ThriftyFun Çrafts - February 7, 2006

Volume 2, Number 6, February 7, 2006 Hello, This week we have Valentine's Day tips and articles as well as a great article by Debra Frick about making crochet doll furniture. Happy Crafting! Susan 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 Today's newsletter contains: Photos and Projects: Paper Plate Puzzles Polar Fleece Draft Guard for Your Door Quick and Easy Crocheted Doll Furniture Decorated Coffee Can Containers for Gifts Valentine Clay Pot Candleholders Valentine Butterfly Valentine Skee Ball Game Tissue Paper Flowers Tips: Valentine Treasure Box 25 Ways That I Love You For Valentine's Day Emergency Hemming With Staples Using Wallpaper Border Making a Scary Doll Making Your Own Large Valentine's Day Kiss Requests: CD Crafts Converting a Twin Size Quilt to Full Size Seashell Craft Ideas Knitted Bag Rug Making Baskets From Recycled Fabric Ideas For Using Cellophane Holiday Bags Framing Newspapers Articles: Homemade Hearts for Valentine's Day Fun Valentine's Day Sweet Treats Valentine Chocolate Kiss Bouquet Photos and Projects: Paper Plate Puzzles There are two ways this simple project can be done. It's the perfect thing for days when there's "nothing to do". View This Project: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf17637446.tip.html Polar Fleece Draft Guard for Your Door By Susan from ThriftyFun With all the frigid weather in the northern parts of the U.S. I thought I'd better get this one online. View This Project: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf21327421.tip.html Quick and Easy Crocheted Doll Furniture By Debra Frick View This Project: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf35850699.tip.html Decorated Coffee Can Containers for Gifts I save large tin coffee cans to use as containers I give my baked treats away with. This is the Christmas theme I used. I am not camera savvy, sorry. I used ribbon in different sizes and types wrapping the cans and ending with large bows in the back.( before I did this step I cut a small matching piece to glue along the seam of the can to better hide the seam). I cut slits in lids and ran curling ribbon through, tied bells to that before I curled the ribbon as a finishing touch and placed a bow over that. Most cans I used 2 colors or designs of ribbon. One can I covered in wrapping paper then used ribbon. The possibilities for decorating ideas for these are endless and you're recycling. Tip: Go to a few different stores after each main holiday to catch the sales and you will get a great assortment of ribbon and decorations at a huge discount to use for the next holiday. Most of mine I paid between 75 to 90% off original prices. By Freedom059 from Ohio Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf43090259.tip.html Valentine Clay Pot Candleholders Materials: 2 - 5 in. clay pots and saucers to go with them Acrylic paints Paint brush 2 small candles stencils Directions: First paint the pots the color you want, let dry, Second paint on your stencil or you can draw something free hand, let dry You can paint on glitter paint you can find at Wal-mart for a more festive look. Then seal if you like and set a candle on top. By Sandy from Bluff City, TN. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf51189570.tip.html Valentine Butterfly I made this butterfly out of an empty Dannon Frusion smoothie drinkable yogurt container for a craft at my daughter's Valentine's Day party at school. View This Project: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf61878107.tip.html Valentine Skee Ball Game View This Project: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf73046521.tip.html Tissue Paper Flowers This is a decoration I made for a Valentine's Day party this year. The vase is made from a drinkable yogurt container. I hot glued on a red ribbon around the middle and hot glued on a bow. I painted the top to give it a little more color. The flowers are made from 3 squares of tissue paper cut in the shape of hearts. Then put a green pipe cleaner through the bottom of the hearts and fan out the tissue paper so they look like petals of a flower. I bent the top of the pipe cleaner so the tissue paper wouldn't slip off the top. Then I put a piece of tape underneath the petals. You can put a little rock in the vase to weigh it down so it doesn't tip over on your table. By luv2craft from Normalville, Pennsylvania Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf85791031.tip.html Tips: Valentine Treasure Box Here's some instructions for making your own treasure box to give as a Valentine's Day or for other occasions. Needed Items: Small Cardboard Gift Type, Cigar Box or Jewelry Box Yarn and felt or other fabric scraps Scissors and glue Aluminum foil Turn a small box into a Treasure Box for someone special 1. Cut yarn into different lengths. Glue the yarn on the sides and top of the box in a pattern or design: hearts, diamonds, zigzags, curvy lines, or spirals. 2. Tie several knots in a piece of yarn and glue the yarn along the edges of the lid or box to give the look of nails or bolts. Be careful not to glue yarn on the top edges of the box where the lid will fit. 3. Crumple pieces of aluminum foil and smooth pieces back out. Spread glue on the box and the lid. Place one piece of foil on the box and one on the lid. Press the foil against the surface of the box and lid with your finger. Push the foil on and around the yarn designs. It will make the foil look like embossed silver. Cut off the excess foil. 4. Cut a piece of colorful felt to lay inside the box. If you are using other fabric, take a piece of cardboard and cover the front side with the fabric glueing the edges to the back. Put the nice side up. Glass gems can also be attached with glue. