Enjoy Making A Burlap Wreath By Following Several Simple Steps

When most people think about the material burlap they immediately envision feed sacks and other rustic imagery.

However it is not complicated to turn this material into a decorative wreath that can be placed around your home anytime of the year. A burlap wreath is an excellent addition to any plain wall, inside or outside door and you can take a lazy weekend afternoon to make a burlap wreath that you will be proud of and will impress your friends and family.

You will need to first decide the color of burlap that you would like to use when making your wreath. If you have a neutral décor, beige burlap may be the best option for you. If you want the wreath to stand out in your decorative scheme you can choose different colored burlap.

The Materials That You Will Need

The next thing that you will need to do is gather the materials that you will need to make the wreath. The list should include:

•    The burlap material
•    Scissors
•    Ribbon
•    Glue gun
•    Foam wreath

The Process To Make The Burlap Wreath

Once you have gathered the materials that you need you can then begin to construct the wreath. You will need to cut the material into square pieces. Make sure that these pieces measure five inches all around.

After the material has been cut into equal square pieces you can take one piece and fold it in two halves. The finished square should be at least four layers deep.

You will then take the glue gun and place some glue on the center folded piece of the square. The glued end of the material can then be placed on the wreath. Be sure to hold the material firmly in place until the burlap sticks to the foam wreath.

This process can then be repeated with each square until the foam wreath has been completely covered in the burlap squares.

Make sure that the burlap dries on the wreath before you begin the process of fluffing the squares.

Once your wreath has dried you can take the ribbon and tie it around the wreath and hang the wreath in the desired location.

Making burlap wreaths can be an enjoyable project that the entire family can participate in. These wreaths are popular during the autumn and winter months but they can be used as decorations in the home anytime of the year.

Other variations of fall wreaths.

Burlap & Brights: My Fall Wreath - Wife in Progress
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Here in Boston, Fall has hit with a bang over the past week. The foliage is in full effect, there's a definite crispness in the air, and houses are decorated with 'mums and pumpkins. To get in the spirit, and to jazz up my curbside ...
 
Craftaholics Anonymous® | Burlap Bubble Wreath Tutorial {EASY!}
http://www.craftaholicsanonymous.net Mon, 07 Oct 2013 11:28:18 GMT
This is hands down the EASIEST wreath ever!! Plus the end result is stunning. Its the perfect wreath for a craft group because any skill level can make it. I'm actually teaching this fall burlap wreath at my church's Super ...
 
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Enjoy Spending Time With Your Child By Making A Leaf Book

When the summer heat gives way to slightly cooler temperatures the leaves begin to fall off of the trees and die. This time of year provides the perfect opportunity for your child to learn more about nature, specifically trees and the leaves that they bear.

You can choose to have your children make one large leaf book together or they can create individual leaf books. Children of all ages will appreciate the beauty and visual appeal of these books and the books can be created with common household items.

This is one of our favorite fall activities that we do each year. (And then I dispose of the project sometime around Valentine's Day.)

Gather The Necessary Materials

The first thing that you will need to do is gather the materials that will be needed to complete the project. The list of items includes:

•    Leaves
•    Scrapbook
•    Pen
•    Sandwich bags
•    Cement (rubber)
•    Card stock

There are also optional items that you can use to make the leaf book including scissors. Children should always be supervised when using scissors or other sharp objects.

How To Make A Leaf Book With Older Children

Older children will be able to take a more active role in the creation of the leaf book so you will not have to provide as much hands on assistance as you would have to for younger children. My kids are finally self-sufficient enough that they don't want help anymore.

The first thing that you will need to do is purchase a scrapbook. Scrapbooks are available in several varieties including spiral and bound. These scrapbooks are also constructed with acid free paper so the leaves will remain preserved in the scrapbook for a long period of time.

You can then schedule a leaf hunt with your children. Taking a long walk along a nature trail, local park or even in your neighborhood will provide plenty of leaves for your child to choose from. Make sure the leaves that are selected are not dead but still on the trees. Place all collected leaves into sandwich bags.

