Are You Crafty?

Making Cool Jewelry Out of Stretch Cord

Carol Fuller — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 19:53:14 +0000

Did you know that making jewelry is a cinch? You don’t need any special tools, metal hoops or complicated string. Stretch cord jewelry is popular and it’s easy to make. Some of it so professional looking that it can compare to store bought jewelry costing upwards of $50.
This is great thing to make for Christmas presents, gifts or even just for friends and family. Your kids will be able to easily make this jewelry and you can use this opportunity as a parent to spend quality time with your daughter.

All you need to make a stretch cord bracelet is clear stretch cord, scissors, and your choice favorite beads of varying sizes. You can also opt to get crimp beads and a pair of flat nose pliers. This adds a little bit of a finishing touch and ensures that your bracelet will not come apart. You can easily make a necklace, anklet or even ring with just these simple, affordable tools.

Many people already know how to bead, but the simplest way is to cut a piece of stretch cord about two inches more than you need and anchor one side of the cord with tape or a heavy container. Once you have done this making your choice of bracelet or necklace is up to you. If you are making this as a gift for family or friends you may want to find out their favorite colors and personalize your gift.

If you aren’t using a crimp bead to secure your bracelet or necklace, simply tie a reef knot to pull tightly to set the bracelet. You can cover the knot with clear nail polish to give it extra durability. This process is the same for necklaces and rings. If you do decide to use a crimp bead, insert the small metal tube through the string in opposite ways. When finished the metal tube has both strings in it in an X formation. Once you have done this simply clamp the pliers to the crimp bead and squeeze. The metal tube will collapse and lock the string in place.

Now go have some fun making jewelry for the whole family.

Go Crazy With The Top Halloween Costumes for 2010

Carol Fuller — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 01:44:28 +0000

It still feels like summer, but Halloween is just around the corner and if you want to have the hottest and best costume for you or your children now is the time to start looking. Halloween is a great time to think outside the box and become someone totally different.

Children love Halloween because they love to dress up and they love to eat candy. Adults also like Halloween because there are a ton of parties to go to and a great opportunity to have tons of fun. If you want to stand out from the crowd, then picking the perfect Halloween costume is your mission.

Take this opportunity to explore all the possible ideas for a great costume. Here are some sure fire ideas that will get you or your children noticed in 2010.

If your children have a hard time deciding what to be for Halloween, it’s always a good idea to start at what kinds of movies or toys they like. Toy Story 3 is a huge success at the box office so the classic Buzz Lightyear and Woody will make another appearance at Halloween.

Super heroes are also a huge thing this year. Batman or Superman or Spiderman will be a hit all around. To kick it up a notch, you and your child can design your own super hero, like in the movie Kick Ass, and be the talk of your class. Another huge success at the box office was Iron Man and what boy doesn’t want to be Iron Man? It’s flashy, fun and current.

If your children is into wizardry and witches, why not dress up at Harry Potter or Hermione Granger? Harry Potter is coming out with a new movie this year and I’m sure kids all around can’t wait to see it.

If your child is not into big box office movies, but prefers music sensations why not have them dress up as their favorite singing artists. By far the top favorite is Miley Cyrus or Hannah Montana. Many children love High School Musical and aspire to be in it.

Why not dress up as Zac Efron’s character Troy or Vanessa Hudgens character Gabriella?

Now that you have an idea for your child, what about yourself and your partner? A great thing many couples do that is super popular is dress up as famous couples.

For example, Barbie and Ken or Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. If you want to be more contemporary and controversial, go for Hollywood couples like the ill fated Kate and Jon Gosselin or Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.

Go for some comedy and dress up as Sarah Palin and Joe Six Pack. If you are single there are plenty of costumes to choose from. By far the most popular costumes right now is Lady Gaga, Michael Jackson, Alice in Wonderland, Britney Spears and Sookie and The Situation from Jersey Shore.

So have fun this year and go all out!

The Kids Are Out of School – Summer Crafts and Game Ideas

Carol Fuller — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 18:41:49 +0000

Summer has officially begun and your kids are already bored. Summer camps or swimming class don’t begin until mid month so now is the time to keep your kids occupied with fun crafts and games. I’m sure it’s easier to plunk them in front of the TV or let the WII babysit them, but all children need stimulation and learning opportunities. Here are some activities and games for primary children between the ages of 5-10.

