Crafty Mom Archives - Page 5 of 7

DIY Animal Ring Holder Craft

June 17, 2014 by Melissa

Deep down I’m really a #craftymom. I scour Pinterest, crafting sites and magazines all the time for new ideas for ways to make projects my own. My struggle is with time. I have ideas and supplies but have a hard time putting aside the hour or so needed to devote to something fun. I found this latest project and knew I could have it completely done in a day. The Animal Ring Dish was very simple but like usual real life got in the way.

I found this on a new mail order craft site. The site is done well, the projects are gorgeous but they are way out of my price range for craft projects and supplies. I knew I could do it cheaper and just as well. For these animal ring dishes I only needed to purchase 1 thing, the dishes. I walked the craft store for 30 minutes and I found flower pot dishes that were a perfect size. I spent approximately $1.50 for 3 of them. For years we’ve been collecting these Safari Ltd Animal Toobs so I had no shortage of those. I also have a collection of spray paint and paint pens and a bin full of glues.

First I spray-painted the animals. I stuck a large saftey pin in them and gave them a quick coat from all angles. Then came the dishes. I started with the bottoms, 2 coats then gave the tops 3-4 even coats. This is what took the most time. I started late in a day and it carried over into the next day to get all the coats of spray paint on.

Then the weather was bad and we started a new project that lasted 2 weeks so the dishes sat on a shelf waiting for the next step.

It ended up working out. Painted items work best when they’ve had time to cure; set up. 2 weeks isn’t necessary but that’s what happened here.

Then with a toothpick and some E-6000 glue I attached the animals to the dishes.

I choose animals that stood tall or had a long neck or tail. This batch included a lizard with its tongue sticking out, a giraffe and a skunk who I didn’t paint because I was afraid he’s just end up looking like a cat.
I set them out to dry for 2 hours and it’s done.

This would be an amazing craft night project if you were using paint pens. I would suggest painting all of the dishes ahead of time.

I think i’m going to make some more but add some pattern to the dish or dress it up with beads or rhinestones.

The lizard is for my friend Kelly. I thought of her the first time I saw this project. The giraffe is sitting near my kitchen sick to hold rings while I wash dishes or clean.

Painted Ceramic Owl #upcycle

May 22, 2014 by Melissa

I’m always on the hunt for inexpensive decor items for my home. It’s only recently that I realized what a huge difference art and sculptures and glassware can do to make a difference on a boring shelf. For a long time I decorated with photos. While I still have tons of photos in my house I’ve starting incorporating more trends like this Painted Ceramic Owl #upcycle.

I spotted him in a thrift store for $3. I hated the color of him but loved the size the shape. He was small enough to fit anywhere and had a good look.

I took him home and scrubbed him clean and set him on a shelf for a couple days till I decided what I wanted to do. I went with simple. I gave him 3-4 coats of bright white glossy spray paint.

It took most of the day to get all the coats on with a good amount of drying time in-between then another 2 days of him sitting on a shelf to completely cure and then he went on a small shelf along with some picture frames and a simple candle holder with candle.

Sometimes he takes up residence on a shelf in the kitchen. He’s adorable with his new coat of paint.

If I had decided on moving him to our bedroom he would’ve gotten a coat of Tiffany Blue to match our end tables.

This is an easy and expensive way to add a little something you didn’t know that you needed. See more of my crafty projects and upcycle ventures.

End of the School Year Lunch Box Notes #Printable #kidsinthekitchen

May 15, 2014 by Melissa

There’s a ton going on in our home. The weather is gorgeous so we’ve been spending lots of time outdoors. We’re using the fire pit and smoker to make dinner. Shaun is super involved in sports 3 nights a week. This means less time in the kitchen working on traditional meals. But that means I’m working on different ideas for #kidsinthekitchen like these Lunch Box Notes geared towards the end of the school year.

We occasionally do notes in their lunch. I like it to be an unexpected treat to bring a smile to their face. These notes will hopefully give them a little boost to get through the rest of the day because the end is near. The last day of school is coming up quick.

This is a printable so just click on the image and print. I’d recommend printing on cardstock.

Come join me and my co-hosts, Sarah of Play to Learn with Sarah, Paula at Frosted Fingers and Sara at Sensibly Sara, each week linking up a post, new or old, that feature the theme Kids in the Kitchen. It doesn’t matter what you are doing as long as you are doing it together, enjoying it and learning something along the way.

preparing healthy snacks
having a tea party
counting skills with m&ms
pouring from measuring cups
discovering a local restaurant that your kids love
creating new family friendly recipes

You’ll find so many more ideas on the #KidsintheKitchen Pinterest Board.

