ThriftyFun Crafts - June 24, 2009

Vol. 4, Num. 25, June 24, 2009 (Read It Online) We have some great craft projects this week. Do you have any tips for repairing clothing? Post your tips and ideas here: http://www.thriftyfun.com/post_contest.ldml Give a "thumbs up" to tips and projects that you like! Thanks for reading, The ThriftyFun Team Send to a Friend! Submit Craft Tips (You could win $25) Submit Photos of Your Crafts (You could win $25) Submit a Craft Request New! Crafting for Fun and Money! Link to ThriftyFun.com Edit Your Subscriptions: To edit your ThriftyFun subscriptions, click the Update Profile/Email Address link at the bottom of this newsletter. Today's newsletter contains: Photos and Projects: Craft Project: Dog Bed Craft: Welcome Sign Made From Branches Craft Project: Wine Bottle Glass Art Craft: African Masks Craft Project: Rose Bag Craft: CD Cake Toppers Or Centerpieces Craft Project: Popsicle Stick Trinket Box Craft Project: Fancy Clipboard Tips: Coffee Filters for Embroidery Machine Backing Make Two Throw Pillows from a Pillow Requests: Buying Metallic Yarn Costume Jewelry Christmas Tree Necktie Purse Making Potholders To Sell Plastic Canvas Pattern Books Making Fake Desserts Creative Uses for a Heat Gun Crafts Ideas for Kids Simple Pattern for a Doo-Rag Repairing Painted Laminate Counterops Craft Ideas Using Terra Cotta Pots Gluing Decorative Stones to a Shirt Lamp Shade Ideas Today's Sponsor: Crafting for Fun and Money! If you are an avid crafter, capable writer and own a digital camera, you are eligible to participate. Submit your craft projects to ThriftyFun and we will pay $15 for any crafts that we publish. More Information: Click Here: http://www.thriftyfun.com/post_craft.ldml Photos and Projects: Craft Project: Dog Bed This has an inside pillow filled with fiberfill and a removable cover for washing with a pocket so my dog thinks he is sleeping "under the blankets". View This Craft: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf22903846.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Print | Rate It: | Craft: Welcome Sign Made From Branches I am big on nature. I took one long branch, a shorter branch, scrap wood, and made a welcome sign. I screwed the branches together. I put a screw(or nail) in top of the sign, wrapped copper wire around top screws. I tied the copper wire around shorter branch to the length I wanted and there is my sign. The scrap wood is the back of a wooden chair, I just used markers to write "Welcome Friends" and put 3-4 coats of poly on it. Source: Tired of everyone asking "What are you doing with those branches?" By Sherry from Onset, MA Contest Contender! This post is a contest contender! Read it and then Rate it: Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf71661569.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Print | Craft Project: Wine Bottle Glass Art Recycled colored glass wine bottles, crushed, sifted and glued onto sheets of framed glass to make beautiful pictures that resemble stained glass projects. View This Craft: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf13863865.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Print | Rate It: | Craft: African Masks I had my 5th grade students create African masks from milk jugs. It was a great way to show them how to recycle materials and help our planet. I do a lot of recycle projects with all my students. I cut the jugs in half and we use kraft paper, which cuts the amount of layers in half from 7 with newspaper, to 3 with the brown kraft paper. They seem to be a lot sturdier. We use acrylic paint and I hand out images of African animals for students to refer to as they trace out the animal after the mache dries with a pencil and then felt tip marker. We attach yarn to display them later. For animals with horns or anything that protrudes, we use toilet paper rolls or cereal boxes and tape them on with masking tape. They are on display now at our administration building. Source: Shared idea from fellow art teachers. By Marlena from Kalamazoo, Michigan Contest Contender! This post is a contest contender! Read it and then Rate it: Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf34396265.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Print | Craft Project: Rose Bag This is a unique tote bag that looks much more difficult than it is. View This Craft: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf58885724.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Print | Rate It: | Craft: CD Cake Toppers Or Centerpieces I decided to recycle old scratched up or non-useable CD's. So I made these into centerpieces and cake toppers and sell them for extra money. Each one is different and one of a kind or sometimes I have doubles of some figurines. The CD's are my base and then I go from there. I buy my figurines from thrift shops and yard sales and dollar stores, and I save all my scrap material and lace to glue to my base. I also have people save me their old CD's, including thrift shops where people donate their things. The owners said they end up just throwing them away, but now they save them for me. By Myra from Allenhurst, GA Contest Contender! This post is a contest contender! Read it and then Rate it: Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf52610913.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Print | Craft Project: Popsicle Stick Trinket Box Easy box to make using Popsicle sticks layered and glued together to put trinkets in such as coins, jewelry, coupons, memorabilia, photos, receipts, pins, buttons, etc. Great Father's Day gift. My daughter made this for her dad at Girl Scouts. View This Craft: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf17963478.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Print | Rate It: | Craft Project: Fancy Clipboard A handy clipboard to organize important documents, notes and paper clippings. View This Craft: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf41590241.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Print | Rate It: | Tips: Coffee Filters for Embroidery Machine Backing If you have an embroidery machine, don't buy that expensive backing. When I bought mine, the man told me to just go to the $ store, and buy some cheap coffee filers, press them out and they work great! By roseoma3 from Liberal, MO Contest Contender! This post is a contest contender! Read it and then Rate it: Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf71819439.