Theme Day or Theme Week

Find a topic your child has an interest in. It could be dinosaurs, frogs, trains, space, flowers or puppies. You can create a whole theme day or even week around this topic. Find coloring sheets for coloring, go to the library and find books on this special topic. You can even get some modeling clay and create your animal or flower or train. Have fun with this and make your child love to learn. If possible, find a movie or tv show about this topic to watch at the end of the day or week.

Gardening

Gardening is such a fun and bonding experience to have with your children. Even little boys wouldn’t mind gardening if they had some choice. Create a morning or half day with this activity. Go to your local gardening store and have your child pick out some flowers or bushes they want for the garden. You can even get a planter and they can have their own little garden. This will teach them different kinds of flowers, herbs, and which ones will grow again and which ones die at the end of summer.

It’s Summer so why not do a Lemonade Stand?

This is a great opportunity to learn about money, community and responsibility. What profit they earn they can either save it or spend it on anything they want. Your children can paint the sign and decide where they want to have the stand. Giving your children choice will in turn make them enjoy the activity and have fun with it.

Water Balloon and Water Slides

On hot days why not make water balloons and have a water balloon fight? Put on your swim suit and have a blast in your backyard. Throw in the water slide and you have a party. Kids can spend hours with water. It’s fun and healthy and better than having them sit and watch cartoons all day.

Share with the community

Have your kid do some baking and hand them out to hospital staff or homeless shelters. The summer is a great opportunity to be apart of your community and to learn about others. Don’t let your kids take for granted all that they have. Do a summer clean out and donate clothes, toys and items no longer used. Show the children where these items go to in order to make a strong connection.

These are just some activities and games for the summer and kids of all ages should enjoy. Have fun!

Mother’s Day Crafts To Make Mom Feel All Warm And Fuzzy

Carol Fuller — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 16:47:41 +0000

Mother’s Day is soon approaching and now is the time to get your kids thinking about doing a Mother’s Day craft. There are many to choose from so what are the best crafts you can do easily and economically? Your little one may even have a craft they want to make, or maybe it was something they were taught at school, or even saw a friend do. When in doubt, here are some fun and simple crafts anyone can make from the heart.

Potpourri ball – Get mom’s old stocking and cut the top off until you have the foot and a little of the leg. Have your child fill the netting with scented potpourri and dried flowers. Tie it with a beautiful ribbon and even add a string so that it can be hung in the kitchen or bathroom.

Make your own unique mug – Either go to the hobby store and buy a mug-painting kit, or if it just a one time thing or a family outing, go to a painting craft store and paint a mug for mom on Mother’s Day. Even if your child is young, most kids can’t resist the urge to paint and mom will surely treasure it for years to come. Coffee has never tasted so good.

A heartfelt Mother’s Day card – What better way to show your affection than with a homemade card? It’s simple and heartfelt, and considering the economy these days, it makes great financial sense, although don’t tell your little one that. Have your son or daughter choose the paper to use and they can decorate it however they want. It’s a good way to practice printing and spelling skills too. Cards like these will be kept for years to come. I know my mother still has every single card I made her when I was a little girl.

Make it a family thing. Start a tradition on Mother’s day. Have dad help the kids cook breakfast for mom on Mother’s Day. Have your children make fresh squeezed orange juice or crack the eggs for french toast. Let mom sleep in and make the day all about mom.

Children will love to give their mom breakfast and presents in bed. Teach your children the importance of having a mother and ways to show her that you love her.

Fun And Traditional Easter Crafts for the Whole Family

Carol Fuller — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 09:41:18 +0000

Easter is closer than you think and now is the time to start decorating your place with Easter crafts. Sure, your little one loves to do Easter crafts, but even if you don’t have children, doing Easter crafts is fun and purposeful. It decorates your house or apartment and gets you in the festive mood. Here are some easy but fun crafts to do yourself or with your family.

Painting Easter Eggs

Who doesn’t like to decorate an easter egg? There are many ways to do this. You can hard boil them or poke a small hole in the egg and drain the yolk out. If you do drain them out you can rinse them with water and soap and let them dry. Then you can fill them with confetti and close up the hole with some glue and tissue paper. Then you can decorate the outside of the egg with dye, markers or stickers. Have fun! When done place them in a basket on your table.