Follow Melinda Babiak’s board #KidsintheKitchen on Pinterest.

An InLinkz Link-up

Lace Covered Candle Holder #upcycle #craft

April 22, 2014 by Melissa

In honor of Earth Day 2014 (today) I’m sharing an upcycle project I did a couple week back. In a spring cleaning frenzy I cleaned out the kids drawers of outgrown clothing. This gorgeous blue satiny and lace shirt was in the pile. Sabreena picked it up in a thrift store but it never really fit right. It killed me to get rid of it, the lace was so pretty so I figured I could create something pretty with it. This Lace Covered Candle Holder was the perfect fit.

I had an empty Yankee Candle jar, a sleeker shape than the traditional jar, cleaned it really well and ran it through the dishwasher. I left the lace intact as I covered it. i didn’t want any cuts or gaps.

With some glossy mod podge I started to attached the lace.

I worked in small sections so the lace stayed taut and in place. I left each section for 15 minutes so it set up then worked on another section and pulled the lace over the mod podge again.

I covered the entire piece of lace with mod podge again once the jar was covered. This gave it it’s final sheen. Using super sharp scissors I trimmed the lace off the top and bottom of the jar leaving a clean finish. I might go back and trim with wide grosgrain ribbon.

A lit tealight is enough light to shine through to still see the intricate lace pattern.

I have another jar, still have wax in it, but that will be transformed into a Lace Candle Holder too.

Jelly Bean Tree Centerpiece plus Giveaway

April 14, 2014 by Melissa

For the last few months I’ve been enjoying making some DIY home decor that fits the seasons and holidays. There was the Valentine’s framed Key to My Heart and the Christmas Card Display board. For Easter and spring it’s no different. I created this adorable Jelly Bean Tree Centerpiece for the dining table.

I’m hoping it lasts till June honestly. For the week it’s been up I’ve lost 1 tiny branch holding 1 jelly bean and that’s because I hit it by accident.

Materials
vase, jar, flowerpot, basket
stabilizer for wide mouth container (styrofoam, marbles, dirt)
branches
jellybeans of your choice
glue gun
polyurethane spray (optional)

Directions
Clean off your branches of dead leaves, buds and dirt.

Spray with a clear coat. I did this to get rid of the dusty look but there is nothing wrong with leaving it the way it is. You might be able to see that I use a paper towel roll to hold the branches but keep my hands free of over spray.

Arrange your branches in their container. I rubber-banded mine together very low so they spread out slightly.

I keep these marbles on hand for just these kind of projects. They are strong enough to keep the centerpiece in place but it’s not permanent. A block of floral styrofoam would work well. This can be topped with shredded green paper or Easter grass too.

Using your hot glue gun add small dabs of glue to your branches.

Then add your jelly beans. Do this one at a time. Hot glue is the best option as it dries FAST and clear. I DO NOT suggest adding the glue to the jelly bean because of the small surface space and the risk of fingertip burns. I speak from experience.

I went with jelly beans that had a vibrant color, I actually don’t like the way these taste. Coordinate your home and tablescape with jelly beans of any hue or just one color.

This was created with a vase I already had on hand, marbles I’ve had for many years and branches off a bush that hasn’t bloomed yet in my side yard. My only expense was a bag of jelly beans and I didn’t even use the whole bag. I though about adding more to the branches but I thought it would start to look more like a child’s craft.

With just 6 days left until Easter, many of us are planning what to serve or bring to the big dinner, as well as how to decorate and add the extra touches that make our holidays memorable. Colleen of Souffle Bombay and Heather of Real: The Kitchen and Beyond decided to gather 26 bloggers to share some of their Easter Entertaining Ideas with you! From Jelly Bean Trees to a Giant Deviled Egg, we’ve got you covered! To make this even more memorable we have some amazing giveaways as well from John Boos (crafter of incredible cutting boards, butcher blocks and more) , The Spice House (THE online source for incredible spices), Wilton Armetale (maker of both beautiful & finctional serving ware), Divine Chocolates (a fair trade, farmer-owned chocolate company) & The Tree Hut (natural body products that do what they say) for a few lucky readers! Follow along via #AllThingsEaster on social media this week and visit our Pinterest Board “All Things Easter” for more ideas. Now if only we had a magic formula to make all those dishes disappear, Happy Easter!

Ideas for Leftover Easter Eggs

Giant Deviled Egg | Souffle Bombay

Easter Breakfast Recipe Ideas

Easter Breakfast Casserole | How I Pinch A Penny

Baked French Toast | O’Boy! Organic

Dutch Baby | The Naughty Mommy

Easter Dinner Recipe Ideas

Scallion & Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes | Musings of a Housewife

Baked Cheesy Broccoli & Rice Casserole | We’re Parents!?

