Making Valentine Cards ❤

Valentine’s Day is coming soon….so I have a craft for you!
Today I’ll show you two Valentine cards…one is a very simple design, the second one is a Pop-Up card. Both cards use the same dimensions: 11″ x 4 “.   That way they will fit inside a business envelope.

A SIMPLE, FOLDED IN HALF....CARD.

THESE ARE POP-UP CARDS....also easy!

Materials you’ll need for both cards:
1. scrapbook paper: solid color, or with a faint pattern~or~ construction paper.  Both can be purchased at dollar stores, or discount stores.
2. scissors
3. glue….any glue is fine.
4. markers, pens, colored pencils or crayons
5. sentences/headline words from newspapers, comics, other colored paper, wrapping paper, old notecards
6. free downloads, print paper and cut to fit  (I’ve given you the links below)
7. Optional: stickers, glitter, Happy Tape**, stamping supplies, doilies
**Happy Tape is a decorative tape used for scrapbooking, cards, invitations, etc.  click here for the site.  Or you may be able to find specialty tape in stores.  It’s optional.

LINKS for Free downloads… these links are from creative commons’ sites. They are free for your own personal use, however you cannot sell them. (commercial use).
Magnets for the Eiffel Tower
Vintage photos, letters, newspaper, postcards
Vintage Valentines
Modern Heart clip art

Card A…..the Simple card.
♥ Choose your paper and cut it to size (11″ x 4 “).
♥ Fold your paper in half.
♥ Use prints from the download links I gave you above.  Cut them to fit, turn them at an angle, cut part of one out, put another color paper behind the print..you choose!  If you print them in B&W, use them that way or use colored pencils or crayons to give them color. ~OR~
♥ Use scrap paper, sentences/headline words from newspapers, wrapping paper, solid colored paper, comics to decorate
♥ Think about the inside too….write the words you want, glue decorations inside the card.
♥ You can decorate the left side of the envelope too, as long as it doesn’t make it too thick, or sticky.

Card B…..The POP-UP Card.
*Cut your paper the same as Card A…11″ x 4″.
*This time you will also cut an 8″ x 4″ section for the Pop Up.  Use the same or different color paper for the pop up part.
* Fold the 11″ x 4″ paper in half.
* Fold the 8″ x 4″ section in half, then in half again…it should be folded into 4 equal parts.  See my photo below.

YOUR CARD SHOULD BE FOLDED INTO 4 SECTIONS LIKE THIS.

PUT GLUE ON THE TWO OUTSIDE SECTIONS ONLY. LINE UP THE GLUED SECTIONS TOGETHER AT THE FOLD OF THE LARGER PAPER. I'VE DONE ONE SIDE ABOVE. THE SECOND SIDE WILL COME DOWN AND MEET AT THE FOLD.

THIS IS THE WAY IT SHOULD LOOK WITH BOTH END SECTIONS GLUED DOWN. WHEN YOU FOLD YOUR CARD, YOU MAY HAVE TO USE SCISSORS TO TRIM UNEVEN EDGES.

Now you are ready to decorate the outside and inside of your card (same as Card A).
There is just one important rule about Pop-Up cards!
When you glue your chosen item on the Pop-up section….remember to glue it on the part that faces the person when they open the card.  Do not glue it across the fold of the pop up.  Just glue it on the left side and let it “hang over” the fold.  See my photo below.

HERE’S THE INSIDE JOB!!  THE SIMPLE CARDS are in the foreground.  THE POP-UP CARDS are in the back. Note the placement of items on the Pop -Up sections.  Glue them on the left side of the Pop-Up, but do not glue them ON THE FOLD of the Pop-Up.  They can overhang the folded edge.
Have fun!  If you have children or grandchildren, get them to help you!

Do something good!
If you get really industrious and you want to share your Valentines (homemade or purchased), here are a couple of ideas:
 ❤Share Your Love, promoted by Etsy.  Giving Valentines and hot meals through City-Meals-on-Wheels to the elderly of NYC.  Click here for more information.  Valentines are due by Tues. Feb. 7.
 ❤”Valentines for Vets”, go to the US Dept. of Veterans’ Affairs site.  Find out the nearest VA hospital.  Make or purchase cards, and send or take the cards to the clinic or medical center.  This is an excellent project for children, and one my classes used to do every year.  Make sure you (or your child) write a note on the card, the Vets love them.  Click here. 

Enjoy!
Judy

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Gift tags to make~

Dear readers……
I know time is getting short….and I should have posted this craft months ago.  Perhaps you can tuck it away until next year if this week is too crazy!

