Magnetic Play and Decorate Snowman

Recently, I had the opportunity to be a guest host at My Craftily Ever After, where I shared a tutorial for this Magnetic Play and Decorate Snowman. Not only is it a great decoration to get you through the winter, but it also doubles to give your little ones the opportunity to manipulate its parts in any way they choose. If that's not enough, most of the materials used for this project can be found at home or purchased at your local dollar store. In fact, the entire project cost me under $3.00! Here's how you can make one of your very own...

Materials:

-stove burner cover set (I found mine at my local Dollar Tree and got a 2 piece set for $1 in 8" and 10" diameters!)

-white, acrylic paint

-foam brush

-hot glue gun/glue sticks

-3-5 large buttons

-1 sheet of black foam

-felt sheets or scraps-orange (nose), red (trim of hat), black (eyes and mouth)

-material for scarf (approx. 18" in length)

-brown, pipe cleaners (3)

-magnetic strips or discs

Instructions:

1. Paint the insides of the burner covers with white paint (they actually are already off-white in color, so you could leave it as is, if you want. I chose to make them more of a snowy white).

2. Using black foam, cut out a top hat for your snowman. Embellish the hat with a strip of felt in any color your little heart desires.

3. Cut out a carrot nose using orange felt. Create eyes and a mouth out of black felt (or any color you'd like-Its your snowman, Go nuts!)

4. Cut two, brown, pipe cleaner in half. Wrap one half around the end of another pipe cleaner to create a branch-like arm. Repeat this step to create the opposite arm. Hot glue the arms to the front of the large, burner cover, placing felt scraps over the ends of the cleaners to adhere.

5. Place magnetic strip or discs on the backs of the carrot nose, eyes, buttons, and mouth with hot glue

6. Using hot glue, create a loop at one end of the ribbon and glue to the back of the felt hat. Below the hat, place hot glue on the ribbon and adhere the front of the smaller burner cover to it.

7. Below the small burner cover, tie the material around the ribbon to make it look scarf-like. Under the scarf, place hot glue on the ribbon and adhere the front of the larger burner cover to it. Trim any excess ribbon below the large burner cover.

8. Encourage your little ones to arrange the magnetic pieces to the snowman however their little hearts desire and hang to display!

Hope you've all enjoyed a wonderful, holiday season and are ready to begin a crafty, new year!!!

Bunny Bag (template included)

Last Easter, I posted these adorable bunny bags and thought I would revamp them a little and post them again this year! The best news? I have made it even simpler by creating a printable (includes ears, nose, and four paws) that you can simply print and cut out and then adhere to the bag! Doesn't get any simpler than that, and its perfect for a last minute, Easter craft!

Materials:

-bunny printable

-scissors

-white paper bag

-double-sided tape

-black permanent marker

1. Print out bunny template.

2. Cut out bunny ears, nose, and feet (I cut out the black lines, as I don't like the overall look with them)

3. Using double-sided tape, adhere the ear, feet, and nose pieces to the bag. Adhere google eyes and draw on a mouth, teeth, and whiskers with a black, permanent marker to complete!

Hope you've enjoyed all my bunny-inspired crafts and that you have a wonderful, Easter holiday filled with family, fun and lots of CHOCOLATE!!!

$1 Elmo Bucket (template included!)

The time has finally come...my child is officially on the Elmo bandwagon! Don't get me wrong, we still love Disney Junior and all of the characters that come with it, but after a few times watching that furry, red monster on tv and one Ipad app later, Claire is now one of so many millions of children who simply can't get enough of Sesame Street's cutest resident! When I discovered this cute red bucket at the Dollar Tree, it took me just seconds to figure out exactly what I would use it for!

Using felt scraps and a low-temp glue gun, I cut out eyes, a nose and mouth and adhered them to the bucket. I am including a printable template for those of you who would like to make an Elmo bucket of your very own! 

Once the bucket was hers, Claire has used it for everything imaginable...storing crayons and coloring books, a hat for herself and the dog (who was not a fan), a chair, a boat...you name it, she's done it! Stay tuned in the upcoming months for other Elmo-themed crafts, as it will be our 2nd birthday party theme!

