Graduation Gift Card Holder

Its grad season yet again. Didn't school just start ?? Here's a simple an easy idea from

Plaid Online to spice up a gift card for your favorite grad.
To make a graduation gift card holder, you will need

My fav- Mod Podge
Altoid tin
4 pieces (or scraps) of scrapbook paper (one yellow with stars; one black and white stripes; one black; and one red)
Black ribbon with gold edges (14 inches)
Small star punch out or 4 red star stickers
4 red rhinestones
1 gold eyelet
Thin gold cording to attach tag
Distress ink
Hot glue
Sandpaper

1. Wash and dry tin.

2. Use the top of the tin as a template to cut out 4 pieces of yellow paper (Cut two slightly smaller to fit the insides of the tin. Distress edges and apply to the top, bottom and the insides of the tin with Mod Podge; allow to dry.

3. Cut a 1/4” strip of yellow paper, distress and apply around the edge of the lid with Mod Podge; allow to dry.

4. Cut a 1/2” strip of black and white striped paper and apply around the edge of the bottom of tin with Mod Podge; allow to dry.

5. Use sandpaper to sand away any paper that may be extending the edges of the tin.

6. Punch out stars or use star stickers and place three stars across top right of tin lid as shown.

7. Coat the entire outside of tin with Mod Podge; allow to dry.

8. Make a tag using the black paper and star paper as shown and add eyelet. Place stickers and star on tag then add a red rhinestone.

9. Add red rhinestones to each star on tin and use hot glue to secure ribbon around tin so that, while ribbon is in place, the tin will open; attach gold cord to tag and slip through ribbon, tie and rim ribbon as shown.



You could clearly change this project up and use it for any season/purpose.

Groovy ribbon frame

One of my latest favorite crafts is anything with Mod Podge.

I love the idea of taking any old or new thing and making it into something spectacular. This ribbon frame I found @ Plaid Online is no exception. What a great idea. I have old frames, tons of ribbon, craft paint & of course Mod Podge.


Funky Ribbon Frame

What you need & probably already have:

FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Soft Apple, 2 oz.
Mod Podge ® Matte, 16 oz.
Small Wood Frame
Variety of ribbons
Foam brushes
Scissors
Ruler
Base coat entire frame Soft Apple; let dry.

Measure height of frame; cut multiple lengths of assorted ribbon to height size (we used a monochromatic selection of ribbons in a variety of patterns and textures).
Apply Mod Podge to back of one ribbon strip; position on front of frame then smooth; repeat with additional strips of ribbon placing them side by side until front of frame is covered; let dry.
Apply two topcoats of Mod Podge to finish and seal; let dry completely between coats.

Driveway signs

What you see is not all you get with these adorable driveway markers from Family Fun. By day, the plaques add color and a decorative touch to your yard. At night, the signs shine as beams of approaching headlights bounce off the reflective-tape moon and stars.

CRAFT MATERIALS:
Pencil
Wood (we used scrap lumber, but you can also use wooden plaques from a craft store)
Paintbrush
Acrylic paints
Scissors
Reflective tape (we used Duck brand)
Drill
Wooden stakes
Screws
Twigs
Hammer and nails
Time needed: Afternoon or Evening

1. Download our templates for the signs shown here, or create your own design. Lightly trace the pattern on the wood, then paint. 2. When the paint is dry, cut moon and star shapes from the reflective tape and apply them to the plaque. 3. Use the drill to make pilot holes in the stake (a parent's job), then screw the stake to the back of the plaque.

4. To prevent the twigs from splitting, create pilot holes with the drill and a small bit (a parent's job). Nail the twigs in place. If desired, a parent can instead drill holes in the plaque and insert the twigs, as we did with the owl design.

Fingerprint Poem for Mom

Kaboose is one of my favorite sites for crafty ideas. Whenever I have a need to make something, I hop on over there and always find a simple you-can-do project.

This fingerprint poem for mom is one example. Such a sweet and heartfelt mom's day idea. I guess it would work for dad's day to ??


This sweet poem combined with a child’s fingerprint art makes for a fabulous gift and keepsake. Simple enough for even young children to make, Mom will love the gesture and save it forever.

What you'll need:
2 sheets of card stock, purple and light blue
White printer paper
Acrylic paint: purple, light blue, pink, red, white
Scissors
Glue stick
Printer
Pencil
Damp face cloth

How to make it:
Print poem (below) onto white paper. We used the Comic Sans font.
Cut poem out, curving edges around the poem making it look like a cloud.
On a separate blank sheet of white paper, use pencil to lightly draw a heart and the word “MOM” above it.
Cut the heart and MOM out, leaving about an inch border.
Glue the heart drawing and the poem onto the purple card stock.
Cut around the poem and the heart drawing, leaving a small purple card stock border on each.
Glue both onto light blue card stock, poem at the bottom. Have child write their name and the year on the back of the blue card stock. Put small puddles of paint onto a paper plate, one puddle of each color except white. Make a second puddle of pink and add some white to it to make an even lighter pink. You should have 5 puddles of paint (purple, light blue, red, pink, light pink) Have child dip fingertips into puddles to decorate the heart and write MOM. Do the Ms in purple and the O in light blue. Use red, pink and light pink to decorate the heart. Use damp face cloth to clean off fingertips in between each paint color.

