Candy Cane and Washi Tape Valentine Centerpieces

Does anyone else ever forget that they purchased candy canes at Christmas time, only to find them all as soon as Christmas is over? Ooops! If  I had a nickel for every candy cane I threw away after cleaning up decorations...Ergh!!! This year, I was determined to find some way to reuse these delightfully-shaped candies and save them from the dreaded trash can once and for all! Using washi tape, pencils, and my handy, dandy hot glue gun, I was able to transform those bad boys into pieces for a cute, Valentine's day centerpiece that is now proudly displayed in my home. Check out how below:

Materials:

-candy canes (I used 6 to create 3 hearts)

-washi tape

-unsharpened pencils

-glue gun and glue sticks

Directions:

1. Place two candy canes together to create a heart shape. Wrap the candy canes together and both ends using washi tape.

2. Wrap washi tape around the candy canes, covering them competely

3. Place hot glue at the bottom of the heart and adhere the eraser end of a pencil. Let dry

4. Wrap the pencil with washi tape

5. After heart sticks are completed, arrange them in a vase with conversation hearts for super cute V-day decorating!

Ribbon Turkey Vase

With turkey day fast approaching, I thought I'd add a little throwback project into the mix! While putting out Thanksgiving decorations, I came across this little gem I made a few years back for an online competition run by The Dollar Tree (2nd place, what what?!?!) using items found at their stores. The coolest part? The vase used as a base for this project gives this turkey a huge number of possibilities: add lights for extra sparkle, use it as a candy holder, the sky is the limit! Here's how to  make an adorable gobbler of your own:

Materials:

-scissors   
                                    
-1/2” width red ribbon spool                      

-1 ½” width brown ribbon         

-glue gun and sticks

-1 ½“ width orange ribbon

-pipe cleaners                     
      
-large google eyes

-glass vase

Instructions:

 

1.    Wrap brown ribbon around the glass vase in a criss-cross fashion, adding dots of hot glue to secure

2.    Cut two “wings” out of brown ribbon and glue to the sides of the vase.

3.    Using the brown and orange ribbon, cut four feather shapes out of each color. Cut pipe cleaners to the length of the feathers and glue along the middle of each “feather” so that they are now sturdier and more flexible (the pipe cleaner side of the feather will be facing away from the turkey when pieced together)

4.     Fan out the brown and orange feathers and glue towards the opening of the vase on the side that you have designated to be the back of the turkey.

5.   Using the orange ribbon, cut off a 4” piece and fold in half without creasing. Glue the ends of the ribbon together to form the turkey’s “beak” and glue the opposing end of the ribbon to the front of the vase near the opening.

6.    Fold and glue red ribbon into “B” shape and glue beside the beak for the “gobbler”

7.    Glue google eyes toward the top of the vase

Wine Bottle to Beach House Vase

While I'm not a huge wine drinker (particularly not in these past 39 weeks at all, haha!), I love all of the options that the use of its container provides! The list of projects you can make out of their corks is limitless, as are those you can make out of the bottles. In my case, I really liked the pale blue color of this particular wine bottle, so I wanted to do something that would still show bits of that color (which happens to be my favorite) and give it a sort of distressed feel. Using Modge Podge and square pieces of tissue paper, I simply applied a layer of Modge Podge bit by bit then covered the bottle in tissue squares before applying another layer. I repeated this process two more times in order to get the textured effect shown in the picture. Currently, I use it as a decorative flower holder displayed on my bannister.

http://webecoist.momtastic.com/2011/02/28/booze-it-up-13-rad-recycled-bottle-crafts-projects/

Light-Up Ribbon Vase Turkey

 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Here are instructions for one of my favorite craft projects. This light-up turkey was created out of objects purchased at the Dollar Tree and entered into their Flair for Crafts contest last year. I had such a blasty-blast taking trips through the store and brainstorming various ideas for projects that it inspired me to create many, many other Dollar Tree-inspired crafts. Mark my words, there will be a book someday!!!

Materials Needed:

-scissors     
                                      
-1/2” width red ribbon spool                      

-1 ½” width brown ribbon         
      
-glue gun and sticks

-1 ½“ width orange ribbon     
        
-battery-operated light strand

-pipe cleaners                       
        
-large google eyes

-glass vase

Instructions:

1.    Wrap brown ribbon around the glass vase in a criss-cross fashion, adding dots of hot glue to secure

2.    Cut two “wings” out of brown ribbon and glue to the sides of the vase.

3.    Using the brown and orange ribbon, cut four feather shapes out of each color. Cut pipe cleaners to the length of the feathers and glue along the middle of each “feather” so that they are now sturdier and more flexible

4.     Fan out the brown and orange feathers and glue towards the opening of the vase on the side that you have designated to be the back of the turkey.

5.   Using the orange ribbon, cut off a 4” piece and fold in half without creasing. Glue the ends of the ribbon together to form the turkey’s “bead” and glue the opposing end of the ribbon to the front of the vase near the opening.

6.    Fold and glue red ribbon into “B” shape and glue beside the beak for the “gobbler”

7.    Glue google eyes toward the top of the vase

8.    Place the battery-operated light strand into the vase and watch it glow!!!

Initial Vase

Bridesmaid gift from my sister

This next set of props goes out to my little sister, Kyra (who, if I haven’t mentioned it a million times already, is expecting her first baby, a little boy, in September). For her wedding, she made each of her six bridesmaids vases in her wedding colors (purple and green) using glass blocks (which you can do a GILLION things with, by the way). She sponge-painted the outsides of each vase with a light purple, acrylic paint. After the paint dried, she then stenciled our respective first initials onto the vases in a darker purple, tied a green ribbon in a small bow on the bottom of the vase, and placed a lime green, gerber daisy into it. It is currently sitting on my night stand, and I intend to keep it around for a very long time to come. Thanks again, sissybabes!!!



The options for these things are limitless and they come in all shapes and sizes

 

Another view of the super cute vase



My sister, Kyra---looking adorable and ready to POP!!!



Blossoming Tree Centerpiece



I am all about designing on a dime, so I decided to borrow from the bounty of free items Mother Nature has to offer. Using a square vase that I have had forever, I filled it with a variety of “river rocks” (that I couldn’t find in nature, so I bought from a dollar store) and placed three of my favorite branches found outside into the vase. To make the flowers, I used five sheets of tissue paper that I folded like a fan and cut into 4” pieces (for smaller flowers). I used jewelry wire to wrap around the center of each tissue paper fan, leaving a tail of wire to be used later. Carefully pull each layer of tissue paper toward the wire in the center on one side and do the same to the opposite side. Once your flower is completed to your satisfaction, use the wire to twist around any part of the branch you would prefer. Repeat this process until your “tree” is decorated the way you want.

In case you’re as much of a visual learner as I am, here is a link showing how to make a variation of tissue paper flowers somewhat like mine. http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Tissue-Paper-Flowers