Archive for the Category » Craft Tutorials «

Recycled Mitten Ornie

This is a Seasonal Craft project you can do with old mittens that aren’t worn anymore. Just something really quick and simple, and a fun way to do some Recycling in a festive way for the holidays. This is my Recycled Mitten Ornie.

Recycled Mitten Ornie

Here’s what you need for this project:

  • An old mitten
  • Spray Adhesive
  • Mica Flakes or Glitter of your choice
  • Craft Gems
  • Tacky Glue or Hot Glue

Instructions: Spray the mitten with the adhesive. Then pour Mica Flakes or Glitter over it so that it is completely covered. Pat down the flakes to make them stick well. Shake off the excess flakes. Glue on your choice of fabulous craft gems. And that’s it! Of course, there are lots of ways you could vary this and make something else equally fabulous. You’re really only limited by your imagination.

Vintage Rose

In the summer issue of Somerset Life that I picked up over the weekend, there is a wonderful tutorial for making vintage roses out of coffee filters. I’ve done a Coffee Filter Roses Tutorial in the past, but that one was for a much quicker and simpler rose–one that is easier and less realistic. The one is Somerset is much more realistic.

Somerset Life

I am always on the lookout for new flower tutorials  and I loved theirs so I had to try it out. It was time-consuming to make, but it turned out so pretty…even if it wasn’t as pretty as the ones in the magazine.

Vintage Rose

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Vintage Rose Top

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I wouldn’t want to make a bunch of these, just because they take so long to make. But they really are pretty and would look so nice just sitting in a vase–one all by itself, or two or three. And they would make really nice gifts too, which is what the designer in the magazine was using them for.  They’re very affordable to make too since you’re just using coffee filters and things you probably already have one hand.

Check out the magazine next time you’re in the bookstore to see the full tutorial. Somerset Life is one of my favorite magazines…but of course I love almost all the Somerset publications. I only wish they were cheaper!

 

Felt Chocolate Easter Bunny

Yesterday I was doing some more spring and Easter crafting. I finally created something I’ve been wanting to do for awhile: a Felt Chocolate Easter Bunny. I love felt crafts and I’m beginning to do a lot more Easter crafts as well. Guess I’ve just been kind of inspired lately.

Felt Chocolate Easter Bunny

This was super easy to make, which is important for me because it involves sewing, and that’s not something I am very good at! I simply drew a Chocolate Easter Bunny shape on some white paper to serve as my initial pattern. I transferred that to cardstock and cut it out. I figured it would be easiest for me to just pin the cardstock pattern to the felt and then cut around it. So I pinned it to two layers of brown felt and cut it out. Then I did a basic stitch with  my sewing machine most of the way around the bunny. I stopped to stuff with some fiberfill, and then I sewed it the rest of the way. And then I just added a pastel blue satin ribbon to finish it off.

If you’d like my hand drawn Felt Chocolate Easter Bunny pattern, you can view it via the PDF link below and then save it to your computer. All I ask is that you don’t claim the design/pattern as your own if you share it with others.

Felt Chocolate Easter Bunny Pattern

Coffee Filter Roses Tutorial

In trying to come up with a project inspired by the Spicy Supply Challenge ~ Using Coffee Filters at Gingersnap Creations, I finally came up with something fun and fairly simple; and I decided to make it a full tutorial with lots of pictures too.  I’m really excited to share this craft tutorial for my Coffee Filter Roses.

Supplies Needed

  • 5-6 Coffee Filters (Unbleached or Bleached)
  • A Stapler
  • Glimmer Mist (I used Coffee Shop)
  • Ribbon or Chenille Stems

Directions

Step 1: Get your Coffee Filters and lay them out flat (they won’t stay flat, and that’s OK, just do the best you can).

Coffee Filter Roses Step 1

Step 2: Fold back about a 1″ length of the bottom of all the coffee filters.

Coffee Filter Roses Step 2

Step 3: Folding and flipping a 1″ section as you go, create accordion-like folds all the way to the other end of the coffee filters.

