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Craft ideas for a rainy day

Thursday, December 9th, 2010

When the rain comes, children often are forced to stay inside for several hours at a time. Many of them get restless and they can only read so many stories and play so many bored games or puzzles before they are bored. Crafting is a popular activity to do with your children as it helps them to explore their creativity and provide them with a fun activity to do to help pass the time.

Picture collages
A simple way to craft with your kids is to create picture collages. You can use your own pictures or you can opt for magazine images. Collages are a lot of fun to create and they allow children to explore their creative side. Use magazines to cut out pictures that pertain to certain themes or words. Use collages to decorate your scrapbooking albums or to make your garbage cans appear nicer. It’s easy to create picture collages and it’s also a lot of fun for kids especially when they get to sort through pictures of themselves.

Sand crafts
A great way to have fun with your kids is to create sand crafts. Use some food coloring to create some fun colored sand. You can purchase nice sand at the store or you can use some sand from your backyard, just make sure you have washed it and that it doesn’t have any dirt in it. Purchase some gum to bond the sand grains together and you will need a pattern to create a nice picture. For younger kids you can place the sand into a glass frame where they can create unique patterns. There are 3-D sand crafts you can crate which is a lot of fun for older children.

Finger painting
Kids love every opportunity possible to get their hands dirty. Finger painting is a lot of fun for kids. All you need to do is have them mix up a bunch of colors with their hands and spread them all over the paper. It’s a great way to allow kids to get creative and to have fun. It also helps to give your kids a chance to color with their hands using ink. Ink is fun for creating animals using your fingerprints. Have your kids place their fingers in multiple colors so they can create fun things like animals, rainbows, cars, etc.

Greeting Cards
Another simple craft for kids to create is greeting cards. Using fabric, cotton balls, stamps, glitter, and other simple things you can make fun greeting cards to send to grandparents and loved ones. Use cardstock to create the greeting cards and allow your kids to decorate them however you like. Glitter is a lot of fun for kids as they love to create fun decorations using glue. Purchase some stickers for the kids to decorate the cards as well. Watch your children create the cards and you will enjoy seeing their creative sides. A lot of kids also like to make greeting cards using collages.

Origami
Do you have some extra paper lying around the house? Kids can make a number of things with paper, one of which is origami. A lot of kids fold paper into flowers and animals. A paper airplane is even considered origami. Check out a book from the library to learn some creative paper origami techniques that will allow you easily teach them to your children. Kids need easier paper crafts to get started with before you start creating things like flowers. A paper boat is an easy origami craft for kids to learn and to get started with. Origami is a wonderful craft for kids because it teaches them patience and it helps to strengthen their cognitive thinking processes as well.

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Can you make money by crafting?

Wednesday, December 8th, 2010

One of the easiest professions to start from your home is crafting. Do you have a particular talent that you would like to share? Crafting is an easy way to go about sharing this talent. Even if you aren’t skilled at crafting, there are so many different aspects to this market that you can easily train yourself how to do it with a little time and patience.

Instead of trying to find a company to work for with your crafting skills, you need to consider starting your own at-home business. As your company grows, you can eventually transform it into a larger business that you can operate outside of the home. It’s rare to find a high paying job in the crafting industry if you aren’t working for yourself. Many of the jobs that exist require you to work in a factory or they ask you to become a teller at their store. The one thing you need to watch out for include crafting scams, and there are a lot of them. There are companies out there that will pay you to create things for them like checker boards and other crafts, but they are sometime extremely difficult to create and they often do not pay well. Most of the time you will end up paying 2-3 times more for the supplies than you will receive in income. Avoid crafting scams and start your own business if you really want to make money.

The first thing you need to do when you are setting up your own crafting company is to first check out a few books and magazines on crafting and assess your skill level. Do you have the time to devote to your new business? Do you have the money you need to get started? When you are working at-home, you need to take into consideration all of the additional costs you will have that range from raw materials to equipment and machinery. You will also need to pay more money to heat or cool your home since you will be home during these hours. What about your internet costs and other fees that are part of your business. Be sure to keep receipts and good records so you can reclaim the money on your taxes each year. If you are buying crafting kits, be aware that the company you work for should offer a reimbursement fee if you are able to assemble the items correctly.

