2x4 Steelers Snowman

Hi, my name is Shannon...and I'm a craft-o-holic! My husband has been reminding me lately just how out of control my obsesh tends to get in the wintertime and, in looking at my receipts as of late, I must say he's got a point (I hate that)! The solution??? Find random stuff and transform it into something else! I decided to start by using one of the pieces of wood I had recently found in my grandparents' shed. Here's how I turned a boring piece of lumber into a decorative snowman boasting my favorite, football team...

Materials:

-wood of any shape or size

-sandpaper

-white, spray paint

-black paint pen

-spray sealant

-orange felt

-black, permanent marker

-1/4 yard of fleece

-fabric scissors

-glue gun and glue sticks

-buttons or beads (I used plastic, football beads I happened to have on hand!)

Directions:

1. Sand the piece of wood, in order for paint to adhere effectively

2. Spray two coats of white paint, covering the wood completely.

3. Draw eyes and a mouth using a black, paint pen.

4. Spray one coat of sealant over the painted wood and let dry.

5. Cut a carrot shape out of orange felt and add detail using a permanent marker. Adhere to the face using hot glue

6. Cut a 9"x6" piece of fleece and wrap around the top of the wood to create the hat. Hot glue the seam where the fleece overlaps to secure it to the wood. Roll up about an inch of the fleece at the bottom of the hat and glue in place.

7. Cut a thin piece of  fleece about 6 inches long and tie around the middle of the hat. Using fabric scissors, fringe the top of the fabric into about 1/4" strips

8. Cut a piece of 4"x18" fleece. Wrap around the "neck" of the snowman and adhere to wood using hot glue. Cut fringe into the ends of the scarf.

9. Hot glue 3-5 beads or buttons to the wood

There you have it! Success! I just wish I could say the same for the football team it represents. Maybe next season...

Are You Ready for Some Football???

In honor of the fast-approaching football season and my beloved PITTSBURGH STEELERS' first pre-season game, I scoured the web and Pinterest for the coolest football-themed projects and snacks the Internet had to offer! Enjoy...and Let's go Steelers!!!

Football Onesie-Hoyby Crafts-could that model (my nephew, Royce) BE any cuter?

Shari's Berries sells these amazing chocolate-covered strawberries

How awesome are these nails?-Polish and Pearls

Helmet coasters for your fave team-Hatter And Hare Events blog

Football Windsock-The Wilson World blog

Spirit Fingers-Every Day is a Crafting Day

Football Pizza-Babble

Football Cross-sold by Positive Messages on Etsy

How To: Shrink Plastic jewelry

Remember Shrinky Dinks??? They’re not just for summer camp and sleepovers anymore, folks! I desperately needed a pair of Steelers earrings for a game I was about to go to, so I decided I would attempt to make them using the Shrinky Dink film I had recently purchased for funsies! Using permanent markers, a hole punch, and my oven, I created a pair of cute and game-worthy Steelers earrings in less than fifteen minutes!

Here are the instructions:

Materials:

-Permanent markers (I used red, yellow, blue, and black in standard tip and a black, fine point)

-Hole punch

-Shrinky Dink film

-oven

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Print out Steelers logo (I simply searched “Google Images” and enlarged it as needed) Note: Make sure the logo you choose is approximately 4-5 times the size of the finished product, as it will shrink significantly.

3. Placing the Steelers logo under the Shrinky Dink film, use permanent markers to trace and fill in the logo onto the film. You will obviously be making two of these to have a complete pair of earrings (unless you’re going for the pirate or Mr. Clean approach, in which case one is plenty!).

4. After the ink has dried on the film, cut out the logos, leaving extra room at the top of the logos as needed where you  wish to make holes

5. Use the hole punch to create a hole at the top of both logos

6. Place your completed logos on a wax paper-lined cookie sheet and bake for about 3 minutes.

7. Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and let the pieces cool

8. After pieces are cool, use needle nose pliers to attach an ear hook wire to each logo

Another example of jewelry made using Shrinky Dinks

How can I make Steelers earrings without repping for the Penguins, too?



Some festive Shrinky Dink earrings for Fall



Steelers Dog Bandana

Pittsburgh's furriest fan



Our dog, Reese, a nine-month-old golden retriever, often becomes a “model” for some of the crafts I make. While she is never fond of modeling, she will always put on a good show for peanut butter or string cheese (cheap date!).  As a Pittsburgh resident, I OBVIOUSLY love me some Pittsburgh Steelers! As a result, my poor puppy became the brunt of my Steelers-themed craft idea when the team went to the conference championships. I used yellow, black, and white ribbon scraps, along with my awesome mini Bowdabra® to make little hair bows that I put onto ribbon-lined alligator clips. Next, I got ¼ yards of Steelers fabric and cut out a large triangular shape, folding the straight edge of the triangle about 1” and sewing along the edge in order to slip Reese’s collar through the “bandana.”  Peanut butter and a fast camera enabled me to snip a quick picture of our girl in both of her accessories before the game began. Mission accomplished!!!

Our little "Reeseter" Bunny

Around Easter time, I used pinking shears on white and pink felt to make “Reeseter Bunny” ears. I hot glued white pipe cleaners to the backs of the ears to make them sturdy and flexible then folded them under and glued them to an elastic headband, which fit around her head long enough to sit for her cheese and allow me to quickly snap a picture to send to all of my friends. Good girl, Reese! Good girl!