Category Archives: Craft

Craft – Butterfly in a Jar

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Butterfly in a Jar

With the end of summer and the start of autumn, I thought this craft project would be a fun way to “preserve” those wonderful summer days as the weather starts to get colder.  Below are the supply list and instructions needed to complete this easy “Butterfly in a Jar” craft project.

Butterfly in a Jar – supplies

Jar with a lid
A few artificial ferns or other greenery
A floral spray to add a little color
An artificial butterfly
Hot glue gun and glue sticks
A small amount of potting soil, sand or small rocks

Butterfly in a Jar - supplies

Butterfly in a Jar – instructions

  1. Start with a clean glass container with a lid. (A lid is important because we don’t want the butterfly to fly away!)
  2. Cut the floral spray to fit the size of the container, hot glue the floral spray to the bottom of container.
  3. Cut several ferns in varying lengths to fit the size of the container, hot glue the ferns in various places to the bottom of the container.
  4. Hot glue the butterfly to a wire, then hot glue the wire to the bottom of the container.  When selecting a color for the butterfly, remember to use a color contrast for a visually appealing display.
  5. To give the container a finished and realistic look, scoop potting soil into the container to fill the bottom.  Sand or gravel can be used as other options to fill the container.

Butterfly in a Jar 1 Butterfly in a Jar 2 Butterfly in a Jar 3

After I finished the “Butterfly in a Jar”, I put it on my office desk to replace the floral arrangement already there.  I enjoy glancing at it during the day – it is like having a little bit on summer sitting on my desk!

Butterfly in a Jar - final

For another variation of a container arrangement, please see last months’s Craft post – Glass Dome Arrangement.

Craft – Flower Pot Wreath

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Flower Pot Wreath - finished

This easy Flower Pot Wreath is a great craft project to create a simple transitional wreath for the late summer to early fall seasons.  The small flower pots add some dimension to the wreath and instead of traditional flowers I will be using artificial cactus. Below are the supplies and instructions needed to make this unusual Flower Pot Wreath.

Flower Pot Wreath  – supplies

  • 1 Large grapevine wreath
  • 5 Small Terracotta Pots, an odd amount is more visually appealing to the eyes
  • A variety of several artificial cactus plants, one for each pot and some extras
  • Spanish moss
  • Hot glue gun and glue sticks
  • Wire, to secure the pots to the wreath

Flower Pot Wreath - supplies

Flower Pot Wreath – instructions

  1. Arrange the terracotta pots, evenly placed around the wreath.  (I spaced the pots on the lower portion of the wreath)
  2. Cut an 8” length of wire for each pot. Lace through the bottom hole and attach each pot to the wreath in the pre-determined positions.
  3. Fill each individual terracotta pot with some Spanish moss
  4. Hot glue the cactus plants into the pots, alternate the variety from pot to pot for an appealing arrangement.  Be sure to reserve a few of the cactus for later use.
  5. Now that the pots are attached and filled, hot glue extra cactus between the pots.  (I saved the longer type cactus for this purpose)

Flower Pot Wreath 1

Flower Pot Wreath 2

Once I completed the Flower Pot Wreath I hung it on the side door of our home that leads into the garage.  Once winter comes and the weather becomes colder, I will move the wreath indoors and place it downstairs to hang in our “California Room” (this room has been described in a previous post)

Flower Pot Wreath - hung on back door

This Flower Pot Wreath craft idea can be used in a variety of different ways for any season, maybe use daffodils for Spring or sunflowers for Fall.

Craft – Words into Art

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2013-09-08 09.53.41I was recently inspired by a photo I saw on Pinterest.  It was a simple piece of artwork using words arranged in a pattern and displayed in a beautiful frame.  It looked like an easy craft project to try with only a few supplies required.  The “Words as Art” took less than 30 minutes and the completed artwork looks great hanging in the hallway in our home.

2013-09-06 06.40.51

Words into Art – supplies

  • Frame
  • Scrapbook word or letters stickers
  • Scrapbook paper used as decorative backing
  • Scissors
  • Glue (optional if self-adhesive stickers are used)
  • Mat frame (optional)

Words into Art – instructions

  1. Remove glass and backing from frame.  If you are using a mat, purchase one with an 8 X 10” opening to fit a larger frame, this will create a border around the “words”.
  2. Cut scrapbook paper to fit the 8 X 10” opening of the frame or mat.  (Scrapbook paper generally comes in two popular sizes, 12 X12” or 8.5 X 11”)  For the selection of scrapbook paper I would suggest a solid color because it won’t distract from the “words”.  For color selection there are two choices, one is a background that blends with the “words” color for a soft effect or the other is a background that contrasts with the “words” color for a bold effect.
  3. Scrapbook word stickers are available in a variety of sizes and fonts.  Some are pre-packaged with different words; look for ones that are a solid color with a slight depth to create the dimension needed for this project.  If you can’t find the “words” you want, create them from individual letters made of foam or cardboard.
  4. Prior to attaching the “words” to the scrapbook paper, select the placement to fit into the 8 X 10” area.  Experiment with a variety of different positions until you are pleased with the arrangement.  If you are using a mat, be sure to lay the mat over the scrapbook paper and “words” to be sure that everything fits within the mat opening and does not cut-off the “words”.  Once you determined the placement of the “words”, attach them to the scrapbook paper working from the center to the outer edges.
  5. Attach the scrapbook paper with “words” to the frame backing.  I would suggest only replacing the glass if it is the non-glare type, if it is a standard glass type the glare of the glass will be distracting to reading the “words” and not as visually appealing.

