Industrial LampWhile attending an arts festival, we saw a lamp like this and decided to make our own.
Acorn ElvesThese are acorns I gathered near Salem, Massachusetts this fall while on a trip there. They came from my husband's ancestor's property where they settled in 1634. I wanted to make some kind of keepsake out of them and found this idea. So Christmas decorations seemed like a fun idea. I also crafted with my 11-year-old granddaugheter and she had fun making them too.
Old Jewelry PendantThis was made from old jewelry and charms that I have been collecting.
Scrappy Christmas QuiltJust another fun technique for a quick quilt using Christmas fabric scraps. Just fabric, no batting or flannel!
Lacey Barefoot Baby SandalsI saw a baby wearing this type of sandal and thought they were adorable. Inexpensive to make and so cute!
Zig Zag Christmas Table RunnerThis table runner could be used for any holiday themed table runner. I had a lot of Christmas fabric so I made a Christmas themed one. It was a fun way to use up scraps other than making a traditional nine patch block, etc.
Square in Square Quilt BlockEasy quilt block pattern with a square inside.
Halloween MasksI made these for my daughter-in-law's special needs class from leftover scraps of felt. I looked online for ideas for decorating the masks and found a basic pattern.
Eyeglass HangerMade from a little bit of wood and a chain makes your reading glasses readily accessible.
Granny Square Quilt BlockThis block is a way to use up smaller size quilt scraps. You can make a potholder, a table runner, or a quilt using this fun design.
Pista NecklaceJust got a bag of pistachios from my mom-in-law. I enjoyed snacking on it while setting aside the shells because it gave me another concept of art. It's amazing 'cause the shells are hard and I know it is a stable material for handicrafts. Here's the first craft I made from pista shells.
Personalized Flat Felt DollMy grandson likes Mario so I made him a personalized "Mario" doll.
Spin Me Around Quilt BlockScrap strip quilt block design
4th of July Inspired Paper Cup RocketI made a paper cup toy to entertain my youngest child. I thought the 4th of July would be a nice subject for this art since it is already fast approaching.
Bicycle WreathAnother idea for wreath making for the bicycle lover.
Crochet RoseThese are simple, little crochet roses that you could use to decorate something. I made 25 of them to go on a quilt I made.
Tablet HolderThis project makes a handy addition to the kitchen if you are following a recipe from the internet while cooking or it can be used anytime you need to prop up the iPad while you are doing something.
Crochet and Fabric Fusion QuiltThis was my year long "T.V." project. It was time consuming but fun to make. It is more of a display quilt.
"Butter" Knife FlowerIn a previous posting, I submitted a craft on making a dragonfly out of forks and butter knives. This craft shows how I used up the "leftovers" from the dragonfly which was a "thrifty" use of leftovers. It is made from the end pieces of forks and knives.
Dresden Plate Quilt BlockLearning a new quilt block design and made it into a table runner.
Silverware DragonflyUsing old silverware to create an outdoor sculpture adds interest to my collection of backyard sculptures. Some of this old silverware was what I used in my childhood my parents had given to me. I wasn't sure how I could use these "keepsake" knives and then came across this idea.
Folded Flower Table RunnerThis was a cute and different table runner to make. Reminded me a little bit of paper folding or origami.
Ginger Turmeric Apple Wellness ShotsHere is a simple and quick 5 ingredient recipe my husband and I make for the week. Wellness shots are so expensive (they average $4 each and for 2 people a week that would be $56).
Strip Block PotholderI've become interested in quilting and all of the neat ideas for quilt blocks. Because there are so many, I decided I would make a variety of quilt blocks and turn them into potholders so I can try out a lot more designs and it wouldn't be as time consuming.
Garden Themed Beverage Server/Bird BathMade this punch bowl bird bath to serve punch in at a wedding reception with a garden theme.
Five-Minute Springtime CraftThis project is easy and inexpensive. All you need is a tile, a sticker, and a small easel!
