Craft tutorials and decor ideas

Craft tips, tricks, tutorials.

www.thecraftideas.com

Craft Ideas –Decor: Beaded Frost Luminaries Tutorial ............................................................ 3
Craft Ideas –Decor: Candles using a kitchen staple Tutorial .................................................. 11
Craft Ideas –Decor: String Bowl ............................................................................................. 15
Craft Ideas –Decor: Zen garden ............................................................................................. 24
Craft Ideas –Decor: Rubik's Cube Tissue Box ........................................................................ 29
Craft Ideas –Decor: Simple hanging vase ............................................................................... 35
Craft Ideas –Decor: Perpetual Calendar With Blackboard Paint ............................................ 39
Craft Ideas –Decor: Crocheted Paper Chain Heart Wreath..................................................... 52

Craft tips, tricks, tutorials. 2 www.thecraftideas.com

Craft Ideas –Decor: Beaded Frost Luminaries Tutorial
I really love the look of luminaries, especially in the garden. I have an herb
garden that has plenty of green, but really no color to speak of. I’ve planted a
few flowers in there each year to pretty it up, but it never seems to be quite
enough. These soft colored luminaries add just the right amount of soft color and
light and, since my herb garden is near the front door, double as a lovely way to
welcome people to my home.

All of these luminaries are made from recycled jars. I keep just about every jar
once the contents have been used up. Therefore, with Earth Day right around the
corner, and the weather getting warmer, I thought it would be a great time to
share these with you.


I used Martha Stewart Frost glass paint for this project. The colors I used are in
the instructions below.


After painting the jars, fold you wire in half to find the center.


Using the center of the wire as your starting point, hold the wire against the jar
rim, wrap around and twist together in front to hold it in place.

Wrap it several times around the jar rim. You should have a few inches of
excess wire to add beads onto.


Bend the wire upward so that when you add the beads they won’t fall off.

Here’s where your round nose plier comes in. Use it to curl the ends of the wire.
This serves as a decorative end and keeps the beads in place.


Here are the variations that I used to give you an idea. You can certainly do
whatever designs you like!


Then, simply light them up. You can use regular tea light candles or use the
LED tea lights that don’t require a flame.

These are safe to stay outside, but you may want to wipe them down once a
week, and if you know it’s going to rain, bring them in so they don’t fill up with
water. Enjoy!


What you do:

1. Wash and remove any labels and glue residue from jars. Be sure they are
completely dry.
2. Paint the outside of the jars with the frost paint. it will appear streaky at
first, but as you work your paintbrush over the glass, smoothing the
surface out as you go, the paint will become more uniform. Allow it to
dry for one hour.
3. Spray the painted jars with sealer and let dry.
4. Snip wire into 2-foot lengths. Find the center of your length of wire and
hold it against the rim of the jar. Wrap both ends of wire around the rim
and twist together to hold in place.
5. Continue wrapping the wire, leaving a few inches at each end to add
beads. Twist wire together again to keep it from unraveling.
6. Bend wire upward so that when you thread your beads on they won't fall
off.
7. After adding your beads, use the round nose plier to curl the end of the
wire to prevent your beads from falling off, and to add a decorative touch.
8. Try variations by adding some beads to the wire that wraps around the jar
rim.
9. These are very pretty lit up at night as well! Use tea light candles or LED
tea lights inside the jars.


Craft Ideas –Decor: Candles using a kitchen staple Tutorial

I've mentioned before that I live kind of out in the boonies making a "trip to
town" sort of a big deal. So when I've made the drive and I don't need any craft
supplies, I still take the opportunity to stroll the aisles to see if any new medium
is screaming out "Try me!" and "You've got a 40% off coupon so just buy me
already!"

I had been previously pondered that perhaps I should get into making candles.
There was a very sweet realtor that I used to work with who one day was
diagnosed with cancer. While this is always tragic news, it was even worse
because as an independently employed person, she had no health insurance. In
order to pay her medical bills, she began making and selling candles. I always
admired her spirit and never considered making my own while she was still
selling them. By the by, I hear that nowadays she's in remission and back selling
homes instead of little pots of linen scented wax!