The next thing you need to do is set up a website with pictures of your work. You need to get your name out there and start marketing your business. If you are working for another company, each item you assemble will need to be inspected and approved. Working for yourself allows you more flexibility as you can work with the customers to make sure the crafts you are selling match their needs and demands. Once you are able to market your crafting company well and you have a steady stream of money coming in, consider adding a shopping cart feature to your website. This will make it easier on the customers to order your crafting projects and it’s also nice because you can require full payment when they place the order.

You must be up front and clear about your customer service policy and prices. A lot of people will refuse to pay until they receive the item and can guarantee your work. Depending on the craft you are doing, you can lose a lot of money if you aren’t careful. Make sure you use watermarks on all your digital files you send out and be sure to include a policy that states when payment is due and if you guarantee your work.

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Beaded craft ideas

Tuesday, December 7th, 2010

Would you like to make unique jewelry? Perhaps you need a fun craft project that you can teach your children on a rainy day. Beaded crafts are easy to learn and you can literally create hundreds of different beaded craft projects. One of the best ways to create beaded crafts is to start with a beaded craft kit. These craft kits provide you with all the instructions you need to get started with your beaded crafts and they usually provide you with all the supplies you need to get started.

Head to your local craft store and browse through all of the various craft kits that are available so you can find one that suits your personality and your skill level. You should take a look at the finished product so you can see if you actually like it. Sometimes the colors of the beads may not be your favorite so it’s always a good idea to consider purchasing some extra beads in the colors you like so you can substitute them in the craft kit.

The good thing about the craft kits is that they can help you get started with beaded crafts. Once you master your first beaded craft, you can start to create other fun designs with the beads. Consider purchasing a book on beaded crafts as this will help you challenge yourself and create difficult pieces that you can share with your loved ones or display proudly as a necklace or other piece of jewelry.

Experiment a little bit when you are using beaded crafts. This will give you a chance to see what you like and what you don’t like. It also can help you come up with your own patterns instead of always needing to read the craft books to come up with creative ideas.

When you are playing around with beaded crafts, take a look at all the different types of beads that are available. You don’t just need to stick with the circular beads or small beads. There are several different types of beads that allow you to create unique jewelry and other fun items. Many of the beads can help you create a theme for your jewelry or other beaded items that you are creating.

Basic beaded necklace
To help you get started with beaded crafts, start with a basic craft like a necklace. Here are the supplies you will need in order to create a beaded necklace:

  • 4 x ½ yard of waxed cotton jewelry cord, should be the same color as your beads.
  • One large bead to place in the center of the necklace.
  • Assorted glass beads to place around the large bead
  • Silver end caps
  • Jewelry glue

Take the 4 different strands of waxed cotton jewelry cord and pull them though the large bead that will be in the center. Knot all the cords together on both sides of the large bead. Now you will divide the cotton in 2 sections and place about 3 beads on the cord on each side before you knot the cord again. Then you will place a bead and a knot, a bead, and a knot, and so on until you reach the end of the cord. At the end you will knot the 4 cords together and cut away the loose ends. Attach the cap pieces using the jewelry glue and allow the necklace to dry completely before wearing the jewelry.

There are a number of fun beaded projects you can make, ranging from small animals to bracelets and purses. Be sure to start with projects that are in your skill level before you move onto the detailed projects that may take up a lot of time and can become frustrating.

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Home decor crafting

Tuesday, November 16th, 2010

Do you love decorating your home, or wish you knew how? There are some amazing things you can do with home décor crafting. If you are looking for new ideas or looking to learn knew things, then this may be just the thing you have been looking for. Here are some various home décor crafting ideas for your home. No matter what kind of home décor you are looking for, or what kind of budget you may be on, here are some great ideas the will get you on your way to a more beautiful and artistic home.

You don’t have to be a professional contractor or a distinguished artist to make your home beautiful. There are many ways you can turn your house from an outdated drab feel to a new, classy and refreshed look in just moments.