Start Bell Pepper Plants EarlyTo ensure a good crop of bell peppers, it is important to remember that they require a long growing season. You can start the seed now (2/25)
Fiber Is The WordDoes your diet contain complex carbs, lean protein, healthy fats, and fiber? Fish, lean meats such as beef or pork, dairy products, and fruits and vegetables include these needed nutrients. The body needs certain nutrients to help it remain healthy, lose weight, maintain weight, and live longer. Instead of counting and keeping track of calories, it might be easier to keep track of fiber. In doing so, you may begin automatically to look for foods such as whole grains, vegetables, and fruit which are usually lower in calories than other foods.
Surprise Pullout BoxHere's another craft idea that I learned from my son. He is preparing a lot of unique valentine greetings for his teachers. What I like most about these crafts is that you won't need to spend so much for a gift. And it will take only 10 minutes to make.
Tabletop Tile CenterpieceMod podge tile base for wedding reception garden themed table centerpiece. After the reception, these tiles can be given to guests to use as hot plates on their table at home.
Book Picture FrameA unique way to display pictures, vintage garden style!
Origami Heart BoxMy eldest is the sweetest person next to his dad. The most thoughtful kid ever. I saw him cut out some pieces of art paper and asked him what it's for and he said he'll give it to his teacher. He said he doesn't have much money to buy her a gift so he tried searching for ideas online. I helped him with his work and it turned out really nice.
Seasonal Gnome Porch SitterThis is a gnome that can stand upright on the front porch and be decorated with changeable holiday or seasonal decor. This one is for Valentine's Day. For other holidays, you could use a shamrock for St. Patrick's Day, an egg or an Easter basket with eggs for Easter, flowers for spring, flag for 4th of July, school book or apple for fall, pumpkin for Halloween, and tree for Christmas.
Vintage Book SafeThis is a storage book I created for my daughter's fairytale/garden wedding theme. The storage on the inside will be used to store her wedding advice cards.
Valentine's Day StockingsI started the tradition of Valentine Day stockings a few years ago. We enjoyed filling them with sweets and love notes.
Crochet BasketMade with a CD base, this was a fun little basket to make. I filled it with a small tube of lotion and some treats for a friend's birthday gift.
Christmas Goodie BagsSanta or elf "long johns" are filled with small candies for Christmas. I made these for my daughter-in-law's special needs students.
Cherry Blossom Out of Egg CartonsFor my son's school project, he only needed the plastic bottle vase. As a "mom of extra", I insisted on making the flowers to put into his vase. What I like about making this project is that I don't have to go to the craft shop to find the materials. I used what I can only find around the house.
Woven T-shirt Yarn BasketWith my leftover t-shirt yarn from another project, I made this basket to hold mail. It is nice and sturdy made from the yarn.
$1 Store WreathI bought the wreath forms at Dollar Tree to make these three similar but different Christmas wreaths.
Vintage Ancestor OrnamentMaking these for Christmas for each of my five children using vintage "1960s" pictures of my husband's family and my family.
I'm a coffee drinker so when I go to Starbucks, it's often to get a drip coffee. I ordered this one day and the man behind me in line turned to his wife and said, "See, you can just order coffee." Black coffee drinkers definitely save money at Starbucks but there are some strategies that can make your Lattes and Frappuccinos less expensive too.
Roll Holder BasketOld-fashioned roll basket!
Screw and Nail OrganizerGreat organizer for small spaces! Holds sixteen jars in a 15 inch space! My husband's original storage container.
Fall Pumpkin Patchwork Table TopperA good way to use scraps. My daughter-in-law loves the fall season and pumpkins, so I made this for her.
Ice Cream Cone CostumeThis is a fairly quick "couples" Halloween costume that I made for my daughter and her boyfriend who works at an ice cream shop.
