Greetings, friends! I propose that it's time to start thinking about handmade gifts. This recycled necklace gift can charm nearly anyone: a simple matchbox turned into a secret-compartment pendant.
The awesomeness is threefold. 1.) It's simple and eco friendly. 2.) Customize the art to your loved one's style and interest. 3.) Because there's a tiny secret compartment, you can include an additional mini-gift inside! Here's the secret drawer:
Aren't they fun? Want to make one? Here's how.
Tools:
jewelry pliers
wire cutters
something pointy for poking holes
Materials:
a matchbox
clear packing tape
acrylic craft paint
craft wire
1 or 2 headpins
a tassel
glue or mod podge
1 or 2 accent beads OR a strip of recycled plastic
spacer beads
optional: a bit of chain
The DIY
1. Embellish. Paint the matchbox's outer sleeve. If you like, paint the inner drawer as well. Then embellish! Adhere something delightful to the top of the matchbox - anything you like. (A few ideas at the end of the post.)
2. Reinforce. Reinforce the matchbox drawer with clear packing tape: cut 2 strips and crisscross them in the back, wrapping the tape over the edges and into the inside of the drawer. Reinforce the inside of the matchbox sleeve with a bit more hidden tape (that you tuck inside and smooth down).
3. Turn it into a pendant. First, poke two holes in the top of the inner drawer. Thread craft wire through the two holes and make two loops at the top. It's easy! Like this:
To finish the bottom, there are two versions.
ONE HOLE VERSION: At the bottom of the inner drawer, poke one hole in the center. Add a spacer bead to a headpin, thread it through the hole, add an accent bead and make a loop. Add a tassel. It will look like this:
TWO HOLE VERSION: At the bottom of the drawer, poke two holes. Using the same headpin method as above, add either two accents beads or, as in the Lucky Cat version seen below, a rectangle of plastic with two matching holes. Make two loops underneath. Add a bit of chain, with a tassel suspended in the center. Like this:
Functional Note: the accent beads or plastic strip should be just a bit wider than the matchbox. This prevents the sleeve from sliding off. (My accent beads in these examples were repurposed rubber washers, because I liked how they looked. But any bead is just fine.)
Ideas for how to embellish the pendant:
Modpodge some original or found art.
Paint it, glitter it, doodle it.
Glue stuff on, like charms or buttons.
Add a polymer clay panel. (I made my Japanese-themed panels from polymer clay, impressed with rubber stamps I bought at a 100 yen store in Tokyo.)
Ideas for mini gifts inside the matchbox:
Photos
Love notes
Funny coupons to be redeemed
Candy
3 carat diamond earrings
Ca$h
Who can suggest some more tiny gifts for inside?
Alrighty, you guys - thanks for visiting, hope you enjoyed this one!
Well hi! Today I thought I'd show you the quickest, simplest beaded home decor project evah. It's practical, it's pretty, it's economical - heck, there's even a little element of upcycling in there for good measure.
It's a scarf hanger system, for storage and display.
The DIY takes about a minute. You will need:
-a buncha big beads
-an old shoelace
Ready? Go!
Thread 16-20 inches of big beads onto an old shoelace (or any bit of cord or ribbon you happen to have handy). Tie a bow, and double-knot it.
That's it, baby! Hang one (or three or six or ten!) on your wall, as demonstrated here...
Then just add scarves.
I hung mine on a cute 3-hook coat rack, but you could hang these up in a number of ways. Use little nails, or individual hooks, or even those removable hooks for apartments.
I was looking for a way to use up a vast quantity of not-so-thrilling wooden beads, and this was just the ticket. I'm a VERY scarf-y person, so it's something I actually need and use - daily!
It could also be a fun project to do with kids, tweens or teens. Let them choose beads to suit their personal style to make hangers for their own rooms, or to give as AWESOME handmade gifts.
Hope this one catches someone's fancy. See ya!
Hello again! I used some kids' air dry clay (mine was Crayola brand from the drugstore) to make a fun and weird little creature skull pendant. Take a look!
Want to try something like this? Well, here's what I did. First, using my nearly-non-existent sculpting skillz, I molded the plain white clay into these vaguely reptilian skull beads...
I'm still not sure if they are tiny dragons, baby gators, or lizards of an identified species. As you can see, pretty much anyone could whip these up. Bring in a kid to help if you aren't feeling skullish.
I left them to dry overnight, and then they were ready to decorate.
I sat down with my mom and some Sharpies, and we each did a skull. Mine:
And Mom's:
I always LOVE what she does, without being able to do anything similar myself. I adore how our artistic styles are so different - it's like we come from different creative planets!
Next step: I made a curlicue on the end of some craft wire, and threaded it through the skull bead.
I finished up my pendant with a little bead tucked into that depression to protect the hole, and a loop for hanging.
Then I added it to a bright glass bead necklace. Because the critter obviously wasn't colorful ENOUGH, right?
