That is usually the time when I scream and realize that I only have 30 more crafting days to create all my homemade goodies for the year.  Having that list prepared in January and tucked safely away in my ideas cupboard, makes that time of year so much easier and much less stressful.

So, if you are like me and want a few crafts to tuck away to bring out next Christmas or even throughout the year, then you may want to tuck this craft away.  I find that this is an excellent way to create wonderfully home-baked goods without having to do any of the baking.  It can be a great craft to do with kids but it can also be an excellent craft and gift to do on your own.

What you need:

• Jars:  You can use just about any type of jar you want.  I like to use the jars with the hinged lid but regular mason jars are perfectly fine.
• Decorations:  This can range from ribbon to silk flowers.  If you have a child helping make the jars, why not allow him to draw a picture and then tape it to the front of the jar.  The key is to decorate them the way that you want to.  The jars can be beautiful but a lot of the “wow” in this craft is how you fill the jar.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of flour
• 3/4 cup of brown sugar
• 1/4 cup of white sugar
• 1/4 tsp of salt
• 1/2 tsp of baking soda
• 1 to 2 cups of M & M’s (This really depends on how chocolaty that you want your cookies to be.  I prefer to go with the 1 cup but I know my kids prefer having 2 cups so we often compromise at 1 and a half cups.)

Directions:

1. Before you do anything else, make sure that you thoroughly wash the jars.  Do not fill them until they are completely dry though.
2. While you are waiting for the cookies to dry, why not start preparing the decorative elements.  If your child will be providing the art, simply sit her down with markers and paper and let her create.  If you are decorating, use a hot glue gun to attach the various element.  For things that need to go on the lid, I would recommend waiting until the jar is filled and closed.
3. Now that you have your jar ready and waiting, it is time to start layering the jar.  To do this, it is important to do this as follows to create a layered look:

• 1 cup of flour with the baking soda and salt on the bottom
• 1/4 cup of brown sugar
• 1/4 cup of white sugar
• Half of the M&M’s
• 1/4 cup of the brown sugar
• 1 cup of flour
• 1/4 cup of brown sugar
• Remaining M&M’s

When the jars are filled, you can close them and finish the last little details. The last thing that you will want to do is print off a label that finishes the recipe. So in this case, the label should say:

“Cookies in a Jar:

To finish off this wonderful recipe, you will need 1 egg, 3/4 cups of butter and 1 tsp of vanilla.  Combine all the ingredients together, including the ones found in this jar.  Once it is thoroughly mixed, drop small balls of cookie dough onto a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes or until the cookies are golden.”

All the best,

Sirena Van Schaik

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This craft, is an easy craft that can create a cherished handprint that you can take with you everywhere you go. There is some adult steps involved in this craft but this can be an excellent craft for any holiday but especially for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.

What you will need:

• Shrinky Dinks:  This is a shrinkable plastic that you can find at most craft stores or by clicking here.
• Stamp Ink
• Scissors
• Fine Tip Marker
• hole punch
• key chain ring

Directions:

1. Take your child’s hand and ink the palm with the stamp ink.  Make sure that it is coated completely.  If you prefer to use something other than ink, paint does work, however, not as well as ink.
2. Firmly press your child’s palm to the shrinkable plastic and remove.
3. Allow the hand print to dry before the next step.
4. After it is dry, carefully cut around the hand print.  You can do any shape but most people cut out a hand shape.
5. Write the child’s name and age (or the date it was made) on the shrinkable plastic
6. Heat the shrinkable plastic in the oven. It is best if you follow the directions on the package for heating directions.
7. Once it has shrunk and is cooled, take the hole punch and punch a hole into the bottom of the palm.
8. Insert a key chain ring and give as a gift.

Although the hand print will shrink, the image will still be teh same so you will be left with a miniature version of your child’s hand print.

Sirena Van Schaik

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Of course, stamping didn’t hold me long before I burst onto the scrapbooking scene and I quickly began to produce stamped scrapbook pages much to the delight of everyone who saw them.

That delight, of course, led to me needing to experiment with new techniques and I quickly realized that I wanted to produce more than a stunning page, I also wanted to produce stunning effects with very little effort.

This activity is definitely one of those stunning effects that is easy to do and can look great on a card or on a scrapbook page.

