Some Christmas Crafts to keep the kids busy

ok school holidays are right around the corner again. Get the kids to make snowflakes for your Christmas decor.. (put in a window or on the tree). They are made by cutting the bottoms off plastic cooldrink bottles. You could use a mixture

 of big and small bottles. draw the shapes using paint or a tippex-pen.

Dont throw the rest of the bottle away, turn it upside down. Add soil and plant a seedling in it, hang from a fence, tree etc.

i posted this last year, but its just a little reminder for those of you who have little feet in your house, to make an awesome keepsake with them ;0) Make a Christmas for grandma.
http://pinterest.com/pin/209769295113138002/

Now this is a real South African kind of Christmas wreath! Flipflops! Haha... see the tutorial herehttp://usasillyyaks.blogspot.com/2012/03/flip-flop-wreathperfect-for-summer.html

cute recycle: cut circles out of old Christmas cards and make a wreath for this year. You could add sparkle with glitter glue or rhinestones too. or make holes for poking fairy lights through......

Christmas market make! Cookies dipped in chocolate, with a little "holly' icing. So cute, so simple.

seen here http://www.jayscatering.com/blog/category/desserts-2/

you can make the most adorable gingerbread apron as a Christmas gift for the baker in the family. Add some cupcake making ingredients, papers etc Makes a lovely gift. Or you could make a smaller version for a little girl

Seen here 

Wrap an aluminum foil box and put muffins or cupcakes in it for gifts. Genius!!! love love love this idea!

Great idea for an inexpensive gift. A pretty box filled with cupcake thingies. Cupcake papers, sprinkles, a recipe (could be your favourite handwritten on a pretty card), icing and other basic ingredients.

GiGingerbread people!! Get the kids to make some for a wreath, garland or the tree this year.
seen here http://folksy.com/items/1982945-Mr-Mrs-Gingerbread-Felt-Decorations?shop=yes

Recycling Bottles into decor

There seem to be so many bottles going into the trash, and after a request from a BBM friend, I have decided to share a bunch of recycling ideas that I have seen online, with you.
Click on the picture to see the original posting or tutorial






"Re-Wined" candle bottles

Glass Jar Photo Frames- simply add a photo


{Source: Photojojo}
You can wrap bottles with string or coloured yarn, makes a pretty centrepiece or vase

Hummingbird Bottle feeder. (i find my sparrows drink from one of these too)
remember to click on the picture for the tutorial


Paint the inside of the bottles in colours that match your home

Pretty hanging light



lop off the tops and you have vases. (dont forget to lightly sand the cut edges)

This site gives you a video tutorial on how to cut bottles using acetone and string (no fancy equipment required)  Bottles are great for tea-light candles, they wont blow out . Great for a patio, or in a Church for a wedding.


Add some old brooches or bits of jewelery and ribbon for a romantic feel.
Great for a bathroom or as wedding favours. Use them for decanted bubble bath or flowers or lavender scented water as an airfreshener

Windchimes... my favourite :)






Tutorial on how to make a bottle into an outdoor light. You can use citronella oil for getting rid of the mozzies in summer. Most hardware stores sell the kind of fuel to use for these lamps now.




How to cut a hole in glass Bottles : follow this link
http://www.ehow.com/how_6749312_cut-hole-glass-bottle.html

How to Cut a Hole in a Glass Bottle

www.ehow.com

If you are making an arts and craft project with a glass bottle, knowing how to ...See more

Crafty Inspiration

I love old vintage style anything.... am a sucker for it LOL.
These old tins have lace on them, but you could even spray a pattern on them using an old doily or lace. She has done this on jars too. See here http://sjarmerende-gjenbruk.blogspot.com/2011/01/detaljer.html


Love this rustic headboard. They used old pallets (wish we could get them easily here ), but you could use any old leftover planking, or cheat and make it from new :0)

See how they did it here : http://littlebitsof.com/2012/05/pallet-headboard/


50 Tutorials on using Modge Podge.... from how to customise your sunglasses, to placemats, fabric covered books, jewelery, customised furniture and more!
Take a look at this cool site todayhttp://www.modpodgerocksblog.com/p/craft-tutorials.html


Brrrr its cold outside today...... how about a wheelbarrow firepit? Great recycle.... seen herehttp://misseffiesdiary.blogspot.com/2011/08/wheels.html


Rock and Wire Photo holder >> Simple and fun... great for weddings/showers/parties too!

seen on pinterest. original site in Chinese.

www.craftystuff.co.za for mosaic, scrapbooking and online crafty things

Dressing Table Makover

I rescued this old dressing table years ago, at an hotel we were managing. It was covered in thick black paint and had old red wax floorpolish on the feet.  Duly scraped and sanded, we kept it in its "natural" state for years.

