities of pottery often prefer to spray on glazes. This may be done with a spray gun or an airbrush, and requires a fairly thin glaze. Spraying produces more safety hazards than other glazing methods, so it’s important to take the proper precautions. Spraying should be done in a spray booth with good ventilation, and the sprayer should always wear a respirator designed for such purposes.

No matter which method you use, it’s important to thoroughly clean your pot before you begin. You remove dust and debris with a damp sponge or stiff brush. Grease may be removed with a gentle dish detergent, but it must be rinsed off thoroughly before proceeding. All tools used to mix or hold the glaze should also be free of grease, dust and other debris.

Glazing is an important step in the creation of pottery. It seals the finished product, and it can add shine or color if so desired. It can even be used to create an interesting texture. Some potters use one method for all of their pottery, while others use different ones for different applications.

What to Consider When Setting Up a Pottery Studio

Some crafts require little or no extra space to participate. Pottery is not one of them. Depending on your technique and your attitude toward pottery, you could need a free corner in your home or an entire separate building. Here are some things to consider before you choose a space for your studio.

• Do you plan to handbuild or throw? The act of handbuilding does not require a great deal of space. Unless you plan to do it frequently, the kitchen table should be sufficient and can be cleaned up easily to be used for other purposes. But if you’re throwing pottery, you’ll need a space that’s large enough to accommodate the type of wheel you plan to use. And since throwing is significantly messier than handbuilding, you’ll probably want a dedicated room or building.
• Will you need to store lots of pieces? If you’re planning on selling your work, you’ll definitely need some storage space for it. You’ll also need some sturdy shelves to hold your finished products.
• Where will you store your materials and supplies? Again, this depends largely on how much you plan to produce. If you’re just creating a piece every now and then, a small shelf or drawer unit might work. If you will make several pieces a week, you may need an entire room.
• Will you have your own kiln? A kiln is not a necessity, because many pottery shops will fire pieces for their customers. But if you’re producing a lot of products, you’ll probably want your own kiln. If you do get a kiln, you’ll need a separate building. You’ll also have to put it in a location where it can be adequately ventilated. And you’ll need heavy-duty wiring to take care of its power needs.
• Adequate lighting is important in any craft, and pottery is no exception. If you’re working inside your home, lamps may be enough to compensate for poor overhead lighting if necessary. If you’re building a dedicated studio or converting an existing space, installing plenty of lighting is the best course of action.

As a general rule, you’ll need one watt of power dedicated to lighting for every two cubic feet. Multiply the length by the width of your space, and multiply the result by the height to get your cubic footage. Divide by two to determine how many watts of total lighting you’ll need, and install fixtures accordingly.

If you plan to pursue a career in pottery, your needs will be much different than if you just want to handbuild a piece every now and then. Carefully planning your studio will ensure that you have all of the space and resources you need without going overboard.

Crafting: Basic Pottery Tools

Pottery is a fulfilling hobby. The items you create can be very useful, or they can be beautiful works of art. Many pieces fit into both categories.

There are catalogs filled with nothing but pottery supplies. To those who are interested in giving it a try, this can be rather discouraging. But you don’t need an entire studio full of stuff to get started. Just some basic tools will be sufficient for your first projects. These include:

• Towels – Pottery is a rather messy craft, so keeping some good, absorbent cotton towels on hand is a must. These can be used for cleaning your hands, and you can also lay them across your lap when working with clay to keep your pants clean.
• Sponges – If you’re throwing pottery, sponges are essential. They are used for a number of purposes, but the most common are absorbing and distributing water. To start with, invest in a few large sponges made for use in pottery.
• Chamois – Small pieces of chamois are staples of the pottery studio. These are used to compress and smooth edges.
• Potter’s needles – Needles aren’t just for needlework. Potter’s needles are long and heavy, and unlike most types of needles, they have handles. These can be used in a number of ways.
• Cut-off wires – You can buy these at any potter’s supply store, but if you’re just getting your feet wet, there are suitable substitutes. These include fishing line and thin wires such as those used to make springs. Cut-off wires are used to cut clay and remove items from the wheel.
• Wire and ribbon tools – These tools also have a variety of uses. They are most often used in hand building, as they can easily be broken in throwing.
• Wooden modeling tools – These come in all sorts of shapes, and are most often used in hand building. Some may also be used in trimming.
• Brushes – Brushes are important in pottery, but just any old brush won’t do. Pottery brushes are designed to hold water and other liquids that are used in working with and painting clay.

You might think you need a potter’s wheel, but that’s not necessarily true. For your first few projects, hand building is usually the best way to go. This will help you get a feel for pottery without making a large investment. As for kilns, you can usually find a pottery shop in your area that will fire your creations for you. Once you’ve gotten your feet wet and decided that pottery is something you would like to pursue, you can start looking at these more expensive pieces of equipment.

As with any hobby, it’s best to start with the basics when trying out pottery. If you find that it’s not for you, you can sell some of your tools to someone else. And if you do enjoy it, you’ll have a good start toward a complete pottery tool collection.

How to Make a Beachwood Photo Holder

A trip to the beach is sure to create some lasting memories. The feel of the sand between your toes, the smell of the ocean and the warm beach sunshine are things that must be experienced to be appreciated. But once your vacation is over, photos can bring those sensations back quickly.

Many beach goers file their pictures away in a shoebox or photo album somewhere and forget about them. Some place them in cheap frames or pin them up on a bulletin board to enjoy every day. But don’t your treasured beach photos deserve better than that? This beachwood photo holder will do them justice while serving as a nice decorative touch for any room.