Now while going through the aisles I remembered something else. One
Christmas Momma bought my sister, a heavily pregnant family friend and
myself a soap making kit to occupy some idle time over the holidays. We were
really excited about it and it wound up being tragic with burned eyes and
whatnot. I'm not even sure what went wrong, but when dealing with that sort of
craft I kind of have some issues to work through and I'm not quite there, yet,
which makes me a bit nervous to make candles though I really want to.


So I found these little snippings of wick that said something akin to "put me in
vegetable oil!" I liked the idea but decided to go traditional in appearance rather
than having little floating flames.

For this project you need:

Vegetable or olive oil
Candle Scent
Glass jar with a lid
Wick
Hot glue gun
Scissors

First you'll need a nice little glass jar. I went small so that I wouldn't use tons
and tons of oil. I also spent a good deal of time removing and replacing the lids
on these jars (the lady stocking the shelves looked at me like I was such an idiot
amused by lids of things!).

Remember that this thing is going to be filled with OIL. Which will be nasty
business if it gets knocked over or your cat decides go all detective on you to bat
at it. Also remember that liquids slosh around. If you have to really work and
turn the jar all around to open it, you're going to have another problem on your
hands.

Now I understand what density means, but have no idea what kind of role the
viscosity or density or whatever of the oil would play with the wick. Would it
float or stay where I put it? I decided to bet on float which is why I hot glued the
metal portion of the wick onto the bottom of the jar.


Mix some candle scent into your oil to get it all lovely smelling. I used a
mantastic cologne type of scent because I adore the scent (although I've never
actually dated a cologne wearer, hmmm). I went ahead and put quite a bit in and
gave it a bit of a stir.

I used some olive oil I got from Dollar General because I had gotten it to do this
thing called oil pulling which I did only once and for 5 minutes rather than the
full 15. So basically I had a considerable amount of this stuff on hand and it isn't
the olive oil I like to cook with so it needed a use, anyway.

Pour your oil into your jar and trim the wick to be just a bit taller than the level
of the oil.


To light, I used a wood skewer I set fire to because I couldn't figure out how to
light it with a traditional lighter. Remember that oil is flammable so take care
when lighting and allowing to burn in your home.

The neatest thing about this little candle is that it casts some very interesting
halos of light around as the light from the flame goes through the oil. It truly is
very nifty. Now, I can't say how well it scents your home because I also
managed to scent myself when I accidentally got some on my hands and
apparently, this stuff doesn't wash away so well!


Craft Ideas –Decor: String Bowl
In this tutorial you’ll learn how to make a sculptural string bowl for your home.
This is the kind of satisfying DIY project that is not only extremely straight-
forward to make, it also only requires just a few basic supplies. And the end
result is nothing short of hand-crafted heaven! Let’s get started.

Supplies

250ml bottle of fabric stiffener.
Ball of string.
Cling film.
Scissors.
Small bowl for fabric stiffener.
Large bowl to use as a mould.


Step 1: Prepare the Materials

Cover the outside of your bowl with cling film, making sure the ends of the film
wrap over into the inside of the bowl.

Cover your work surface.

Pour some fabric stiffener into the other bowl.

Cut 12 lengths of string measuring about 110cm (42 in) each.


Step 2: Soak the String

Wind the lengths of string around your fingers to form a neat roll.

Place the string in the bowl with the fabric stiffener. Push the string down into
the fabric stiffener and pour more over the top so the string is covered. Knead
the fabric stiffener into the string so it’s completely soaked through.


Step 3: Make the String Bowl

Start wrapping the string randomly around the bowl. For this bowl I wrapped the
string over the bowl from one side to the other, rather than around and around.
When the string reaches the rim just turn back creating a ‘U’ turn. Keep adding
new pieces of string, making sure the ends of each piece are towards the base of
the bowl.


Use eight or nine pieces of string and the bowl should be pretty well covered.

Wrap the remaining three or four pieces of string over the rest, going around and
around the bowl in a spiral.


Step 4: Strengthen the Overlaps

Strengthen the overlapping string by dabbing more fabric stiffener on with your
finger. There are a lot of overlapping areas, so do it methodically, making sure
that the joins are wet with fabric stiffener and the string is pushed together. This
step is very important as it ensures that your bowl will stay together.