Tissue Paper Roll Face Switch ToyI got the idea from my eldest son. I found him playing with a tissue paper roll as if he was telling a story with 3 characters and changing his voice as he switched the tp roll.
Halloween Trick or Treat Books DecorationThese wooden "books" could be painted different colors for different holidays with different names on the sides. This set is for Halloween.
Sofa Legs as PumpkinsHere is a cute and fun way to repurpose the legs off an old couch that will be discarded. Many are round shaped. Simply unscrew the legs, paint them, and put a ribbon on top. They are nice decorations for Fall, Halloween, and Thanksgiving. They can be made into personalized handmade gifts, and balloon string holders too.
Day of the Dead Milk Gallon SkullHere is an easy and fun way to make a Day of the Dead, or most commonly known as Dia De Los Muertos, decorated skull. Simply use an empty and clean milk gallon jug with the handle facing forward. Use permanent markers or paint brushes and paint. You can also glue on glitter, etc. If you want to give it a cool effect at night, place a tea light on top as shown, or cut a hole at the bottom of the jug and insert it underneath. Enjoy !
Scrap Wood ScarecrowCute for fall! We had some scraps of "plank" wood leftover from an old backyard playset. My husband cut the planks and screwed and glued the parts together to form a scarecrow with a hat.
Wooden Candy Corn DecorationA little paint and some wood to make these cute and fun Halloween decorations!
Teacher's Day CardTomorrow we'll be celebrating World Teacher's Day. My son asked me to help him do a simple greeting card with a small token attached to it. He chose to put a box of chalk since "it's the best reminder of being a teacher", he said.
Indoor Canning Jar Herb GardenI used these cute Mason jar glasses to plant an indoor herb garden.
Pumpkin Candle HolderA nice fall table centerpiece!
Octopus SocksHere is a way to reuse old socks and turn them into octopus sea creatures !
Canning Ring PumpkinDon't know what to do with those extra canning rings? I have a lot more rings than seals so when I saw this cute project idea, I knew just what to do with the extra rings.
Easy Stuffed Pumpkins'Tis the season for pumpkins (almost)! A great way to use up excess fabric pieces for a beautiful fall decoration.
Kinetic Wind Spoon SculptureI saw a kinetic wind sculpture on Facebook and so I looked up a few ideas with how to make one. My husband was the brains behind this project and used a few ideas from various sources and added his own. Following is what we came up with.
Strip Quilt SquareI was given a lot of fabric from a friend. Part of the donation included long strips of fabric so I found this quilt pattern for using up strips of fabric.
Fan PullMade from a wooden spool and a few trinkets
Zucchini GratinDo you want a delicious, balanced and not expensive dish? Zucchini gratin is just such a dish. This is a fancy side dish out of everyday vegetables. There are many variations on cooking zucchini gratin. I am sharing my French friend's recipe.
Nine Patch Quilt SquareSimple instructions for making a nine patch quilt square.
Loghouse Hexagon Quilted Hot PadMade from scrap strips of fabric.
Rosette DecorationI wanted to add an embellishment to a nightgown I made so I made these little rosettes from the leftover fabric.
Recycled Ceramic Look VaseI used plaster of Paris to make this ceramic looking vase from a soda bottle.
Loom Knit BagThere are many options for making things from a knit hat loom besides a hat. I found this fairly simple pattern to make a "purse" which could be used for a swimming bag (has holes for the wet swimming suit to dry) or for whatever purpose you might want to use it for.
Bow Quilt PatternTrying out another simple quilt pattern. This project shows how to make one bow square. These squares can then be put together to make a cute quilt, whatever, size you want.
Portable PlayhouseThis is a Goldilocks and the Three Bears playhouse. I used a pattern online and adapted it for this fairy tale story.
Create Your Own Pride FlagFor a Pride month activity I created this craft for the art room. Everyone can make their own flag, either a traditional rainbow, or one of the many other flags which represent different identities.