I made the gift tags with a smaller, round tag attached for the name of the recipient and gifter.  The small, round tags are attached at the top of the rectangular tag with string, crochet yarn, or thin ribbon.  You should be able to see both tags in the photos.
This way I can reuse the larger tag and just attach a new circle tag next year.

Gift Tags 
Materials needed:
1. Anything you can find around the house!
2. construction paper, scrapbook paper, old notes or envelopes with interesting colors, last year’s Christmas cards, or extra cards, fabric, magazines, catalogs, handmade paper, stickers, buttons, old pins (remove pin back), old photos (make copies), plain paper
3. glitter, embossing powder (opt)
4. stamps and stamp pads
5. scissors, paper cutter (opt)
6. circle cutter..(opt)
7. markers, pens
8. Happy Tape….colorful tape to use in your tag design
9. hole punch

Assembly
1. find a tag pattern, or make your own.  Using construction paper or solid color scrapbook paper, make a rectangle the size you desire and snip the top corners off.  Punch a hole in the center top and you are ready to start.  You can also purchase blank tags in craft or scrapbook stores.
2. If you have a circle cutter, you can cut circles from magazines, catalogs, solid color paper or patterned paper.  These are for the small tag with TO: and FROM: on it.  I made them double sided, as I used magazine paper for color on the front.  I backed it with a solid color so my writing would be legible.  This is an option.  You may just want to make the rectangular tag.
3. You can cut pieces of magazines and catalogs that have the colors you desire.  I quickly went through catalogs and cut out blankets, quilts, tablecloths, etc.  Then later I cut them to size.
4. Now the fun begins: use your creativity to combine magazine/catalog clippings, paper, old cards, ribbon, and anything you can find to make the tags your own.

tags using catalog clippings, handmade paper, stickers, scrapbook paper

catalog clippings, Happy Tape, scrapbook paper, buttons

scrapbook paper, catalog clippings, stickers

Happy Tape (2 kinds/one over the other), scrapbook paper, sticker

Click here for the Happy Tape link.  (ps….check out the sale page.  Great deals!)
Thanks for looking at the post!
Judy

Gifts in a Jar!

 Give these away for Christmas presents and make extras to keep for a treat for yourself!  

Gifts in a Jar: Double Fudge Brownies and Bavarian Mint Coffee.

(I’m apologizing for the photo.  Nothing RED went into either jar!  It seems as though the glass jars were reflecting the red cloth I had them posing on.  Baaaahhhh…..  So tonight we are pretending the colors are correct!!)  Thank you!

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eeeewwww…..not liking that pinky color!  lol  Ok, here are the recipes for Double Fudge Brownies (large qt size jar) and Bavarian Mint Coffee (small half-pint jars).

Double Fudge Brownies
*Put ingredients in jar in this order.
1.  1 ½ cups sugar
2.  3/4 cup cocoa powder  (clean inside of jar with a small pice of a damp paper towel wrapped around a knife after this layer)
3.  3/4 cup all-purpose flour
4.  3/4 cup chocolate chips
5.  1/2 cup chopped pecans (I put mine in a small snack bag in case the person does not like them)
**Layer the ingredients starting with the sugar on the bottom,  into a wide-mouth 1 quart canning jar.  Pack each layer in place before adding the next ingredient.  Put the top and band on, and attach a tag with the mixing and baking instructions (below).
Double Fudge Brownies
Makes 24 bars

Ingredients:
1 jar Double Fudge Brownie Mix
3/4 cup softened butter or margarine
3 eggs, slightly beaten

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.  In a large bowl, cream the butter and eggs.  Add the Double Fudge Brownie Mix and stir until the mixture is well blended.  Spread batter into a lightly greased or sprayed 9×12 inch pan.  Bake for 30-40 minutes.  Cool in pan.  Cut into 2 inch squares.   Note: Mix in jar is shelf safe for six months.  If using the nuts…use by 3 months.  Enjoy!!!

Thank you to Gifts in a Jar, distributed by CQ products.
Click here to go to their website.

Bavarian Mint Coffee

Ingredients:
1.  ¼ cup instant nonfat powdered dry milk.
2.  1/3 cup granulated sugar
3.  1/4 cup instant coffee
4.  2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
5.  2 hard peppermint candies, crushed

Method:
Combine all ingredients in a food processor, chopper or blender.  Mix well to combine flavors and until mixture is a fine powder.  Store in a tightly covered container.
Makes 1 cup dry mix.