Button Shamrock Pin

Ok, seriously, how is it March already??? I literally closed my eyes and February was over; not that I'm complaining, because Mother Nature has not been kind to us here in Western PA, but wow! With that being said, let's get some St. Patty's Day craft-ness going! First up is this ridiculously simple and insanely cute shamrock pin made of buttons...

Materials:

-four, green buttons, approximately the  same size

-glue gun/glue sticks

-green ribbon, cut to about 4"

-flat-backed pins (typically sold in the jewelry-making sections of craft stores)

Instructions:

1. Glue together two buttons diagonally together as shown in the picture below

2. Glue on a third button (picture below)

3. Glue fourth button to the bottom of the shamrock

4. Glue flat part of the pin to the back of the buttons near the center

5. Fold ribbon in half and glue open ends together

6. Glue ribbon to bottom of buttons so that loop of the ribbon is shown as the stem of the shamrock. 

Warning...There WILL be glue gun strings! Use a hair dryer to get rid of any loose strings! Make a bunch of these and pass them out to co-workers, secretaries, neighbors, etc. So simple, but they'll love them! And, as always, send me pics of what you make!

Peek-A-Boo Heart Mason Jar

Have you tried the Martha Stewart glass paint yet? I recently had the opportunity to try it out for myself to decorate this peek-a-boo heart, mason jar, and it rocked! Here's how I did it...

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Materials:

-Mason jar

-Martha Stewart glass paint (I bought the "Fine Glitter-Translucent" in "Copper," but the options are insanely unlimited!)

-foam brush

-contact paper

-scissors

-washi tape

-red burlap or other fabric 

-cardstock

-printer

-"You have a heart of gold" printable labels

-cinnamon candies

-ribbon

-scalloped scissors

Directions:

1. Cut a heart shape out of contact paper. Peel off paper backing and place flat onto mason jar.

2. Use foam brush to cover jar entirely with paint (use up and down strokes for consistency, as the paint is very translucent and everything shows up!) I painted three coats total to get the look I wanted.

3. After paint is completely dry, carefully peel off contact paper

4. Place red, washi tape around ring of mason jar

5. Place a 4"x4" piece of burlap or fabric over jar lid and cut around the lid to make a circle a little larger than the lid itself.

6. Place cinnamon candies in jar for added Valentine-y color

7. Place burlap covered lid onto the mason jar and screw on rin

8. Print out a cute label like THIS ONE onto cardstock, cut out with fancy scissors and tie it around the jar using curling ribbon.

Done-skis! Claire and I will be passing these out to our super, awesome neighbors to remind them they are loved and admired! Can't wait!!!

Revamped Stocking Hangers

 

As much as I love my house and am grateful for it, Christmastime makes me realize each year how much I regret not having a fireplace to display stockings, decorations, flowers, etc., not to mention having to eventually explain to Claire how Santa gets gifts into our house without a chimney. Good thing I have some sweet, improvisation skills! I have always wanted to use weighted stocking hangers that can be found at any department or craft store but refuse to pay the prices they typically ask. Fortunately for me, I have a dollar store within 2 miles of my house (Yikes!) and a surplus of craft supplies to adapt my findings. See for yourself...

I found these little gems for $1.00 each and, while they are definitely not my style, I could definitely see their potential, so I got crackin' (literally...I had to really do some breakage to adapt these the way I wanted)!

Materials:

-stocking holders

-washi tape (I used red and green for festive funsies)

-small frames (mine were about 2"x3")

-glue gun/sticks

-scissors

Directions:

1. Remove the decorative tops of the stocking hangers (may need to use some tough love to really get the job done)

2. Wrap washi tape around the base of the hanger, starting with the hook itself. Cover the base with tape entirely, using scissors to cut any excess.

3. Remove backing and glass from frame. Cover the front and sides of the frame with washi tape.

4. Replace glass and back of frame and glue the top of the frame to the base of the stocking holder. Note: The opening of the frame should be available to insert pictures.

Q

5. Print and insert pictures into frames and proudly display!