ThriftyFun Crafts - July 16, 2008

I hope everyone is having a fun and creative summer. What crafts are you working on? Feel free to submit photos (with a tip) on the contest page. You might win a $25 prize.

Here are some new craft videos:

How to Make a Candy Christmas Wreath
http://thriftyfun.magnify.net/item/XL6M0GNXVWBH0ZWF

Recycled Tote Bags
http://thriftyfun.magnify.net/item/XX0R4GZGR5MNS71S

Plastic Bag Knitting
http://thriftyfun.magnify.net/item/H24P8NBWPZJ559L5

Plastic Crocheting
http://thriftyfun.magnify.net/item/7R2DLCZV0CZ4CQNX Happy Crafting!

Thanks for reading,

Susan

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Today's newsletter contains:

Photos and Projects:

• Baby Footprint and Poem
• How To Make Beaded Earrings
• Recycled Hanging Planter
• Craft: River Stone Birdhouses
• Craft Project: Sports Party Crown
• Super Easy Cat Toy
• Craft: Rock Painting
• Craft: Woodburned Jewelry Box

Tips:

• Centerpieces for Boys and Girls Cub Scout Banquet
• Frame Your Own Photography
• Kids And Crafts: Keep It Simple
• Use Old Silverware For Curtain Tiebacks
• Keeping Hydrangea Blooms for Months of Enjoyment
• Cleaning Lace and Delicate Fabrics
• Froggy Gift Bag
• Tacky Glue

Requests:

• Uses For Sock Tops
• Poem for a Candy Wreath
• Sewing Patterns For Baby Bonnets
• Making A Quilt Out Of Clothing
• Soapmaking Recipes
• Canvas Angel Pattern
• Selling Crafts With Characters on Them
• Trash Bag Poodles
• Raw Silk Soap Recipe
• Travel Themed Centerpices
• Crocheting A Purse Using Pop Top Tabs
• Covering Ikea Round Wicker Hassock
• Decoupaging Over Decoupage

Articles:

• Making Clothing for a Premature Baby

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

Baby Footprint and Poem

I found this footprints poem on the Internet. I did a foot print of my daughter's foot, then once it dried, scanned it to the computer. I then used a graphic program, added the poem and pasted the footprint.

You could make this for Daddy or Mommy.

By Karyn from Ottawa, Canada

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How To Make Beaded Earrings

If you're bored with just beading bracelets and simple necklaces, try taking the next step and start making beaded earrings. You just need an ear hook with a loop to connect to. Then you need an earring body, or something to decorate. Then you need the decoration, otherwise known as beads!

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Recycled Hanging Planter

One day I was looking at a large empty can of tomatoes that I was ready to throw in the recycling bin then for one reason or another I decided to paint it. This led to me making a hanging planter for a friend who I was giving a plant to from cuttings. Here's how to do it!

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Craft: River Stone Birdhouses

I love making these little river stone bird houses. Makes a great winter or summer pass time. An each one is never the same. They make great gifts.

By Nancy from Slaughters, KY

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Craft Project: Sports Party Crown

If you have a child who loves sports, this is a great project he or she can do in preparation for his or her birthday party--OR--if you like to do a craft at your parties, it's simple enough for a small group of kids to do so everyone can make their own party hat.

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Super Easy Cat Toy

Here's the BEST cat toy in the world and you'll only need 3 simple things to make it. A dowel, stick or a long knitting needle, a piece of fish line and some yarn. Take the dowel or stick and to the end, tie on a piece of fishing line about 4 feet long (since fishline is transparent, the cat won't see it). Then to the end of the fishline, tie a short piece of eyelash yarn (or several strands of ANY yarn) these should be small, only about about 3 or 4 inches long. This toy will resemble a fishing pole with a "worm" on the end of it.

Now when you play with your cat, DRAG it across the floor. My cat thinks he's chasing a bug running across the floor. And him being the great hunter he is, he just LOVES this "bug on a line" toy and refuses to play with any other toys. It's so cute, he gets down in his stalking position and just waits until the bug (the piece of eyelash yarn) goes around the corner where he can't see it, and he can wait no longer, (he actually shakes with anticipation!) Then *POUNCE!* he's got it! (his bug on a line). He could play this game FOREVER! And, since the weather has been nice recently, we've been playing "Catch the bug" outside in the grass instead of inside and he even likes this even better!

By Cyinda from near Seattle

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Craft: Rock Painting

Find a rock that you would like to paint on. Wash it in warm soapy waster and let dry. Use acrylic paints to paint your rock. Let dry completely! Lastly, use acrylic finish spray to seal and weather proof your project.