**Attach these directions to the jar:
Bavarian Mint Coffee
To serve combine 3 Tablespoons of mix with 1 cup boiling water; stir to blend.  Enjoy!

Thank you to Judy Wesener, “Hot Beverage Dry Mix Recipes” (and more) for sale on Amazon.

Enjoy making these gifts.
They are great for so many reasons:
1. The interiors are consumable and exteriors recyclable (glass)
2. They are an easy gift to make/can make several at once.
3. The recipient can use them whenever they wish.
4. They are a “feel good” gift….
5.  They don’t need to be returned!

Sorry for the long post today…..I hope you can make use of it!
Judy

Craft~Snowman Pin

Hello to my favorite blog readers!
Today I have the directions for a snowman pin you can make.  It’s easy to do, in fact, my kindergartners used to help make them as presents for parents.  This is a good craft activity for those in any age group.  It also makes a great gift for someone.

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I just have one caution: if a child is doing the project, I’d make sure an adult uses the hot glue gun for safety reasons.  ** However…you may know of a great glue to use instead of hot glue.  If so, let me know!
Snowman Pin 
Materials Needed:
1. Two white buttons, one smaller than the other. Both buttons must have TWO holes only.
2. A piece of tagboard or white felt, as long as your pin needs to be, or long enough to cover where the two buttons come together.  (the snowman’s “neck”!)
3. A piece of black felt, cut in the shape of a hat.
4. a pin …..the kind with a flat back
5. a short piece of pipe stem…red or green.
6. hot glue gun, scissors.

See materials below:

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Directions:
1. The head of the snowman should have his button hole “eyes” horizontal, and the body should have the button holes in a vertical position for “buttons”.
2. Flip the two buttons over so you can work on the back.  Use the tagboard or white felt rectangle to bridge the two buttons together across the snowman’s “neck”.   Hot glue the tag/felt to the back of the two buttons, approximately in the middle.  Let that cool.
3. Hot glue the pin over the tagboard or felt piece.  The opening of the pin can be either at the top or bottom….it’s your choice.   Let it cool.
4. Take the pipe stem and wrap it around the snowman’s neck (it will have to go through the pin in back).  Twist the stem a couple of times and then separate the ends, so it looks like a scarf blowing in the wind.
5. Cut a hat shape out of the black felt and glue it on the snowman’s head.
Woo hoo….You’re done!

As with anything else, you can change this to make it your own…have fun and be creative!

Thanks for visiting….

Judy

Wreath Makeover~

Good evening blog readers~
I have a makeover for you tonight!  Rats.  I wish it was MY makeover!  Alas….I have an old faux evergreen holiday wreath I’ve used for 10 years and it’s getting pretty sad looking.   It needed a “tune up”.  I have the before and after photos to show you.

I like a simple wreath.  I could do without the ribbon even!  If you want a new wreath this year….consider making one, or giving an old one a makeover.  It is very easy.  The one I have is very large, about 24″ in diameter.  A smaller wreath would work well and would be easier to cover.   Consider using one color and an odd number of objects.  I think one color stands out nicely against the green background color of the wreath.   Use your imagination!  Craft stores, discount stores and dollar stores are full of items you can use for a wreath.

Perhaps you like bells, traditional round ornaments,  hearts, angels, or candy canes….whatever you like, gather an odd number and use wire to attach it to the wreath.  I use green 24 gauge wire.  It’s easy to twist and anchor, and I need just a small pair of wire cutters for it.  You can use string, ribbon or twist ties too.

I found ribbon in the color of the ornaments and wrapped it loosely around the wreath.  I wish I could make a bow like my friend does.  I want to have her do a tutorial on here for you sometime!  I can tie a regular bow….but fancy ones are beyond me!

The old wreath……

The wreath after its makeover…..  ;)

A bonus: I can use this wreath all winter.

Enjoy making your wreath….or giving an old one a new look!
And thanks so much for dropping in to visit~
Judy 

 

Thanksgiving craft~

Good evening loyal readers!

This is a great craft for parents and children to do together….or for anyone of any age.
As with any craft,  there are many variations that can be used.

I found this craft activity on the net a month ago.   The original craft item is hanging leaves, as you will see when I give you the link.
You can choose to do leaves, as we are in the midst of falling leaves at this time of year, and I think the finished look is really neat.

I made a variation to show you another idea.  I made turkey feathers!  When I taught kindergarten, I found out that five year olds (and most children) are fascinated with turkeys!