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Print | Make Two Throw Pillows from a Pillow I wanted to make new throw pillows to decorate my granddaughter's bedrooms. Fiberfill is so expensive, so I started buying pillows, and taking them apart (I see that's now a tip on this site!). That's when it hit me! Why was I going through all this trouble? Now I take a bed pillow, fold it in half, and pin the ends together. Then I use my hands to separate the fill at the fold. Then I use 8 safety pins to make a channel down the center of fold, 4 to a side, leaving an inch or so between them. Then I unpin the ends, and sew 2 seams down the center channel, next to pins. Cut between the seams, and you have 2 pillows! Now you make your pillow covers to fit them! Have fun! By Crafty Nanny from Hartwick, NY Contest Contender! This post is a contest contender! Read it and then Rate it: Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf64660758.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Print | Contests: Tip Contest Submit a Tip or Recipe! Photo Contest Submit a tip with photo! The above contests are weekly. We pick 2 tip winners, 2 photo winners (1 photo and 1 pet photo) and 1 recipe winner at the end of each week. Each winner will win $25! My Frugal Life Submit a My Frugal Life Essay! New Requests: Buying Metallic Yarn Where is the best and least expensive place to buy fancy metallic or shiny rayon yarn in bright colors? The brighter and more glittery the better. I'm not looking for eyelash or bumpy yarn. I only need small amounts like one skein (or less) of each color so remnants are okay, but large cones are also okay. I prefer sport weight or fingering weight and no thicker than worsted weight. Thank you. By Cyinda from near Seattle Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf33278218.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Print | Rate It: | Costume Jewelry Christmas Tree Does anyone have the old pattern for a junk jewelry Christmas Tree Picture wall hanging? You place in picture frame with small lights inserted from back and hang as picture during Christmas. No broaches are used. Thanks. By romancemelikealady from Asheville, NC Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf86588978.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Print | Rate It: | Necktie Purse I am looking for the instructions to make a necktie purse. By Darla L. from IA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf98597042.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Print | Rate It: | Making Potholders To Sell I read a while back about how to make pot holders and sell them. I printed out the page, but we moved and now I don't have any idea what I did with the paper. Can someone send me the information, it was a really easy way to make the pot holders. Thanks. By jamish Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf24428171.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Print | Rate It: | Plastic Canvas Pattern Books I am looking for plastic canvas books that have a toaster, egg beaters, bowls, plates, silverware and I think maybe some food. If anyone has these books I would love to have them. I can't find mine. By Longmire from Nova Scotia, Canada Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf31262405.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Print | Rate It: | Making Fake Desserts Does anyone know how to make those fake cakes? It looks like the frosting is made of plaster of Paris. By GrandmaV from SF Bay Area Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf46991694.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Print | Rate It: | Creative Uses for a Heat Gun What creative uses does a heat gun have? By Annchristin from Kent, UK Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf22129072.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Print | Rate It: | Crafts Ideas for Kids What crafts would a 12 year old girl like? By Leahh Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf35714969.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Print | Rate It: | Simple Pattern for a Doo-Rag My sister has a ton of fabric. She is looking for a simple pattern to make doo-rags for cancer patients. Does anyone have one to share? Thank you. By oreonut2000 from Berwick, ME Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf48200049.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Print | Rate It: | Repairing Painted Laminate Counterops I am painting my laminate countertops. I put my first coat down and there were some bubbles. I sanded the bubbles down and then mixed up enough to just cover the bubbles. Well, I now have a mess! I'm going to have to re-do the entire counter. Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm desperate! By no-no-nancy from Brunswick, ME Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf16737616.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Print | Rate It: | Craft Ideas Using Terra Cotta Pots Does anyone have any ideas on what to do with small terra cotta pots and drip pans. I bought some at hobby lobby and don't know what to do with them. I could plant something in them but I want to do a craft. Thanks. By sassier299 from Burtchville, MI Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf57041621.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Print | Rate It: | Gluing Decorative Stones to a Shirt I am trying to glue stones onto a shirt, and would like to know what type of glue will hold these stones onto the shirt? By JMTPA from Tampa, FL Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf48010540.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Print | Rate It: | Lamp Shade Ideas I have 2 very old lamps. They are black wrought iron and glass. I want to redo the lamp shades. The color doesn't matter much. I just want to know if anyone has any ideas on how I can redo them. I have looked high and low for new shades but being the style they are, I can't find anything that looks right. They are tall, maybe off white in color at one time with a black and gold band around the top. I know they were purchased in the late 40's or early 50's. By villagegirl2009 from Franklinton, LA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf16211140.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Print | Rate It: | Looking for a frugal solution to an everyday problem? Submit your request here: Click Here