Bottlecap Pendants

I know bottle cap jewelry has been around for awhile, but I am just now getting around to trying to make some. I researched how to make pendants online, but I just ended up doing my own thing with supplies I found at Hobby Lobby and these great custom graphics I found on an Etsy shop called Oh So Cute Boutique. I used a nail and hammer to make the hole for the round finding on the top of the bottle cap. It works best if you do it through the side which is bent up slightly. I had some small jewelry pliers I used to attach the round finding to the bottle cap.

These faux suede necklaces came from Michael's.

This was really simple to make. I simply glued the image on and then used two coats of the Triple Thick glaze on top.

Two Easy and Kid Friendly Valentine's Crafts

Hanging Ruffle Ribbon Heart Decoration
I traced and cut out a heart from a cereal box, a slightly smaller sized heart out of burlap and glued them together using dots of white craft glue. I sewed a running stitch through the center of the ribbon and then pulled it tightly to make the ribbon ruffle. I used some more glue to glue the ruffle around the edge of the heart and then added a button/ribbon embellishments. I punched two holes on the top to add a ribbon for hanging. If you wanted to do this craft with kids and they are too young to sew, you could always ruffle the ribbon ahead of time.



Heart Woven Place Mat



I cut out two heart shapes and then measured and cut slits for the ribbon to be woven through. Any fabric would be cute for the back layer.....just cut out with pinking sheers.
I used a plastic knitting needle to thread the ribbon through because it was easier, but you could do it without. I also used a few dots of white craft glue around the edges to keep the hearts together.

Have a great and inspiring day!

Erin

Heather's Handmade Holiday in Review

So, my all-handmade holiday didn't really happen.  I think I committed to it too closely to Christmas to make it a real possibility.  If I had been on vacation for another 3 or 4 weeks before Christmas, maybe it would've been realistic.  However, since I also work full time, have a husband with a long commute, and an adorable, but sometimes needy toddler, this didn't really work out very well.  Oh well.  I'm not too disappointed.  I'm one of those people who won't get a lot accomplished if I don't have REALLY BIG GOALS!  I figure I'll try again next year and plan ahead a little more.  It can only get better and easier, right? 

I did get a lot done though.  I've posted most of it, but here's a few more things I managed to finish before the recipients' Christmas celebration!  Here are some two shirts I made for my cousin's children, Katie and Ethan.  They are both 4.  Both finished shirts cost less than $10.  (The teal and celery polka dot fabric was actually a flannel receiving blanket that I had used with Holden, but it got a stain on it I couldn't get out...so I upcycled it into my fabric bin - YEAH!)

I cut the letters out of the iron-on type adhesive and cut the fabric a bit larger.  Then I ironed them on and used 4 strands of a coordinating thread to sew around the edge of the letter.  When they are washed, they will fray a bit more around the edge.  I used the Pea Mee-Mee font from Kevin and Amanda's Pea Fonts.  I LOVE their handwriting fonts.  I did tweak the e a bit, since I didn't think it would look as nice with some of the "hooks" on it.  This is the same font I used on the Santa Plates I made this year.  Super Fun!  I've considered having my own handwriting made into a font, since I do like my handwriting if I take my time (but rarely do).  I've just never actually taken the plunge.  Maybe I'll put that on my New Year's list.  It would be really cool for journaling and scrapbooking!

Anyway, I added some fun red and green juice boxes to the kids' shirts for Christmas.  This was kind of an after thought to the actual gifts.  Like, you see juice boxes (LOTS of them) and think, why did I buy so many juice boxes?  My son only drinks 1/2 a juice box a day at the most.  Hey those are red and those are green...Christmas present?  Yeah, I'm kind of ADD sometimes!  Anyway, I had Holden color with red and green markers onto some packing paper that came between my junk plates (that I bought for next year's Santa plates) and wrapped them up.  I thought they turned out pretty cute.

And, last but not least, I made these bear mugs for my Dad.  His house is very lodge-y so they'll fell right at home.  I got the mugs for $2.50 each at Wal-Mart.  I think I will fill them all with something different when I give them to him...maybe hot cocoa mix in one, toffee cracker cookies in another, oreo truffles in another and chocolate covered pretzels in the last one...all in cello bags, of course!  I might even make some for my brother down the road as he loves Bear Bows.  As in a bow-and-arrow type bow.  We grew up in the country, k? 