Let the paint dry completely.

Fingerprint Poem
My dirty little fingerprints I’ve left on every wall
And on the drawers and tabletops, I’ve really marked them all
But here are some that won’t rub off, I’m giving them to you
Because I’m thankful to have a mom that’s just like you!

Tips:
Construction paper can be used instead of card stock but will not be as sturdy. To add more strength, cover with clear Con-tact paper.
Use the print preview option on your printer before actually printing. This will allow you to see what the printout will look like without wasting countless sheets of paper.
Change the purple and light blue colors we chose to your mom’s favorite colors. Simply match up two colors and use them for the card stock and the two paint colors for the word “MOM”.

Paci clip

If only I had found this when mine was a baby, life would have been a lot easier !! Thank goodness Create Studio figured it out for the next time.

Supplies:
grosgrain ribbon (preferably double-sided and sturdy)
1 1/2 snap sets (you can get these at Walmart)
1 name tag clip (you can find these on the back of those plastic name badges from any office supply store)
matches
scissors
First, cut the ribbon 9 1/4 inches long and burn the ends slightly to prevent fraying. Put one end through the name tag clip. Pull 1 inch of ribbon through and secure with 1/2 of a snap set (this end does not need to actually snap.)

Next, fold the other end of the ribbon over 1 1/4 inch and attach a full snap set on this side. Be sure to leave a little extra ribbon to hold on to while you're unsnapping the paci since this is the side that will unsnap to hold that beautiful thing!

Easy egg carton bugs

I am all for easy and fun kids crafts. Especially ones that use recycled stuff. When I came across this idea, I had to share.

Cut out different sizes of egg cartons for each creepy crawler. We created a Ladybug, Caterpillar, Spider, and a Bee. We used pipe cleaners and googley eyes to make them pop out. Then we actually got out the paints, I rarely do as I fret about mess. But with lots of supervision for my 2 year old, it worked out great.

Jump on over to Make and Takes to see more fun and easy projects.

Tin Can Herb Pots

To celebrate earth day (4-22-09) I was in search of some crafty, earth friendly ideas. One of my favorite sites for ideas is Kaboose. These tin can herb pots are super cute. This project is a little more difficult than some, so make sure to help the young-ins.

What you'll need:
Empty aluminum can
Screwdriver and hammer
Liquitex Basics Gesso
Acrylic craft paints in colors of your choice
Flower stickers (optional)
Acrylic sealer spray, matte finish
Craft or Popsicle stick
Thin cardboard
Pinking shears
Black Sharpie marker
5-10 small rocks, stones or pebbles
1.5 cups Potting soil
4-inch potted herb plant
White craft glue
Water

How to make it:
Completely wash and dry aluminum can. If necessary, sand off any rough edges from opening of can.
Turn can upside down. Parent should use screwdriver or other pointed object to poke holes in the bottom of the can. Use a hammer to tap the end of the screwdriver to make the holes.
Paint outside of can with one coat of Gesso. Let dry completely.
Paint can desired color, repeat coats if needed.
Decorate however you like. Use a thin paint brush for long lines, dip the end of the paint brush into paint for polka dots.
Decorate with stickers if desired.
Spray the outside of the completed can with acrylic sealer spray. Let dry.
Place enough rocks or pebbles in the bottom of the can to form a single layer.
Add enough potting soil to fill the can two-thirds full.
Remove potted herb from its container and transplant into the can.
Fill edges with remaining potting soil, gently pat down so that plant is firmly in the can but not compacted so much that it’s too tight.
Place can on a plate (to catch any water drainage) and add some water to the newly planted herbs.
Paint craft stick whatever color you like. Allow to dry.
Cut a piece of thin cardboard into a small rectangle (about 1.5 x 3 inches) using pinking shears.
Paint both side of the cardboard with Gesso, let dry.
Glue the rectangle to the top of the craft stick.
Use a black Sharpie marker to write the herb name onto the rectangle.
Insert your plant marker into the soil, being careful not to crush any roots along the way.
Place your new garden in a sunny window and remember to water them!