Bunny Mask

Children love to wear masks so why not make a bunny mask for them to decorate? It’s simple. You can find templates anywhere on the web so just search for them. Stencil a template on construction paper or a paper plate. Have your little one cut them out and decorate. Then get some string and poke some holes in the mask. Your little one will have lots of fun running around pretending to be a bunny.

Olympic Crafts To Celebrate The 2010 Olympics

Carol Fuller — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 01:52:57 +0000

The 2010 Winter Olympics is just around the corner so why not celebrate with crafts? Whether you have kids or don’t you can make your own 2010 Olympic craft. All you need is some scissors, glue, glitter, pencil crayons and some creativity and watch out!

2010 Olympic Craft Ideas

Make An Olympic Torch -All you need is white construction paper, red and yellow tissue paper and clear tape. Just roll the white paper into a cone, tape it and stuff it with tissue. Have fun with it by making your own backyard games.
Gold Medals – With some cardboard and paint you can make some great Gold, Silver and Bronze medals. Your kids will love competing for those medals.
Olympic Flags – Whether toy sized or life sized, an Olympic flag is a great way to celebrate the 2010 Olympics.
2010 Glasses – Remember those glasses they gave out for New Years? Well I hope you didn’t throw them away! You can use them for the Olympics! Decorate with Olympic colors and with a Maple leaf to celebrate Canada.

Valentine's Day Crafts

Carol Fuller — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 04:28:02 +0000

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and if you love doing crafts, now is the time to gather up your supplies. You shouldn’t wait until the last minute to gather art supplies or even baking supplies. If your little ones want to do some crafts make sure to ask them what they like to do. Have them pick the craft supplies or at least give them a choice. If you are stuck on Valentine’s Day crafts, here are some great ideas to do with your family.

Valentine’s Day Crafts

Baking is a great way to get your kids involved. Kids love to make cookies or brownies. Why not add a Valentine’s day touch to them? Make heart shaped sugar cookies and when they cool off have your children decorate them. Or, make brownies and drizzle pink icing and scatter candy hearts on top.
Do a twist on Valentine’s Day cards. Everyone loves to get a Valentine’s day card, why not make some yourself? This will allow you to be creative and unique in your design. For example, instead of card stock why not use a colorful paper bag or wrapping paper?
Valentine’s Day Hearts – There are many crafts available for V-Day hearts. Make a V-Day wreath to hang at your front door or make a streamer to decorate your place.

Make A Winter Wreath

Carol Fuller — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 16:38:51 +0000

Ever wanted to make a winter wreath? It’s quite easy! All you need is some creativity and an eye for color. Put it all together and you have a unique winter wreath that you can hang on your door. Anyone who comes over is bound to ask about your wreath.

Winter Wreath Materials

Branches with Leaves and string – this can be any branch or leaf you want that signals winter.
Cranberries or any other red berries
Gold or Silver ribbon depending on your preference
Crystal-like beads

Winter Wreath Set Up

With the branches and leaves, form a ring and use string to tie pieces together. You may find that wrapping it around something circular like an ice cream tub to be helpful. Be creative during this time as well by placing branches out and away from your wreath. Don’t make it too symmetrical. The off balance creates a visual piece for your eyes.
String cranberries or other berries together on fishing wire. Once you do this loop it around your wreath to create a wonderful look.
Place a bow at top or loop the ribbon around your wreath.
With the crystal beads, hot glue them to various spots around the wreath to your liking. You can also add some pine cones if you want. Individualize it to your liking.

Fall Craft Ideas

Carol Fuller — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:34:19 +0000

Here are some great fall craft ideas for your home! Take a look at this instructional video that offers tips and suggestions.

Crafts For Your Kids

Carol Fuller — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 17:29:05 +0000

Kids love to do crafts and would do them all day if you let them. Some girls prefer crafts to barbies so take this opportunity and join them in their craft making. If you don’t know what do to get your child for crafts, here is a basic list of supplies to help you get started.

Craft Supplies

Craft Paper – You can get construction paper or big rolls of paper for painting and drawing
Markers, crayons, pencil crayons
Glue, glitter glue, glue sticks
Foam, Styrofoam, stickers, Popsicle sticks
Pom Poms, foam letters, numbers and animals and pipe cleaners

Once you have a set of basic supplies, you can start making simple crafts. You can even purchase simple craft projects like decorate a bear, make a doll, or make your own fish bowl. Have fun with your kids and explore your imagination today!