There are countless decorating and remodeling crafts for your home, if that’s what you are looking to do. Here are a few home décor crafting tips that you can do yourself, without a lot of hassle or headache:

Accessorize:
Accessorize in a room by focusing on one thing and then pull complimentary colors into the room to match it. For example: take your old drab bathroom curtain and spruce it up with a new one. Find a solid color that you would like your bathroom to be. Then, get a soap dispenser, trashcan, toothbrush holder with a matching bath rug and towels to create a new and beautiful bathroom. If you decide you want a shower curtain with patterns on it, then accessorize with one or two of the colors in the curtain. You can also make your own accessories by making decorative boxes or jars to help accent the color.  Accessorizing is a very simple way to spruce up any room and without a lot of effort.

Wall art:
You can make some floral arrangements or other art to hang on your walls. One easy arrangement to make is a wall floral arrangement. Get a foam cone at a craft store and flatten one side so it will hang properly on a wall. Then, take a variety of silk flowers and remove the leaves. Spray the back of the leaves and the front of the cone with adhesive. Apply the leaves overlapping each other and then add some flowers on top. Continue adding flowers until your wall hanging satisfies the look you were going for. You can also use part of a stem to make a loop and apply it to the back of the cone for a hanger. This is just one way of making floral wall art.

Frames:
Frames are a great thing to decorate and they don’t take much time. You can take any old frame and spray it with adhesive then apply dry or silk flowers to it to make a floral frame. You can also paint frames the color or design you like with some simple acrylic paint. Another way to decorate a frame is to decorate the mat of a frame. You can take some of your favorite family pictures and make a collage on the mat of the frame and then write a poem about your family or put your favorite poem in it. This is a great craft to do that costs almost nothing to make.

Window treatments:
Window treatments are an easy and fun home décor craft idea. Make a paper pattern for your valance. Make it however you would like it, it could be straight, scalloped, or with points. Make the height 1/3 the height of your window and the width a few inches wider than the window, including the trim. Then, cut the fabric. Pin the sides together, with right sides still together, this helps to keep the fabric from moving as you sew. Sew all the sides together except one. Leave the middle half of the side open. Pull the fabric right side out. Iron it to make it flat. Hand stitch the opening closed and also press the seam. Then you can add hooks or loops to the back to hang on your curtain rod.

These home décor crafting tips will get you on your way to sprucing up any room. Have fun with your crafts and be creative. Remember you are the artist and you can feel free to be as creative as you’d like. Home décor crafts can be a fun hobby and will get your house looking revived in no time.

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Fun crafts for centerpieces

Monday, November 15th, 2010

There’s a variety of different fun crafts for centerpieces today. With the thousands of different craft ideas, which ones should you choose for your centerpiece? It depends on what you like or what kind of mood you are trying to set for your particular occasion. Once you have figured that out, you can begin to seek the centerpiece you had envisioned. If you are having a hard time thinking of fun crafts for centerpieces, then here are some fun suggestions that you can use for just about any occasion.

Here are some fun and inexpensive holiday craft centerpiece ideas:

Halloween Clay Pots:
This are very simple to make and you can change the design to fit any holiday if you wish.
Just get a small clay pot and paint it orange. Then fill it with foam or beans and push 4 or 5 plastic spoons down into it. The spoons can be painted white with back eyes to look like ghosts. It is a fun and easy centerpiece for such an occasion. To use it for a fall centerpiece, paint the spoons orange and make pumpkin faces on them. This can all be done for a few bucks which is nice too. You can also get lollipops that have orange and black wrappers to put in the pot to make it a treat centerpiece as well.

Thanksgiving centerpieces:

Take some gourds and tiny pumpkins and put them on tall candle holders in the center of your table. You can accent them by placing  vases  with a twig or two and some dry grasses or flowers next to them.
Another fun Thanksgiving craft idea is to get a bundle of wheat from a craft store or florist. Trim the bottoms so you have the height you prefer, then tie the bundle with a festive ribbon and stand it in the center of the table. You can buy or use an orange and brown cloth to put under it for some color. Cranberries are also great to spread around the middle of the table for some added color.