What you need:

• Cardstock
• paper cutter
• clear embossing powder
• stamp
• stamp ink
• heat gun
• versa mark

Directions:

1. Prepare your cardstock by cutting it to the dimension you want and then stamping it with an image. In my case, I started with a butterfly from Stampin’ Up and colored it in with watercolor pencil crayons.
2. Once your image is finished, allow it to dry if you used markers.
3. Take the versa mark and stamp the clear ink over the entire surface of your image.  Make sure it coats the entire image and cardstock.
4. Pour embossing powder on the image and cardstock.  Make sure you use a lot and tap off the excess onto a piece of paper before you return it to the container.
5. Using your heat gun, melt the embossing powder until it is completely melted.  If you do not have a heat gun, you can melt it by heating the back of the cardstock, carefully, over an electric burner.  Do not use a gas stove to do this.
6. Before the embossing powder cools, take the embossing powder and coat the image and cardstock again.  Make sure you tap off the excess before you continue.
7. Melt the second layer of embossing powder completely.
8. Repeat again if necessary until you have a thick layer of embossing.  This varies depending on the type of embossing powder that you use.  Some brands only require two layers while others require 3 or 4.
9. Once you have placed the last layer on the image, place it in the freezer while it is still hot.
10. Allow it to cool completely. This should only take about 2 minutes at the most.
11. Remove from the freezer and carefully crack the cardstock where you want the cracked glass effect to be.  Play around with it until you are happy with it.  Make sure that you do this carefully since too much bending can cause the cardstock to split completely.
12. Now that you have your cracked glass, assemble your card or your scrapbook.

To bring the cracks out a bit, you can sponge ink on the embossed surface.  Make sure you take off the excess so you are only left with ink in the cracks.

Sirena Van Schaik

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This candle craft is very easy to do and you don’t need a lot of supplies.  Of course, having the supplies doesn’t hurt but if you are just starting your candle making hobby, you won’t feel overwhelmed with all the supplies.

What you will need:

• Paraffin Wax:  You can purchase wax at most craft stores.  For this craft, you will want to use paraffin wax.
• Wax Dye:  This is optional and you only need to purchase it if you want to color your candles.  Another great way to add color is to use crayola crayons in the desired shade that you want.
• Wicks:  Again, you can purchase these at most stores and you can use anything from cotton to zinc core.  I would recommend the zinc since they are less likely to absorb the wax.
• Double Boiler:  This can be a double boiler that you purchase or you can simply fill a pot with 2 or 3 inches of water and place a coffee can in the center of the pot.
• Pencil:  For holding the wick
• Square Mold:  If you have a square candle mold, then all the better but if not, use the bottom half of a milk carton.
• Ice Cubes

Directions:

1. Clean your mold or milk carton and make sure that it is completely dry before you begin.  Also make sure that you have ice cubes prepared in your freezer.
2. Before you begin melting the wax, measure to see how much you will need.  The best way to do this is to break apart pieces and fill the mold with the wax pieces to just slightly above where you want the level to be.  Place the measured wax into the double boiler.
3. Melt the wax on a stove burner set at medium-low temperatures until it reaches the temperature that is indicated on the package.
4. Remove from heat and allow it to cool slightly before you begin the next phase.
5. While you wax is cooling, you will want to pour the ice cubes into your mold.  Make sure that they are piled and not pressed down into the mold.  Remember that the messier the pile, the better.
6. Tie the wick to the pencil and place it in the center of your mold so that it hangs down to the bottom.  Make sure to arrange the ice cubes so that no ice is leaning against the wick.
7. Now that your mold is ready, slowly pour the wax into the mold. It should flow over and in between the ice cubes and the ice will begin to melt.  You should fill up the mold to slightly above your desired level since you will lose some height as the ice cubes melt.
8. Allow the wax to cool completely and then remove from the mold.  If you are using a regular mold, placing it in hot water will loosen the wax enough for it to slide right out.  If you are using a milk carton, simply rip off the carton.

And your ice candle is finished.  It is important to allow your candle at least 24 hours before you light it to ensure that you get the best burn and candle. If you can wait, try to let it set for 2 or 3 days.

Happy Candle Making,

Sirena Van Schaik

Photo Credit: © Invisiblev… | Dreamstime.com

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By Sirena Van Schaik

One thing that I have noticed over the years is that art has moved from beautiful canvases to beautiful prints on your wall. Gone are the days where you have one or two canvases and many art buyers are spending hundreds on a print. Sure there really isn’t a need for a canvas anymore but there is something about a canvas that draws the eye – and if you don’t mind, the fingertip.

But forget about how a canvas looks on the wall and think about how it might feel like to paint. If you are a grown up, and not a painter, you probably haven’t given it much thought but imagine being a young child. The sound of the brush scratching across the canvas, the colors blending together; there is something about painting on canvas that ignites a child’s creativity.

For parents, this is a very inexpensive craft and requires very few supplies, many of which you can find at home. The canvases make excellent Christmas presents or can be used for any other time of the year. More than that, it is something that your child will love doing again and again.