Cheesy Potato Casserole | Coupon Cutting Mom

Easter Dessert Recipe Ideas

Peanut Butter Eggs | Real: The Kitchen & Beyond

Toasted Angel Food Cake Parfait | What the Heck’s a Bonbon?

Allergy Friendly Cookies | Chockababy

Individual Lemon Meringues | Pandora’s Deals

Peeps in the Pond Trifle | Opera Singer in the Kitchen

Rice Krispie Pops/Chocolate Covered Pretzels | A Grande Life

Easter Cocktail Recipe Ideas

Raspberry Beer Float | Teaspoon of Spice

The Peter Cottontail Cocktail | Can’t Google Everything

Bunnytail-tini | Mommy Snapped

Easter Decorating Ideas

Easter Printable | Diapered Daze and Knights

Easter Centerpiece | The Vintage Mom

Jellybean Tree Centerpiece | Look What Mom Found

Easter Gift Ideas

Allergy Friendly Non-Toxic Easter Basket | Mom-Blog

Naturally Dyed Wooden Easter Eggs | Inspired Family

Sugar Free Easter Basket Ideas | philly fun 4 kids

Easter Fun

5 Easter Activities for Kids | Mama Teaches

Pretzel Fun for Family | Homeroom at Home

Taking Great Easter Photos | Life with Kaishon

Frugal Easter Basket Ideas & Menu

Frugal Easter Ideas | Centsible Life

Easter Egg Pass | A Life in Balance

John Boos for the beautiful maple cutting board, The Spice House for their spice and baking gift sets, Divine Chocolate for their luxuriously rich Fair Trade Chocolate gift basket, Wilton Armetale for the elegant egg plate, and Tree Hut for the body scrub and lotion.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

No Dye Decorated Easter Eggs

March 29, 2014 by Melissa

Our family doesn’t put much thought into the characters of holidays and traditions like the Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy or Elf on the Shelf. BUT I do love the look of decorated Easter eggs, they are just so pretty. Here are some of the cutest No-Dye Decorated Easter Egg designs I’ve found.

Mom.Me Sharpie Marker Eggs

Kimberley Stoney Glitter Dot Eggs

Adam & Sons Confetti Dot Eggs

Lovely Indeed Washi Tape Eggs

A Thrifty Mom Melted Crayon Eggs

Landeelu Twine Wrapped Eggs

Pinching Your Pennies Fabric Covered Eggs

There is nothing wrong with dyeing eggs but why not step out of the box and test you creative abilities with options like these.

Some of these crafts can be done with inexpensive plastic or styofoam eggs instead of real eggs so they can be saved and set out each year.

Paper Pinwheels in Mini Flowerpots #craft

March 20, 2014 by Melissa

Happy Spring! Today marks the day of a new season full of promise and excitement. The green grass and daffodils poking through the snowflakes shows that there are BIG things happening. In our house we looking forward getting outside and enjoying the weather changes and shining sun. In the meantime we’re crafting fun and colorful things like these Paper Pinwheels in Mini Flowerpots.
This craft is also part of a mini clay pot challenge brought forward by Barb of A Life in Balance.

This is what I came up with.

Supplies

mini clay flowerpot
beads or marbles
Styrofoam ball
paper
brads
skewers
glue

Directions

I’m a Silhouette Cameo user so my pinwheel shapes are cut out for me but cutting these out yourself is very simple. Using this tutorial is one of the easiest I’ve ever seen and can be modified for any size pinwheel.

Taking your pinwheel shape and pull the ends down and secure with a brad. OR you can follow the directions on the tutorial and use the pin and pencil method to make it spin. My version doesn’t spin in the wind.

My version has you adding a blob of glue to the back of the pinwheel and securing the skewer in place with a scrap of paper on top for a cleaner look.

Place your styrofoam ball to the clay pot, use glue if wanted. Arrange your pinwheels in your styrofoam ball.

Add your beads or marbles to cover the styrofoam. Again using glue if wanted.

Your pinwheel bouquet is ready to display.

An InLinkz Link-up

Fabric Flower Headband for Kids #craft #handmade

March 11, 2014 by Melissa

Shae is a mix of girly girl and tomboy. She’s got a collection of jewelry and lip glosses stored next to her Xbox games and Skylanders figures. She’s always asking for costumes and new shoes so it’s only natural that I make her hair accessories to wear. She recently got her haircut and I wanted to emphasize the bump in the back so I made her this “hipster” fabric flower headband that wraps around her entire head.