To get started, you’ll need a large piece of driftwood found on the beach. It should be fairly flat and have plenty of character. The other supplies you’ll need include:

• Tacky glue
• Wooden clothespins
• Scrub brush
• Shells, starfish and other beach findings
• Drill
• Piece of strong twine, around a foot long

Instructions

1. Clean your driftwood with the scrub brush. Try to remove all debris while maintaining the original look of the wood.

2. Glue clothespins to the driftwood a few inches apart. Be sure to leave enough room for your photos. Gluing the clothespins at various angles adds a casual and whimsical touch.

3. Arrange embellishments such as seashells, starfish and beach glass as you like on the driftwood. Glue and let dry.

4. With a pencil, lightly mark the horizontal center of the photo holder about a half inch from the top. Then measure and mark 4 inches to the right of the center and 4 inches to the left of the center.

5. Drill holes in the last two spots you marked. Tie one end of the twine through each hole to make a hanger.

Tips

* If you used a heavy piece of wood, you may need something stronger than twine to hold it up. Try straightening out a wire coat hanger, bending it in the middle and hooking it through the holes.

* If you want to preserve the rustic look of the driftwood, it’s best to leave it unpainted. But if you want to make it match your décor, add a coat of paint in a muted color.

* Artistic types could paint a beach scene on the photo holder before adding clothespins and other embellishments. Use your photos for inspiration.

* If you prefer a collage, omit the clothespins. Cut your photos into various shapes and stick them to the driftwood with Mod Podge. Let dry, then cover with another coat of Mod Podge before adding three-dimensional embellishments.

Crafts: How to Make a Seashell Candle

Seashells are a favorite souvenir of beach goers. If you’re willing to look for them along the ocean side, they don’t cost a penny. These beautiful products of nature make great souvenirs and gifts on their own, and they can also be used in all sorts of craft projects.

Have you ever seen those candles that are adorned with seashells? They can be quite expensive in stores. But you can easily make your own seashell candle at a fraction of the cost. These go well with virtually any décor, and they can also serve as decorations at beach-themed parties and weddings.

Supplies

• Cheap white pillar candle
• Hot glue gun
• Small seashells
• Water
• Bleach
• Bucket
• Old toothbrush

Instructions

1. Make a solution of 1 part bleach to 10 parts water in a small bucket. Place the shells in the bucket and scrub them with a toothbrush to remove debris. Rinse thoroughly.

2. Place the candle on a pillar candle holder or some other surface that will not be harmed by melted wax.

3. Plug in the hot glue gun and allow time for it to heat up. Do not place a glue stick in it. Hold it over a piece of newspaper and squeeze the trigger so that any excess glue comes out.

4. Find a spot on the candle where you want to place a seashell. Place the tip of the glue gun on that spot and squeeze the trigger so that the wax melts. Move it around to melt a spot large enough to hold the shell.

5. Press the shell into the melted wax. Hold until the wax hardens enough to keep the shell in place.

6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 until you have placed as many seashells as you like on the candle.

If you prefer to have your seashells inside of the candle, you’ll have to pour your own instead of using a store-bought one. The easiest way to do this is to make a jar candle. Here’s how.

Supplies

• Pint jar
• Candle wick
• Paraffin or soy candle wax
• Seashells
• Double boiler

Instructions

1. In a double boiler, cut the candle wax into small pieces. Heat slowly until all wax is melted.

2. Dip the candle wick into the melted wax. Let harden, and repeat several times to give it an even coating.

3. Pour a small amount of wax into the bottom of the jar. Place the candle wick into the jar, making sure it’s centered.

4. While holding the wick straight up, place some shells into the jar. Pull the wick firmly, yet not so hard that it pulls loose from the bottom of the jar. Try to keep the shells away from the center, and don’t add too many at a time.

5. Pour wax up to the top of the shells. Add more shells and repeat until the jar is filled. Let wax harden.

Crafts: How to Make a Takeaway Beach

A trip to the beach can be the highlight of one’s summer. Children are especially captivated by the sand, water and beautiful scenery. When it’s time to go home, they may not want to leave. And for that matter, you might wish you could stay, too!

Moving to the beach might not be an option. But you can take a little piece of the beach with you when you go home. Collecting seashells, driftwood and other beach findings is a fun way to commemorate your vacation. And when you get home, these items can be used to make your very own beach… inside of a jar. Here’s how to make this simple yet meaningful craft project.

Supplies

• Glass jar with lid
• Glass cleaner
• Paint pen
• Sand
• Seashells
• Pebbles
• Small bits of driftwood
• Pieces of sea glass
• Craft glue

Instructions

1. Remove any labels from the jar and wash thoroughly. If part of a label is particularly stubborn, try using a scraper blade and/or rubbing alcohol to remove it.

2. Use glass cleaner to remove fingerprints and any remaining glue from the jar.

3. Use the paint pen to paint the name of the beach you visited on the side of the jar, near the bottom. Add some beach-inspired designs such as starfish, palm trees or ocean waves if you like.

4. Pour some sand into the jar. The amount is up to you, but try not to add so much that it overpowers the other items you will be adding.

5. Drop lots of seashells, pebbles, driftwood and sea glass into the jar. You can fill it up to the top or leave some empty space.

6. Pick out some favorite shells and sea glass to adorn the outside of your takeaway beach. Arrange them to your liking on the lid, glue on with craft glue and let dry. If you like, you could also glue some pieces of sea glass onto the jar itself.

7. Place the lid on the jar.

Your “beach in a jar” can serve a number of purposes. You could give it as a gift to someone who wasn’t able to go with you. You could use it as a paperweight. If you used a large jar, it could double as a doorstop. Or you could simply place it on a shelf somewhere that you will see it each and every day.

Trinkets from the beach souvenir shop are nice. But something that holds memories of your unique experience at the beach is far more nostalgic. Your takeaway beach will remind you of the fun you had for many years to come.