What you need:

• Canvases: Most dollar stores offer canvases. Sometimes you can find little packs of 3 canvases measuring 3×5 inches or you can find individual canvases measuring 5×7 inches or 8×11 inches. For a buck, that makes it an excellent investment. I find that the 5×7 is the perfect size but go with one that you are comfortable with.
• Paint: Tempura paint works well on the canvases so don’t feel that you need to purchase expensive oil paints, unless you want to that is. I would only recommend oil paints for older children. Don’t forget the paint containers
• Paint Brushes: Go with several different types and sizes. If you don’t want to spend too much on brushes, dollar stores often stock paint brush kits that have 4 or 5 different tips.
• Frames: Frames are optional and the canvases still look nice without them.

Directions:

1. One thing that I always recommend when making a craft for children is to take some time before hand and introduce the materials. Painting on a new medium can produce one of two effects; either your child finds it so interesting that he takes his time creating or he finds it so exciting that he smears paint on it in thick layers until all you have is a brown smear across the canvas. For this reason, it is much better to have an extra canvas or two handy so your child can get over this little burst of energy.
2. Add paint to each of the containers. If you are using tempura paint, add a touch of dish soap. This makes clean up much easier.
3. Allow your child the time to create. Change canvases when asked and allow the art to dry before hanging. Talk about the creations while your child is creating.
4. Write the date, what the drawing was and your child’s name on the canvas.
5. Give as a gift or hang on the wall for yourself.
And then run back to the store for more supplies because I am positive that your child will be hooked on creating canvas art.

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Fun fabric bags are fast replacing plastic pumpkins and pillowcases as the receptacle of choice for toting home lots of candy.

It’s that most wonderful time of the year. Doorways are decked out with banners and bows, twinkling lights edge the rooftops and all through the house everything from baby bibs and bath towels to tablecloths and throw pillows sports a holiday motif. No, it’s not Christmas — yet. But hot on Santa’s heels, Halloween is second only to Christmas as the largest decorating holiday of the year, says the National Retail Federation (NRF), the world’s largest retail trade association.

According to the NRF, 55.8 percent of consumers plan to celebrate Halloween and they are continuing to do it in style, decorating their homes and yards with a Halloween theme. With that in mind, the sewing experts at Husqvarna Viking are urging consumers to dust the cobwebs off their sewing machine and stitch up a few fun, fast and easy projects to celebrate the season.

Nancy Jewell, publicity director for the Swedish-made sewing machine company, points out that a terrific selection of Halloween-themed fabrics and the advent of computerized sewing and embroidery machines make it easy to duplicate those trendy ready-made table linens, door banners and pillows that fill the store shelves.

“Most of these projects require only the most basic of sewing skills. All you really need to know how to do is stitch a straight line,” explains Jewell. Embroidering those cute little ghosts, black cats and pumpkins on sweatshirts, bibs and towels is a snap. Machines like the Husqvarna Viking Designer I let you simply touch a button and the machine sews, all by itself. Hundreds of Holiday designs are available via the Husqvarna Viking On-line Web Shop (www.husqvarnaviking.com) or through your local retailer. Simply select, click, download to a floppy disk and sew. What could be easier?

So this Halloween, why not dabble in the creative arts? The experts at Husqvarna Viking offer these suggestions for Halloween decorating — all requiring only a minimum of stitch witchery. But beware, once you fall under the spell of sewing you may find yourself cooking up a bewitching spell to get one of today’s easy-to-use sewing machines.

* Fun fabric bags are fast replacing plastic pumpkins and pillowcases as the receptacle of choice for toting home lots of candy. Making your own is incredibly easy. Fabrics like sparkle felts, ric rac trim, variegated threads in autumn tones and a few decorative stitches add to the festivities. The best part, this simple to make bag is very forgiving so you don’t have to be an expert. Plus, you can sew in reflective tape to keep your little ghosts and goblins safe. For detailed instructions on how to make a fabric bag, visit www.husqvarnaviking.com

* Bring the creatures of the night into your house by suspending soft sculpture bats from fishing line. Cut bat shapes from black felt or fleece and stitch two pieces together, leaving a small opening on one side. Stuff with fiberfill and sew opening closed. Decorate finished bat with fabric paint and pens. Use a needle to thread fishing line through the top of the bat.

* Use glow-in-the dark threads to embroider creepy spider webs (Husqvarna Viking’s Holiday Embroidery disk has a great one) on a black fabric cut to fit your table. Or, sew a covering from glow-in-the-dark fabric for a trick tablecloth

* Decorate the doorstep with an easy-to-make patchwork pumpkin, courtesy of The Home Sewing Association; instructions and materials list can be found at www.sewing.org

* Greet trick-or-treaters with a friendly ghost door decoration made with Butterick Pattern 4312 (www.butterick.com). The site also offers a pattern for an easy-sew Halloween banner, pumpkin centerpiece and runner.

Armed with your bag of sewing tricks, you can create great decorative Halloween items for your home in little to no time and without spending a ghoulish amount of money.

Courtesy of ARA Content

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