Christmas centerpieces:
Wreath centerpieces are a very easy and festive way to decorate for your Christmas season. Instead of hanging your wreath on your door, place it in the center of the table, or get a slightly smaller one to place on the table that matches the one on your door. A nice addition to a table wreath is two or three different sized candlesticks to be placed in the middle of the wreath. You can use red, green and a gold candle to help dress the center of any table.

Another cheap and easy centerpiece for Christmastime is to wrap a variety of different sized small boxes to place in the center of your table. The use of gold, green and red paper and ribbon can really brighten a drab table. Throw a green or red cloth under the gifts to give it even more color. You can even place the gifts on a fancy tray or sleigh that can be found at any craft store during the holiday season. If you place them in one of these, find some pine branches to lay underneath the gifts for a nice accent and smell.

4th of July centerpiece:
A simple pot that you can buy at any craft store for a buck can really spice up a table for any occasion. For this holiday get a plain clay pot and then paint it 3 colors, red, white and blue. Place some red white and blue fake flowers in it. You can place foam in the bottom so the flowers stay. Then, put a festive place-mat under the pot and place 2 candles on each side. You can roll the candles in glue and the glitter of your choice to make it more festive. The candles just add a great accent to your patriotic flower pot. All this can be done for just a few bucks!

Another easy centerpiece is to take a green plant with white flowers and add little flags and some sparklers to it. Just adding those few things can make a really cute and festive centerpiece. If you like, you can also spread confetti in the shapes of stars around your plant for more accents, or even place some gold stars on your plant pot.

These are just some of the endless fun craft centerpieces that you can use for your holidays. Be creative and add new things to your centerpieces each year, you will be surprised at how many different fun ideas you can come up with. Have fun with your centerpieces and make any holiday festive in your house for just a few bucks. Not only will you love it, but your guests will love coming to your home to see what fun new centerpieces you have come up with.

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Winter craft ideas

Saturday, November 13th, 2010

During the winter months, there are a number of holidays and occasions you can look forward to with your children. Winter brings hundreds of craft ideas that you can participate in that will help your children enjoy this festive time of year. Here are a few simple winter craft ideas that you can create with your children:

  • Snowflakes. Creating snowflakes is always easy and a lot of fun. You can do it by folding a piece of paper into 3 to 4 different folds and then you can start cutting away at the edges of it to create a unique snowflake. It’s a great way for your children to decorate the home in December and January to welcome the snow and the cold winter months.
  • Toilet tube paper penguin. Another great winter craft is to gather up all of your toilet paper rolls and cover them with black construction paper. Use some white construction paper to make the belly of the penguin. Some wiggly eyes and orange construction paper will work well to help you create the nose and feet of the penguin. Use some black construction paper and shred it to create a cute top for the hair of the penguin.
  • Paper plate snowmen. Using glue, wiggly eyes, cotton balls, orange and black construction paper, turn three paper plates into a snowman. Have your children decorate the top plate like the face of a snowman and use the other two to create the body of the snowman. Cotton balls can be used to make the entire snowman stand out. Use some glitter to make the snowman sparkle and look spectacular. Buttons, foam, and construction paper can all be used to decorate the paper plate snowmen. It’s a fun way to decorate your home and to share your children’s crafts with their loved ones like their grandparents.
  • Splatter picture. Children love to paint and nothing is more enjoyable for them to splatter paint all over the place, especially with your approval. You will need some plastic along with thick construction paper or canvas. Choose some holiday colors like green and red or blue, white, or silver. Once you have some colors ready, use some paintbrushes and then let your children choose a design of their choice and have them splatter the paint all over. It’s a simple way to create a unique holiday painting to share with your loved ones. Use some sponges to make another unique painting. Using the sponge, dip it into some paint and then press it against some black or blue paper. Glitter will make the paint colors you have chosen stand out and it will be a truly unique painting to treasure for many years.
  • Sugar cube igloo. Another unique winter craft idea is to create a sugar cube igloo. Using a hot glue gun, sugar cubes and a Styrofoam cup, glue the sugar cubes to the Styrofoam and make a unique igloo. Some snow can be added to the igloo with some powdered sugar sprinkled on top of it. If you don’t want to use sugar cubes, you can always use mini marshmallows.
  • Yarn mittens. Instead of making mittens entirely out of yarn, you can simplify this craft a little bit to accommodate your children. Use some cardboard and cut it out into mittens. Decorate the mittens with paint, colored pencils, and yarn. Tie the mittens together with yarn and use yarn and glue it around the mittens to add some texture and diversity to them. The mittens are a wonderful way to decorate the Christmas tree this holiday season.