Step 5: Leave to Dry

Put the bowl aside to dry – place it outside in the sun if you can. Otherwise, an
airy spot in your home near a window will do the job. (If it’s particularly cold in
your home, a radiator will help aid the drying process.)


Step 6: Consolidate the Mould

As the bowl starts to dry, press over the entire mould with your fingers and
palms periodically. Start doing this when the string has dried out enough so that
you don’t get fabric stiffener all over your hands when you press on it. As the
string dries out you can press harder and the form will become consolidated and
strong.

Allow the bowl to dry at least overnight.


Step 7: Remove the Bowl

When the string feels dry, remove the bowl and the cling film. Your string bowl
might feel a bit pliable, but it will continue to dry over the next day or so. Make
sure you allow it to dry completely before putting anything in it.

Step 8: Clean Up the Fabric Stiffener

With a pair of scissors (or your fingernails), remove any dried pieces of fabric
stiffener from between the string. This is slightly fussy and time-consuming but
the end result is worth the effort.


Fill Your Bowl and Display

Well done, you’ve now made a totally unique and beautifully sculptural hand-
crafted piece for your home. Fill it with fruit, nuts, pods or even crafty supplies
– just make sure not to overload it.

You might like to make a set of three bowls in different sizes for a beautiful
tableau display. You could also try experimenting with the way you place your
string, or you could also consider dip-dyeing the bottom of the bowls in white
paint.


Craft Ideas –Decor: Zen garden

I have some issues that I deal with all of the time. The best thing for me is
basically keeping busy (which is why you see 5-6 craft projects a week coming
out of me), but some things come to a head. One of the non-pharmaceutical
ways I have of bringing things back down where they need to be on any random
day is doodling. I'll sit and doodle on my desk, a receipt, my sketchbook or
whatever is handy and I've always found it soothing. Plus it is something I can
easily concentrate on no matter what is happening around me.

This whole project came about when I saw a movie that someone else was
watching from the 80s where a guy was raking his little zen garden and it looked
so peaceful. Then I saw colored sand at the hobby store. Lightbulb!

For this project you will need:

glass dish
little succulent or cactus
panty hose or tights
cactus & succulent potting soil (optional)
colored sand (I used 3 pounds)


They sell these awesome little squat vases at Wal-Mart in the decor part of the
crafts area. I purchased the smaller of the two sizes they carried and it cost me
$4.

I went to Lowe's to find a baby succulent but the ones they carried were all
pretty big and cost $5. I found this strawberry pot on clearance for $10. I took
one fella' out of the pot and turned the blank spot against a wall. This was a
good option but I can't count on you finding a clearance item.

So, I asked around and was told that your best shot of finding little cactuses or
succulents are at bonafide plant nurseries or online through websites like Etsy
(which I am taking word on and haven't actually looked into myself).


Carefully remove your plant. In this situation, getting the soil out with the guy
wasn't an option. If your plant is in a little pot, remove it and break up the shape
of the pot to free the roots a bit.

Take the toe of a pair of hose and snip it off so that it is a few inches long.


Place the dirt end of your plant into the hose, or if you don't have the soil, put
your cactus or potting soil into the hose and then isnert the plant. Use a small
stretch thing to tie the bag of soil onto the base of the plant (I used a cut hair tie).
FYI as your plant grows you'll need to accomodate it's roots and increased girth.

Place your plant wherever you like and then pour your sand in around it. Fill
until you fully cover your dirt bag and it is not visible.


Shake it like an Etch-a-Sketch to get a nice, smooth surface.

Grab just about anything around, like a pen or an unwound paper clip and
doodle in the sand.I can't even begin to tell you how nice and calming this is.
When I finished mine up I drew in the sand for almost an hour and totally lost
track of the time. It's just so much fun!

While you're reading this, I'm in my car with two little boys driving a 6 hour
drive home to see my parents and having my ear talked off about visiting the
ocean. I hope that you have big plans for your weekend, too! :)


Craft Ideas –Decor: Rubik's Cube Tissue Box

If you're a fan of The Big Bang Theory, there is a possibility t hat you may have
noticed the killer tissue box cover that resides on the table next to Sheldon's
spot. It is a bit of geeky kitsch that definitely stands out!