Even better is I didn’t purchase one single thing in order to make it. Saving fabric from outgrown clothing is the best way to create things like this.

First I took a stretchy, shimmery black knit and measured it 8 inches bigger than her head from the base of her head to her forehead. Laying flat it measured about 3″ wide. Scrunched up this was a good fit for her.

With a needle and thread I made bow shape without the huge knot.

Then I started rolling strips of fabric to create rosettes. These are so simple to make. Essentially you take a strip of fabric, fold it in half (printed side facing out) then twist it. Then you roll in around itself using spots of hot glue to keep it in place. The harder your twist the tighter your flower will be. Don’t stop at fabric though. Ribbons and lace work perfectly too. There are lots of tutorials on YouTube to show you how to make a rolled fabric or ribbon flower.

I made a few flowers, layered them on a piece of fabric and glued them along with a scrunched up piece of black satin tucked behind a flower for embellishment. Feathers, lace and even leaves would work great here.

Glue the fabric to the headband, set aside to dry and it’s ready to wear. I wanted to add tiny seed beads but Shae was very impatient and wanted to wear it to school. I’ve done these rolled flowers many many times. They take just a couple minutes to make and are ready to tack on an existing headband, barrette or brooch.

Use what you have on hand, no need to shop for new fabrics or crystals.

DIY Necklace and Pendant Upcycle #craft #jewelry

February 5, 2014 by Melissa

I love love love jewelry. I especially love necklaces. My earrings are diamond studs Rob got me a few years ago that I never take out. My wedding band stays in place with the occasional fashion ring on the other hand. But necklaces get changed often dependent on my mood. I have some favorites like this Lisa Leonard Lots of Love pendant and necklace. I was shopping last week and rummaging through a clearance section in the craft aisle and found a pendant. I knew it was missing something but knew immediately I could rescue it and upcycle it into something adorable.

I had a broken silver necklace at home so I knew I could resurrect it into something pretty.

I started by fixing the necklace with a heavy gauge jump ring and then cutting the chain right in the center.

Then I added the same heavy gauge jump rings to the pendant and attached it to the necklace. This is an instructional video on how to work with jump rings correctly. Using a heavy/thick ring will lessen the chance of it coming apart while wearing. There is always the soldering option but I’m not there yet.

The empty nest needed eggs. Blue is a my favorite color so I knew a couple Robin’s eggs would look like they belonged. Rolling out the clay into the right shape took the longest time; making sure to tap the ends to get it round but not flat. After getting 2 almost identical eggs I was ready to bake. It just takes 20 minutes in a 225° oven and they are hard like little pebbles.

I have a glaze that gives the clay a shine after baking but clear nail polish would work just fine.

Using a couple dabs of glue I placed the eggs in the nest and let it set for a couple hours. This glue dries completely clear.

Don’t throw away broken jewelry. Give it a new life with the purchase of a $2 pendant or create your own pendant with buttons, clay, earrings or beads.

Burlap and Ribbon Wrapped Vase

January 16, 2014 by Melissa

Flowers are a common gift for Valentine’s Day so I decided to make a beautiful decorated vase where they can be placed. Crafting your own vase can be as uncomplicated as you want to make it. I bought NO special supplies for my vase, using just what I had on hand.

Adding different dimensions and layers makes this vase stand out against simpler decor on a shelf or table. Using a variety of textures gives it more sophistication I think.

Materials Needed

Vase
fabric, burlap, ribbon of choice
flowers, fabric or paper
buttons, beads or rhinestones
school glue hot glue

Directions

Thoroughly clean and dry a vase. Mine has been floating around this household for years, it’s one of my favorites because it’s very heavy and has a blue-gray hue. It’s usually filled with marbles and a fake flower.

Measure out your materials and using school glue adhere it to your vase. I like using school glue because it allows you to remove the materials if you ever decide to makeover your vase. It will simply wash off and you can start over. Layer multiple ribbons or fabric pieces to achieve the look you want.

My paper flowers were made using a paper cutter and quilling tool. These are NOT required at all. I’ve done them before with scissors and rolled them with my hands. Here is a simple tutorial showing you how simple it can be.

Arrange your flowers and buttons the way you want then hot glue them directly to your fabric/ribbons.

Now wait for your flower delivery.

Ideas for Leftover Easter Eggs

Easter Breakfast Recipe Ideas

Easter Dinner Recipe Ideas

Easter Dessert Recipe Ideas

Easter Cocktail Recipe Ideas

Easter Decorating Ideas

Easter Gift Ideas

Easter Fun

Frugal Easter Basket Ideas & Menu

Read Something

Kids in the Kitchen Linky Party

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