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Wedding crafts

Friday, November 12th, 2010

One of the best ways to save money at your wedding is by using your crafting abilities. Keep in mind that everything you pay someone else to do (that you can do yourself) is money you will not be able to spend somewhere else. Wedding crafts are also a great way to personalize your wedding and really make it unique. So if you or someone close to you is getting married here are some great ideas for wedding crafts-

Birdseed or Rice Roses-These clever favors will have the guests showering the bride and groom with just a flick of the wrist.

What you will need:

  • Silk or Satin
  • Green floral tape
  • Florist wire
  • Silk leaves
  • Heavy wire to support the filled Rose

Instructions for the project: You will start by creating a 2 inch tube in your fabric by sewing a 4 inch strip together. It is important to keep in mind that you will need about 3 1/2 inches in length for each rose you want to make. Cut your florist wire to the length that you want your rose stems. Carefully wind the wire with the green florist tape starting at the bottom and working your way up. When you get half way you can then place your leaves onto the stem and secure by pulling the florist tape around the leaves and continuing to wind the stem with the green tape.  When you get to the top be sure to add a little glue to one end of the silk. Then you can thread the tube over the rose stem and bind it tightly closed around the stem with the florist tape till it is secure. Once the glue has completely dried fill the rose with birdseed, confetti or rice leaving about a 1 1/2 inch of unfilled tube at the top. Take this left over bit and carefully tuck it back into itself and into the filling to close off and form the bud of the rose. You should be able to just push it down inside the filling.

Floral ice bowl-This only looks complicated and will add a wow factor to your punch bowl or buffet table.

What you will need:

  • 2 Glass or Stainless steel bowls (one around 2 inches smaller than the other)
  • Water
  • Edible Flowers or
  • Plastic flowers
  • Various embedding items

Instructions for the project: Start by taking the first bowl, (the larger bowl) and fill it with water. Add your petals/flowers or shapes to the water and place the second bowl on top carefully pressing the flowers out to the edges of the larger bowl. You can tape the bowls together if you are having trouble keeping them together. You will need to fill the top smaller bowl with water as this will weigh down the bowls or you can weigh it down with anything heavy. Place both bowls into the freezer on a flat surface.

Once the bowls have frozen (overnight) you can then separate the bowls. You may need to run one under warm water in order to break the seal. You should now have one ice bowl that is about 2 inches thick. Place the ice bowl back into the freezer until you are ready to use it. You can now serve seafood, punch and other delights in this ice bowl.

Chair covers-Rather then rent expensive chair covers you can whip your together quickly and easily.

What you will need:

  • Fabric in the color of your choice
  • 3 Yards of Ribbon
  • Thread

Instructions for the project:  You will start by measuring the chair from the floor at the front to the back of the seat, up the back and down to the floor. You will need to add around 5.5 inches to the length for hems. These measurements will tell you how much fabric you need. It is also important to measure the width of the seat to see how wide your piece has to be. Hem both of the long edges of the fabric and then iron flat. You can now place the fabric on the chair and center it so its sits nicely at the front and back and pin it so it is ready to hem. You should also mark the back of the chair with the seat of the chair to see where the tie backs will be sewn on. You will need two tie backs on the front piece and two on the back piece. For a final step sew the ribbon to the four marked spots for your tie back.