Once you are home you and your children can begin placing the leaves into the scrapbook. You can use glue or rubber cement to secure the leaves onto the pages of the scrapbook. The leaves can be categorized by color, shape or style. Make sure that you or your children write the name of the tree that each leaf belonged to under the leaf.

The change of seasons from summer to autumn is the perfect time of year to not only enjoy the fall foliage but you can also educate your children. Making a leaf book will give your children the chance to learn more about nature.

More fun fall nature walks:
Fall Project: Nature walk and flower pressing | she sings we dance
http://jackiemrussell.com Fri, 11 Oct 2013 18:25:18 GMT
Fall Project: Nature walk and flower pressing via She Sings We Dance The first step is to get outside. We took a long nature walk where we got to talk about the changing leaves and other things that fall brings. Sophie loved ...

Falling Into Fall: Exploring Nature With Kids – Kirsten Joy Awake
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This is just one of the beautiful scenes that I was able to capture as we walked through a park that is local to our town. It's trails are familiar to me and the creek that runs through it bubbles over round rocks where children come ...

As We Walk Along the Road: The Beauty of Nature in the Fall
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But I must admit there are some beautiful sites in nature during the fall. Even summer lovers like me who hate to see fall slide in and end the greatest season, have to admit that God has filled nature with beauty in fall. (Perhaps ...

Fall Nature Walk Scavenger Hunt | Petra School
http://pebblekeeper.com Tue, 21 Sep 2010 22:49:31 GMT
One Red Leaf One Yellow Leaf One Orange Leaf One leaf that is Two Colors One Brown Leaf One Green Leaf A Seed (Dogwood) An Insect A Bird – Turkey Vulture The Tracks of an Animal - Racoon The Wind Blowing ...
 
Thanks for stopping by,
Suzanne

Valentine Craft Kits for Kids to Make Their Own Valentines

It's that time of year! Time to hand out the Valentines. I personally like to encourage creativity over just buying a box of done-for-you valentines. So, I've rounded up some Valentine craft kits for the kids to make their own valentines.

I really like this valentine kit. It looks easy to piece together and you can use different photos of your children. This would make a great cheap gift to send to grandparents or other family that lives farther away. Add a magnet and it's refrigerator ready!

You can't go wrong with a bunch of valentine stickers. Here is a really BIG bunch.  250 assorted valentine heart stickers. This is enough to let your kids go crazy. Some white index cards, a paper punch, some construction paper and a little glue will have an assembly line of personal Valentine's Day Cards coming from your kitchen table.

 Basic cards in pink and red and are the perfect foundation for your valentine cards. Add a few stickers and you're all set. These cards come with paper doilies and makes 36 cards. And, how about 1000 stickers to go with them! That's enough for 3 or 4 kids to make their valentines.

Things you can teach your kids when making Valentines

Making the valentines together can be a fun, family time. Take the opportunity to show some 'tricks' to valentine making.

• Explain how you can take a folded piece of paper and draw half a heart shape. Cut out the shape on the outline...open up and ta-da!! A heart! Is your child not very thrilled with their first attempt? Remember that practice makes perfect. This is a great opportunity to teach about practice and perseverance.
• Take a paper punch and punch around the edge of a heart, square, or rectangle to show how it makes 'lace'.
• Teach about laying multiple shapes (of the same shape) and how it adds visual interest and texture to the card.

How to Make Cookie Cutter Valentines

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4th of July Craft Ideas for Teens

Crafts aren't just for little kids! Teens and bigger kids can get in on craft-making, and it's a good way to celebrate Independence Day with your teens. You have to move beyond the simple crafts of childhood, but there are all kinds of sophisticated crafts that teens can enjoy. Here are some ideas.

This glass bead bracelet is adorable.

photo credit: RBerteig

Necklaces

Boys and girls both wear necklaces, and they can also make good gifts for teens to give each other. Fabric necklaces are a great way to make a necklace that is not necessarily gender-specific. Here's how to do it.