Here's a wider shot of the full necklace:
I've already gotten some compliments on it.
I hope this inspires somebody to grab a blob of air dry clay and make a big focal bead. It's fun and quick! Let it dry overnight, then Sharpie at will.
Later, gators!
Today's craft: a DIY ring made from scraps of fleece and felt.
A five minute craft for any age and skill level. I like it plain...
And I like it patterned.
Aw heck, I just like it.
The How-To is particularly fun, and involves a dog biscuit. So now you have to try it, right? Ready? Here goes!
You will need some floppy scrap fleece (the green stuff) and some slightly-stiffer felt. You will also need scissors and a tiny piece of string.
Cut a fleece leaf and a felt petal. (The petal can be a simple circle or a more flowery shape if you like.) Poke a hole in each as shown here:
Now make a dog biscuit out of fleece, like so:
Fold the biscuit in half and insert the string at the fold.
Stack the leaf and petal, then use the string to pull the folded biscuit through the holes.
Pull until the biscuit ends are bunched in the center of the flower and you can't go any further.
Done and done.
For the fancy version, I just Sharpied the heck out of both the felt petal and the fleece leaf (or leaves). Here you can see some potential different shapes for both elements:
And that, you guys, is my Scrappy Fleece Flower Ring. Sure hope you like it!
Oops, gotta go, someone has been waiting patiently while I wrote this post.
Thank you for coming by!
Hi, guys! A little post with a little baby onesie. I thought I'd show it off because I have a bit of a mental block. See, I am convinced I am utterly terrible at free-hand painting! But whenever I let go of that and just allow myself to daub, I often end up very happy - not only with the result, but proud of having made the effort.
If you might feel the same way about tackling a decorative painting project (or any project, really), maybe this will inspire you to go for it.
Here's my onesie:
Turned out pretty cute, eh? Aww, here it is on my nephew!
The DIY:
1. Get a blank onesie. At the dollar store, maybe?
2. Use a small brush and fabric paints to swoop colors of the sea all over the front. Use a light touch and a fairly dry brush, for thin paint layers without heavy brushstrokes visible. Let the ocean dry for 5 minutes.
3. Dab on some badly-drawn but really bright fishies. Wait one minute, then add a second layer of paint so they really stand out. Let the fish dry completely.
4. Add a tiny eye to each fish with a black Sharpie.
5. To set the paint: tumble the onesie in a hot dryer for half an hour.
Done! Woot!
So here's an awesome money saving tip. Did you know you don't need to buy fabric paints in a whole lot of colors? That would empty your budget pretty quickly.
Instead, convert your ordinary craft paints into fabric paint. Just invest in one small bottle of fabric paint medium.
(There are lots of brands out there, that's just an example.) A dollop of fabric medium, mixed into your own paint, and poof! Turns it into fabric paint.
Interesting side note: my mom and I painted onesies together, at the same kitchen table, using the exact same materials. The two turned out different as chalk and cheese. Here's mom's version.
I love hers, too! Isn't it amazing to how different brains work?
Okie doke! Thanks for checking in on my creative space - it is important to me to have one. Much love, see you around...
Mich
This little box - formerly a grocery store cheese container - holds an awesome homemade gift for a kid!
That's right, people, you can make a super fun, easy, crafty kit for some lucky child. All you need: a handful of beads, a bit of craft wire, and a Sharpie. A great project for girls and boys - snakes are cool for everybody.
Check out the quick-as-a-wink DIY.
Begin with a piece of craft wire, between one and three feet long. (Some kids prefer loooong, crazy mismatched snakes. Some kids prefer shorter, regularly patterned, beautiful snakes. It's funny, but rarely do the two overlap.)
Twist a swirly onto one end, like so:
Find a flat bead that you can Sharpie on. Matte finish glass beads work well. Or choose plastic or wooden ones. Draw two eyes and two nostrils, and anything else that says snake.
Another option: make a simple snake head bead from air-dry clay. (You can add Sharpie details once it's dry.) I made some extra little disc beads to match.
Next, add your snake head to the wire.
Now gather a bunch of beads and mix 'em up. You can use random, unmatched beads - a wonderful way to use up those strays! Or go with a color scheme. Or even do as I tried to do here: choose some that look kinda snaky.
Include a few small disc-shaped beads if you have 'em - they make a nice rattle at the end of the tail.
Put the bead mix in a cheese box.
Tip: some of these cheese boxes have small holes in the sides. I seal them up with bits of tape.
Place the snake head wire in the box, on top of the beads.
Print up a nifty snake picture (or draw one), and glue it to the top of the box. I found this lovely vintage rattlesnake art over at The Graphics Fairy.
That's your finished kit! Give one to a bored kid and watch the fun begin.
Instructions for making a snake:
String beads on the wire until almost the end. With the last little bit of wire, use a skinny object like a pencil point to make a small loop or swirl. Like this:
Bend some curves in your snake and display proudly!
I hope this idea rattles your cage. See ya next time.