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Watercolor crafting projects

Thursday, November 11th, 2010

Painting with watercolors is a lot of fun for adults and for children. A simple craft to do with watercolors is to create your own greeting cards. Using some cardstock paper and some watercolors let your children go to town and create unique greeting cards. Use cookie cutters to cut out designs from the cardstock and glue watercolor images to the greeting card if you do not wish to paint the entire cover of the greeting card.

Since Christmas is a great time to send out holiday cards, pick a few designs you would like to use and have your children paint several different sheets of paper with watercolors. Once they dry, cut out the images like trees, stars, and Santa Claus and glue them to the outside or inside of the card along with other festive decorations that will make your greeting card stand out. Use wrapping paper, ribbon, and buttons to add to the greeting card to make it look truly original.

What are some other watercolor crafts you can create? Some of the most popular include canvases, wood items, gift bags, and tote bags. Simply sitting around the kitchen table and watching your children paint their favorite cartoon characters will be an enjoyable moment for any parent that loves to see creativity flow from their children. Younger children may be more inclined to like the watercolor books that have cartoon characters they are familiar with while your older children may prefer to have a blank canvas and then go to town.

No matter what type of watercolor craft idea you come up with, it is important to make sure you are getting the right type of crafts. There are a number of watercolor kits you can purchase at any store, but they are usually cheap. For younger children, the cheap watercrafts will do just fine. Children that are trying to create a unique piece of art may prefer the more expensive watercolor supplies.

How do you pick watercolor paints? There is a basic method, you need to have warm colors and cool colors and several paintbrushes. You also need to have the primary colors so the artist inside yourself or your child can create their own unique colors. Most of us have seen watercolors that come in cakes, but watercolors can also come in the form of tubes, pencils, and pans.

Look for a high-quality watercolor brush if you want the image to hold it’s proper shape. A good brush will be made with 100 percent sable. It should have a firm point and it will not dry out quickly, which is important for watercolor painting. Natural fiber brushes are the most common, but they dry out quickly and if they were made poorly, you will have brush fibers that fall out of place and they will ruin your painting.  Since you will be paying more money for the sable brush, it is important to take good care of it. Use warm water and soap to cleanse the brush and gently massage it to remove all of the paint. Thoroughly rinse the brush and then massage all the bristles back into their proper shape, don’t pull or tug on the bristles though because this will cause them to become loose. Once you have cleansed it, lay it on a flat, dry surface. Some painters prefer to leave them upside down in a cup which is fine. Just make sure that you never lay it down on it’s bristles to dry.

Finally, to make your watercolor craft project stand out you should purchase some addition lights to make the room nice and bright.

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Valentine’s Day crafts

Wednesday, November 10th, 2010

There is perhaps no day better suited to crafting then Valentine’s Day.  From paper Valentine’s to decorated cookies there are multiple ways to craft a project that shows those people closest to us how we really feel.  Best of all who does not love getting a homemade Valentine’s gift?  You can personalize your feelings in a unique and special way to show family and friends how much you really care about them. Whether you are planning an activity for a class party or looking for an afternoon of crafting fun with your kids there is a Valentine’s Day craft that is right for you.  So gather your supplies and get ready to try one of these fun and special Valentine’s Day crafts!

Complete Me Puzzle Piece wreath-If you have a puzzle with missing pieces-don’t throw it away!  You can recycle the pieces into this darling craft that works as a wreath or even a picture frame.  Keep in mind that you can embellish it as much or as little as you like.

What you will need:

  • Recycled Puzzle pieces
  • Red or Pink spray paint
  • Craft glue
  • Ribbon for hanging

Instructions for the project: Start by laying out all of your puzzle pieces on some newspaper. Spray paint them a thin layer of pink or red spray paint. You will want to apply a few light coats till the pieces are well covered. Carefully lay the pieces over the top of each other to form the wreath. You will want to be gluing each piece as you go. If you want to make a bigger or thicker wreath lay the pieces 2-3 pieces wide. As a finishing touch glue on a ribbon bow and a small thin cord for hanging. When finished attach the words “You Complete Me, Like A Puzzle” for a romantic gesture. This Valentines Day craft can be hung on door knobs, used as a gift tag or used to decorate a tree for a Valentines Day festive tree.