Supplies:

* Piece of old clothing or cloth, about 2 feet long and 1 inch thick.
* Beads in Fourth of July colors and/or designs (think beads with a larger hole)
* Scissors
* Needle-nosed pliers

Directions:

First, lay out your design of beads in a row. Then, fold the end of the fabric strip into a point and poke it through the beads. String them on the fabric in the order of your choice, using the pliers as needed. The beads will be tight on the cloth, so you can space the beads however you like. When you're finished, tie the ends.


Bracelets

Use stretchy fabric and a smaller strip of cloth to make an Independence Day bracelet.

 
Headband

For a festive headband, your teen can make the above necklace using stretchy fabric that's a bit wider, and thicker beads.


Tote Bags

There are so many tote bag ideas for teens. You can use anything from duct tape to old tank tops to make a tote bag. Here is one idea for a patriotic tote bag for your teen to make using duct tape (the resulting waterproof tote can be used for the rest of the summer for trips to the pool or beach).

Supplies:

* Duct tape (you'll need about 20 yards) in blue, red, and silver (or white if you can find it)
* Scissors

Directions:

What you'll be doing is making duct tape "sheets" by attaching the sticky sides of multiple strips of duct tape. Begin by laying 8 pieces of duct tape, 16 inches long, sticky-side-up on a table or clean floor. Make sure the strips overlap slightly. Repeat the procedure, but this time lay the strips sticky-side-down onto the previous strips. When you're finished, there won't be any sticky part showing.

Do the same thing to make two duct tape sheets with rough edges.

Lay one sheet on top of the other, and trim the edges so that they are even, equal squares.

Attach three edges of these squares using strips of duct tape folded over the edge. On the fourth side, which will be open, you can add a strip of duct tape on either side of the opening so that all 4 sides have a stripe.

For two handles, use a 20-inch piece of duct tape folded in half lengthwise, sticky-side-in. Then tape the ends of this folded strip to the inside of the bag's opening.

If you like, cut decorations from colored duct tape and stick them to the outside of the bag.

Here's a round up of some other craft ideas.

13 American Flag Decor Crafts | FaveCrafts.com
www.favecrafts.com

Wooden American Flags: Looking for some July crafts for kids? These wooden stick flags are great! Make them to decorate a walkway or a garden, or wave them around at the 4th of July picnic to show off your pride AND your crafting skills!

Craft-O-Maniac: Ten FANTASTIC 4th of July Ideas
www.craft-o-maniac.com

Oh, I love 4th of July decor too! Thanks for the inspiration! June 8, 2012 11:17 AM. Kim said... Those are great! Thanks for sharing. If you need something fun for kids on the 4th, my kids always love free coloring pages like ...

4th of July Crafts for Toddlers and Kids

Many toddlers love crafts. Why not introduce them to the Independence Day holiday this way? Here are some ideas for celebrating this Fourth of July with toddler crafts.

photo credit: mrsdkrebs 

1. Patriotic Top Hats

Let your toddler sport this homemade hat proudly!
Supplies:
* White poster board
* Red and blue construction paper (large sheets)
* Scissors
* Glue and/or staples
* Pencil
# Note - you can use white posterboard instead of construction paper for the tube and the rim.

Directions:

Roll a piece of posterboard into a tube and secure with glue or staples. Make sure the tube fits your toddler's head.

Cut strips of red and blue strips of construction paper, wrap them around the tube, and glue into place. Leave white between them so there will be red, white and blue stripes.

For the hat's rim, lay a piece of posterboard on a flat surface, and set the striped tube in the middle of it. Trace around the tube to make a circle. At four equal points around this circle, draw four square tab shapes facing into the circle. You will cut out this circle but leave the tabs. When you cut, don't cut in from the sides; start in the middle.

Once the center circle is cut out, cut a larger circle around it - that's the hat's brim. You will have a large ring shape with tabs around the center circle. Set the striped top of the hat into the cut-out circle, and fold the tabs inward and glue them.

Watch a video about making a 4th of July hat.



2. Patriotic Star Wand

Let your toddler pretend to make the fireworks happen with this "magic" wand.

Supplies:

* 12- to 18-inch wooden dowel in the thickness of your choice (1/2" or 1/4" works well)
* White craft foam
* Glitter glue in red, white and blue
* Loose glitter in red or blue
* White glue
* Scissors

Directions:

Coat the dowel in white glue and roll in the glitter color or colors of your choice. Lay it aside to dry - a wax paper-covered tray should work.