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf000645.tip.html 25 Ways That I Love You For Valentine's Day Here is a great way to tell your loved one why you love them. On your computer write sentences like "I love how you love me", "I love your eyes", "I love how you play with the kids". You get the idea. Put double spacing in between each sentence. Cut strips apart and fold to go into a small jar or peanut can that you have decorated. Layer the folded sentences with wrapped candies like kisses. My husband said this is the best gift he has ever received and he had reread them all year long. By Debra in Colorado Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf484718.tip.html Emergency Hemming With Staples I bought a last minute pair of thrift shop jeans when I found I went off for a weekend without them. New $5 - good deal. But they were too long and I didn't have needle and thread with me. My crafty husband suggested I staple the hems up and you know, the silver color of the staple doesn't really show against the jeans much at all. I'll do that again. By pam from Los Angeles Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf51402010.tip.html Using Wallpaper Border At most dollar stores, I can buy wallpaper borders. I apply it to a tin can to match the decor. I have one on my end-table with pencils, pens, scissors and whatnots. In the bathroom, it holds razors, toothbrush, comb and tweezers. By Keeper from Morganton, NC. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf67451464.tip.html Making a Scary Doll To get a good effect on a scary doll, try gluing a chunk of a halloween mask to the original face. It gives it the look of a leather face, and looks real cool too. By Brenda from Carleton Place, Ontario, Canada Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf84983041.tip.html Making Your Own Large Valentine's Day Kiss Ingredients: 2 pkgs Chocolate Chips 1/2 pkg of nuts of your choice Directions: Melt chocolate in the microwave. Stir in nuts. Take a large brand new funnel and grease with butter. Cover end of funnel with a piece of tin foil. Pour melted chocolate into funnel and put funnel into a plastic glass then into the freezer until solid. Wrap in tin foil and add a Ribbon with your own sentiments written on it. By Debra in Colorado Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf872583.tip.html 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 and 1 photo winner at the end of each week. Each winner will win $25! My Frugal Life Submit a My Frugal Life Essay! New Requests: CD Crafts I have a lot of used CDs which I want to recycle making some attractive crafts. Could you suggest me some craft ideas which i can do using these CDs. I have 100s of CDs with me. Thanks, Anand from New Delhi, India Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf000533.tip.html Converting a Twin Size Quilt to Full Size How difficult is it to convert a twin size bed quilt to a full size bed quilt? This bedding is identical to my daughters crib set but I need it to be full size for her bed and it only comes in twin... any suggestion from all you craft seamstresses? Thank you! Andjerm from Texas Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf12344280.tip.html Seashell Craft Ideas My 5 year old son picked up a ton of seashells while we were at the coast this past summer and I need Ideas of how to use the sea shells in a crafts. I've decorated a picture frame but there are bunch more and he enjoys crafting. Any ideas? Christy from El Paso, Texas Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf307012.tip.html Knitted Bag Rug I have seen patterns for making Rag Rugs out of plastic handles bags. I can't crochet and would love for someone to give me the pattern for knitting such a rug. I am definitely a step by step person. Thanks in advance. Aquarius from Ontario Canada Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf46672526.tip.html Making Baskets From Recycled Fabric I'd like to know how to make a cloth basket using old clothes and material scraps. I have everything from basic fabrics to jeans to sweaters to use. Baskets can be so expensive, so I'd love to make my own. I'm looking especially for rectangular baskets (so I can stack them a bit). Easy/beginner level if at all possible. Thanks! Elle Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf76028542.tip.html Ideas For Using Cellophane Holiday Bags I saw a very creative idea for using the cellophane holiday bags you buy in a package at the Dollar Store, and promptly forgot it! These bags are see-thru with easter eggs, hearts, etc. printed on them for holidays. Of course, they're great for candy, but what more innovative ideas do you have? Thanks in advance! Lizzie from Laurel, MD Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf83685912.tip.html Framing Newspapers I have tons of newspapers that I would like to frame and use as wall hangings for a rec room. However, I am having a hard time finding a way to do this without breaking my budget. Does anyone have any suggestions on where I could get inexpensive frames, wood or metal, to frame these? Laura from Festus, MO Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf95001016.tip.html Looking for a frugal solution to an everyday problem? Submit your request here: Click Here Articles: Homemade Hearts for Valentine's Day By Michelle Jones Homemade gifts are gifts from the heart, and these special Valentine's Day Hearts are sure to be a big hit. Everyone loves to get a beautiful card on Valentine's Day, but one that's homemade can be even more appreciated by the receiver, and certainly more fun for the giver. One year I made a huge list of all the things I love about my husband, and made it into a simple card, he loved it. The kids can make cards for everyone, including their grandparents, teachers, neighbors and friends. It doesn't have to be expensive, just from the heart! Read More: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf492460.tip.html Fun Valentine's Day Sweet Treats By Angela Billings Children love to decorate for all holidays and they love to help out in the kitchen and make crafts. The following cover all three of these areas for some special family fun! Read More: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf613661.tip.html Valentine Chocolate Kiss Bouquet By Martha Matthews Chocolate is a very popular gift for Valentine's Day. Many gift boutiques and flower shops offer beautiful candy bouquets that make a wonderful surprise for any Valentine. However, these arrangements can be quite costly. The good news is that these arrangements aren't that difficult to make. Try making this homemade rendition that is sure to make your Valentine feel very special. Read More: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf756781.tip.html