Have fun with your craft.

By Crafty Billie from Stockton, CA

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Craft: Woodburned Jewelry Box

Enjoy the craft.

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Centerpieces for Boys and Girls Cub Scout Banquet

For my son's B and G Cub Scout Banquet we needed to make a centerpiece that reflected both the B and G theme as well as the fact that they were tiger cubs.

I purchased a variety of flower pots, 2 larger pots (there were 2 tables) and one each of 3 different sized smaller pots for each boy in the den. One was the largest of the smaller pots available, one was the 2nd to the smallest I could find, and 2 each were the smallest I could find. I painted them all white (as the paint kept bleeding when I tried without doing this) then painted every pot orange except the medium small pots which I left white.

I hot glued the pots together to make them look like little tigers. Then I had the boys paint their own stripes on the tigers, and glue on the google eyes.

We stuffed the bottoms of the medium pots with floral foam, then stuck 12 inch dowel rods which my son and I painted metallic blue and pearlized yellow into each. We then stuck each tiger head into blue and yellow craft sand that we used to fill the 2 larger pots that were also painted with the blue and yellow paint.

They turned out great, however my camera didn't work very well when I tried to get a picture of them. They were really cute. And the boys had a blast making them.

By Freemommy from Shakopee, MN

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Frame Your Own Photography

Use your own photos to frame and display!

I photographed quite a few flowers and put them in an album. I framed several to display. When I want to change I just remove them and replace them with others I have collected in my album.

By Jean from Forest Lake MN

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Kids And Crafts: Keep It Simple

The best craft material is gathered on a hike in the woods or a trip to the beach by the children themselves. Provide glue, wool pieces, paper cups and plates, craft sticks (Popsicle sticks), bottle caps, cloves, and whatever you find in your cupboards that you are not using: acrylic paints and brushes, wax paper to put small amounts of paint on, plain newsprint paper for easy cleanup of the craft table and to paint pictures on (perhaps using a pine cone brush).

Sit down with the children and find your inner child by creating a mythical person or animal or whatever your heart desires. The children will amaze you with what they create. Together you can make up a crazy play about all your newly created friends and perform the play for family and friends. With all these supplies on the craft shelf, the kids will return time and time again to CREATE.

By Christine from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

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Use Old Silverware For Curtain Tiebacks

I wanted some unusual tie-backs for my curtains. I like old oak furniture and countryish stuff. So I had the idea to take 2 beautiful old silverplated spoons that I owned and I bent them back into a U shape. I then drilled through the spoons into the window trim & had a beautiful and unique tie-back set. The spoons also made me think of my grandmother - before doing this, the spoons just sat in an old chest and were never used. Larger soup spoons can be used for bigger windows. Also, make sure before you bend the spoons which side of the spoon you want displayed. Some of my very old spoons have interesting "bowls" on them and that is the part I like to show. Usually I like the engraved or decorated handles to show.

By Janet from Brant Rock, MA

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Keeping Hydrangea Blooms for Months of Enjoyment

Keep hydrangea bloom colors bright for months of enjoyment. I have some wonderful hydrangeas that would bloom for several weeks then the blooms would dry on the branch and the colors would fade. But several years back I came up with an idea that prolongs my hydrangea blooms for months.

What I did was buy some TRANSPARENT florist's spray paint and LIGHTLY sprayed the blooms after they dried on the branch. And, because the Florist's Paint is transparent they continued to look like they were in full bloom with a very REAL LOOKING color all the way through September.

You can buy a can of Florist's Spray paint at any craft store (for under $5) where they sell dried or silk flowers. (It comes in a spray can or a pump spray) Don't be tempted to use regular spray paint as the blooms won't look real. If you can't find the Florist's Spray Paint that's made especially for dried, silk and real flowers then you can simply buy a clear spray paint that has an Ultra Violet filter in it. This clear U.V. paint won't actually color your hydrangea blooms but it will stop the colors from fading quickly.

You can make spraying your dried hydrangea heads easier by masking them off. Simply make a template out of a paper plate: Cut a slit from the outside to the center of the plate (Like you are cutting out a tiny sliver of pie) then cut a small hole in the center of the paper plate that's about an inch round. Then you simply tuck the flower's head into the front of the paper plate and it will protect the rest of the bush from being sprayed with color. If you don't have a paper plate a simple piece of printer paper or junk mail will also do the trick. I guarantee if you spray your hydrangea flowers lightly with transparent florist paint, you'll get months of enjoyment from them while they continue to look "Just Like New" even though they may have finished blooming weeks ago and they look TOTALLY real!