Sorry about the picture quality...on top of not being a good photographer in general, I am REALLY not good at taking pictures of etched glass.  I promise to all of you that taking better pictures is on my list too :)  I might even take a class?!?  Any recommendations?  Online vs. Community College?  Lansing, Michigan area?  Doesn't take up too much family time?

Anyway, now that the holidays are nearly over, I'm hoping to get everything at my house organized, cleaned up and cleared out.  Well, I don't actually want to clear everything out...but I definitely want to get rid of some stuff we haven't used in a while.  I'm hoping that 2010 is going to be the best year yet!  Hope it will be for all of us :)

-Heather

PS - I'm linking up to the Penny Pinching Party over at the Thrifty Home!  Go check it out and stretch your dollars :) 

Crayon Roll - Take One!

I have seen lots of crayon rolls out there and thought it would make a fun gift for my neice, Ava, who is 3 1/2.  I thought I could put it with some other little things like lacing cards and some felt food for her kitchen. 

I skimmed over a tutorial here, but obviously not closely enough, because I realized after I had already turned it right sides out that I should've made the slots for each crayon BEFORE I sewed everything together.  Oh well.  I don't think Ava will care.  The next few that I'm making for a friend will go together a little faster...and more precisely :)

 

I used an extra button from a J. Crew sweater I don't have anymore...it was nice and big!

And just because I like him a lot...and I made him - here's my A-dorable son!  Isn't he cute?!?!

Sara Fedewa Photography

I'm posting this at Funky Junk Interiors' Saturday Nite Special.  (The crayon roll, not the boy.) :)

Edit: Added to The Girl Creative's Creating Christmas Blog Fest: Handmade Gift Ideas

A Colorful Teacher Gift

A coworker of mine, Judy Tubbs, told me about a wreath her daughter had seen made of crayons and embroidery hoops. I loved the idea of it. I thought then it would make a fun teacher gift. But since I already told you that I am impatient, it will come as no surprise to you that I wanted to try it out, didn't have the embroidery hoops and tried it anyway. Well, let's just say that my idea to make a hoop from a coat hanger failed miserably. Luckily, something sort of good came out of disaster. I wanted to use the crayons right away before my son could destroy them. (He's 19 months old and snapping crayons like twigs is one of his favorite pastimes.) I had this candle in my could-be-a-gift-in-a-pinch box. It smells like peppermint, so it screamed red and green crayons at me! Unfortunately, I didn't have several boxes of crayons to steal red and green from. I figured red-ish and green-ish would have to do. This is the candle I came up with. I hot glued the crayons on alternating red and green. I think this might look a lot cuter with real red and real green or silver and gold. I'm going to look for a teacher store to see if I can get 20-40 of one color crayon. I think that would be cool for the wreath idea too. Anyway, this was SUPER EASY! I didn't even burn my fingers! I will tell you that as the glue gets really hot, you start to smell the candle a lot, but I like peppermint, so that wasn't a hardship either!

So, what do you think? I'm sure this is a purely decorative candle because burning the candle would melt the crayons too. Do you like it? Hate it? If you try it with different colors, I'd love to see it. I'll get back to you if I ever get the actual wreath done…

Until another project goes awry…

-Heather

Breakfast at Night

I've been making more felt food.  Here's a little breakfast I cooked up.  I've gotten a lot of ideas from the Felt Food Group on Flickr.  They have some really cool food there, very inspiring!  Anyway, I think I'm going to try a pizza next.  Wish me luck!

-Heather

Felt Food for Christmas

I decided that this year would be a handmade Christmas for us.  Heather's Handmade Holiday.  Huh, I love alliteration!  Anyway, I'm working on making a play kitchen for my son and I wanted to make a bunch of felt food.  This is my first finished food.  Ha, there it is again.  

I'm not sure what to do about sauce for the ravioli.  I guess I'll have to look around some more at felt food posts.  But, I was pretty happy with the ravioli themselves.  I just cut the felt into rectangles and folded some quilt batting inside and stitched them together.  Then, I cut the edges with pinking shears.  Really fast, really easy.  My kind of project!  

That's all I've got tonight, but keep checking back for more of Heather's Handmade Holiday.  I think I just have to do it a few more times and I'll get it out of my system :) 

Also, a first for us, I'm posting this to a diy "party" at The Shabby Chic Cottage.  Follow the link below for more information!