Tips:
A 4-inch potted plant will be enough to make 2-3 vegetable sized cans (15 oz) or one larger tomato sauce type can (28 oz).
This is a great project to teach kids about growing plants, especially edible ones. Take this opportunity to visit your local library and check out a book on simple container gardening or gardening with kids.
Keep the kids involved, be sure they take care of “their” plant. Have them water their plant and show them how to check to see if the soil is too dry or just right by gently touching the soil surface with their finger.
Eat these herbs! Your kids will light up when they get to pinch off a basil leaf to add to your spaghetti sauce.

This would also be a great gift for mom or grandma on Mothers Day !!

Finger print Mothers Day cards

With Mothers Day fast approaching (May 10th), its time to help the kiddos honor the mommy’s in their life. I of course am not helping Kellan make me a card, (surly daddies got that covered, right). I was looking for something I could help him do for his 3 g-ma's. I found this finger print Mothers Day card @ Kaboose and thought this would be great to do a different version each year and watch how his little finger prints grow.

What you'll need:
Construction paper
Acrylic paints
Crayon or marker
Small paint brush

How to make it:
For smaller cards, cut construction paper in half. For larger cards, leave as is. Fold construction paper in half to create a card. Flower Card
Use acrylic craft paints to paint a child’s pointing finger. Use this for the center dot of each flower. We used pink, blue and purple for our centers.
To make the petals, paint the thumb first, apply it to the paper. Next paint the pointing finger and apply it to the paper. Repeat this process for each finger so that there is a different finger for each petal. Repeat for each flower
Use a small paint brush to add the stem, then use child’s thumb to create the leaves.

Heart card
To make the heart card, begin by very lightly drawing a simple heart onto the construction paper.
Next, squirt out some paint onto newspaper or paper plate. Have child dip the tips of their fingers into the paint and press onto construction paper following the heart shape. Use a contrasting color to fill in the heart.
Use crayon or marker to write “Happy Mother’s Day” on the card.

Love card
For the “love” card, have child hold their right hand in the shape of an “L”. Be sure it is their right hand and not the left. Paint the “L” shape portion of their hand and help them to press it onto the paper.
Have the child make an “O” shape with their hand, paint it, then press to the paper.
Paint the child’s pointing and middle finger for the “V” and press onto the paper.
Using the child’s pointing finger, paint then press to the paper for the long side of the “E”. Paint the top part of their pointing finger to add the horizontal lines of the “E”.
Use a crayon or marker to write “Mom is” above the word “Love”.

Tips:
Have a damp washcloth handy to wipe off excess paint from child’s hands when changing colors. When finished with this project, have child wash hands with soap and water.
Get creative and use whatever colors you like. Just remember to use colors that contrast with your construction paper to be sure it shows up well.
You may want to have the child write their personal message inside the card before starting the paint process. It can be done afterward, but if done before there’s no risk of accidentally messing up these cute creations.

Turtle Rock

We all had rock collections as a child, right ? I did. Either way, who doesn't love Martha, and her ideas ?? This little rock turtle is to precious.

Study the shape and shade of a rock for clues to its inner nature. When you are ready to design, begin by arranging the rocks until the figure looks just right.

Tools and Materials:
White or cement glue
Stones
Nondrying clay
Coffee stirrers
Paintbrushes
Tempera or acrylic paint

Rock Animals How-To
1. Glue stones together before painting them, attaching small-stone features, such as eyes or feet, to body parts before joining larger parts (attach tails, if using, after painting). Use cement glue for the strongest bond, but make sure a grown-up applies it in a well-ventilated area. White glues are safer for children to use, but they are less durable and best used for rock animals that will sit on shelves.
2. While the glue sets, support the animal parts with little cushions of nondrying clay. To make the alligator, cut-up coffee stirrers are glued to the fellow's underside for stability and painted to match the stones.
3. Before you start painting, sketch out a plan with pencil on paper. When it's time to paint the rocks, both tempera and acrylic paints work well; tempera looks chalkier but any messes wash off easily. Acrylic paint has a glossy finish.

Family Fun Bath Time Soap Paint

I came across this idea on the Family Fun website for bath time wall paint. What a brilliant Idea.

Talk about good clean fun! Your bathtub buddies are sure to appreciate the bright colors of this smearable, sudsing medium. Try dividing the paints into a muffin tin or ice cube tray for an instant palette. But don't try getting your kids out of the bath in a hurry.

CRAFT MATERIALS:
½ cup liquid hand soap, clear or white
1 teaspoon cornstarch
Food coloring

Time needed: Under 1 Hour


1. Combine the soap and cornstarch in a small bowl.

2. Divide the mixture into separate containers, then add food coloring one drop at a time.



Caution: Test the paints on a small area of your tub or wall first to make sure they won't leave a stain; darker hues may be more difficult to wash off. Tips: Apply to tub and body with fingers or paintbrushes. Use bathroom cleanser to clean the tub if any color remains. Keep any leftover paints in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to three days.