Since my father absolutely loves the show (and Sheldon in particular) I thought
it would be neat to make him something that could double as a prop! Or, at least
the understudy to a prop on his favorite show.


I first looked for one to buy, but they were all yarn on plastic canvas and I just
don't like those types of tissue boxes (they remind me of old people which is
probably totally inaccurate). And while my father is older than me I don't want
to push him over the elderly ledge just yet.

So I did what any perfectly sane person would do... I stared at screen shots of
the box on YouTube and then formulated a plan based on my best assumptions
for how this nifty kitsch was created for the show.

For this project you will need:

paper mache tissue box cover
multi-colored package of origami paper
Mod Podge
Brush
paper trimmer
Black acrylic paint


So here is the box before. From what I can tell this is most likely what the prop
is. There are also wood covers you can make and DIY, but the texture isn't right
for it to be that. In the end, the paper mache works out brilliantly.

Take your box and paint very, very light coats of black onto it. Be careful
because any pooled paint can make the paper texture puff up from the moisture.
Just brush it on thinly and repeat with a few coats until you get a nice, black
background.

In between coats, take out your origami paper and pick out a sheet or two of
yellow, orange, green red and blue. My white origami paper was really thin and
the black would be visible underneath, so I used regular printer paper for the
white.

Cut your paper into 1.5 inch strips and then cut those down to 1.5 inch squares.
A Rubik's cube has 9 of each color, so go ahead and cut them out. You'll be left
over with some in the end, but you can pick and choose the best squares with the
surplus.

You have two routes for this next process, the first is to eyeball it. Honestly
there aren't that many places to put the squares so it is totally feasible... but if
you're OCD like me that just isn't an option. Take a ruler and a pencil and very
lightly draw a grid onto the box for placement of your squares.


Brush a small amount of Mod Podge onto the backside of your first paper
square. Carefully place onto the tissue box and adjust as necessary. Continue for
all 9 squares on one side, placing them randomly. Since you have 6 colors and 9
squares, you'll have to double a color twice. Go over the entire side with a light
coat of Mod Podge and use your fingers to smooth out any wrinkles or bubbles
that pop up in your squares.

Continue this process for all of the sides, including the top. Trim any squares
that overlap the hole in the top that the tissue will come out of or fold the
squares inward and glue down. Give the entire box one more coat of Mod Podge
and allow to fully dry.


In between coats, take out your origami paper and pick out a sheet or two of
yellow, orange, green red and blue. My white origami paper was really thin and
the black would be visible underneath, so I used regular printer paper for the
white.

Cut your paper into 1.5 inch strips and then cut those down to 1.5 inch squares.
A Rubik's cube has 9 of each color, so go ahead and cut them out. You'll be left
over with some in the end, but you can pick and choose the best squares with the
surplus.

You have two routes for this next process, the first is to eyeball it. Honestly
there aren't that many places to put the squares so it is totally feasible... but if
you're OCD like me that just isn't an option. Take a ruler and a pencil and very
lightly draw a grid onto the box for placement of your squares.


Brush a small amount of Mod Podge onto the backside of your first paper
square. Carefully place onto the tissue box and adjust as necessary. Continue for
all 9 squares on one side, placing them randomly. Since you have 6 colors and 9
squares, you'll have to double a color twice. Go over the entire side with a light
coat of Mod Podge and use your fingers to smooth out any wrinkles or bubbles
that pop up in your squares.

Continue this process for all of the sides, including the top. Trim any squares
that overlap the hole in the top that the tissue will come out of or fold the
squares inward and glue down. Give the entire box one more coat of Mod Podge
and allow to fully dry.


Craft Ideas –Decor: Simple hanging vase
My macramé obsession has reached fever pitch lately. I made a quick hanging
vase this morning and thought it would be nice to share it with you.

To make this hanging vase you only need to learn a ‘Carrick bend’ and a
‘gathering knot’ so it’s a lovely easy project if you are just starting out down the
macramé/knot-tying route.


YOU WILL NEED:
+ 4 lengths of cord measuring at least 1.5 meters (I used super long shoelaces –
but you can use paracord instead)
+ About 50cm of cord (I used a contrasting colour)
+ Glass vase….a jam jar works just as well.
+ Elastic band (optional)
+ Some flowers!

