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.

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”.

Strawberry Margarita Pie

Strawberry Margarita Pie featured on The Hostess with the Mostess daily blog

Ingredients:

2 cups hulled fresh strawberries

2/3 cups sugar

1 ½ cup graham cracker crumbs

1 stick butter, softened

¾ cup sweetened condensed milk

6 Tbsp tequila (cause every things better w/ Tequila)

4 Tbsp triple sec

1 Tbsp fresh lime juice2 cups heavy cream

Instructions:Toss strawberries with 4 Tbsp sugar and set aside. Blend graham cracker crumbs, rest of sugar and butter in food processor. Press into bottom and up sides of buttered 9 inch springform pan.
Next, puree strawberries and sugar with condensed milk, tequila, triple sec and lime juice in processor or blender. Transfer to large bowl.
Whip cream until stiff peaks form. Fold 1/3 of cream into puree. Gently fold in remaining cream. Pour filling into pie crust, cover and freeze until firm, preferably overnight.
To serve, run hot, sharp knife around the sides of pan, remove dies and cut into wedges. Garnish with mint leaves and fresh strawberries.

Flower Headband-You can make

I stumbled upon this flower head band over @ 30 days. Looks super easy and like something anyone could do. Think I'm gonna give it a shot !!

Ok so a few of you were interested in a tutorial for the flower headbands.I've seen a lot out there.There are many good tutes for flower headbands.

This is just my easy, inexpensive version.First, gather these supplies:

Long ago, I got the headbands and flowers at my local dollar store. And I also had the sequins that I purchased at a craft store.Glue gun. Needle and embroidery floss.And you'll need 5 minutes.

1. Grab your headband.

2. Next your flowers.

3. Take your flowers apart. Take the flowers off the stem.Then take the middle part out of the flower (just yank it out).

4. They should now look like this.

5. I used 2 blooms from my bunch. Stack them like so.

6. Now it should look like this.

7. Take your needle and thread. Thread your needle.Tie a knot at the bottom. Start under. Poke through all the layers.

8. Then go back down.

9. Do it a few times. It should look like this.

10. Then grab the headband,position the flower how you want it-I like mine on the side but you can do it however you want-and take the needle and thread and wrap the thread around the headband.

11. Then stitch it a few more times-up and down like before but around the headband now.

12. Once you've done it a few time and it feels secure,on the backside, wrap it around the headband a few more times and tie it off.

13. It should now look like this. If you really want to get fancy, you can add a piece of felt to finish it off. Just cut a circle and cover where you stitched.

14. Get your glue gun. Glue a drop in the middle covering the stitching.

15. Add your sequin.

16. Put it on your daughter's head. Or yours. Or save it as a gift. You get the idea.

Thanks for sharing, 30days.

Happy Mother's Day Granny- A Crafty Gift Idea

As you know Mother's day (5-9-9) is going to be here very soon. I have to do my gift planning early because my mom lives in Iowa so I have to ship her gift. My Aunt is into making scrapbook canvases as gifts. Matter of fact, she made one for Kellan for his birthday. I am always a fan of personalized gifts, I think they come from a different place in the heart. So I decided to try and make one for my mom for Mothers day.

What you need:
blank canvas, any size
Acrylic paint & brush
Scrapbook paper, lace, colored paper, anything really
Picture(s)
Do-Dads/embellishments; I used letter stickers, card stock embellishments & flowers
Heavy glue, I like Tacky Glue
Ribbon
Picture hanger to attach to back for hanging

As with any craft of this sort, its best to collect lots of different coordinating items and play around with them till you find what looks best for your master piece. Always start with an idea of inspiration. For me, I choose a blue theme. My mom collects blue and white Willow Ware type stuff and uses them to decorate all over her house, so I wanted to make something that would match her decor.

Start by covering your work surface with newspaper. Paint 1-2 coats of paint on canvas, don't forget sides !! Once its good and dry, start to place things on canvas with glueIt took me about 3 coats of paint since I was using such a dark color.

This is a super simple project. My son and I went to Hobby Lobby this morning to get all the goodies I didn't already have. I put paint coats on while he played, and while he napped, I finished. Max 2 hours, but don't tell mom!!

One last note, when making a gift like this, I think is super important to write and date the back so its always noted with love where its from.

This is the one that was made for my son to give another example.

What to do with an old pair of jeans? Make an apron, duh !

Check out Suzanne's Crazy & brilliant idea and she'll walk you thru it, step by step.

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 !!

Cutest Cupcake Toppers Ever

Oh my goodness, these cupcake toppers are to cute. I wouldn't even attempt to make them myself, not when I can go over to Clineffs Confections esty shop and buy em, plus I doubt I could !! Check em out.

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.

Quilted Binder

You must check this Quilted Binder out. This is a perfect idea for a photo album, cookbook, recipes sorter, anything. So get out your scrap fabric and bind away !