Simple Savings By Shelia: crafts

Showing posts with label crafts. Show all posts

Easter CupCakes with my Girls (2012)

I love baking and my girls love baking with me. Today we decided to celebrate Easter by making cupcakes to share with the family tomorrow. We started out by using some simple store bought ingredients. For the grass I used sweetened coconut and added a few drops of food coloring:

Then we mixed everything according to the package directions for cupcakes. I omitted the oil and used 1/4 cup of applesauce though.

Finally, after they were all cooled, we decorated them, which of course was the best part!

Upcycled Projects and Crafts from Country Living

Here are just a few of the ideas from Country Living I have listed for you. You can find out more information by going to their website.

Mason Jar Soap Dispenser

Repurpose the classic Mason jar as a soap or lotion dispenser in your bathroom.
1. First, measure and mark the center of the jar's lid.
2. Using a 1/2" high-speed steel drill bit (about $10; local hardware store), drill a hole to fit the width of a soap dispenser pump. We used pumps from old lotion bottles.
3. Fill the jar with liquid soap, screw the lid back on, and insert the pump. You may need to trim the bottom of the pump to fit your jar.

Crate Shelving

Old blueberry crates — like the six that make up this ruggedly good-looking shelving uni — are the perfect size for displaying and storing Mason jars.
1. Find a pattern/layout you like by arranging the crates on the floor.
2. Mount the crates on a wall, starting with the top row, using a level, anchors, and screws. For each box, drill holes through each of the four corners, then insert anchors into the holes. Holding the box in place so that the holes align, drill screws through the holes to affix the box to the wall.

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How To Build An Outdoor Garden Water Fountain

Live outside

Do you have a great deck or patio? How about sprucing it up a bit and making an effort to spend more time outdoors? Hang paper lanterns from your trees. Redesign your patio with some comfortable outdoor furniture, potted plants and a snazzy outdoor rug. Build a gorgeous outdoor water fountain. Plant a beautiful garden that the whole family will enjoy looking at all summer long. Fire up the grill and make your meals outdoors so you can take advantage of everything this fabulous season has to offer.

Water fountains can bring that extra something you need to your outdoor garden. Lowe's has an easy step-by step video of how to make your own.

DIY Simple Easter Basket Crafts

Fine Print

Give guests a sweet send-off with cookies in craft-store berry baskets. Tape patterned scrapbook paper to baskets, and use the same paper for hangtags attached with twine

Top Tiers

To make this tower of treats, tape cut-to-fit craft paper around two empty 32-oz. yogurt cartons. Hot-glue an upside-down carton inside a large orchard basket (crateandbasket.com), then glue a medium basket on top. Repeat with other carton and small basket. Fill with faux grass and goodies.

Paper Posies

Overflowing from a vintage wire egg carrier, these coffee-filter flowers are a charming way to welcome brunch visitors.

Coffee Filter Flowers: The Steps

For each flower you'll need:
• 2 white basket-style coffee filters
• 1 brown basket-style coffee filter
• 12" floral wire
• Hot glue
• 10" green grosgrain ribbon (3/8" wide)

Instructions:
• Place two white filters together (one on top of the other), fold in half, then fold in half again
• Starting at the outside corners, draw a curved V-pattern onto the front to form petal shapes (see pattern A); cut out
• Repeat folds on third white coffee filter, and draw a smaller curved V shaped (see pattern B); cut out
• Repeat folds on two brown coffee filters (placed one on top of the other, then draw several V-shapes (see Pattern C); cut out
• Open up all filters so they are flat to reveal petal shapes
• Layer them as so: Pattern A filters on bottom, Pattern B filter in middle, Pattern C filters on top
• With you 12" section of floral wire, poke two holes through all the center of the layers, about 1/4 inch apart
• Loop wire even through holes (entering from top), then twist wire underneath the base of the petals, securing tightly.
• Starting from the bottom, wrap wire with ribbon, secure with glue gun
• Tie the remaining ribbon into a bow at the flowers' base
• Fluff petals

Gathering Moss

Showcase twine-wrapped and paper-embellished eggs with this woodsy, moss-covered creation. Simply hot-glue craft-store moss to an inexpensive basket; for the eggs, use a glue stick to add petals, polka dots, bunnies, and string.

Easter Peat Pot Baskets

Materials:
• Peat pots
• Acrylic craft paint (off-white and pastel)
• Paintbrush
• Lollipop sticks or wooden skewers
• 18-gauge floral wire
• 20-gauge floral wire
• Wire cutters
• Perfect Glue 1
• Two clothespins per basket
• Embellishments such as flowers and ribbon. (Animals and chocolate bunny not included.)

Instructions:
• Paint interior and exterior of the peat pots off-white. Once fully dry, use the end of a lollipop stick or wooden skewer to make polka dots on pots with a pastel paint. (Use paint sparingly.)
• For handles, cut the 18- and 20-gauge wires into 12-inch pieces; wrap the 20-gauge wire around the 18-gauge wire. Bend wire into a handle shape and use glue to attach wire to the interior sides of each peat pot; secure with clothespins.
• Dry for one hour before handling. Once dry, use glue to apply embellishments to pots as desired.

Bed of Roses

Tightly packed blossoms form the base of this basket.

Step 1: Place soaked floral foam on a teacup saucer and insert rose stems to create the base.
Step 2: Insert dried grapevines to form a handle. Decorate the grapevine by wrapping it with a satin ribbon, finished off with a bow.
Step 3: Fill the basket with plastic "bejeweled" eggs: With a spiral motion starting at the top of each egg, tightly wrap a long string of beads (found at craft stores) around the egg, affixing it with glue.