HOW TO
First of all you need to master the Carrick bend. Check out the animated gif
below. Once you have done this follow the rest of the instructions below:

1. Find somewhere to work…a wall hook works well, or you can use a door
handle! Hang your ring on the hook and thread your cords through the ring at
their halfway point. You should have 8 working cords.

2. Now you need to do a gathering knot. Chop your extra piece of cord into two
pieces. Take one piece and form a loop as shown

3. Take the right-hand section or cord and wind it tightly round the 8 cords. You
should do this about 6 times.

4. Now take your bottom-tail and thread it through the loop at the bottom.


5. Pull on the upper tail.

6. Keep pulling until the loop is tucked inside the cord wrap. You can trim the
ends. Depending on your cord you may need to seal the ends with a lighter to
stop them from fraying. (Take are with this step and practise on a spare piece of
cord first).

7. Leave a gap then tie a Carrick bend using the front four pieces of cord.

8. Turn your curtain ring around and repeat step with the back four pieces of
cord.

9. Leave a gap again and tie two more Carrick bends as shown.

10. Pop your vase/jar inside and see how it fits. You may need to alter the
position of the Carrick bends depending on the shape of the vessel you use. Put
an elastic band around the eight cords so that your vase/jar is well supported.
Take the other piece of cord and tie another gathering knot at the bottom.


Craft Ideas –Decor: Perpetual Calendar With Blackboard
Paint
A perpetual calendar is a nice spin on a traditional calendar, as it’s super-
practical and means you don’t have to shell out for a new one every year. In this
tutorial, we’ve combined the practicality of a perpetual calendar with the
awesome functionality of chalkboard paint, to create a stunning organisational
tool that can be updated time and again – with little fuss, or mess.

Supplies

Wooden chopping/cutting board, at least 32cm x 22cm (12.6 x 8.7 in).
Black chalkboard paint (choose one that’s quick dry and water-based).
Pale olive acrylic paint.
Two sets of number stickers (about 140 stickers). Each number should be
about 1cm (0.4 in) high.
Sandpaper (medium or fine grain size).
Paint brushes (one big brush and a finer brush for details).
Paint tray.
Masking tape.
Pencil.
Ruler.
Eyebrow tweezers.
Chalk or chalk marker.


Step 1: Prepare Your Board

Firstly, start with a big clean surface to work on, like a table top. Just throw
down a plastic sheet to protect it from staining. Cover up the floor as well, and
ensure you have proper ventilation to the room. You might want to wear old
clothes you don’t mind getting dirty, too. Prepare your cutting board by cleaning
and sanding to provide a smooth painting surface. Start sanding with a fine grit
of 150 and gradually move to smoother sandpapers. After sanding, thoroughly
remove dust from the surface. I used an old chopping board, but if you are using
a new board with raw or unfinished wood, no preparation is necessary.


Step 2: Divide into Four Zones

In order to transform the chopping board into a calendar, we first need to divide
it into four main horizontal zones. The first zone on top will be used for the
month, the second for the days of the week, the third, which is the biggest one,
for the numbers of the dates (1 to 31) and the fourth zone at the bottom will
serve for taking notes. The height of my cutting board is 32cm (12.6 in) with a
handle measuring 4cm (1.6 in), so I have a total of 28cm (11 in) of usable
surface. I divided my 28cm (11 in) space into the following measurements: 4cm
each for the first and second zones; 12.5cm for the third zone and 7.5cm for the
last zone.


All 31 numbers will need to fit in the third zone. You will need 5 horizontal sub-
zones of 2.5cm (1 in) in height each, to fit stickers that are around 1cm (0.4 in)
in height.

Step 3: Paint Third Zone

Put the pale olive acrylic color in a plastic bowl and dilute with a little water.


Paint the third zone of your chopping board using a small paint brush. Apply
two or three coats of color.

There’s no need to be precise on the borders of the zone. Let the board dry and
clean your equipment with water.


Step 4: Divide Painted Zone in Squares

Divide the zone you have painted in to small squares to demarcate the area of
each number. Use a pencil and ruler and draw the five horizontal zones of 2.5cm
(1 in) in height.