While it's drying, cut two equal star shapes from the white craft foam. You might want to use a pre-cut star pattern, or cut one star and use it as a pattern for the second.

Put white glue around one of the star's five points, leaving a glue-free place between one set of points (this is where you will insert the dowel later). Lay the second star on top and lay flat to dry.

Decorate the stars with glitter glue, or with white glue and glitter sprinkled on. Once the stars are dry, carefully find the non-glued spot. Make sure the dowel will fit. Then fill the spot with glue and insert the dowel. Let dry overnight.

There are other crafts you can do, too.


Preschool Crafts for Kids*: 4th of July Liberty Bell Cup Craft
easypreschoolcraft.blogspot.com

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Celebrate Independence Day with these Fun 4th of July Crafts for Kids. Creative and Easy 4th of July Craft Ideas and more on FamilyFun.com.

Have lots of fun!

Ten Creative Things You Can Do With Mod Podge

We have put together five 1000 piece puzzles this winter. We've been using the Mod Podge Puzzle Saver so that we can frame them for our basement. It made me think about all the things you can do with this craft supply.

Mod Podge is one of those things that every crafter should have on hand.  It's a glue, it's a sealant, and it's a finish.  What more could you ask for in one product?

You can buy Mod Podge in several finishes and varieties, making it great for a wide range of projects.  Here are ten things you can do with it:

1. Make a plaque or sign - Whether you want to create an award for someone or make a welcome sign for your front yard, Mod Podge can help.  It's ideal for decoupaging, and you can use outdoor Mod Podge to create a water-resistant finish on anything you would like to use outside.

 

photo credit: balanced.crafts

2. Embellish your denim jacket - Mod Podge is probably the last thing that comes to mind when it comes to customizing clothes, but Fabric Mod Podge was designed for such applications.  It might be a little stiff for a thin t-shirt, but it's great things like denim and canvas sneakers.  It's also good for adding your own touch to pillows, blankets, fabric lampshades, and other household items.

3. Jazz up your wood furniture - Decoupaging with Mod Podge can help you add a decorative touch to bookshelves, chairs, tables, and more.  The Classic variety is sufficient for many projects, but if you need a durable finish, Hardcoat Mod Podge works better.

4. Enhance your light switch covers - Decorative switch plates are quite popular among decorators, but you don't have to spend a fortune on them.  You can easily make your own.  Covering them with fabric or paper and coating with Mod Podge will make them more fashionable.

5. Make jewelry - Mod Podge is ideal for adding accents to handmade jewelry.  You can use it to glue on patterned paper or fabric, then coat to seal and finish it.

6. Create a faux oil painting - If you have a poster, photograph, or canvas project that you want to look like an oil painting, Mod Podge can make it happen.  This is a great way to use up Mod Podge that you've let set out too long, because its thicker texture is just right.  Or you can buy some Brushstroke Mod Podge, which was created for that purpose.  Simply brush it on as though you were painting the picture yourself, and your project will end up looking like an oil painting.

7. Use it for scrapbooking - You can create your own scrapbook embellishments using Mod Podge.  There's also a Mod Podge designed for use with paper crafts that you can use to seal your photos or add a nice finish to your pages.

8. Make custom mousepads - You don't have to pay someone else to put your photo or artwork on a mousepad.  It's a cinch to do it yourself!  Just buy a plain mousepad and use Mod Podge to glue your picture to it.  Add embellishments for a special touch, then coat it to finish.

9. Create lovely picture frames - Decoupaged picture frames make beautiful home décor and treasured gifts.  All you have to do is add some pretty fabric, customize with lettering or embellishments, and coat with Mod Podge.

10. Jewelry box - You can easily transform an ordinary shoebox into a unique jewelry box.  Just glue some scrapbooking paper to the outside of the box and lid with Mod Podge, coat to finish, and add some coordinating ribbon.

photo credit: trenttsd

Learn how The Simple Dollar made these photo cubes.

What craft ideas do you have?