Coffee Filter Roses Step 3

Step 4: Take your Stapler and staple twice in the center of your folded filters. You may also want to attach your ribbon or chenille stem at the center of this now, if you like. You can do it at the end as well, it’s just a bit easier at this step.

Coffee Filter Roses Step 4

Step 5: Starting on one side, carefully pull up the first layer of coffee filter, gently pulling all the way toward the center.

Coffee Filter Roses Step 5

Step 6: Repeat Step 5 with each subsequent coffee filter layer, until the first side is completed.

Coffee Filter Roses Step 6

Step 7: Repeat Steps 5 and 6 on the other side.

Coffee Filter Roses Step 7

I curled the edges of the bottom petals back a bit, along with a couple of other random petals, to make it look more like a rose and more full.

Step 8: If you haven’t already attached your ribbon or chenille stem at the center, do that now. Then you’re ready to spritz the rose with Glimmer Mist.

Glimmer Mist

This step is totally optional. I just thought the rose needed some texture and dimension, which the Glimmer Mist adds. If you don’t have Glimmer Mist, you can create your own color spray. You can mix a metallic acrylic (if you want that shimmer like Glimmer Mist provides) with water and put it in a spray bottle, or use watercolors diluted with water.  Test it on another coffee filter first. Then just spritz around the rose until you’re happy with how it looks and let it dry. Another option would be to use some spray adhesive and then dip the petals in some glitter. There are lots of possibilities.

My finished Coffee Filter Rose looks like this:

Coffee Filter Rose Vintage

I added a gold organdy ribbon to the center of my rose, and added a grungy hangtag, which I stamped with a female image, to the ribbon so this could be used on a gift. I like the unbleached coffee filters because they let me create roses with a vintage feel. But you could just as easily use white coffee filters.

Coffee Filter Rose White

I spritzed this rose with some Tattered Rose Glimmer Mist, which is pink in color and gives it a really nice touch.

These coffee filter roses are so inexpensive and easy to make, and they could be used for so many things: on gift boxes or gift bags, for craft projects, as table decor at a party, as party favors, even as decorations at a wedding reception or shower. And being able to use chenille stems  or ribbon (or even craft wire or picks) gives you different ways to use them as well.

Everything seems to be coming up roses around here. :)

Grungy Hang Tag Tutorial

I’ve had a lot of readers ask me about my Grungy Sauce Mix that I use in a lot of my projects to make things look good and grungy. So I decided to provide the recipe AND create a primitive tutorial for creating grungy hang tags.

Grungy Hang Tags

But since I have a new blog that focuses on just my country and primitive creations and decor, I posted the tutorial on that blog. Having the same exact tutorial on both blogs seemed kind of silly to me. So I’m just going to provide the link directly to my recipe and tutorial on my other blog. Just follow the link below.

Grungy Hang Tag Tutorial

You can use the Grungy Sauce Mix on all sorts of paper and also on fabric. I use it on Muslin a lot too. This is really a great way to get that grungy, rustic, primitive, aged or timeworn look you might trying to get for your projects.

Tina

Burlap & Doily Luminary Tutorial

I absolutely love it when I find a great craft tutorial while I’m blog hopping, and I found a great one yesterday that I just had to share with you! It’s a Burlap & Doily Luminary: Rustic Meets Romance.

Doily Luminary Tutorial

This tutorial was created by Amanda on her Crafts by Amanda blog. She not only has this wonderful tutorial there on the blog with photos, she also has a printable version ready for download!

It’s a great recycling tutorial, since you can really use any glass jars you like for this project. And you can use doilies you have on hand, or ones you might find at a thrift store or garage sale, or even at a discount store.  And I love how she creates the rustic and romantic effect by using burlap and twine and other goodies with the doilies. She has several great photos with different variations of her luminaries on her blog, so be sure to see them all.

To view the tutorial and all the photos, or to download her printable version of the tutorial, follow the link below to Amanda’s blog.

Burlap & Doily Luminaries: Rustic Meets Romance

Leave her a nice comment for her fabulous luminous creations…and let her know you found her via Art Chick Studio! Thanks to Amanda for letting us use her photo at Art Chick Studio.

Tina