By Cyinda from near Seattle

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Cleaning Lace and Delicate Fabrics

If you have delicate fabrics or lace, which through soiling need washing. Place them in a medium size microwave safe bowl of water, to which you have added your detergent. Place the bowl and contents into the microwave with the timer set for 5 minute intervals on medium.

Check the contents each 5 minutes to see if the contents are cleaned, being mindful that the water and material will be very hot. I suggest that you keep a plastic salad server spoon to hand, to lift the fabric from the water to check. When ready rinse and dry flat and away from direct sunlight.

Source: I make lace and this is my own idea for cleaning it.

By Yvonne S. from Lincolnshire UK

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Froggy Gift Bag

This little froggy gift bag is very easy to make, using a 12x12 inch piece of card stock and scoring a bit, two circles and a couple of eyes. The bag itself isn't very big but fun. I made it for my granddaughter's birthday!

By Jill from Albert Lea, MN

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Tacky Glue

When you need tacky glue, pour the amount of Elmer's Glue-All that you will need onto a paper plate about two hours before you will be using it. The glue will be nice and tacky for most craft projects.

By Cher L. from Oxford, Maine

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Uses For Sock Tops

I had to cut some of my husband's socks down, he is having problems from a heredity problem and has to stay off his feet. Has any one got any idea what I can make out of the tops. Thank you.

Angie from Lily, WI

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Poem for a Candy Wreath

I know it's early, but I will be making some candy wreaths for co-workers and others for Christmas. Years ago I saw one that had a poem telling people to snip a piece of candy for luck. Does anyone have that poem and would be willing to share it? I would appreciate it. Thanks.

This is an excellent video that shows how to make a very nice and EASY candy wreath:

Margaret from Denton, Texas

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Sewing Patterns For Baby Bonnets

I am looking for a sewing pattern for baby bonnets, especially for boys, girls also.

Cheryl from Hessel, MI

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Making A Quilt Out Of Clothing

I have a lot of my late mother's clothes and would love to make a beginners quilt out of them. Does anyone have directions to share?

Debra from Hampton, Tenn

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Soapmaking Recipes

Are there any soap makers out there that want to share a few recipes?

Sabrina from Council, N.C.

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Canvas Angel Pattern

I am looking for the pattern for a plastic canvas angel that is 3D. I would like both the small (about 4in tall) and the large (about 10in tall). This is for my mom.

Thanks
Mary from Cooleemee, NC

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Selling Crafts With Characters on Them

I am looking for information about whether it is illegal to use fabrics such as Winnie the Pooh, Clifford, and such character prints to make and sell dresses, tote bags, etc.

Mary from Cooleemee, NC

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Trash Bag Poodles

Does anyone remember how to make the poodles from trashbags and hangers that wer popular in the 60's or 70's? Any help will be appreciated.

Thank You,
Anita from Indianapolis, Indiana

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Raw Silk Soap Recipe

Does anyone have a basic soap making recipe, using raw silk?

Sabrina from Council, N.C.

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Travel Themed Centerpices

Please suggest a craft project to be made with children for a centerpiece for a fundraising event with a travel theme, "A Child's Passport to the Future." Thank you!

Kelly

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Crocheting A Purse Using Pop Top Tabs

I am looking for instructions for crocheting a purse using pop top tabs from soda and beer cans. Thank you.

Mariposa from Midwest

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Covering Ikea Round Wicker Hassock

I have a decorating question. I have a round wicker hassock which I bought from IKEA several years ago (so you know it is still very solid). There are spaces around the sides that are broken and look unsightly, thanks to our cat. I would like to cover it with fabric, but have no idea how to adhere the fabric to the item. I hate to dispose of the hassock altogether, because other than around the sides, it is still a good piece and very sturdy.

From reading so many posts, I know there are so many great crafters out there, help. lol. Grateful for any and all suggestions.

By Linda from New York City

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Decoupaging Over Decoupage

Do I really have to remove old decoupage before putting on new?

Linda from Cassopolis, Michigan

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Looking for a frugal solution to an everyday problem? Submit your request here: Click Here

Making Clothing for a Premature Baby

Any suggestions for making clothes for premature babies? I'm thinking doll clothes (12"-15"-18") Does that sound right? If I measure the baby and use the appropriate pattern? Nothing fancy, diaper shirts, sleepers (she kicks the covers off), that sort of thing.

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