Click here to see the original craft idea from KABOOSE.   (my directions vary from Kaboose because I wanted the feathers to look different)

MY HOW TO:
1. Using tagboard or heavy construction paper, cut out 7 feathers,  leaf shapes (or the shape you desire) Note: they do not have to be exactly the same shape! Just free-form draw them, or make one shape and trace it.  Don’t worry if they are different sizes.
2. You or your child decorate the feathers/leaves using crayons, watercolor paints, poster paints, markers, torn paper scraps, etc.
3. Find a twig or branch that is fairly straight
4. Use thin string or thin crochet “yarn”
5. Punch a hole in the TOP of each feather/leaf (in the top row) and tie a knot with the string there.  (make sure you have a long piece of string)
6. For each of the 3 top items, wrap the string around the stick several times and then tie it in a knot.
7. Punch a hole in the bottom of each feather in the top row.
8. Punch a hole in the top of each feather in the second row and tie them together, using a square knot.  Mine are about 3″ apart.
9. For the last feather….repeat the process ….as you can see in the photo.

**Thoughts: if this will be exposed to the outdoors, it may be a good idea to cover the feathers/leaves with clear contact paper, or…one of my favorite things: clear package wrapping tape.  KABOOSE suggests putting glue on each knot…. if your item is outdoors and exposed to humidity changes,  that is probably a good idea.

Have fun creating!  Let me know if you do this craft!.
Thanks for stopping by~ 

Cappuccino in a Jar!

Great as a gift!

Good Evening Dear Readers~
Homemade gifts are always appreciated.  Here’s a gift you can give yourself or someone else.
There are many “gifts in a jar” you can put together.  I have several to share with you.  I came across this Cappuccino mix the other day, and thought it would be a popular one for many people.  I found several recipes for it, but the one I chose is from www.allrecipes.com.

Click here for the link to the recipe.               (I haven’t tried mine yet!)

As with any recipe, there will be people who love it and people who don’t.  I like to read the comments and see if there are any variations to the recipe, or tips that people discovered when they made it.  One thing I did read was to try different flavored powdered creamers, instead of the usual plain powdered creamer called for in the recipes.

You can always Google “Cappuccino in a Jar recipes” too.
Enjoy! And thanks for stopping by~

Make Antique Button Earrings

I don’t have a photo to go along with this craft, but when you follow the link and go to the website below you’ll get the directions and see the photos.  Thanks to Life Through the Lens for the idea.
All you need are buttons with a shank on the back.  The directions tell you how to remove the shank and add a post and back.  It’s very simple.  So simple I wish I’d thought of it myself!
With all the different buttons available (new or antique), you can imagine the variety of styles you can craft.   These will make great gifts too!  Good luck!

Click here for the tutorial on Life Through the Lens.  

**(“Vintage Earrings Tutorial and Giveaway” ….Giveaway has ended)

 

Crocheted Button Necklace

I don’t know how to crochet, but I made this crocheted button necklace under the close tutelage of our local craft shop owner many years ago.  I could not think of the directions to tell you, so I searched on the web to find some.  (addresses below)  This necklace can be made with any color/kind of button.

I prefer old or antique ivory buttons, but modern looking buttons would make a nice statement.  Glass, metal, or Bakelite buttons would be cool too.  You can make a choker with one single row of crochet and buttons, or you can make the loops with buttons so they dangle.  This is another craft where you can be the designer.  If the directions (links) below don’t work for you, just Google “crocheted button necklace” and find some that do!

Link 1~http://sites.google.com/site/surawhit/buttonnecklaces

Link 2~http://www.fortunecity.com/victorian/operatic/312/button1.htm

And thanks to Nancy, my tutor, & her store: http://www.henhousemi.com/contact.html

Sweet Swiffer Craft

Here’s a craft even I could do.  I found it online and I thought it would be great to pass on to you.

You know how we always run out of our small hand-held Swiffer (or other) disposable dusters and have to throw them out?  Well here’s a GREEN idea…..you can make your own Swiffer dust covers…or make some for gifts.  All you need is some fleece and the tutorial from (click here>)Grosgrain Fabulous.  When they are dirty you can toss them in the washer instead of throwing them out.

If you are interested in making a dust cover for the large floor Swiffer, Grosgrain Fabulous has a link for you on her site.  You can click that link and it takes you to the tutorial for the large floor Swiffer on another blog.   By the way, Grosgrain Fabulous is a great sewing site and craft/ideas/shopping, etc!

Have fun and let me know if you made some covers!  Maybe it will give me the incentive to get my machine out!

Thanks to Grosgrain Fabulous for this post!    Click here to go to the site.