We have gathered the last of the holiday projects for this year in today's letter. We are very pleased with the wonderful crafts submitted by our members.
Tips include a few holiday ideas and several you can use anytime.
The featured guides in this issue are:
Making a Quilt with Neckties
Cleaning Foam Stamps
If you have a solution to either of these guides please submit your idea or project to the appropriate contest. You may win a prize.
I would like to ask our crafters to submit tips for crafting safety for pet owners. Your experience and expertise would be greatly appreciated.
ThriftyFun Guides are a great way to find solutions to common problems. Solutions are eligible to win our weekly contests! Do you have a solution for these guides?
Making a necktie quilt is a great way to reuse old ties. Using neckties from someone special will make the quilt a cherished keepsake. This is a guide about making a quilt with neckties.
Click here to share a solution.
Stamping can be a lot of fun but the clean up isn't always as pleasant. Foam stamps can soak up a lot of ink and it can be difficult to remove it all. This is a guide about cleaning foam stamps.
Click here to share a solution.
Many of our submissions are entered in one of our weekly contests. Winning submissions receive $25! Be sure to give a "thumbs up" to your favorite posts as we use these ratings to help select a winner.
Thanks for reading,
Barbara
Today's Video:
Today's Projects:
Today's Tips:
Today's Questions:
Professional quilter, Barbara Black, demonstrates how to make a quilt. Be sure to check out the related videos for additional steps and more quilting tips... View This Video
Approximate Time: less than an hour
By Gunja from West Bengal, India
Approximate Time: less than an hour
The gift-box is done!
By Gunja from West Bengal, India
Approximate Time: about an hour
By Harlean from Arkansas from Hot Springs, AR
Approximate Time: over an hour
Once the snowman is ready, the real fun begins: adding accessories!
And... its done!
By Gunja from West Bengal, India
Approximate Time: about 30 minutes
Use as a winter decoration or give as a gift.
By Rachel's Mom from Wilkesboro, NC
Approximate Time: 10 minutes
By Gem from VA
Approximate Time: less than an hour
And...it's done! Similarly, by using different dimensions for the ball and varying the colors of wrappings, whole arrays of colorful bells can be made :)
By Gunja from West Bengal, India
Approximate Time: bit more than an hour
Note: It will probably help to make a rough sketch of the card before starting on it.
By Gunja from West Bengal, India
This pattern was originally made using a miniature salt box. Remember when you could buy them to throw in the picnic basket or a lunch box? Then they stopped making them, so I started using a 2 inch piece of broom handle to make them.
Approximate Time: about 3 hours
By Harlean from Arkansas from Hot Springs, AR
Editors Note: This could be a good craft for the kids to help make decorations.
Approximate Time: less than an hour
And the Santa's done!
Similarly, I made the fairy using different colored gift-wraps, gluing wool on her head for hair and gluing some gift-wraps, cut as wings, to her back.
With little tweaks, the same process can be used to make any doll of your choice. All we need is a little imagination :)
By Gunja from West Bengal, India
Approximate Time: 1 hour
Photos included: Photo 1: The polystyrene ball, terracotta pot and tree branch pencil used for this craft. Photo 2: Insert sharp end of the tree branch pencil into the polystyrene ball. Photo 3: Cut the wire into strips and bend each wire strip to make small wire hooks. Photo 4: Use the wire hooks to keep the moss in place. Photo 5: Cover the whole ball with the moss. Photo 6: Fill half of the pot with soil. Photo 7: Push the bottom part of the pencil into the soil. Photo 8: Insert the cherries into the tree. Photo 9: The completed project.
By BessieBessie from Pretoria, Gauteng
Approximate Time: 15 minutes per napkin ring
*Tip: Folding the tube around an object, such as a Pritt Stick, will help you to form a neater tube.
By BessieBessie from Pretoria, Gauteng
Approximate Time: more than an hour
I love recycling, so coloring plain papers using crayons (or whatever medium's available), if such colored papers are not available, is definitely recommended :)
And...it's done!
By Gunja from West Bengal, India
By Stacey from Orem, UT

They would also be good for jigsaw puzzles if the puzzle fits the box.
When using these boxes, you don't have to put newspapers down.
By Robyn from Tri-Cities, TN

By Marty D from Knoxville, TN
To make the scrapbook "page", I printed several pictures of my son (he pointed out they're all of his "disguises" - lol!), matted them, and taped them to a cute piece of 12x12 inch background paper with a complementary paper on top. The total cost was under $2.00.
I then purchased a simple unfinished wooden frame at the craft store ($6.00 with coupon) and painted it using acrylic paint. After painting a background color, I created little cars to go with the background paper. I'm not a great artist, but luckily kids crafts are very forgiving. You could use a regular frame or use stencils for the design, if you prefer. The entire project took me one evening with time to dry between paint colors.
By Stephanie from Hillsboro, OR

I am going to give it to my daughter with a set of brushes and acrylic paints, so that she can maybe start enjoying painting.
You don't have to use a tile. You can get canvas and trace stencils on it, or you can use watercolor paper and give them watercolors (watercolor is harder than it looks).
I am thinking she would enjoy this. I have put a picture of the gift as she will receive it. Blessings.
By Robyn from Tri-Cities, TN

Happy Holidays. :)
By Brianna S. from Dutch Harbor, AK
When it is ready, dump half of mixture into a bowl and add food colouring to colour, stir. Use a funnel to pour into squeeze bottles. I used honey and mustard bottles. Then you're ready to paint!
This costs about 50 cents for two bottles. The kids loved it!
By Tracy C. from Brockville, Ontario
By Jenny from Chattanooga, TN
Thanks so much!
By Mindy from Terrebonne, OR
Also, does anyone know of some good blogs or message boards for crochet? There are so many, it is hard to know where to start and it takes so much time to go through all the choices. I would much prefer recommendations. Thank you dearly!
By MLS from Terrebonne, OR
By Lisa from PA
Hope the link worked. If not, basically, I want a self-contained puppet stage that I can "wear" so I will be completely mobile to walk among the audience. I would like it to be light weight if possible, and not too complicated to make.
Does anyone out there know how to build one? Will you share your knowledge with me? I want to use it for our church's festivals, kids' parties, and such.
I would be greatly appreciative.
Thanks so much.
By Gloria
By Donna from AZ
By Hawley
By Debbie
By Mrs H J Beers
Thank you!
By Aleah Y. from Herriman, UT