Now create seven columns of about the same size. My board had 22cm (8.7 in)
of width so I left a border of 1cm (0.4 in) and divided the rest in to seven
columns of 3cm (1.2 in) each in width.


Step 5: Add Sticker Numbers

Add the sticky numbers. Counting from 1 to 31, place one number in each box.


Step 6: Paint it Black

Using the bigger paint brush and the blackboard paint, paint the front surface of
your board evenly. A quick-dry, water-based paint will save you some time and
trouble during cleaning.

Allow to dry and repaint the front side until you have an even application of
colour.


Step 7: Paint the Sides

Paint the sides of the board.

If you have a metal element like a handle or another detail you don’t wish to
paint, cover it with masking tape.

It is easier to use the smaller paint brush for certain details.


Step 8: Paint the Back Side

Paint the back side of your board as well. Mine had a carved design which I
decided not to paint. To retain the natural wood border I used a flat paint brush
and painted only the upper surface.

If you paint inside the border by mistake, just clean it with some water before
the paint dries.

When you finish painting, clean all equipment used with water and allow the
board to dry completely.


Step 9: Remove the Stickers

First, remove the masking tape.

Now take the eyebrow tweezers and carefully remove all the number-stickers.
The pale olive number stencils will be revealed!

Don’t worry if some of the undercoat paint is removed in this process, as it will
give it a nice handmade and rustic effect.


Step 10: Write the Month and the Days

At this point your calendar should look something like this (front and back side).
Nice!

Now just add the month and the days of the week with your chalk to turn it into
a perpetual calendar.


Write the initial of the days of the week above the numbers – one above each
column. Write the days starting with the first day of each month. For example,
the first day of February was a Friday, so I started writing the days of the week
starting from Friday.

You need to update this each month. You can also take notes in the bottom area
of your calendar. And don’t forget to flip it over and take notes there as well!

Get Organized!

Hang the calendar in your studio to schedule your activities and circle important
dates, or leave it on the kitchen bench to note down your shopping list!


Craft Ideas –Decor: Crocheted Paper Chain Heart Wreath
As my first project on the blog in my new crocheting adventures, here is my
Crocheted “Paper Chain” Heart Wreath.

It’s made by linking a bunch of rings made by crocheting on the round. I won’t
go through the specifics of crocheting on the round, maybe because I am not
sure if I did it totally right technically (I need to check with my mom).


I used Red Heart acrylic yarn, worsted weight, with an US ‘I’ (5.5mm) hook. I
started with a chain of 20 stitches.

I joined the ends…

…and crocheted on the round with five rows of single crochet. Again, see the
YouTube tutorial I linked to above for more details on how to do this.


Weave in the ends, and you have your first link.


Then to make the next chain link, I made another chain of 20…

…and I inserted the chain into the first link, making sure the working yarn is
outside of the ring.


Join the ends and continue crocheting five rows of single crochet as before, but
you’ll have the previous chain dangling from it.

And continue on with your single crochet.


To make the heart, I made two chains of 10 links.

Here’s basically how they will fit together to form the heart. The top ends
overlap, and the bottom ends sit next to each other.


To help the heart keep its shape, I made a cardboard wreath form. First I figured
out the size by using some embroidery hoops as a template.

I traced the embroidery hoops onto cardboard…


…and after cutting out the wreath form, I wrapped it with twine. The twine will
later serve as a place to anchor the heart.

Now to form the heart. Join the two lengths of chain at the center top and bottom
with a tapestry needle and more of the same yarn. At the top, insert one chain
into another so they kind of form a right angle and insert the needle through the
whole thickness, stitching them together. It doesn’t have to be too neat since the
yarn is the same color.


Lay out the chain links to form the heart, making sure the chain links are facing
the same way on each side i.e. every other one is laying on its side and laying
open side up. Then to join the chains to form the bottom point of the heart, pinch
them together so they are laying side by side, and stitch together.

Then lay the heart on top of the wreath form, and stitch it to the twine, picking
up 2-3 “stitches” of twine. As you go, pick up the wreath and see where the
heart is sagging or uneven and stitch it to the wreath form there.

All done! Love my cozy wreath and I got a lot of crochet practice too.


Thank you for watching!
See more at www.thecraftideas.com


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