Friday, October 11, 2013

10 Adorable DIY Slippers

It's finally getting cold here in Jersey.  And boy, oh boy, I'm so glad the cooler weather is finally here.  I love me some sunshine, but I've been chomping at the bit to pull out the jackets, socks, and boots.  (Somehow it just didn't feel like fall when I was still in shorts and flip flops.)

Has the colder weather has got you thinking about warm nights by the fire place, pink onsie pajamas, and cocoa too? Why not throw in a fun DIY slipper project where you get to make something cute and cozy?

 
Rawr.  These slippers that I embellished are the cat's meow. (Hardy har har.)  Check out BuzzFeed to see directions on how to make these and nine other super cute slippers.  (I'm personally very excited to try making slippers out of old sweaters.  I feel some ugly Christmas sweater slippers coming on....)

Happy crafting!


Thursday, October 10, 2013

Two Toddler approved Fall Crafts

Even though I really enjoy crafting, sometimes it takes a bit of persuasion to get Chuck to join in.  Currently he's much more into playing with toy cars than crafting with mom.  Go figure! :)  But I'm a persistent bugger, so I keep encouraging him to make stuff with me.

So far several of my craft plans flopped, but here are two crafts that Chuck actually participated in. (Hooray!) 

1.  Paper Bag Pumpkins:


Materials:
  • Lunch bags
  • Tissue paper squares
  • Glue stick
  • Marker 
  • Googly eyes (optional)
  • Pipe Cleaner
  • Newspaper

Directions:
  1. Glue your tissue paper squares onto your lunch bag.
  2. Add a face
  3. Crumple up newspapers and stick them into your bag.
  4. Use a pipe cleaner to seal up the bag.

And here are some pumpkins made during our toddler craft time:




2.  Contact Paper Leaves
 
Materials:
  •  Leaves
  • Contact paper
  • Scissors
  • Tape
  • Tissue paper (optional)

Directions:

  1. Place leaves in a heavy book to flatten them.
  2. Tape down contact paper, sticky side up.
  3. Stick leaves and tissue paper squares onto your contact paper.
  4. Place a piece of contact paper(sticky side down) on top of your first piece of contact paper.
  5. Trim the edges and tape your leaves onto a window.


Have a great weekend!

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

DIY Honeycomb Hexagon Popsicle Stick Wall Art

Did you ever make things out of Popsicle sticks as a kid?  I have fond memories of making popsicle stick picture frames and jewlery boxes in summer camp.

Today's craft is a slightly more sophisticated version of this beloved childhood activity.  (Maybe that's why I enjoyed making it so much?) This hexagon wall art is graphic, super easy to make, and (bonus!) covers a large space for relatively little cost.   If you have a wall that you'd like to easily decorate, why not give it a try too? 


Materials:
  • Popsicle sticks
  • Paint
  • Paint brushes
  • Hot glue gun

Directions:


 1.  Practice arranging your Popsicle sticks.  When you're pleased with your arrangement, take a photo so you'll remember it. 

2.  Paint your sticks.  (I initially painted them yellow, but thought they looked a little too flat.  Hubby suggested that I add a gold stripe to them to give them more depth.)

3.  Hot glue your sticks together.  One easy way to ensure that your hexagons have similar angles is to draw out a hexagon shape and use that to guide your gluing. 

And that's really all you have to do to create your own honeycomb wall art.





Happy crafting!