Cinnamon Hearts-This charming craft project is fun to make but you must remind young kids that despite the edible ingredients this is not a edible project!

What you will need:

  • 3/4 cup of applesauce
  • 1 cup of cinnamon
  • 1 tbs white glue

Instructions for the project: Using large bowl, place applesauce and glue into the bowl and mix in the cinnamon till a soft ball forms. You can then roll out your “dough” and cut out your heart shapes with cookie cutters.  Dry the hearts in an oven set at 140 degrees until completely dry. You will need to turn them over once during the drying process.  It is important to keep in mind that if you intend on hanging your heart shape, then you will need to put a hole in it before baking, You can also thread a small piece of wire through before baking as this will not burn. These look darling presented in a basket or tie to them to a gift as a tag.

Rose petal napkin rings-For a special touch for a romantic dinner you can put together this craft.

What you will need:

  • Cardboard toilet roll tubes or Plain plastic napkin rings
  • Dried rose petals.
  • Craft glue
  • Spray varnish

Instructions for the project: For this project you can use toilet roll tubes or plain plastic napkin rings however if you using the toilet roll tubes you will want to cut them into thirds for a nice even sized napkin ring. You may also want to base paint the toilet rolls to give them a better finish. Once the paint has completely dried then you are ready to proceed. Using the craft glue carefully coat the napkin ring and then sprinkle or press the rose petals onto the ring. You may also need to glue on a few petals individually to fill in the gaps. Try to press them down firmly to insure they stay on. Once the glue is completely dried, spray each ring with a little spray varnish for extra protection.

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Using paint for crafts

Tuesday, November 9th, 2010

From big crafts to little crafts, there are a variety of crafts that use paint. Painting things can help give them a finished look. And there are many things that a person can do with paint to make their crafts unique. Here are some great craft ideas that use paint.

Furniture

A person can make an old or new piece of furniture their very own by painting it. A new coat of paint can help a piece of furniture look brand new, fit better in a room, or look unique. Before a person paints a piece of furniture they should check up on a few things first.  For example, depending on where the piece of furniture is intended to go (kid’s play room or formal living room) may help a person decide what type of paint they should use on the furniture.

And depending on the piece of furniture and whether it has been previously painted a person will need to get the surface ready to be painted. A person will also need to decide how many coats the furniture needs.

Chalkboard paint

Chalkboard paint is a great invention that allows people to turn just about any surface into a chalkboard. Making surfaces into chalkboards enables people to write notes, tags, or labels on different objects and they are better able to keep things organized.

A person can use chalkboard paint on tabletops to put in children’s rooms. The child can spend hours drawing pictures or playing games on their table chalkboard. They can use the paint on the inside of a cupboard, enabling them to write down their grocery list even if they don’t have paper and a pen. Turning regular flower pots into chalkboards can create a surface that a person can write instructions for the plants on the pot to help them better take care of the flower or plant.

Holiday paint crafts

Just about each holiday has some type of craft that involves paint. For example, a person can paint a pumpkin on Halloween instead of carve it. The painted pumpkin generally lasts longer and it can be much safer to decorate a pumpkin with paint instead of using a sharp knife to cut into the pumpkin.

For Christmas families can paint their own Christmas ornaments and decorations. Ornaments can be made of glass, wood, or even porcelain. It can be fun for a family to create their own ornaments for their tree. They can make them unique and make their Christmas tree their very own.

For decorations they can paint wooden cut outs of the manger scene or of Christmas words or phrases such as “Peace on Earth” or “Joy.” They can paint the wood and add their own touch to the finished product.

Painting wooden cutouts or shapes can be great for just about any holiday. For example, a wooden turkey cutout would be great for Thanksgiving and a painted wooden American flag might be a nice Fourth of July decoration.

Painting crafts can be simple and consist of a person applying a couple of coats of paint, or they can be more difficult and involve a few more colors, coats, and some intricate designs. No matter what the skill level, there are painting crafts for everyone. And as a person realizes just how much fun it can be to work with paint they will become more skilled and be able to do just about any craft using paint.

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