But, inspired by a cabinet I posted recently from Pinterest, i decided to give the dressing table a makover.
I painted it a warm yellow, and then 'aged' it by sanding while the paint was still tacky....
This is the end result. What do you think?

www.craftystuff.co.za

Bunting !!!

Bunting is so popular now.
you can string it from your ceilings, hang it against the wall, across a fence...
Colour co-ordinate it, use it for spelling a childs name, a happy birthday sign, wedding decor or just welcome people to your home.
It can be tiny on a cake or card, to huge and poster size
It can be made from newspaper, maps, coloured card, fabric, crochet flowers, the possibilities are endless.... here are a few that I love.



Romantic

Cheerful and bright

Simple ribbons

Very detailed

On a cake

Themed

Maps


Crochet flowers

Crochet hearts

Crochet Doilies repurposed

Crochet How-to's

A few tutorials on crocheting that i found that you might enjoy :

photo tutorial : How to crochet a granny circle

Click here for the link http://purlbee.squarespace.com/granny-circle-placemats/

Photo Tutorial : How to crochet a granny square

click here http://purlbee.squarespace.com/granny-square-project/

I had a request for info on bead crochet and I found this cool website that gives loads of information. 

http://beadcrochet.com/
and here are some simple starter patterns that you can do, like the bracelet in this picture
http://crochet.about.com/library/weekly/aa030197.htm
and more articles from Beading Daily herehttp://www.beadingdaily.com/topics/bead-crochet.aspx
and a facebook page on bead crochet herehttps://www.facebook.com/pages/Bead-crochet/115383601808070


a lovely scrap material crochet "rag bag" also on Articrafti Blog

See here how to make it. :http://petrow-articrafti.blogspot.com/2012/04/from-crochetcom-rag-bag.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Articrafti+%28articrafti%29


Great Step by step picture pattern for a stretchy headband on Ravelry. (you may have to sign up with them but its free)

See the pattern here :http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/headband-pattern-the-genius-headband

Recycle Ideas

Some great Recycle ideas that I have posted on Facebook... enjoy :)


Seen on pinterest.. gorgeous flower lampshades. You could do something similar by using a glue-gun to stick flowers to an old shade. 

pinned here http://pinterest.com/pin/173810866838978178/





ok I know I have said it before... Im a sucker for garden chimes! This is a cute one made from clay pots, and made with kids in mind.... see the tutorial herehttp://blog.hgtv.com/design/2012/03/06/hgtv-how-to-create-a-colorful-kid-friendly-wind-chime/
 

Make a kitchen sponge holder from a shampoo bottle. Great recycle idea. See the tutorial herehttp://craftingagreenworld.com/2012/04/05/how-to-sponge-holder-from-a-shampoo-bottle/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+IM-craftingagreenworld+%28Crafting+a+Green+World%2
9

Update an old whiskey bottle or similar pretty bottle. See the tutorial on Articrafti here http://petrow-articrafti.blogspot.com/2012/04/another-bottle-idea-from-turnstyle.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Articrafti+%28articrafti%29

Update old accessories with a little paint. Even give cheap market or sale items a new look... lovely as a gift.
See how to here : http://www.home-dzine.co.za/crafts/craft-2x.htm

a lovely scrap material crochet "rag bag" also on Articrafti Blog

See here how to make it. :http://petrow-articrafti.blogspot.com/2012/04/from-crochetcom-rag-bag.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Articrafti+%28articrafti%29

10 ways to refurnbish an old filing cabinet. Great for a home office, kitchen or bedroom!
See the blog ideas here http://blogs.babble.com/the-new-home-ec/2011/08/11/refurbish-a-filing-cabinet/