This craft idea would also make a great gift for a birthday, new baby, wedding or housewarming gift; just choose the appropriate “words” for the occasion.  Another idea is to choose one word and repeat it several types in a variety of different sizes and fonts.  Use the person’s first name for a birthday or new baby gift and the last name for a wedding or housewarming gift.

 

Craft – Glass Dome Arrangement

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Glass dome arrangement final

One of the most popular trends right now in home accessories is the terrarium container.  I have been looking at these decorative terrariums in the local retail and craft supply stores all summer long.  I knew I had a glass dome container I had bought on clearance a few years ago with the thought that I would use it for a future craft project.  Now, I finally had the idea to create a glass dome arrangement with the container.  I found some additional items from my floral supply box and the only item I purchased was a small container of ferns from my local craft store that were on clearance.

Craft Note: Shopping the craft stores in my area weekly, I find items on clearance that I purchase for a minimum amount and then later finding a craft project that I can use them for.  This glass dome arrangement craft project is a great example of using items that I previously purchased and buying a few additional items to create a beauty decorative arrangement for our home.

Glass dome arrangement supplies

Glass Dome Arrangement – supplies

  • Glass dome with base or terrarium
  • Ferns and leaves, amount will be determined by the size of the container
  • A small pot for the ferns and leaves (Spanish moss for the pot is optional)
  • A few container accessories, amount will be determined by the size of the container
  • Hot glue gun and glue sticks

Glass Dome Arrangement – instructions

  1. Any type of glass dome with base can be used or any size of terrarium. If you are using a glass dome it is very important to have a matching base because this is needed to attach the fern or leaves and container accessories.  Using the glass dome with base, I hot-glued a small container with ferns that I had purchased on clearance from my local craft store.  (To add more fullness to the container I used several additional ferns and the contrast of the two different types of ferns looked great!Glass dome arrangement 1
  2. Next, attach the accessories to the base with hot glue.  (I had found several small mushrooms and snails that I had previously purchased)  Any type of container accessories can be used but the scale of the items should be relatively small.  I have seen items such as small fairies, miniature garden benches and trellis –there such a nice selection in the craft stores.
    Glass dome arrangement 2a Glass dome arrangement 3
  3. This next step can be tricky if you are using a glass dome, if you are using a terrarium or an open-topped container this next step is not required.  As you fit the glass dome onto the base, be sure to be aware of where the ferns and leaves are being placed.  (I used my fingers to move the ferns so that they were not blocking the view any of the container accessories)

This Glass Dome Arrangement craft project was very easy to do and only took about 30 minutes to complete.

Craft – Fold-up Homework Station

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2013-08-16 17.14.31

The idea of a fold-up homework station came from an article in the Family Fun Magazine.  I really like the idea for an organized place to do homework and it was an easy project to make for our daughter back in 2009.  She loved the fold-up work station and it was a great way to teach her about the organization of her school homework, a place to keep track of her school schedule and when upcoming projects were due for class.  She used it in elementary school and recently asked if I could make a new one for middle school.

Fold-up Homework Station – supplies

  • 1 tri-fold display board, choose white if it will be decorated or any color board if not
  • Double stick tape or adhesive glue dots
  • Adhesive Velcro dots
  • Calendar, size is determined by the display board used
  • Dry-erase memo board, size is determined by the display board
  • Sticky-note dispenser
  • Clip to attached homework and school notices
  • Pencil pouch filled with pencils, pens, erasers, child-safe scissors
  • Calculator

Fold-up Homework Station – instructions

  1. Display board can be decorated with paint, stickers, etc.  The idea is to get your child involved with the decorations so that they get excited about using the homework station.  (I choose to leave the board white and let the accessories add the color to the project).
  2. Prior to attaching accessories, determine placement on the board.  Be aware of the items positions, especially in the left and right sections because those will be folded in when the homework station is not in use.  (I choose to position the calendar in the center section, the memo board in the left section and the supplies and other accessories in the right section).
  3. Attach the accessories with double-stick tape or adhesive dots for paper or light items.  Use adhesive Velcro dots for accessories that will be removable, such as a calculator.
  4. The fold-up homework station is now complete and ready to use.  When your child is not using the homework station it can be folded and stored away in a nearby closet. (I choose to leave the homework station out all the time because we have a countertop/desk area in our kitchen that is used specifically for our daughter to do her homework)

2013-08-16 17.14.13

The fold-up homework station is a great idea if you have several children at your home.  Make a homework station for each child, set them up at a table and the children can work with disturbing each other because the homework stations will act as a partition to separate them.

For more information about getting your kids ready for back-to-school, please check out the post Ideas and Tips for a Great School Year.

I hope your new school year gets off to a great start!!